Senate Majority Leader John Thune said in an interview on “Face the Nation” that aired Sunday that he and his Republican colleagues have made clear the promises he made to President-elect Donald Trump during the 2024 campaign. We have outlined strategies for how to achieve this goal.

Mr. Tune previously collided The president, who is at odds with President Trump over his refusal to support the president-elect’s claims that the 2020 election was stolen, told host Margaret Brennan that he felt free to call out Trump if he thought he was wrong. He said he plans to tell Mr. Tune said she will do everything in her power to not only support him, but also convey what he thinks is “realistic.”

Will Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) tell President-elect Donald Trump when he thinks he’s wrong?

“I do,” Tune says. “I think my job is to do everything I can to help him succeed and be successful as president,” he said, adding that he would help President Trump understand… pic.twitter.com/WZknacowb1

— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) January 5, 2025

The former Senate Republican whip followed his House colleague, Speaker Mike Johnson, in outlining the issues on which Republicans are united. Those issues are border security, military funding, economic recovery, and energy control, he told Brennan.

“Given what we’ve seen over the last four years, where I think the Biden-Harris border policy has been a huge failure, I think we need a generational investment in the border. Objectively, I don’t agree with this. I don’t think anyone is there.”

tune He also outlined plans to significantly increase military funding and criticized the Biden-Harris administration for a series of military budget increases that have failed to keep up with inflation.

“We have a strategic group on the defense committee that constantly reports and tells us: [our military] “There is a huge lack of funding in relation to China,” he said.

Thune called Vice President-elect J.D. Vance “someone who can help the administration address these issues and understand what is realistic, what is achievable, and what can be accomplished here in the Senate.” “He’s here because he knows it’s difficult.”

Thune also spoke about the Senate confirmation process that precedes each of Trump’s cabinet appointments. He vowed to ensure a fair process for candidates.

“We’ll make sure they get confirmation hearings, make sure they have the opportunity to make their case, answer the tough questions that will inevitably come, and make sure the Senate does its job.”

Senate Republican leaders also asserted that Trump, like any president, has the right to choose for himself.

Tune signaled He is cautiously optimistic that many draft picks will pass, but added: “We’ll see with everyone…we don’t know yet.”

“Most Republican senators, at least most of the time, tend to fill these positions with the people the president wants.”

Thune expressed support for FBI background checks on candidates. I was worried Members of Parliament. Trump’s transition team was initially reluctant to sign the deal allowing background checks, but eventually signed it. consent.

Brennan then brought up the topic of recess appointments, the process of appointing ministers while Parliament is in recess to circumvent the normal confirmation process.

Although Thune did not explicitly reject or deny the proposal to make recess appointments, he hinted at the need for recess appointments because of potential Democratic obstructionism. (Related: 7 Republican senators most likely to stand between Trump and his dream cabinet)

“I don’t think the Democrats are going to give us their votes. I mean, I hope they do. I think they’ll elect some candidates,” he said. “There are a number of candidates, some of whom will be more Democratic than others, but in the end, in most cases, Democratic leadership, with perhaps a few exceptions, will I don’t think they’ll be very supportive of some of the people they elect.”

Thune added that with Republicans holding a 53-47 majority in the Senate, it is more important for Democrats not to prolong the process than for them to vote for President Trump’s nominee.

He noted that during former President Barack Obama’s first term, his first 12 nominees were approved within 15 days, while Trump’s first 12 nominees took 42 days. . President Joe Biden’s nominee took 50 days to be approved.

“We’re going in the wrong direction in terms of giving the president the opportunity to get people in place as quickly as possible,” he said.

On policy, Thune touted a “generational” border security bill and said it would be passed through budget reconciliation, a strategy Republicans are simply stealing from Democrats.

“Democrats have provided a template in recent years for how to expand the scope of what can be done through the reconciliation process, which is the only process that allows legislation to be enacted in the Senate with a 51-vote threshold instead of 60.” said.

As Brennan pointed out during the interview, Thune criticized Democrats for using the reconciliation process to pass the $2 trillion coronavirus bill. (Related: Partisan pro-union bill to be included in Democratic settlement agreement)

He also pointed to legislative opportunities for both parties to pass more traditional 60-vote threshold bills, such as the upcoming Farm Bill.

Mr Thune concluded by reaffirming Mr Johnson’s commitment that the House of Lords aims to pass tax cuts, but that will not happen without the necessary spending cuts.

“There will be spending cuts, there’s no question about that,” he said.