Rushmore State News

U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) addressed the Senate, defending a Republican-led initiative to restore previous Senate practices on confirming presidential nominees. Thune argued that recent actions by Democrats had eroded the confirmation process, prompting Republicans to propose changes aimed at codifying what he described as long-standing Senate precedent.

Thune stated, “Mr. President, as expected, there has been some Democrat commentary on the process I initiated Monday: a process to restore Senate precedent and codify in Senate rules what was once understood to be standard practice – and that is the Senate acting expeditiously on presidential nominees to allow a president to get his team in place.”

He suggested that Democratic criticism of the measure had been limited because they recognized their role in changing past practices. “After years of partisanship and slowly eroding the confirmation process, they finally went all-in and broke it,” Thune said.

Thune also speculated that some Democrats might quietly welcome efforts to return to previous norms. He noted, “The prospect of blanket obstruction of every single nominee of a Democrat president can’t look that attractive.”

Addressing claims from Democratic leadership that Republican measures would reduce transparency or support unqualified nominees, Thune pointed out instances where Democratic senators supported Trump administration nominees. He asked, “If these nominees are as ‘historically bad’ as the Democrat leader claims, why are Democrats voting for them in committee or on the Senate floor?”

Thune further referenced bipartisan support for several nominations and questioned objections raised by Democrats regarding specific candidates with backing from both parties.

He criticized what he called partisan motivations behind opposition tactics: “And the only reason – the only reason – the Democrat leader objected to his confirmation by voice vote Monday – along with the confirmation of a Trump nominee who had previously been nominated by President Biden – is petty partisanship.”

Responding to concerns about transparency in considering multiple nominations together (“en bloc”), Thune said such packages had been approved during prior administrations without objection and emphasized continued committee scrutiny before floor votes.

“The amendment to the rules Republicans are proposing is an idea with bipartisan pedigree,” Thune said. “It would restore Senate precedent. And it would restore sanity to a confirmation process that Democrats and Republicans alike have complained is broken.”

Thune concluded by urging bipartisan cooperation: “Let’s protect decades of Senate precedent on confirmations and get this institution fully functioning again.”