With Republicans like Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who needs enemies?
The House GOP believed it had found a workaround to pass crucial election integrity legislation and provide vital military funding through a budget resolution in spite of Democrats. But Thune (R-S.D.) has reportedly sailed in to give the middle finger to We the People and crush hopes of passing the resolution as-is before the August recess. It’s infuriating that we taxpayers are providing Thune’s paycheck and travel expenses while he wrecks the MAGA agenda at every turn. Talk about having an anti-American, oligarchical approach to government.
Punchbowl News congressional reporter Laura Weiss reported on July 21 that House Republicans’ optimism about passing the resolution, including military funding and election reform, had shattered to pieces against the usual obstacle to Senate action. “THUNE is threatening to use reconciliation to fund the government if necessary,” Weiss posted on X. “Thune says Senate will vote on a CR before August recess[.] And [he] says he will hold House’s budget resolution until funding is settled.”
Punchbowl News founder Jake Sherman reacted to Weiss’s report. “That's huge news. Thune saying he will hold reconciliation until they settle government funding. That would, theoretically, give him the ability to add a CR [continuing resolution] to reconciliation. but [sic] also, will slow walk the reconciliation process.”
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As a matter of fact, the continuing resolution is not a matter of speculation. On Wednesday, Thune posted a video in which he must’ve said the word “bipartisan” nearly a dozen times. He wants you to believe that his plan is the only one to avoid a shutdown and utter collapse of government. He is full of garbage as usual. But his emphasis on the need for a bipartisan continuing resolution makes it blindingly clear that he is prioritizing Democrat preferences over what his constituents and Republican leadership want.
No one is served by another shutdown – not either political party, and most of all, not the people we represent.
— Leader John Thune (@LeaderJohnThune) July 22, 2026
I appreciate Chair @SenatorCollins' work to engage with Democrats and produce a bipartisan CR, and I look forward to bringing it up on the Senate floor in the coming… pic.twitter.com/VaFCiU1Efd
After all, Democrats are not suddenly going to agree to provide the funding for the conflict with Iran or mass deportation of illegal aliens. Nor will they allow any election integrity provisions. The only way to get what Thune is proposing with the CR is to compromise on key parts of the Republican platform. Perhaps that is why he wants help from Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who does support a modified form of the SAVE America Act, which is not as aggressive as is really necessary.
Thune seems to take delight in undermining legislation most popular with the MAGA base and with Donald Trump’s endorsement. It is incredible how, when Democrats are in power, they manage to ram through all kinds of outrageous legislation, but RINOs always insist they are helpless to pass any meaningful reform legislation.
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