Almost a month into the federal government shutdown, concerns over how this could impact Michiganders continue to loom large, especially when it comes to food assistance benefits.

On Wednesday, Democrats in the Michigan House of Representatives shared a new slate of bills designed to continue the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for the nearly 1.4 million residents who rely on it.

Spearheaded by  Rep. Tonya Myers Phillips, D-Pontiac, the plan would use lapsed project dollars to create a new $600 million SNAP fund to backfill the lost federal dollars and allow the program to continue running temporarily.

"We have elders, we have children, we have veterans, we have families whose lifeline depends on the SNAP benefits," said Myers Phillips. "I just couldn't sit back and wait. I couldn't sit back and wait for Washington Republicans to figure it out. I just had to do what was right."

Along with the fund, the bill package includes an additional $25 million to keep food banks and pantries stocked and running.

"It is certainly not a permanent fix, but it is enough to maintain the status quo to make sure their families don't go hungry while things continue to work out," said Myers Phillips.

Michigan House Republicans say their frustrations lie with legislators in the nation's Capitol, calling the shutdown irresponsible.

"This is a tough one. This is a major failure," said Rep. Joe Aragona, R-Clinton Township.

Aragona says he is open to discussions across the aisle but wants to make sure a temporary fix doesn't become a permanent problem.

"We had to budget a lot less money; we had to really tighten our belt. So, there's not as much free money floating out there. We'll find it where we can, if we can help," said Aragona.

If passed, the state budget director would determine where the money for the SNAP Fund would come from.

Democratic leaders say they hope to introduce the bills this week.