John Thune Argues Democrats Are ‘Being Browbeaten Into Submission’ by Chuck Schumer to Continue Shutdown
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) claimed Friday that rank-and-file Democrats were being “browbeaten” by leadership into refusing to reopen the government.
MSNBC’s Ali Vitali caught up with Thune in the halls of Congress Friday and told Ana Cabrera Live that their conversation was “quite newsy.”
“We began the day expecting from last night that Republicans were going to put kind of a same, same, but different version of the continuing resolution deal that they’ve been talking about on the floor today. It would be that same CR. But it would also offer some appropriations bills attached to it. Also, potentially a provision about RIFs, those those reductions in force that Democrats are trying to roll back,” said Vitali, who added that “What Leader Thune just told me is that maybe it might not. And that’s because he doesn’t want to, he says, put it on the floor if he doesn’t think that Democrats are going to vote for it.”
She continued:
VITALI: My understanding is [Sen. Minority Leader Chuck] Schumer is now in the room. Are you now more a part of the — I know you’re always getting briefed.
THUNE: Well, I’ve been — I’ve had discussions with Democrat senators. And we know where the the path forward is and and who it goes through. And obviously the Democrat leadership is in a box. And I don’t think they’re going to be — they’re not going to be the people voting to deliver an outcome here. It’s going to be rank-and-file Democrats who want to do the right thing for the country and are willing to, you know, put the politics of their extreme left aside in order to do that.
VITALI: So, what’s the sense that you have of what’s holding them up at this point? Is it ,to your understanding, Schumer saying, “Do not vote for this,” or what is it?
THUNE: I think they’re being browbeaten into submission. That’s actually what’s happening.
Vitali concluded that “if this was put on the floor today, Democrats probably don’t have the votes” to get what they want, and will wait until they’re “unified” before agreeing to a deal.
Watch the clip above via MSNBC.
