{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where state = \"SD\" and year = 2024 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=2848A50E-E47C-4AE3-9EBF-68122D83A7BC", "Congressional Leadership Announces President Carter to Lie in State", "2024-12-30", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 As the nation mourns the passing of President Jimmy Carter, Senate Majority Leader-elect Thune, Speaker Johnson, Senate Democratic Leader Schumer, and House Democratic Leader Jeffries sent a letter to President Carter\u2019s son James Carter III and the Carter Center announcing their intent for the 39th President to lie in state in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol.\n\nPresident Carter\u2019s remains will lie in state from the afternoon of January 7 to the morning of January 9. The Capitol will be open to the public during designated times for those who wish to pay their respects to President Carter.\n\nRead the letter below:\n\nDear Mr. Carter,\n\nOn behalf of the United States Congress and the American people, we write to express our sincerest condolences to you on the passing of former President Jimmy Carter.\n\nIn recognition of President Carter\u2019s long and distinguished service to the nation, it is our intention to ask the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate to permit his remains lie in state in the Rotunda of the United States Capitol.\n\nWith your approval, we will move forward with these arrangements so that the American people have the opportunity to pay their respects to President Carter before he is laid to rest.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=8B3234CC-0FAD-40F1-AE8B-31211DE29401", "Thune Statement on Passing of Former President Jimmy Carter", "2024-12-29", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "\u201cToday we mourn the passing of a dedicated public servant and man of faith, former President Jimmy Carter.\u201d\n\nSIOUX FALLS, S.D. \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today released the following statement on the passing of former President Jimmy Carter:\n\n\u201cToday we mourn the passing of a dedicated public servant and man of faith, former President Jimmy Carter,\u201d said Thune. \u201cPresident Carter dedicated his life to serving the people of Georgia and our great country \u2013 as a naval officer, a governor, and as the 39th President of the United States. From peanut farming to the presidency and every step in between, his wife Rosalynn was by his side. Kimberley and I are praying for the Carter family, and we are comforted by the fact that Jimmy and Rosalynn are together again.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/weekly-column/merry-christmas", "Merry Christmas!", "2024-12-24", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "From my family to yours, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!\n\nIn an ever-changing, fast-paced world, it\u2019s easy to get swept up in current events during the holiday season. But on Christmas Eve, I hope everyone takes time to remember the true reason for the season: the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, a reminder of the promise made by our loving God. And while we should keep these in mind year-round, it\u2019s a particularly good time of year to keep in mind the teachings of Jesus: love one another, be grateful for all of the good things in our lives and give back to others.\n\nThis Christmas, I\u2019m feeling thankful for several things: first and foremost, my family. As most of you know, I\u2019m the proud father to four grown children and grandpa to 11 grandchildren. This year, I\u2019m looking forward to showing our Christmas traditions to my newest grandson Maddox, who was born to my son John and his wife Ashlee in July. One of these traditions is hosting over 100 family members for homemade chicken noodle soup on Christmas Eve (after attending Christmas Eve Mass, of course!).\n\nI\u2019m also grateful for our men and women in uniform, particularly those serving overseas and away from their families during the holiday season. They have sacrificed time with their families so that we are able to enjoy a peaceful holiday at home with our families. I encourage you to take a moment and say a prayer for these servicemembers, or simply to say thank you.\n\nFinally, I am grateful for the opportunity to work for you in the United States Senate. It is an honor to show up to work every day to represent the interests of South Dakota and our people. Thank you for all you do to make our state the greatest place in the world to call home.\n\nMerry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-announces-nominations-to-us-service-academies-for-2025-2026-school-year", "Rounds Announces Nominations to U.S. Service Academies for 2025-2026 School Year", "2024-12-23", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) announced that he has nominated students for appointments to the nation\u2019s service academies.\n\nRounds nominated Brody Weinmeister of Aberdeen as his principal nominee to the U.S. Naval Academy, Rowdy Baldwin of Pierre as his principal nominee to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and Hollie Wise of Spearfish as his principal nominee to the U.S. Air Force Academy.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s an honor to nominate our nation\u2019s future military leaders to U.S. service academies,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cThe U.S. service academies are among the most elite educational institutions in the world. After receiving a top-notch education, these South Dakotans will serve our country as active-duty military members. We\u2019re proud of these students and their desire to answer the call of duty to serve our nation. All of South Dakota is behind them every step of the way as they continue their education, serve their country and go into their careers with the U.S. military.\u201d\n\nBrody Weinmeister of Aberdeen\u2013 Principal Nominee, U.S. Naval Academy (Annapolis)\n\nBrody is the son of Robert and Stacey Weinmeister of Aberdeen, South Dakota. Brody is currently a senior at Aberdeen Roncalli High School, where he serves as captain of the varsity football team, plays varsity basketball and participates in student council. Brody helped establish the 7th Grade Mentor Program and the 5th Grade Lunch Program at Roncalli. Through the 5th Grade Lunch Program, high school students attend lunch with 5th graders at the elementary school to help younger students build relationships with upperclassmen and feel less nervous about moving up to the high school building when they enter sixth grade. Brody is a National Honor Society member and currently holds a 3.9 GPA.\n\n\u201cI am committed to upholding the values of integrity, discipline, and leadership that the United States Naval Academy instills in its midshipmen,\u201d said Weinmeister. \u201cThis nomination represents not only an incredible opportunity but also a responsibility to serve with honor and dedication. I am excited for the challenges and experiences ahead, and I look forward to contributing to the legacy of excellence at the Naval Academy. I\u2019d like to thank my teachers and family for all they have done for me during this journey. I would like to thank Senator Mike Rounds for his confidence in me, and I am eager to begin this next chapter in my journey to serve our great nation.\u201d\n\nRowdy Baldwin of Pierre \u2013 Principal Nominee, U.S. Military Academy (West Point)\n\nRowdy is the son of Jason and Diedra Baldwin of Pierre, South Dakota. Rowdy competes in trap shooting, 5-Stand, 4-H Archery and skeet shooting. Rowdy spends a significant amount of his time tackling a variety of jobs and helping around the community. Rowdy also volunteers with Feeding South Dakota, volunteers with kids\u2019 trap shooting and tutors foreign exchange and local students. Rowdy is a member of National Honor Society and currently holds a 4.0 GPA.\n\n\u201cI'm profoundly excited and grateful to receive a nomination to the United States Military Academy at West Point from Senator Mike Rounds,\u201d said Baldwin. \u201cThe academy has been my goal and dream for the last 2 years, and I have been both pushed and helped by my friends and family to achieve this astounding honor. I deeply appreciate everyone around me who's helped me to work hard and reach my dreams, and I can't wait to be able to represent my family, community, and country. Beat Navy!\u201d\n\nHollie Wise of Spearfish \u2013 Principal Nominee, U.S. Air Force Academy (Colorado Springs)\n\nHollie is the daughter of James and Sharilyn Wise of Spearfish, South Dakota. Hollie is currently a senior at Spearfish High School, where she is Vice President of the student council and participates in speech and debate, as well as varsity soccer. Hollie volunteers at her local church and as a peer academic tutor. Hollie is President of her National Honor Society chapter and currently holds a 4.0 GPA.\n\n\u201cI am beyond grateful to receive Senator Mike Rounds\u2019 principal nomination to the United States Air Force Academy,\u201d said Wise. \u201cThis incredible opportunity would not have been possible without the unwavering support of my family, the inspiration and guidance of my teachers, and the encouragement of my friends. Most importantly, I give all glory to God, whose strength and faithfulness have brought me to this moment. Receiving this nomination has deepened my desire to attend the Academy, where I can contribute to something greater than myself.\u201d\n\nIn addition to principal nominees, Rounds may send up to 14 competitive nominees per academy for consideration by that academy. Each service academy admission board gives full and fair consideration to these nominees and will determine final appointments. Rounds has selected the students listed below to receive a competitive nomination.\n\nTwo students, Lexi Brandt of Hill City (U.S. Naval Academy) and Joseph Juenger of Rapid City (U.S. Military Academy), received Letters of Assurance from their respective academies. A Letter of Assurance is a conditional offer of admission from the academy, dependent on the applicant receiving a nomination from a member of their Congressional delegation, as well as passing their medical and fitness screenings. Letters of Assurance are relatively rare and reflect a high level of confidence in the applicant's potential to succeed and contribute to the academy.\n\nLexi Brandt of Hill City \u2013 Competitive Nominee with Letter of Assurance, U.S. Naval Academy (Annapolis)\n\nLexi is the daughter of Coni and Scott Brandt of Hill City, South Dakota. Lexi is a senior at Hill City High School, where she serves as President of the Student Council and Vice President of State Student Council. Lexi volunteers with the Humane Society and Children\u2019s Miracle Network. Lexi serves as President of her National Honor Society chapter and currently holds a 4.0 GPA.\n\n\u201cI am deeply honored to receive Senator Mike Rounds' nomination to the United States Naval Academy,\u201d said Brandt. \u201cServing my country has been a dream of mine since middle school, and this milestone would not have been possible without the unwavering support of my family, friends, and teachers. I am eager to begin this journey, knowing it will be both challenging and incredibly rewarding. The Naval Academy will shape me into a leader of character and prepare me to serve with honor and dedication as an officer in the United States Navy.\u201d\n\nJoseph Juenger of Rapid City \u2013 Competitive Nominee with Letter of Assurance, U.S. Military Academy (West Point)\n\nJoseph is the son of Julie and Joseph Juenger of Rapid City, South Dakota. Joseph is a senior at Rapid City Stevens High School, where he serves as a captain of the varsity wrestling team and on the varsity soccer leadership team. Joseph was also a State Delegate to American Legion Boys Nation. Joseph serves as a youth wrestling coach and referee. Joseph is a member of National Honor Society and currently holds a 3.8 GPA.\n\n\u201cI am deeply grateful to receive Senator Mike Rounds' nomination to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point,\u201d said Juenger. \u201cI have worked hard toward this dream, but I know this opportunity and achievement is the result of support from our extraordinary community of families, teachers, coaches, friends, and veterans. I pledge to pay my gratitude forward by tirelessly serving and protecting our communities and country, now and for the next generation.\u201d\n\nU.S. Naval Academy (Annapolis)\n\nBrody Weinmeister of Aberdeen \u2013 Principal\n\nLexi Brandt of Hill City - Competitive with Letter of Assurance\n\nCooper Deatherage of Brookings - Competitive\n\nAubrey Fraasch of Milbank - Competitive\n\nDylan Frank of Custer \u2013 Competitive\n\nTarrent Frye of Sioux Falls - Competitive\n\nWilliam Hanzlik of Chamberlain \u2013 Competitive\n\nAaron Letner of Rapid City - Competitive\n\nTalan Lunders of Aberdeen - Competitive\n\nLincoln Mansfield of Hurley - Competitive\n\nAlex Newman of Sioux Falls \u2013 Competitive\n\nAbigail Nichols of Pierre \u2013 Competitive\n\nGabriel Reeve of Piedmont - Competitive\n\nMaverick Sutton of Ellsworth AFB, SD - Competitive\n\nPaige Willnerd of Summerset - Competitive\n\nU.S. Military Academy (West Point)\n\nRowdy Baldwin of Pierre \u2013 Principal\n\nCooper Deatherage of Brookings - Competitive\n\nTrey Dunse of Webster \u2013 Competitive\n\nTarrent Frye of Sioux Falls - Competitive\n\nJoseph Juenger of Rapid City - Competitive with Letter of Assurance\n\nLincoln Mansfield of Hurley - Competitive\n\nAlex Newman of Sioux Falls \u2013 Competitive\n\nAbigail Nichols of Pierre - Competitive\n\nGabriel Reeve of Piedmont - Competitive\n\nMaverick Sutton of Ellsworth AFB, SD \u2013 Competitive\n\nTaylor Wenzlaff of Yankton - Competitive\n\nPaige Willnerd of Summerset - Competitive\n\nU.S. Air Force Academy (Colorado Springs)\n\nHollie Wise of Spearfish \u2013 Principal\n\nMax Cook of Gregory - Competitive\n\nTrey Dunse of Webster \u2013 Competitive\n\nTarrent Frye of Sioux Falls \u2013 Competitive\n\nWilliam Hanzlik of Chamberlain \u2013 Competitive\n\nKendra Hoffmann of Sioux Falls - Competitive\n\nAaron Letner of Rapid City - Competitive\n\nTalan Lunders of Rapid City \u2013 Competitive\n\nLincoln Mansfield of Hurley - Competitive\n\nKane Murphy of Dell Rapids - Competitive\n\nAlex Newman of Sioux Falls - Competitive\n\nGabriel Reeve of Piedmont - Competitive\n\nMaverick Sutton of Ellsworth AFB, SD - Competitive\n\nBrody Weinmeister of Aberdeen - Competitive\n\nPaige Willnerd of Summerset - Competitive\n\nU.S. Merchant Marines Academy (Kings Point)\n\nTarrent Frye of Sioux Falls - Competitive\n\nAbigail Nichols of Pierre - Competitive\n\nMaverick Sutton of Ellsworth AFB, SD - Competitive\n\nPaige Willnerd of Summerset - Competitive\n\nStudents interested in attending a service academy go through a rigorous application process. Because the academies are highly competitive, students must meet eligibility requirements in leadership, physical fitness, character and academics. The young people joining the military directly from the academies are among the highest caliber our country has to offer, which is a result of the challenging training and education they received at the academies. Students applying for academies are required to receive a Congressional nomination as part of the application process. Those appointed receive a scholarship and military appointment and are required to serve in the military for at least five years upon graduation.\n\nIndividuals interested in applying for a service academy nomination for academic year 2026-2027 (Class of 2030) should apply by October 1, 2025. Questions about the academy nomination application process can be directed to Rounds\u2019 Rapid City office by calling (605) 343-5035 or by emailing Academy_Nominations@rounds.senate.gov.\n\nAn informational packet and the application packet can be found on Rounds\u2019 website at https://www.rounds.senate.gov/constituents/academy-nominations.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-announces-committee-memberships-for-119th-congress", "Rounds Announces Committee Memberships for 119th Congress", "2024-12-20", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today announced his membership on five committees for the 119th Congress:\n\nAppropriations\n\nArmed Services\n\nBanking, Housing, and Urban Affairs\n\nIntelligence\n\nIndian Affairs\n\n\u201cI am grateful for the opportunity to serve on five key committees on behalf of the people of South Dakota and for the national security of our nation,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cThese committees will be particularly important as we work to confirm President-elect Trump\u2019s nominees and begin implementing his agenda in January.\n\n\u201cThis Congress, I am beginning a new role on the Senate Committee on Appropriations. As we saw earlier, the debate over government spending is a mess. It has been almost 30 years since Congress passed all of its required appropriations measures on time. I look forward to working with my colleagues on Appropriations to promote returning to regular order for our budgeting process and return to commonsense fiscal conservatism under a Republican trifecta in the 119th Congress.\n\n\u201cReal, collaborative work to defend our country is done in the Senate Armed Services Committee. We have worked to strengthen our military, improve our nation\u2019s cybersecurity capabilities and provide much-needed modernization of the nuclear triad, which has deterred our nation\u2019s adversaries for over 60 years. Ellsworth Air Force Base, the future home of the B-21 Raider, will have an important role in defending the United States and will have a significant economic impact on the Black Hills area for generations to come.\n\n\u201cI will once again serve as a member on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. South Dakotans deserve easy access to credit, housing that is affordable and traditional financial services. Our state is home to financial institutions of all sizes and charters that significantly add to our economic base. I look forward to promoting commonsense public policy that encourages economic growth, capital formation and consumer protection while also providing much-needed oversight to heavy-handed bureaucrats.\n\n\"I am pleased to continue my work on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. For the past two years, I\u2019ve been able to work alongside our Intelligence Community to learn how they operate and hear from leaders on how Congress can best work with them. Intelligence gathering is a critical piece of our national security puzzle and by working together, we can keep America safe and ahead of our adversaries.\n\n\u201cThe Native American population is an integral part of South Dakota. Too often, the federal government has failed to uphold its treaty and trust obligations to Native American tribes. I am pleased to remain on the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and will continue working with tribal leaders to uphold tribal sovereignty. By working together, we can make certain their unique circumstances and challenges are being properly addressed.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=35D445C9-906D-4766-B50E-75E53D511A31", "Thune Announces Senate Republican Committee Assignments for the 119th Congress", "2024-12-20", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today announced the Senate Republican Conference committee assignments for the 119th Congress. The assignments have been ratified by the Senate Republican Conference and are expected to be ratified by the full Senate early next Congress.\n\nAgriculture\n\nJohn Boozman, Arkansas\n\nMitch McConnell, Kentucky\n\nJohn Hoeven, North Dakota\n\nJoni Ernst, Iowa\n\nCindy Hyde-Smith, Mississippi\n\nRoger Marshall, Kansas\n\nTommy Tuberville, Alabama\n\nJim Justice, West Virginia\n\nChuck Grassley, Iowa\n\nJohn Thune, South Dakota\n\nDeb Fischer, Nebraska\n\nJerry Moran, Kansas\n\nAppropriations\n\nSusan Collins, Maine\n\nMitch McConnell, Kentucky\n\nLisa Murkowski, Alaska\n\nLindsey Graham, South Carolina\n\nJerry Moran, Kansas\n\nJohn Hoeven, North Dakota\n\nJohn Boozman, Arkansas\n\nShelley Moore Capito, West Virginia\n\nJohn Kennedy, Louisiana\n\nCindy Hyde-Smith, Mississippi\n\nBill Hagerty, Tennessee\n\nKatie Britt, Alabama\n\nMarkwayne Mullin, Oklahoma\n\nDeb Fischer, Nebraska\n\nMike Rounds, South Dakota\n\nArmed Services\n\nRoger Wicker, Mississippi\n\nDeb Fischer, Nebraska\n\nTom Cotton, Arkansas\n\nMike Rounds, South Dakota\n\nJoni Ernst, Iowa\n\nDan Sullivan, Alaska\n\nKevin Cramer, North Dakota\n\nRick Scott, Florida\n\nTommy Tuberville, Alabama\n\nMarkwayne Mullin, Oklahoma\n\nTed Budd, North Carolina\n\nEric Schmitt, Missouri\n\nJim Banks, Indiana\n\nTim Sheehy, Montana\n\nBanking\n\nTim Scott, South Carolina\n\nMike Crapo, Idaho\n\nMike Rounds, South Dakota\n\nThom Tillis, North Carolina\n\nJohn Kennedy, Louisiana\n\nBill Hagerty, Tennessee\n\nCynthia Lummis, Wyoming\n\nKatie Britt, Alabama\n\nPete Ricketts, Nebraska\n\nJim Banks, Indiana\n\nKevin Cramer, North Dakota\n\nBernie Moreno, Ohio\n\nDave McCormick, Pennsylvania\n\nCommerce\n\nTed Cruz, Texas\n\nJohn Thune, South Dakota\n\nRoger Wicker, Mississippi\n\nDeb Fischer, Nebraska\n\nJerry Moran, Kansas\n\nDan Sullivan, Alaska\n\nMarsha Blackburn, Tennessee\n\nTodd Young, Indiana\n\nTed Budd, North Carolina\n\nEric Schmitt, Missouri\n\nJohn Curtis, Utah\n\nBernie Moreno, Ohio\n\nTim Sheehy, Montana\n\nShelley Moore Capito, West Virginia\n\nCynthia Lummis, Wyoming\n\nEnergy\n\nMike Lee, Utah\n\nJohn Barrasso, Wyoming\n\nJim Risch, Idaho\n\nSteve Daines, Montana\n\nTom Cotton, Arkansas\n\nJim Justice, West Virginia\n\nDave McCormick, Pennsylvania\n\nBill Cassidy, Louisiana\n\nCindy Hyde-Smith, Mississippi\n\nLisa Murkowski, Alaska\n\nJohn Hoeven, North Dakota\n\nEnvironment and Public Works\n\nShelley Moore Capito, West Virginia\n\nKevin Cramer, North Dakota\n\nCynthia Lummis, Wyoming\n\nJohn Curtis, Utah\n\nLindsey Graham, South Carolina\n\nDan Sullivan, Alaska\n\nPete Ricketts, Nebraska\n\nRoger Wicker, Mississippi\n\nJohn Boozman, Arkansas\n\nJerry Moran, Kansas\n\nFinance\n\nMike Crapo, Idaho\n\nChuck Grassley, Iowa\n\nJohn Cornyn, Texas\n\nJohn Thune, South Dakota\n\nTim Scott, South Carolina\n\nBill Cassidy, Louisiana\n\nJames Lankford, Oklahoma\n\nSteve Daines, Montana\n\nTodd Young, Indiana\n\nJohn Barrasso, Wyoming\n\nRon Johnson, Wisconsin\n\nThom Tillis, North Carolina\n\nMarsha Blackburn, Tennessee\n\nRoger Marshall, Kansas\n\nForeign Relations\n\nJim Risch, Idaho\n\nPete Ricketts, Nebraska\n\nDave McCormick, Pennsylvania\n\nSteve Daines, Montana\n\nBill Hagerty, Tennessee\n\nJohn Barrasso, Wyoming\n\nRand Paul, Kentucky\n\nTed Cruz, Texas\n\nMike Lee, Utah\n\nRick Scott, Florida\n\nJohn Curtis, Utah\n\nJohn Cornyn, Texas\n\nHealth, Education, Labor, and Pensions\n\nBill Cassidy, Louisiana\n\nRand Paul, Kentucky\n\nSusan Collins, Maine\n\nLisa Murkowski, Alaska\n\nMarkwayne Mullin, Oklahoma\n\nRoger Marshall, Kansas\n\nTommy Tuberville, Alabama\n\nTim Scott, South Carolina\n\nJosh Hawley, Missouri\n\nJim Banks, Indiana\n\nMike Crapo, Idaho\n\nMarsha Blackburn, Tennessee\n\nHomeland Security and Governmental Affairs\n\nRand Paul, Kentucky\n\nRon Johnson, Wisconsin\n\nJames Lankford, Oklahoma\n\nRick Scott, Florida\n\nJosh Hawley, Missouri\n\nBernie Moreno, Ohio\n\nJoni Ernst, Iowa\n\nTim Scott, South Carolina\n\nJudiciary\n\nChuck Grassley, Iowa\n\nLindsey Graham, South Carolina\n\nJohn Cornyn, Texas\n\nMike Lee, Utah\n\nTed Cruz, Texas\n\nJosh Hawley, Missouri\n\nThom Tillis, North Carolina\n\nJohn Kennedy, Louisiana\n\nMarsha Blackburn, Tennessee\n\nEric Schmitt, Missouri\n\nKatie Britt, Alabama\n\nMike Crapo, Idaho\n\nIntel\n\nTom Cotton, Arkansas\n\nJim Risch, Idaho\n\nSusan Collins, Maine\n\nJohn Cornyn, Texas\n\nJerry Moran, Kansas\n\nJames Lankford, Oklahoma\n\nMike Rounds, South Dakota\n\nTodd Young, Indiana\n\nMarco Rubio, Florida\n\nAging\n\nRick Scott, Florida\n\nDave McCormick, Pennsylvania\n\nJim Justice, West Virginia\n\nTommy Tuberville, Alabama\n\nRon Johnson, Wisconsin\n\nMike Crapo, Idaho\n\nTim Scott, South Carolina\n\nBudget\n\nLindsey Graham, South Carolina\n\nChuck Grassley, Iowa\n\nMike Crapo, Idaho\n\nRon Johnson, Wisconsin\n\nRoger Marshall, Kansas\n\nJohn Cornyn, Texas\n\nMike Lee, Utah\n\nJohn Kennedy, Louisiana\n\nPete Ricketts, Nebraska\n\nBernie Moreno, Ohio\n\nRick Scott, Florida\n\nIndian Affairs\n\nLisa Murkowski, Alaska\n\nJohn Hoeven, North Dakota\n\nSteve Daines, Montana\n\nMarkwayne Mullin, Oklahoma\n\nMike Rounds, South Dakota\n\nJerry Moran, Kansas\n\nJoint Economic Committee\n\nEric Schmitt, Missouri\n\nTom Cotton, Arkansas\n\nTed Budd, North Carolina\n\nDave McCormick, Pennsylvania\n\nMarsha Blackburn, Tennessee\n\nJerry Moran, Kansas\n\nRules\n\nMitch McConnell, Kentucky\n\nDeb Fischer, Nebraska\n\nTed Cruz, Texas\n\nShelley Moore Capito, West Virginia\n\nRoger Wicker, Mississippi\n\nCindy Hyde-Smith, Mississippi\n\nBill Hagerty, Tennessee\n\nKatie Britt, Alabama\n\nJohn Boozman, Arkansas\n\nSmall Business\n\nJoni Ernst, Iowa\n\nJim Risch, Idaho\n\nRand Paul, Kentucky\n\nTim Scott, South Carolina\n\nTodd Young, Indiana\n\nJosh Hawley, Missouri\n\nTed Budd, North Carolina\n\nJohn Curtis, Utah\n\nJim Justice, West Virginia\n\nMarsha Blackburn, Tennessee\n\nVeterans Affairs\n\nJerry Moran, Kansas\n\nJohn Boozman, Arkansas\n\nBill Cassidy, Louisiana\n\nThom Tillis, North Carolina\n\nDan Sullivan, Alaska\n\nMarsha Blackburn, Tennessee\n\nKevin Cramer, North Dakota\n\nTommy Tuberville, Alabama\n\nJim Banks, Indiana\n\nTim Sheehy, Montana\n\nEthics\n\nJames Lankford, Oklahoma\n\nJim Risch, Idaho\n\nDeb Fischer, Nebraska", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-legislation-to-improve-homeownership-opportunities-for-native-american-veterans-headed-to-presidents-desk", "Rounds\u2019 Legislation to Improve Homeownership Opportunities for Native American Veterans Headed to President\u2019s Desk", "2024-12-19", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), member of the Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee (SVAC) and the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs (SCIA), today announced that his legislation to help Native American veterans achieve homeownership is heading to the President\u2019s desk to be signed into law. The Native American Direct Loan (NADL) Improvement Act passed the Senate on December 12, 2024, and the House on December 16, 2024.