Majority Leader | Press Release | Press Releases | THE NE...Skip to primary navigation Skip to content×Close THE NEWSROOMRemarks Press Releases The Leader Board Op-Eds Videos SENATE RESOURCESRepublican Senators Committees Congressional Record Congress.gov Senate Floor Webcast ABOUT LEADER THUNE×Close THE NEWSROOMRemarks Press Releases The Leader Board Op-Eds Videos SENATE RESOURCESRepublican Senators Committees Congressional Record Congress.gov Senate Floor Webcast ABOUT LEADER THUNExxsearchxMENUFacebookXInstagramFacebookXInstagramVisit Leader Thune's South Dakota Site Here THE NEWSROOMRemarks Press Releases The Leader Board Op-Eds Videos SENATE RESOURCESRepublican Senators Committees Congressional Record Congress.gov Senate Floor Webcast ABOUT LEADER THUNExxsearchxMENUHomeTHE NEWSROOMPress Releases03.03.26Thune: Democrats Shut Down Very Agency Responsible for Defending and Protecting the Homeland“I’m hopeful that the Democrats will come to the conclusion that this is a really bad idea, particularly right now. As you all know, we live in a dangerous world, and that’s abundantly clear.” Click here to watch the video.WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today spoke at a press conference with Senate Republican leadership:Thune’s remarks below (as delivered):“Good afternoon, everyone.“You all know that yesterday the Senate voted to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to the ROAD to Housing bill. Big vote – 84-6.“This is a piece of legislation that the president has talked about a good amount, he talked about it in his State of the Union address.“And this legislation has a number of important provisions.“It reduces and cuts red tape; increases housing supply; makes some important reforms like the president suggested the other night, which is to place restrictions on the … institutional investor ownership of single-family houses.“And so it’s a great job by Chairman Scott and his team.“This is a bicameral, bipartisan bill that includes a number of important Senate priorities.“A number of our senators have had input into this bill and it’s a piece of legislation that strikes at the very heart of the issue of affordability, particularly with younger Americans who are very concerned about their ability to experience the American dream and own a home.“This legislation will make that more possible.“On another issue, we are now 18 days into a second Democrat shutdown, and unfortunately it’s the Department of Homeland Security.“Couldn’t be worse timing.“This is an agency that has, obviously, huge responsibilities and funds a number of important functions in our government, including our TSA agents who make it safe to fly.“And so I’m hopeful that the Democrats will come to the conclusion that this is a really bad idea, particularly right now.“As you all know, we live in a dangerous world, and that’s abundantly clear.“And there are 120,000 DHS employees who don’t know right now whether or not they’re going to get paid here in the very near future.“And so I would hope that the Democrats would work with us.“There’s been a tremendous amount of outreach on behalf of the administration.“The White House has worked to try and come up with, you know, provisions in this legislation that would help attract Democrat support.“The Democrats at some point have to take yes for an answer, and so I just think it’s really important – and 18 days into this, now, second Democrat government shutdown that, because it is the Department of Homeland Security, which is responsible for defending and protecting the homeland – that the Democrats work with the White House and try and negotiate a deal that will allow that agency to be reopened again for all the reasons I just mentioned.”PrintEmailTweetPreviousTHE NEWSROOMSENATE RESOURCESABOUT LEADER THUNEFacebookXInstagram
