Rushmore State News

U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) addressed the Senate floor to discuss recent progress on appropriations bills and ongoing disputes over presidential nominations. Thune reported that three fiscal year 2026 appropriations bills—Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, Legislative Branch, and Agriculture—were passed the previous night.

He contrasted this progress with last year’s situation, stating, “I would say, it is a very good start on appropriations – and a striking contrast, I might add, to last year, when the Democrat leader failed to bring a single appropriations bill to the floor for a vote, notwithstanding the fact that 11 of the 12 had passed out of the Appropriations Committee with big, bipartisan margins.”

Thune thanked several senators for their work on these bills: “And I want to thank Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Collins, as well as Senators Hoeven, Boozman, and Mullin. I also want to thank Senator Moran, who has done outstanding work on the Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill. And that would have passed last night had it not been for the opposition of a single Democrat senator.”

He noted that eight out of twelve fiscal year 2026 appropriations bills have now been reported out by the Senate Appropriations Committee. Thune emphasized cooperation in reaching this point: “The Senate is currently in its best place on appropriations in years, and I’m grateful for all those who worked cooperatively and in good faith to make last night’s votes happen.”

However, he expressed concern about potential government shutdown threats: “It was disturbing to hear the Democrat leader threaten to shut down the government in his July 8 Dear Colleague letter. And I hope...that Democrats will not embrace that position but will continue to work with Republicans to fund the government.”

Turning attention to nominations for administration positions, Thune criticized what he described as unprecedented obstruction from Democrats. He quoted remarks made by a Democratic leader three years ago: “‘But it does mean when nominees are held up, opposed, or blocked—it’s for a legitimate purpose, not for leverage in partisan games, to score political points at the expense of public safety.’”

Thune argued that current practices do not align with this philosophy: “But instead they have embraced a historic level of obstruction – slow-walking every single one of President Trump’s civilian nominees...That is the very definition of the partisan games the Democrat leader deplored just a few short years ago.”

Citing historical confirmation rates since George H.W. Bush’s presidency—with most nominees confirmed by voice vote or unanimous consent—Thune pointed out an apparent lack of such confirmations under President Trump’s current term: “A big fat zero is what the Democrats have allowed in terms of nominee either confirmed by voice vote or unanimous consent.”

He called for changes in how nominations are handled and warned about possible impacts on future administrations’ ability to fill positions efficiently.

Thune concluded by urging bipartisan cooperation moving forward: “We’re just simply saying, treat this president...in the way that previous presidents...have been treated in the past by both Republican and Democrat Senates.”