{"id":2385254,"date":"2025-01-01T07:37:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-01T12:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-thune-vows-to-shake-up-business-as-usual-in-the-senate-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-01-01T07:38:12","modified_gmt":"2025-01-01T12:38:12","slug":"how-thune-vows-to-shake-up-business-as-usual-in-the-senate-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-thune-vows-to-shake-up-business-as-usual-in-the-senate-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"How Thune vows to shake up business as usual in the Senate &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhow-thune-vows-to-shake-up-business-as-usual-in-the-senate-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2385254&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Incoming Senate Majority leader John Thune (R-SD) has outlined plans for significant changes \u200cto the operation of the Senate as the Republican majority prepares to assume control. \u200cHis \u200bleadership will represent\u2063 the \u2064frist transition from Mitch McConnell, who has\u200c been\u200c in power since \u200c2007. Thune aims to implement a longer \u2062workweek with more \u2062inclusive processes, addressing requests from hard-line conservatives \u2062within the party. <\/p>\n<p>A notable aspect of Thune&#8217;s strategy \u200bis to create an &#8220;aggressive&#8221; Senate schedule,particularly in the first 100 days \u200bof the \u2063Biden administration,focusing on confirming Presidential \u200cnominees\u200b and advancing\u2064 the agenda. This\u2064 shift \u200bwill likely involve more\u200c frequent Friday\u2062 votes and fewer recess periods compared to the traditional\u2062 four-day workweek. Thune&#8217;s proposed changes would allow for a \u200bmore expedited legislative\u200c process, especially as the\u200d Senate plans to tackle two separate budget reconciliation packages that \u2064can bypass the filibuster rule. <\/p>\n<p>Thune emphasized\u200b the \u200cneed \u2064for this new approach to ensure productivity and efficiency in the Senate, indicating a \u2064determination to avoid past stagnation and facilitate the passing of significant legislation.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">How John Thune vows to shake up business as usual in the Senate<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1880863\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Incoming Senate Majority Leader <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/john-thune\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"John Thune\">John Thune<\/a> (R-SD) is promising significant changes to how the upper chamber operates when the Republican majority takes over on Jan. 3.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>His tenure will mark the first <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3231926\/mcconnell-pelosi-retirement-leadership\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"changing of the guard\">changing of the guard<\/a> from Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3263357\/mcconnell-misses-final-senate-news-conference-after-fall\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"changing of the guard\">Mitch McConnell<\/a> (R-KY), the longest-serving Senate party leader, since McConnell rose to power in 2007.<\/p>\n<p>From longer workweeks to a more inclusive process for rank-and-file members, Thune has vowed several modifications at the behest of the conference&rsquo;s more hard-line conservatives like Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rick Scott (R-FL) that would curtail leadership power to give individual senators more influence.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3240591\/trump-axe-dei-frameworks-first-week-in-office\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>TRUMP CAN AXE ENTRENCHED DEI FRAMEWORKS HIS FIRST WEEK BACK IN THE WHITE HOUSE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Friday votes<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., followed at right by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., arrives to speak to reporters following a Republican policy lunch at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>One of the most immediate changes will be what Thune describes as an &ldquo;aggressive&rdquo; Senate schedule in President-elect Donald Trump&rsquo;s first 100 days to confirm his nominees and enact his agenda.<\/p>\n<p>A longer workweek will be a major component.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Friday votes will be the norm, and we&rsquo;re not going to be having much in the way of recess in the first 100 days,&rdquo; Thune said in a recent Senate floor speech. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s because we have a lot of work to do, and we&rsquo;re not going to get it done on the kind of abbreviated schedule that we&rsquo;ve had in 2024.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Under McConnell and Senate Democratic Leader <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Chuck-Schumer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Chuck Schumer<\/a> (D-NY), the chamber has traditionally operated on a four-day workweek, similar to the House. Senators fly in Monday for evening votes and stay through Thursday afternoon votes before departing for a three-day weekend. The schedule allows senators from states with longer commutes to return home each weekend.<\/p>\n<p>Thune&rsquo;s 2025 schedule features mostly five-day workweeks and no recesses until the week of March 17. Historically, the Senate has taken one week of recess after every three weeks in session.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/economy\/3154138\/trump-no-tax-overtime-proposal-what-to-know\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>TRUMP&rsquo;S &lsquo;NO TAXES ON OVERTIME&rsquo; PROPOSAL: WHAT TO KNOW<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Get ready to work. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/AWN1iDLYhQ\">pic.twitter.com\/AWN1iDLYhQ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Senator John Thune (@SenJohnThune) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SenJohnThune\/status\/1864741224663425087?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 5, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>It&rsquo;s an ambitious schedule that could subside after Trump&rsquo;s first few months back in office, particularly if the Republican House struggles to conduct business with its razor-thin margins.