Thune mira al nuevo Congreso

El Senador John Thune ha hablado sobre lo que espera del nuevo Congreso en una entrevista para KELO-TV, la filial de la CBS en Sioux Falls, Dakota del Sur. Sigue defendiendo el compromiso sobre impuestos y señala como prioritaria la revocación de la reforma sanitaria.

(...) Thanks to the November election, 100 new Republicans will join Congress this week as it reconvenes. But people are still talking about the recent lame-duck session, which enacted several pieces of legislation, including a tax bill compromise.

"I think the President had to do something," Thune said. "Because I don't think he wanted to see taxes go up like they were going to go up on his watch. I mean, even the average South Dakotan would've seen a tax increase of about $1,700 if we hadn't taken steps."

Thune was one of 81 senators who overwhelmingly voted for the bill. And he hopes this sort of compromise is an indication of more bipartisanship.

"I hope that will provide the basis upon which we can do some things in the future," Thune said. "It will be interesting to see whether or not the President is willing to come and negotiate and work with other Republicans on issues in the way he did on the tax issue."

But now that the lame duck session has passed, Thune says it's time for the new Republican-controlled House of Representatives to get to work. And he says the first priority will be health care.

Thune - "I think you'll see, in the House, an effort to repeal it entirely," Thune said. "That may pass the House. It'll come to the Senate, and it probably can't pass the Senate. Then, what I suspect will happen is we will have rifleshot attempts to deal with specific parts of the health care law."

Regardless of the strategy, Thune says the pressure on him and other Republicans has increased dramatically.

"I think the Republican Party has to deliver," Thune said. "I mean, we have to demonstrate that we can produce, that we can get some things done that the American people were clamoring for. I do caution that by telling Republicans to keep their expectations realistic." (...)