Incoming GOP Senate Majority Leader Unveils Trump Administration’s Legislative Agenda for First 30 Days

Incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune, RS.D., lays out an official roadmap to 2025 with plans to pass a major bill within the first month under the new administration.

Thune laid out his legislative priorities during Tuesday’s Republican caucus, telling his colleagues he intends to quickly advance a budget reconciliation bill on border security, defense and energy in the first 30 days of the new Congress.

Reconciliation is a legislative mechanism used to speed up bills on issues such as taxes, the debt limit and government spending by exceeding the 60-vote limit of the Senate to pass, instead of reducing it to 51 votes.

The senator told lawmakers that his next order of business will be legislation focused on taxes and other priorities for President-elect Donald Trump’s administration.

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Lawmakers in the House have already signaled their intention to pass a border security reconciliation bill that focuses on energy.

“We will push the external boundaries to include as many growth-enhancing strategies as possible. One of these would be regulatory reform,” Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, Chairman of the House Budget Committee, told Fox News Digital. . “The other will be border security and immigration reform.”

However, the reconciliation plans were not accepted by all Republicans in Congress.

Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, sharply criticized the proposal, calling the reconciliation idea “reckless.”

Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., leaves the House Republican Conference meeting at the Capitol on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“If they do that process, I think they’re creating an opportunity to raise taxes for all Americans,” Smith told Punchbowl News.

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At Tuesday’s meeting, Thune also revealed his plans to make some changes to the chamber’s operations.

The Republican senator said the votes would not be held indefinitely to shorten the voting period and prepare lawmakers to expect weeks of work during the first few months of the 119th Congress.

President-elect Donald Trump is reported to have called a meeting of the Senate. (Evan Vucci)

It is reported that Trump called Tuesday’s meeting to talk to members of parliament as they discuss important legislative matters, as he will have to work with the church to advance his goals.

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“He is happy with his victory,” said Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., about Trump’s phone call, the Hill reported. “We have the authority and the opportunity to do the things that we campaigned on in terms of lowering tariffs, in terms of the border, in terms of getting America back on track.”

Elizabeth Elkind of Fox News contributed to this report.