EXCLUSIVE: Senate Majority Leader John Thune celebrates wins of 2025

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R., S.D.)’s list of 2025 accomplishments, which he shared with the Washington Reporter, includes major bipartisan wins on issues like illegal immigration to fentanyl to cryptocurrency.

Republicans also passed much of President Donald Trump’s agenda in the One Big, Beautiful Bill (OBBB) under the stewardship of both Thune and of Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.).

The legislative wins in the OBBB that Thune is particularly proud of include the creation of Trump Accounts “to build future financial security, and enhanced child care tax credits,” new access to health savings accounts that Republicans want to use to lower health care costs for millions of Americans, the permanent extension of the small business tax deduction and permanent full expensing for domestic R&D, new capital investments, interest deductibility for new domestic investments, increased domestic energy production, expanded agriculture markets, and a strengthened farm safety net.

Thune addressed his wins in a Senate floor speech, saying that “Americans are going to be looking at, one, safer streets; two, more money in their pockets; and three, new opportunities — new opportunities to get ahead and new opportunities on the way for American people and American families.”

This year Thune also confirmed more than 400 civilian nominees and the Senate confirmed Trump’s cabinet quickly. Beyond Trump’s cabinet-level appointees, the Senate also confirmed the president’s first eleven ambassadors at the fastest rate since the Reagan administration.

Thune also kept the Senate in session at a rate unseen in years; the upper chamber’s calendar included 170 session days, and ten consecutive weeks to start the year off. It was in session for four rare Saturdays and two Sundays.