NEWS: John Thune Holds Press Briefing As Trump Pushes U.S.-Iran Peace Talks

[0:15] Good afternoon, everyone. As you all know, the Senate this year has passed 11 of the 12 appropriations bills. [0:25] We did that in a way. We wanted to get back to regular order. [0:29] So we've worked with Democrats, actually worked with Democrats on all 12. [0:34] And then, of course, at the last minute, the Democrats decided they didn't want to fund DHS. [0:38] And so we've now had two long shutdowns of DHS, so long that the employees at DHS, DHS has been unfunded for a longer time than it's been funded. [0:53] So those employees over there have not been paid for more days than they've been paid in this fiscal year, if you can believe that. [1:00] So the Democrats have effectively written themselves out of the appropriations process by drawing a line in the sand [1:06] and saying that we are so committed to our open borders and defund the police policies [1:11] that we are not going to fund the two agencies that are tasked with keeping this country safe, protecting our border, [1:18] and ensuring that illegal immigrants in this country who commit criminal acts are deported out of the country. [1:24] That's pretty much what it is. It's simple as that. [1:28] And so what we have been forced to do, and frankly, this is not my preference, but it is a reality, [1:33] we are going to use the reconciliation process to fund those two important agencies. [1:40] And so we will be getting on a bill later today, a budget resolution that will be the unlock the next step, [1:47] which is budget reconciliation that will enable us to ensure that those who carry out law enforcement responsibilities [1:53] in this country are actually funded. [1:57] And so I had to say, again, what did the Democrats get out of all these shutdowns? [2:02] The long shutdown in the fall, now this is 68, 69 days here on DHS, I can't determine what that is. [2:10] They made it, they wanted to make it about reforms. [2:13] And so we, the White House made reforms, we offered up reforms, and they kept moving the goalposts, walking away from it. [2:20] It became very clear that their base had convinced them that the only thing to do is to defund the police [2:27] and to go back to the Biden open borders policy. [2:31] That is effectively what this is all about. [2:34] Republicans are not going to allow that to happen, which is why we have been forced by the Democrats [2:39] to use the reconciliation process to see that these two important agencies are funded. [2:44] We will be doing that starting today for the balance of this week, [2:48] and that will unlock, as I said, the second step, budget reconciliation to come later. [2:52] Senator Brasso. [2:55] Well, Republicans are committed to a safe and a secure America, [3:00] and that's why today we are moving forward to fully fund our nation's security, [3:06] the Department of Homeland Security, and we're going to do it without a single Democrat vote [3:11] because the Democrats were doing this in the face of their historic obstruction. [3:18] Why are they doing it? [3:19] It's because they would rather stand to protect illegal immigrant criminals [3:22] than protect law-abiding American citizens. [3:26] They wanted to fund ICE. [3:28] They wanted to fund Border Patrol. [3:30] They want to go back to the days where 10 million illegal immigrants flooded into our country, [3:37] criminals, drug dealers, gang members, all of it. [3:41] What they want to do is dangerous. [3:45] It's reckless, and it's radical. [3:48] Republicans are united and committed to a secure border and a safe America. [3:53] Later through the good afternoon, the reconciliation bill, besides DHS money, [4:04] what are you willing to accept? [4:06] The bond money? [4:07] The Save America Act? [4:09] Well, what this does, the budget resolution simply sets some top-line numbers. [4:14] So the conversation about what that kind of granular detail will happen later [4:19] when we get into reconciliation. [4:22] But, you know, obviously we think it's about this, [4:24] and we think the narrower and the tighter we keep the conversation around this, [4:28] the more likely it is that we have success in passing it in the House and in the Senate [4:32] and putting it on the President's desk. [4:34] So that's the objective here. [4:35] That's the goal here. [4:37] I'm sure you know because I've seen you all reporting on it. [4:40] We have other members who would like to do other things through reconciliation. [4:43] But this particular exercise has a specific purpose in mind, [4:47] and we intend to stay focused on it. [4:49] Leader, can reconciliation and ask, [4:51] one must agree with the parliamentarian, [4:53] if it has Save America, without Save, [4:56] can you get the votes to pass it? [4:57] I think we, I'm confident, of course I've got to rely on the whip here, [5:02] that we will get the votes to pass it in the Senate. [5:05] And are