\n\nThe NADL Improvement Act will reform the NADL program administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and make it more accessible to Native American veterans living on trust land.\n\n\u201cHomeownership is part of the American dream and a key to building wealth,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cThe mortgage lending process is particularly difficult on tribal trust land. My legislation seeks to improve the NADL program by offering enhanced outreach and other assistance as needed to Native American veterans who are looking to qualify for mortgage financing. I am pleased this bill is heading to the President\u2019s desk to be signed into law, making the dream of homeownership a reality for more of our veterans.\u201d\n\nSpecifically, the NADL Improvement Act will:\n\nAllow Native American veterans to use the NADL program to refinance other existing mortgages on the same property.\n\nExpand the VA\u2019s existing NADL program outreach to include collaborating with local service providers that are familiar with the mortgage lending process on trust land, which would offer homebuyer education and housing counseling to assist Native American veterans who are looking to qualify for mortgage financing.\n\nCreate a relending program to allow Native Community Development Financial Institutions to obtain loans through the NADL program and relend those funds to qualified Native American veterans.\n\nBACKGROUND:\n\nIn June 2020, Rounds joined SVAC Chairman Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) in requesting a Government Accountability Office (GAO) review of the NADL program. The report was published in April 2022. The GAO found that in Fiscal Years 2012 through 2021, NADL originated only 89 loans to veterans in the contiguous United States, despite there being an estimated 64,000 to 70,000 eligible veterans.\n\nFollowing the release of the GAO report, Rounds first introduced the NADL Improvement Act in July 2022. It was reintroduced in the 118th Congress in February 2023, passing SVAC later that same month.\n\nClick HERE for full bill text.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=452C9C97-5D6D-47CD-AC8E-F02EE7746403", "Thune Honors Leader Mitch McConnell", "2024-12-19", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "Click here to watch the video.\n\nWASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today spoke on the Senate floor to honor Sen. Mitch McConnell for his record-breaking tenure as Republican leader and thank him for his faithful service to the country.\n\nThune\u2019s remarks below (as delivered):\n\n\u201cMr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to the longest-serving party leader in Senate history, Republican Leader Mitch McConnell.\n\n\u201cOver the course of a political career that began with a hard-fought race for student council president in his junior year of high school \u2013 a race, I might add, that he won with what would become his signature blend of hard work, intelligence, and determination \u2013 Mitch has built a legacy that will long, long outlast his time here in the United States Senate.\n\n\u201cMr. President, the day he became the longest-serving party leader in Senate history, Leader McConnell delivered a speech discussing past Senate party leaders and their characteristics \u2013 from the mastery of relationships demonstrated by Lyndon Johnson to the, quote, \u2018tackle football\u2019 of Joseph Taylor Robinson.\n\n\u201cAnd it got me thinking about some of the things that have characterized Mitch\u2019s tenure.\n\n\u201cAnd there are three of them that stand out to me in particular.\n\n\u201cFirst, there\u2019s Mitch\u2019s peerless knowledge of Senate procedure.\n\n\u201cI suspect few who have served in this body have developed the kind of knowledge that Mitch possesses of the most arcane details \u2013 and they are arcane \u2013 of Senate rules.\n\n\u201cBut Mitch recognized early on that knowledge of Senate procedure could play a big part in success as a senator. And he was right.\n\n\u201cAnd so with his signature determination, he set out to acquire it.\n\n\u201cAnd became an undisputed master.\n\n\u201cSecond, Mr. President, to that wealth of knowledge he has added a fierce commitment to the Senate as an institution \u2013 a commitment I hope to emulate when I take the reins as majority leader next year.\n\n\u201cThere are a lot of people out there these days who would like to see the Senate turn into a copy of the House of Representatives.\n\n\u201cBut that\u2019s not what our Founders envisioned \u2013 or what our country needs.\n\n\u201cAnd Mitch has served our entire country by fighting to ensure that the Senate maintains its institutional character.\n\n\u201cFinally, Mr. President, perhaps the aspect of Mitch\u2019s tenure that stands out to me the most is the work that he\u2019s done to protect the rule of law by filling the judiciary with judges and justices who understand what the role of a judge is: to interpret the law, not make it. To call balls and strikes, not rewrite the rules of the game.\n\n\u201cDuring his time as majority leader, Mitch oversaw the confirmation of 234 men and women to the federal bench \u2013 three of them as Supreme Court justices.\n\n\u201cAnd the effects of that will be felt for a long time to come, in decisions up and down the judiciary that respect the law and the Constitution.\n\n\u201cThat, Mr. President, is no small legacy.\n\n\u201cAnd Mitch can step down from his post knowing that no one has done more to preserve our legal system and the essential role that it plays in our republic.\n\n\u201cMitch, it has been a great honor to serve with you.\n\n\u201cAnd I am grateful that while you are stepping down from your role as leader, you will still be here in the Senate \u2013 bringing your mastery of Senate procedure to leadership of the Senate Rules Committee.\n\n\u201cHopefully you won\u2019t mind a few knocks on your door for advice.\n\n\u201cThank you for your long and faithful service to our party, to the Senate, and to our country.\n\n\u201cAnd I look forward to continuing to work with you in the years ahead.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I yield the floor.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-secures-south-dakota-victories-in-fy25-ndaa", "Rounds Secures South Dakota Victories in FY25 NDAA", "2024-12-18", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the top Republican member of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, released the following statement on the final passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25). Rounds authored 40 provisions in this year\u2019s NDAA.\n\n\u201cThis year marks the 64th consecutive National Defense Authorization Act that will be signed into law,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cEach year, my colleagues on the Armed Services Committee and I put politics aside to craft this piece of legislation that is critical for our national defense. The provisions are designed to support our men and women in uniform by doing everything we can to make certain they never enter a fair fight and always have the upper hand over our adversaries.\n\n\u201cThis year\u2019s NDAA includes several critical provisions for our men and women in uniform, including a 4.5% pay raise for troops and an additional 10% raise for E-1 through E-4 enlisted troops. It also authorizes $282 million in projects at Ellsworth Air Force Base to support the bed down of the B-21 bomber, as well as $2.6 billion for procurement of B-21s. There are several provisions in the NDAA that fight back against \u2018woke\u2019 Department of Defense policies, helping return our military to a focus on warfighting and lethality instead of diversity, equity and inclusion policies that distract from the DoD\u2019s true mission of defending our nation.\n\n\u201cI am pleased that this bipartisan legislation is heading to the president\u2019s desk to be signed into law.\u201d\n\nThis is the tenth NDAA that Rounds has helped craft as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. In last year\u2019s bill, Rounds authored 33 provisions, which were ultimately adopted and signed into law. This included the creation of a congressional charter for the National American Indian Veterans organization. In 2023, Rounds was named one of the most effective Senators on defense issues.\n\nROUNDS-LED MAJOR NATIONAL DEFENSE VICTORIES:\n\nRequires a comprehensive report on the impact military support for air shows have on recruiting, and provide support for five air shows in rural and small market areas like the \u201cLet Freedom Fly\u201d Pierre Air Show.\n\nAllows minor military construction funds to \u201crollover\u201d into the next fiscal year, making it easier for installations like Ellsworth Air Force Base to complete renovation projects and saving the Department of Defense millions of dollars.\n\nRequires the DOD to review their war plans in light of growing cooperation between Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.\n\nIncludes $14.5 million for high altitude balloons and several reporting and briefing requirements to enhance their use, including the creation of a program executive officer for high altitude balloons.\n\nProvides $6 million for cold spray repair and additive manufacturing technology.\n\nProvides $5 million for the University Consortium for Cybersecurity.\n\nCreates a Small Business Bill of Rights at DOD to improve the experience and quality of life for smaller companies doing business with the Department.\n\nEstablishes a National Security Capital Forum to allow DOD to engage with domestic and international investors so we can leverage capital markets against the Chinese Communist Party.\n\nProhibits the DOD from purchasing Chinese-made unmanned ground vehicle systems and requires a report on their current use in the Department and accompanying supply chains.\n\nAllows verified electronic notifications from Federal Firearms License dealers.\n\nPrevents destruction of landmines used to protect forward deployed U.S. troops.\n\nRequires DOD to begin planning for providing support to civil authorities in the event of a major foreign attack on the homeland such as a massive cyber-attack.\n\nRequires the DOD to analyze and report on how their mergers and acquisitions policies have led to consolidation and impacted the defense industrial base.\n\nRequire the DOD to test and assess the possibility of using technology to allow electromagnetic spectrum sharing.\n\nROUNDS-SUPPORTED MAJOR SOUTH DAKOTA VICTORIES:\n\nRequires the Secretary of the Air Force, in coordination with the Director of the Air National Guard, to develop and implement a plan to fully fund the establishment and maintenance of F\u201316 simulators at training centers of the Air National Guard.\n\nFully funds the B-21 Raider program, including over $2.6 billion for procurement.\n\nAuthorizes $282 million in military construction projects to support the B-21 Raider housed at Ellsworth ($177 million for new projects).\n\n$44M for ADAL [Addition & Alterations] Squadron Operations\n\n$79M for the B-21 East Alert Apron Environmental Protection Shelters\n\n$54M for the other B-21 North Environmental Protection Shelters\n\n$105M for the B-21 Weapons Generation Facility\n\nROUNDS-LED AI & CYBERSECURITY VICTORIES:\n\nRequires a comprehensive report on defense critical assets in the U.S. that are likely targets for kinetic and non-kinetic attacks in the event of a conflict with an adversary.\n\nRequires DOD to establish tabletop exercises to prepare the defense industrial base for cyber-attacks preceding or during times of conflict or war.\n\nCreates a program to use AI to help the Defense Contract Management Agency process small business contracts to make doing business with the DOD easier.\n\nCreates a program to use AI to improve workflows and operations at shipyards, depots and DOD manufacturing facilities.\n\nRequires the DOD to evaluate cybersecurity products and services that protect employee\u2019s mobile devices and evaluate networks for threats and proactively block or neutralize them.\n\nIntroduces language to protect artificial intelligence (AI) innovation within DOD.\n\nUpdates DOD\u2019s cyber curriculum so that cyber operators are being taught and trained to respond to the latest threats using the most recent technologies and systems.\n\nSecures $500,000 for US Cyber Command International cooperation with Jordan.\n\nROUNDS-SUPPORTED AI & CYBERSECURITY VICTORIES:\n\nRequires a briefing on the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification 2.0 implementation and launches a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report to help strengthen cybersecurity in the defense industrial base.\n\nLimits the use of funds for the Joint Cyber Warfighting Architecture until a detailed plan for the Next Generation Architecture is provided by the Commander of U.S. Cyber Command.\n\nImproves cybersecurity of the DOD\u2019s networks with a Cyber Operational Readiness Assessment.\n\nImproves data capability for AI tools and requires the DOD to improve the interoperability of the data used by command and control systems.\n\nRequires DOD to begin working on ways to modernize software acquisition.\n\nRequires the DOD to develop a roadmap for addressing cyber warfare in space.\n\nUpdates the education and pilot program on authentication of digital content provenance for certain DOD media content.\n\nProvides employment transparency regarding individuals who perform work in the People\u2019s Republic of China.\n\nModifies prohibition on the purchase of cyber data products or services other than through the Program Management Office for DOD-wide procurement of cyber data products and services.\n\nDirects DOD to brief its development and implementation of a private AI architectural framework, including current and future use cases.\n\nReports on Joint Warfighter Cloud Capability Contracts.\n\nOTHER ROUNDS-SUPPORTED VICTORIES IN THE NDAA:\n\nAuthorizes a 4.5% pay raise for all troops.\n\nAuthorizes and additional 10% raise for E-1 through E-4 enlisted troops, so a 14.5% raise for junior enlisted and junior non-commissioned officers (10% raise begins in April 2025).\n\nAdjusts the cost of living allowance calculation to properly account for inflation.\n\nProvides $1.2 billion to renovate and build new barracks.\n\nBanning the DOD from providing minors with gender dysphoria treatments like hormones and puberty blockers that could result in sterilization.\n\nProhibits funding for the teaching, training, or promotion of Critical Race Theory in the military, including service academies and DOD schools.\n\nExtends the DEI hiring freeze (no new positions or filling open DEI positions until GAO completes an investigation of the DOD\u2019s DEI programs).\n\nProhibits DOD from contracting with advertising firms that blacklist conservative news sources.\n\nProhibits DOD from requiring service members and civilian employees to use zero-emission vehicles.\n\nProhibits DOD from issuing climate change rules that give preference to weapon systems with lower climate impacts.\n\nTOPLINE NUMBERS:\n\nTotal FY25 NDAA topline: $895.2 billion ($883.7 billion within SASC/HASC jurisdiction)\n\n$849.9 billion for Department of Defense programs\n\n$33.3 billion for Department of Energy and the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Review Board\n\n$512.4 million for defense-related activities\n\nOther jurisdictions bring the total to $895.2 billion\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=0DA03A63-0EA5-4F91-B9AF-889525DDBC14", "Thune Supports Annual Defense Bill, Ellsworth Air Force Base Priorities", "2024-12-18", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today applauded the Senate\u2019s passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year (FY) 2025. Thune highlighted the bill\u2019s full funding of the B-21 mission at Ellsworth Air Force Base, critical Ellsworth military construction funding, much-needed modernization directives, and other Thune-led provisions. Thune also spoke about Senate Republicans\u2019 commitment to prioritizing national security at a recent press conference.\n\n\u201cThe men and women of Ellsworth Air Force Base carry out a critical mission in service to America\u2019s national defense, and South Dakotans have cause to celebrate with this year\u2019s National Defense Authorization Act,\u201d said Thune. \u201cThe B-21 mission will be supported by the authorization of key infrastructure and facilities, and service members everywhere will receive sizable salary increases, particularly junior enlisted members.\n\n\u201cHowever, years of Washington Democrats neglecting national defense will not be remedied by one piece of legislation. We have too many planes that can\u2019t fly, ships that can\u2019t go out to sea, and a Pentagon culture that has clouded sight of its primary mission. The incoming Senate Republican majority will work closely with the Trump-Vance administration to make smart national security investments to keep our homeland safe, and we will do so early next year.\u201d\n\nNDAA priorities for South Dakota include:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=E4A36108-0DD1-4E8F-9AF3-F2E6C5518FB8", "Thune Honors Longtime Chief of Staff Ryan Nelson", "2024-12-18", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "Click here to watch the video.\n\nWASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today honored his longtime chief of staff, Ryan Nelson, and thanked him for 28 years of dedicated service to the U.S. Senate and the people of South Dakota.\n\nThune\u2019s remarks below (as delivered):\n\n\u201cMr. President, I come to the floor today to pay tribute to my longtime chief of staff, Ryan Nelson, who has decided to step down in the new year.\n\n\u201cAnd it\u2019s difficult to know where to start to pay tribute to a man who has been indispensable to everything I have ever done in Congress.\n\n\u201cSo perhaps I should start at the beginning, back in 1996 during the Republican primary for South Dakota\u2019s lone House seat.\n\n\u201cI was a green candidate running on a shoestring budget.\n\n\u201cAnd one morning a campaign volunteer showed up at my door and announced that he was my driver.\n\n\u201cHis name was Ryan Nelson.\n\n\u201cThat day we headed to an event in Arlington, South Dakota.\n\n\u201cAnd unbeknownst to me, my new driver proceeded to lock his keys in the car.\n\n\u201cNow, this might have caused some campaign volunteers to panic.\n\n\u201cBut not Ryan.\n\n\u201cHe made his way over to a filling station, found someone who could get into the car, and retrieved the keys \u2013 all without my knowing that anything had ever happened.\n\n\u201cWell, that resourcefulness turned out to be a pretty good indicator of what was to come.\n\n\u201cNot the locking the keys in the car part, but the seeing a problem and solving it before I had even had a chance to become aware of it.\n\n\u201cWell, Ryan kept driving me around the state, and we ended up winning the primary.\n\n\u201cAnd Ryan came to a crossroads \u2013 both metaphorical and literal.\n\n\u201cYou see, Ryan was originally just filling time on the campaign.\n\n\u201cHe was scheduled to leave for the Kansas City police academy the day after the primary.\n\n\u201cAnd he was driving out of his hometown of Gettysburg, South Dakota, when he came to that literal crossroads.\n\n\u201cHe\u2019d have to go one way for the police academy, and the other way to stay with the campaign.\n\n\u201cHe chose to stay with the campaign.\n\n\u201cAnd among the many blessings I\u2019ve been given over the course of my career, I have to count that as one of the greatest.\n\n\u201cRyan has now been with my team for 28 years.\n\n\u201cHe has helped build my staff and guide my operations, mentored generations of Thune employees, and been a constant source of insight and wisdom.\n\n\u201cThere is no one that I trust more.\n\n\u201cRyan\u2019s knowledge is deep and broad.\n\n\u201cHe has an intuitive understanding of politics and an encyclopedic knowledge of South Dakota, and he is deeply connected to the needs of our state.\n\n\u201cI have relied on those qualities throughout my career.\n\n\u201cAnd not just on those qualities, but on his character.\n\n\u201cRyan is someone who got into politics for all the right reasons.\n\n\u201cHe\u2019s not interested in personal glory \u2013 in fact, I think everyone who knows Ryan would agree that there is no one who more persistently dodges the spotlight!\n\n\u201cHe got into politics to serve.\n\n\u201cHe cares about our state, and he cares about our country.\n\n\u201cAnd he has done everything he can throughout his career to ensure a brighter future for both.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I suppose Ryan is technically my employee \u2013 for a few more days, at least.\n\n\u201cBut that\u2019s not a word I think of when I think of Ryan.\n\n\u201cI think of words like ally, partner, and friend \u2013 and not just to me, but to my whole family.\n\n\u201cRyan has cared as deeply for the wellbeing of my wife Kimberley and of our daughters Brittany and Larissa as he has for mine.\n\n\u201cWhen I think back to long days on the campaign trail when our family was young, I think of Ryan joking with the girls, jollying them along and keeping an eye out for when they needed a break.\n\n\u201cThe long days on the trail used to sometimes wear on my younger daughter Larissa especially, and Ryan used to keep up her spirits by promising her her favorite chicken Alfredo at the end of the day.\n\n\u201cAnd of course, being Ryan, he never failed to deliver.\n\n\u201cIn fact, \u2018Chicken Alfredo\u2019 is still a family joke.\n\n\u201cI know some of my daughters\u2019 favorite memories are of days spent with Ryan and his wife Carmen \u2013 on the campaign trail or at the lodge then run by Ryan\u2019s dad.\n\n\u201cWe used to regularly spend time there as a family, and the girls loved nothing more.\n\n\u201cDoing puzzles, watching movies, riding on the four-wheelers, hunting \u2026 and then all gathering for a good meal at the end of the day.\n\n\u201cRyan always made sure the girls\u2019 favorites were on the menu.\n\n\u201cOf course, as devoted as Ryan has been to the Thune family, his greatest devotion is to his own family \u2013 to Carmen and to their sons Parker and Mitchell.\n\n\u201cWhen I decided to run for leader this year, he said that he would do everything he could to help, as he always has \u2013 but that he wouldn\u2019t miss his son\u2019s football games.\n\n\u201cAnd he hasn\u2019t.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m fairly sure that he has only missed one of his sons\u2019 games in all the time they\u2019ve played.\n\n\u201cAnd while it\u2019s hard to think of his not being my chief of staff, I\u2019m happy that he will have more time to spend with Carmen and with their boys.\n\n\u201cMr. President, there\u2019s so much more that I could say about Ryan.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s hard to give a speech about him without mentioning his love of football.\n\n\u201cBetween his own days as a standout high school and college player and his sons\u2019 time playing the game, Ryan brings a wealth of football knowledge to the table.\n\n\u201cAnd then there is his dry sense of humor \u2013 and love of a prank or two.\n\n\u201cHis deep faith.\n\n\u201cHis loyalty.\n\n\u201cAnd his work ethic.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s hard for me to believe that his time in my office is drawing to a close.\n\n\u201cThe Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4 that, I quote, \u2018it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.\u2019\n\n\u201cAnd there is no one who has been more faithful to his trust than Ryan Nelson.\n\n\u201cI am more grateful than I can ever say for his service.\n\n\u201cAnd I pray that God will richly bless him and his family in the new days ahead.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I yield the floor.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases/johnson-introduces-legislation-stop-fentanyl-trafficking-china", "Johnson Introduces Legislation to Stop Fentanyl Trafficking from China", "2024-12-17", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "House", "SD", "Dusty Johnson", "J000301", "dustyjohnson.house.gov", "dustyjohnson", "https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and the Select Committee on China\u2019s Fentanyl Policy Working Group introduced legislation to combat the deadly fentanyl crisis and hold China accountable for its role in fueling the epidemic. The Working Group has drafted these bills in response to their research on the devastating impact of fentanyl on American communities.