Thune Remains Hopeful Amid Government Shutdown Talks

Senate Majority Leader John Thune expressed optimism on Monday regarding lawmakers potentially reaching an agreement to reopen the government by the week’s end. He mentioned that he might propose a temporary spending bill that would extend into January, given that the late November deadline suggested by the House-passed bill is now out of reach.

Republican officials indicated a mix of uncertainty and hope when discussing the shutdown’s resolution. Conversations among a bipartisan group of lawmakers have been ongoing, which has fostered a bit more optimism as the weekend progressed.

“Going off my gut feeling and the usual flow of these things, I think we might be nearing a resolution,” Thune remarked while at Capitol Hill. “The main objective is to draft something we can send back to the House to restart the government.”

Potential elements of a deal might include commitments to kick off the regular spending procedures and possibly a vote on a bill that prolongs the expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies.

Thune emphasized that any stopgap measure would need to encompass a revised funding date. The previously approved bill had aimed for Nov. 21, but as time dwindles, he noted that deciding how to finance the government beyond that point is becoming pressing.

“We have to adjust the date. That one is off the table,” Thune stated, highlighting that there isn’t enough time left to approve a full-year budget and suggesting that a continuing resolution until January would be more practical.

“More extended timelines are definitely preferable,” he added.

He acknowledged that upcoming elections in Virginia, New Jersey, and New York City pose additional challenges that lawmakers feel they must navigate to strike a deal.

Moreover, Thune hinted at the possibility of canceling a planned week-long break next week if an agreement isn’t achieved soon. “I believe we should keep all our options open,” he noted, referring to the bipartisan discussions that stretched into the weekend. “We’re hopeful for a positive outcome, but unless we start seeing some tangible progress by midweek, it’s tricky to foresee anything getting done by the week’s end.”