Fast-Tracking Trump’s Agenda with John Thune
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What actions are Senate Republicans taking to support Trump's agenda?
Daily Wire White House correspondent Mary Margaret Olihan recently sat down with Leader Thune to discuss what actions Senate Republicans are taking on everything from the economy to illegal immigration and national security. For this episode, we bring you that full interview.
I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire executive editor John Bickley. It's Sunday, May 4th, and this is a weekend edition of Morning Wire. Well, Leader Thune, we're so glad to sit down with you today. Can you share with us, of these first 100 days of the Trump administration, how are you feeling about where our country is at?
How has Trump's leadership style changed Washington?
Well, I think the president has brought a brand new style leadership that actually focuses on fixing problems that our country has, which is a refreshing relief after the last four years of the Biden administration. And you can start, obviously, with the Biden border policy and how the open border policy the previous administration and created so many problems for our country and so when trump came in he immediately took leadership on that issue and you've seen a dramatic and i say dramatically hugely consequential drop in the number of people coming across the border illegally so i think it's been an incredibly successful eventful and consequential first hundred days And I'm looking forward to what's ahead. I think that the president's agenda is the one the American people wants to see accomplished. They want us to be good partners with him.
And I think in the end, if we can succeed on the things the president campaigned on, the American people voted for, they're going to continue to see Republicans in majorities in the House and Senate and a Republican in the White House.
Right. And what role do you think the Senate has played in these 100 first days that you believe are so successful?
What role does the Senate play in confirming presidential nominees?
Well, I think, you know, as you know, the Senate under the Constitution has the power of confirmation. And so there are a lot of all the executive branch nominees, the president's nominees for cabinet level positions all come to the United States Center for Confirmation. So people don't realize this, but the Senate spends about two thirds of its time on personnel because in addition to all the executive branch positions, which there are about 1100, then you've got all the judiciary, all the judges on top of that. So I think getting his team in place, helping move quickly, we confirmed his cabinet at the fastest rate in 20 years. We kept the Senate in session for 10 consecutive weeks for the first time in 15 years. And we hit 200 votes in the Senate for the first time at this point going back to the Reagan administration. So we're here. We're doing the work. There's a lot more to do. And obviously, making sure that all those key positions are filled in the administration is a big part of that.
But then we've got to start delivering on the legislative agenda. And that's where you get into politics. Energy independence, it's where you get into rebuilding the military, securing the border, providing tax relief for the American people, and reducing spending and getting our country on a more sustainable fiscal path. Those are the things that the president campaigned on and we need to deliver on for the American people.
Now, let's talk more about those Senate confirmations. What would you say or who would you say was the biggest obstacle to get some of those nominees through?
Well, you know, it depended on the nominee. We had different issues and individuals that we were working with. But in the end, in the Senate, and fortunately on the executive calendar, these nominations are at 51 votes in the Senate. Most consequential legislation in the Senate takes 60. But at 51, we just had to make sure that we had 53 Republicans. We had to have at least 50 of them.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What actions are Senate Republicans taking to support Trump's agenda?
0:17–0:52
2
How has Trump's leadership style changed Washington?
0:52–2:02
3
What role does the Senate play in confirming presidential nominees?
2:02–9:00
4
What are the key issues the Senate must prioritize for Trump?
9:00–9:56
5
How is national security tied to the Senate's legislative agenda?
9:56–11:27
6
What challenges does the Senate face from the opposition?
11:27–15:25