GOP leaders move slowly on tighter gun laws
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., flanked by Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., left, and Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, speaks with reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday.
Category Archives: John Thune
Don’t Blame Rand Paul for Last Night’s Shutdown Alexandra DeSanctis 24 minutes ago
Congress had weeks to pass another budget deal to keep the federal government open. Last night, Kentucky's junior senator, Republican Rand Paul, prolonged that process another few hours, filibustering the last-minute compromise over his complaints about increasing the federal deficit.
Apple mulls refunds for battery replacement on old iPhones
In this Jan. 21, 2018, file photo, Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., waits to do a TV news interview at the Capitol in Washington. No details about a potential Apple rebate to customers who paid full price to replace the batteries on older iPhones were included in a five-page letter sent to Thune, who demanded last month that Apple provide more details about the iPhone slowdown.
Apple may offer rebate to users who bought full-price batteries: Report
San Francisco, Feb 7 : After a US senator asked Apple questions about its controversial decision to quietly slow the performance of older iPhones, the Cupertino-headquartered company replied that it may offer rebates to users who paid full price for a battery replacement. "Apple told a US senator it is 'exploring' whether to offer a rebate to customers who paid full-price for a battery replacement," CNET reported late on Tuesday.
Trump urges compromise as Republicans wrestle with immigration
U.S. President Donald Trump urged his fellow Republicans on Thursday to put aside misgivings over letting young "Dreamer" immigrants stay in the United States and pass a bill that includes that measure but also imposes tough new immigration curbs. The debate over immigration policy has become closely enmeshed with looming deadlines over government spending.
White House likely to approve ‘explosive’ memo
Donald Trump, who had the authority to prevent the meno's release, instead is likely to allow the four-page document to be made public. Photo: Reuters The White House is likely to give Congress approval to make public a secret Republican memo alleging FBI bias against President Donald Trump in its Russia probe, a White House official says, as tensions over the disputed document grip Washington.
U.S. Senate looks for way out of gridlock on self-driving car bill
The chairman of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee on Tuesday said he is pursuing different strategies to win approval this year of landmark self-driving car legislation that could make it easier for automakers to get thousands of cars on the road without human controls. Self-driving cars could reduce the 37,000 annual U.S. road deaths, said Senator John Thune, a Republican who chairs the Commerce Committee, and provide mobility to the disabled and blind.
US Senate looks for way out of gridlock on self-driving car bill
The chairman of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee on Tuesday said he is pursuing different strategies to win approval this year of landmark self-driving car legislation that could make it easier for automakers to get thousands of cars on the road without human controls. A roof mounted camera and radar system is shown on Uber's Ford Fusion self driving car during a demonstration of self-driving automotive technology in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. September 13, 2016.
Dana Milbank: What on Earth does President Trump want?
Washington a As the federal government hurtled toward a shutdown this last week, lawmakers played a now-familiar parlor game: What on Earth does President Trump want? On Wednesday, the White House issued an official statement saying it supported a 30-day spending bill to avert a shutdown that included a six-year extension of the popular Children's Health Insurance Program, or CHIP. But Thursday dawned to see Trump declaring the opposite.
Throttlegate and Politics
As if there weren't enough political fireworks occurring in Washington, you can bet that Apple will find itself involved, somehow. It all started with what I've been calling Throttlegate, the faux scandal that erupted when it was discovered that older iPhones, with failing batteries, were running a lot slower.
One senator is probing Apple for more information on iPhone throttling issues
When it was discovered that iOS developers had quietly added a feature to the operating system that throttled processors in older phones with degraded batteries, the public was irate. In fact, people seemed more angry about the slowing down than about the phones that were unexpectedly shutting down which is what prompted the software modification in the first place.
Congress in the driver’s seat on self-driving cars
Auto manufacturers have been working on technology for self-driving cars for several years and are testing these vehicles on the roads. But the bills from the House and the Senate signal the federal government is ready to tackle the issue and modernize federal regulations to address the new technology.
Veteran receives Purple Heart 63 years after serving in Korean War
Sixty-three years after serving in the Korean War, a Sioux Falls, South Dakota man is getting the recognition he deserves. Thanks to family, friends and fellow soldiers, 91-year-old Army Pvt.
GOP Tax Plan Keeps Green Energy, Electric Car Subsidies
The House and Senate agreed Thursday to scrap a proposal eliminating a large tax credit the electric vehicle market and other green energy companies rely on to keep the fledgling industry afloat. Lawmakers spared a $7,500 electric-vehicle tax credit and a wind production tax credit that Republicans nixed to balance out the hefty tax bill, according to a Bloomberg report Thursday.
Republicans considering bumping corporate rate to 21 percent in tax plan as deal nears
House Speaker Paul Ryan arrives at a news conference regarding tax legislation, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Dec. 12, 2017. Ryan here praised a one-page study released Monday by the Treasury Department showing the tax plan more than paying for itself, but only if high growth forecasts are met and if other Trump administration economic policies proposals are enacted.
Sen. John Thune: Tax Reform Will Be on Trump’s Desk Before Christmas
The year is winding down, but the tax reform bill will be complete and on President Donald Trump's desk before 2017 ends, Sen. John Thune said Thursday. "There is a sense of urgency about it," the South Dakota Republican told Fox News' "America's Newsroom" program, explaining that there are already informal discussions occurring between House and Senate negotiators.
Time to shut it down
"The specter of a government shutdown is looming once again, since funding of the federal government expires on Friday, December 8. But in a recent appearance on Fox News Sunday , Sen. John Thune , the third-ranking Republican senator, stated, 'There shouldn't be any discussion about shutting down the government. We can make this thing work.'
Ongoing efforts to eradicate sexual harassment on Capitol Hill amid swarm of allegations
Shockwaves are being sent around Capitol Hill as sexual harassment charges roll in against lawmakers. With calls for multiple members of Congress to resign, the latest for Senator Al Franken , questions remain as to how this culture was cultivated.
Senate Republicans barrel toward sweeping tax overhaul
With the deadline looming to pass a spending bill to fund the government by week's end, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., joined by, from left, Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., and Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, meets reporters following a closed-door strategy session, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017.
Trump’s Stock Forecast Fails After Senate Tax Bill’s – Bombshell’
President Donald Trump's prediction of "a very big day" for the stock market didn't exactly hold true Monday, and tax experts say it's probably because Senate Republicans unwittingly passed a bill that would mean higher-than-intended taxes for technology firms and other corporations. In a shift now under scrutiny by corporate tax officials and lawmakers alike, Senate tax-writers made an unexpected decision to keep the existing 20 percent alternative minimum tax for corporations -- a move that imperils GOP promises of business growth and more hiring, tax lawyers and lobbyists said.