US Government Shut Down | What Republicans & Democrats Said About Looming Shut Down

US Government Shut Down | What Republicans & Democrats Said About Looming Shut Down Senate Majority Leader John Thune says he hopes some Senate Democrats will be "reasonable and understand what's at stake" to vote for a "clean bill" to avoid the government shut down. "And if the government shuts down, it is on the Senate Democrats. The House has acted. The President's ready to sign the bill. And all that's left is for eight Democrats to join us in passing that bill today," Thune said. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Republicans "are not serious about keeping it(the government) open." A partisan standoff over health care and spending is threatening to trigger the first U.S. government shutdown in almost seven years, with Democrats and Republicans in Congress unable to find agreement even as thousands of federal workers stand to be furloughed or laid off.