WASHINGTON — Newly appointed Senate Majority Leader John Thune is beginning the latest session with a commitment to uphold the filibuster. During his inaugural address on the Senate floor, Thune emphasized that his main objective is to maintain the Senate’s unique legislative role.
Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, is stepping into his new leadership position just weeks before Donald Trump is set to be inaugurated, which solidifies the Republican Party’s dominance in Washington, D.C. Thune will have to carefully balance his leadership duties alongside a president who has openly expressed the desire for Congress to prioritize his agenda and has previously suggested abolishing the filibuster outright.
As the new two-year Senate session commences, with both newly elected and returning senators taking their oaths, Thune pointed out that the filibuster, a procedural measure enabling senators to slow down legislative actions and requiring a supermajority for passage, plays a critical role in upholding the vision established by the Founding Fathers for the Senate.
“There are many individuals who want the Senate to mirror the House of Representatives,” Thune remarked. “This is not what our founders envisioned for our nation.”
Despite Trump’s previous calls to eliminate the filibuster to expedite his agenda during his first term, Senate Republicans have traditionally supported its retention. Many Democrats also sought to abolish the filibuster at the beginning of President Joe Biden’s administration but faced opposition from moderate members within their own party, concerned that doing so would undermine the Senate’s deliberative function. Former Senator Joe Manchin has referred to the filibuster as “the holy grail of democracy.”
While Republican leaders currently show no intention to discard the filibuster, its permanence will add a layer of complexity to passing bills in the newly established 53-47 Senate. However, they are preparing to advance many of Trump’s policy objectives rapidly using legislative strategies that avoid the filibuster, including implementing the budget reconciliation process. This approach would enable the approval of legislation through simple majority votes, primarily focusing on issues like border security and reinstating tax cuts from Trump’s earlier presidency.
The Senate will also need to vet Trump’s Cabinet nominations, with several candidates already encountering doubts from Republican senators in the lead-up to the inauguration set for January 20. Confirmation hearings are expected to commence soon.
Thune’s election to lead the GOP, following Mitch McConnell’s decision to step down from leadership while remaining in the Senate, has set a new tone in the chamber. Outgoing Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who continues as the Democratic leader, advised Thune during a floor speech to pursue bipartisanship in future legislative efforts, referencing successful collaborations like the infrastructure package passed under the previous Democratic majority.
“The majority leader has significant influence over the Senate’s direction, which will heavily impact our collective success moving forward,” Schumer stated.
However, the extent of Thune’s ability or willingness to foster bipartisan cooperation remains uncertain given Trump’s earlier demands for him to bypass Senate rules to pass certain Cabinet nominees without requiring votes.
Despite foreseeing contentious debates ahead, the atmosphere on Friday was celebratory as nine new senators were sworn into office—four from the Democratic Party and five from the Republican Party. Vice President Kamala Harris oversaw the proceedings as they took their oaths in groups of four along with their returning colleagues. Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, still serving as an Ohio senator, was present alongside new Ohio Republican Senator Bernie Moreno, who succeeded Democrat Sherrod Brown.
Two recently elected Democrats had already taken their oaths last month to fill vacancies and were sworn in again on Friday. California’s Adam Schiff filled the position of the late Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein, while New Jersey’s Andy Kim took over for former Senator Bob Menendez, who resigned following federal bribery charges.
A sixth Republican, Jim Justice from West Virginia, recently stated he would wait to join the Senate until his successor as governor, Republican Patrick Morrisey, is sworn in on January 13.