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Democrats can certainly make the schedule less painful if they afford the president some of the deference Republicans afforded to Cabinet nominees under President Obama,&rdquo; Thune said. &ldquo;But one way or another, we&rsquo;re going to get the job done. And if that means some nights and weekends, so be it.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3244202\/trump-impoundment-federal-bureaucracy-trigger-supreme-court-battle\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>TRUMP&rsquo;S VOW TO USE &lsquo;IMPOUNDMENT&rsquo; SETS UP SUPREME COURT CLASH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Two-track reconciliation<\/h2>\n<p>As part of Thune&rsquo;s &ldquo;aggressive&rdquo; Senate schedule, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senate-republicans-trash-rick-scott-for-telling-voters-how-hell-work-for-them-2\/\" title=\"Senate Republicans Trash Rick Scott For Telling Voters How He\u2019ll Work For Them\">incoming majority leader<\/a> wants to move two separate budget reconciliation packages, which are not subject to the 60-vote filibuster.<\/p>\n<p>The first would come in Trump&rsquo;s first 100 days and focus on &ldquo;once in a generation&rdquo; spending for border security and defense. The second would come later in the year and center on extending Trump-era tax cuts that are set to expire after this year.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The border and enforcement crisis under President Biden has left a gaping hole in our national security and undermined respect for the rule of law, and that ends in January,&rdquo; Thune said. &ldquo;Enforcing the law and protecting the integrity of our borders will become administration policy on Day One, and the Senate will move quickly to back up the president&rsquo;s efforts.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Senate Republicans will have a 53-47 majority next year. With Vice President-elect Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jd-vance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">J.D. Vance<\/a> (R-OH) as a tiebreaker, Thune will have a three-vote margin.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/3258395\/james-ho-fifth-circuit-heir-clarence-thomas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>JAMES HO, THE 5TH CIRCUIT ORIGINALIST TIPPED AS THE HEIR TO CLARENCE THOMAS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Open amendment process<\/h2>\n<p>Thune ran for leader on a more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cbs-presses-joe-manchin-on-how-long-he-will-keep-up-his-bipartisanship\/\" title=\"CBS Presses Joe Manchin On \u2018How Long\u2019 He Will Keep Up His Bipartisanship\">open amendment process<\/a> as a way to incorporate more feedback from rand-and<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">-file members amid mounting frustration<\/a> under McConnell. More hardline conservatives have become particularly frustrated at what they says has been a top-down approach that allows leadership to more easily convince its members to fall in line.<\/p>\n<p>While affording more input from members, it will undoubtedly make passing legislation via the Senate&rsquo;s arcane procedural rules take even longer. Unless timing agreements are reached among all 100 senators, measures often take several days to move through the chamber to final passage.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Regular order<\/h2>\n<p>In addition to a more open amendment process, Thune wants the Senate to individually approve each of the 12 appropriations bills that comprise the federal government&rsquo;s annual budget.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I will devote extensive time to floor consideration of appropriations bill when they&rsquo;re ready to avoid an end of the year pile-up and problematic continuing resolutions, something with which right now we are very familiar,&rdquo; Thune said. &ldquo;Deciding how taxpayer monies is spent is a serious responsibility, and it deserves serious floor time.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>That is far easier said than done.<\/p>\n<p>House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) failed to fulfill the same pledge after he rose to power last year. Congress, as a whole, has passed its appropriations bills on time just <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/short-reads\/2023\/09\/13\/congress-has-long-struggled-to-pass-spending-bills-on-time\/\">four times<\/a> since the modern system began in 1977. The most recent year was 1997.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Having blown past its annual Oct. 1 funding deadline, Congress is preparing to approve its second stopgap spending measure of fiscal year 2025 to avert a shutdown.<\/p>\n<p>As part of a regular order process, Thune also wants each appropriations bill to first move through the committee of jurisdiction.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1880863\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1880863\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>John Thune plans major Senate changes as new Majority Leader<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3108,"featured_media":2385255,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/how-john-thune-plans-to-change-senate.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4284,4353,3740,23610],"class_list":["post-2385254","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-business","tag-reform","tag-senate","tag-thune"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/how-john-thune-plans-to-change-senate.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2385254","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3108"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2385254"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2385254\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2385258,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2385254\/revisions\/2385258"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2385255"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2385254"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2385254"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2385254"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}