John Thune

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 373.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I move to proceed to legislative session.

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 168, H.R. 5371.

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, Democrats are dug in. Fifteen days into a government shutdown, Democrats show no sign that they are ready for it to end. Not even the prospect of military families going without a paycheck was enough for Democrats to reopen the government. Nor are Democrats concerned about needy families uncertain about the future of nutrition assistance or Americans in flood zones who are unable to update their insurance or close on a home in the midst of hurricane season. No, Democrats are dug in. And all those Americans living in uncertainty? Well, they are just going to have to wait until Democrats' far-left base is satisfied. Democrats attempt to defend their funding blockade by complaining that Republicans won't negotiate. But what exactly is there to negotiate? Negotiation happens when you have two sides, each with its own demands. Republicans have no demands. We have offered Democrats a clean, nonpartisan funding extension. Democrats, on the other hand, are insisting on $1.5 trillion in new partisan spending in exchange for their votes. Now think about that. Let's put this in perspective: $1.5 trillion in new spending in their proposal to keep the government open for 4 weeks until the end of October. Well, we are already at the middle of October. So, basically, they are saying they want $1.5 trillion in taxpayer dollars to keep the government open for the next 2 weeks. Think about that one. As our colleague from Louisiana put it, you need a spreadsheet to keep track of everything they are asking for. The truth is that what Democrats really want is something Republicans can't give them, and that is the approval of their far-left base. They are looking for praise from the likes of moveon.org and Indivisible. This weekend, Indivisible is holding rallies around the country, and Democrats' motivations are laid bare by what one of the leaders of that far-left group told CNN last week. He said: I'm telling every elected I talk to: millions will be out cheering you on, or they'll be calling for new leadership. ``Cheering you on or calling for new leadership''--that is Democrats' motivation, pleasing their far-left base and preserving their political careers. Meanwhile, we are reading stories about military families lining up at food banks, flight delays because of understaffed airport towers, needy families uncertain about the food assistance they depend upon. But our Democrat colleague from Rhode Island says: For ``Democrats, it's so far, so good.'' ``So far so good''--I doubt military families and Federal workers would agree. If there was ever anything to make it clear that Democrats are in this for their own political advantage, it is callous comments like this one or the Democrat leader's statement that ``every day gets better'' for Senate Democrats. While Democrats may be basking in praise from their far-left base, polls show that most Americans want this shutdown to end. Two-thirds of voters think Democrats should reopen the government, rather than hold out for their partisan demands. And if just five more Democrats would show some courage, we could do just that. We need five more Democrats to say, ``Enough is enough,'' to put the American people ahead of the far-left, and to support this clean, nonpartisan continuing resolution sitting right there at the Senate desk, ready to be picked up and passed today, put on the President's desk, signed into law, and the government reopens. If just five more Democrats would show some courage, we could do just that. With five more votes, this bill could be on its way to the White House. As I said, President Trump stands ready to sign it. It is clean. It is nonpartisan. It has no policy riders, no partisan gimmicks. It simply funds the government for a foreseeable time, until November 21, to give us an opportunity to finish the appropriations process under regular order and to deal with the funding of the government in the way that it should be funded--in an open, transparent process that uses the committees under regular order, the Appropriations Committee, the subcommittees, and the floor open to amendments. Again, I know that is a novel concept--that is a novel concept-- compared to the way the Democrats did it when they had the majority. Even though the Appropriations Committee did its work last year and 11 of the 12 appropriations bills were reported out, not a single one was brought to the floor of the Senate because they like to negotiate behind closed doors, with a handful of people deciding on behalf of everybody else. That is not the way this place ought to work. Troops need to get paid. Families need to get the help they need. All the uncertainty for the American people needs to go away, and we can get back to work on the things that really matter. But the question is, Are Democrats interested in that or are they more interested in being cheered by far-left groups at Saturday's rally? Well, I guess we will see soon enough. Will today be day 15 of the Democrats' shutdown? We will have another opportunity, later today, to vote on that bill sitting right at the desk. Five more Democrats, it passes, goes to the White House, gets signed into law by the President, and the government opens up. Will today be day 15 of Democrats' shutdown, or will it be the day we reopen the government and get back to the business of serving the American people? I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I understand there is a bill at the desk, and I ask for its first reading.

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I now ask for a second reading, and in order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV, I object to my own request.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 449.

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following resolutions, which are at the desk: S. Res. 452 and S. Res. 453.

