John Thune: “Democrats are dug in. Fifteen days into a government shutdown, Democrats show no sign that they are ready for it to end.…”

“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.…”