\n\n\u201cChina has been flooding our nation with fentanyl for years, profiting on the destruction and poisoning of American lives,\u201d said Johnson. \u201cGetting tough on China includes cracking down on their money-making fentanyl scheme, which is devastating American families. These bills will curb the flow of fentanyl and make our streets safer.\u201d\n\nIn 2022, fentanyl was responsible for nearly 70% of drug overdose deaths for adults ages 18-45 \u2013 a staggering and preventable loss of life.\n\nJohnson was appointed to the Fentanyl Policy Working Group in June 2024.\n\nLegislation:\n\nJoint Task Force to Counter Illicit Synthetic Narcotics Act of 2024\n\nThis bill establishes a Joint Task Force to counter synthetic narcotics, primarily focusing on opioids like fentanyl. The task force will bring together representatives from relevant federal agencies to conduct joint operations, disrupt trafficking networks, and enforce sanctions. It will focus on international and domestic coordination, including addressing the role of the People\u2019s Republic of China (PRC) in the opioid crisis. The task force aims to streamline interagency collaboration, enhance legal enforcement, and report regularly to Congress.\n\nRead text here.\n\nThe CCP Fentanyl Sanctions Act\n\nThis bill targets what the bipartisan fentanyl report described as the \u201cAchilles\u2019 heel\u201d of fentanyl and related synthetic narcotics producers\u2014their exposure to the U.S. banking system courtesy of their licit activity. The legislation establishes new sanctions authorities against actors involved in fentanyl trafficking and expands existing sanctions authorities to target PRC vessels or ports that knowingly or recklessly facilitate shipment/transportation of illicit synthetic narcotics.\n\nRead text here.\n\nInternational Protection from PRC Fentanyl and Other Synthetic Opioids Act\n\nThis bill aims to combat fentanyl trafficking by imposing \u201cdocking fees\u201d on entities of the People\u2019s Republic of China that fail to implement \u201cKnow Your Customer\u201d and related safeguards against the production and export of fentanyl precursors. It introduces compliance requirements for PRC ports, vessels, and exporters, with penalties for non-compliance and falsified records.\n\nRead text here.\n\nEach piece of legislation is cosponsored by Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI), Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), and U.S. Representatives Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), Neal Dunn (R-FL), Ro Khanna (D-CA), Ritchie Torres (D-NY), and Michelle Steel (R-CA).", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-nominates-the-gathering-well-of-sioux-falls-for-angels-in-adoption-award", "Rounds Nominates The Gathering Well of Sioux Falls for Angels in Adoption Award", "2024-12-17", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) announced that he has nominated The Gathering Well for the 2024 Angels in Adoption award, presented by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption (CCAI).\n\n\u201cIt is an honor to nominate The Gathering Well for this year\u2019s Angels in Adoption award,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cThis nonprofit organization has helped connect foster and adopted children with families in the Sioux Falls area. The Gathering Well not only cares for families\u2019 immediate needs but also provides children and parents with tools to navigate the changes that come with fostering and adoptions. They are doing the important pro-life work that has a proven ability to change lives.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen a family is able to learn, practice and implement trauma-informed care, they are beginning generational change. These courageous families are cycle-breakers. If we desire for our state to care well for the children God has given us, it is our duty to empower families to be as healthy and resourced as possible,\u201d said Cara DeHaan, Executive Director of The Gathering Well. \u201cA foster or adoption placement isn't the end of the journey. It is the beginning.\"\n\nThe Gathering Well is an adoption and foster care support community that supports, educates and inspires adoptive and foster families with relevant connection opportunities and resources. As a nonprofit, they offer community and tools to adoptive and fostering families. They host free monthly gatherings with adoptive and foster families in the area where they offer meals and training. The Gathering Well also offers more in-depth trainings on caregiver health, trauma-informed parenting and Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI\u00ae). You can learn more by going to their website at https://gathering-well.org/ or by watching a joint video with Rounds and The Gathering Well.\n\nThey also partner with the University of South Dakota (USD) to provide hands-on training for Occupational Therapy (OT) graduate students at their monthly gatherings. \u201cThe Gathering Well is such a great organization to work with,\u201d said Michelle Arens, an OT student at USD. \u201cI have been volunteering with them for about 4 years now and am so glad I've had this opportunity! It has greatly affected me and everything I have learned here will help me be a better OT in the future. This program is such a blessing to so many families and has so many great people involved with it!\u201d\n\n\u201cVolunteering with The Gathering Well has been nothing short of an amazing experience. Each month I look forward to building a greater connection with the children, hearing about their lives, and empowering them through TBRI\u00ae principles,\u201d said Brook Wilson, an OT student at USD. \u201cEveryone on the staff works together to make it a wonderful night for parents and children alike.\u201d\n\nThe Gathering Well founders, Cara DeHaan and Shannon Ehli, are certified TBRI\u00ae practitioners and have experience themselves with the joys, and sometimes hardships, of adoption. Cara and her husband Eric are parents to five children, two of whom are adopted from Burundi and Democratic Republic of the Congo. Shannon is the mother of three children, one of whom was adopted from Haiti at the age of six. They understand the journey and started this nonprofit as a way to come alongside other families with much needed community and education. \u201cIt is easy for caregivers to feel alone after bringing a new member into their family,\u201d said Cara. \u201cWhen the excitement fades and traditional parenting methods are no longer effective, families often feel they don't \u2018fit\u2019 into their communities, churches, and even extended family any more. Our desire is to meet them where they are at, equip them with the most recent evidence-based practices and rekindle their hope.\u201d\n\nRounds is a member of the CCAI. Each year, Members of Congress are invited to nominate an outstanding family or organization from their state to receive an Angels in Adoption award. CCAI is a 501(c)3 nonpartisan organization dedicated to raising awareness about the tens of thousands of orphans and foster children in the United States and the millions of orphans around the world in need of permanent, safe and loving homes through adoption. For more information, visit CCAI\u2019s website.\n\nRounds is currently accepting applications for 2025 Angels in Adoption Award. For more information, please visit rounds.senate.gov/adoption.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=1DEE36CD-A0FA-4B78-9321-60D0F143269D", "Thune: Get Ready to Work", "2024-12-17", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "Click here to watch the video.\n\nWASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today spoke on the Senate floor about next year\u2019s Senate agenda and reiterated his commitment to quickly confirming President Trump\u2019s nominees and providing him with the necessary resources to secure the border. Thune noted that the Senate Republican majority is committed to extending the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, advancing appropriations bills through regular order, and passing a comprehensive farm bill.\n\nThune\u2019s remarks below (as delivered):\n\n\u201cMr. President, my office recently released the 2025 Senate calendar.\n\n\u201cAs everyone now knows, our schedule next year will be aggressive.\n\n\u201cFriday votes will be the norm, and we\u2019re not going to be having much in the way of recess in the first 100 days.\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s because we have a lot of work to do.\n\n\u201cAnd we\u2019re not going to get it done on the kind of abbreviated schedule that we\u2019ve had in 2024.\n\n\u201cOne of our first priorities, of course, will be confirming President Trump\u2019s nominees.\n\n\u201cThe American people handed President Trump and Vice President-elect Vance a decisive mandate in November.\n\n\u201cAnd we are going to honor that mandate by making sure that President Trump has the people he needs in place as soon as possible \u2013 starting with the heads of the Cabinet departments.\n\n\u201cDemocrats can certainly make the schedule a little less painful if they accord the president some of the deference Republicans accorded to Cabinet nominees under President Obama.\n\n\u201cBut one way or another, we are going to get the job done.\n\n\u201cAnd if that means some nights and weekends, so be it.\n\n\u201cOur other early priority \u2013 and another reason why the schedule will be particularly aggressive in the first 100 days \u2013 is passing a reconciliation package with a once-in-a-generation investment in border security and immigration enforcement.\n\n\u201cThe border and enforcement crisis under President Biden has left a gaping hole in our national security and undermined respect for the rule of law.\n\n\u201cAnd that ends in January.\n\n\u201cEnforcing the law and protecting the integrity of our borders will become administration policy on day one, and the Senate will move quickly to back up the president\u2019s efforts.\n\n\u201cThe package we\u2019ll be taking up will \u2013 among other things \u2013 include substantial resources to increase the number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and Border Patrol agents, increase detention space, and provide the barriers and technology we need to fully secure the border.\n\n\u201cIt will also focus on other key national security priorities, like addressing our lagging military readiness.\n\n\u201cOther priorities for the first 100 days include kicking off our efforts to use the Congressional Review Act to undo some of the Biden administration regulations that are weighing down our economy.\n\n\u201cAnd, of course, continuing work on our reconciliation package to expand the tax relief Republicans delivered for Americans during the first Trump administration.\n\n\u201cI mentioned our national security priorities, Mr. President.\n\n\u201cAnd let me just say that national security is going to be a priority for Republicans throughout the year.\n\n\u201cWe are finally now considering the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 here in the Senate this week \u2013 almost three months into the new fiscal year.\n\n\u201cUnder Republican leadership, the NDAA will not be put on the backburner.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m also committed to ensuring that we return to regular-order consideration of appropriations bills.\n\n\u201cI will devote extensive time to floor consideration of appropriations bills when they are ready to avoid an end-of-the-year pileup and problematic continuing resolutions \u2013 something with which, right now, we are very familiar.\n\n\u201cDeciding how taxpayer money is spent is a serious responsibility, and it deserves serious floor time.\n\n\u201cMembers should plan to take a lot of amendment votes during this process \u2013 and throughout the year.\n\n\u201cThat will mean taking tough votes at times, but that, folks, is what we were sent here to do.\n\n\u201cFinally, Mr. President, members should expect to take up a farm bill in 2025.\n\n\u201cWe\u2019re now more than a year overdue on the next bill, and farmers and ranchers in my state and around the country are waiting for Washington to update farm programs to reflect current agriculture needs.\n\n\u201cAnd I am committed to bringing a bill to the floor in the coming year.\n\n\u201cMr. President, there are no two ways about it, 2025 will be intense.\n\n\u201cBut we have a real opportunity here to deliver for the American people \u2013 on continued tax relief, on border security, and on national security and beyond.\n\n\u201cAnd, Mr. President, we are going to seize the day.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I yield the floor.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases/johnson-votes-end-woke-policies-strengthen-military-get-tough-china", "Johnson Votes to End Woke Policies, Strengthen Military, Get Tough on China", "2024-12-12", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "House", "SD", "Dusty Johnson", "J000301", "dustyjohnson.house.gov", "dustyjohnson", "https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, the House passed the annual defense package, which included two provisions led by U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.). The bill provides a substantial pay raise to troops, ends politically woke policies, strengthens America\u2019s military, and gets tough on China. Johnson voted to pass the bill.\n\n\u201cPolitically \u2018woke\u2019 culture has infiltrated our military, but this bill puts an end to some of those policies like paying for gender transition treatments for youth,\u201d said Johnson. \u201cI\u2019m glad my provisions to hold China accountable, support our B-21 bombers, and strengthen the Second Amendment were included. Passing the annual defense package is critical to strengthening our military and giving the Department of Defense the resources they need to project a strong military abroad\u2014and stay focused on lethality. Our servicemembers deserve the investment this bill provides.\u201d\n\nThe defense package restores the focus of our military on lethality by banning the Department of Defense from providing gender transition treatments for minors and promoting Critical Race Theory in the military and in classrooms. The bill also prohibits the DoD from instituting a Military Green New Deal, which would force servicemembers and employees to use electric vehicles for official travel and would give preference to weapons with lower climate impacts.\n\nThe bill includes Johnson\u2019s provision to hold China accountable for their unfair shipping practices. The Shanghai Shipping Exchange has been using anti-competitive market practices to benefit China\u2019s economy, instead of employing fairness in the global shipping market.\n\nIt also includes a provision championed by Johnson to modernize Proof of Delivery (POD) notifications for certain firearm transfers. Over the past year, the U.S. Postal Service has caused delays confirming the necessary POD for these transfers. Johnson worked on a provision to allow electronic notifications as an alternative, and quicker, confirmation process for law enforcement officers who chose that method.\n\nThis year marks the 64th consecutive year of passing the National Defense Authorization Act.\n\nThe Fiscal Year 2025 annual defense package will:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-urges-ag-secretary-to-avoid-reopening-us-mexico-cattle-trade-due-to-detected-disease", "Rounds Urges Ag Secretary to Avoid Reopening U.S.-Mexico Cattle Trade Due to Detected Disease", "2024-12-12", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today sent a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack requesting the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to thoroughly investigate the threat of the New World Screwworm (NWS) prior to reopening the U.S.-Mexico feeder cattle trade.\n\nOn November 24, 2024, USDA\u2019s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) decided to halt imports of livestock from Mexico after a detection of NWS in Chiapas, Mexico. This temporary action was taken to prevent further spread to U.S. markets. While NWS was believed to be eradicated from the United States in 1966, a single detection of the parasite within our borders could have significant consequences for U.S. cattle markets.\n\n\u201cTo address current threats, I urge the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to proceed with real caution and to refrain from prematurely reopening the U.S.-Mexico feeder cattle trade,\u201d Rounds wrote. \u201cPrior to reopening this trade, USDA must thoroughly assess and address the concerns of the entire cattle industry. Additionally, animal health officials must effectively investigate the source of this spread.\u201d\n\nRead the full letter HERE or below.\n\n+++\n\nDear Secretary Vilsack,\n\nAmerican ranchers produce the highest quality beef in the world. The high demand for American beef has allowed producers to consistently supply a safe product to consumers across the globe. Yet as you know, foreign disease threats to the beef supply are always prevalent. In the past month, a threat has emerged in the form of the New World Screwworm (NWS).\n\nAs you know, NWS has been a persistent issue in the western hemisphere for decades. While the United States worked to eradicate NWS in 1966, the parasite has remained present in certain parts of Central and South America. In partnership with Mexico, U.S. officials have been able to largely contain the parasite. Despite these efforts, NWS detections have occurred periodically. The parasite presents not only a serious threat to animal safety, but it also has the potential to disrupt U.S. cattle markets.\n\nFollowing a recent detection of NWS in Chiapas, U.S. officials made the right choice to halt feeder cattle imports from Mexico on November 24, 2024. While this action is temporary, it has allowed animal health officials to implement necessary surveillance measures.\n\nTo address current threats, I urge the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to proceed with real caution and to refrain from prematurely reopening the U.S.-Mexico feeder cattle trade. Prior to reopening this trade, USDA must thoroughly assess and address the concerns of the entire cattle industry. Additionally, animal health officials must effectively investigate the source of this spread.\n\nI also encourage APHIS to clearly outline the process for making these trade decisions.\n\nAnimal health officials should take all the necessary steps to protect American producers. Our ranchers consistently deal with a number of uncontrollable factors, including rising input costs and volatile markets. It would be irresponsible to subject our domestic cattle herd to further uncertainty.\n\nThank you for your consideration of these requests.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=A5457CB4-F931-4ADA-9335-C89B44D11D6E", "Thune: Long-Awaited NDAA Will Strengthen Ellsworth Air Force Base", "2024-12-12", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "Click here to watch the video.\n\nWASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today spoke on the Senate floor about the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), legislation that would bolster American national security by making much-needed investments in the military. Thune noted that this year\u2019s NDAA includes critical resources for South Dakota\u2019s Ellsworth Air Force Base and fully funds the B-21 mission at Ellsworth.\n\nThune\u2019s remarks below (as delivered):\n\n\u201cMadam President, yesterday the House passed the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2025.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m glad that the Senate will finally take up the bill next week, and it should be on its way to the president\u2019s desk soon.\n\n\u201cBut there\u2019s no excuse for the delay.\n\n\u201cThe Senate Armed Services Committee passed its version of the bill six months ago. Six months ago.\n\n\u201cBut Leader Schumer never bothered to bring the Senate bill to the floor.\n\n\u201cAnd I can tell you right now that this will not be the case next year with the new Republican majority.\n\n\u201cNext year, the NDAA will not be placed on the backburner.\n\n\u201cIt will be a priority.\n\n\u201cMadam President, the NDAA \u2013 National Defense Authorization Act \u2013 is one of the most important bills that we consider each year.\n\n\u201cAnd that\u2019s even more true in a time of increasing instability on the world stage.\n\n\u201cAmerican service members have come under attack from Iran-backed groups in the Middle East.\n\n\u201cChina is taking increasingly brazen actions in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.\n\n\u201cRussia continues to wage unprovoked war on Ukraine.\n\n\u201cIsrael is defending itself against terrorists.\n\n\u201cAnd there\u2019s a disturbing trend of collaboration among our adversaries to sow chaos in every corner of the world.\n\n\u201cMadam President, the United States military stands guard against these threats and countless others.\n\n\u201cAnd it\u2019s critical that it has the resources and capabilities it needs to deter threats against America, and \u2013 if necessary \u2013 to respond.\n\n\u201cBut our readiness is not where it needs to be.\n\n\u201cAdversaries like China are outpacing us in defense investments.\n\n\u201cWe\u2019re falling behind in critical technologies.\n\n\u201cThe number of Air Force planes and Navy ships is approaching record lows.\n\n\u201cOur supply and production of munitions is inadequate to meet demand.\n\n\u201cAnd our military increasingly depends on rapidly aging supplies and infrastructure.\n\n\u201cMadam President, we need to turn this around.\n\n\u201cAnd I am pleased that this year\u2019s National Defense Authorization Act addresses some of these serious readiness issues.\n\n\u201cAnd I want to say right out that it\u2019s not a perfect bill.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m disappointed the bill we\u2019ll be voting on doesn\u2019t include Senator Wicker\u2019s proposed \u2013 and sorely needed \u2013 defense increase, which received bipartisan support in the Armed Services Committee.\n\n\u201cAnd I will push for needed additional funding in the coming year.\n\n\u201cBut I am pleased that this bill directs resources to a number of priorities.\n\n\u201cIt upgrades our capabilities in advanced technologies like hypersonics, missile defense, drones, and artificial intelligence.\n\n\u201cIt addresses our munitions challenges, expands Navy shipbuilding, and reverses the shrinking Air Force fleet.\n\n\u201cIt ensures the Pentagon is focused on defense, not diversity programs.\n\n\u201cIt supports our allies in Israel and Taiwan.\n\n\u201cAnd it provides a pay raise to our troops and a larger pay hike for junior enlisted members.\n\n\u201cMadam President, this bill is a step forward on the path to closing the readiness deficit that we currently have.\n\n\u201cAnd South Dakota will play a critical role in closing that gap.\n\n\u201cIn 2019, the Air Force announced that Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota would host the first B-21 Raider mission.\n\n\u201cThe B-21 will be the backbone of the Air Force\u2019s bomber fleet.\n\n\u201cIt will enable the United States to project power and deter threats around the world.\n\n\u201cAnd it will employ some of the most advanced technology in executing its stealth missions.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m proud that this bill fully funds the B-21 at Ellsworth and the support facilities that will be needed to house this critical mission.\n\n\u201cMadam President, when I look at where we are today, it\u2019s sometimes hard to remember that not long after I was elected to the Senate, Ellsworth was slated for closure by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission.\n\n\u201cI spent some of my first months as a senator in a sprint to save the base.\n\n\u201cThere were those who wondered whether a small state like South Dakota would have the clout to protect Ellsworth.\n\n\u201cBut we got to work, and with the combined efforts of a lot of people, we kept the base.\n\n\u201cWe proved that closing Ellsworth would not only cost more money, it would diminish readiness.\n\n\u201cAnd the commission voted to keep Ellsworth open.\n\n\u201cBut we didn\u2019t stop there.\n\n\u201cWe went right back to work to make sure that Ellsworth would never be threatened with closure again.\n\n\u201cAnd today, it is an undisputed asset to the Air Force and to our national defense.\n\n\u201cMadam President, national defense has always been a priority for me.\n\n\u201cI believe in peace through strength.\n\n\u201cI believe that deterrence works, and it\u2019s a lot cheaper to invest in a strong military by choice than to spend on a war by necessity.\n\n\u201cAnd so I can promise that next year, national security will be a priority in the Senate.\n\n\u201cWe will work to make sure that the military has everything it needs to project American strength and to keep the peace.\n\n\u201cMadam President, I yield the floor.