Western South Dakota News

U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune appeared on Fox News to address priorities for the 119th Congress, with a focus on confirming President Trump's national security nominees and addressing various national security issues.

Thune emphasized the Senate's role in confirming nominees, stating, "The president put forward a number of nominees in a lot of these key positions, and we’re going to do everything we can here in the Senate. We have the advice and consent role here in the United States Senate, we will perform that."

He highlighted the urgency of filling key national security positions amid global challenges. "We will have these hearings, allow people to ask questions, and then we will move very quickly to see that President Trump has his team in place," he said.

On border security, Thune criticized current policies: "The incentive structure at the southern border has been for some time now, ‘Just come across the border and we will wave you in.’ And we’ve seen the results of that." He stressed that securing the southern border should be a priority for both Congress and the new administration.

Discussing broader national security threats, Thune attributed them to previous policies: "It is a dangerous world... as a result of failed policies of the Biden-Harris administration and a lack of strength projected on the global stage." He expressed support for stronger U.S. presence internationally under Trump's leadership.

Thune concluded by emphasizing military readiness: "We’re going to be working with the administration to get our military readiness to the place where it should be after years of underfunding by the Biden administration."