Northeast South Dakota News

U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) appeared on CNBC’s Squawk Box, speaking with Joe Kernen about the ongoing debate in Congress regarding government funding and a potential shutdown.

Thune emphasized that passing short-term continuing resolutions is a common practice in Congress, noting that “this is something that 13 times, when [Chuck Schumer] was the majority leader, we passed short-term continuing resolutions – 13 times – and the Republicans delivered the vote for it. This is a routine thing. This is not unusual.”

He explained that these measures are intended to keep the government funded while lawmakers work through the full appropriations process. Thune argued that Republicans have fulfilled their responsibilities: “This is something to extend government funding until we have more time to fund or to do the full funding process through the normal appropriations process … Republicans are united. I mean, [Hakeem Jeffries] was on there talking about, ‘Republicans in the House need to come back into town.’ They did their part. They passed the bill. They sent it to the Senate.

“It’s the Senate now that has to act. The president will sign this today. The Senate could pass this today and fund the government …

“Senate Democrats right now are the people who are keeping or preventing the government from staying open, and if at midnight tonight, the government shuts down, it’s going to be on them.”

Thune also addressed issues related to health care and premium tax credits tied up in negotiations over funding: “Release the hostage, and we will have that conversation about [premium tax credits]. And yes, these were plussed-up things. This is a Covid issue. Covid is no longer with us. But we’re willing to have a conversation about how to address the premium tax credit issue, but it can’t be in the context of taking the federal government hostage and putting a gun to the head of the American people, which is what [Democrats are] doing here.”

On concerns raised by Democrats about hospital closures under Republican proposals, Thune said: “Health care is obviously an issue that’s important to all of us, which is why we did some of the reforms that we did in the One Big Beautiful Bill last summer. And this notion that hospitals and nursing homes are closing, give me a break. I mean, these provisions don’t take effect until 2028, and we put $50 billion in the [One Big Beautiful Bill] to support rural hospitals, which [Democrats] cut in their proposal.

“So this is a made-up issue for them, it’s a political issue. And frankly, what we need to do is keep the government open. It hurts the American people when we don’t.”

Thune accused Democrats of manufacturing a crisis for political reasons: “This is a simple extension of government funding so that we can complete and finish the appropriations work, something that was never done when the Democrats had the majority in the United States Senate. So we’re going to try and get approps bills done, and we can have that conversation about a premium tax credit solution – which I offered to them yesterday …

“In the Senate at least, politically speaking, Chuck Schumer needs a Schumer shutdown, and I think that’s what we’re probably careening toward. But it’s up to the Democrats. This bill … is sitting at the desk in the Senate right now. It could be picked up and passed, the government stays open, and we can complete our appropriations work.

“[Democrats] have the same leverage on November 21st that they have right now. And these premium tax credits don’t expire until end of year. So this is a made-up problem by Democrats who desperately need to satisfy a political base that is hostile to Donald Trump. That’s what this is about. This is Donald Trump – nothing more, nothing less. This doesn’t have anything to do with health care.”