The federal government shutdown in the United States threatens the vital food assistance program that supports about 6.7 million low-income Americans.

Investing, a platform specializing in economic analysis, explained in a Thursday report that although the program represents a small part of the $7 trillion federal budget, it requires annual reauthorization by Congress, making it vulnerable to shutdown-related threats.

This has led to a severe funding shortage as the fiscal year end approaches, with Georgia Mitchell, president of the National Program Association, warning that the shutdown could endanger the lives of infants and youth if it lasts more than a week.

Among potential solutions, Mitchell mentioned that the Department of Agriculture might fund the program by rolling over unspent funds from the previous fiscal year or by reimbursing states that temporarily finance the program.

Meanwhile, Senator John Hoeven expressed concern that funding could run out by October 15, further complicating the crisis.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it will continue managing the program as long as funds are available, but current funding is very low due to the timing of the shutdown, which is now in its second day and expected to last at least another day amid no congressional vote.

Regarding political disputes, Republicans and Democrats exchanged accusations about the shutdown and its impact on the program, with the Trump administration blaming Democrats for the shutdown and threatening the program, noting that the shutdown obstructs funding and other essential nutrition programs.

Democrats responded that the administration’s earlier proposal to cut the program’s funding by $300 million shows that the accusations made by the administration are inaccurate.