Western South Dakota News

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) addressed the Senate floor today, criticizing Senate Democrats for prioritizing what he described as "show votes" over meaningful legislation. Thune accused Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of using these votes to gain political advantage ahead of the upcoming election.

Thune stated, “The Democrat leader knew that Republicans were not going to support a border bill that had previously been rejected, a contraception bill that would jeopardize the religious freedom of health care providers, or an IVF bill that would allow for human cloning and genetic engineering of human embryos.”

He argued that these votes are designed to fail and serve as future campaign talking points rather than serious legislative efforts. Thune highlighted alternative proposals from Republicans, such as Senator Joni Ernst’s contraception access legislation and Senator Marsha Blackburn’s measure to empower state and local law enforcement in detaining criminal illegal aliens.

Thune expressed confidence in the Republican stance, saying they are prepared to discuss what he called the failures of President Biden's administration at the southern border and other issues. He criticized Democrats' proposed bills on reproductive rights, claiming they undermine religious freedoms protected by the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

He also pointed out Democrats' reluctance to bring up their "Women’s Health Protection Act," which he described as extreme abortion legislation. According to Thune, this act would allow abortions through all 40 weeks of pregnancy and eliminate almost every restriction upheld under Roe v. Wade.

Thune concluded by predicting continued show votes from Democrats but expressed skepticism about their effectiveness in swaying public opinion.