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolutions be agreed to, the preambles agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, all en bloc.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Thursday, October 16; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each; further, notwithstanding rule XXII, the cloture motions, with respect to the motion to proceed to Calendar No. 168, H.R. 5371, and Executive Calendar No. 460, ripen at 11 a.m., and if cloture is invoked on the Mooty nomination, all postcloture time be considered expired and the Senate vote on confirmation at a time to be determined by the majority leader, in consultation with the Democratic leader, no earlier than Monday, October 20; and, finally, that the cloture motion, with respect to the motion to proceed to Calendar No. 136, H.R. 4016, ripen at 1:30 p.m.

Mr. THUNE. For the information of my colleagues, Senators should expect two rollcall votes at 11 a.m. and a further vote at 1:30 p.m.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 168, H.R. 5371.

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I want to join my colleague Senator Grassley from Iowa and, before I begin, mention the release of the hostages on Monday. After more than 2 years in captivity, the final 20 living hostages were returned to Israel and reunited with their loved ones. To see the peace process moving forward is an occasion for immense gratitude, and I hope that both sides will adhere to the terms of the agreement so that this can mark the beginning of an end to the bloodshed. That includes the prompt and respectful return by Hamas of the remains of the deceased hostages. I know that President Trump, without whom this would not have happened, Secretary Rubio, and others continue to work to hammer out the remaining steps of the peace process. That will have to include disarming Hamas and ensuring that the organization plays no future role in governance in the Gaza Strip. My prayers are with the President, Secretary Rubio, and all of those on both sides who are working to make peace a reality. Government Funding Mr. President, ``Every day gets better for us.'' So said the Democrat leader in an interview published on Thursday, hours before Democrats, once again, voted to keep the government closed and to deny servicemembers a paycheck. Federal workers, including law enforcement officers, missed part of their pay last Friday, but, hey, at least, life is getting better for Senate Democrats. A CNN article from Thursday said that Democrats are preparing to keep on with this shutdown for ``several more weeks.'' I guess Democrats are not going to be satisfied until military families and government workers are lining up at food banks or visiting payday lenders or simply charging necessary items like milk and bread on their credit cards to be repaid later, if they can, along with the big interest charges that come with that. But, hey, while military families and government workers may be deeply stressed, at least, life is getting better every day for Senate Democrats. I could, at least, understand a little bit more where Democrats are coming from if Republicans were asking them to swallow a lot of new Republican policies to reopen the government. But Republicans aren't asking the Democrats for anything. We are not asking them to support any new Republican policies. We are not asking them to swallow any partisan policy riders. We have put forward, and the House has passed, a clean, nonpartisan CR. That is the bill Democrats are rejecting. And, by the way, you certainly don't have to take my word for it that we put forward a clean bill. Here is what one mainstream news publication said last week: It's important to note that Democrats instigated this shutdown. They rejected a ``clean'' funding proposal and demanded significant and expensive health care policy changes in exchange for their votes. It's important to note that Democrats instigated this shutdown. They rejected a clean funding proposal and demanded significant and expensive health care policy changes in exchange for their votes. Yes, that pretty much captures it right there, in a nutshell. Democrats like to whine that Republicans aren't negotiating, but negotiation is what you do when each side has a list of demands and you need to meet in the middle. Republicans, as I and a lot of other people have pointed out, haven't put forward any demands. Only Democrats have made demands--by the way, very expensive demands--and they have taken government funding hostage in an attempt to force through their partisan measures. I remember when Democrats used to care about the effects of a government shutdown. In fact, I could fill a whole speech--many speeches, actually--with quotes from Democrats talking about how terrible shutdowns are. I used to think they were sincere in those opinions, but it has become abundantly clear that their previous statements weren't based on principle but on political advantage. Democrats were against shutdowns when it suited their political purposes, and now that it suits their political purposes, they think, to keep the government closed--now they support shutdowns. I suspect their political calculations are flawed because, after all, 65 percent of voters think Democrats should reopen the government, instead of holding out for their partisan demands. But I guess Democrats are more worried about gaining the approval of their far-left base than about getting the approval of everyday Americans. It is day 14 of the Democrats' shutdown. Our economy is losing billions of dollars. Federal workers, including law enforcement officers, are going without pay. Critical government programs are in jeopardy. But, hey, at least life is getting better every day for Senate Democrats. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I enter a motion to reconsider.

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I move to proceed to legislative session.

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I withdraw the motion to proceed.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 136, H.R. 4016.

Mr. THUNE. I send a cloture motion to the desk.