“[W]e are excited to be working with the president and working with our colleagues in the House of Representatives on the agenda that the American people elected last November.”
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.
“I think, as everybody knows, the Senate Republicans are prepared to do our part on reconciliation.
“We’re anxious to have the ball and to run with it.
“We think that the bill, as passed by the House, and with the … opportunity the Senate has to make some modifications to it, to strengthen and improve it, will be something that will make this country more safe and people in this country more prosperous – and so we’re anxious to get to work on it.
“It addresses, as you know, a number of issues.
“It talks about modernizing our military, making America energy dominant, securing our border, and making sure that the American people aren’t faced with a $4.5 trillion tax increase at the end of this year – not to mention significant savings achieved by the deficit reduction measures that are included in the bill.
“So those are all things that are part of the reconciliation bill that the Senate will be taking up and ultimately voting on.
“We have a planned, obviously, schedule in which to complete it, and we will try and stay on that.
“But obviously we’re going to take a lot of input from our members and make sure that as we go through this process, it’s done in a way that incorporates the views of Republican senators.
“What’s interesting, of course, is the fact that Senate Democrats have said they are going to fight it with everything they’ve got, according to their leader.
“And it’s interesting to me that what they are going to be fighting against is border security, modernizing our military, making America energy dominant – and they are going to be voting for the largest tax increase in American history, that would put $2.6 trillion in new taxes on people in this country making less than $400,000 a year.
“That’s what the Democrats are going to be fighting tooth and nail for, in addition to fighting against all the things that I just mentioned.
“But Republican senators are anxious to move forward, and we’re going to get this done one way or the other.
“It will take some time, obviously; there are a lot of moving parts, as I’ve said.
“But we are excited to be working with the president and working with our colleagues in the House of Representatives on the agenda that the American people elected last November.”