WASHINGTON — The Senate gaveled in on Friday and officially came under Republican control, with newly elected Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) being sworn in and vowing to preserve the filibuster, among other priorities, in the 119th Congress.
Thune, 63, promised that his tenure would be marked by a motivation to preserve “what our Founders intended” and “ensure that the Senate stays the Senate” by retaining the 60-vote threshold to pass most legislation on a bipartisan basis — and the option to indefinitely delay consideration of a measure.
“They made the Senate smaller and senators’ terms of office longer, with the intention of creating a more stable, more thoughtful, and more deliberative legislative body to check ill-considered or intemperate legislation and protect the rights of the American people,” the newly elected majority leader said in a floor speech.
The majority leader has served in Congress for 20 years will preside over a 53-47 split — and is succeeding Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) as leader of the Republican conference.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) had suggested that if Democrats held the upper chamber and White House in the election that his party could abolish the filibuster, a move that moderate Sens. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) had thrown cold water on during President Biden’s term.
With a fully Republican-controlled Congress, Thune is hoping to swiftly deliver President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda for the nation, in part by using budget reconciliation to approve some bills in party line votes.
In his speech, Thune previewed much of that agenda — including border security, extending Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, cutting regulatory red tape, passing a new version of the farm bill and furnishing a robust defense budget.
“My philosophy of leadership comes from my dad,” Thune reflected. “He was a basketball coach at our high school, and he had some very strong opinions about the right way to play. Sports to him was not about personal glory. It was about elevating the team.”
He will need to maintain that spirit of teamwork to coordinate with Trump, who once sought his ouster in 2022.
Thune will also need to work closely with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who was re-elected in the first round of voting to lead Republicans in the lower chamber after a dramatic reversal by two holdouts.
On Friday, he told reporters that he believed Johnson would make it through successfully, according to Politico.
“It feels like it’s coming together over there,” he said.
Thune previously served as the Senate minority whip, so he has a track record of working with Republican lawmakers to get legislation over the line.
As Senate majority leader, his first test will be overseeing the confirmation process for Trump’s Cabinet and other federal officer nominees.
That could prove challenging, as Trump’s selections — such as Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and former Fox host Pete Hegeseth for secretary of defense — have been scrutinized for past controversial statements or personal misconduct.
Thune will also face the challenge of avoiding a possible US default on its more than $36 trillion debt at some point this year.
