John Thune Takes Victory Lap Of Senate's Achievements As It Enters Sixth Month Of GOP Leadership

Forbes Breaking News

During remarks on the Senate floor Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) spoke about the Senate's legislative achievements in the first six months under his leadership.

Transcript

00:00Mr. President, we're entering the sixth month of Republican leadership in Washington.

00:05We've already delivered some significant wins for the American people,

00:09and there's so much more on the way.

00:11When this Congress began, we got right to work getting President Trump's cabinet in place.

00:16We confirmed 21 cabinet positions at a faster pace than any administration since George W. Bush.

00:23The Republican Senate has confirmed 68 civilian nominees so far this year,

00:28the most since the Obama administration.

00:31Secretaries, administrators, deputies, undersecretaries,

00:3611 ambassadors to postings around the globe, the most diplomats confirmed at this point since 2001.

00:43And our committees continue to work hard to refer additional nominees to the floor.

00:48Mr. President, the Senate has also passed a number of bills already this year.

00:51In the first few weeks of this year, we took up the Lake and Riley Act,

00:55a bill to require that law enforcement detain an illegal immigrant caught shoplifting or stealing.

01:00We had an amendment process on the floor, a process that made the bill stronger.

01:05And the bill that the Senate ultimately passed and President Trump signed into law requires detention

01:10for illegal immigrants who assault law enforcement or seriously injure or kill a person,

01:15as well as for those caught stealing, like the illegal immigrant who murdered Lake and Riley last year.

01:20We also passed the Halt Fentanyl Act to permanently schedule fentanyl-related substances as the most deadly type of drug

01:27and give law enforcement a critical tool to prosecute those who bring these deadly substances into our country

01:33and peddle them in our communities.

01:35Last month, President Trump signed Senator Cruz's Take It Down Act into law

01:40to combat non-consensual explicit images made with AI and shared online.

01:45And the Senate is continuing consideration of the Genius Act this week

01:49so that the United States can continue to be a leader in financial innovation

01:53and Americans can exercise financial freedom with confidence.

01:56Ms. President, the Senate has also been working to repeal burdensome Biden-era regulations.

02:01We've passed 18 now Congressional Review Act resolutions targeting regulations that would raise costs,

02:07destroy jobs, and reduce choice for the American people.

02:11That includes resolutions to block President Biden's natural gas tax,

02:16eliminate burdensome new standards for appliances,

02:19and block the California electric vehicle mandate that would drive up prices and reduce consumer choice across the country.

02:26Ms. President, I'm grateful to my Republican colleagues for all the hard work they put in over these past five months.

02:31We've made excellent progress.

02:33But needless to say, there's still a lot more to do,

02:36starting with the reconciliation bill we've been working on now for months.

02:40This bill is critical to delivering on President Trump's priorities and the promises that we've made to the American people.

02:46It will prevent trillions in tax hikes for hardworking families and small businesses.

02:51It will invest in our border security to safeguard the progress the Trump administration has already made.

02:57And it will strengthen our military and unleash American energy for a stronger and safer America.

03:02And as I said yesterday, Mr. President, the Senate will consider the bill on the floor this work period,

03:07with the goal of getting it on the President's desk before July the 4th.

03:11Appropriations season is also upon us,

03:14and we'll be working to consider as many appropriations bills as possible under regular order.

03:19Work on the annual National Defense Authorization Act is also underway.

03:23And I hope Democrats will work with us to move the NDAA and appropriations bills through committee and consider them on the Senate floor.

03:32Mr. President, when the American people elected President Trump in a Republican Congress last November,

03:37they expected us to deliver.

03:39We've worked hard to deliver on our mandate, and we are not taking our foot off the gas.

03:45There is too much to do.

03:47Mr. President, I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

03:51Clerk.

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