Government shutdown updates: Judge lays out path for SNAP benefits

On Day 30, Senate Majority Leader John Thune placed the blame squarely on Democrats for the ongoing government shutdown and questioned "when are the American people going to matter more than their leverage?"

Thune called out Democrats who he says are blaming President Donald Trump "for not stepping in to somehow save the SNAP program."

"President Trump did step in to save Democrats from themselves on WIC. He somehow managed to find money to cover the program for the time being but there is a limit to what he can do," he said.

Thune said the bill to allow funding for SNAP and WIC introduced by New Mexico Sen. Ben Ray Luján Wednesday on the floor was a "political ploy to insulate themselves from the consequences of their own actions."

"It was also a disturbing signal the Democrats are ready to continue this shutdown, I guess forever," he said.

-ABC News' Lauren Peller

Vice President JD Vance will lead a roundtable at the White House on Thursday afternoon focused on how the shutdown is impacting aviation, according to a White House official.

Vance will be joined by the Transportation Secretary Duffy, Airlines for America CEO and former New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, and other aviation industry leaders. Air traffic controllers missed their first full paycheck this week as the shutdown drags on.

Nick Daniels, president of the air traffic controllers union, warned that “layers of safety are being stripped away” because of the financial stress they’re under and “hundreds of air traffic controllers” are working second jobs.

-ABC News' Rachel Scott

On the 29th day of the government shutdown, the White House has found a workaround to ensure that members of the military get paid on Friday.

The White House Office of Management and Budget found the $5.3 billion needed to pay military members, an OMB official confirmed to ABC News.

Here’s where it will come from:

• $2.5 billion from a military housing fund specified in Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" to continue paying housing allowances for military personnel.
• $1.4 billion from the Research, Development, Test and Evaluation fund, which primarily will cover U.S. Army and Air Force payroll.
• $1.4 billion from a Defense Department procurement account for building U.S. Navy ships, largely to fund the Navy and Marines.

  -ABC News’ Hannah Demissie

In perhaps the most publicly tense moment of this 29-day standoff, Senate Majority Leader John Thune blocked an effort by Democratic Sen. Ben Ray Lujan to move his bill that would have directed USDA to use its contingency funds to fund SNAP.

It was perhaps the most animated Thune has ever been on the Senate floor. He was at times shouting as he blocked the bill, which Lujan was attempting to pass unanimously. Thune argued 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 jut figured out 29 days in that oh there might be some consequences, that people are running out of money," Thune said.

Lujan's bill, co-sponsored by the whole Democratic caucus, would have directed USDA to use its contingency funds to provide funding for SNAP. It comes 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."

-ABC News' Allison Pecorin