Senate Budget Committee, under the leadership of Senator Graham – Chairman Graham – will move forward with a budget resolution that will address many of the topics that we think are of immediate concern to the American people and priorities of President Trump and his administration.”
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, everyone.
“This week, the Senate Budget Committee, under the leadership of Senator Graham – Chairman Graham – will move forward with a budget resolution that will address many of the topics that we think are of immediate concern to the American people and priorities of President Trump and his administration.
“Starting with securing our southern border, we desperately need resources to make sure that our leaders – and we heard from a couple of them today, and Senator Graham will speak to that in just a minute – have the resources that they need to do the job that the American people expect us to do, and that is to keep our southern border secure.
“It is a national security issue, it’s an economic security issue.
“Secondly, obviously, and just as importantly, is making sure that our military and our defense is ready to deal with any threat that exists around the world.
“And the Biden administration, in every single one of their budgets, didn’t keep up with the rate of inflation when it comes to funding the military.
“So there are things that need to be done to ensure that America is ready to face whatever threats exist in a very dangerous world.
“And the final issue that will be addressed in this budget resolution is the issue of energy.
“The Biden administration, through their policies, made it very, very difficult for this country to become energy dominant, and it’s going to take a while to get us back to where we need to be.
“But as we start to undo some of those policies and put policies in place that will encourage American energy production and get us on the way toward making America energy dominant, that’s the goal and the objective of what we’re trying to do here.
“This is a process, the budget resolution, which unlocks budget reconciliation, which is what enables us, the budget tool that enables us, to do these things.
“And so we’re here today, basically, Senator Graham is here to speak to that issue and to take questions that you might have about how that process works, what it looks like.
“But as the week unfolds, we hope that he and his committee can move forward on this process and put us in a position where we are able to execute on the floor in addressing what are critical priorities for the president, for this administration, and for our country: securing our southern border, rebuilding our military, and unlocking American energy dominance.”