Tag Archives: John Thune

Bloomberg News reports: Senate Majority Leader John Thune pitched a full repeal of the estate tax Wednesday, setting as a priority the elimination of the levy on the fortunes of some of the wealthiest Americans as Republicans draft a massive economic package. “I continue to advocate for eliminating the death tax once and for all, so no farmer or rancher …

The Hill reports: Senate Republicans are urging President Trump to respect the rulings of federal judges who have blocked his executive actions to freeze spending federal grants and loans, dismantle USAID, and ban birthright citizenship. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) on Tuesday said the growing tensions between the White House and federal judges is a “natural give and take” …

CBS News reports: Senate Majority Leader John Thune has privately told President-elect Donald Trump that he believes Pete Hegseth will have the votes to be confirmed as Secretary of Defense, according to three sources. When asked for comment, a spokesman for Thune would only tell CBS News, “Two things we don’t discuss publicly: Whip counts and private conversations with the …

“What I’ve promised them is a fair process. And so, these nominees are going to go through a committee where they’re going to have to answer questions. There will be some hard questions posed. We have a lot of our senators who take that role very seriously. |And so, we will make sure that these nominees have a process, a …

Courthouse News reports: With just weeks left in control of the Senate, Democrats implored the incoming Republican top brass Monday to respect the chamber’s longstanding responsibility of confirming White House officials, despite calls from the next administration to abandon the process. The call for bipartisanship in the next Congress, issued by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, comes just weeks after …

The Sioux Falls Argus Leader reports: “I’m willing to grind through it and do it the old-fashioned way,” Thune told South Dakota reporters Wednesday afternoon as part of a press call when he was asked about the possibility of recess appointments for Trump’s cabinet members. Recess appointments are a process under which Senate leadership would dismiss the chambers and allow …

The Hill reports: Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) has been elected Senate majority leader, setting the stage for him to replace retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who has held the top Senate GOP leadership job for the past 18 years. Thune has served as Senate Republican whip, the No. 2-ranking position in the Senate GOP leadership, since 2019, and largely managed …

NBC News reports: Senate Republicans will meet behind closed doors Wednesday to elect a new leader, capping a battle that has divided the party and pitted a candidate backed by vocal MAGA allies of President-elect Donald Trump against two long-serving senators with institutional knowledge and deep relationships in the body. The three-way race features Sens. John Thune of South Dakota, …

The New York Times reports: Some of President-elect Donald J. Trump’s closest allies are privately counseling him to try to block a onetime Republican nemesis from becoming the Senate majority leader, pushing him to impose his will more forcefully on an already compliant G.O.P. Congress. Those advisers believe Mr. Trump should stop Senator John Thune of South Dakota, the No. …

NBC News reports: President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday involved himself publicly in the Senate leadership race for the first time, writing on Truth Social that anyone running to be the next Senate majority leader should agree to let him make recess appointments to his cabinet. “Any Republican Senator seeking the coveted LEADERSHIP position in the United States Senate must agree …

The Hill reports: Senate Republican Whip John Thune (S.D.) is urging President-elect Trump not to put his thumb on the scale in the race to elect a successor to outgoing Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), putting a new wrinkle in the high-stakes contest. Thune in recent days has declared his preference that Trump give Republican senators space to make …

The Texas Tribune reports: This could be John Cornyn’s moment. After years serving among the top of Senate Republican leadership, Texas’ senior senator has a chance at the job he has long wanted: Senate Republican leader. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced his plans to retire from the post Wednesday. Two other senators have emerged as potential contenders for the job. …

CNN reports: GOP Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, is endorsing former President Donald Trump as the party’s nominee, his office confirmed to CNN. The backing from the South Dakota Republican, who has been critical of Trump, is the latest indication of the former president’s grip on the party as he barrels toward the nomination. It’s …

The Hill reports: “I think the leadership race is well underway and this accelerates that,” said a Republican senator who requested anonymity to discuss the fallout from McConnell’s health episode before television cameras Wednesday. The lawmaker noted that Senate Republican Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) ran the Senate floor this month during the debate and votes on the annual defense authorization …

The Hill reports: Senate Republicans, including members of leadership and even Trump allies, say former President Trump should stay out of the 2024 Senate primaries, hoping to avoid a repeat of last year’s disappointing midterm elections. They view Trump as becoming more of a political liability in next year’s Senate races as his legal problems mount. Senate Republican Whip John …

The Hill reports: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) extended absence from the Senate has stirred speculation among Republican senators over how much longer the 81-year-old senator will lead the Senate GOP conference. There’s no word yet on McConnell’s date of return, but some lawmakers expect he may not come back to the Senate until mid-April, after the two-week Easter …

Politico reports: Trump is keeping a careful watch on who in GOP leadership has endorsed him, even before he has officially announced he is running for president again, which he’s expected to do on Tuesday night. But if he is expecting an avalanche of support, he’ll be waiting a while. Even his staunchest allies declined to offer an endorsement on …

The Argus Leader reports: South Dakota Sen. John Thune dispatched his two primary contenders Tuesday with relative ease. Facing his first primary challenge since winning office in 1996, Thune was winning with 73% of the vote as of 10:50 p.m.. Bruce Whalen, had 20% while Mark Mowry had 7%. Both Whalen, 60, and Mowry, 65, contended that former President Donald …

CNN reports: South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, announced Saturday he is running for re-election in 2022. “I’ve always promised that I would do the work, even when it was hard, uncomfortable, or unpopular. That work continues, which is why after careful consideration and prayer, and with the support of my family, I’m asking …

The New York Times reports: Senator John Thune of South Dakota, the second-ranking Senate Republican and a potential future leader, is seriously considering retiring after next year, a prospect that has set off an intensifying private campaign from other Republicans urging him to seek re-election. Mr. Thune is only 60, but a combination of family concerns and former President Donald …