Fighting for What Matters
By Sen. John Thune
If you tuned in to C-SPAN today, you’d find a much different Senate than the one that existed just a few short years ago. In 2013 and 2014, under Democrat leadership, the Senate repeatedly chose politics and partisanship over bipartisanship and efficiency. The legislative process, including the important work done in our committees, nearly ground to a halt. Only backroom, cherry-picked bills chosen by Democrat leaders made it to the floor. The Senate wasn’t passing the important pieces of legislation that it should have been, and senators were often backed into take-it-or-leave-it scenarios created by politically orchestrated cliffs and countdown clocks.
Republicans told the American people that if we were given the opportunity to lead in the Senate, we would do things differently. We would focus on the issues that mattered to the people. We would help give them the voice they deserved. After Republicans regained the majority in January 2015, we quickly got to work. Republicans and Democrats were able to participate in the legislative process and offer proposals they thought would make bills better for the people they served. Ideas were debated and considered in committee, and bills that were sent to the floor were better for it.
We passed a balanced budget, appropriations bills, and the first major energy bill in more than a decade. The Commerce Committee, which I chair, worked hard to get a Federal Aviation Administration bill with major airport security provisions through the Senate and onto the president’s desk. And the committee delivered the same result on the first long-term transportation bill since 2005. I’ve always believed that hard work delivers positive results, and there’s no better proof than what we’ve accomplished in the last two years in the Senate.
We’re just getting started, though, and I’m glad Republicans will have the chance to continue working toward our goal of creating greater economic and national security for the American people. That starts with rolling back some of the Obama administration’s most onerous regulations, particularly the Waters of the United States rule. We’ll work toward repealing and replacing Obamacare, which has been a huge drag on family budgets in South Dakota and across the country. And we’ll continue to protect our nation’s borders and address the threats posed by terrorist groups like ISIS.
Republicans plan to start the 115th Congress in January the same way we’re ending the 114th this month – with a lot of hard work and determination. We’re going to have a long list of items to tackle, including confirming a Supreme Court nominee who will judge based on the law and the Constitution. January will be here in no time, and I’m looking forward to hitting the ground running and advancing our pro-growth, pro-jobs, pro-America agenda in 2017 and beyond.
###
” In 2013 and 2014, under Democrat leadership, the Senate repeatedly chose politics and partisanship over bipartisanship and efficiency.”—- HE actually said that after serving in the most do. nothing congress ever….unfrigginbelievable that “these people” can continue to pew such gagging hypocrisy, and know that their gullible sheep will lap it up…
thune is totally correct, harry reid was a lying politic-playing toad of the worst order. democrats love to point up the many times republicans resorted to stop and delay tactics but that was all reid left open to them, reid had no interest in working across the aisle. thune is correct, and the mistaken history you democrats tell each other can sit on the ashheap with the massive pile of your other failures.
I suppose this guy would say nothing if Harry Reed said the Dems. should do everything they can to ensure that Trump is a one termer then spend 4 years doing absolutely nothing beneficial for the country just obstructing everything because it might look good for Trump? I hope the Dems. do exactly what Thune and his bunch have done for 8 years including endless investigations into every possible impeachable offense by Trump before and after the electiop….The big difference this time is Dems. won’t have to depend on lies, accusations considered as fact, and wing-nut conspiracy theories…
Do you really believe HR was a great leader in the senate?
“The big difference this time is Dems. won’t have to depend on lies, accusations considered as fact, and wing-nut conspiracy theories…” This is rich. I suppose Hillary didn’t lie about the reason for Benghazi. I suppose Hillary didn’t lie to Congress that she had turned over ALL her emails that were pertinent. I suppose Harry Reid didn’t lie in reference to Romney and taxes in 2012 (and he later admitted it and said it was okay as the ends justified the means). And don’t forget the lies told by Obama – you can keep your insurance if you want, you can keep your doctor if you want, your premiums will go down on average $2500 yearly. And of course, don’t forget that Hillary admitted in the debates that she had no intention of following the Constitution when it came to appointing Supreme Court justices; that is no conspiracy theory — it is directly from her own mouth. Oh, and the Clinton Foundation, a supposed charity, which gives a grand total of about 5% to charity. I think the people are aware of what are facts and what are lies.
“Oh, and the Clinton Foundation, a supposed charity, which gives a grand total of about 5% to charity”– That is another d— lie, if not prove it….
” you can keep your insurance if you want, “– Are you too stupid to know that anybody can buy any insurance they want…. nobody is forced to use the ACA and the majority of insured Americans don’t use the ACA… You don’t know that? If you happen to use Obamacare, do you even know what will happen if it is repealed? You and your fellow Trump supporters who make up most of the 11 million using Obamacare will have to pay for private insurance not at the ridiculous and sky rocketing prices of 5 years ago but at the even more ridiculously high prices of today…. Are “you people” really that stupid?
“Hillary admitted in the debates that she had no intention of following the Constitution when it came to appointing Supreme Court justices;” give the quote or it is another lie…. Are you too stupid to know that accusations are not proof of wrong doing? Yes “you people” are that stupid….
“I suppose Hillary didn’t lie about the reason for Benghazi.”– That is as far as I got with your ignorant comment. Are you still too d— stupid to know that every lie “you people” told about Benghazi has been debunked by 9 investigations and 30+ hearings ? Yes, “you people” are that stupid and still use the blood of dead Americans to try to continue the sleaziest most un_- American political scam in my lifetime.—— Tell ya what dude, why don’t YOU be the first to answer the question “at this point what does it matter?” Referring to the tape. Tell me why it matters and why anybody would lie about it? Be the first to do that if you are still going to push your shameless lying BS.
“Tell me why it matters and why anybody would lie about it?”– You do that or be shown for what you are…
At the end of the day, Hillary lost to Trump. I know that is hard for you to grasp but it happened. In the first 100 days, the GOP Congress and GOP President are going to significantly eliminate much of the Obama policy legacy by Congressional laws where needed and executive order to reverse the executive orders of Obama.
In two years, we will stand before the nation and ask them to pass judgment on our Senate and Congressional candidates and four years on our Presidential candidate. We are prepared to face that judgment. And, while I don’t expect you to be happy, I expect we will increase our position in the Senate and House and retain the White House.
Great to know our nation can withstand 8 years of bad policy and recover.
Will Trump cut South Dakota off of the federal trough? John Thune better apologize to our new dictator so we can get our handouts from the federal government.
God Bless you U.S. Senator Thune. We pray that you will fight to protect the sanctity of all life, that you will join President Trump in building a wall, that you will enhance the monitoring of Muslims, that you will support the pipeline, that you will reduce environmental controls on coal, that you will eliminate capital gains taxes and repeal the death tax, that you will eliminate obamacare, that you will repeal Dodd Frank, that you will reverse the FLSA, and that you will continue to support our chamber of commerce. We know you are doing God’s work, and we applaud you!
lol
Can you provide any evidence of God wishing for lower tax and looser banking rules?