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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):

“Good afternoon. I think as everybody knows, the focus of the Senate right now is working through the president’s nominations.

“We have made considerable headway there.

“After this week, we will be confirming the president’s nominees at virtually twice the rate of 2021 and 2017.

“And that’s really important for the foreseeable future that we allow the president to get his people in place so they can begin to implement his agenda, so that will continue to be our focus here in the United States Senate.

“As we are doing that, this week, we also have Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visiting the Capitol, and as all of you know, he was here not that long ago.

“Israel is our closest ally in the Middle East.

“The last time that he was here, a number of Democrats, including Vice President Harris, boycotted his remarks in the House of Representatives.

“This time around, his visit follows a time when the Democrats here in the Senate, basically, through their vote, gave legitimacy to an illegitimate court because they didn’t want to defend Israel’s right to defend itself or American citizens from the actions of the International Criminal Court, which is an illegitimate court.

“So the Republicans are here and ready when the Democrats decide it’s time to actually work in the interest of and defending America’s greatest ally in the Middle East, Israel.

“Republicans have been consistent in doing that for the last year through the war with Hamas.

“Democrats have not.

“But we are ready to go to work and ensure that our allies’ interests all around the world are protected, and we hope at some point to have the Democrats join us in that effort.”