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-introduces-legislation-to-create-formal-mediation-process-for-us-forest-service-boundary-disputes", "Rounds Introduces Legislation to Create Formal Mediation Process for U.S. Forest Service Boundary Disputes", "2024-12-11", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today introduced the Fence Line Fairness Act, legislation that would create a formal mediation process for land boundary disputes between landowners and the United States Forest Service (USFS).\n\nAbout 2.6 million acres in South Dakota are federally owned, 76 percent of which are managed by USFS. Congress has authorized land agencies to offer leases to local producers to use the land in a way that supports economic activity while also preserving natural resources, such as grazing or mining. Many producers who obtain these leases also have private land that borders USFS land, which is typically where boundary disputes arise.\n\nThe Fence Line Fairness Act would create a committee made up of appointed producers, tasked with mediating disputes and providing recommendations to both the agency and involved producers. The committee would be made up of producers from the state, two of which are appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and three of which are appointed by the state\u2019s Department of Agriculture or Natural Resources.\n\n\u201cLandowners deserve a proper notice and review process involving land disputes with the federal government,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cMy legislation would create a committee made up of local farmers and ranchers appointed by both the federal and state Departments of Agriculture. This gives local landowners a fighting chance at settling a dispute before it escalates.\u201d\n\nThis legislation is supported by South Dakota Cattlemen\u2019s Association, South Dakota Stockgrowers Association, National Cattlemen's Beef Association, R-CALF USA, Public Lands Council and United States Cattlemen\u2019s Association.\n\n\u201cIntroducing mediation that includes local producers and entities who know the land and know the parties and their operation will resolve issues that come forward regarding minor fence line disputes with the U.S. Forest Service,\u201d said Carl Sanders, South Dakota Cattlemen\u2019s Association\u2019s Federal Lands Policy Committee Chair. \u201cAs a producer who works closely with the Forest Service through grazing on a Grasslands Forest Service Permit, I believe that through the necessary steps, conflict can be resolved and a compromise will be made.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe\u2019re already experiencing situations where uncertainty over boundary lines with the federal government is disrupting the lives and livelihoods of ranchers and potentially threatening their ability to continue ranching,\u201d said Bill Bullard, CEO of R-CALF. \u201cSenator Rounds\u2019 bill is a common-sense intervention that holds the promise of alleviating such drastic and costly outcomes.\u201d\n\n\"The U.S. Cattlemen's Association commends the work of Senator Rounds for working to protect ranchers from the lengthy timelines that come with mediation of federal disputes,\u201d said Justin Tupper, President of the U.S. Cattlemen\u2019s Association. \u201cThe Fence Line Fairness Act would help producers resolve disputes in a more fair, timely, and local manner. This is the beginning of a larger conversation about the rights of landowners on or adjacent to public lands. We support this bill and hope for its inclusion in the next Farm Bill.\"\n\nClick HERE for full bill text.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=82A56DDB-01FC-4AAB-8D25-2E718626171E", "Thune Discusses President Trump\u2019s Nominees on Fox News", "2024-12-11", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "Click here to watch the interview.\n\nWASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today joined Harris Faulkner on Fox News to discuss President Trump\u2019s well-qualified nominees.\n\nOn Pete Hegseth:\n\n\u201cA lot of these nominees, including Pete Hegseth, have been making the rounds on the Capitol, starting with the committees of jurisdiction that will have responsibility for the confirmation process and ensure that their nominations make it eventually to the floor. And I think the nominees are doing a really nice job.\n\n\u201cPete Hegseth in his conversations, I think, with members has been very compelling in terms of what he believes is necessary to put the real, you know, focus on the warfighter when it comes to the Defense Department\u2019s priorities. As you heard Susan Collins talk about, procurement reform, that\u2019s something that\u2019s important to a lot of our members.\n\n\u201cAnd you know, he\u2019s got the background. He\u2019s a combat veteran, he\u2019s obviously somebody who understands what it takes to fight battles on the ground, and I think that\u2019s a perspective that is very impressive to a lot of the members that he\u2019s had the opportunity to meet with so far and to be questioned by.\u201d\n\nOn President Trump\u2019s nominees broadly:\n\n\u201cI think the important thing here is President Trump needs his team in place to be able to implement his agenda. These are the people that he selected.\n\n\u201cI give wide latitude and wide deference to the president when he makes these selections. We have a job to do, advice and consent, and we will do it and make sure that there\u2019s a process that\u2019s fair to all these nominees.\u201d\n\nOn the director of the FBI:\n\n\u201cThe president has nominated someone for that position who is already making the rounds and having his meetings on Capitol Hill with the senators who are going to be really relevant to his nomination process, and I think doing a nice job, again, of explaining his vision for the future of the FBI.\n\n\u201cThese are a lot of agencies, as you know, Harris, that are desperately in need of reform, of modernization, of some house cleaning. And I think a lot of these nominees are coming forward in a way that explains how they want to go about doing that. And I think it\u2019s going to be, and you\u2019re right, the American people wanted to see change. That\u2019s why they gave President Trump the vote.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=BBCD9EB2-564B-4110-97DA-2BB053E7BDB3", "Thune: With Republican Majorities, Pro-Growth Policies Are Finally In Sight", "2024-12-11", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "Click here to watch the video.\n\nWASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today spoke on the Senate floor about President Biden\u2019s disastrous economic policies that led to a historic inflation crisis. Thune noted that Senate Republicans are ready to work with President Trump to advance pro-growth policies that drive economic opportunity and strength.\n\nThune\u2019s remarks below (as delivered):\n\n\u201cMr. President, yesterday President Biden delivered a speech on the economy \u2013 a last attempt to rescue his dismal economic record.\n\n\u201cIncredibly, during the course of the speech he repeated a phrase that he\u2019s often used \u2013 about growing the economy from the bottom up and the middle out.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m not sure how that phrase continues to get past White House fact checkers.\n\n\u201cBecause if there\u2019s one thing that President Biden has failed to do, it\u2019s build an economy from the bottom up and the middle out.\n\n\u201cThanks to President Biden\u2019s signature economic legacy \u2013 an inflation crisis of historic proportions \u2013 today a typical family has to pay an additional $13,375 per year to maintain the same standard of living it enjoyed when the president took office.\n\n\u201c$13,375 per year.\n\n\u201cMore than $1,000 per month.\n\n\u201cAnd who do you think that affects the most?\n\n\u201cNot billionaire Democrat donors or Hollywood stars.\n\n\u201cNo, it affects the bottom and the middle the most: the people who don\u2019t have a spare $13,000 lying around and who\u2019ve had to cut back on extras \u2013 or in many cases on essentials \u2013 to survive in the Biden economy.\n\n\u201cCBS News exit polling in November found that two-thirds of voters described the economy as bad, and 45 percent said their financial situation is worse than it was four years ago.\n\n\u201cAnd, Mr. President, it\u2019s no wonder.\n\n\u201cPresident Biden likes to talk about giving families breathing room.\n\n\u201cBut his economy took away breathing room for a whole lot of Americans.\n\n\u201cWorking Americans paying 22 percent more for groceries and 31 percent more for gas and 28 percent more for electricity and 23 percent more in rent than they were when President Biden took office are not seeing a lot of breathing room for their budgets.\n\n\u201cThe president likes to pretend \u2013 as he did in his speech yesterday \u2013 that he came in and saved the economy after COVID.\n\n\u201cBut the truth is the economy was already well on its way to a healthy recovery.\n\n\u201cAnd his massive, ill-advised, supposed COVID relief legislation helped kick off an inflation crisis whose reverberations are still being felt today in family budgets around the country.\n\n\u201cPresident Biden can give all the speeches he wants touting his economic record.\n\n\u201cBut his economy has been the very opposite of a boon to lower- and middle-income families.\n\n\u201cMr. President, the good news is that the days of President Biden\u2019s disastrous economic policies are numbered.\n\n\u201cIn January, President Trump will take office, and Republicans will have control of the House and the Senate.\n\n\u201cAnd expanding economic opportunity and increasing growth and Americans\u2019 wages will be a top priority.\n\n\u201cAnd that means taking action via reconciliation to preserve the tax relief that Republicans delivered during the first Trump administration \u2013 tax relief that improved take-home pay for millions of hardworking Americans.\n\n\u201cIt also means targeting onerous regulations choking our economy, like the 1,000-plus Biden-Harris regulations that have already cost Americans well over $1.5 trillion.\n\n\u201cAnd it means things like unleashing American energy and restoring American energy dominance, which will benefit both the economy and our national security.\n\n\u201cPresident Biden\u2019s energy policies have jeopardized the future of our already shaky electric grid and set us up for future supply problems.\n\n\u201cBut his war on American energy ends next month.\n\n\u201cAnd a better future is in sight.\n\n\u201cIt won\u2019t take long now, Mr. President.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I yield the floor.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=248D2628-D68F-4986-B885-1994933B995A", "Thune: Senate Republicans Plan Aggressive Schedule to Confirm Trump Nominees, Enact Agenda", "2024-12-10", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "Click here to watch the video.\n\nWASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today spoke at the Senate Republican leadership press conference about the aggressive schedule Senate Republicans have planned for 2025 in order to confirm President Trump\u2019s nominees and move his agenda through Congress. Thune noted that next year\u2019s schedule stands in contrast to how Democrats have managed the Senate this year, where important work has piled up untouched for months.\n\nThune\u2019s remarks:\n\n\u201cAs most of you know, last week we held an issues conference with Republican senators where we talked about the path forward, we talked about confirming President Trump's nominees so that they can hit the ground running and begin to implement his agenda, and we talked about our legislative agenda for next year as well.\n\n\u201cAnd the one thing I can tell you coming out of that conference is Republicans are united around making sure that President Trump's nominees are put in place and ready to roll up their sleeves and go to work, and that we also are prepared to take care of the people's business in this country and move forward with an agenda that will help get the country back on track when it comes to the economy, when it comes to energy, when it comes to national security, when it comes to the border.\n\n\u201cYou will expect us to be moving forcefully and aggressively forward with an agenda that addresses those important concerns, concerns on which the American people voted in this last election. And I will tell you, we've got a schedule, which I think you've seen.\n\n\u201cIt's a pretty aggressive schedule in terms of the number of days we're going to be here, but it stands in stark contrast to the way that Senator Schumer and the Democrats have run the Senate for the last couple of years.\n\n\u201cIf you look at where we are today, there is so much unfinished business.\n\n\u201cWe have the National Defense Authorization bill we haven't considered yet; it's been available since June. The Senate Armed Services Committee reported it out in June, ready for floor consideration, haven't taken it up on the floor of the Senate \u2013 obviously, a decision made by the Democrats.\n\n\u201cSame thing is true with all the spending bills. Eleven of the 12 were reported out of the Appropriations Committee last summer, available for floor consideration. We could have had them on the floor, but like everything else, that's languished.\n\n\u201cFarm bill, expired. Lot of farmers and ranchers out there wondering what's going to happen with no farm bill. Water Resources Development Act, same thing. Supplemental assistance for disaster.\n\n\u201cYou can go right down the list of the things that the Democrats didn't get done because they have been worried about elections for the last six months and not concerned about legislating on behalf of the American people.\n\n\u201cSo we've got a bit of a pileup. We're going to have to sort through this.\n\n\u201cBut the one thing I can tell you about next year is it is going to be different. The American people, I will tell you, this is not \u2013 the way the Senate operates today is not the way it's going to be operating in the future. We aim to fix that, and it's time, high time, that we start getting the American people's work done.\n\n\u201cAnd if the Democrats and Senator Schumer in the last waning weeks of this year aren't going to do it, we will take it up, and we will take the pileup that they've left us and deal with it next year.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=D3E9D82A-E462-4478-99F4-9EEBCFA6EC3C", "Thune: Republicans Will End Biden\u2019s Dangerous Open-Border Policies", "2024-12-10", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "Click here to watch the video.\n\nWASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today spoke on the Senate floor about the national security and humanitarian crisis at the southern border created by the Biden-Harris administration\u2019s reckless policies. Thune noted that congressional Republicans are prepared to equip President Trump with the necessary resources to secure the border and bring the crisis to an end.\n\nThune\u2019s remarks below (as delivered):\n\n\u201cMr. President, 10 million.\n\n\u201cBetween official U.S. Customs and Border Protection encounters and known gotaways, there have been roughly 10 million migrant encounters at our southern border during the Biden-Harris administration.\n\n\u201cNow, to put that number in perspective, that\u2019s roughly 10 times the population of my home state of South Dakota.\n\n\u201c10 million is more \u2013 is larger, I should say \u2013 than the population of Colorado.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s larger than the population of Tennessee.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s larger than the population of Maryland.\n\n\u201cOf Massachusetts.\n\n\u201cOf Indiana.\n\n\u201cAnd I could keep going.\n\n\u201c10 million is larger than the population of the vast majority of U.S. states.\n\n\u201cMr. President, needless to say a crisis of this size has had consequences.\n\n\u201cShelters have been overwhelmed.\n\n\u201cBorder cities have been overwhelmed.\n\n\u201cBlue cities far from the border have been overwhelmed.\n\n\u201cBorder Patrol agents are exhausted, as their chief noted in an interview last week.\n\n\u201cAnd I haven\u2019t even mentioned the national security implications.\n\n\u201cThere is no question that the chaos at our southern border represents a serious security risk for our country.\n\n\u201cAnd you don\u2019t have to take my word for it.\n\n\u201cThe Department of Homeland Security\u2019s 2025 threat assessment notes, and I quote, \u2018Over the next year, we expect some individuals with terrorism ties and some criminal actors will continue their efforts to exploit migration flows and the complex border security environment to enter the United States.\u2019\n\n\u201cThat, Mr. President, is from the Biden Department of Homeland Security\u2019s 2025 threat assessment.\n\n\u201cThe June arrest of eight Tajikistan nationals with suspected ties to ISIS who had illegally entered the country, as well as the identification of more than 400 migrants who used an ISIS-affiliated smuggling network to enter the United States, are just two examples of the kind of threats we face.\n\n\u201cThen there\u2019s the fact that chaos at the border creates opportunities for cross-border illegal activity like the deadly trade in fentanyl, which affects communities around our country.\n\n\u201cMy state of South Dakota is about as far from the southern border as you can get, but law enforcement officials consistently tell me that the illegal drugs that they\u2019re dealing with have entered the country across our southern border.\n\n\u201cMr. President, four years of record-breaking illegal immigration at our southern border under the Biden-Harris administration.\n\n\u201c10 million encounters \u2013 and those are the migrants that we know of.\n\n\u201cIt has been a dangerous four years.\n\n\u201cBut the end is in sight.\n\n\u201cWhen President Trump and Republicans take control in January, stemming the flood of illegal immigration will be one of our first priorities.\n\n\u201cUnder Republicans, national security here at home \u2013 at our borders and in our communities \u2013 will be just as important as taking care of our national security priorities abroad.\n\n\u201cAnd we\u2019re going to start right away with a once-in-a-generation investment in border security and immigration enforcement here in Congress.\n\n\u201cAmong other things, that package will include substantial resources to increase the number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and Border Patrol agents, increase detention space, and provide the barriers and technology we need to fully secure the border.\n\n\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of work to do \u2013 and a big mess to clean up.\n\n\u201cA recent article reported that there are around 1.4 million individuals who have been ordered to be deported but are still here in the United States \u2013 and most of them are not in immigration custody.\n\n\u201cAnd that\u2019s just one small corner of the problem.\n\n\u201cAs I said, we have a lot of work to do.\n\n\u201cBut Republicans are committed.\n\n\u201cFor the sake of our national security. And for the sake of our rule of law.\n\n\u201cFour years of record-breaking illegal immigration, Mr. President.\n\n\u201cBut the end is in sight.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I yield the floor.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases/johnson-votes-educate-students-dangers-communism", "Johnson Votes to Educate Students on the Dangers of Communism", "2024-12-06", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "House", "SD", "Dusty Johnson", "J000301", "dustyjohnson.house.gov", "dustyjohnson", "https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) voted to pass the Crucial Communism Teaching Act to educate high school students on the dangers of communism.\n\n\u201cAn increasing number of American youth are favoring communism and dictatorship,\u201d said Johnson. \u201cCommunism, dictatorship, and totalitarianism are completely contrarian to America\u2019s founding principles, values, and freedoms. These oppressive types of government are how our adversaries like China, Russia, and North Korea operate. We must educate our students on the dangerous and deadly impacts of these societies to ensure our kids and grandkids can live in a free and prosperous America.\u201d\n\n\u201cFreedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. The only way they can inherit the freedom we have known is if we fight for it, protect it, defend it and then hand it to them with the well thought lessons of how they in their lifetime must do the same. And if you and I don't do this, then you and I may well spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it once was like in America when men were free.\u201d \u2013 Ronald Reagan (1961).\n\nLegislation:\n\nThe Crucial Communism Teaching Act would make educational materials available through the independent Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation to help educate high school students about the dangers of communism and totalitarianism and how those systems are contrary to the founding principles of freedom and democracy in the United States.\n\nBackground:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=9B7F5715-1A2B-4950-AFEA-5A7DFB1D38D3", "Thune Announces Key Senate Institutional Positions", "2024-12-05", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today announced that Jennifer Hemingway will serve as Senate Sergeant at Arms and Jackie Barber will serve as Secretary of the Senate in the 119th Congress.\n\n\u201cJennifer and Jackie are two immensely qualified professionals who will be crucial to the Senate functioning day in and day out,\u201d said Thune. \u201cThese are often thankless jobs, so allow me to express my gratitude on behalf of the American people for their willingness to serve the Senate and the nation.\u201d\n\nAs the chief law enforcement officer of the Senate, the Sergeant at Arms is charged with maintaining security in the Capitol and all Senate buildings, as well as protection of the members themselves. More information on the Senate Sergeant at Arms office is available here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=EA9E781F-BE9B-4B15-9DDE-A6E03F29B1B0", "Thune Honors Retiring Senators Braun and Romney", "2024-12-05", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "Click here to watch the video.\n\nWASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today honored U.S. Sens. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) on the Senate floor for their years of service in the Senate. Thune congratulated both of them on their success in delivering for their states and extended his best wishes in their next endeavors.\n\nThune\u2019s remarks below (as delivered):\n\n\u201cMr. President, one of the drawbacks of the end of a Congress is the need to say goodbye to departing colleagues.\n\n\u201cWe\u2019re losing two Republicans this year \u2013 Senators Mitt Romney and Mike Braun.\n\n\u201cMitt gave his farewell remarks yesterday, and they were characteristic of the man I\u2019ve come to know.\n\n\u201cHumble. Faith-filled. Patriotic.\n\n\u201cMitt\u2019s what would I call a character guy.\n\n\u201cHe\u2019s guided by a moral compass, and he\u2019s not afraid to live by it.\n\n\u201cAnd in a world where being religious isn\u2019t always highly regarded, he\u2019s unapologetic about his faith.\n\n\u201cMitt is also a big family guy.\n\n\u201cLike me, he married up, and he and his wife Ann have shared the good times and the tough times for well, now, over 50 years of marriage.\n\n\u201cHard to believe to look at him!\n\n\u201cBut they say children keep you young, and Mitt has five sons and an incredible 25 grandchildren.\n\n\u201cA beautiful legacy all on its own.\n\n\u201cMr. President, Mitt\u2019s professional legacy needs no recounting.\n\n\u201cHe is well-known as a successful businessman.\n\n\u201cA successful Republican governor of a deep blue state.\n\n\u201cAnd most recently, as a successful senator.\n\n\u201cHe may be leaving us after just one term, but that term was filled with an outsized amount of work.\n\n\u201cAnd he has more than earned his retirement.\n\n\u201cMr. President, in addition to Mitt, Mike Braun is leaving us at the end of this Congress \u2013 in his case to go and serve as the governor of Indiana.\n\n\u201cMike is another guy who has had an outsized impact here in the Senate in a short amount of time.\n\n\u201cIn fact, he was named the most effective first-term Republican senator in the 117th Congress.\n\n\u201cAnd no surprise.\n\n\u201cIt was clear from the beginning that Mike came here because he wanted to get things done.\n\n\u201cAnd now he\u2019ll bring that same drive and effectiveness \u2013 the drive and effectiveness that helped him grow a small business with 15 employees into a national company \u2013 to his work as governor of Indiana.\n\n\u201cI have no doubt at all that the state will thrive under his leadership.\n\n\u201cAs I may have told Mike, Hoosiers is one of my top five movies of all time, which has automatically made me a big fan of the Hoosier State.\n\n\u201cSo I look forward to seeing all the great things that are going to happen to Indiana during his tenure.\n\n\u201cI know he will be incredibly busy as governor, especially because Mike is a guy that gives his all to what he does \u2013 witness the fact that he has visited all 92 of Indiana\u2019s counties every year during his time here in the Senate.