Washington DC - President Donald Trump's lengthy government shutdown will soon put more than 42 million American citizens at risk of losing access to the crucial food aid they rely on to feed themselves.

The widespread loss of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits would begin in November, obliterating the food security of many of the country's most vulnerable.

The loss of SNAP benefits comes after the Department of Agriculture last week failed to draw on emergency funds to pay for the service, despite arguments that they are legally obliged to do so.

As the government shutdown nears the one-month mark, Democrats and Republicans are stuck in a vicious blame game, accusing each other of failing to reach a compromise.

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"The Trump administration is weaponizing hunger as a political bargaining chip," Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen said of the food aid funding. "When it comes down to it, this is a choice."

Many Democrats argue that the Trump administration is using the threat of starving US citizens as a way to force its opposition into agreeing to major healthcare cuts.

Republicans are also scrambling to blame the shutdown and incoming SNAP cuts on the Democrats, despite the fact that the GOP holds not only the White House but also both houses of Congress.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins addressed the ongoing debate about the potential use of emergency funds, but argued that the money is meant for use on things like natural disasters.

"We can talk legalistics, and is it legal, and can we move this money, and is that $5 billion available, and is it not," Rollins told CNN. "But all it takes is a 'yes' on a continuing resolution to keep the government going."