Senate Majority Leader Thune Urges Democrats to End Government Shutdown

Call to Reopen Government

• 🏛️ Senate Majority Leader Thune pleaded with Democrats to end the government shutdown, now in its second day.
• 🚫 He stated that Democrats rejected a clean, nonpartisan funding bill that would keep the government open while bipartisan appropriations work continues.
• 🗓️ Voting was paused for Yom Kippur but will resume, offering Democrats another chance to pass the funding extension.

Democratic Pressure and Public Opinion

• 🗣️ Thune acknowledged pressure from the far-left base but argued Democrats are playing a losing game, as a majority of American voters oppose shutdowns.
• 📢 A quote from a Democrat House member highlighted that the shutdown is hurting Americans and the economy, driven by hardball politics and demands from far-left groups.

Opposition from Organizations

• 🤝 Organizations including the National Fraternal Order of Police, the US Chamber of Commerce, and the Teamsters have spoken out against the shutdown.
• 💼 The Teamsters' president emphasized that a shutdown will hurt working people.

The "Clean" Funding Bill

• ✅ Thune reiterated that the request is not for Democrats to accept new Republican policies but simply to pass a clean, nonpartisan bill to fund the government for a few more weeks.
• 📊 He noted that the Senate has already passed three appropriations bills with robust bipartisan support and wants to continue this work.

bipartisan Cooperation Needed

• 🤝 So far, three Democrats have joined Republicans in attempting to reopen the government.
• 🙏 Thune expressed hope that a few more Democrats will join to end the shutdown and return to bipartisan appropriations work for the American people.
• 🗳️ He reminded Democrats that they have voted for clean continuing resolutions (CRs) 13 times during the Biden administration and urged them to do so again.