\n\n\u201cBut I hope he\u2019ll still find time for his beloved mushroom hunting.\n\n\u201cAnd I know he\u2019ll be finding time to spend with his wife Maureen and their four children \u2013 three of whom work for the family business \u2013 as well as with their seven grandchildren.\n\n\u201cMike, congratulations on your election as governor.\n\n\u201cIt has been a pleasure to work with you here in the Senate.\n\n\u201cAnd I look forward to seeing all the great things you will do in Indiana.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I yield the floor.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases/johnson-lead-influential-conservative-caucus", "Johnson to Lead Influential Conservative Caucus", "2024-12-04", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "House", "SD", "Dusty Johnson", "J000301", "dustyjohnson.house.gov", "dustyjohnson", "https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) was re-elected as Chair of the Republican Main Street Caucus (\u201cMain Street\u201d). In recent years, Main Street has been at the forefront of delivering key conservative wins, including cutting $2 trillion in spending over four years, reforming welfare, and unlocking American energy.\n\n\u201cNow is a special time in American history,\u201d said Johnson. \u201cWe must secure the border, cut spending, and roll back unnecessary regulations. The Republican Main Street Caucus will work with President Trump and the Senate to deliver on this strong, conservative agenda. I\u2019m proud to lead this group during this exciting time.\u201d\n\nMain Street is comprised of more than 80 conservative House members from across the country dedicated to delivering commonsense, conservative solutions. Johnson has led the group since 2022.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=102EC92E-0BC9-4326-89B8-B6A1D2B39C49", "Thune Discusses Agenda for 119th Congress on Fox News", "2024-12-04", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "Click here to watch the interview.\n\nWASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today joined America\u2019s Newsroom on Fox News to discuss the importance of quickly confirming President Trump\u2019s nominees and moving his policy priorities through Congress.\n\nOn confirming President Trump\u2019s nominees:\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t prejudge any of these candidates. Obviously, there are questions they all have to answer. Each of them has backgrounds. They have experience. That\u2019s all part of this process, is examining that, determining their qualifications for office, and as that process gets underway, these nominees have an opportunity to make their case in front of senators who are ultimately going to cast that vote.\n\n\u201cSo I don\u2019t think at this point \u2013 I think it\u2019s premature, honestly, to make any conclusions about whether or not any of these candidates have any issues or problems that could be consequential. I think the important thing is we give them a fair process, they get the opportunity to make their case about why they are fit and qualified to do these important jobs.\n\n\u201cAnd obviously the president should have a lot of deference and leeway when it comes to making these appointments, because these are the people that he wants to implement his agenda. So we\u2019re going to ensure here that they get a fair process, and I think that should apply and be true for all of the nominees that he\u2019s put up.\u201d\n\nOn a two-track reconciliation process to implement President Trump\u2019s agenda:\n\n\u201cThose are conversations that we\u2019ve been having with our colleagues here in the Senate, obviously, also with the House and with the president and his team, because in order for us to be successful here, we have to be unified coming out of the gate.\n\n\u201cThat is something that we have put before our conference, united, you know, Republican senators, as a possibility for how we deal with getting the president\u2019s agenda done.\n\n\u201cThe key is getting the things that he campaigned on \u2013 the border, energy dominance, national security, rebuilding our military, extending the Trump tax cuts \u2013 those are all things in the end that we have to accomplish. How we get there is what we\u2019re discussing.\n\n\u201cAnd that\u2019s part of the \u2013 again, part of this process is to determine what\u2019s the best way to achieve and see that the president\u2019s agenda, the things that he campaigned on, and the things that our candidates across this country campaigned on, get put into law.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=E0E0084C-3AC8-44FA-B6C3-8BB6942AF754", "Thune: President Trump and Senate Republicans Will Restore American Strength", "2024-12-04", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "Click here to watch the video.\n\nWASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today spoke on the Senate floor about President Biden\u2019s disastrous foreign policy record and the incoming Trump administration\u2019s determination to reverse course. Thune warned our adversaries and reassured our allies that four years of weakness on the world stage is coming to an end.\n\nThune\u2019s remarks below (as delivered):\n\n\u201cMr. President, the past four years have been marked by increasing instability on the world stage.\n\n\u201cOver the course of the Biden administration, we\u2019ve seen an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by Russia.\n\n\u201cChina flexing its power in the Indo-Pacific \u2013 and beyond \u2013 and increasingly threatening the Philippines and Taiwan.\n\n\u201cIran continuing to foment terror in the Middle East.\n\n\u201cThe worst terror attack in Israel\u2019s history.\n\n\u201cAnd the list goes on.\n\n\u201cAnd while the Biden administration cannot be held solely responsible for all of these events, the lack of clear American leadership under President Biden has undoubtedly contributed to the unrest that we\u2019ve seen internationally.\n\n\u201cThe president often seems incapable of staking out a firm policy position.\n\n\u201cAgain and again, he seems to want to have things both ways, whether he\u2019s ordering attacks on Iran-backed terrorists while simultaneously declaring his unwillingness to escalate or drawing red lines for Israel while proclaiming U.S. support.\n\n\u201cOr take the war in Ukraine, where President Biden has advocated for the U.S. providing defense assistance while simultaneously slow-walking approval for critical combat resources \u2013 which has unquestionably contributed to the present situation.\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t know whether the president is trying to keep all his interest groups happy or is simply afraid to fully commit, but his indecisiveness telegraphs weakness to our enemies and allies alike.\n\n\u201cJust as his disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan did.\n\n\u201cOr his policy toward Iran.\n\n\u201cThe Biden administration began relations with Iran on a note of appeasement, with an attempt to reinstate the Obama administration\u2019s flawed nuclear deal, and then followed that up by unfreezing $6 billion in Iranian assets as part of a deal to free American prisoners.\n\n\u201cThankfully, the administration ultimately refroze those funds in the wake of Hamas\u2019 October 7, 2023, attack.\n\n\u201cBut unfreezing them in the first place was a serious mistake.\n\n\u201cAs were things like the Biden administration\u2019s decision to restart funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, or UNRWA, despite long-held suspicions \u2013 since confirmed \u2013 that there were UNRWA staffers with ties to Islamist militant groups.\n\n\u201cThese types of decisions convey a message to our adversaries \u2013 a lack of firm resolve, and a willingness to compromise and accommodate.\n\n\u201cAnd in the face of this kind of message, it\u2019s little wonder that terrorists throughout the Middle East have been emboldened, and have been attacking not just our ally Israel but American assets \u2013 and American soldiers \u2013 in the region.\n\n\u201cAnd I have to wonder whether bodies like the International Criminal Court \u2013 which recently attempted to put Israel leaders \u2013 Israeli leaders, I should say \u2013 in the same class as Hamas terrorists by unlawfully issuing warrants for their arrest \u2013 have also been emboldened by the Biden administration\u2019s waffling.\n\n\u201cMr. President, as China flexes its muscle, Iran continues its proxy war on Israel, and North Korean soldiers join Russia\u2019s war on Ukraine, it\u2019s time for a return to clear American leadership on the world stage.\n\n\u201cAnd that doesn\u2019t mean an America that intervenes in every conflict or dictates terms to everyone.\n\n\u201cWe neither can nor should attempt to become the world\u2019s policeman.\n\n\u201cBut it does mean an America that speaks clearly and doesn\u2019t equivocate.\n\n\u201cThat condemns evil and doesn\u2019t accommodate it.\n\n\u201cAnd an America that projects \u2013 and can deliver \u2013 strength. The kind of strength that will make our adversaries think twice before tangling with us or our allies.\n\n\u201cPresident Trump has made an excellent choice for secretary of state with our colleague Marco Rubio.\n\n\u201cHe is one of our strongest and clearest voices on national security, and between him and President Trump \u2013 and other future members of the Trump administration \u2013 America\u2019s adversaries should be on notice.\n\n\u201cI think there\u2019s already been something of a shift in the air.\n\n\u201cAnd I am hopeful that in the weeks to come we will finally see movement on freeing the remaining Americans and other hostages who were captured by Hamas in its October 7, 2023, attack.\n\n\u201cIt is incredible that these individuals are facing their second \u2013 second \u2013 winter in Gaza.\n\n\u201cAnd President Trump\u2019s statement Monday about his commitment to freeing these hostages immediately should be a warning to Hamas that the United States will no longer tolerate the captivity of her citizens.\n\n\u201cMr. President, the last few years have shown us what a world without clear American leadership looks like.\n\n\u201cI am confident that the next four years will show us what the world looks like with it.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I yield the floor.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases/johnson-congratulates-governor-noem-selection-serve-homeland-security", "Johnson Congratulates Governor Noem on Selection to Serve as Homeland Security Secretary", "2024-11-12", "2024", "2024-11", "Republican", "House", "SD", "Dusty Johnson", "J000301", "dustyjohnson.house.gov", "dustyjohnson", "https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) released the following statement:\n\n\u201cMy friend Kristi Noem is a fantastic choice for Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. She knows how important it is to protect our country and has demonstrated strong work ethic as South Dakota\u2019s governor. I\u2019m confident Kristi will secure the southern border and keep America safe.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:07:06Z"], ["https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases/johnson-congratulates-president-trump", "Johnson Congratulates President Trump", "2024-11-06", "2024", "2024-11", "Republican", "House", "SD", "Dusty Johnson", "J000301", "dustyjohnson.house.gov", "dustyjohnson", "https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) released the following statement:\n\n\u201cCongratulations to President Donald Trump on his return to the White House. I\u2019m excited for an opportunity to secure the border, grow our economy, and improve the lives of South Dakotans. It\u2019s time to leave behind the burdensome policies of the Biden Administration. I look forward to partnering with Trump and Congress to get America back on track. Let\u2019s get to work.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:07:06Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=82661F45-82EC-466C-8BC3-DD8E6E12017C", "Thune Statement on Republicans Reclaiming Senate Majority", "2024-11-06", "2024", "2024-11", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "SIOUX FALLS, S.D. \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today released the following statement:\n\n\u201cThe Biden-Harris administration has forced the American people to endure four years of high prices, open borders, and chaos on the world stage. Tonight, with Republicans reclaiming majority control of the U.S. Senate, we can begin to turn the page on this expensive and reckless chapter of American history. As we wait for additional results, I am optimistic that President Trump will be successful, our majority will grow stronger, and we can continue our work together to create a safer and more secure country for every American.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:02:12Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=82D41853-A22B-46F9-A645-05F2EA228B46", "Thune Congratulates President Trump and Senator Vance", "2024-11-06", "2024", "2024-11", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "SIOUX FALLS, S.D. \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today released the following statement:\n\n\u201cCongratulations to President Trump and Senator Vance on their hard-fought victory. The American people have chosen to turn the page on the Biden-Harris administration\u2019s failed policies of high prices and open borders and instead chart a new course for our country. The incoming Senate Republican majority will work hand-in-hand with the Trump-Vance administration to lower costs for families, secure our southern border, and renew America\u2019s energy dominance. The work begins now.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:02:12Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-king-seek-maximum-h-2b-work-visas-to-support-small-businesses-in-2025", "Rounds, King Seek Maximum H-2B Work Visas to Support Small Businesses in 2025", "2024-10-30", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Angus King (I-Maine), alongside a bipartisan group of their colleagues, have written to the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to release the maximum allowable number of additional H-2B visas for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025.\n\nH-2B visas fill needs for American small businesses when there are not enough able and willing American workers to fill the temporary, seasonal positions. As required by law, employers must first make a concerted effort to hire American workers to fill open positions. When the local workforce is insufficient, H-2Bs are seen as a necessary tool to support local economies. Employers often spend more money to hire temporary H-2B workers, who are paid a prevailing wage as required by the U.S. Department of Labor.\n\n\u201cWe write on behalf of seasonal businesses in our states\u2014including employers of housekeepers in tourist destinations, landscapers with defined seasons, seafood processors with short harvesting windows, and fairs and carnivals\u2014who are struggling to hire a sufficient number of temporary, seasonal laborers to support their operations,\u201d wrote the Senators. \u201cIn light of these labor shortages, we strongly urge the Department of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Department of Labor, to utilize the authority provided by Congress in the FY2025 Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act to release the maximum allowable number of additional H-2B visas for Fiscal Year 2025, as you did for Fiscal Year 2024.\u201d\n\nThe letter was also signed by Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Chris Coons (D-Del.), John Cornyn (R-Teas.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), John Fetterman (D-Penn.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), George Helmy (D-N.J.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Joe Manchin (I-W.V.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), John Thune (R-S.D.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.)\n\nThe full text of the letter can be found here or below.\n\n+++\n\nDear Secretaries Mayorkas and Su:\n\nWe write on behalf of seasonal businesses in our states\u2014including employers of housekeepers in tourist destinations, landscapers with defined seasons, seafood processors with short harvesting windows, and fairs and carnivals\u2014who are struggling to hire a sufficient number of temporary, seasonal laborers to support their operations.\n\nIn light of these labor shortages, we strongly urge the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in consultation with the Department of Labor (DOL), to utilize the authority provided by Congress in the FY2025 Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act to release the maximum allowable number of additional H-2B visas for Fiscal Year 2025, as you did for Fiscal Year 2024. These visas will help employers handle their labor challenges, and provide additional certainty regarding their workforce planning decisions in the coming months. We urge you to promptly publish a temporary rule implementing the release of these supplemental visas.\n\nMany employers turn to the H-2B program to meet their workforce needs to not only sustain their businesses, but also support their American workers. The H-2B program places requirements on employers to recruit U.S. workers, who are intentionally prioritized by the program and also receive demonstrated, positive impacts from their seasonal colleagues. In fact, a 2020 Government Accountability Office report concluded that \u201ccounties with H-2B employers generally had lower unemployment rates and higher average weekly wages than counties that do not have any H-2B employers.\u201d\n\nThe most current employment data illustrates the workforce struggles of seasonal businesses nationwide. The Department of Labor\u2019s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Surveys (JOLTS) show the rate of job openings have increased year over year for the industries that represent the top five H-2B occupations. As you know, the FY 2025 H-2B first half fiscal year cap was met on September 18, 2024\u2014roughly three weeks earlier than the cap was met in FY 2024. The result is that seasonal employers whose peak seasons are in late fall and winter are capped out before their period of seasonal need begins. Absent cap relief, these employers will be unable to receive temporary, U.S. government-vetted guest workers.\n\nCongress has acknowledged this seasonal labor shortage by providing DHS with the authority to lift the H-2B visa cap for each of the past eight fiscal years. Given the growing demand for H-2B workers as employers continue to struggle with staffing shortages, we encourage you to promptly promulgate a temporary final rule for FY 2025 along the same lines as the FY 2024 rule.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-seeking-spring-2025-internship-applications", "Rounds Seeking Spring 2025 Internship Applications", "2024-10-23", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "PIERRE \u2013 U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) is currently accepting applications from college students to serve as interns during the spring 2025 semester. Positions are available in his Washington, D.C. office and his state offices in Pierre, Rapid City and Sioux Falls. Spring internships typically run from January to May, but dates can be tailored to specific schedules. Interns will receive a stipend, and the office works closely with all universities to meet the criteria necessary for interns to receive college credit.\n\n\u201cOur internship program is an incredible opportunity for students to experience a deeper understanding of the political process,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cInterns are crucial to our office operations both in South Dakota and in D.C. The program is open to students from all areas of discipline, not just political science. I encourage interested college students to apply for the upcoming spring internship.\u201d\n\nIntern duties include researching bills, tracking legislation, attending committee hearings and briefings, handling constituent correspondence and providing support in all areas of the office to Rounds and his staff. Internships can also be tailored to an intern\u2019s specific interest areas when possible.\n\nInterested students can apply at https://www.rounds.senate.gov/internships. The application deadline is November 15, 2024. For more information, please call Rebecca Herman at (605) 336-0486.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/weekly-column/thank-your-local-paper", "Thank Your Local Paper", "2024-10-18", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "I still look forward to getting my local news through a trusted news source, including my local newspaper, whether it\u2019s a real piece of paper or electronically delivered.\n\nRunning a newspaper today looks a lot different than it did when I was a kid. Digital photos have replaced the dark room and electronic media now plays a major role in how many of us receive our news. And as artificial intelligence capabilities continue to advance, newspapers are looking at the impact that could have on them, as well.\n\nWhat hasn\u2019t changed, however, is the importance of the reporter, the editor and the entire newspaper team. We still rely on reporters to be objective. We rely on editors to have integrity in determining which stories go on the front page, and which stories go on the editorial page. And we rely on the entire newspaper team to make sure we get our news in a timely fashion.\n\nWhile newspapers in South Dakota strive to meet these criteria, the U.S. Postal Service doesn\u2019t always help with the cause. Since 2021, while delivery rates for periodicals have increased cumulatively by 40%, nationwide on-time delivery has either declined or remained stagnant.\n\nSince the Postal Service\u2019s on-time delivery performances have not improved, it leaves local journalists to pick up the slack by handling their own delivery in order to make certain their readers receive their papers on time.\n\nThat\u2019s why I have introduced a bipartisan bill, called the Deliver for Democracy Act, which would address these persistent postal delays and surging rate increases that are negatively impacting local news outlets across the country. This legislation would require the USPS to improve its delivery of newspapers before it is allowed to raise its rate.\n\nLocal journalists work hard every day to deliver news on a timely basis. The U.S. Postal Service should have to do the same.\n\nEarlier this year, I was honored to receive the \"Support Journalism Champion Award\" from the NewsMedia Alliance, which represents more than 2,200 news outlets, including newspapers, magazines and online news organizations from across the country. While I am honored to have received this award, the real champions are the local journalists who work tirelessly every day to produce and publish a document at the center of their communities.\n\nAs we celebrate National Newspaper Week, I want to recognize and thank everyone working for local newspapers in South Dakota. You all play a vital role in keeping our communities connected, vibrant and strong. You go the extra mile to make sure community members are informed of the news around the world.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-hagerty-colleagues-call-out-doj-for-refusing-to-provide-answers-on-prosecutions-of-illegal-aliens-registering-to-vote", "Rounds, Hagerty, Colleagues Call Out DOJ for Refusing to Provide Answers on Prosecutions of Illegal Aliens Registering to Vote", "2024-10-11", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) joined his colleague Senator Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) in calling out U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on the Department of Justice\u2019s (DOJ) failure to prevent illegal aliens from registering to vote in American elections or prosecute those who evidently have done so.\n\n\u201cWe are deeply concerned by reports of non-citizens registering to vote and voting in federal elections,\u201d the members wrote. \u201cAs of today, there has been no response from you or your Department regarding the inquiry on July 12, 2024, seeking information on efforts undertaken by your Department to enforce laws prohibiting non-citizen voting. Given that the 2024 Presidential Election is in less than 34 days, your Department\u2019s inaction and refusal to provide any information regarding its efforts to promote public trust and confidence in our elections is especially alarming.\u201d\n\n\u201cClearly, there is a non-negligible amount of voter participation by non-citizens in federal elections, which is not only a serious threat to the integrity of our elections and the democratic process they represent, but also has the potential to reduce Americans\u2019 trust and confidence in election results,\u201d the members continued.\n\nRounds and Hagerty were joined on this letter by Senators Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), John Kennedy (R-La.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), along with 40 members of the House of Representatives.\n\nRead the full letter HERE or below.