Rushmore State News

U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) appeared on the Ruthless podcast, where he discussed recent legislative achievements and criticized Democrats for their actions in the Senate.

Speaking about the so-called "Big Beautiful Bill," Thune described it as "an incredibly comprehensive piece of legislation, and [the] most comprehensive and consequential legislation I’ve dealt with in my time in either the House or the Senate. It really was generational. I mean, you talk about a piece of legislation that encompasses national security; border security; energy dominance; tax relief made permanent in a lot of cases; and frankly, the first entitlement reform, really, since I’ve been here."

He also noted other elements included in the bill: "Then a whole bunch of other things that were accomplished in there, things that’ve been on our agenda for a long time, like school choice … And the fact that we were able to wrap it up by July 4 … And so it was an incredibly time consuming and exhausting process, but great to get across the finish line. And frankly … in all the time I’ve been here, if I don’t do anything else, this was, to me, … why you do this job."

Thune highlighted some tax measures included: "Not only did we avoid the $4 trillion tax increase at the end of the year, but there were other pieces added to it: no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, increased deduction for seniors on Social Security … in the business space, a lot of what we did is we made it, made this stuff permanent.

“One of the reactions you’re seeing in the market right now is in response to the fact that there is now economic certainty around the tax code, instead of having to come back and do this in six or eight years … Bonus depreciation or interest deductibility, or R&D expensing, or the 199A deduction that small businesses take advantage of, and then there’s an additional expensing thing in there now for small businesses.”

Discussing tax permanence further, Thune said: “I think the certainty around the tax code, which is something that we fought really hard for … most of those provisions in the House-passed version of it expired in four or five years, and [the Senate] made all of that permanent, in addition to … all the individual stuff, with some exceptions, but mostly made permanent.

“I think those are huge features of our tax code that we haven’t had in a long time. Because, generally speaking, you have an expiration date and you’ve got to come back and start all over again … For the first time in a long time, we actually did something to bend the spending curve down … not only in the entitlement side, the mandatory side, but last week with the rescissions bill, the discretionary side.

“I think it’s sending a message to the markets ‘Okay we get it. Yes we’ve got a problem.’ We’re $36 $37 trillion in debt and we want pro-growth policies in economy to get economy growing expanding creating better-paying jobs higher wages all that. But…we’ve got to start bending that spending curve down. And I think markets hopefully at least are reacting to that and hope there’s more to come.”

Thune also addressed what he characterized as obstruction by Democrats regarding nominations: “The coin of realm in Senate is floor time. There’s finite amount of it. The Dems know that. They’re going burn as much as they can on noms…we’re about twice where president was 2017 terms noms across finish line but with zero Democrat cooperation.

“They are blocking obstructing delaying at every turn. The Trump Derangement Syndrome is at an all-time high right now Senate. But what means is just harder harder – you have file culture every nom then you’ve got invoke cloture by having vote Then you’ve got intervening time periods on all before get final vote – these are for bipartisan noms noncontroversial.

“[Democrats are] doing it everything And remind people Trump first president history hasn’t had one his noms by this point presidency confirmed either by unanimous consent voice.”

He pointed specifically to Senator Elizabeth Warren's actions: “These [Democrats] are taking this whole new level…particularly when talking about sensitive positions…that’re national security oriented.”

“Elizabeth Warren was holding up chairman Joint Chiefs…somebody who came out Senate Armed Services Committee I want say 24-3 or something like that she decides block floor…And here going into period Congress isn’t going session you’ve got vacancy chairman Joint Chiefs somebody nominated committee huge bipartisan margin then willing shut Senate down over that.”

Thune further accused Democrats of being willing to allow government shutdowns: “[Democrats] didn’t fund government last year so…it bled into this year we had April 14 deadline And what tried do at time was get House move bill then have all Republican senators board with it have president endorsing basically put Senate Democrats…you know if government’s going shut down going be them

“Now [Republicans] typically don’t win government shutdown fights but really felt like circumstance…we’d done everything could keep government open then going be up Schumer So Schumer you know they find requisite number votes keep government up running he got just blown up for…it by his base

“I think [Democrats are] going be under enormous amount pressure come fall which why…we need do everything can – House Republicans Senate Republicans President Trump his team – set up success keep government up funded

“And then Chuck Schumer…what’s he going do? Is he going bow Democrat base or do responsible thing keep government open? That’s decision.”