Senate Showdown: John Thune Erupts Over SNAP Bill as Government Shutdown Nears One-Month Mark

The United States Senate erupted in fiery debate Wednesday as the government shutdown approached its fourth week, with millions of Americans bracing for the loss of essential services, including food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits. At the center of the storm stood Senator John Thune (R-SD), whose impassioned rebuke of Democratic efforts to pass a standalone SNAP funding bill laid bare the deep partisan rift paralyzing the nation’s capital.

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Two Crises, One Blame Game

The session began with Democratic leaders highlighting what they called an unprecedented dual crisis: a looming healthcare emergency and a hunger epidemic. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) took the floor to thank his colleagues for urgent action on SNAP, emphasizing that 42 million Americans—including children, veterans, and seniors—depend on the program. Luján argued that the crisis was manufactured by “one man and one man only: Donald Trump.”

“For the first time in history, a president is refusing to fund SNAP during a shutdown,” Luján declared. “It falls on his shoulders. Let’s be clear. This does not need to happen.”

Democrats pointed out that in previous shutdowns, including Trump’s own in 2019, SNAP benefits continued uninterrupted. This time, they alleged, Trump deliberately halted emergency funding, weaponizing hunger as a political tool and using vulnerable Americans as pawns. “Donald Trump is a vindictive politician and a heartless man,” Luján said, referencing the $6 billion in emergency USDA funds that could keep food aid flowing.

The Republican Response: “Open the Government”

But the Democratic narrative was met with fierce resistance. Senator John Thune, the Republican whip, rose to deliver a blistering response. Thune accused Democrats of playing politics with people’s livelihoods, insisting that the solution was simple: end the shutdown and reopen the government.

“We are 29 days into a Democrat shutdown,” Thune thundered. “SNAP recipients shouldn’t go without food. People should be getting paid in this country. And we’ve tried to do that 13 times. You voted no 13 times.”

Thune’s argument was straightforward: the Democrats were seeking political cover by proposing a bill to fund SNAP and WIC during the shutdown, rather than agreeing to a “clean” continuing resolution (CR) that would reopen the entire government. “This bill is a cynical attempt to provide political cover for Democrats to allow them to carry on their government shutdown for the long term,” he said.

Thune listed a litany of programs and workers affected by the shutdown—from TSA agents and air traffic controllers to law enforcement, rural development, and veterans’ services. “The bill at the desk takes care of all of it,” he insisted. “Fund SNAP, fund WIC, and yes, with a stroke of the president’s pen, he can sign it into law and everybody starts getting paid again.”

Democrats Push Back: “It’s a Political Decision”

Senator Luján pushed back, framing the refusal to fund SNAP as a deliberate political choice, not a financial necessity. He cited the abundance of resources in the United States and the tradition of bipartisan support for food assistance. “In a nation blessed with such abundance, allowing our fellow Americans to go hungry is sadly right now a policy decision,” he said.

Luján highlighted the impact in his home state of New Mexico, where one in five people rely on SNAP. “They aren’t strangers. They’re neighbors, co-workers, friends, children, people I go to church with. They’re the folks we say hello to at the grocery store or at a little league game.”

He called on the Trump administration to release the billions in contingency funds appropriated by Congress. “Never in the history of the United States has SNAP been allowed to lapse like this,” he said. “Any failure to do so right now falls squarely on the Trump administration and Republicans.”

The Political Chess Match: Bills, Amendments, and Objections

The debate reached a procedural crescendo as Luján requested unanimous consent for immediate consideration of the “Keep SNAP and WIC Funded Act of 2025.” Thune countered by asking for the request to be modified to include a clean CR that would fund the entire government, not just SNAP and WIC.

Luján refused, arguing that the Republican proposal would allow the shutdown to continue, jeopardizing healthcare and other vital services. “I will not modify my request,” he said, citing the needs of constituents in both South Dakota and New Mexico.

Thune objected to the original request, reiterating that reopening the government would solve the problem for SNAP beneficiaries and all other affected Americans. “It’s not like you’re doing anything here that isn’t accomplished by reopening the government and paying everybody else,” he said.

The Human Toll: Hunger, Healthcare, and Uncertainty

Beyond the procedural wrangling, senators on both sides acknowledged the real-world consequences of the shutdown. Luján spoke movingly about his own experience as a stroke survivor, emphasizing the importance of access to healthcare. “If you get access to a doctor, you don’t have to worry about going bankrupt because you can’t pay the bills,” he said. “And in America, we should strive for that.”

Thune, for his part, cited the pain felt by federal workers who missed their first paychecks, and the cascading effects on programs from flood insurance to food safety inspections. “There are a lot of people out there who look at this and say, ‘This doesn’t make any sense to me. If they want to talk about healthcare, then let’s do that. But why take the federal government hostage?’”

Partisan Blame and the Path Forward

The debate devolved into a partisan blame game, with Democrats accusing Republicans of manufacturing the crisis and Republicans accusing Democrats of prolonging it for political gain. Luján pointed out that Republicans currently hold the majority in both the Senate and the House, as well as the presidency. “With power comes responsibility. Republicans are in charge. The American people know that.”

Thune countered that Democrats had repeatedly blocked clean CRs, choosing instead to carve out individual programs for funding and leaving others in limbo. “Hostage taking now. You want some political cover? How much longer you want to see it go on?” he asked.

Both sides expressed willingness to negotiate on healthcare reform, but only if the government is reopened first. Thune cited the need to address skyrocketing insurance premiums and reform the Affordable Care Act, while Luján insisted that hunger and healthcare should not be used as bargaining chips.

A Dysfunctional Congress and a Nation in Limbo

As the session ended, the Senate remained deadlocked, with neither side willing to budge. Luján lamented the “dysfunction” that has come to define Congress, while Thune called for a return to regular order and bipartisan appropriations.

“We have a chance to do that. I want to start now, but it starts when we open up the government,” Thune said.

The fate of SNAP, WIC, and millions of Americans hangs in the balance as senators continue to spar over procedure, priorities, and political optics. With the shutdown nearing a full month, the urgency to find a solution grows by the day—but so does the frustration and anger on both sides of the aisle.

Conclusion: A Crisis of Leadership

The Senate’s explosive debate over SNAP funding has crystallized a larger crisis of leadership and governance in Washington. As partisan divisions deepen and procedural maneuvering takes precedence over the needs of ordinary Americans, the question remains: who will blink first?

For now, the answer is elusive. But as the shutdown drags on and the human toll mounts, the pressure on Congress—and the White House—to find common ground and put the needs of the nation first has never been greater.