Senate Majority Leader John Thune announced on Wednesday that he is planning to engage in discussions with a number of Senate Democrats in an effort to resolve the ongoing 29-day government shutdown. This anticipated meeting marks a significant bipartisan effort, particularly as recent weeks saw no such discussions between Thune and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

According to Thune, up to now, the task of finding a resolution has been left to a select group of senators who have been negotiating intermittently. However, with the shutdown nearing its one-month mark and pressing issues such as the potential discontinuation of federal food aid for 42 million Americans looming, these discussions have taken on a newfound urgency.

“They’re looking for an off-ramp," Thune explained to the press, emphasizing the Democrats' growing interest in reopening the government. He assured that once the government is operational, there will be opportunities for Democratic legislations and policies to be considered and voted on.

The urgency of these talks was underscored by a heated exchange on the Senate floor involving Thune and Democratic Senator Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico. The confrontation arose after Luján attempted to secure unanimous consent for a temporary extension of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a move Thune criticized as a “cynical” strategy to extend the shutdown. Despite the high tensions, Thune later expressed regret for the tone of his remarks.

In the midst of these political maneuvers, Thune had proposed a House-passed continuing resolution as an alternative, which was subsequently blocked by Luján, leading to Thune’s own blocking of the SNAP extension legislation. Thune later commented, admitting his frustration had gotten the better of him, and noted that passing the SNAP patch alone would likely prolong the shutdown by an additional few weeks.

As the standoff in Congress continues, all eyes are on this potential bipartisan meeting, which could pave the way toward reopening the government and addressing the critical issues affected by the shutdown.