Thune: Senate to Move Forward on Clearing Nominations Backlog and Advancing NDAA

Majority Leader | Press Release | Press Releases | THE NE...Skip to primary navigation Skip to content×Close THE NEWSROOMRemarks Press Releases The Leader Board Op-Eds Videos SENATE RESOURCESRepublican Senators Committees Congressional Record Congress.gov Senate Floor Webcast ABOUT LEADER THUNE×Close THE NEWSROOMRemarks Press Releases The Leader Board Op-Eds Videos SENATE RESOURCESRepublican Senators Committees Congressional Record Congress.gov Senate Floor Webcast ABOUT LEADER THUNExxsearchxMENUFacebookXInstagramFacebookXInstagramVisit Leader Thune's South Dakota Site Here THE NEWSROOMRemarks Press Releases The Leader Board Op-Eds Videos SENATE RESOURCESRepublican Senators Committees Congressional Record Congress.gov Senate Floor Webcast ABOUT LEADER THUNExxsearchxMENUHomeTHE NEWSROOMPress Releases09.03.25Thune: Senate to Move Forward on Clearing Nominations Backlog and Advancing NDAA“[W]e are in the process of … continuing to have the conversations with our Republican senators, but expect us to move forward with a plan that would enable us to clear the backlog of nominees. It just flat has to happen.” Click here to watch the video. WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today spoke at a press conference with Senate Republican leadership: Thune’s remarks below (as delivered): “We just had a very productive meeting where our conference talked about clearing the nominations backlog. “And we are where we are right now because of the Democrat obstruction, which is historic and unprecedented. “We have never seen a time where the opposition party has literally blocked and forced the president and his team and us here as the majority in the Senate to go through all the machinations of trying to get a nominee across the finish line. “It used to be … that these were done largely by unanimous consent or voice vote. “And this president is the only president at this point in his presidency, going back to Herbert Hoover – we went back all the way to the Hoover administration – who hasn’t had a single one of his noms confirmed either by voice vote or unanimous consent. “So this is of the Democrats’ making. “It’s not something that we can sustain; this business model doesn’t work. “This president was duly elected by the American people, and they expect him to be able to put his team in place, to govern the country and enact the agenda that they voted for. “So we are in the process of … continuing to have the conversations with our Republican senators, but expect us to move forward with a plan that would enable us to clear the backlog of nominees. “It just flat has to happen. “And the reason, again, is because of the Trump Derangement Syndrome that afflicts the Democrats in the United States Senate, to the point where their hatred of President Trump is borderline pathological. “There isn’t anything right now that they want to vote for that he has his fingerprints on, and getting his team in place is absolutely essential. “It’s part of governing this country, and we’re going to move forward. “On the other issues that are before the Senate, delighted to have the defense authorization bill on the floor – which, again, is unusual given … recent precedent. “This is something that, in the past, the Democrats have typically waited until December to do for political purposes or other reasons. “But Chairman Wicker, under his leadership, the Senate Armed Services Committee acted, and they have incorporated literally 1,000 member requests, both Democrat and Republican, in the product that is on the floor. “We hope to have an open amendment process where other members can have an opportunity to get their amendments voted on and perhaps strengthen and improve the bill even further. “But this is something that is so important to our country. “It’s a piece of legislation we need to do every year. “We wanted to do it in a timely way, under regular order, the way it should be done, and that’s why I’m very pleased that it is on the floor in the month of September, open for amendment. “And I hope that in the end, we can get a defense authorization bill passed that addresses the critical needs that our country has when it comes to national security and the very dangerous world in which we all live. “And we did a lot of funding of some of these necessary priorities in the One Big Beautiful Bill, but the defense authorization bill is the place where the issues of our military, when it comes to our uniformed personnel, when it comes to weaponry and technology, military assets, all get addressed. “And so I’m pleased to have the bill on the floor.”PrintEmailTweetPreviousTHE NEWSROOMSENATE RESOURCESABOUT LEADER THUNEFacebookXInstagram