WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� New Senate Majority Leader John Thune is kicking off the new session with a promise to preserve the , saying in his first floor speech as leader that his priority will be to 鈥渆nsure the Senate stays the Senate.鈥�
Thune, R-S.D., and Senate Republicans are on Friday a little more than two weeks before will be inaugurated, cementing a firm GOP hold on Washington. And Thune will have to navigate his new responsibilities along with the new president, who has made clear he expects allegiance from Congress 鈥� and has previously called for eliminating the filibuster.
Opening up the two-year Senate session Friday after new and returning senators were sworn in, Thune said the legislative tactic that allows senators to delay consideration of a measure and require 60 votes for passage has 鈥減erhaps the greatest impact in preserving the Founders鈥� vision of the Senate.鈥�
鈥淭here are a lot of people out there who would like to see the Senate turn into a copy of the House of Representatives,鈥� Thune said. 鈥淎nd that is not what our founders intended or what our country needs.鈥�
Senate Republicans have long maintained that the filibuster remain in place despite Trump鈥檚 pleas to eliminate it and speed his agenda during the first half of his first term, when Republicans also had control of the White House and Congress. Many Democrats wanted to eliminate the filibuster in the early days of President term, but were in the Senate Democratic caucus who said it would upend the Senate鈥檚 deliberative role. Former West Virginia Sen. , D-W.V., has called it 鈥渢he holy grail of democracy.鈥�
While Republicans aren鈥檛 ready to eliminate the filibuster, which will make it harder to win some votes in the new 53-47 Senate, they are preparing to try and . Like Democrats during Biden's term, they are planning to use a process called budget reconciliation that would allow them to approve bills on party-line votes, with a simple majority. Early priorities will be border security and reviving tax cuts from Trump鈥檚 first term.
The Senate will also have to approve Trump鈥檚 Cabinet nominees, , once he is inaugurated on Jan. 20. Hearings are expected to begin before then.
Thune was to replace Mitch McConnell, the longtime Republican leader who announced last year that he would stay in the Senate but . Outgoing Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who will remain Democratic leader, advised Thune in a floor speech on Friday to work in a bipartisan way on legislation, pointing to bills like an infrastructure package passed by the Democratic majority during the first half of Biden鈥檚 presidency.
鈥淭he majority leader sets the tone and that tone determines to a large extent how successful we鈥檒l be moving forward,鈥� Schumer said.
It鈥檚 unclear though, how much leverage or desire Thune will have to seek out bipartisanship as Trump has pressured him already to circumvent Senate rules and pass some of his Cabinet nominees without votes.
Ahead of the inevitable partisan fights, though, there was a celebratory mood Friday as nine new senators were sworn in 鈥� four Democrats and five Republicans. Vice President presided as they approached the dais in groups of four, along with returning senators, taking the oath of office and signing a ceremonial book. Vice President-elect , still an Ohio senator, was also on the floor and stood up with new Ohio Sen. , a Republican who defeated Democrat , as he was sworn in.
Two newly-elected Democrats were already sworn in last month to fill vacancies and were sworn in again on Friday. California Sen. was elected to fill the seat of the late Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein and New Jersey Sen. replaced former Sen. , who resigned last year after his on bribery charges.
A sixth Republican, Jim Justice of West Virginia, announced last month that he will wait to enter the Senate until after his successor as West Virginia鈥檚 governor, Republican Patrick Morrisey, is sworn in on Jan. 13.
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Associated Press writer John Raby contributed from Charleston, West Virginia.
Mary Clare Jalonick, The Associated Press
