Sen. John Thune digs in on GOP funding bill, accusing Democrats of holding government 'hostage'

WASHINGTON — A defiant Senate Majority Leader John Thune vowed that Republicans will hold firm on their seven-week funding bill , insisting that the only way to prevent a government shutdown this week is for Democrats to support it. In an interview that aired Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Thune said it’s “totally up to the Democrats” whether a shutdown will be avoided. He vowed that there won’t be any negotiations on a stopgap bill, likening Democrats to hostage-takers who are “hijacking” the process to pursue ideological demands.