Northeast South Dakota News

U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) addressed the Senate on the third day of a government shutdown, attributing the ongoing closure to what he described as Democratic resistance to a "clean" continuing resolution. Thune said that the shutdown could have been avoided if Democrats had compromised earlier.

In his remarks, Thune stated, “Mr. President, it’s been two weeks since our first vote on a clean continuing resolution to keep the government open. This shutdown could have been avoided well before it began. But because Democrats have not budged from their partisan demands, the shutdown is now entering its third day.”

Thune outlined several legislative actions he said could be taken if not for the current impasse, including considering bipartisan appropriations bills and passing an annual defense bill. He emphasized that Republicans are united around a funding extension without new policies or partisan riders, noting that such a measure has already passed in the House of Representatives and is awaiting action in the Senate.

“It’s straightforward, simple, and clean. All it does is reopen the government through November the 21st to give us more time to pass appropriations bills here on the floor,” Thune said.

He criticized Democratic spending proposals, stating, “The only thing standing in the way of reopening the government and getting back to doing the important work is Democrats’ $1.5 trillion in partisan spending demands. That’s right – $1.5 trillion.” He argued that this figure exceeds even current defense budget levels for just four weeks of funding.

Thune called for an immediate vote on the House-passed resolution: “We need to take one roll call vote – just one roll call vote – on the House-passed, clean continuing resolution. The president of the United States says that he’s ready to sign it. We just need a handful of Democrats to agree.”

He referenced past statements by Democratic leaders criticizing shutdown tactics: “The senior senator from Massachusetts has said, and I quote, ‘Hostage tactics are the last resort for those who can’t win their fights through elections…’ The Democrat leader called shutdowns, and I quote, ‘a politics of idiocy, of confrontation, of paralysis.’”

Thune concluded by urging Democrats to support reopening measures: “All it takes is one roll call vote, the government’s back open... How much longer this shutdown lasts depends entirely on Democrats. The choice is theirs.”