Thune: Schumer Shutdown Day 30

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 NEWSROOMRemarks10.30.25Thune: Schumer Shutdown Day 30“We need five Democrats with a backbone. Five Democrats with the courage to take on that far-left base and say, ‘We care more about the lives of the American people than about gaining some political leverage.’” 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, Democrats are grasping at straws these days.“The other day the Democrat leader came to the floor and tried to reboot the notion that the clean CR sitting before us here in the Senate is a partisan CR. “Yep.“Apparently a bill with no partisan add-ons, strictly a bill to fund the government, is a partisan bill.“Only in Democrat land, Mr. President.“The Democrat leader, of course, continues to try to push this ludicrous narrative that Republicans – or President Trump – shut down the government.“That’s right.“The party that demanded nothing – and put forward a clean, nonpartisan bill – is the party that shut down the government.“And the party that demanded $1.5 trillion to keep the government open until Friday, until Halloween?“That’s what their bill would do – $1.5 trillion in new spending to keep the federal government open until Friday.“I wonder if Democrats have seen some of the recent headlines like this one, and I quote: ‘Benefits cliff amps up pressure on Senate Democrats’ and ‘Largest federal workers union calls for an end to the shutdown, putting pressure on Democrats.’“Putting pressure on Democrats, Mr. President. Not Republicans.“Why?“Because Republicans are ready to reopen the government today.“And we’re not demanding a single thing in exchange.“It’s the Democrats who are refusing.“In fact, the Democrats’ latest ploy is – get this – moral outrage that the president isn’t stepping in to save Democrats from the consequences of their actions.“That’s right.“Democrats are outraged – outraged – that they are coming face-to-face with the consequences of their decision to shut down the government.“And so they’re flailing around, blaming President Trump for not stepping in to somehow save the SNAP program from running out of money to pay benefits.“Yeah, that’s right, Mr. President.“The very same people who were content to let the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children – more commonly known as WIC – run dry are now positioning themselves as crusaders for nutrition benefits.“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.“That’s kind of the reason we like to, you know, have the government open. “But apparently Democrats are still not willing to contemplate allowing the government to function.“Because the SNAP bill that they tried to UC yesterday was not just a cynical political ploy to insulate themselves from the consequences of their own actions, it was also a disturbing signal that Democrats are ready to continue this shutdown – I guess forever.“Do Democrats have any – any – end date in sight? “Are there any consequences bad enough to get Democrats to reopen the government again?“Because things are getting pretty serious here, Mr. President.“This shutdown had consequences from day one.“But now, 30 days in, the consequences are really snowballing.“Here are some headlines, I think, that describe the situation.“‘Government shutdown could lead to $14B in lost GDP, CBO reports’“‘Shutdown could close Head Start programs this week, jeopardizing child care’“‘Shutdown crushes small business owners as losses hit billions — industry leaders beg Congress for “clean CR”’“‘Ongoing government shutdown threatens holiday travel …’“‘National Guard Training Grinds To Halt Amid Shutdown — With No Pay In Sight’“‘US government shutdown: 60,000 aviation safety staff face financial strain as crisis deepens’“‘Largest federal workers union calls for “clean” bill to end shutdown’“Those, Mr. President, are just a sampling of the headlines out there, and they represent the consequences as the Democrats’ shutdown accelerates.“So when will Democrats put an end to this, Mr. President?“When the economy is in ruins?“When federal workers have lost their homes?“When housing assistance and small business loans and Head Start and National Guard training are distant memories?“I hope the pain of the American people is worth the plaudits the Democrats are getting from their liberal base.“Mr. President, I don’t know if listing out the consequences of Democrats’ shutdown moves any Democrats anymore, I really don’t.“In fact, more than one member of their party – way more than one member of their party – has described using the pain of the American people as ‘leverage.’“I’ll give you an example of some of the things that they’ve been saying.“Starting with the Democrat leader: ‘Every day gets better for us.’“The whip, the number two position among House Democrats, says ‘there will be families that are going to suffer … but it was one of the … few leverage times that we have.’“The senator from New Mexico: paying our troops ‘gives the president more leverage.’“That’s a really good reason not to pay the troops, right?“The senator from Arizona, asked about it, said, ‘Hey, I’d just go back and shut it down again.’“The senator from Delaware: ‘Frankly, this is our only moment of leverage. And although a very … unpleasant tool to use.’“Yeah, it’s unpleasant, alright, if you’re a worker who’s lost their job, that’s not getting paid.“And of course, the senator from Vermont: ‘you reopen the government, we lose our leverage.’“It’s all about leverage.“That’s what they’re making it all about: leverage.“So the question is, When are the American people going to matter more than their leverage, Mr. President?“If there are any Democrats out there who can still see beyond the demands of their far-left base – if there are any Democrats who care about the damage that this shutdown is doing – then I have a bill right there at the desk:“A clean, nonpartisan continuing resolution to fund WIC, SNAP, troop pay, air traffic controller pay, farm programs, housing assistance, our national defense, and every single other government priority.“We just need five Democrats to show some courage and join the three Democrats who are already with us, and we can get this government open.“That’s all it takes, Mr. President.“Everybody knows that, in the Senate, it takes 60 votes to do anything.“Democrats come down here and consistently say, ‘Well, Republicans have control of the Senate, the House, the White House.’“And the Republicans in the Senate, the House, and the White House are all agreed: Open up the government.“But you can’t do that in the Senate unless you have 60 votes – meaning we have to have a few Democrats.“We have a few already.“We need five Democrats with a backbone.“Five Democrats with the courage to take on that far-left base and say, ‘We care more about the lives of the American people than about gaining some political leverage.’“Just takes five, Mr. President.“Enough is enough.“I urge my Democrat colleagues to agree to reopen the federal government – and to do it today.”PrintEmailTweetPreviousTHE NEWSROOMSENATE RESOURCESABOUT LEADER THUNEFacebookXInstagram