Western South Dakota News

U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune delivered remarks on the Senate floor, focusing on President Trump's national security nominees. In his speech, Thune expressed optimism about the future under President Trump's leadership and highlighted the confirmation of Marco Rubio as Secretary of State.

Thune stated, "President Trump has brought a new direction to Washington," and emphasized that "yesterday marked the beginning of a new era." He praised Rubio's foreign policy expertise demonstrated during his confirmation hearing, noting that Rubio is ready to advance America's interests abroad.

The Senate is expected to vote on John Ratcliffe's nomination as CIA Director. Thune mentioned Ratcliffe's bipartisan support and previous experience as director of national intelligence in the first Trump administration. He criticized past failures of the intelligence community under the Biden administration and underscored Ratcliffe's commitment to returning to core CIA missions.

Thune also welcomed two new senators, Ashley Moody from Florida and Jon Husted from Ohio, highlighting their backgrounds and contributions. Moody's career includes serving as a federal prosecutor and attorney general in Florida, while Husted has held various state-level positions in Ohio.

Thune concluded by expressing enthusiasm for working with these new senators and noted their potential contributions to the Senate Republican majority.