Maryland state lawmakers pressed Gov. Wes Moore and his administration to keep food benefits intact during the federal government shutdown — even if that means tapping the state’s Rainy Day Fund.

“This clearly is a five-star hurricane for poor people who need food, so I’m totally on board with using Rainy Day Fund dollars to try to deal with this issue,” said state Sen. Jim Rosapepe, one of a number of lawmakers who spoke during a hearing on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on Wednesday afternoon.

About 680,000 Marylanders who participate in SNAP will see no benefits added to their accounts in November without action from the federal or state government.

President Donald Trump’s administration has said it won’t use a U.S. Department of Agriculture contingency fund to keep SNAP benefits flowing, and Moore said the state won’t tap its cash balance without reassurance that it will be paid back.

That has lawmakers turning to the state’s Rainy Day Fund, which has more than $2 billion. If Moore declared a state of emergency, he could draw from the fund to ensure SNAP beneficiaries continue to receive food aid.

It would cost the state about $123 million per month to fund SNAP, according to David Romans, the top nonpartisan analyst who advises lawmakers. Funding SNAP for two months would keep the Rainy Day Fund at more than $2 billion, which is equivalent to about 8% of the state’s general fund — well above the traditional goal of 5%.

Rosapepe, a Democrat representing parts of Prince George’s and Anne Arundel counties, said he’s typically a “hawk” about protecting the Rainy Day Fund balance. But he noted the federal government’s halt of SNAP benefits is “one of the most cruel things they have tried to do” and it warrants a state response.

Del. Ben Barnes, chair of the House Appropriations Committee, said the Rainy Day Fund can’t cover all of the lost federal aid that could be hitting Maryland if the shutdown drags on. But Maryland leaders are faced with an acute problem that they can solve.

“We have a robust Rainy Day Fund. ... I know that we have the money in the Rainy Day Fund to cover this program, at least in the short term,” said Barnes, a Democrat representing parts of Prince George’s and Anne Arundel counties.

Barnes said the state should fund SNAP at least for November and December if the shutdown continues.

“What are we saving it for?” he said.

Sen. Guy Guzzone, chair of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, agreed.

“We can come up with solutions to make this situation better, and we must, because it’s the right thing to do. It’s the moral thing to do,” said Guzzone, a Howard County Democrat.

Del. Jefferson Ghrist, an Eastern Shore Republican, said the Rainy Day Fund was designed for instances like this, when vulnerable people will be left without help.

“I will say, as a fiscal conservative, that the Rainy Day Fund should be used for just that,” he said. “It should be used for a situation where the state is in a bad situation, and we need money to deal with an emergency.”

The General Assembly is not in session, so it has no way to force the governor to act. But it used Wednesday’s hearing to apply pressure on the Moore administration.

Jake Weissmann, who became Moore’s acting budget secretary last week, said an announcement from the governor would be forthcoming, but he did not share details.

“You’ll hear over the next 24 hours some of the actions that the Moore-Miller administration will be taking to look out for Marylanders on this and other critical issues,” he said.

Weissmann said the state must consider that it may not be paid back by the federal government if it puts up its own money for SNAP. A Department of Agriculture memo this month warned there is no provision to allow states to “cover the cost of benefits and be reimbursed.”

And the state must consider the long-term budget picture, Weissmann said. Maryland continues to have a structural imbalance between income and expenses, and the Rainy Day Fund is an option for keeping the budget in balance.

“We have to move carefully to protect Marylanders,” Weissmann said. The governor’s team is considering its response to the federal shutdown on a “week-by-week iterative standpoint.”

Barnes appeared unimpressed with that position. The testimony of Weissmann and Legislative Director Jeremy Baker was “woefully inadequate,” he said.

“I guess we’ll stay tuned for the next 24 hours,” he said.