there other things that will be contemplated if, obviously, [5:09] conversations with the parliamentarian to determine what could survive the Byrd test [5:13] would be key to that. [5:16] And we'll see. [5:17] I mean, I think right now the goal is, [5:19] as we've made it very plain and laid out from the beginning, [5:22] is to fund DHS, ICE, and CBP to make sure that it's funded into the future [5:29] because it's pretty clear to us that the Democrats have no intention of providing [5:33] any funding for either one of those agencies in the foreseeable future. [5:37] So it's narrowly crafted, [5:39] and we will see if there are other things the traffic might bear [5:43] when we get into the reconciliation process. [5:45] But my goal is to do this quickly [5:47] and hopefully in a way that enables us to get it through the House [5:51] and on the President's desk. [5:52] The War Powers Resolution is coming up next week. [5:57] As you know, your members have been willing to give this administration latitude, [6:00] but some of them do say they want more details. [6:03] Are you concerned that Republicans might vote with Democrats [6:06] on the War Powers Resolution if there aren't more details from the administration? [6:11] There's going to be another War Powers Vote tomorrow. [6:14] And so, you know, we'll get a chance again to see where everybody lands on it. [6:17] But I think that, you know, most of our colleagues believe that the President is correct [6:25] in making sure that Iran can't threaten the world with a nuclear weapon [6:29] and, frankly, that their ballistic conventional weapons have become disproportionately favorable [6:35] to Iran relative to other countries in the region. [6:38] And so taking out that capability, taking out their Navy, [6:41] are all things that I think are going to have served the long-term strategic national security interests [6:46] of the United States as well as ensuring that our allies in the region [6:50] aren't threatened by Iran's military capabilities and terrorist threats [6:55] and everything else that comes with it. [6:57] So we're supportive of what the President is doing. [7:01] We have colleagues, as you point out, who are interested in more information about this, [7:05] and I've always encouraged them to reach out to the administration officials. [7:08] They've been very forthcoming. [7:09] When I've asked questions from whether it's the Secretary of Defense [7:14] or the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs or Secretary Rubio, [7:18] they've been very forthcoming with information about this and the President himself. [7:22] So, you know, we'll see. [7:23] We've got to vote on this again. [7:24] It'll happen tomorrow. [7:26] And the President does have under the law another 30 days that he can unilaterally extend it. [7:30] Mr. Mayor, can you tell us... [7:32] You all know I'm not going to your exaggeration, [7:36] but the Senate Ethics Committee is one of the most secretive committees on Capitol Hill. [7:40] We've had another representative in the House just resign. [7:43] There is a reckoning, especially on the House side right now, [7:46] over allegations of misconduct. [7:48] One of those congresswomen has said that she's referred a senator to your office, [7:52] from her chief to your chief. [7:53] Can you respond to what you know about Senator Gallego, if you have concerns? [7:58] Can you respond more broadly? [7:59] I know you said you're doing what you can about ethics, [8:01] but why can't the Senate Ethics Committee with the Chairman here be more transparent, [8:05] at least about when they meet, maybe who they're talking about? [8:08] The House Ethics Committee at least does that. [8:11] Well, and I'll let the Chairman respond to that question, [8:14] but that specific matter that you referred to, we did refer to the Ethics Committee. [8:18] And I think that's the appropriate role for us. [8:21] I don't know the particulars of the allegation, [8:25] but I know there was a House member who made those allegations, [8:29] and I think the Ethics Committee will be tasked with trying to determine [8:32] whether there's a there there and then to respond accordingly. [8:35] But, and I'm, you know, again, the Ethics Committee in the Senate is designed to ensure [8:41] that this institution and its members conduct themselves in a way befitting of the office [8:46] and that we're doing things in an ethical manner. [8:48] But I'm, Senator, Senator, in Hock, you want to refer to her? [8:51] Sorry. [8:52] Sorry. [8:53] Good flashback. [8:53] So, let me just say, the Senate Ethics Committee is extremely serious about taking on allegations, [9:01] especially allegations like sexual harassment, all the different things that are out there. [9:04] We take them very, very seriously and should take them very, very seriously on this. [9:08] But we do function in a quiet manner. [9:10] It's evenly divided with three Democrats, three