Senator Thune Blasts Democrats for Blocking Pentagon Funding Bill Amidst Shutdown

Senate Democrats Block Defense Appropriations

• 🎯 Senator John Thune criticized Democrats for voting against the Fiscal Year 2026 Defense Appropriations Bill, despite its bipartisan passage in committee.
• 💡 Thune highlighted that Democrats previously voted for a bill to increase troop pay but then voted against the funding measure that would actually pay the troops.
• 🗣️ He quoted a news story suggesting the vote against proceeding with the defense bill was to "relinquish some of the parties leverage."

Democratic Obstruction and Political Leverage

• 📉 Thune accused Democrats of being uninterested in supporting troops and defending the country, prioritizing their political goals over American interests.
• 🚫 He noted that Democrats rejected a clean, nonpartisan Continuing Resolution (CR) and also refused a guarantee to vote on their healthcare demands if they voted to reopen the government.
• 🤝 Thune stated his willingness to accommodate Democratic demands by adding other appropriations bills to the defense bill, a strategy previously used successfully for other appropriations packages.

Appropriations Process and Shutdowns

• 🏛️ Thune expressed a desire to follow a normal appropriations process, contrasting it with the previous majority's failure to bring any appropriations bills to the Senate floor.
• 🚧 He pointed out that Democrats are blocking efforts to conference on already passed bills and are now blocking the Defense Appropriations Bill, which he believes should have strong bipartisan support.
• ⚠️ Thune suggested that Democrats could have blocked the bill later in the process if they disliked its contents, rather than blocking its advancement entirely.
• 🎭 He concluded that Democrats are happy to sacrifice Americans and principles for their political objectives, contradicting their past statements about the damage caused by government shutdowns.