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 NEWSROOMRemarks10.09.25Thune: Schumer Shutdown Day Nine“[W]e can solve the issue of troop pay - and every other problem we’re seeing - today, today, by passing this clean, nonpartisan CR and sending it to the president.” 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, we are now nine days into the Democrats’ government shutdown.“Nine days in which Democrats have had multiple opportunities to support a clean, nonpartisan CR, sitting right here at the Senate desk, to reopen the government.“Something that’s been passed by our colleagues in the House of Representatives.“That has achieved 55 senators – a senate majority.“Out of 100 senators, 55 senators support this 24-page resolution sitting at the desk, which could open up the government today – because as soon as the Senate passes it, the president will sign it into law.“And Mr. President, this is the same nonpartisan measure that, as I said, passed the House three weeks ago.“No partisan riders, no gimmicks, no … partisan policies, Republican policies, anything like that.“A simple resolution – 24 pages long – to open up our government and make sure that the federal employees and the American people who depend upon them get paid.“Mr. President, the president’s ready to sign it.“All it takes is a handful of Democrats.“There are three Democrats who have already supported this clean continuing resolution.“Just a handful more, and we can end this shutdown in a matter of hours.“Fifty-five senators – a Senate majority, a majority of the 100 United States senators.“A majority in the House of Representatives.“The president of the United States is prepared to sign it.“That’s how straightforward this proposition is.“We’ve already seen, Mr. President, plenty of negative impacts from the Democrats’ shutdown.“But a whole new wave of pain begins tomorrow if Democrats don’t act.“Because if we fail to fund the government by the end of the day today, American servicemembers will begin going without their paychecks starting tomorrow.“That’s right, Mr. President.“If Democrats can’t bring themselves to reopen the government by the end of the day, our troops – the people who protect and defend this country – will start missing their paychecks.“To say that that’s unacceptable is an understatement. “Many of our service members are serving in harm’s way at this very moment.“All of them stand ready to rush into danger at a moment’s notice to protect the rest of us.“They and their families make numerous sacrifices to serve our country.“The idea – the very idea, Mr. President – that they won’t get a paycheck because Democrats can’t bring themselves to accept a clean, nonpartisan CR is beyond the pale. “Mr. President, if the government remains shut down after today, instead of getting our troops paid, they’re going to have to continue stretching what money they have saved. “Unfortunately, Mr. President, sometimes that’s not very much.“As one advocate for military families put it, and I quote, ‘This isn’t just a financial hardship – it’s destabilizing for households and military readiness alike.’“‘Military readiness.’“Many families have already begun to visit food banks near bases.“And it’s even harder on families with a loved one who’s deployed.“Amy Palmer, who runs an organization that helps military families in Colorado, said families of the deployed, and I quote, ‘are having to navigate this alone. They’re used to getting the paycheck … and paying bills on behalf of their entire family, and with that service member deployed and not really having that support system from them … it is really hard.’“Mr. President, it’s not just our troops who are going to be missing a paycheck.“Civilian workers will also be missing part of their pay starting this Friday – including law enforcement officers like the members of our very own Capitol Police.“Food banks and other nonprofits around the country are bracing for increased demand from federal employees – especially here in the national capital region.“I remember when the Democrat leader was a passionate opponent of government shutdowns because of their impact on federal workers.“I’m pretty sure that was just about six months ago.“Other Democrats used to be concerned about the impact on federal workers as well.“A few years ago, our Democrat colleague from New Jersey – himself a former career federal worker – had this to say, and I quote, ‘I worked through multiple shutdowns including, you know, having to work and show up every day without getting paid … I mean, it’s just so scary to think of the fact that this is going to hurt people.’“Yet Democrats aren’t showing the slightest interest in reopening the government to ensure our troops and federal employees get paid.“Mr. President, later today we’re going to have another vote on the clean continuing resolution to open up the government.“As I said, we are a handful of Democrats away from passing this continuing resolution and reopening the government.“A handful of votes away from paying our troops.“And we’re going to see if that matters to Democrats.“We’ll see if Democrats choose to pay America’s troops, or if they once again bow to the demands of their far-left base, which is telling them to hold out, or to their strategists who tell them they’re ‘winning’ the shutdown.“Well, based on the reporting this morning, Democrats couldn’t care less whether military families miss a paycheck tomorrow. “In an interview posted this morning, the Democrat leader said, ‘Every day gets better for us.’“‘Every day gets better for us.’“Mr. President, this isn’t a political game.“Democrats might feel that way, but I don’t know of anybody else that does.“Mr. President, the longer this goes on, the more the American people realize that Democrats own this shutdown.“A Morning Consult poll finds that, and I quote, ‘Voters Increasingly Blame Democrats for the Government Shutdown.’“In the latest Harvard-Harris poll, 65 percent of voters think Democrats should reopen the government instead of holding out for their partisan demands.“But Democrats are apparently being told to hold the line by their far-left base, and so this shutdown drags on.“Mr. President, we can solve the issue of troop pay – and every other problem we’re seeing – today, today, by passing this clean, nonpartisan CR and sending it to the president.“He’s ready to sign it.“If Democrats would only agree, we could reopen the government in just a few hours. Literally.“Pay our troops.“Pay federal workers.“And stop this madness – and this notion that somehow, in this political game, the Democrats believe, according to their leader, that ‘every day gets better for us.’“That, Mr. President, is not the experience of the American people.“It’s time to end this shutdown, reopen this government – let’s pass this CR today.”PrintEmailTweetPreviousTHE NEWSROOMSENATE RESOURCESABOUT LEADER THUNEFacebookXInstagram
