With SNAP benefits set to halt, Thune says he can't clarify Trump's plan to fund program

With critical food assistance benefits set to run out in just a few days, Senate Majority Leader John Thune on Wednesday weighed in on President Donald Trump's comment that his administration may find a solution to help fund the program, as lawmakers appear sympathetic, but still entrenched.

The Department of Agriculture said earlier this week that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, which serve roughly 42 million low-income Americans, will not be issued on Nov. 1 amid the ongoing government shutdown.

On Tuesday night as he traveled to South Korea, Trump signaled his administration may find a solution to help fund SNAP, saying "we’re going to get it done," without offering any details on how. 

At the same time, Trump blamed Democrats for putting Americans at risk of losing critical federal food assistance this weekend.

"The Democrats have caused the problem on food stamps ... because all they have to do is sign, and, you know, they sign, I'll meet with them,” Trump said.

Asked about Trump's SNAP benefits comments, Thune told reporters on Wednesday that he spoke to Trump on Tuesday, but didn't have insight into what his comments meant.

"I think that what he is saying consistently is 'Open up the government and then we' -- and that's the way to fund SNAP," Thune said.

Republican Sen. Josh Hawley has a new bill that would fund SNAP during the shutdown. While several Republican senators support it, Thune has appeared lukewarm about bringing it to the floor.

Asked if Trump's comments were an endorsement of bills like Hawley's that would fund SNAP during the shutdown, Thune said he wasn't sure if that's what Trump was referring to.

"I think the message that he and the rest of the White House, including JD yesterday, have delivered pretty clearly is 'Open up the government and that's the way to fund SNAP and everything else.' If he's got something else he's thinking about, I'll certainly be open to listening to that," Thune said.

On Wednesday morning, House Speaker Mike Johnson warned that the impacts of the government shutdown this week -- including a possible food crisis as well as missed paychecks for federal workers and air traffic controllers -- are "getting really tough for the American people," placing the onus squarely on Democrats.

"The Democrats are coming near now to a cliff that they will not be able to turn back from,” Johnson said at a news conference in the Capitol. "You've got families and children that rely upon SNAP benefits that are going to go hungry here at the end of the week."

As Democrats continue their fight over health care subsidies as the Nov. 1 open enrollment date approaches, Trump said Tuesday night that he would work with Democrats -- as long as they vote to fund the government.

"I’d say, open up the government and we’ll work it out," Trump told reporters.

Democrats are working to balance their health care demands and find solutions for SNAP, with Democratic Sen. Ben Ray Luján on Wednesday introducing legislation that would direct the USDA to release available contingency funds to ensure benefits under SNAP and the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program continue during the shutdown.

Thune blocked the effort Wednesday afternoon -- shouting at times as he argued on the Senate floor that if Democrats want to fund SNAP and other programs, they ought to vote to reopen the government to fund all programs. 

"Let me just point out if I might that we are 29 days into a Democrat shutdown. And the senator from New Mexico is absolutely right. SNAP recipients shouldn't go without food. People should be getting paid in this country," Thune said before escalating his voice to a full scream. "And we've tried to do that 13 times and you voted no 13 times. This isn't a political game. These are real peoples lives that we are talking about and you all have just figured out 29 days in that, 'Oh there might be some consequences, that people are running out of money.'"

Lujan's bill came as 25 states have filed a lawsuit on the issue ahead of the halting of benefits at the start of November.

"The Trump administration has the authority and the funds to keep SNAP running during this shutdown," Lujan said. "Any failure to do so right now falls squarely on the Trump administration and Republicans."

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said health care and SNAP together need to be addressed.

"Right now, we're staring down the barrel at two crises at once. A health care crisis and a hunger crisis,” Schumer said in a press conference Wednesday afternoon.

"We don't want to pit health care and food. Thank you. We think you can have both," he later shouted.

Schumer has continued to call on Republicans to “sit-down and negotiate with us” to reopen the government and address the health care crisis.

Thune told reporters Wednesday morning that discussions over a path out of the shutdown have "ticked up significantly" and that he's "hopeful" that something fruitful will soon emerge.

"It's ticked up significantly," Thune said of talks among rank-and-file members. "And hopefully that'll be a precursor of things to come. But yeah, there's a lot of higher-level conversation."

Thune stressed that conversations are going on among rank-and-file members and not among leadership.

"There are a lot of rank-and-file members that continue to, I think, want to pursue solutions and to be able to address the issues they care about, which is including health care, which as I just said right there we are willing to do, but it is obviously contingent upon them opening up the government."

ABC News' Megan Mistry, Isabella Murray and Lalee Ibssa contributed to this report.