More than 200 Democratic lawmakers sent a letter Friday to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins urging her to use the contingency fund to continue the program.

Agriculture Department officials said Friday they cannot use a contingency fund to continue paying the SNAP program, despite earlier shutdown guidance allowing its use.

Millions of low-income Americans could lose access to food nutrition supplements, or SNAP, benefits on Nov. 1 if members of Congress do not end the shutdown. The US Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service recently put states on notice nationwide that these benefits may not come through.

The Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York was facing soaring demand before the shutdown. Cuts to food stamps could push it to the limit.

Rep. Marionette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) on Friday introduced a bill to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as the government shutdown threatens payments of the food

The federal government shutdown is nearing the four-week mark, with lawmakers seemingly no closer to a deal. Friday came without a paycheck for many impacted D.C. federal workers.

Recipients of SNAP benefits could soon face difficulties accessing food if the government shutdown continues into November.