Thune: Schumer Shutdown Day 14

Majority Leader | Remark | Remarks | THE NEWSROOM | Repub...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 NEWSROOMRemarks10.14.25Thune: Schumer Shutdown Day 14“Democrats were against shutdowns when it suited their political purposes, and now that it suits their political purposes - they think - to keep the government closed, now they support shutdowns.” Click here to watch the video.WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor:Thune’s remarks below (as delivered):“Mr. President, ‘every day gets better for us.’“So said the Democrat leader in an interview published on Thursday – hours before Democrats once again voted to keep the government closed and to deny service members a paycheck.“Federal workers – including law enforcement officers – missed part of their pay last Friday.“But hey, at least life is getting better for Senate Democrats.“Mr. President, a CNN article from Thursday said that Democrats are preparing to keep on with this shutdown for, and I quote, ‘several more weeks.’“I guess Democrats are not going to be satisfied until military families and government workers are lining up at food banks or visiting payday lenders or simply charging necessary items like milk and bread on their credit cards, to be repaid later – if they can – along with the big interest charges that come with that.“But hey, while military families and government workers may be deeply stressed, at least life is getting better every day for Senate Democrats.“Mr. President, I could at least understand a little bit more where Democrats are coming from if Republicans were asking them to swallow a lot of new Republican policies to reopen the government.“But Republicans aren’t asking Democrats for anything.“We’re not asking them to support any new Republican policies.“We’re not asking them to swallow any partisan policy riders.“We have put forward – and the House has passed – a clean, nonpartisan CR.“That’s the bill Democrats are rejecting. “And by the way, you certainly don’t have to take my word for it that we put forward a clean bill.“Here’s what one mainstream news publication said last week, and I quote, ‘It’s important to note that Democrats instigated this shutdown. They rejected a “clean” funding proposal and demanded significant and expensive health care policy changes in exchange for their votes.’“‘It’s important to note that Democrats instigated this shutdown. They rejected a “clean” funding proposal and demanded significant and expensive health care policy changes in exchange for their votes.’“Yeah, that pretty much captures it right there in a nutshell, Mr. President.“Democrats like to whine that Republicans aren’t negotiating.“But negotiation, Mr. President, is what you do when each side has a list of demands and you need to meet in the middle.“Republicans, as I and a lot of other people have pointed out, haven’t put forward any demands.“Only Democrats have made demands – and, by the way, very expensive demands.“And they’ve taken government funding hostage in an attempt to force through their partisan measures. “Mr. President, I remember when Democrats used to care about the effects of a government shutdown.“In fact, I could fill a whole speech – many speeches, actually – with quotes from Democrats talking about how terrible shutdowns are.“I used to think they were sincere in those opinions.“But it’s become abundantly clear that their previous statements weren’t based on principle, but on political advantage.“Democrats were against shutdowns when it suited their political purposes, and now that it suits their political purposes – they think – to keep the government closed, now they support shutdowns.“I suspect their political calculations are flawed.“After all, 65 percent of voters think Democrats should reopen the government instead of holding out for their partisan demands.“But I guess, Mr. President, Democrats are more worried about gaining the approval of their far-left base than about getting the approval of everyday Americans.“Mr. President, it’s day 14 of Democrats’ shutdown.“Our economy is losing billions of dollars.“Federal workers – including law enforcement officers – are going without pay. “Critical government programs are in jeopardy.“But hey, at least life is getting better every day for Senate Democrats.”PrintEmailTweetNextPreviousTHE NEWSROOMSENATE RESOURCESABOUT LEADER THUNEFacebookXInstagram