\n\n+++\n\nDear Attorney General Garland:\n\nWe are deeply concerned by reports of non-citizens registering to vote and voting in federal elections. As of today, there has been no response from you or your Department regarding the inquiry on July 12, 2024, seeking information on efforts undertaken by your Department to enforce laws prohibiting non-citizen voting. Given that the 2024 Presidential Election is in less than 34 days, your Department\u2019s inaction and refusal to provide any information regarding its efforts to promote public trust and confidence in our elections is especially alarming.\n\nSince the initial letter, several more concerning reports have been released by state officials indicating that a large number of non-citizens appear on their voter rolls. For example, the Virginia Attorney General recently announced that 6,303 non-citizens were identified on and removed from Virginia\u2019s voter rolls in 2022 and 2023. In another troubling report released in August, over 6,500 non-citizens registered to vote in Texas were identified and removed from voter rolls. Of the 6,500 non-citizens identified, 1,930 had a voter history.\n\nClearly, there is a non-negligible amount of voter participation by non-citizens in federal elections, which is not only a serious threat to the integrity of our elections and the democratic process they represent, but also has the potential to reduce Americans\u2019 trust and confidence in election results.\n\nAccordingly, we respectfully reiterate the July 12 request for information on your Department\u2019s enforcement efforts. The initial deadline for providing this information was July 26, 2024, so the response is now 9 weeks overdue.\n\nPlease provide responses to the following no later than October 16, 2024:\n\nPlease provide the number of aliens who have been charged, tried, or convicted under 18 U.S.C. \u00a7 611 since January 20, 2021, including the status of each case.\n\nPlease provide the number of aliens who been charged, tried, or convicted under 52 U.S.C. \u00a7 20511 since January 20, 2021, including the status of each case.\n\nPlease provide the number of aliens who have been prosecuted under 18 U.S.C. \u00a7 911 since 2021, including the status of each case.\n\nPlease provide the number of referrals received from other government officials or the public in reference to the statutes cited in questions 1 through 3.\n\nHow does the Department of Justice investigate allegations received of non-citizen voting or voter registration?\n\nWhat affirmative steps have the Department of Justice taken to detect, prevent, and deter illegal aliens and other non-citizens from registering and voting in federal elections?\n\nWhat affirmative steps have the Department taken to obtain relevant information from the Department of Homeland Security on aliens who have registered or voted in elections?\n\nWhat steps have been taken by U.S. Attorneys and the Public Integrity Section of the Criminal Division, which is responsible for prosecuting election crimes and assisting U.S. Attorneys in prosecuting election crimes, to obtain jury-related information that indicates aliens have unlawfully registered to vote?\n\nAs the 2024 election nears, what steps will the Department take to detect, investigate, and prosecute non-citizens who violate 18 U.S.C.\u00a7 911, 52 U.S.C. \u00a7 20511, or 18 U.S.C. \u00a7 611 by voting or registering to vote in the 2024 election?\n\nWhat steps have the Department taken to contact Virginia and Texas election officials to obtain information and the voter registration and voter history files on each of the aliens removed from the voter rolls who were unlawfully registered and voting in those states?\n\nThank you for your attention to this matter and we look forward to your prompt reply.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases/johnsons-office-now-accepting-spring-2025-internship-applications", "Johnson\u2019s Office Now Accepting Spring 2025 Internship Applications", "2024-10-10", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "House", "SD", "Dusty Johnson", "J000301", "dustyjohnson.house.gov", "dustyjohnson", "https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) is seeking internship applications for the spring in his Washington, D.C., Rapid City, Aberdeen, and Sioux Falls offices.\n\nDuties include researching legislation, writing memos, attending committee hearings and briefings, answering constituent phone calls, sorting mail, and providing support to the staff and the Member of Congress.\n\nInterns will be given the opportunity to develop their research, writing, and communications skills while working closely alongside staff. They will also gain an in-depth understanding of how the legislative branch of government operates while helping to serve South Dakota constituents.\n\n\u201cA Congressional office is a fast-paced, dynamic environment filled with rewarding work,\u201d said Johnson. \u201cMotivated interns get a hands-on experience with projects that give them a behind-the-scenes look at Congress, both in D.C. and in South Dakota.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=56E0D302-0A79-43D3-A60E-A41C20184A6D", "Thune Statement on Passing of Former Senator Tim Johnson", "2024-10-09", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "SIOUX FALLS, S.D. \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today released the following statement on the passing of former Sen. Tim Johnson.\n\n\u201cKimberley and I join all South Dakotans in mourning the loss of former Senator Tim Johnson,\u201d said Thune. \u201cKnown for his tenacity and work ethic, Tim was a steadfast leader who dedicated his life to serving the people of South Dakota with integrity and compassion. He fought tirelessly for rural America and leaves a legacy that will have a lasting impact for years to come. We are praying for Barbara and their entire family and know that Tim\u2019s remarkable life will continue to inspire future generations.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:55:29Z"], ["https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases/johnson-smith-craig-introduce-bill-codify-year-round-e15", "Johnson, Smith, Craig Introduce Bill to Codify Year-Round E15", "2024-09-27", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "House", "SD", "Dusty Johnson", "J000301", "dustyjohnson.house.gov", "dustyjohnson", "https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congressional Biofuels Caucus Co-Chairs Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), Adrian Smith (R-NE), and Angie Craig (D-MN), along with U.S. Reps. Nikki Budzinski (D-IL), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), and Sharice Davids (D-KS) introduced the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act. This legislation would extend the Reid vapor pressure (RVP) volatility waiver to enable the year-round, nationwide sale of ethanol blends up to 15 percent.\n\n\u201cSecuring year-round availability of E15 would provide certainty to the fuel sector, improve the production and supply of American-made fuel, and help drive down the prices at the pump,\u201d said Johnson. \u201cI am proud to help lead this effort and will continue working to get year-round E15 signed into law.\u201d\n\n\u201cAt a time when agricultural producers are struggling, uncertainty in the energy market is looming, and consumers are paying more at the pumps, the United States cannot afford to leave any opportunity to boost energy production on the table,\u201d said Smith. \u201cSince I first introduced similar legislation, I have been pushing EPA to allow the uninterrupted sale of E15. Flexibility and greater consumer choice strengthens the U.S. fuel market, and Nebraska's farmers have the capacity to meet demand. I thank Rep. Craig, Sen. Fischer, and my House colleagues for their cooperation to unlock this sustainable fuel source and provide relief for hard-working Americans at the fuel pump.\u201d\n\n\u201cHomegrown biofuels are tools we have right now to address climate change, strengthen our nation\u2019s energy infrastructure and lower costs for Americans at the gas pump,\u201d said Craig. \u201cThis bill is the kind of commonsense legislation we need more of in Washington and I\u2019m proud to be a part of the bipartisan coalition fighting for year-round E15 in the House.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe thank our renewable fuel supporters in the House for introducing this bipartisan legislation and continuing to fight for fair market access for E15 and our nation\u2019s farmers and ethanol producers. With just a few months left in this Congress, we urge lawmakers to swiftly adopt this bill and deliver a win for American families seeking cleaner, lower-cost fuel options,\u201d said Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper.\n\n\u201cE15 is one of the best ways to lower costs for consumers while also reducing our carbon emissions. For the past six summers, hardworking families across America have enjoyed big summer savings on E15 ranging from 10 to 30 cents per gallon, with some locations selling the fuel for more than a dollar less per gallon,\u201d said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor. \u201cBut over the last three summers, those savings were only possible thanks to last-minute intervention by EPA. This bill will finally fix the outdated law that threatens to take E15 off the market when consumers need it most during the busy summer driving season. We thank Representative Smith (R-Neb.), Representative Craig (D-Minn), and the bipartisan group of cosponsors for their leadership to ensure we preserve consumer access to lower-carbon, more-affordable fuel options nationwide all year round. With bipartisan bills now introduced in both chambers of Congress, this is our chance to finally get this commonsense legislation across the finish line.\u201d\n\nClick here for bill text.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases/johnson-thune-rounds-introduce-legislation-advance-western-dakota-water", "Johnson, Thune, Rounds Introduce Legislation to Advance Western Dakota Water Project", "2024-09-26", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "House", "SD", "Dusty Johnson", "J000301", "dustyjohnson.house.gov", "dustyjohnson", "https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) recently introduced bicameral versions of legislation that would authorize afeasibility study for the Western Dakota Regional Water System.\n\n\u201cWater is essential,\u201d said Johnson. \u201cEnsuring our Western South Dakota communities receive sufficient and clean water is necessary for healthy, growing communities. I am grateful for Senator Thune and Rounds\u2019 partnership on this issue and look forward to continuing to advance the Western Dakota Rural Water System project.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Western Dakota Regional Water System is a promising proposal to address the rapidly growing water needs of the Black Hills region,\u201d said Thune. \u201cThis legislation would advance the project by authorizing a Bureau of Reclamation study in order to determine the feasibility of the project, and I\u2019m proud to join Rep. Johnson and Sen. Rounds in this critical effort.\u201d\n\n\u201cAccess to clean water in rural areas is critical for South Dakotans,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cAuthorizing a feasibility study for the Western Dakota Regional Water System gets us one step closer to delivering more water West River. I\u2019m pleased to be joining Sen. Thune and Rep. Johnson in this effort.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-heinrich-introduce-legislation-to-leverage-artificial-intelligence-for-pandemic-preparedness-and-response", "Rounds, Heinrich Introduce Legislation to Leverage Artificial Intelligence for Pandemic Preparedness and Response", "2024-09-26", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), co-chairs of the Senate Artificial Intelligence (AI) Caucus, today introduced legislation to leverage AI for national pandemic preparedness and response through a program called MedShield. The legislation would implement a recommendation of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence.\n\nMedShield would be the United States\u2019 \u201cshield\u201d to proactively protect the nation against future pandemics and avoid the preparedness issues that plagued the nation at the beginning of the COVID pandemic. To that end, MedShield would foster collaboration between the public and private sectors as well as with global allies and partners. The program would leverage AI to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of U.S. pandemic prevention and response across five key areas:\n\nPathogen detection and surveillance\n\nVaccine development\n\nTherapeutic development\n\nModeling for pathogen tracking and vaccine distribution\n\nRapid manufacturing of vaccines and therapeutics.\n\n\u201cGiven the millions of deaths and trillions of dollars in economic costs resulting from COVID-19, we need to make strategic investments in pandemic prevention and preparedness. I believe AI should play a key role in those efforts\u201d said Rounds. \u201cThe MedShield program would utilize AI to help the U.S. identify pathogens that pose pandemic threats and work quickly to develop necessary protections. I\u2019m pleased to be introducing this legislation with Senator Heinrich, my co-chair of the Senate AI Caucus, to leverage AI to save lives.\u201d\n\n\u201cAI holds amazing potential to supercharge major scientific and medical advances \u2013 including our ability to anticipate and address the next public health crisis,\u201d said Heinrich, Founder and Co-Chair of the Senate Artificial Intelligence Caucus. \u201cBy leveraging AI, our Medshield Act gives us a significant advantage in preparing for the emergence of new biological threats to prevent the next pandemic.\u201d\n\n\"I strongly support and applaud Senators Rounds\u2019 and Heinrich\u2019s leadership in introducing legislation to create the MedShield program. This critical program is a key recommendation from the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, recognizing the transformative role AI can play in pandemic preparedness,\u201d said Ylli Bajraktari, the former Executive Director of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence. \u201cThe COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for rapid innovation in detecting threats and accelerating vaccine and therapeutic development with AI. MedShield will bring together the power of AI and human ingenuity, significantly enhancing our ability to respond to future biological threats with speed and precision. This legislation is a crucial step toward creating an integrated AI-enabled system that will safeguard public health and our national security.\"\n\n\u201cI am excited to see the MedShield program move forward,\u201d said Jos\u00e9-Marie Griffiths, President of Dakota State University. \u201cWhen we embrace the full potential of artificial intelligence to address complex problems such as pandemics, we can find new and innovative solutions for serious issues. These technologies allow us to open the door to possible approaches which will not only solve problems, but prevent them.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs we identify needs in our communities and develop solutions, a key focus for the University of South Dakota and our state is \u2018AI for good,\u2019\u201d said Sheila K. Gestring, President of the University of South Dakota. \u201cAI plays a powerful role in health care and community health, as it helps us access accurate and reliable information, make predictions based on data, and support informed decision-making. Through the smart and effective use of AI, we have the opportunity to improve human lives and develop the tools we need to face the challenges of the future. I applaud Senator Rounds for his continued focus on supporting efforts to leverage AI for good.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe applaud this initiative to leverage AI for creating an integrated system that will identify threats and speed response times during a pandemic,\u201d said Dr. Lance Roberts, Interim President at the South Dakota School of Mines. \u201cData is being created at an exponential rate and the use of AI is a necessity to process this information so critical decisions can be made in a timely manner.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe 'MedShield Act of 2024' presents an opportunity to leverage cutting-edge AI technologies that could support the efficiency, accuracy, and effectiveness of our healthcare response infrastructure,\u201d said Dr. Shanna O\u2019Connor, Department Head of Pharmacy at South Dakota State University. \u201cAs someone who has firsthand experience in navigating the challenges of public health crises, I believe the integration of AI-supported tools in both therapeutic development and deployment may significantly strengthen our preparedness for future health emergencies.\u201d\n\nThe legislation includes:\n\nFindings and a Sense of Congress addressing the nation\u2019s need to be better prepared for a pandemic, noting the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (NSCAI) recommendation and the need to avoid an initiative such as Operation Warp Speed for the next pandemic.\n\nRequirement for the United States Department of Health and Human Services to operationalize AI to implement the NSCAI recommendation.\n\nAuthorization of funding for each fiscal year during FY 2025 \u2013 2029.\n\nClick HERE for full bill text.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=4DBA30C3-1053-41B8-8AF0-BC10E43DE516", "Thune, Johnson, Rounds Introduce Legislation to Advance Western Dakota Water Project", "2024-09-26", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, recently introduced bicameral versions of legislation that would authorize a feasibility study for the Western Dakota Regional Water System.\n\n\u201cThe Western Dakota Regional Water System is a promising proposal to address the rapidly growing water needs of the Black Hills region,\u201d said Thune. \u201cThis legislation would advance the project by authorizing a Bureau of Reclamation study in order to determine the feasibility of the project, and I\u2019m proud to join Rep. Johnson and Sen. Rounds in this critical effort.\u201d\n\n\u201cWater is essential,\u201d said Johnson. \u201cEnsuring our Western South Dakota communities receive sufficient and clean water is necessary for healthy, growing communities. I am grateful for Senator Thune and Rounds\u2019 partnership on this issue and look forward to continuing to advance the Western Dakota Rural Water System project.\u201d\n\n\u201cAccess to clean water in rural areas is critical for South Dakotans,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cAuthorizing a feasibility study for the Western Dakota Regional Water System gets us one step closer to delivering more water West River. I\u2019m pleased to be joining Sen. Thune and Rep. Johnson in this effort.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe applaud Senator Thune and Representative Johnson\u2019s introduction of a bill to authorize a Bureau of Reclamation feasibility study for Western South Dakota Regional Water,\u201d said Cheryl Chapman, executive director of WDRWS. \u201cThis authorization is the next crucial step to deliver abundant, quality water to all corners of western South Dakota.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:46:43Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=DD24F9A3-9939-432F-9E44-C22ED11E5861", "Thune: Families Falling Behind in Biden-Harris Economy", "2024-09-25", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "Click here to watch the video.\n\nWASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today spoke on the Senate floor about the burden Americans are facing as a result of the Biden-Harris administration\u2019s reckless spending. Thune noted that American families have to spend over $13,000 more per year to maintain the same standard of living they had when President Biden and Vice President Harris took office.\n\nThune\u2019s remarks below (as prepared for delivery):\n\n\u201cMr. President, when the history of the Biden-Harris administration is written, I suspect it will be defined by the historic inflation crisis that has characterized almost all four years of this presidency.\n\n\u201cIt started almost right away.\n\n\u201cEager to begin implementing their big-spending visions, Democrats seized on COVID as an excuse for a massive, partisan, $1.9 trillion spending spree \u2013 the so-called American Rescue Plan Act.\n\n\u201cDemocrats were warned that their bill ran the risk of, quote, \u2018set[ting] off inflationary pressures of a kind we have not seen in a generation.\u2019\n\n\u201cBut they proceeded anyway.\n\n\u201cVice President Harris cast the tiebreaking vote in the Senate to ensure that this massive government boondoggle would become law.\n\n\u201cAnd within weeks of its passage, inflation began climbing.\n\n\u201cAnd kept climbing.\n\n\u201cAnd climbed some more.\n\n\u201cBy 2022, inflation had reached its highest level in 40 years.\n\n\u201c40 years.\n\n\u201cAnd Americans felt the consequences.\n\n\u201cAs the price of everything from gas to groceries shot up, Americans dipped into their savings to make ends meet, or put essential items on their credit cards.\n\n\u201cThey took on second jobs.\n\n\u201cThey visited food banks.\n\n\u201cThey put off home repairs or family vacations.\n\n\u201cThey skipped necessary medical care.\n\n\u201cAnd even as the rate of inflation has finally \u2013 finally \u2013 slowed, Americans continue to suffer as prices remain elevated.\n\n\u201cToday Americans are paying 21 percent more for groceries than they were when President Biden and Vice President Harris took office.\n\n\u201cThey\u2019re paying 37 percent more for energy.\n\n\u201c45 percent more for gasoline.\n\n\u201c22 percent more for shelter.\n\n\u201cThe list goes on.\n\n\u201cToday a typical family needs to spend an additional $13,202 per year to maintain the same standard of living it enjoyed when President Biden and Vice President Harris took office.\n\n\u201c$13,202.\n\n\u201cJust think about that for a minute, Mr. President.\n\n\u201cHow many lower- and middle-income families do you know who can easily absorb an extra $13,000 a year?\n\n\u201cHow many families out there have had to lower their standard of living as a result of the Biden-Harris administration?\n\n\u201cHow many missed vacations or missed braces or missed extracurricular activities or missed car repairs or home projects does that $13,000 represent?\n\n\u201cAnd, Mr. President, in addition to the staggering price hikes of the past few years, Americans have had to contend with additional economic pain as a result of the rate hikes the Federal Reserve was forced to impose to deal with the Biden-Harris inflation crisis.\n\n\u201cThose rate hikes drove up credit card interest rates.\n\n\u201cThey drove up rates for car loans.\n\n\u201cThey drove up mortgage rates.\n\n\u201cAnd so Americans who, for example, have had to charge things to their credit cards to deal with high food or energy prices are now facing increased challenges in paying off that debt.\n\n\u201cA September Wall Street Journal article noted, and I quote, \u2018Around 9.1% of credit-card balances turned delinquent over the past year, the highest rate in over a decade, according to an August report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.\u2019\n\n\u201cOther Americans are finding the American dream of owning your own home out of their reach, as they face elevated mortgage rates on top of staggering housing prices.\n\n\u201cMr. President, President Biden has talked a lot about building an economy from the bottom up and the middle out.\n\n\u201cBut it\u2019s lower- and middle-income Americans who have suffered the most in the Biden-Harris economy.\n\n\u201cAnd if Vice President Harris becomes president and Democrats take control in Congress, the next few years aren\u2019t likely to look too good for lower- and middle-income Americans either.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s already become clear that Vice President Harris intends to continue with the tax-and-spend agenda she and President Biden have worked to impose.\n\n\u201cAnd if she is elected Americans should brace themselves for more economic pain.\n\n\u201cMr. President, \u2018The need is greater. Costs are still high. Gas prices are high. Owning a home is a struggle. Every time I look at my bank account, it\u2019s always going down.\u2019\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s what one American had to say about his economic situation earlier this year.\n\n\u201cAnd it\u2019s been the story for too many Americans in the Biden-Harris economy.\n\n\u201cWe can only hope they don\u2019t have to deal with another four years of it.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I yield the floor.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:46:43Z"], ["https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases/delegation-urges-biden-grant-disaster-declaration-cheyenne-river-sioux-tribe", "Delegation Urges Biden to Grant Disaster Declaration for Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe", "2024-09-24", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "House", "SD", "Dusty Johnson", "J000301", "dustyjohnson.house.gov", "dustyjohnson", "https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and U.S. Senators John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today sent a letter to President Biden urging him to issue a major disaster declaration for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe following extreme weather, particularly strong winds, that occurred July 13, 2024 through July 14, 2024.