WASHINGTON — The Senate gaveled in on Friday and formally got here underneath Republican management, with newly elected Majority Chief John Thune (R-SD) being sworn in and vowing to protect the filibuster, amongst different priorities, within the 119th Congress.
Thune, 63, promised that his tenure could be marked by a motivation to protect “what our Founders meant” and “be sure that the Senate stays the Senate” by retaining the 60-vote threshold to go most laws on a bipartisan foundation — and the choice to indefinitely delay consideration of a measure.
“They made the Senate smaller and senators’ phrases of workplace longer, with the intention of making a extra steady, extra considerate, and extra deliberative legislative physique to verify ill-considered or intemperate laws and shield the rights of the American folks,” the newly elected majority chief mentioned in a ground speech.
The bulk chief has served in Congress for 20 years will preside over a 53-47 break up — and is succeeding Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) as chief of the Republican convention.
Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer (D-NY) had steered that if Democrats held the higher chamber and White Home within the election that his occasion might abolish the filibuster, a transfer that reasonable Sens. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) had thrown chilly water on throughout President Biden’s time period.
With a totally Republican-controlled Congress, Thune is hoping to swiftly ship President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda for the nation, partially through the use of price range reconciliation to approve some payments in occasion line votes.
In his speech, Thune previewed a lot of that agenda — together with border safety, extending Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, chopping regulatory crimson tape, passing a brand new model of the farm invoice and furnishing a strong protection price range.
“My philosophy of management comes from my dad,” Thune mirrored. “He was a basketball coach at our highschool, and he had some very robust opinions about the fitting strategy to play. Sports activities to him was not about private glory. It was about elevating the staff.”
He might want to preserve that spirit of teamwork to coordinate with Trump, who as soon as sought his ouster in 2022.
Thune can even must work carefully with Speaker of the Home Mike Johnson, who was re-elected within the first spherical of voting to guide Republicans within the decrease chamber after a dramatic reversal by two holdouts.
On Friday, he instructed reporters that he believed Johnson would make it by efficiently, in accordance with Politico.
“It feels prefer it’s coming collectively over there,” he mentioned.
Thune beforehand served because the Senate minority whip, so he has a observe file of working with Republican lawmakers to get laws over the road.
As Senate majority chief, his first check will likely be overseeing the affirmation course of for Trump’s Cupboard and different federal officer nominees.
That might show difficult, as Trump’s alternatives — resembling Tulsi Gabbard for director of nationwide intelligence and former Fox host Pete Hegeseth for secretary of protection — have been scrutinized for previous controversial statements or private misconduct.
Thune can even face the problem of avoiding a doable US default on its greater than $36 trillion debt sooner or later this 12 months.
