Thune slams Schumer's 'kingmaker' politics, refuses to 'kiss the ring' in shutdown talks
Republican leader offers vote on Obamacare subsidies only after government reopens
By Alex Miller Fox News
Published October 17, 2025 1:01pm EDT
FIRST ON FOX: As the government shutdown nears its fourth week, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has no intention of giving in to what Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wants.
On a surface level, Schumer and Senate Democrats want a guaranteed deal on expiring Obamacare subsidies, and Thune has signaled that he is open to giving them an opportunity to negotiate on that only after the government reopens.
But what he won’t do is strike a deal in secret with Schumer, something he told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that was all too often the case when the top Senate Democrat ran the upper chamber.
"You know, I've been around here when everything's decided by four people in Schumer's office," Thune said. "That's not a way to run the government."
"It's not the business model that Chuck Schumer is accustomed to, and he likes to be the kingmaker and have everybody come and kiss the ring," he continued. "And I just think that's not my style."
Thune described his leadership style as a bottom-up approach "where senators get to be senators." That has proven true so far, in his handling of the shutdown.
He’s encouraged rank-and-file Republicans to have talks with Senate Democrats in the hopes of constructing an off-ramp from the shutdown, rather than handing down a my-way-or-the-highway edict.
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/thune-slams-schumers-kingmaker-politics-refuses-kiss-ring-shutdown-talks
