Senator John Thune on Government Shutdown: Democrats Refuse Clean Funding Bill

Government Shutdown Enters Second Week

• 🗣️ Senator John Thune addressed the Senate floor regarding the ongoing government shutdown, now in its second week.
• 🏛️ He highlighted that Democrats have rejected similar clean funding bills 13 times during the Biden administration.

Bipartisan Support for Clean CR

• 🤝 Thune cited the Teamsters Union president who stated a shutdown hurts working people and urged passage of a clean, short-term funding bill.
• 📰 A mainstream journalist is quoted saying a clean CR would receive almost all Democratic votes in a vacuum.
• ✅ The bill is described as clean, lacking partisan riders and extending Democrat-priority programs.

Democratic Opposition and Consequences

• 🗳️ Thune asserts that Democrats are refusing the clean bill because they cannot accept President Trump's election.
• 📉 The shutdown is causing negative consequences for the American people, including threats to food aid programs for low-income Americans.

Call for Bipartisan Cooperation

• 💡 Three Democrats have already voted with Republicans to reopen the government.
• 🙏 Thune hopes more Democrats will join to pass the clean, nonpartisan CR and allow the Senate to resume its work.

Senate Business Continues

• ⚖️ Following the discussion on the shutdown, the Senate proceeded to executive session to consider the nomination of Jennifer Lee Mascott to be a United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit.