John Thune says he will engage 'pretty soon' with Democrats about ending shutdown

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Wednesday he expects to engage “pretty soon” with a group of rank-and-file Senate Democrats about ending the 29-day-and-counting government shutdown.

If a meeting happens, it would be a rare bipartisan gathering involving a top party leader. So far this month, Thune and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have not met to discuss an exit path to the shutdown, leaving it to a small group of dealmaking members who have engaged in informal, on-and-off talks.

Those conversations have heated up in recent days, members of both parties say, as major ramifications bear down including the possible lapse of federal…

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