Sen. Thune Had Enough, Goes Ballistic on Dems 13 Votes to Keep Government Shutdown [WATCH]

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) delivered a forceful speech Wednesday on the Senate floor, criticizing Democrats for continuing to block government funding measures as the current shutdown nears the longest in U.S. history.

The shutdown, now in its 29th day, is approaching the 35-day record set in 2019.

Thune accused Senate Democrats of refusing to pass clean temporary funding bills — known as continuing resolutions (CRs) — despite repeated opportunities to do so.

According to Thune, Republicans have brought 13 clean funding measures to the floor since the shutdown began, each one rejected by Senate Democrats.

The impasse has left multiple federal programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), without funding.

“People should be getting paid in this country. And we’ve tried to do that 13 times. And you voted no 13 times,” Thune said.

“This isn’t a political game. These are real people’s lives that we’re talking about. And you all have just figured out, 29 days in, that, oh, there might be some consequences.”

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Thune added that while federal agencies have managed to operate temporarily on reserve funds, those resources are nearly depleted.

“There are people who are running out of money,” he said.

“Yeah, we’re 29 days in. And they’ve done their best to make sure that a lot of these programs are funded. But at some point, the government runs out of money. Thirteen times, people over here voted to fund SNAP. Thirteen times, they voted to fund WIC.”

The South Dakota senator criticized Democrats for holding out in pursuit of broader policy goals unrelated to government operations.

Republican leaders say Democrats have conditioned their votes on the inclusion of provisions extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits, which are set to expire under the terms of the Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2022.

The deadlock has also impacted other federal benefits programs and pay for certain federal employees, prompting growing frustration in both parties.

In the evenly divided Senate, Republicans need at least eight Democratic votes to overcome a filibuster and advance a funding bill.

So far, only three Democratic senators have joined Republicans in voting to reopen the government.

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) has voted against the proposed CRs, citing concerns about spending levels, but Thune said the broader obstacle remains Democratic opposition.

“What Democrats are doing here,” Thune said, “they’re making plans to keep the shutdown going.”

The senator also pointed to what he described as a double standard in the Democrats’ approach to government shutdowns.

He noted that leading Democrats — including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) — have previously condemned Republicans for using funding debates as leverage in policy negotiations.

In September 2023, when several conservative lawmakers threatened to block a CR, Schumer accused Republicans of “recklessly marching our nation to the brink of a shutdown.”

He said then, “If the government shuts down, it will be average Americans who suffer most.”

Weeks later, during a December 13 speech, Schumer argued that Congress should “pass a clean CR to keep the government open,” rejecting Republican efforts to attach policy riders.

Thune said those same arguments now apply to Democrats, who have rejected clean funding bills to push unrelated provisions.

“We have tried again and again to keep this government open,” Thune said.

“It is Democrats who are standing in the way.”

29 days into the #SchumerShutdown, Democrats are realizing there may be some consequences to their shutdown.

Republicans have tried to open the government 13 times. Democrats have voted no 13 times.

This isn’t a political game. These are real people’s lives we’re talking about. pic.twitter.com/vptOWa6QuU

— Leader John Thune (@LeaderJohnThune) October 29, 2025

As the shutdown continues into its fifth week, congressional leaders from both parties are facing increased pressure to reach an agreement.

SNAP and other nutrition programs are expected to run out of funds within days if no action is taken.

The Senate is expected to hold another procedural vote on a funding resolution before the weekend.

The White House has not issued a formal statement on the Senate impasse.

Treasury officials have warned that extended inaction could delay payments to federal contractors and furloughed employees if no resolution is reached in the coming days.