Senator Thune Blasts Democrats for Government Shutdown Impacting Americans

Government Shutdown's Toll on Americans

• 📌 Senator John Thune accuses Democrats of shutting down the government for five weeks, causing significant harm to the American people.
• 💔 He highlights that there are "no winners" in a shutdown, only "plenty of losers," with the American public bearing the brunt.

Impact on Essential Services and Families

• 💸 Military families are relying on food banks, and federal workers are missing paychecks due to the shutdown.
• 📉 SNAP benefits are running on emergency funds, putting millions at risk of hunger, while Head Start programs and housing assistance face disruptions.
• 🩺 Seniors and rural residents are losing access to telehealth services, and National Guard training and veterans programs are on hold.

Democratic Opposition to Reopening Government

• 🗳️ Despite acknowledging the suffering, the majority of Democrats voted against a clean continuing resolution that could end the shutdown quickly.
• 🤝 Thune notes that three Democratic senators and a House Democrat have supported clean continuing resolutions in the past, and unions like the Teamsters and AFGE are urging an end to the shutdown.

Healthcare and Future Discussions

• 🏥 A clean bill to reopen the government is presented as the fastest way to discuss healthcare affordability, including Obamacare.
• 💡 Republicans are ready to discuss lowering healthcare costs for all Americans, but insist Democrats must stop playing politics and reopen the government first.

Call to End the Shutdown

• ⏳ Thune questions how long Democrats will continue the shutdown, asking how much suffering is enough before they pass the simple bill to reopen the government.
• 🔁 The Senate is set to vote on the clean continuing resolution again, with hopes that Democrats will support it to end the ongoing pain.