AI-Summary – News For Tomorrow
As the government shutdown enters its 30th day, Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis believes further weekend negotiations would be futile, blaming Democrats for the impasse. She highlighted repeated Republican efforts to reopen the government with current funding. Democratic Senator Chris Coons countered, criticizing the Republican majority’s decision to adjourn and questioning the House’s absence. Republican Senator Mike Rounds dismissed calls for President Trump’s direct involvement, arguing that the government must reopen before broader negotiations, including on full-year appropriations, can commence.
News summary provided by Gemini AI.
Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis told reporters Thursday that it would be a “waste of time” if lawmakers stayed in Washington over the weekend to try to work out a deal to reopen the government, blaming Democrats for the impasse as the shutdown is now in its 30th day.
“We’ve been here every week, even we’ve worked weeks when we were supposed to not be here. We have bent over backwards, voted 13 times to try to open the government with current funding,” she said, adding, “staying another weekend hoping the Democrats would come to the table is gonna be a waste of time.”
One Democratic lawmaker blamed Republicans for the fact that senators are not staying over the weekend to continue talks.
“I’m not in the majority, it’s the majority’s decision whether or not we adjourn. Another great question is where the heck is the House – they haven’t been here in a month,” Delaware Sen. Chris Coons told reporters.
Separately, GOP Sen. Mike Rounds dismissed Democrats’ push for President Donald Trump to get involved in negotiations, telling CNN’s Manu Raju, “the straightforward program on this is, is very simple, open government up.”
Even if Trump did sit down with congressional leadership upon his return from Asia, Rounds argued, “it doesn’t change anything,” insisting that the government needs to open before negotiations can begin, including on full-year appropriations.
CNN’s Alison Main, Casey Riddle and Logan Schiciano contributed.
