10.21.25

Thune Joins The Hugh Hewitt Show

“I think the majority of the country is starting to see through this, and is going to continue to move against them, but it doesn’t seem like [Democrats] care.”

Click here to watch the video.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today joined The Hugh Hewitt Show.

On Democrats prioritizing their far-left base:

“Republicans want our troops to get paid. We want the men and women of the Border Patrol getting paid. We want TSA agents, ATC, air traffic control, every federal employee to get their paychecks …

“They want – the Democrats, that is – far-left progressive activists to be less mad at them. I mean, that’s really what we’re talking about here. So I just think in the end, Hugh, that it’s a simple choice for them, and they can get the government back open, or they can choose to keep letting the far left call the shots. I think the majority of the country is starting to see through this, and is going to continue to move against them, but it doesn’t seem like they care.

“I think they are so fearful, so afraid, so running scared, from that far-left base, which is where, you know, the money in Democrat politics is, you know, the small donor stuff, it’s where the activists, it’s where the energy is, and frankly, that’s where a lot of people end up getting primaried. And I think these Democrats here in the Senate are afraid of that.”

On Democrats’ shutdown hypocrisy:

“I’ve been very clear. I’ve been willing to sit down with Democrats. They want to discuss the growing unaffordability and unsustainability of Obamacare, and I’ve said I’m willing to give them a vote. But it’s under one condition: They’ve got to end the Schumer shutdown, open up the government …

“We can’t negotiate under hostage conditions, and that’s where we are right now. As you know, we have a bill to fund the government passed the House, sitting on the desk at the Senate, the president’s ready to sign it.

“The government could open up today. We just need a handful of Democrats to join us, because … it takes a supermajority, 60 votes in the Senate, to pass anything consequential. And Democrats continue to resist.

“They just voted for the 11th time to keep the government shut down. [The shutdown] has a lot of impacts on a lot of people, including federal employees who aren’t getting paid.”

[…]

“They want – the Democrats, that is – far-left progressive activists to be less mad at them. I mean, that’s really what we’re talking about here … It’s a simple choice for them … they can get the government back open, or they can choose to keep letting the far left call the shots.

“I think the majority of the country is starting to see through this, and is going to continue to move against them, but it doesn’t seem like [Democrats] care. I think they are so fearful, so afraid, so running scared, from that far-left base, which is where … the money in Democrat politics is … the small donor stuff, it’s where the activists, it’s where the energy is, and frankly, that’s where a lot of people end up getting primaried … I think these Democrats here in the Senate are afraid of that.”

On Senator Johnson’s Shutdown Fairness Act:

“Ron Johnson has a proposal … it pays everybody who is, ‘excepted,’ in other words, everybody who is an essential employee that’s still working. So if you’re working – it doesn’t cover furloughed employees, they’ll get back pay – but if you’re working, you should get paid … We’re gonna see what the Democrats do with that one.”