Senate Majority Leader John Thune called out Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for shifting his stance on the government shutdown threat, accusing him of hypocrisy for initially opposing funding measures that could keep the government open but now resisting them. Thune pointed out that earlier this year, Senate Democrats were unwilling to allow the government to shut down over fears of mass firings and deep cuts, but now they seem hesitant to support a short-term funding bill to avoid a partial shutdown by September 30. Republicans are criticizing this shift, arguing it contradicts the Democrats’ earlier position of keeping the government open. Thune said the Democrats’ current stance is inconsistent, especially given the recent OMB memo that directed mass firings of federal workers. Schumer dismissed this as an attack on the administration and suggested it was part of Trump’s strategy to intimidate the government.
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