Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters that he hopes for a government shutdown “as well.” He concedes that deep divides between lawmakers remain just weeks before the funding deadline. Thune emphasized that cooperation is essential from both sides of the aisle to reach a compromise that keeps the government operational.
That puts Thune in a key position for any negotiations. He is reasserting his redlines against Democratic demands on health care, and labeling them “unserious.” He argues that if Democrats were willing to align with Republicans on a streamlined, “clean” funding bill, it could sustain government operations for the next seven weeks.
It’s time for Democrats to stop insisting on so much,” Thune said. He highlighted that a whole-of-government approach is not only important but key to good governance. He believes President Donald Trump would be amenable to negotiating expanded health care subsidies. That’s possible only if Democrats do not continue to threaten a shutdown.
In that same recent conversation with Trump, Thune provided some valuable advice on the idea of setting up a public meeting with Democratic leaders. Yet he added that he was quite skeptical about the productivity of those discussions.
“I have decided that no meeting with their Congressional Leaders could possibly be productive.” – Donald Trump
“I think the president unfortunately makes that case for himself,” Thune continued. “I think ultimately he came to the determination that that would be a counterproductive meeting.”
Thune indicated that he intends to reintroduce the bills that were defeated on the floor last week. This signals his willingness to go back and rework proposals that can move the needle further. He made the point that the White House’s threat of mass layoffs was not completely out of left field. Yet, unusually for someone who accepts the concerns these warnings raise, he refrained from directly rebutting such alarms.
I just don’t think that shutdowns are conducive to helping anybody, Thune said. He made clear why they are so dangerous to the American people. He remains optimistic that there are “off-ramps” to avoid a shutdown. He mentions that the House’s continued progress on bipartisan bills funding individual pieces of the federal government may be the best path forward.
“I’m a big believer that there’s always a way out.” – John Thune
He also suggested that compromise needs to come from both sides, asking, “What’s the most that eight Democrats would be willing to accept?” This deeply probing yet fundamental question demonstrates his insistence that we all share the responsibility for creating solutions.
The Senate Majority Leader’s remarks are the latest indication of a sea change attempt in the usual push and pull between legislative tactics and seething polarization. Lawmakers are again racing against a funding deadline. Thune’s efforts at a bipartisan path forward will be important in staving off a potential government shutdown.
