Speaker 1 (00:00):
… that will put us at the fastest rate in getting nominees through the Senate confirmation process since 2001. So, we're encouraged with how that has been going. We owe that to our colleagues who've been willing to step up and are very committed to getting them across the finish line. Despite, I might add, a lot of Democrat resistance, they've tried to make it hard, but as we just continue to grind through the process, we've been successful in getting 18 done. And tomorrow we'll do Kash Patel. We have a couple more that we'll tee up for next week.
(00:35)
With regard to legislation I think, as you all know, Senator Graham and the budget committee last week reported out a budget resolution and thank them for doing that. That tees up an opportunity for us to move that across the floor. And as you all know, that unlocks budget reconciliation, which will follow from it. And this particular budget resolution, I think as you know, addresses the President's top priority, which is securing the border and implementing and putting in place his immigration policies, rebuilding our military, and creating energy dominance for this country. So it's focused on those three things, it's focused on the border, it's focused on national security, and it's focused on energy.
(01:16)
The House, as you know, is working on a different budget resolution. And we certainly wish them all the success in moving it. We will work closely with them, more power to them. What they're trying to do is get the tax piece of this done and done quickly. And obviously, we all want to see the President's tax priorities addressed, which is making not only the 2017 taxes, extending them, but making them permanent. And that's certainly the priority for most, if not all of the Republican senators here in our conference as well.
(01:51)
So, we will continue to work together in a way that ultimately gets us across the finish line and helps put the President's agenda in place. And as I said before, I think those priorities are very, very clear as outlined in our budget resolution. And coupled with what the House is doing, I think we're on a good track to achieve success. And if we achieve success, that's going to be a good thing, not only for the President, but for this country. Questions?
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Leader, here. Leader. Good afternoon. Are you defying the President by going ahead with your own budget plan when he pretty strongly endorsed what the House was working on?
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Well, I think he's made it clear for a long time that he would prefer one big, beautiful bill, and we're fine with that too. If the House can produce one big, beautiful bill, we're prepared to work with them to get that across the finish line. But we believe that the President also likes optionality. And the legislation that we'll be working and voting on tomorrow addresses, as I said, those three critical priorities.
(02:58)
And hopefully in the end, we'll be able, whether it's one bill or two bills, to get all the things that the President has outlined as objectives across the finish line in a reconciliation bill. The question right now, again, is a tactical one. The strategic objective is still the same, and that is to extend the tax policy, strengthen the economy, rebuild a military, create energy dominance for this country and secure our border.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
But was there anything with Senator Vance where you had to get on the same page?
Speaker 4 (03:26):
You have long supported Ukraine, aid to Ukraine. Are you at all concerned about the President's rhetoric blaming Ukraine for starting the war and calling for elections in Ukraine, which is what Vladimir Putin is calling for?
Speaker 1 (03:42):
I think what I'm in support of is a peaceful outcome and result in Ukraine. And I think right now the administration, the President and his team are working to achieve that. And I think right now you got to give them some space. Honestly, this is something this war has ground on now for three years. There's been a lot of cost, a lot of death, a lot of injury associated with it. And I think it's in everybody's best interest, Ukraine, Russia, Europe, the United States, if they can bring about a peaceful conclusion to the war. And so that's what this is about right now. And I think most of us want to support their efforts as they move in that direction and hopefully to a successful outcome.
Speaker 4 (04:24):
You're calling him a dictator, you're calling him a dictator.
Speaker 5 (04:28):
Would you call Ukrainian President Zelenskyy a dictator as President Trump has?
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Well, like I said, the President speaks for himself. What I want to see is a peaceful result, a peaceful outcome. And I think right now there's a negotiation going on. And let's see where that ultimately leads. Hopefully it'll get to the outcome we all want to see. One more.
Speaker 6 (04:47):
You're fond of saying that agriculture is the lifeblood of South Dakota.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Right.
Speaker 6 (04:52):
Yet your farmers already struggling, are now facing additional headwinds, including contract freezes, staff firings, including inadvertent ones or accident burn, ones affecting bird flu responders, and also the interruption of overseas food aid that they depend on. So how does all this make sense when food prices are already through the roof and when support for downsizing the government could be on the chopping block as the damage from this purge builds up?
Speaker 1 (05:30):
Well, look, I think we all know that the administration, the new administration, is giving a very careful scrub to the government, to all the agencies of the government to figure out how we can do things more efficiently and save money for the American taxpayer. It's important in doing that, that you don't undermine important services. In many cases as you point out, there are some that affect my state. There are some that affect all of my colleagues states around the country.
(05:58)
And we will work with the administration as they move forward to ensure that important services that have to deal with health and safety, for example, are protected and preserved. But I think we all understand that this government, federal government, is long in need of the kind of scrub that is being done to figure out how we can do things better.
(06:22)
And I think most of us support that effort and we will, with our individual states, respond to the administration if there are things that we think that need to be addressed that perhaps that they're not considering as they make some of these decisions. But at the end of the day, the American people, I think, demanded in the election that we have a smaller, more limited, more efficient federal government that costs less and delivers the important services that they expect their government to deliver. Thank you.
Speaker 7 (07:21):
[inaudible 00:07:06] How many people saw me and how many people is that?
Speaker 8 (07:22):
Eight.
Speaker 7 (07:25):
I mean I guess right here.
Speaker 8 (07:26):
Right there.
Speaker 7 (07:27):
I mean, just because there's no room on this side. I can't… Yeah. A little bit further.
Speaker 8 (07:29):
Like that?
Speaker 7 (07:29):
Yeah. Yeah. [inaudible 00:07:38]. She asked.