SEN JOHN THUNE: First 100 days of GOP Senate majority has accomplished much, and here's what is coming next
Saturday marked 100 days of the new Republican majority in the U.S. Senate, and we’ve been keeping our foot on the gas.
Saturday marked 100 days of the new Republican majority in the U.S. Senate, and we’ve been keeping our foot on the gas. We’ve spent 13 weeks in session, including the longest continuous period of session in 15 years, and the Senate has taken more votes at this point than in any other Congress since at least the Reagan era.
We have a lot to show for it. We confirmed the president’s Cabinet at the fastest pace in more than 20 years, despite Democratic obstruction, and we are building out the rest of President Donald Trump’s team at a brisk pace. As of this week, the Senate has confirmed more than 50 Trump nominees, including a new FBI director, a new chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and several ambassadors to key postings abroad.
And confirmations are far from the only thing we’ve done. We passed Sen. Katie Britt’s, R-Ala., Laken Riley Act, which ensures that illegal immigrants who steal, assault a law enforcement officer, or kill or seriously injure another person are detained instead of being allowed back out on the street. And we passed Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Sen. Bill Cassidy’s, R-La., HALT Fentanyl Act to provide law enforcement with critical tools to combat this deadly drug.
We’ve also been working to repeal burdensome Biden-era regulations. The Senate has so far passed seven Congressional Review Act resolutions to roll back Biden rules. Among other things, we’ve repealed the Biden administration’s tax on natural gas, taken action to protect Americans’ financial freedom, and repealed burdensome mandates on household appliances that got caught up in the Biden administration’s climate agenda.
10 TOUGH TRUMP TARIFF QUESTIONS CRITICS DON'T WANT TO ANSWER
Importantly, we’ve also laid the groundwork for a permanent extension of the 2017 tax relief and a transformational investment in our border, energy and national security. I’m proud of the role the Senate has played in advancing this process, and I’m looking forward to finishing the final bill.
I should also note that the list of our accomplishments would have been even longer if Democrats had not repeatedly filibustered commonsense legislation. Yes, the party that mere months ago was making plans to destroy the filibuster – a key Senate rule that today helps preserve the Founders’ vision of the Senate – is now using it repeatedly.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION
Democrats have filibustered legislation to keep biological men out of women’s sports, protect babies born alive after botched abortions, and sanction the rogue International Criminal Court, which is targeting Israeli leaders today and has a history of targeting American citizens.
With as much as we’ve already accomplished, there’s a lot more work to be done, and we’ll continue to keep our foot on the gas. There are appropriations bills to consider, more burdensome regulations to repeal, and work to be done to complete the final bill that will deliver on our promises on taxes, border security, strengthening our military, unleashing American energy, and getting our country on a more sustainable fiscal path.
There are also more nominations to consider, and the Senate will continue to keep up a brisk pace. If Democrats decide to obstruct nominees, that isn’t going to mean we slow down; it means we are going to keep senators here longer to get these confirmations done. If that means late nights or weekends, so be it. As I said to my Democrat colleagues, we can do these nominations the easy way or the hard way. But one way or another we are going to get them done.
It’s been a busy 100 days in the United States Senate, and I’m looking forward to delivering more results for the American people as Senate Republicans, House Republicans, and the White House continue to work together to advance our shared agenda.
