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 Releases10.15.25Thune: Schumer Celebrates the Government Shutdown While Families Suffer“The American people are wondering when the Senate Democrats are going to end their temper tantrum and vote to reopen the government.” 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):“Well, good afternoon.“I think the American people are wondering when the Senate Democrats are going to end their temper tantrum and vote to reopen the government.“Every day that goes by, there are more and more Americans who are getting smaller and smaller paychecks, people who work for the federal government.“Now, fortunately, the Trump administration has been able to make sure that our troops, our military, gets paid for a while longer, but there are limits to what they can do.“And you’re already seeing, and I’m sure you’re going to see more.“There have been thousands of flight delays across the country, and the longer this drags on the more of that you’re going to see.“So what the Democrats need to do is to vote for a clean, short-term, nonpartisan funding resolution sitting at the desk right now in the Senate.“I’ve showed it to you before, 24 pages long.“All they have to do, we pick it up, we vote on it today, we send it to the president, the president signs it into law, the government reopens, and then we can be happy to have all the conversations the Democrats want to have about other issues.“But they will have a ninth opportunity today to vote to open the government.“They had an eighth opportunity yesterday.“And they will have, if necessary, a 10th opportunity to reopen the government tomorrow.“All we need – all we need – are five courageous Democrats with a backbone who aren’t afraid to buck their leadership, who are marching them right over a cliff.“So, we’re willing to have, as I said, conversations about all the other issues that they want to talk about, but … that can’t happen while they are holding the federal government, and all these federal employees, and our troops, and our air traffic controllers, and our TSA agents, and our Border Patrol officials hostage.“Open up the government.“Every day that this goes on, the problems are compounded for federal workers and for ordinary Americans.“Chuck Schumer may think that every day gets better for them politically, but I can tell you that is not the experience of the American people.“This needs to end.“We can end it today.“The bill is sitting at the desk.“We’re going to get a chance to pick it up and pass it, open up the government, and get to work for the American people.”PrintEmailTweetNextPreviousTHE NEWSROOMSENATE RESOURCESABOUT LEADER THUNEFacebookXInstagram
