Thune: Republicans Stand With Law Enforcement, Reject Democrats’ Defund the Police Agenda

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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):

"As you all know, the Senate this year has passed 11 of the 12 appropriations bills.

"We did that in a way, we wanted to get back to regular order, and so we worked with Democrats - actually worked with Democrats on all 12.

"And then, of course, at the last minute, the Democrats decided they didn't want to fund DHS.

"And so we've now had two long shutdowns of DHS - so long that the employees at DHS, DHS has been unfunded for a longer time than it's been funded.

"So those employees over there have not been paid for more days than they've been paid in this fiscal year, if you can believe that.

"So, the Democrats have effectively written themselves out of the appropriations process by drawing a line in the sand and saying that, 'We are so committed to our open borders and defund the police policies that we are not going to fund the two agencies that are tasked with keeping this country safe, protecting our border, and ensuring that illegal immigrants in this country who commit criminal acts are deported out of the country.'

"That's pretty much what it is, as simple as that.

"And so what we have been forced to do - and frankly, this is not my preference, but it is a reality - we are going to use the reconciliation process to fund those two important agencies.

"And so we will be getting on a bill later today, a budget resolution that will unlock the next step, which is budget reconciliation, that will enable us to ensure that those who carry out law enforcement responsibilities in this country are actually funded.

"And so I say again, what did the Democrats get out of all these shutdowns?

"The long shutdown in the fall.

"Now, this is [67] days here on DHS.

"I can't determine what that is.

"They made it, they wanted to make it about reforms.

"And so … the White House made reforms, we offered up reforms, and they kept moving the goalposts, walking away from it.

"It became very clear that their base … had convinced them that the only thing to do is to defund the police and to go back to the Biden open borders policy.

"That is effectively what this is all about.

"Republicans are not going to allow that to happen, which is why we have been forced by the Democrats to use the reconciliation process to see that these two important agencies are funded.

"We will be doing that starting today, for the balance of this week, and that will unlock, as I said, the second step, budget reconciliation, to come later."

Permalink: https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2026/4/thune-republicans-stand-with-law-enforcement-reject-democrats-defund-the-police-agenda