We welcomed Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) onto my radio program yesterday for a wide-ranging interview. The primary focus was the breaking news of the day -- namely, that House Republicans had extremely narrowly passed the Senate's version of a budget blueprint. This was the latest necessary step toward passing a 'big beautiful bill', and getting it on President Trump's desk. Under the framework, the 2017 tax cuts would be extended, avoiding a catastrophic multi-trillion-dollar tax hike for American families across all income groups, as well as businesses large and small. Republicans aim to add additional tax cuts to the package, as well. The plan would also unleash domestic energy production, provide significant resources for border security and immigration enforcement, and deal with national defense. Cutting and eliminating some spending will be required as offsets. The devil will be in the details, as budget hawks want deeper cuts, and more moderate members want the opposite.
As Thune said in the interview, the ultimate goal is landing on a so-called 'reconciliation' package (which allows the Senate to pass major legislation, within certain restrictions, at a simple majority threshold, as opposed to the typical, filibuster-protected 60 vote mark) that can garner 218 House votes and 50-plus-one tallies in the Senate. This is easier said than done, but some major hurdles have already been cleared. And as the Majority Leader said on behalf of his party and the president's agenda, "failure is not an option:"
We also discussed yesterday's House passage of the SAVE Act, which requires proof of US citizenship in order to register to vote. Only four Democrats crossed the aisle to support that bill, which Senate Democrats are vowing to filibuster. Think about that. And while you're thinking about that, please recall that nearly all of those same Senate Democrats supported abolishing the filibuster as a racist relic in the last Congress. Literally the only thing that changed was their majority becoming a minority again, so they're back on the filibuster train. President Trump's tariffs, and Wednesday's sweeping pause, came up as well. Thune described what he hopes the final outcome in this turbulent drama might look like. He also punted a question about what appears to be the president's flagrantly illegal extension on the TikTok sale/ban law's deadline, saying it's a question for the courts to take up. Finally, Thune reviewed a growing list of accomplishments Senate Republicans have notched as his 100 day mark as leader approaches tomorrow. Especially by upper chamber standards, it has been a breakneck pace thus far.
I'll leave you with a series of clips. One on the aforementioned SAVE Act, one that encapsulates the Left's ongoing problems with normal voters, and lastly, a few of my thoughts on the hard Left's continued takeover of the Democratic Party:
🔴 WATCH: @RepChipRoy's Speech Ahead of SAVE Act Vote
— The Daily Signal (@DailySignal) April 10, 2025
“ There’s nothing more sacred under the Constitution than ensuring that the people are able to have the voice in the election of the people that represent them in Washington and throughout the country. Once that is… pic.twitter.com/IW3ItXDRXD
‘ACKSHULLY it’s they/them pronouns.
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) April 10, 2025
Anyway, I’d like to ask about why men across the board are fleeing the Democratic Party…’ https://t.co/YmQtsA7UZV
As the Left asserts itself further within the Democratic Party, how will voters react? Especially if they realize Dems are lining up *against* preventing a massive, looming, across-the-board tax hike — which would hit every single income group… @AmericaNewsroom pic.twitter.com/GDNIZexmx3
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) April 10, 2025
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