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 NEWSROOMRemarks11.04.25Thune: Schumer Shutdown Day 35“I realize that Democrats are facing tremendous pressure from the far-left wing of their party, which is apparently content to see working people suffer as long as Democrats make a good show of opposing President Trump.” 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.’“Those were the words of the Democrat leader a week into this shutdown, reflecting on the supposed benefits – political benefits – for Senate Democrats.“Well, Mr. President, I guess it’s nice that every day is getting better for Senate Democrats.“Because it sure isn’t getting better for anyone else.“We’re in the sixth week of the Democrats’ shutdown, Mr. President.“That’s right, the sixth week.“And Democrats’ victims are everywhere.“Let’s just go through a few headlines.“These are some headlines from newspapers and news outlets around the country:“‘Some Head Start preschools shutter as government shutdown continues’“‘Shutdown crushes small business owners as losses hit billions — industry leaders beg Congress for “clean CR”’“‘“Everyone is worried”: Dallas SNAP recipients navigate uncertainty, dwindling funds’ – that’s the Democrats’ shutdown at work, Mr. President.“Here’s another headline: ‘After a month of the shutdown, workers face mounting bills, car repossessions’“And the subhead to that article said this: ‘Finances are becoming dire for the more than 750,000 government workers who have been going without pay for a full month.’“Here’s some more headlines, Mr. President: ‘Flight delays pile up as government shutdown enters second month’“‘Worst weekend for air traffic controller staffing since start of shutdown’“‘Flight delays could worsen as government shutdown drags on’“‘Could worsen,’ Mr. President.“And we’re entering one of the busiest travel seasons of the year, with people making holiday plans with their families.“Mr. President, there are a lot more headlines where those came from.“People are suffering.“All because Democrats can’t bring themselves to accept a clean, nonpartisan funding bill.“Mr. President, the list of people begging Democrats to pass a clean government funding extension is long and it’s growing longer.“The Teamsters union.“The New York City Steamfitters union.“The American Federation of Government Employees.“Multiple airline pilot unions.“The National Air Traffic Controllers Association.“Business organizations, like the National Restaurant Association. “And Mr. President, I could go on.“All of these organizations are begging Democrats to take yes for an answer and support a clean, nonpartisan bill – the one sitting right there at the desk that is available to be picked up and passed today, sent to the president, signed into law, and the government opens.“But Democrats are recalcitrant.“Mr. President, for a party that claims to represent working people, it is striking to me how very little Democrats seem to care about working people during this shutdown.“The senior Democrat from Vermont published an op-ed this weekend in which he calls for this shutdown to keep going – forever, as far as I can tell.“Of course he attempts to claim that Democrats are doing this for working people.“To which I say, Mr. President, give me a break.“Democrats are injuring working people with their shutdown.“Maybe Democrats have no idea what it’s like to live paycheck to paycheck, like so many Americans – including many government employees.“But let me just tell them, there are a whole lot of working people out there who can’t afford to miss a single paycheck – much less the multiple paychecks that they’ve now missed thanks to the Senate Democrats.“And beyond the people Democrats have directly deprived of paychecks, there are a lot of other people whose livelihood is being affected by this shutdown.“Like small business owners and employees whose income has declined because the federal workers who usually patronize their businesses are out of work.“There is really nothing Democrats can do to make that right.“But they can at least make sure that they don’t extend the pain that people are experiencing.“Later today, we’re going to vote once again on a clean, nonpartisan funding extension.“The one we’ve voted on [13] times already, the one sitting right at the desk, Mr. President, that would open up this government today and make sure that all of those Americans will get paid.“We need just five Democrats to join the three who are already voting with us, and we could end all this pain and reopen the government.“That’s all it takes, Mr. President.“Five Democrats.“Everybody knows who follows our government and this process that, in the Senate, it takes a supermajority – it takes 60 votes – to do virtually anything.“So we need help. We need help from some Democrats with a backbone who are courageous enough to take on their left-wing base and do the right thing for the American people.“And I do realize, Mr. President, that Democrats are facing tremendous pressure from the far-left wing of their party, which is apparently content to see working people suffer as long as Democrats make a good show of opposing President Trump.“But I hope – I hope – that there are at least those five Democrats out there who will look at the pain that people are experiencing, and will say enough is enough.“We’re in the sixth week, now, Mr. President, of this shutdown.“The sixth week.“And while every day may be getting better for Senate Democrats, thanks to Senate Democrats every day is getting worse for the American people.”PrintEmailTweetPreviousTHE NEWSROOMSENATE RESOURCESABOUT LEADER THUNEFacebookXInstagram
