First broadcast on FOX: Senate Minority Leader John Thune (R.S.D.), who will take over from longtime Republican leader Mitch McConnell and look to make his own impression on the Senate, will serve as a member of his unofficial Cabinet. He selected four powerful allies of the Republican Party. , R-Ky.
The new Republican leaders are Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), and Sen. John Cornyn. (R-Texas) to advise him on his new role and to sit with him. About major leadership conferences.
Mr. McConnell had his own group of personally selected senators who attended the meeting. At times, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Sen. Thom Tillis (R.N.C.), Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), and Deb Fischer. Sometimes it included U.S. Sen. (R-Nebraska).
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Mr. Thune succeeded Mr. McConnell as Republican leader. (Getty Images)
Weekly leadership meetings include Senate President Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Senate Republican John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Senate Republican Conference Chairman Cotton, and Senate Republican Policy Committee Chairman Leaders elected at the conference also attend regularly. Shelley Moore Capito, Republican of Virginia, Republican Conference Vice Chair James Lankford, Republican of Oklahoma, and National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chairman Tim Scott, R.S.C.
Each member of Thune’s new unofficial team brings their own style and priorities.
marsha blackburn
Blackburn offers the advantage of ties to President-elect Trump and his sphere of influence. The Tennessee Republican has his finger on the pulse of the Make America Great Again movement and will be able to help keep the leadership team as aligned as possible in this capacity.
Mr. Blackburn will seek to bridge the gap between a group of conservative Republicans who opposed Mr. McConnell, namely Sens. Rick Scott (R-Florida) and Mike Lee (R-Utah). You can also do it. That’s because Mr. Blackburn has been aligned with them on several issues.
In a statement, Blackburn told Fox News Digital: “My role in supporting Leader Thune is to advance the president’s nominees and ensure the president’s policies in the Senate to make America great again.” I support it,” he said.
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Each of Thune’s informal advisors brings different strengths. (Reuters)
steve daines
Daines, who just finished his stint as NRSC chairman, where he helped elect a Republican Senate majority, will also discuss the great relationship he has with Trump and the team he brings to the White House. The senator is also a member of the Finance Committee, which is central to the tax debate, one of President Trump’s top priorities. Republicans plan to extend key provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that are set to expire this year. Mr. Daines will be a key intermediary between the committee and leadership, working to implement President Trump’s policies.
The Montana Republican, who is also a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC), brings critical knowledge at the intersection of policy and politics as Trump and the Republican Party seek to accomplish as much as possible in the first 100 days of his administration. is bringing about. Action on some global issues.
“Senate Republicans are ready to enact President Trump’s policies: secure borders, tax cuts, safe cities, low and affordable gas, an end to reckless spending, and a strong national security. “I look forward to working with Leader Thune and the rest of my colleagues to deliver these victories to the American people,” Daines said in a statement to FOX News Digital.
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Marin is a key ally of President Trump and has strong ties to both the House and Senate. (Senator Markwayne Mullin)
markwayne marin
Mr. Marin has made himself invaluable to his colleagues as a key link between Mr. Trump and the House and Senate. He was the first senator to publicly support Thune as a leadership candidate and was previously a member of his deputy whip team. His strong relationship with Trump is expected to help guide the relationship between Congress and the next president. Notably, Mullin was one of President Trump’s 2024 campaign surrogates, traveling with both the president-elect and vice president-elect J.D. Vance to support Republican Senate candidates across the country. That’s true.
“I am honored to join Senator Thune’s leadership table,” Mullin told Fox News Digital in a statement. “From border security and deregulation to funding the military and expanding tax cuts, Leader Thune is the right person to lead the Senate’s efforts to implement President Donald J. Trump’s America First policies. I’m proud to join him in this fight. As Dar often says, “If someone else is in a better position to take a shot, you always make the extra pass.” That’s how we govern this majority, I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the American people to the best of my ability. ”
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john cornyn
As a 22-year veteran senator and former leadership member, Cornyn brings significant experience to Thune’s leadership team. The Texas senator serves on the all-important Budget Committee and is expected to make passing a budget and reining in federal spending one of his priorities in that position. He is also a member of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) caucus and will help advance the new advisory committee announced by President Trump. DOGE will be led by billionaire Elon Musk and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Republicans, who now control the Senate, the House and the president, have their biggest chance in years to set spending levels.
Mr. Cornyn has served in the Senate for more than 22 years. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
In recent floor remarks, Cornyn outlined his priorities for this Congress. “We have an opportunity to deliver a major victory for President Trump, and more specifically for the American people, and that begins through the budget reconciliation process. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity,” he said.
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“We cannot afford to let this situation go to waste by not taking advantage of this opportunity to finally address our soaring debt,” he said.
Cornyn concluded, “There is much work to do, but this is a great opportunity that I believe we will not waste.”
Julia Johnson is a political writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, where she leads coverage of the U.S. Senate. She previously served as a political reporter for the Washington Examiner.
Follow Julia’s reporting on X. @juliaajohnson_ Send your tips to Julia.Johnson@fox.com.
