Speaking during an appearance on Fox News on Tuesday, October 14, as the Schumer Shutdown entered its fourteenth day, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) explained that an end could be nearing, as three total Democrats are now working with him to defy Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and vote to fund the government.
For reference, as of now, it appears that only three Democrats in the Senate have been working in good faith with the Republicans to end the shutdown: Sens. John Fetterman (PA), Catherine Cortez Masto (NV), and Angus King (ME). All three have voted with all Republicans, minus the usually buffoonish defector amongst the Republicans, Sen. Rand Paul, to fund and thus reopen the government.
That is a problem for America generally, as any continuing resolution will need five dozen total votes to pass through the Senate and reopen the government, meaning that, if Sen. Rand Paul remains as intransigent as usual, there will need to be eight total Democrats who defy Schumer’s order and vote to fund and reopen the government.
So, it was in that context that Sen. Thune appeared on Fox News Channel and indicated to host Harris Faulkner that a deal might finally be coming to an end, as more Democrats are starting to defect from Schumer’s side of things, or at least starting to indicate that they are willing to do so, as indicated by the three Democrats voting with him.
Commenting on the 55 votes that Republicans currently command and how more will be needed despite the fact that 55 votes means three Democrats have joined his block, he said, “Well, we’re only stuck as long as a handful of Democrats decide they want to follow the leader and play politics rather than do the right thing on behalf of the American people and open up the government. That’s where we are.”
Continuing on that point in his explanation of what is happening and why no deal has yet been struck, Sen. Thune said that, as of now, only five more Democrats in total are needed if the government is to finally be reopened, saying, “We have 55 of 100 United States senators voting to reopen the government. We need five more Democrats.”
Then, without indicating who he has in mind, but reiterating his point about how the line is very close, Thune said, It takes 60 to do most things in the United States Senate, and all we need is five Democrats. But their leadership is intent on pacifying and trying to appease this far -left base.”
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Then, reiterating a point that other Republicans have made, Sen. Thune noted that the continuing resolution that the Republicans have proposed as a basis for funding the government is a “clean” one, meaning it is free of partisan spending of the sort that Democrats would, in a normal situation, find unacceptable.
He said, “They’ve got this big rally coming up next Saturday, which everybody thinks they want to get behind them before they do anything to open up the government. But it’s really straightforward. I mean, this is the legislation right here; it’s 24 pages long, it is clean, it is nonpartisan, it has no policy riders, no partisan gimmicks. This is a straightforward way to open up the government.”
Watch him here: