This show proudly sponsored by Real American Freestyle Wrestling. Thun is very smart. And what he's doing by bringing up the defense appropriation, the House has passed three of the 12 budget bills that fund the government, and one of them funds defense. And There's a precursor of piece of legislation that has to pass the House and Senate called the National Defense Authorization Act. Think of it as laying out the strategy and then the budget bill funds the strategy.
The National Defense Authorization Act passed the Senate by an overwhelming bipartisan majority. I can't remember the number, but it 80 to a handful, 90 to a handful.
So that laid a predicate for passing the defense bill.
So he's going to bring up the defense budget bill. And Democrats have got a choice. They either vote to pass this important budget measure, which will sort of begin to add a little bit of trust and collegiality to the process, or they can say, nope, nope, nope, we're going to make the defending America We're not going to defend America past that budget bill unless you deal with our demands on the Affordable Care Act. First, And they're going to put themselves in a deeper hole.
So that is the position that Senator Thune is putting out there. I think they're going to vote today. He's the majority leader, and he joins us now. Senator, what do you think of Carl Rowe's review of what you're rumored to be willing to do?
Well, Brian, it's yeah, he's kind of got it. Of course, Carl, he's not new to this. But I think he Accurately assesses, I mean, getting the Defense Authorization Bill, that authorizes all this support for national security. It's something we have to do every year. And then the Defense Appropriation Bill actually writes the check.
that enables all those priorities to be funded. And so we are, yes, I mean, we're this is going to be an opportunity for the Democrats to show whether or not they're serious about what they say about wanting to have a regular appropriations process where we fund the government through what we call regular order, which is Allowing the committees to work, putting bills on the floor, opening up the amendment process. The Democrats are going to have a chance to vote to get on that bill. That vote will actually won't happen today, it'll happen tomorrow. But um we'll see where they go.
Have you put out fielders to see if certain Democrats would, you know, you need 60, right? Correct.
So you, I mean, normally about 95 would vote for it, correct? You know, normally that would be the case. These aren't normal times, as we all know, and there's so much hostility right now. I think a lot of what's driving the Democrats is there's sort of this threshold issue of getting past this big. rally on Saturday in Washington, D.C.
with all the uh hostile groups, the all the the you know, the Marxist groups and the Pro-Hamas wing of the Democrat Party are all going to be here in Washington. And I think it's the Democrats are reluctant to do much of anything until that group gets here and has their day. And they can all celebrate that they're fighting Trump. But at some point, we have to govern the country, and that starts with national security. I've always said that if you don't get national security right, the rest is conversation.
You've got to be able to defend the country. And so moving the Defense Authorization Bill last week was really important. The Defense Appropriations Bill, which funds all those things, is what we're we're trying to tee up this week.
So we'll see where the Democrats are, but I think in the end um If they're sincere about wanting to actually fund the government the old-fashioned way, this is a chance to do it. Senator Thunar, yes. Senator, so will you have a vote to see if any besides three Democrats, if you're going to get together five, is anyone working to see if some, like the John Ofsoffs, the retiring Gary Peters, anybody might be willing to, or Senator Shaheen? Maybe you jumped jumped on? There are people, there are conversations going on, Brian.
They're outside of the leadership level. By that, I mean, not at Schumer, it's rank-and-file Democrats who. There's some outreach happening to senators on our side of the aisle, and I'm usually read into those conversations. Where they're talking about sort of an off-ramp or a path out of this, if you will. I think at the end of the day, they've got to vote to open up the government.
I mean, this hostage-taking has to stop. The things that they're asking for, a trillion and a half dollars in new spending. You got all kinds of the provisions in there that would allow illegals to have free health care. Those are all just non-starters. And that's where their leadership is.
So I think a real solution and the way out of this is going to come from rank and file Democrats who are tired of sort of following their leadership over the cliff and are ready to make a deal to get the government back open again and get us actually doing the work we need to be doing on behalf of the American people. Are you in support of the House not being around? I think the House did what they had to do. They passed this, they sent it to us, and I think right now the play is in the Senate. The the house is can be obviously brought brought back on a moment's notice.
And if there's a reason to do that, I'm sure the Speaker will do that. But in the meantime, the action is in the Senate. We need five more Democrats. They will have another chance to vote today. Uh to open up the government.
and we'll see what happens. Again, I'm I'm hopeful at some point that they're going to come to their senses, but at least for the at the present time. It seems like a lot of these uh outside, far left, outside groups are having more influence. Then, in my view, kind of what should be in the best interest of the American people.
So the OMB director is warning that Trump could be cutting 4,000 jobs across seven government agencies with layoffs kicking in on Friday. Your thoughts about that. I know the rumor was that you were caught. You're telling the White House to be cautious about it because it can sometimes look callous to say you're just out of a job. Last time when Doge went in, they said you got six months, make a choice, maybe you guys want to leave.
Are you for the OMB director going in there, getting rid of Democratic jobs?
Well, I'm for them being strategic about how they do this and using discretion. And yes, I mean, I obviously nobody wants to see anybody lose a job, which is why it's so important that we open up the government. But I also understand that the administration in the case of a shutdown has a job to do. They've got to try and figure out how to move money around. They move some money around to help pay the troops at least for another couple of weeks.
And but they have to make decisions about which departments and agencies get prioritized, which employees are essential, which aren't. And that happens when you get into a shutdown posture.
So the administration is Acting in a way that former presidencies, and I've been through a number of these shutdowns and administrations have acted, and that is they're going to. they're going to take care as much as they can of their priorities. And those might, in some cases, run at odds, be at odds with what the Democrats want to see happen. They are being put into this position because of the shutdown. And that's why, again, it's so important that five Democrats across the aisle show a little show a little backbone and some courage and vote with us to get the government open.
Are you solid? Do you think your side is solid? I think our side is very believes profoundly that what the Democrats are doing here is entirely wrong. I mean, we have members like Nobody will benefit from a shutdown. I mean, all of us, and having been through a few of these, as I said.
It's just a it is a really, really in fact Chuck Trumer described it a few years ago as political idiocy. To shut down the government, to take it hostage, to try and achieve other political objectives. And that's essentially what they've done here.
So again, nobody wins in this scenario, and our members understand that, our senators that is, and I think that hopefully there'll be enough Democrat senators that understand it soon. to give us the votes to get the government open. Look, when the Freedom Caucus was doing this and Ted Cruz was doing this, I understand when they go to President Obama and say you have to get rid of Obamacare with shutting down the government, they did, to simplify it. I thought, well, nice meeting, bad strategy. And your strategy is let's continue to fund the government and we'll guarantee to talk about these subsidies because nobody wants people to suffer unnecessarily when it comes to health care.
We've got to be smart about it, but negotiations will start. It does seem like you guys have the upper hand, but in this Reuters poll, it blamed 67% blame Republicans for the shutdown, and 63%. Blame Democrats, 63% blame Trump, but they always blame Trump.
So, what are your thoughts about losing the perception rate?
So, according to one poll, by four points. Yes, I mean, I think that again, I've said this before, but nobody wins in a shutdown. And I think the American people are just there scratching their heads and rolling their eyes and going, why can't you guys what's the point of all this? And You know, like Why is the government shutting down in the first place, which is a fair question?
So, but I think to your, you know, to your broader point, Brian, if we You know, depending on what happens in the next week or two here, and I'm hoping that the Democrats will come around. and we can figure out a path forward. having a government shut down for an extended period of time penalizes a lot of people, of course most directly federal workers. And then you've got, you know, you've got, that includes Border Patrol and TSA and ATC and Public safety, and there's a lot of impacts of this that are going to be felt more. I think acutely here in the near future, and of course, the number one is the military and making sure that the You know, that We can defend the country and that our troops are getting paid.
So, those are all. Issues that bear on that. Um and the polling around this I think is always confusing because a lot of it depends on how you ans how you ask the question. But I think generally speaking the American people just you know want to see their government Up and functioning and working. And to your point, when we went back in 2013, obviously there were things Republicans were demanding.
and trying to add to the equation, and Republicans in that case got blamed. And I just think that it's a no-win situation. But in this Circumstance at least, we have kept this as clean and simple and straightforward as possible. It's a funding resolution. Doesn't do anything, has no partisan writers, no policy gimmicks or anything on it.
It's just a straightforward way to keep the government funded until we can get the the appropriations process done. And the thing is, you've earned the perception that, like, you're just not a flamethrower. You're very level-headed.
So, people want to try to paint you in a certain way. It's just not working. And therefore, they like to just go to Trump. But this is really between leadership and Congress. The other thing you're passionate about is: you're an ag state, and you see that China just stopped buying our soybeans.
And farmers had an incredible crop, and they got nowhere to sell it. They're buying it more expensive from other countries, as well as deciding to keep rare earth from us out of nowhere. When I thought we were making progress on these trade talks, What do you think the message is? They were supposed to absorb from China. I think yeah.
On that front, Brian, clearly, and you're absolutely right, I mean, farmers in my state, 60% of our soybeans are exported mostly to China. China now is shut down. in this sort of trade war with the U. S. And I'm hoping that when the administration enters into the talks with China that they can get that opened up again, because in the end, what you want is markets.