Republicans. [9:13] We have a very open conversation about all the different issues, and we work our way through it. [9:19] As you know, in the political world that we live in, a lot of allegations come to us [9:22] that they're unfounded at the end of it. [9:25] We literally get hundreds of different allegations that just come at us. [9:29] We go through those, try to evaluate, is there any there there? [9:32] If there is, then we continue to be moved forward. [9:35] If they're not, then it's political theater on this. [9:37] So, we take every single one of them and work our way through the process on this. [9:42] We're already working our way through all the things that have been handed to us, [9:46] but you're correct. [9:46] We're not going to release it out to be able to go through the process on this. [9:50] Is it equally divided? [9:51] The House also has a process where they have two ethics committees historically on this, [9:57] and there's a lot more public that comes out on it, and then they find out at the end of it [10:00] that it becomes the theater of the allegations. [10:04] So, it facilitates more allegations because it creates more theater to be able to be in that. [10:10] We have not in the Senate. [10:11] We have resigned because of the House Ethics Committee, and in part, [10:14] we may not have gotten to this point except for the transparency on the House. [10:18] No, I wouldn't agree on that. [10:19] I would only say the House Ethics Committee was doing its work. [10:23] They were working their way behind the scenes and let members know we're complete with this phase of the work. [10:27] We're now moving to the next phase. [10:29] They were not trying to be transparent at the beginning of it and to say we've got allegations [10:33] because that just facilitates more people throwing out more allegations and creating more theater. [10:37] We want to be able to find out is this factual or is this a political attack on every single time that we go through this, [10:44] and we go through a lot of them. [10:45] Once it gets to that stage, yes, things do start coming out, [10:49] and this whole group can go backwards to be able to think through when that has happened in the Senate as well. [10:54] It's not hard to be able to research to be able to find the exact same type of issues that have happened in the Senate in the past, [10:59] but at the beginning, we always start very, very privately to protect members [11:03] because we don't want to facilitate frivolous accusations. [11:07] We want to facilitate accurate accusations and actually work through to be able to hold each other to account. [11:12] But you are hearing off lawmakers and not the accusers? [11:16] No, ma'am. That's not true. [11:19] Members from frivolous accusations are assuming that most of them are. [11:22] No, but you're making a huge jump then to be able to say we're not protecting accusers. [11:28] That's not true. [11:29] Well, you're on the side of the lawmakers to protect them. [11:31] We want to err on the side of all individuals. [11:33] I started with saying that we're very serious about sexual harassment, [11:38] and we're very serious about the victims on that. [11:40] If you'll remember, that's where I began. [11:42] So our focus is all folks have to be heard on this, [11:46] but we live in a political world. [11:48] In a political world, if every ethics charge goes out there, [11:51] everyone then grabs that ethics charge, uses it in a campaign, [11:54] and say there's been an ethics charge out there. [11:56] The ethics committee is talking about it, [11:58] and suddenly it becomes drama and facilitates more things coming at us. [12:01] We want to take seriously every victim, every accusation, [12:05] but we also understand the environment that we work in. [12:07] Senator, can Kevin Worsh get confirmed if Jay Powell is still being investigated? [12:12] Yeah, on Kevin Worsh, he had his hearing today. [12:16] It went very well for him among the Republicans. [12:18] Tom Tillis has, again, endorsed him as a great pick. [12:23] But he reiterated he's not going to allow this nomination to go forward [12:27] while the DOJ is still investigating. [12:30] What is sort of your view on how to resolve this [12:33] and what the administration can do to get this across the finish line? [12:36] I think we all agree that Kevin Worsh is a great pick, [12:39] and hopefully will be confirmed. [12:41] And I'm hoping that these other matters related to Chairman Powell can be resolved [12:49] in a way that would enable us to get Worsh out of the committee [12:53] and across the Senate floor and into the position of chairmanship. [12:58] But as you know, there are currently at least some obstacles to that on the committee, [13:04] but I think the sooner the administration can wrap up this investigation [13:10] and get ready to move forward with a new Fed chairman, [13:16] the better off everybody will be. [13:17] Thank you.