J.D. Vance’s Senate Role Debated as John Thune Faces Criticism

Mike, is there anything, is there any procedure that allows J.D. Vance to take the leadership

role?

J.D. Vance can come to the Senate anytime he wants and immediately assume the position

of the presiding officer chair.

There is, I've long believed, significant and underutilized authority that comes with

sitting in that chair, just the ability to call the shots from moment to moment to make

procedural rulings upon receiving, but not necessarily always guided by the advice of

the parliamentarian, the presiding officer, especially if the vice president can do what

he wants.

But I would certainly welcome the vice president coming to do that.

And I would also welcome each and every Republican senator weighing in on this and encouraging

Senate Republicans to do the right thing.

Look, I don't want to speak for anyone else.

I don't want to put words into any senator's mouth.

It is not my place to do that.

But I will say this.

I do think that John Thune wants to win the November elections.

I do think he wants to keep both chambers of Congress in Republican hands.

And based on my most recent conversations with him, including last night, I think he

gets the fact that we can't get on this bill and immediately start heading to cloture.

Let's continue to encourage him to prolong debate on this as long as it takes to get

it passed.

Thanks, Mike.

I'm going to say something that Mike didn't.

I think Thune is a piece of garbage myself on this and worthless.

And I would encourage the White House to encourage J.D. Vance to go over and assume the role.

Get this done.

If they're not going to do it, encourage the vice president and the president to have the

vice president walk in and say, Thune, sit down.

Here's what we're going to do.

If that is constitutionally, if he's able to do that constitutionally, it should be

done.