John Thune: “It is a statistic that really is, it is stunning, and it is something we just have to change.”

It’s a great message. I like the message. But it shouldn’t be paid for with taxpayer dollars.

It's an economic frustration.

I just think, if you’re looking at issues that we want to get at the heart of what everybody seems to be saying, the Democrats and others are saying, are important, we're concerned about.

The only conclusion one can draw is that the Democrats have concluded that it is good politics for them not to allow the Republicans to ‘get a victory’ or the president to ‘get a victory’ in the middle of a political season.