Thune: Will Democrats Finally Take Yes for an Answer

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WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today spoke at a press conference with Senate Republican leadership:

Thune's remarks below (as delivered):

"We are now in the 35th day of the shutdown.

"The longest shutdown on record and the most severe shutdown on record - something that was totally unnecessary in the first place, obviously.

"But we're hoping this will be the week when the Democrats come to their senses and decide to reopen the government.

"Of course, if you look at why we are here in the first place, it's hard to explain … I still don't know exactly what it is they want.

"We have accommodated a lot of their questions and concerns.

"They want to have a discussion about health care, we offered that up a long time ago.

"And, you know, clearly, we've talked, I've talked repeatedly about having a normal appropriations process where we put bills on the floor, open it up to the amendment process, and allow people to have their voices heard in how we fund the government the old-fashioned way.

"But so I'm still at a loss as to what it is exactly they're trying to get out of this.

"The one thing I do know is, as the days roll by, the consequences and pain of this shutdown grow more severe for the American people, and especially if you are a government employee or the family of a government employee who's no longer getting paid.

"There are more and more stories of people out there who are trying to live paycheck to paycheck, and now you've got the food assistance going away, the SNAP program.

"You have Head Start and young kids who need to be able to have access to education, that's increasingly at risk.

"You'll see more and more, probably next week, with Veterans Day rolling around, Democrats out there posting nice videos and photos with veterans, which most of us probably should and will do - but the better thing they could do is actually support our veterans by opening up the government.

"And allowing these regional offices to get … open again, and allow the GI Bill hotline to start functioning and operating again.

"There are so many ways in which Americans are impacted by this, and certainly our veterans and our troops come to mind immediately.

"So I'm hopeful, again, that this is the week in which the Democrats will conclude that this is not a good thing.

"And while they may believe politically that it's in their best interest - and obviously we've seen lots of statements that suggest that - it's certainly not in the best interest of the American people.

"The American people are those who are caught up in the political games being played here in the Senate by the Senate Democrats.

"All it takes is five of them.

"We have a bill sitting at the desk, which we've voted on repeatedly, that came over from the House of Representatives, meaning that as soon as the Senate passes it, it goes directly to the president.

"He will sign it into law, the government will reopen, and all these adverse consequences that are being experienced by people across this country will go away.

"That's all it takes - five more Democrats, five Democrat senators with the courage to take on their political base and their leaders and to do what's in the best interest the American people."

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