Click here to watch the video.
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor:
Thune’s remarks below (as delivered):
“Mr. President, at the beginning of last year the New York Times took a poll of American voters.
“And the headline captures their results:
“This is what it said: ‘Many Americans Say the Democratic Party Does Not Share Their Priorities.’
“Let me repeat that, Mr. President.
“‘Many Americans Say the Democratic Party Does Not Share Their Priorities.’
“That’s right.
“A New York Times poll taken … weeks after voters rejected Democrats at the ballot box suggested that one of the reasons for Democrats’ loss was that Americans don’t think Democrats share their priorities.
“The story went on to say, and I quote, ‘The issues that people cited as most important to them personally were the economy and inflation, health care and immigration…’
“But when the poll asked Americans to identify Democrats’ most important priorities, Americans identified issues like abortion and climate change, among others.
“Mr. President, our Democrat colleagues have found themselves out of power for 18 months now.
“And we’ve given them plenty of opportunities to show some evolution – perhaps even moderation – to voters.
“But as the record shows, Democrats are still in thrall to the far left of their party.
“They still have the same priorities that turned voters off from Democrats in the last election.
“For starters, radical transgender ideology remains an article of faith among Democrats.
“Democrats have repeatedly opposed efforts to keep biological men out of women’s sports.
“And when the Supreme Court ruled unanimously last month that state laws protecting women’s sports are allowable under the plain language of Title IX, one Democrat senator called the ruling ‘unjust.’
“Unjust, Mr. President.
“As if a young woman working hard all season only to lose to a man with an inherent biological advantage is somehow just.
“Mr. President, the overwhelming majority of Americans believe that biological men should not be playing women’s sports.
“But that doesn’t seem to matter to Senate Democrats.
“And their commitment to transgender ideology doesn’t end with supporting the presence of men in women’s sports.
“Democrats have also tacitly – or not so tacitly – endorsed radical gender transition procedures being performed on minors.
“Procedures, I might add, with no substantial medical evidence to support them – and plenty of reason to believe they are extremely dangerous for children.
“But apparently Democrats are fine subjecting children to those risks.
“And of course, Mr. President, Democrats are still proudly pro-abortion.
“And when I say pro-abortion, I mean pro-abortion.
“How else do you describe a party that won’t even support legislation to provide medical care to a baby born alive during a failed abortion?
“A party that can’t bring itself to support a bill to ensure that a pregnant college student knows that there are resources available to help her finish her degree and have her baby.
“A party that directed small-business COVID relief funds to Planned Parenthood, even though they were legally ineligible.
“A party that is doing everything it can to eliminate pregnancy resource centers simply because they won’t recommend abortion.
“Mr. President, as I said, Democrats are in thrall to the far left of their party.
“And it’s not just on those issues.
“Far-left activists seem to be the audience for almost everything Democrats do these days.
“Take, for example, Democrats’ two – that’s right, two – record-long government shutdowns.
“Last fall, Democrats shut down the entire federal government for a record 43 days to show the far left that they were ‘fighting’ President Trump.
“And while TSA lines snaked outside of airports and Americans were visiting food banks because they had to work without pay, the Democrat leader was quoted saying, and I quote, ‘Every day gets better for us.’
“Better, that is, for Democrats seeking the approval of the far left.
“Then earlier this year, Democrats shut down the Department of Homeland Security because they didn’t want to fund law enforcement.
“That’s right.
“Defunding law enforcement – once a fringe position in their party – became the official position of the Democrat Party as they tried to completely – completely – defund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol.
“Once again, it didn’t matter to Democrats whether Americans would be less safe with open borders.
“Their audience – far-left activists – wanted them to defund border security and immigration enforcement officers, so they did.
“And Democrats weren’t done.
“Last week, Democrats here in the United States Senate blocked the National Defense Authorization Act, the bill that authorizes funding for our military.
“That’s right, Mr. President.
“Democrats voted against authorizing funding for our military.
“Mr. President, it’s a sad day when Democrats are playing politics with everything all the way up to our national security.
“But that’s where we are.
“Democrats have had numerous opportunities in the last year and a half to work with us on things that matter to the American people.
“And again and again, they have chosen to follow members of their far-left base.
“In some cases – see New York City’s mayor – follow them directly into socialism.
“That’s right.
“Self-identified democratic socialists have been winning elections across the country.
“So what’s next?
“Will the Democrat Party adopt the platform of the Democratic Socialists of America?
“Mr. President, to quote the New York Times again, and I quote, ‘Many Americans Say the Democratic Party Does Not Share Their Priorities.’
“A year and a half later, it’s obvious that that’s still the case.
“Men in women’s sports. Abortion up until the moment of birth. Open borders. Defunding law enforcement.
“Instead of moving toward the middle, Democrats are just getting more extreme.”
