Morning Wire Holding The Line: John Thune On The Shutdown, Trump, & 2026 | 1.1.26
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Jan 1, 2026 
U.S. Senator John Thune, South Dakota's Senate Majority Leader, shares insights from a turbulent year in Washington. He discusses the Senate's historic productivity, highlighting major wins in national security and border funding within a bundled legislative approach. Thune dives into Republican healthcare priorities and outlines strategies to combat political resistance while confirming Trump’s nominees. He also emphasizes public safety and national security amid rising threats, giving listeners a glimpse into the GOP's future plans.
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Historic Senate Activity
- The Senate sat an unusually high number of weeks and cast a near-record number of votes in 2025.
- John Thune argues that high volume matched real productivity, not just activity.
Bundling The Agenda Into One Bill
- The "one big, beautiful bill" bundled national security, border, energy, tax, and more into a single package.
- Thune says packing much of the agenda into one bill made accomplishments harder to publicize.
Security First, Then Growth
- Thune frames national security and border funding as the first priority of the package.
- He also highlights tax changes and business incentives aimed at boosting growth and jobs.