Thune says Trump's border plan is 1st up in rigorous priority list for new Congress: 'Real work begins'

Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., is planning to make ushering in President-Elect Donald Trump's immigration agenda the first item on his to-do list when he succeeds Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in the new Congress, when Republicans will have a majority in both the upper chamber and the House. 

"Now the real work begins delivering on our agenda," he said in a floor speech on Thursday. "That starts with ending the Biden-Harris border crisis and deporting illegal immigrants."

He said repairing the economy is also near the top of his list. As crucial elements of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 passed by Trump are set to expire in 2025, Thune said Republicans will take action through the budget reconciliation process to renew them. 

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The budget reconciliation process would allow Republicans to avoid Democrats blocking action on the economy, because it cannot be filibustered or delayed as bills can be. The 53-member incoming Republican majority would be able to push the item through without issues. 

The South Dakota Republican further highlighted the significant communication and procedural changes that his leadership will usher in, which have been a frequent point of criticism by senators under McConnell's reign. 

According to Thune, his office would be "a resource, not a roadblock" for his conference members. 

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In a notable win for many outspoken conservative hard-line senators, he stressed his "commitment to amendments." 

"[A]ll members of the Senate, and not just the members of a particular committee, should have a voice in final legislation through amendments on the floor. Members should assume that amendment votes will be the norm," he said. 

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The Senate has operated in recent history by often using amendment trees, which are filled with pre-determined amendments offered by the majority leader. This prevented individual senators from offering their own amendments on the floor.

In another achievement for vocal GOP critics of both McConnell and the current Congress, Thune made clear, "Members should also expect a return to regular order in the Senate next year." This, he said, includes the appropriations process, "so that we don't constantly wind up with an end of the year pileup and problematic continuing resolutions."

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The Congress is notably on track for another potential stopgap spending bill ahead of Christmas when the deadline for the last continuing resolution expires. 

The minority whip added that confirming Trump's nominees will also be high on his to-do list "and members should expect an aggressive schedule until those nominees are confirmed."

Further, he foreshadowed open lines of communication with both House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Trump in order to deliver on these priorities with the new federal GOP trifecta.