Thune, Emmer erupt at Democrats, accuse Schumer of ‘playing games’ with American lives amid shutdown standoff

Frustration is growing on Capitol Hill as the government shutdown reaches the one-month mark. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer blamed Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, accusing him of blocking efforts to reopen the government.

"This is starting to become very real. They are playing with people’s actual lives," Emmer said on "Fox & Friends" Thursday.

Thousands of federal employees are no longer being paid, and critical benefits for millions of Americans are set to run out this Saturday. On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune gave an impassioned speech on Capitol Hill where he accused Democrats of ignoring the impact of the shutdown.

"SNAP recipients shouldn't go without food. People should be getting paid in this country. And we've tried to do that 13 times. You voted no 13 times!" Thune said Wednesday.

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Senate Majority Leader John Thune speaks during a press conference with Senate Republican leadership following a policy luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 28. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)

"This isn't a political game. These are real people's lives that we're talking about. And you all just figured out 29 days in that, oh, there might be some consequences."

Republicans and Democrats remain at a stalemate over spending levels and healthcare. Starting Saturday, millions of Americans could lose their SNAP benefits, including food stamps.

"They need 60 votes to get something to the floor. And Chuck Schumer has refused to provide the votes necessary to get this to the floor. And as a result, the government has been shut down for 30 days," Emmer said.

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Democrats are demanding an extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, which are set to expire in 2025. Schumer has said they won’t support any bill that doesn’t include them.

House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 23. (Eric Lee/Getty Images)

But Republicans say they won’t negotiate on healthcare until the government is reopened.

"It's a partisan bill and does nothing, most importantly, does nothing to solve the [Obamacare] crisis," Schumer said before the latest vote Wednesday.

"Just now, here on the floor, the Republican leaders seemed perplexed about what precisely it is that Democrats are pushing for. He knows damn well what Democrats want. It's the very same thing that a vast majority of Americans want, including nearly 60% of MAGA voters. We want lower healthcare costs now."

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Emmer accused Democrats of putting politics before people.

"You should not be putting your partisan political strategy ahead of the American people that you were hired to serve," he said.