You want more demand for your product. You want to be able to sell it at the marketplace, not get a government. How much time do you have before it starts going south and becomes used when you can't sell it? How long does it have before it expires? It's happening now.
I mean, our crop's coming in. The harvest is soybeans, in this case of soybeans, is largely admitted back in the state, but probably largely done. Corns. Corn's coming in, and they've got no place to go with it. The market's not there.
China's buying from Brazil and Argentina and places like that.
So I've emphasized with White House: they have got to, when they do these trade deals, they have got to focus on prioritize. And make sure that they're opening ag markets, because our farmers out there in this country are going to be they're in a world of hurt economically already with low commodity prices and high input costs. And if you don't have a place to sell, you're going to be in a world of hurt.
So there's a lot of conversations about how to help by compensating in the near term. And those with the White House and Department of Agriculture and my colleagues here in the House and the Senate, there are discussions about that. But that is a A very imperfect situation relative to getting markets opened up.
So I'm hoping the administration will be successful. I think our farmers. Are obviously patient. They want to see the President succeed and they want to see him get reciprocity with countries that have been taking advantage of us. But obviously getting some of these more markets open to American agriculture is a huge priority.
Yeah, and I just don't know what happened or why they felt as though they bring us through three rounds of very detailed talks and just say, okay, we're going to withhold these things and stop buying this. Here's what Kevin Hassett said. Cut 47. But make no mistake, they took a classic Chinese bullying move against us last week where they basically told the press that they were going to have this embargo practically on rare earths, which is something that would be a challenge for our economy. And they wouldn't even pick up phone calls from people in the administration that are saying, hey, what's up with this?
We were about to meet with President Xi. And so it was a classic attempt to bully, and it just isn't going to work against this team. But they usually have a strategy. They're not usually rash players.
So I just don't know if you could see around the bend and I can't.
Well, you know, I I think Brian, you're right. China always plays a long game. Right. they we we think we're in this country we're kind of day traders relative to the way they view the world. Everything for them is a is a long term strategic.
But I do think that their economy is is has struggles, and I think they they will pay much, far greater economic price from a trade war with the U. S. So we do have a lot of leverage, and the administration needs to use it in the right way. I just emphasize that they need to use it to get deals for ag because ag is such a key part of our economy. We not only feed our country, but we feed the world, and you want to make sure people can continue to farm.
Are you for the bailing out for just a general term of Argentina? You know Their Argentina course is a You know, China's got a tremendous amount of influence in Argentina, and they are an important ally in a critical region of the world. And so there would likely there probably likely be some ripple effects if their economic situation worsens.
So I'm I think the administration is doing what they think they need to do. to make sure that countries that we have relationships with, that there's no risk that the U. S. economy would be harmed. And so when the U.
S. has done assistance like this with other countries when there are economic conditions that they think are going to bear on and impact the U. S. But obviously It's a decision the administration made. I think it's a, my understanding is it's a currency swap of some sort, so it's not like a direct assistance, but I think it's an attempt to try and keep them economically viable.
Right. Have a conservative win and then in turn get China's influence out of that country. And, Senator, just before I let you go, full circle, do you think this is going to last to the end of the week? Do you see a light at the end of the tunnel? I think that the Democrats are intent on having a very big rally on Saturdays here in Washington.
with all these outside groups that are coming to town. But I do think there are I mean, we as I said, organically there are more and more senators on their side of the aisle. They're talking to folks on our side of the aisle. And I think everybody's sort of looking for a way out of this. But it really is very s simple.
I mean, just open up the government, and then we'll have this conversation. And I promised, I mean, I've said to these Democrats and others already: you want to vote on your thing? We can guarantee you a vote. I mean, we'll make sure that happens. I can't guarantee you an outcome.
I can't guarantee you're going to win. And they want us to guarantee that they're going to win on their vote. And that's not something we can offer them. But I can ensure that they have a process whereby these issues they care about get addressed. But you just can't do it in the context of the federal government being held hostage.
Senator John Thune, keeping us cool despite day 16 of a shutdown. Appreciate it, Senator. Always appreciate it.
So does our audience, that you explain everything that's going on to us. Thanks, Brian. Good talking to you as always. Will Kane Country. Watch it live at noon Eastern Monday through Thursday at FoxNews.com or on the Fox News YouTube channel.
And don't miss the show. Listen and follow the podcast five days a week at FoxnewsPodcasts.com or wherever you download your favorite podcasts. Mm.
