Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) on Monday said the government shutdown has dragged on for so long that it’s time to start thinking about bringing the GOP-controlled House back to Washington to pass a new stopgap funding bill.

The House last voted on Sept. 19, when it passed H.R. 5371, a "clean" continuing resolution funding the government until Nov. 21, and sent the bill to the Senate.

Since then, Thune has brought the measure to the Senate floor 10 times and Senate Democrats have blocked it 10 times.

Thune on Monday acknowledged the House may need to come back soon to pass a new government funding stopgap since the Nov. 21 end date of the pending continuing resolution is now a month away.

Asked by a reporte whether it’s time “to start thinking about the House coming back an

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