02.19.25

Thune: Senate Republicans Are Committed to Quickly Enacting the President’s Agenda

“[W]e will continue to work together in a way that ultimately gets us across the finish line and helps put the president’s agenda in place.”

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WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today spoke at a press conference with Senate Republican leadership:

Thune’s remarks below (as delivered):

“Well, good afternoon, everyone.

“As it stands today, the Senate has confirmed 18 Cabinet or Cabinet-level nominations for the Trump administration.

“And that will put us at the fastest rate in getting nominees through the Senate confirmation process since 2001.

“So, we’re encouraged with how that has been going, we owe that to our colleagues, who’ve been willing to step up and are very committed to getting them across the finish line – despite, I might add, a lot of Democrat resistance.

“They’ve tried to make it hard, but as we just continue to grind through the process, we’ve been successful in getting 18 done, and tomorrow we’ll do Kash Patel.

“We have a couple more that we’ll tee up for next week.

“With regard to legislation: I think as you all know, Senator Graham and the Budget Committee last week reported out a budget resolution and thank them for doing that.

“That tees up an opportunity for us to move that across the floor.

“And as you all know, that unlocks budget reconciliation, which will follow from it.

“And this particular budget resolution… addresses the president’s priority, top priority, which is securing the border and implementing and putting in place his immigration policies, rebuilding our military, and creating energy dominance for this country.

“So it’s focused on those three things – it’s focused on the border, it’s focused on national security, and it’s focused on energy.

“The House, as you know, is working on a different budget resolution, and we certainly wish them all the success in moving it.

“We will work closely with them. More power to them. What they’re trying to do is get the tax piece of this done and done quickly.

“And obviously, we all want to see the president’s tax priorities addressed, which is making not only the tax, 2017 taxes, extending them, but making them permanent.

“And that’s certainly the priority for most, if not all, of the Republican senators here in our conference as well.

“So we will continue to work together in a way that ultimately gets us across the finish line and helps put the president’s agenda in place.

“And as I said before, I think those priorities are very, very clear, as outlined in our budget resolution.

“And coupled with what the House is doing, I think we’re on a good track to achieve success.

“And if we achieve success, that’s going to be a good thing, not only for the president, but for this country.”