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 NEWSROOMRemarks10.28.25Thune: Schumer Shutdown Day 28“[I]f Democrats still have hope for the appropriations process, they need to start acting like it. We’re running out of time. And every day Democrats say no to reopening the government is another day lost.” 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, this is a quote: ‘The path forward for Congress is clear: Reopen the government immediately under a clean continuing resolution that allows continued debate on larger issues.’“Mr. President, that is from the president of the American Federation of Government Employees – a labor union, I would add, most often aligned with Democrats.“But this is what AFGE’s president says, and I quote, ‘It’s time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today.’“Mr. President, I couldn’t have said it better myself.“And actually, I’ve been saying that for about a month now.“But far-left activists wanted a showdown with President Trump.“And so Democrats shut down the government and have forced hardworking Americans to live in uncertainty for four weeks – four weeks and counting.“And even as nutrition programs are running out of money and federal workers are lining up at food banks, Democrats continue to reject every opportunity to end the shutdown or mitigate its pain. “They’ve now blocked a clean, nonpartisan continuing resolution 12 times.“Twelve times, Mr. President.“A clean resolution, sitting right there, to open up the government.“Get everybody paid.“Get federal employees back to work.“That thing sitting at the desk that funds the government doesn’t have a single new Republican policy in it.“It doesn’t have a single partisan policy rider. “It simply extends current government funding.“But Democrats have said no to that, now, 12 times.“We offered them a chance to continue the bipartisan appropriations process starting with the defense appropriations bill – a bill that passed out of the committee by a big bipartisan vote of 26-3. “But Democrats said no to that, too – they didn’t want to lose leverage in the shutdown.“Then, last week, we offered up a bill to pay any federal employee who is working during the shutdown – including everybody here.“And, once again, Democrats said no.“Mr. President, I don’t know what Democrats are holding out for.“Do Democrats think that we’re suddenly going to vote for their partisan CR – which, by the way, would spend an additional $1.5 trillion to keep the government open until the end of this week?“That’s their alternative.“$1.5 trillion to keep the government open until Friday – that’s their alternative.“It wouldn’t pass here, it can’t pass in the House, and it wouldn’t be signed into law by the president.“Our bill, on the other hand, as I said, has passed the House a month ago, has been sitting here for an entire month, and would be signed by the president immediately, to reopen the government.“I have to say, Mr. President, this wasn’t my plan for the month of October.“A government shutdown may have been what Democrats had in mind – to show the far left that they’re fighting President Trump and to get some cheers at the No Kings rally.“But that wasn’t my plan.“My plan was to get the government funded with as little drama as possible.“That’s why Republicans put forward a clean continuing resolution – no partisan policies, nothing new.“Who could possibly have a problem with that?“It would give us more time to continue progress on full-year appropriations bills – the way we’re supposed to fund the government.“I realize that would be out of the ordinary given the past few years under the Democrat majority and Leader Schumer. “But I was clear from the day I took office that I wanted to do things differently around here.“My goal was to have an open process conducted through regular order – something that I think is in the best interest of this institution and of all senators, both sides of the aisle. “And I know I was not alone in wanting an open process.“And until Democrats derailed everything, we had actually made a lot of progress on restoring regular order this year.“We passed three bipartisan appropriations bills before the August recess – the first time the Senate had done that since 2018. “Now we’re trying to go to conference on those three bills to reach a final agreement with the House.“And the Democrats are blocking that.“That includes the agriculture bill that funds farm programs and nutrition assistance.“The military construction and VA bill that funds programs that veterans rely on.“As I said, we tried to bring up the defense appropriations bill this month – in hopes that if Democrats wouldn’t agree to fund the entire government, we could at least make some progress on this critical aspect of it.“And I told my Democrat colleagues that if we got on that bill, we would work to add other bipartisan bills.“The same way we did it just a few months ago.“But, once again, Democrats said no.“No to funding programs that they claim they support.“No to an open process.“No to bipartisanship.“Mr. President, time and again, we’ve heard the Democrat leader lecture about bipartisanship.“So why is his caucus blocking progress on bipartisan appropriations bills?“Why are Democrats blocking bills that they helped write?“In the Appropriations Committee, where these bills are passing with overwhelming bipartisan margins – as I said, 26-3.“Why are they upending a bipartisan process that benefits all senators, on both sides of the aisle?“The senior senator from Hawaii said recently, and I quote, ‘We still have hope for the appropriations process. There’s a bipartisan desire to get something done and avoid a full-year [CR].’“Well, all I can say in response is that if Democrats still have hope for the appropriations process, they need to start acting like it.“We’re running out of time.“And every day Democrats say no to reopening the government is another day lost.“Mr. President, we’ve given Democrats a lot of opportunities to work in the best interest of the American people.“But Democrats seem more interested in getting the upper hand in their partisan games.“The number-two Democrat in the House said last week, and I quote, ‘I mean, shutdowns are terrible and, of course, there will be, you know, families that are going to suffer. … But it is one of the few leverage times we have.’“‘Of course there will be families that are going to suffer. … But it is one of the few leverage times we have.’“That, from the second-ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives.“I think it describes where we’re at, Mr. President.“Sure, people are suffering, but Democrats need their leverage.“Are they serious?“Mr. President, I end as I began, quoting the president of a major labor union and a Democrat ally:“This is the quote: ‘The path forward for Congress is clear: Reopen the government immediately under a clean continuing resolution that allows continued debate on larger issues.’”PrintEmailTweetPreviousTHE NEWSROOMSENATE RESOURCESABOUT LEADER THUNEFacebookXInstagram
