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The United States Department of Agriculture announced on Saturday that nutrition assistance payments under one of the country’s largest support systems won't be issued next month because of the continuing government funding lapse.

Shutdown Extends Through Its Third Week

The federal closure lasted nearly a month as officials revealed the news, which followed demands from hundreds of Democratic representatives pushing agriculture officials to tap into reserve accounts to pay for next month's benefits.

“Ultimately, funds are depleted,” officials announced. “At this time, there will be no benefits issued” starting next month.

Millions Affected

Tens of millions of people depend on these monthly payments, as reported by official statistics. In certain states, like New Mexico, use of SNAP reaches a significant portion of citizens.

A memo obtained by Reuters indicated that the department decided against using contingency funding for the upcoming payments.

Political Stalemate

Lawmakers from both parties remain deadlocked about the way to finance and restart the federal government.

Comments by the director at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities suggested that federal leadership had opportunities to take earlier action to ensure continuous assistance.

“They had the ability and responsibility taken steps weeks ago to be prepared to access these resources,” the statement continued. “Conversely, officials could opt out in an effort to gain political advantage” as conservative leaders work to influence Democratic senators to vote for a spending bill to restart federal functions.

States Prepare

State leaders from multiple regions declared states of emergency this week to make money available to combat potential hunger in anticipation of nutrition assistance payments stopping next month.