\n\n\u201cWhile the final cost of the disaster is not yet determined, costs associated with the disaster exceed the Tribe's ability to pay and meets the threshold for federal assistance,\u201d wrote the delegation. \u201cWe support the Tribe's request and urge you to approve a major disaster declaration as soon as possible so that the necessary federal resources are available to assist the impacted Tribal areas.\u201d\n\nRead the full letter HERE or below.\n\n+++\n\nDear President Biden:\n\nWe write in strong support of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe's major disaster declaration request for the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. This disaster declaration request would assist in recovery efforts from severe weather that occurred July 13, 2024, through July 14, 2024.\n\nBeginning the evening of July 13, Tribal areas experienced severe weather resulting from a derecho that brought wind gusts of up to 108 mph as well as heavy rainfalls. These extreme weather conditions caused extensive damage to utility and road infrastructure including to culverts. Dozens of homeowners and businesses sustained damage, including multiple buildings determined to be a complete loss. Critical infrastructure also suffered significant damage including public safety facilities as well as the partial loss of public safety telecommunications systems. While the final cost of the disaster is not yet determined, costs associated with the disaster exceed the Tribe's ability to pay and meets the threshold for federal assistance.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/delegation-urges-biden-to-grant-disaster-declaration-for-cheyenne-river-sioux-tribe", "Delegation Urges Biden to Grant Disaster Declaration for Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe", "2024-09-24", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) and U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) today sent a letter to President Biden urging him to issue a major disaster declaration for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe following extreme weather, particularly strong winds, that occurred July 13, 2024 through July 14, 2024.\n\n\u201cWhile the final cost of the disaster is not yet determined, costs associated with the disaster exceed the Tribe's ability to pay and meets the threshold for federal assistance,\u201d wrote the delegation. \u201cWe support the Tribe's request and urge you to approve a major disaster declaration as soon as possible so that the necessary federal resources are available to assist the impacted Tribal areas.\u201d\n\nRead the full letter HERE or below.\n\n+++\n\nDear President Biden:\n\nWe write in strong support of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe's major disaster declaration request for the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. This disaster declaration request would assist in recovery efforts from severe weather that occurred July 13, 2024, through July 14, 2024.\n\nBeginning the evening of July 13, Tribal areas experienced severe weather resulting from a derecho that brought wind gusts of up to 108 mph as well as heavy rainfalls. These extreme weather conditions caused extensive damage to utility and road infrastructure including to culverts. Dozens of homeowners and businesses sustained damage, including multiple buildings determined to be a complete loss. Critical infrastructure also suffered significant damage including public safety facilities as well as the partial loss of public safety telecommunications systems. While the final cost of the disaster is not yet determined, costs associated with the disaster exceed the Tribe's ability to pay and meets the threshold for federal assistance.\n\nWe support the Tribe's request and urge you to approve a major disaster declaration as soon as possible so that the necessary federal resources are available to assist the impacted Tribal areas. Thank you for your prompt attention to this request, and please do not hesitate to contact us if we can provide any additional information.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=82C2EFB9-AC93-40B6-913E-96F6C62D8AEF", "Thune: Harris\u2019s Tenure as \u201cBroadband Czar\u201d Nothing Short of a Disaster", "2024-09-24", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "Click here to watch the video.\n\nWASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today called out Vice President Harris for mishandling $42 billion in taxpayer dollars for broadband expansion that was intended to connect Americans in rural areas to the internet. Thune noted that the administration continues to put Democrats\u2019 radical agenda ahead of the needs of the American people. Last week, Thune led his Republican colleagues in writing a letter to Vice President Harris demanding accountability for her gross mismanagement of taxpayer dollars.\n\nThune\u2019s remarks below (as delivered):\n\n\u201cMr. President, as a senator from a rural state \u2013 and a former chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee \u2013 expanding broadband access to rural areas has long been a priority of mine.\n\n\u201cI\u2019ve done a lot of work on this issue \u2013 which is precisely why I was so concerned when the infrastructure bill proposed $42 billion for rural broadband to be funneled through the Commerce Department\u2019s National Telecommunications and Information Administration, or NTIA.\n\n\u201cI was doubtful whether NTIA was capable of administering $42 billion, given its previous struggles to administer a fraction of that amount of money.\n\n\u201cAnd unfortunately those concerns have turned out to be well-founded.\n\n\u201cThe Biden-Harris administration\u2019s signature broadband initiative \u2013 and Vice President Harris\u2019s tenure as broadband czar \u2013 has been nothing short of a disaster.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s been nearly three years since the $42-billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment \u2013 or what we call the BEAD \u2013 program was established at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to provide broadband access to unserved communities.\n\n\u201cThree years.\n\n\u201cAnd in all of that time, Mr. President, the program has not connected a single household to the internet.\n\n\u201cLet me say that again.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s been nearly three years \u2013 and to be precise, 1,044 days \u2013 since the BEAD program was established \u2013 and in all of that time \u2013 over 1,000 days \u2013 the program has not connected a single household to the internet.\n\n\u201cThe logical question would be, \u2018Why?\u2019\n\n\u201cPlease tell us why.\n\n\u201cWell, Mr. President, it\u2019s a story, a sad story, of government inefficiency and progressivism run amok.\n\n\u201cInstead of focusing on delivering broadband services to unserved areas, the Biden-Harris administration loaded down the BEAD program with a liberal wish list of requirements that were never envisioned by Congress and have obstructed broadband deployment.\n\n\u201cClimate change mandates.\n\n\u201cPrioritizing government-owned networks over private investment.\n\n\u201cBiased technology mandates.\n\n\u201cPrioritizing the use of union labor.\n\n\u201cAttempts to impose price controls \u2013 in direct violation of the law.\n\n\u201cDEI hiring priorities.\n\n\u201cWhat should have been a straightforward application and approval process for building networks has become a literal morass.\n\n\u201cWhy, oh why, Mr. President, should rural telecoms in South Dakota be talking about climate change mandates in building out broadband networks to serve underserved people in rural areas of the country?\n\n\u201cAnd as if the list of woke requirements weren\u2019t enough, it has been matched by massive inefficiency from the administration.\n\n\u201cOne state official who recently testified before the Energy and Commerce Committee in the House had this to say about the program\u2019s implementation, and I\u2019m quoting here: \u2018States face a common issue \u2013 navigating the complex BEAD process. NTIA\u2019s functional requests are akin to building a plane while flying it without having the necessary instructions to be successful. NTIA has provided either no guidance, guidance given too late, or guidance changing midstream, all with a lack of appreciation for state operations and costs and the needs of our telecommunication providers \u2026\u2019\n\n\u201cAnother official from another state described BEAD as, and I quote, \u2018the most burdensome federal program\u2019 she has ever imagined.\n\n\u201c\u2018The most burdensome federal program\u2019 she has ever imagined, and worse yet, ever had to manage.\n\n\u201cGiven all this, I suppose it\u2019s no surprise that not only has broadband not reached even one household through the BEAD program, but construction projects haven\u2019t even begun.\n\n\u201cCurrent expectations for the start of construction on various BEAD projects range from sometime next year to sometime in 2026.\n\n\u201c2026.\n\n\u201cWe\u2019re already at 1,044 days since this program was enacted.\n\n\u201cNot a single dollar has been allocated out of the $42 billion.\n\n\u201cWell, if this is what things look like with Vice President Harris as broadband czar, I shudder to think what things would look like if she were in charge of the entire federal government.\n\n\u201cMr. President, this isn\u2019t the first time I\u2019ve sounded the alarm on the implementation of the BEAD program and the burdensome and extralegal requirements the Biden-Harris administration has imposed.\n\n\u201cAnd I\u2019ve been joined in this by Commerce Committee ranking member, Senator Cruz, who shares my concerns, as well as other committee Republicans who share those concerns, as well.\n\n\u201cAnd I\u2019d like to see some of my Democrat colleagues taking a closer look at BEAD implementation and broadband implementation more generally.\n\n\u201cAs the BEAD program makes very clear, you can throw a lot \u2013 a lot, $42 billion, a lot \u2013 a lot of taxpayer money at a problem and still not get results.\n\n\u201cAnd I\u2019d like to see the Commerce Committee conduct a lot more oversight of the programs and agencies under its jurisdiction.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s been more than 1,500 days since the last Federal Communications Commission oversight hearing at the Commerce Committee.\n\n\u201cThe principal committee of jurisdiction over the FCC.\n\n\u201cIn fact, we haven\u2019t held a single FCC oversight hearing since Democrats took control of the Senate back in 2021.\n\n\u201cAnd despite the ongoing failure of the BEAD program at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, we haven\u2019t held a single hearing on NTIA yet in this Congress.\n\n\u201cAnd while I understand that highlighting the failure of the Biden-Harris administration\u2019s signature broadband initiative is probably not high on Democrats\u2019 priority list, our obligation to the American people \u2013 and our concern for the millions of Americans without broadband access \u2013 should put BEAD oversight at the top of the Commerce Committee\u2019s agenda.\n\n\u201cMr. President, the BEAD program\u2019s failure certainly highlights the fact that Vice President Harris has been no more effective as broadband czar than she has been as border czar.\n\n\u201cAnd it also points to larger problems with progressivism \u2013 like big promises but poor results, and the prioritization of liberal social fantasies over the needs of the American people.\n\n\u201cAnd I suspect that if Broadband Czar Harris becomes President Harris, the BEAD program will not be the last disastrous government program we see on her watch.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I yield the floor.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:46:43Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=8B9B4C52-266D-486C-A68E-18AD91FFF7C4", "Thune on Fox News: Adversaries Prey on Biden-Harris Administration\u2019s Weaknesses", "2024-09-23", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "Click here to watch the interview.\n\nWASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today joined Martha MacCallum on Fox News to discuss China targeting American agriculture, the Biden-Harris administration\u2019s projected weakness on the world stage, and the need to support Israel, our greatest ally in the Middle East.\n\nOn how agriculture is faring under the Biden-Harris administration:\n\n\u201cI think it's a big concern, Martha. And the reason farmers and ranchers are so supportive of President Trump and his policies is because under the Biden-Harris administration, what they've seen with inflation is a huge rise in input costs, declining commodity prices, and a record trade deficit.\n\n\u201cWe never had trade deficits in agriculture. We always had trade surpluses. Last year is the first year ever we had a trade deficit. This year it's going to be over $30 billion and they're saying the year after that, [a] $42 billion trade deficit for agriculture in this country.\n\n\u201cAnd so when you look at the increase in fertilizer cost, increase in diesel costs and land and equipment, and then the fact that commodity prices are going down, and then you see, like you said, what's happening with Chinese interest in this country in farmland and attempts to acquire farmland close to military bases \u2013 these are just, these policies of this administration have been an absolute failure when it comes to farmers and ranchers.\n\n\u201cAgriculture needs a new direction for this country, and the policies that President Trump brings when it comes to energy, when it comes to taxes, when it comes to regulations, when it comes to trade, is going to make American farmers and ranchers competitive again, and that's why we've got to have a change in November.\u201d\n\nOn how foreign adversaries view the Biden-Harris administration:\n\n\u201cAnd I think that's the problem, Martha, is [foreign adversaries] don't respect and revere Joe Biden or Kamala Harris, and so they prey on that weakness, and they take advantage of that weakness. And that's why countries like China, with a president like President Trump, they were worried, they were fearful of what was going to happen next.\u201d\n\nOn the United States standing with Israel:\n\n\u201cI think that we have to be prepared to have Israel's back, you know, whatever that takes.\n\n\u201cAnd we all know who's behind this. It's Iran. It's Iran, it's Hezbollah, it's Hamas, it's the Houthis, it's all these Iranian militias that have been attacking American troops in places like Syria. This is Iran, and, at some point, we're going to have to confront that reality.\n\n\u201cNow, one of the things that, of course, this administration has done is they have, again, projected weakness \u2013 lifting sanctions, making dollars available for Iran to be able to fund these terrorist organizations that are harassing Israel on a daily basis, on their borders. We've got to make sure that Israel is safe and secure and stable. It will bring peace and security and stability to that region, and it's going to require, if necessary, America to have Israel's back. We've always said that, and when push comes to shove, we need to make sure that we're there to support them and to ensure that stability reigns in that region.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:46:43Z"], ["https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases/johnson-thune-seek-nominations-us-service-academies-0", "Johnson, Thune Seek Nominations to U.S. Service Academies", "2024-09-20", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "House", "SD", "Dusty Johnson", "J000301", "dustyjohnson.house.gov", "dustyjohnson", "https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today announced that they are accepting applications to the U.S. service academies for the class entering in the summer of 2025.\n\n\u201cService academies provide an excellent educational opportunity for a select number of young men and women each year,\u201d said Thune and Johnson. \u201cOur state has always punched above its weight when it comes to military service, so we\u2019re looking forward to meeting the next generation of military leaders and helping them embark on the next chapter in their young careers.\u201d\n\nStudents interested in attending a service academy must first obtain a nomination, most commonly from a member of Congress. Thune and Johnson will make nominations to the Military Academy at West Point, the Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, the Naval Academy at Annapolis, and the Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=E78F2882-D58D-44F1-9F54-D8EC6288F027", "Thune, Johnson Seek Nominations to U.S. Service Academies", "2024-09-20", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) today announced that they are accepting applications to the U.S. service academies for the class entering in the summer of 2025.\n\n\u201cService academies provide an excellent educational opportunity for a select number of young men and women each year,\u201d said Thune and Johnson. \u201cOur state has always punched above its weight when it comes to military service, so we\u2019re looking forward to meeting the next generation of military leaders and helping them embark on the next chapter in their young careers.\u201d\n\nStudents interested in attending a service academy must first obtain a nomination, most commonly from a member of Congress. Thune and Johnson will make nominations to the Military Academy at West Point, the Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, the Naval Academy at Annapolis, and the Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point.\n\nThe deadline for submitting an application to both offices is November 1, 2024. Interested applicants should contact Thune\u2019s office at (605) 334-9596, and Johnson\u2019s office at (605) 275-2868.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:46:43Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-slams-biden-harris-administrations-botched-rollout-of-fafsa", "Rounds Slams Biden-Harris Administration\u2019s Botched Rollout of FAFSA", "2024-09-19", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) led a resolution slamming the Biden-Harris Administration\u2019s botched rollout of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2024-2025 school year. The resolution condemns the problematic rollout, calls for the Department of Education (ED) to identify and fix any issues for this year and asks leaders to testify before congressional committees regarding the rollout.\n\nFAFSA historically has opened applications on October 1 of the year prior to the start of the academic school year. For the academic year of 2024-2025, the applications opened 3 months later in December. ED subsequently did not start sending FAFSA data to universities until March. Because of this delay, many students did not receive their financial aid awards until after May 1, 2024, the date that many institutions require students to commit to attending for the fall semester.\n\nFor the academic year of 2025-2026, ED has already announced that the applications will again be delayed until December of this year.\n\n\u201cStudents and parents must be able to make an informed decision about where they\u2019re attending college before the decision deadline,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cA big piece of this decision is considering how much college will cost them and knowing how much aid they\u2019ll get to help. It\u2019s unacceptable that the Department of Education\u2019s botched FAFSA rollout has hurt America\u2019s students and institutions of higher education. My colleagues and I strongly condemn this massive failure and call on the Department of Education to take necessary steps to fix the FAFSA for this next school year.\u201d\n\nRounds was joined on this resolution by Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).\n\nIn January 2024, Rounds joined his colleagues in requesting a Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigation into the Biden-Harris Administration\u2019s failed FAFSA roll-out. In August 2024, Rounds introduced legislation to offer a new affordable student loan program as an alternative to the current federal aid.\n\nClick HERE for the full resolution.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=EB35F2E3-E4C4-4EE3-B6AC-943165E474F6", "Thune: Schumer\u2019s Show-Vote Summer Quickly Turning into Show-Vote Fall", "2024-09-19", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "Click here to watch the video.\n\nWASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today spoke on the Senate floor about the latest installment of Majority Leader Schumer\u2019s season of political show votes that is consuming valuable floor time that could be otherwise used to consider important legislation like the National Defense Authorization Act and annual appropriations bills.\n\nThune\u2019s remarks below (as delivered):\n\n\u201cMr. President, it was another installment of Show-Vote Summer in the Senate this week.\n\n\u201cReally, the Senate is starting to feel like an arm of the DNC.\n\n\u201cI say show votes, Mr. President, because of course this week\u2019s vote \u2013 and the other show votes we\u2019ve taken this summer \u2013 had nothing at all to do with legislating.\n\n\u201cThese were not attempts to pass bills.\n\n\u201cThese were future campaign talking points and television commercials.\n\n\u201cHad the Democrat leader really wanted to pass legislation, I can think of a number of bills he would have brought up.\n\n\u201cBut he isn\u2019t actually interested in getting anything done.\n\n\u201cHe\u2019s interested in \u2013 he hopes \u2013 getting votes in November.\n\n\u201cNow, Mr. President, with rare exceptions, the Senate has spent essentially the entire summer confirming Biden nominees and conducting show votes.\n\n\u201cAnd that\u2019s not because there hasn\u2019t been important legislation for us to take up.\n\n\u201cIn fact, it\u2019s quite the opposite.\n\n\u201cThe Senate has crucial legislation it should have been considering.\n\n\u201cThe National Defense Authorization Act, for one thing \u2013 one of the most important pieces of legislation we consider each year.\n\n\u201cDefense appropriations.\n\n\u201cVeterans appropriations.\n\n\u201cAll appropriations.\n\n\u201cThe end of the fiscal year is almost upon us \u2013 we have 11 days left \u2013 and yet we haven\u2019t taken up a single appropriations bill on the Senate floor.\n\n\u201cAnd that\u2019s not because the Appropriations Committee hasn\u2019t been doing its work.\n\n\u201cAgain, quite the opposite.\n\n\u201cBy the beginning of August, the Senate Appropriations Committee had passed 11 out of the 12 yearly appropriations bills \u2013 several of them unanimously.\n\n\u201cJust yesterday, Senator Collins, vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, was on the floor urging the Democrat leader to take action on the appropriations bills.\n\n\u201cThere is zero reason why we shouldn\u2019t have taken up these bills on the Senate floor.\n\n\u201cAnd the only reason we haven\u2019t is because the Democrat leader has been more interested in scoring political points than in doing the job we were all sent here to do.\n\n\u201cI hope these hypothetical political points were worth the costs to our military that come with continuing resolutions \u2013 which is what we are going to be forced to resort to now to keep the government running.\n\n\u201cMr. President, in a properly functioning Senate, committee work would be reflected on the Senate floor \u2013 for example, by taking up the appropriations bills a committee has produced.\n\n\u201cBut in the Schumer Senate, leadership is top-down.\n\n\u201cAnd so the actual work of the Senate \u2013 and the hard work of the committees \u2013 has taken a back seat to the Democrat leader\u2019s political machinations.\n\n\u201cAs I said, he\u2019s currently ignoring the National Defense Authorization Act and 11 appropriations bills, all passed out of the committee.\n\n\u201cAll available for floor consideration, in some cases for months.\n\n\u201cHe\u2019s ignored some of those bills for months.\n\n\u201cAnd in addition to ignoring committee work, the Democrat leader is also happy to interfere with \u2013 or go around \u2013 committees when it suits him.\n\n\u201cThe Commerce Committee\u2019s final release of the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill was delayed for months because the Democrat leader objected to an amendment that was likely to pass in committee on a bipartisan basis.\n\n\u201cRather than letting the democratic process play out, the Democrat leader chose to call a halt to committee consideration of the bill, bringing the Commerce Committee\u2019s work to a standstill literally for months.\n\n\u201cAnd while he did finally allow the Senate to take up the bill, we passed the bill a total of eight months after the previous reauthorization had expired \u2013 again, solely because the Democrat leader didn\u2019t like an amendment that was likely to pass with bipartisan support.\n\n\u201cI was not surprised to learn last week that the leader may proceed right to an informal conference on the National Defense Authorization Act, bypassing consideration of the Senate version of the bill on the floor of the United States Senate.