Thune: Republicans Continue to Deliver for Working Families

“This Republican majority is committed to working on an agenda, in partnership with President Trump and the administration and his team, that will make America stronger, safer, and more prosperous.”

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WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today spoke at a press conference with Senate Republican leadership:

Thune’s remarks below (as delivered):

“Good afternoon, everybody. Welcome back.

“Get ready to buckle up for what should be a very busy last couple of weeks here this year, as we wrap up what has been a historic and very consequential legislative year.

“Obviously, as we look at what we have to finish before the end of the year, it starts with a stack of nominees which we will be processing.

“I filed on those last night, and it will be a significant number of people to fill out the president’s administration.

“As you know, the Democrats have fought and blocked and obstructed and delayed along the way to try and prevent him from getting his team in place.

“In spite of all that, we will be ahead in terms of the pace of the last two administrations when it comes to the president filling out his administration.

“Secondly, obviously, is the defense authorization bill.

“Senator Wicker, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, has been working aggressively with the team on his members of the committee, the full Senate, and the House of Representatives in trying to get to the finish line there.

“And they’ve got a lot of good work that’s been done, a few issues outstanding, but I hope we’ll be able to process that in the next couple of weeks as well.

“And I will tell you that [is], as you all know, one of the most important pieces of legislation that we do every year, and it fits in very consistently with the president’s peace-through-strength agenda.

“And then we’ve got appropriations, and we’re trying to get another appropriations package up on the floor.

“We processed three bills earlier this year, as you all know.

“We have another minibus, if you will, of appropriations bills that we’re trying to get consent.

“And I’m hoping that we will get to that here soon and be able to proceed forward on the appropriations process.

“But it has been a very busy and consequential year.

“Passage of the Working Families Tax Cut Act has avoided what would be, at the start of next year for a lot of families in this country, a huge tax increase – $4.4 trillion overall, 2.6 trillion of which would fall on … working families in this country.

“And that was done as part of the Working Families Tax Cut Act, as were a number of other things that are going to be important to working families, and we’ll get an opportunity to talk about that this next year.

“And I guess I would just say finally that, as we proceed, we are going to continue to keep our foot on the gas.

“This Republican majority is committed to working on an agenda, in partnership with President Trump and the administration and his team, that will make America stronger, safer, and more prosperous.

“And so we’re going to continue pushing forward.”