New Republican Majority Agenda

Floor Speech

Mr. THUNE. Madam President, today is our first full week back in session since the election 2 weeks ago. While we haven't had the change of control yet in the Chamber--it doesn't happen until next year--Republicans are setting out our priorities for the new Congress and looking forward to getting to work.

Two weeks ago the American people spoke. They sent a clear message to Washington that they are tired of the status quo, tired of gridlock, tired of obstruction. They are tired of Washington wasting their money. They want change, and on election day, they asked Republicans to make that happen.

Republicans are humbled by the trust the American people have placed in us, and we are not going to let them down. We look forward to setting a positive and a constructive agenda and getting the Senate working again for the American people.

Over the past several years, the Senate Democratic leadership has stifled debate, ignored the regular order of business, and wasted the Senate's time on partisan pieces of business that Democratic leaders knew would not pass. That means that very little time has been spent on American families' priorities.

Even many Democrats have grown frustrated with the highly partisan direction the Senate has taken under Democratic leadership. Republicans intend to chart a different course.

Starting in January, we will ensure that the Senate returns to the committee process and that the Senate floor once again becomes a forum for debate and amendments and votes. I am encouraged that this week a number of rank-and-file Democrats abandoned their leadership and joined Republicans to support legislation to approve the Keystone Pipeline and the more than 42,000 jobs it will create. Republicans hope we can continue to have that kind of collaboration in the new Congress.

Americans have had a rough time over the past several years, including a weak economy, few jobs, high prices on everything from health care to electricity, and the list goes on and on. Our first priority in the 114th Congress will be enacting policies that will help create jobs and increase economic opportunity for American families. A good place to start is the dozens of House-passed jobs bills that have been gathering dust on the Senate Democratic leader's desk. Many of these bills passed the House with bipartisan support, and it is high time they get a vote in the Senate so they can get on the President's desk.

We hope the President will work with us on priorities such as expanding trade to open new markets for American agriculture and manufacturing overseas.

I have to say I am a little concerned that the President has indicated his intention of continuing to operate on his own. The American people made it clear on election day that they have rejected his policies, and I hope the President will take that message to heart and rethink his plans to go it alone on important issues such as immigration.

Finally, Republicans will get to work on some of the big-ticket items that need to get done in Washington, including issues such as reforming our Tax Code to make it simpler and fairer and to make us more competitive in the global marketplace, eliminating the hundreds of inefficient regulations that are driving up prices for American families and killing jobs, and issues such as conducting oversight of the executive branch to ensure that the cycle of abuses such as the IRS scandal and the Veterans Affairs scandal stops now.

Republicans understand the opportunity we have been given and we don't intend to waste it. We are going to make Washington work again, we are going to make government more efficient and effective and stop the waste of taxpayer dollars, and we are going to get our economy going again to put our Nation on a path to growth and shared prosperity.

Divided government has been historically a time when great things have been accomplished. We can go back to Social Security reform in 1983 when we had a Republican President working with a Democratic House or tax reform in 1986 when we had a Republican President working with a Democratic House or 1996 when we had a Democratic President working with a Republican Congress on welfare reform. There are lots of examples throughout our history where divided government has led to big accomplishments and big results for the American people.

I submit that we can do that again. The American people are counting on us. Republicans are ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work, and we invite Democrats and the President to join us.

I yield the floor.

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