The Montana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and Confluence Public Health Alliance are the latest groups asking Gov. Greg Gianforte to use state money to pay $14 million in SNAP benefits, for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. But Gianforte said the state will not fund a federal program without the promise of federal reimbursement.

Food banks and other social services organizations are bracing for an increase in demand as a result.

More than 3 million adults in nine states would be at immediate risk of losing their health coverage should the GOP reduce the extra federal Medicaid funding that’s enabled states to widen eligibility

Conservative policy groups say the program costs too much and covers too many people. Democrats say the Medicaid expansion has saved lives and helped communities by widening coverage to people who could not afford private insurance.

As the Federal Govt. shutdown puts the nation’s main federal food support program in limbo, local governments, groups and individuals across Montana are hustling to prevent hunger from gripping thousands of households in November.

A pause on SNAP benefits could erase hundreds of dollars on average from the monthly food budgets of roughly 77,000 Montanans, according to data from Montana’s state health department.