Thune on Permitting Reform: Democrats Need to Take Yes for an Answer

Click here to watch the video. WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today spoke at a press conference with Senate Republican leadership: Thune’s remarks below (as delivered): “As you all know, Republicans in this Congress have focused on several things. “One is safer streets, secondly is more money in the American people’s pockets, and finally, it’s new opportunities for people to get ahead. “And on all those fronts, we have delivered. “The border is more secure today than it has ever been. “Crime is at historically low levels. “And thanks to the Working Families Tax Cuts legislation, people have more money in their pockets – not only now, but permanently, because that tax relief has been made permanent. “And then you couple that with things like the newborn Trump Accounts, the new and created Opportunity Zones that are happening out there as a result of that legislation, and things like the expanded child tax credit, expanded … child care credits … “Those are all things that were included in that legislation that, as time rolls forward, people are going to have an opportunity to benefit from, and it is going to result in more money in their pockets. “I will say, the one thing that we would like to be able to get done before we leave is permitting reform. “That’s something that has economic consequences. “It’s very hard in this country to get energy projects permitted and ready to roll, and so we would like to see action on that. “That’s something that we’re going to find out here, I think, pretty soon whether the Democrats are willing to take yes for an answer on that. “But it has consequences for all the things that we’re talking about today – probably most importantly, energy prices. “So if you can build more, create more energy in this country, build more refineries, it makes that much energy more available and more affordable for the American people. “So we’ll know soon enough on that, but I think as you all know, that would be a very consequential development if we could get the Democrats to be willing to take yes for an answer, and I think we’re going to know that here soon enough. “So those are the things that we’re going to be working on yet this week, and we’ll keep you posted as we know more on permitting reform, and Senator Capito will, I assume, have something to report on that pretty soon.”