Thune says he hopes to speak to Senate Democrats about ending government shutdown soon

Senate Majority Leader John Thune on Wednesday told reporters that he expects to speak with a group of rank-and-file Senate Democrats soon about possibly ending the nearly month-long government shutdown.

Senate Republicans have been meeting with some Democrats in the upper chamber informally in hopes of getting enough bipartisan support to end the shutdown, which began Oct. 1. But Thune has not met Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer about the shutdown so far.

Sources told Politico that though no meeting between the majority leader and lower-ranking Senate Democrats has been scheduled, Thune's comments come as funding for federal food stamps is about to lapse without bipartisan action.

“They’re looking for an off-ramp,” Thune said. “What I told them all along is, as soon as they’re ready to open up the government, that we will ensure that they have a process whereby they can have the chance to get their legislation voted on, their policies voted on. I think they’ve become more interested, and I hope that continues.”

Thune also reportedly lost his temper on the Senate floor earlier Wednesday, after New Mexico Democratic Sen. Ben Ray Luján attempted to get the funding for food stamps approved by unanimous consent.

“You all have just figured out 29 days in that there might be some consequences,” he shouted in a rare moment of anger.

Thune later said approving funding for food stamps would extend the shutdown by "another two or three weeks.”

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.