Thune: Schumer Shutdown Day 39

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WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor:

Thune's remarks below (as delivered):

"Mr. President, yesterday we finally heard Democrats entertain the notion of reopening the government.

"It only took them 38 days.

"Why, in the days before, progressives were urging Democrats to prolong the shutdown in perpetuity.

"One House Democrat said, and I quote, 'There would be hell to pay if Senate Democrats don't let events play out.'

"And so while I'm glad to see Democrats - after 38 days - back down from the maximalist and, frankly, insane position they've held since September, the Democrat leader's proposal is a nonstarter for the Republican majority.

"The Democrat leader wants [us] to believe that this is a 'simple' proposal.

"That it is some sort of 'compromise.'

"But it is not.

"He's talking about throwing tens of billions more taxpayer dollars at a program that even Democrats admit has failed to lower health care costs.

"The American people are tired of Washington taking their hard-earned money and spending it on costly government programs that fail to follow through on their promises.

"Of course, that's what Democrats have been doing for years with Obamacare.

"They passed Obamacare 15 years ago without a single Republican vote.

"And in that time, Democrats' signature health care law has failed to do what Democrats promised.

"If you like your health insurance you can keep it.

"Not true.

"If you like your doctor you can keep him or her.

"Not true.

"Premium costs will go down.

"Not true - and actually the opposite is true.

"They keep going up.

"Obamacare drove premium prices higher.

"So in 2021, in Democrats' American Rescue Plan Act - a bill best known for setting off a years-long inflation crisis - Democrats created these Biden bonuses, further papering over the higher premium costs under Obamacare with bigger taxpayer subsidies.

"Again, they did that without a single Republican vote.

"And then in another partisan bill in 2022, they extended the subsidies through the end of this year.

"Democrats chose the expiration date.

"They created this cliff.

"And now they want to blame Republican for their mess.

"Give me a break, Mr. President.

"Republicans are not about to further burden taxpayers by blindly extending a flawed program.

"The Democrats' proposal is just more of the same, masking rising premiums and padding insurance companies' profits with more taxpayer dollars.

"The Democrat leader's proposal is a nonstarter.

"There's still only one path out.

"It's a clean funding extension.

"The House has already passed a clean funding extension.

"The president supports one and would sign it into law immediately.

"We're only a handful of votes away from passing one right here in the Senate, Mr. President - a bill that has been sitting at the desk now for 38 days.

"We reopen, and then we can start talking about addressing the health care mess that Democrats created.

"Mr. President, I know that Democrats know this.

"Just yesterday, the Democrat whip came to the floor to say something that I've been waiting for a Democrat to say for a long time.

"He said that the first thing we need to do is reopen the government, then address the cost of health care and advance appropriations bills.

"I've been saying that for about six weeks now.

"And I think that's exactly what we need to do.

"Today.

"So I hope the Democrat whip and others in his caucus will join the three Democrats who have been supporting a clean continuing resolution - the only bill that can actually end the shutdown.

"Mr. President, I'm glad to see that after 38 days, Democrats are finally warming up to the idea that their shutdown can't go on forever.

"And I urge my colleagues to support a clean continuing resolution so we can start a real discussion to address their health care mess, get back to the regular appropriations process, and, above all, finally provide relief to the American people."

Permalink: https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2025/11/thune-schumer-shutdown-day-39