Western South Dakota News

U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune recently appeared on The Brian Kilmeade Show on Fox Radio to discuss several pressing political issues.

Addressing the pace of confirming President Trump's nominees, Thune stated, “The Democrats aren’t playing ball on any of this. I mean, they are blocking, delaying, using every dilatory tactic that they can to try and prevent President Trump from getting his people in place.” He added that despite these challenges, confirmations are ahead of the pace compared to previous administrations since 2001.

On border security, Thune mentioned a recent meeting with Tom Homan and Russ Vought who emphasized the necessity of resources included in a current bill. He explained that national security, border security, and energy development are key priorities addressed by this legislation. "If the president wants to move forward with this," he noted, "he’s got an option to do it.”

Discussing Senate-confirmed positions, Thune highlighted the extensive time commitment required by the Constitution for personnel confirmation. He pointed out that some appointees remain unconfirmed until late in their term and advocated for streamlining this process.

Regarding budget reconciliation efforts, Thune said he supports House actions while emphasizing the Senate's role in addressing urgent needs like border security. He affirmed support for rebuilding military capabilities and restoring energy dominance as additional priorities.

Thune also touched on making President Trump's tax cuts permanent and discussed coordination with Trump’s team: “JD Vance, the vice president...took a bunch of questions on this subject.” Although favoring a comprehensive bill for permanency in tax measures is ideal according to Trump’s preference.

In discussing DOGE (a government efficiency initiative), Thune criticized Democrats' resistance to budget cuts or program scrutiny. “The Democrats seem unwilling to allow any review or scrutiny of government programs that could be run a lot more efficiently,” he remarked. He called for expertise from outside government structures due to antiquated systems within federal operations.

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