U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) on Thursday delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor:
Thune’s remarks below (as delivered):
“Mr. President, on November 5, President Trump was elected to be the 47th president of the United States.
“By Thanksgiving, he had announced all of his Cabinet secretaries and several other senior roles in his new administration.
“All in all, it took President Trump just 18 days to name all of his Cabinet secretaries – a pace unprecedented in recent history.
“New administrations typically take a few weeks to name their first nominees.
“But President Trump has shown he wants to get to work quickly executing the mandate that he’s received from the American people.
“And he deserves to have his team in place in order to help him do that.
“That’s going to require some work from the Senate.
“And we’re ready to get to it.
“Mr. President, the Senate will provide each of the president’s nominees with a fair process.
“That process has been unfolding for the past several weeks as senators have met with many of these nominees in private.
“Next week, Senate committees plan to begin holding public hearings with several nominees.
“Senators will have the chance to ask them questions on the record.
“And the American people will be able to hear directly from the men and women that President Trump has chosen for his administration.
“Committees have begun noticing hearings with several nominees for national security roles in the Trump administration.
“The Armed Services Committee is preparing to hear from Pete Hegseth – the nominee for secretary of defense.
“The Foreign Relations Committee has announced plans to hear from our colleague Senator Rubio, who has been nominated for secretary of state.
“The Intelligence Committee has scheduled a confirmation hearing for John Ratcliffe to be CIA director.
“And the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee plans to hold a hearing with Governor Kristi Noem – nominated for secretary of homeland security.
“Other committees have also announced plans for confirmation hearings.
“The Veterans Affairs Committee for Doug Collins, nominee for VA secretary.
“The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee for Russell Vought, nominated to return as OMB director.
“The Energy Committee for Governor Doug Burgum to be interior secretary and Chris Wright to be energy secretary.
“The Judiciary Committee for Pam Bondi, nominated for attorney general.
“And the Commerce Committee for Sean Duffy, nominee for secretary of transportation.
“And Mr. President, that’s just the start.
“Our goal is to keep up a steady pace of progress in the coming weeks.
“In 2009, President Obama had 12 Cabinet secretaries in place within 15 days of taking office.
“It took the Trump and Biden administrations roughly three times longer to get the same number confirmed.
“Mr. President, we need to get back to the Obama standard.
“Now, we’re going to need Democrats to cooperate in order to do that.
“Earlier this week, the Democrat leader said that his caucus’s approach to the Trump nominees would be, and I quote, ‘fair but thorough.’
“Mr. President, I hope it will be fair.
“But we’ll be ready to proceed whether or not Democrats choose to cooperate.
“Mr. President, President Trump has chosen his team.
“We have a job to do to ensure that each member of that team gets a fair process here in the United States Senate.
“And that’s what we’re going to do.
“And I look forward to the committees getting to work.”
