Rushmore State News

U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) appeared on The Hugh Hewitt Show to discuss the ongoing challenges in confirming presidential nominees and the broader legislative environment in the Senate.

Thune addressed efforts to change nomination rules, saying, “[W]e’ve kind of shopped these ideas around about how to do this in a way that actually helps us clear the backlog [of nominations] and creates a way for us to confirm the rest of … President Trump’s administration, we’ve got to figure out how to make sure we’ve got the votes to move it.

“And so we’ve been having those conversations here, and I hope that we get to a spot where we’re ready to move. And if things go according to plan, I think we get on that next week.”

He criticized Democrats for what he described as an unprecedented level of obstruction in processing nominees. “The Democrats have created this problem, Chuck Schumer. But prior to Chuck Schumer, this was always done in a way where, if you had some of the … lower-level nominees in the administration, those were all … voted en bloc … they were packaged, they were grouped, they were stacked. And that just doesn’t happen [anymore].

“This is the first president in history … who at this point in his presidency, hasn’t had at least one nominee clear by unanimous consent or voice vote.

“It is unprecedented what they’re doing. It’s got to be stopped. The president deserves his team, and that’s what the American people voted for. And we intend to deliver it.”

Thune also emphasized maintaining constitutional roles while seeking changes: “There are prerogatives that the Senate has … constitutionally, advice and consent, and we want to preserve and retain that. We believe this does that. But we … can’t do what we’re doing today. The Democrats have broken the system, and this is, Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats, a problem that they’re making. Unfortunately, Republicans are going to have to clean up their mess.”

On Democratic opposition more broadly, Thune said: “The Democrats are engaging in record obstruction. I mean, we’ve been in more hours, more days, cast more votes, than any Congress, in certainly modern history, Hugh, and I think it’s indicative of just the political environment.

“Chuck Schumer and the far left – this is Elizabeth Warren, it’s Bernie Sanders, it’s Chris Murphy, it’s Cory Booker – they have decided to just virtually shut down anything that this president wants to accomplish and try and use the floor, the Senate floor, to delay and block and obstruct.

“And it is, as I said, Trump Derangement Syndrome on steroids here in the United States Senate … this just can’t continue. We can’t function as a government in this country unless the president is able to get his people in place … They’re doing it on everything but these nominees … you can’t argue with the data.

“It’s just absolutely crystal clear what they’re up to,and that is try and completely put roadblocks up and stop the Trump agenda.The American people voted for the president.They voted for himto have his team inplace.Andit also prevents us from doing other work…allthe other things that weneed todoaroundhere,we’respendingtwo-thirdsofourtimeonpersonnel…TheUnitedStatesSenatespendingtwo-thirdsofitstimeonhumanresources.”

Thune noted delays have left only about 11 or 12 percent of positions filled eight months into President Trump’s term: “We are now eight months into this president’s term,and he has…11or12percentofhisfolksinplace,becausewe’vehadtogrinditout.TheDemocratshaveforcedustogothroughallthehoops.Wehaven’thadasingleoneconfirmedbyunanimousconsent,a practicethathasbeenemployedbySenates…withRepublicanandDemocratpresidents ,goingbackdecades.Thisisanewlevelofobstruction,andit’stobedealtwithinawaythat enablespresidentandus todojobsAmericanpeopleelectedus todo.”

On funding government operations amid partisan disagreements over fiscal policy Thune stated: “We’ve gottofundthegovernment.Werealizethat.Wealsowanttofunditinawaythatmakesthegovernmentmoreefficient ,smaller,andabetterreturnforthetaxpayer.So ,thoseareallobjectivesthatwehave…clearlynotsharedbytheDemocrats.

“We’regoingtohavesome…rathertestyconversationshereintheweeksahead.Butifweendupinthatposture,Ijustwanttomakesurethatwe’redoingeverythingwecan,andtheAmericanpeopleunderstandthatit’sRepublicanswhoaretryingtokeepgovernmentopenandrunninginaresponsible,fiscallyresponsibleandefficientway,andtheDemocratswhoaretryingtoshutitdown.Ithinkthat’llbeclear.”