Thune: Pedal to the Metal
“[B]etween the good work of the House and the good work of the Senate, we are going to have an outstanding final bill.”
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WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor:
Thune’s remarks below (as delivered):
“Mr. President, for many months now, we’ve been laying the groundwork for legislation to make tax relief for hardworking Americans permanent and invest in our security to build a stronger, safer, and more prosperous America.
“And we are very nearly there.
“It’s been an exciting week in the Senate, with the Environment and Public Works Committee and the Armed Services Committee releasing their portions of the text.
“The text comes from the Commerce Committee and the Banking Committee very soon.
“I’m grateful for the hard work of so many members and of the committee chairs.
“This has been a deeply collaborative project from the get-go, and the product of extensive work both within the Senate and between the Senate and the House.
“And between the good work of the House and the good work of the Senate, we are going to have an outstanding final bill.
“The bill text released this week by the Environment and Public Works and Armed Services committees covers parts of the energy security and national defense sections of the final Senate bill.
“As I said on the floor yesterday, energy is the critical resource.
“Without a reliable energy supply, our homes … schools, hospitals, businesses, factories – our entire country – literally grind to a halt.
“And that includes our national security and national defense capabilities, as well.
“A secure, stable, abundant energy supply is essential for our national defense.
“It’s essential for our economy.
“And it’s essential to keeping energy affordable for hardworking Americans.
“And after four years of the Biden administration acting to constrain American energy production, our bill would help unleash American energy.
“It will suspend the Biden administration’s natural gas tax, which threatened to both reduce supply and drive up energy prices for Americans.
“It will seek to end a key part of the Biden administration electric vehicle mandate, which threatened to put a dangerous new burden on our already shaky electric grid.
“And more.
“Meanwhile, the defense section of the bill released this week by Chairman Wicker will promote peace through strength by reversing the trend of underinvestment in our military.
“With China beginning to outpace the United States in key defense capabilities and manufacturing, it is especially critical that we act now to prevent the United States from falling behind on the national security front.
“And the defense title – while no substitute for robust yearly funding – will be a substantial step forward toward rebuilding our military to ensure that our service members are equipped to deter or defeat any threat.
“Our bill will provide $29 billion for shipbuilding to build 13 new Battle Force ships, rapidly grow a fleet of unmanned vessels, and expand our maritime industrial base.
“It will provide $25 billion for the president’s Golden Dome to defend the homeland from missiles, drones, and hypersonics – including accelerating capabilities for the Space Force and modernizing existing U.S. missile defense sensors and sites like those that we have in Alaska.
“Our bill will provide $23 billion to expand advanced manufacturing capacity, restock critical munitions, and rebuild U.S. supply chains.
“It will provide $16 billion to develop and quickly field low-cost and next-generation weapons to arm our troops – weapons like drones, counter-drone capabilities, cheap munitions, and AI capabilities.
“And a whole lot more, including expanding our Air Force fighter fleet and rebuilding our Pacific infrastructure.
“Our nation, Mr. President, will be safer and stronger because of the bill.
“And I am grateful to Chairman Wicker, Chairman Capito, and all the members – both on and off of these committees – who have invested so much time to produce this energy and defense language.
“It is exciting to see so many months of work coming to fruition.
“And I look forward to the release of bill text coming from the Banking Committee and the Commerce Committee in the very near future, and consideration of this bill on the floor in the coming weeks.”
Related Issues: Energy, Budget, National Security
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