Barring a resolution to the shutdown, the U.S. will have a gaping hole in its safety net, particularly for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which helps about one in eight Americans buy groceries. That stat holds true in Kentucky, where roughly 600,000 people rely on the program.
In Fayette County, where median household income is nearly $68,000, about 8.5% of households depend on SNAP. Just over 15% of Fayette county households fall below poverty thresholds.
Kentucky is one of more than 20 states suing the federal government over the food aid stoppage.
A number of states are also weighing creative maneuvers to get food on the shelves. Gov. Andy Beshear said Virginia is one of them, but Kentucky would have difficulty imitating their approach.
"Virginia looks like they're trying to do a state of emergency, which opens up certain funds," the governor said. "Our General Assembly passed legislation that caps the amount that we're able to use over the course of a biennium for states of emergency, which we've had to have a number of them with these natural disasters."
The Trump administration has also said states temporarily covering the cost of food assistance benefits next month will not be reimbursed.
Even some states that want to step in to fill the gap have found they can’t.
The administration is blaming Democrats, who say they will not agree to reopen the government until Republicans negotiate with them on extending expiring subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. Republicans say Democrats must first agree to reopen the government before negotiation.