\n\n\u201cAgain, one of the most consequential pieces of legislation that we do on an annual basis, and which should have allowed to have every member have a voice through an amendment process on the floor.\n\n\u201cBut he\u2019s made it very clear that member input is not one of his priorities.\n\n\u201cAnd as if the Senate weren\u2019t dysfunctional enough, if Democrats win the majority the Democrat leader intends to destroy perhaps the most important Senate rule we have, the Senate filibuster \u2013 permanently diminishing, if not eliminating, any meaningful voice for the minority in the United States Senate.\n\n\u201cWhich is what this institution was created to represent.\n\n\u201cMr. President, my great hope is to see a properly functioning Senate again.\n\n\u201cOne where, for starters, we actually take up each year\u2019s appropriations bills after they come out of the committee.\n\n\u201cI want to see a Senate where committee work is recognized and serves as the basis for the floor schedule, and where committee chairmen are empowered.\n\n\u201cA Senate where members have the opportunity to have their voices heard through a robust amendment process, from committee to final consideration here on the floor of the Senate.\n\n\u201cAnd a Senate where the role the Senate plays in the legislative branch is respected and protected \u2013 starting with safeguarding the filibuster rule, which helps preserve the Senate\u2019s role as the, as the Founders said, \u2018cooling saucer of democracy.\u2019\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t have much hope that we\u2019ll see this type of Senate if Democrats are reelected and the current Democrat leader continues in his role.\n\n\u201cBut it\u2019s the kind of Senate that I will continue to work for, and that I hope a majority of senators aspire to.\n\n\u201cIn the meantime, I guess we\u2019ll continue with the Democrat leader\u2019s show votes.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I yield the floor.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:46:43Z"], ["https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases/johnson-honors-gohn-family-angels-adoption-award", "Johnson Honors Gohn Family with the \u201cAngels in Adoption\u201d Award", "2024-09-18", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "House", "SD", "Dusty Johnson", "J000301", "dustyjohnson.house.gov", "dustyjohnson", "https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) congratulated Steve and Kris Gohn of Huron for being selected as South Dakota\u2019s 2024 Angels in Adoption honorees.\n\n\u201cAdoption is an incredibly meaningful way to complete a family, but the Gohn family didn\u2019t stop there,\u201d said Johnson. \u201cTheir mentorship and assistance to other families looking to adopt has fostered another generation of adoption in South Dakota.\u201d\n\nSteve and Kris have four grown children, all of whom are adopted. They have held tremendous relationships with their children\u2019s birth families, navigating the borders of birth and adoptive family in an impressive manner.\n\nThe Gohns have mentored other couples who have chosen adoption. At All About U Adoption in Sioux Falls, Kris works with mothers and families who are choosing adoption.\n\nEach year, the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) selects individuals, families or organizations across the nation who have demonstrated a commitment to improving the lives of children in need of permanent, loving homes. Each family\u2019s tireless dedication to child welfare stands out in their community but earns them recognition as an extraordinary family deserving of this award.\n\nImage", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=748D19EB-74AF-4753-B6B2-AC885CB8E297", "Thune: Biden and Harris Own Four Record-Breaking Years of Illegal Immigration", "2024-09-18", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "Click here to watch the video.\n\nWASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today spoke on the Senate floor about the Biden-Harris administration\u2019s record-breaking legacy of open-border chaos. Thune noted that the effects of rampant illegal immigration go beyond border cities that are already struggling with this crisis \u2013 it brings terror threats, deadly drugs, and unaccompanied children to communities around the country.\n\nThune\u2019s remarks below (as prepared for delivery):\n\n\u201cMr. President, August border numbers came out on Monday, bringing the total number of encounters at our southern border thus far for fiscal year 2024 to more than 2 million.\n\n\u201c2,033,260 to be precise.\n\n\u201cThe third-highest fiscal year total ever recorded \u2013 with another month still to go.\n\n\u201cThe highest total ever recorded was in fiscal year 2023.\n\n\u201cThe second-highest total ever recorded was in fiscal year 2022.\n\n\u201cAnd the fourth-highest total ever recorded was in fiscal year 2021.\n\n\u201cIn other words, Mr. President, President Biden and Vice President Harris have presided over four years of record-breaking illegal immigration at our southern border.\n\n\u201cThe problem started right away.\n\n\u201cOn the day he took office, President Biden began dismantling the border security policies of his predecessor.\n\n\u201cAnd illegal immigration began surging in response.\n\n\u201cAnd for three-plus years, President Biden and Vice President Harris essentially just stood around and watched.\n\n\u201cThey watched as record-breaking numbers of individuals surged across the southern border.\n\n\u201cThey watched as the Border Patrol and border cities struggled under the massive influx.\n\n\u201cThey watched as encounters of individuals on the terrorist watchlist shot up.\n\n\u201cVice President Harris was supposed to be President Biden\u2019s border czar.\n\n\u201cI\u2019d be hard-pressed to name anything she did to stop the influx.\n\n\u201cIf she did take any action, it was certainly ineffective, based on the steady increases in border encounters.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I don\u2019t have to tell anyone what the problems are with the kind of unchecked illegal immigration we\u2019ve been seeing.\n\n\u201cAs I said, the Border Patrol has been stretched thin for pretty much the entirety of the Biden-Harris administration.\n\n\u201cCities at the border and around the United States have struggled with the influx of migrants.\n\n\u201cAnd migrants themselves have suffered as they\u2019ve undertaken the perilous journey to our southern border, spurred on by the Biden-Harris administration\u2019s open-border policies.\n\n\u201cWorst of all, the Biden-Harris border crisis has left a gaping hole in our national security.\n\n\u201cThe kind of unchecked illegal immigration we\u2019ve been seeing is an invitation to dangerous individuals to enter our country.\n\n\u201cI mentioned that the number of individuals on the terrorist watchlist who were apprehended attempting to cross the southern border has shot up.\n\n\u201cAnd that\u2019s just individuals who were actually apprehended.\n\n\u201cWe have no idea how many terrorists or other dangerous individuals have made their way across our southern border without being apprehended.\n\n\u201cWe\u2019re closing in on 2 million known gotaways on the Biden-Harris administration\u2019s watch \u2013 that\u2019s individuals the Border Patrol saw but was unable to apprehend.\n\n\u201cHow many of those were dangerous people who should not be entering our country?\n\n\u201cU.S. Border Patrol chief Jason Owens, in a March interview with CBS News, said the number of known gotaways is keeping him up at night.\n\n\u201c\u2018That is a national security threat,\u2019 he noted. \u2018Border security is a big piece of national security. And if we don\u2019t know who is coming into our country and we don\u2019t know what their intent is, that is a threat. And they\u2019re exploiting a vulnerability that\u2019s on our border right now.\u2019\n\n\u201cThat same month, FBI Director Christopher Wray told the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and I quote, \u2018We are seeing a wide array of very dangerous threats that emanate from the border.\u2019\n\n\u201c\u2018We are seeing a wide array of very dangerous threats that emanate from the border.\u2019\n\n\u201cThe June arrest of eight Tajikistan nationals with suspected ties to ISIS who had illegally entered the country, as well as the identification of more than 400 migrants who used an ISIS-affiliated smuggling network to enter the United States, are just two examples of the kind of threats we face \u2013 and the dangers of the chaos that President Biden and Vice President Harris have allowed to rage at our southern border.\n\n\u201cAnd, Mr. President, in addition to threats from terrorists and other dangerous individuals, the chaos at our southern border has unquestionably facilitated illegal cross-border activity like the smuggling of deadly drugs like fentanyl, which then make their way around our country.\n\n\u201cMy state of South Dakota is about as far from our southern border as you can get, but law enforcement officials consistently tell me that the illegal drugs they\u2019re dealing with have entered the country across our southern border.\n\n\u201cIn 2022 Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead estimated that 90 percent of fentanyl and meth in our state comes from Mexican cartels.\n\n\u201c90 percent.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I could go on.\n\n\u201cThere\u2019s a lot more to talk about when it comes to the Biden-Harris border crisis, from the mass amnesty the administration has offered to hundreds of thousands of individuals whose asylum cases have been closed without a decision, to the placing of unaccompanied children with possibly dangerous guardians (something Senator Grassley and Senator Lankford are currently working to rectify).\n\n\u201cBut I\u2019ll stop here.\n\n\u201cFour record-breaking years of illegal immigration, Mr. President.\n\n\u201cThe national security legacy of the Biden-Harris administration.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I yield the floor.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:46:43Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=74EA15AB-89FE-4073-9D50-44D90AD7910F", "\u201cBroadband Czar\u201d Harris Must Be Held Accountable for Mismanagement of Federal Initiatives", "2024-09-18", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband, today led his colleagues in sending a letter to Vice President Kamala Harris regarding her egregious mismanagement of federal broadband initiatives. In 2021, President Biden specifically tasked the vice president to lead the administration\u2019s effort to expand broadband services to rural, unserved communities. Under Vice President Harris\u2019s tenure as the \u201cbroadband czar,\u201d the Biden-Harris administration\u2019s $42 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program has yet to connect a single person to the internet.\n\n\u201cInstead of focusing on delivering broadband services to unserved areas, your administration has used the BEAD program to add partisan, extralegal requirements that were never envisioned by Congress and have obstructed broadband deployment,\u201d wrote the senators. \u201cBy imposing burdensome climate change mandates on infrastructure projects, prioritizing government-owned networks over private investment, mandating the use of unionized labor in states, and seeking to regulate broadband rates, your administration has caused unnecessary delays leaving millions of Americans unconnected.\u201d\n\nThe letter was also signed by U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), and Todd Young (R-Ind.).\n\nFull letter below:\n\nDear Vice President Harris:\n\nWe are writing to express serious concerns regarding your role as the Biden-Harris administration\u2019s \u201cbroadband czar\u201d and the mismanagement of federal broadband initiatives under your leadership. It appears that your performance as \u201cbroadband czar\u201d has mirrored your performance as \u201cborder czar,\u201d marked by poor management and a lack of effectiveness despite significant federal broadband investments and your promises to deliver broadband to rural areas.\n\nAs you are aware, Congress, through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, provided the National Telecommunications and Information Administration with $42.45 billion for the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. These funds are intended to provide broadband access to unserved communities, particularly those in rural areas.\n\nIn 2021, you were specifically tasked by President Biden to lead the administration\u2019s efforts to expand broadband services to unserved Americans. And at the time, you stated, \u201cwe can bring broadband to rural America today.\u201d Despite your assurances over three years ago, rural and unserved communities continue to wait for the connectivity they were promised. Under your leadership, not a single person has been connected to the internet using the $42.45 billion allocated for the BEAD program. Indeed, Politico recently reported on \u201cthe messy, delayed rollout of\u201d this program.\n\nInstead of focusing on delivering broadband services to unserved areas, your administration has used the BEAD program to add partisan, extralegal requirements that were never envisioned by Congress and have obstructed broadband deployment. By imposing burdensome climate change mandates on infrastructure projects, prioritizing government-owned networks over private investment, mandating the use of unionized labor in states, and seeking to regulate broadband rates, your administration has caused unnecessary delays leaving millions of Americans unconnected.\n\nThe administration\u2019s lack of focus on truly connecting the unconnected has failed the American people and represents a gross misuse of limited taxpayer dollars. The American public deserves better.\n\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:46:43Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-encourages-high-school-seniors-to-submit-applications-for-nomination-to-service-academies", "Rounds Encourages High School Seniors to Submit Applications for Nomination to U.S. Service Academies", "2024-09-17", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) is currently accepting applications from high school seniors who are looking to attend a U.S. service academy after graduation.\n\n\u201cEach year, I am honored to nominate our nation\u2019s future military leaders to U.S. service academies,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cBy attending an academy, not only will students have the opportunity to serve our nation and help lead the best military in the world, but they will receive an excellent education at a top-notch institution. I encourage young South Dakotans looking to answer the call of duty to consider applying to one of our service academies.\u201d\n\nApplications for the 2025-2026 freshman class (Class of 2029) are due by October 1, 2024. Nominations are available for the following institutions: the United States Air Force Academy, United States Military Academy at West Point, United States Naval Academy at Annapolis and United States Merchant Marine Academy. Those interested in learning about the academy application process can reach out to Rounds\u2019 Rapid City office at (605) 343-5035 or Academy_Nominations@rounds.senate.gov.\n\nAn informational packet and the application packet can be found on Rounds\u2019 website at https://www.rounds.senate.gov/constituents/academy-nominations.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=CF5A602A-570D-4F66-989D-481B15B1E8B3", "Thune: Senate Democrats Must Prioritize National Security Over Political Show Votes", "2024-09-17", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "Click here to watch the video.\n\nWASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today spoke on the Senate floor about the importance of passing the National Defense Authorization Act. Thune noted that Majority Leader Schumer has spent the last several months holding show votes on bills that are designed to score political points, not become law, and has prioritized them over our nation\u2019s defense and security.\n\nThune\u2019s remarks below (as prepared for delivery):\n\n\u201cMr. President, before I begin, I just want to say how grateful I am that President Trump is safe after what appears to be a second attempt on his life in the space of two months.\n\n\u201cThe trend this election cycle has taken toward violence is disturbing to say the least.\n\n\u201cAnd I hope this weekend\u2019s events will prompt reflection on our political discourse and the importance of not letting our disagreements lead to the dehumanization of our opponents.\n\n\u201cI am grateful for all the law enforcement personnel who responded and helped prevent another tragedy.\n\n\u201cAnd I look forward to seeing a thorough investigation.\n\n\u201cMr. President, perhaps the most important thing we do here in Congress is to provide for our nation\u2019s defense.\n\n\u201cI\u2019ve said it before and I\u2019ll say it again, if we don\u2019t get national security right, the rest is just conversation.\n\n\u201cEverything else we do in government \u2013 and our very existence as a nation \u2013 depends on getting our security right.\n\n\u201cAnd national security, Mr. President, is not a one-and-done kind of situation.\n\n\u201cWe can\u2019t rely on a one-time military buildup or the reputation we\u2019ve earned as a superpower to keep our nation safe.\n\n\u201cTactics change. Technology changes. Weapons change.\n\n\u201cAnd reputations, Mr. President, even strong ones, eventually change if they\u2019re not backed up with substance.\n\n\u201cMaintaining a robust national defense has to be a permanent focus, year-in and year-out.\n\n\u201cThere is no time in which we can afford to put national security on the back burner or underfund our nation\u2019s military.\n\n\u201cWhich brings me to where we are today.\n\n\u201cMr. President, in July of this year, the Commission on the National Defense Strategy released its report.\n\n\u201cIt had this to say, and I quote: \u2018The Commission finds that the U.S. military lacks both the capabilities and the capacity required to be confident it can deter and prevail in combat.\u2019\n\n\u201cLet me just repeat that, Mr. President.\n\n\u201c\u2018The Commission finds that the U.S. military lacks both the capabilities and the capacity required to be confident it can deter and prevail in combat.\u2019\n\n\u201cAnother quote from the commission\u2019s report: \u2018The Commission finds that, in many ways, China is outpacing the United States and has largely negated the U.S. military advantage in the Western Pacific through two decades of focused military investment. Without significant change by the United States, the balance of power will continue to shift in China\u2019s favor.\u2019\n\n\u201cAnd, Mr. President, from the Strategic Posture Commission report: \u2018Today the United States is on the cusp of having not one, but two nuclear peer adversaries, each with ambitions to change the international status quo, by force, if necessary: a situation which the United States did not anticipate and for which it is not prepared.\u2019\n\n\u201c\u2018\u2026 a situation which the United States did not anticipate and for which it is not prepared.\u2019\n\n\u201cIn short, Mr. President, we have work to do.\n\n\u201cWe are not where we should be when it comes to our national defense.\n\n\u201cAnd while our preparedness lags, the world isn\u2019t getting any safer.\n\n\u201cIf anything, it\u2019s getting more dangerous.\n\n\u201cOver the course of the Biden-Harris administration we\u2019ve seen Russia invade the sovereign nation of Ukraine, China growing increasingly aggressive in the Pacific, a brutal terrorist attack on Israel that left more than a thousand dead, terrorists threatening shipping in the Middle East \u2026 the list goes on.\n\n\u201cThis summer alone, Russian and Chinese bombers for the first time sortied together 200 miles off the coast of Alaska, an alarming display of the growing ties between the two nations.\n\n\u201cTaiwan reported 305 airspace violations by Chinese aircraft in the month of June, the second-highest monthly total on record.\n\n\u201cThe Chinese continue to swarm and even collide with ships from the Philippines.\n\n\u201cAnd just weeks ago, Japan for the first time reported an incursion of a Chinese aircraft into its airspace.\n\n\u201cIn the Middle East, U.S. military members have continued to combat terrorists on land and Houthi attacks on U.S. ships and international shipping in the Red Sea.\n\n\u201cHamas still holds upwards of 100 hostages in Gaza, including seven Americans.\n\n\u201cIran has sent close-range ballistic missiles to Russia, presumably for use against the Ukrainian people.\n\n\u201cA Pakistani national with ties to Iran was charged with plotting the assassination of multiple U.S. politicians.\n\n\u201cAnd I could go on.\n\n\u201cGiven all of this, Mr. President, you would think Democrat leadership here in the Senate would have made our yearly defense bills \u2013 the National Defense Authorization Act and our defense appropriations bills \u2013 a priority.\n\n\u201cBut you\u2019d be wrong.\n\n\u201cWe are two weeks away from the end of the fiscal year, and we haven\u2019t touched the National Defense Authorization Act since it was passed by the committee \u2013 much less touched the defense appropriations bills.\n\n\u201cAnd it\u2019s not, Mr. President, because we\u2019ve been passing a bunch of other substantive pieces of legislation.\n\n\u201cAside from the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act, we\u2019ve basically spent the entire summer confirming Biden nominees and taking show votes selected by the Democrat leader.\n\n\u201cAnd as a result, the fiscal year will close and the new one begin without a defense authorizing bill and without defense appropriations bills.\n\n\u201cInstead, our military will have to continue operating under inadequate 2024 funding levels.\n\n\u201cExisting modernization projects will be delayed, and urgent new programs will be put off.\n\n\u201cAnd I haven\u2019t even talked about the message these delays send to our enemies.\n\n\u201cAnyone who thinks that our enemies aren\u2019t emboldened by this careless attitude toward our national security needs to think again.\n\n\u201cAnd for that matter, Mr. President, what message do these delays send to our allies?\n\n\u201cI recently returned from a trip to Japan and South Korea led by my colleague Senator Hagerty to build relationships and enhance trilateral cooperation.\n\n\u201cWe stressed the imperative of investing in our mutual defense cooperation \u2013 a message that will be undercut by our putting defense legislation on the back burner.\n\n\u201cLikewise, our message to allies and partners around the world that they should take more seriously their own defense investments will be juxtaposed against our own inaction.\n\n\u201cMr. President, needless to say, it didn\u2019t have to be this way.\n\n\u201cIf the Democrat leader had been more interested in meeting Congress\u2019 basic responsibilities than in conducting show votes he hopes may win Democrats a few votes in November, we could have already passed not only the National Defense Authorization Act but defense appropriations.\n\n\u201cAs it is, thanks to the decisions of the Democrat leader, our military will have to wait at least until after the election.\n\n\u201cMeanwhile, our adversaries\u2019 efforts continue.\n\n\u201cMr. President, this isn\u2019t the first time in the Biden-Harris administration that Democrats have chosen to put our national defense on the back burner.\n\n\u201cAnd while we don\u2019t know what the Senate or the presidency will look like next year, I hope we will have leaders who take our national security a little more seriously.\n\n\u201cI suspect that if we don\u2019t, we will have cause to regret it.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I yield the floor.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:46:43Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-submits-inquiry-on-federal-overregulation-of-ag-producers-and-landowners-in-rural-states", "Rounds Submits Inquiry on Federal Overregulation of Ag Producers and Landowners in Rural States", "2024-09-16", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today requested a Government Accountability Office (GAO) review of the Chevron doctrine\u2019s impact on agriculture producers and landowners in rural states. Rounds sent a letter to GAO Comptroller General Gene Dodaro asking for an analysis of key judicial opinions that utilized the Chevron doctrine, specifically relating to the Departments of Agriculture, Energy and Interior, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency.\n\n\u201cThe Chevron decision has governed the relationship between agencies and courts for the last 40 years,\u201d wrote Rounds. \u201cThe longstanding deference applied under Chevron has broadened the scope of administrative authority. As industries such as agriculture, mining and energy production are increasingly subject to a growing number of agency rules, the private industry has resorted to settling regulatory disputes in court. The expansion of the administrative state has precipitated this trend. To understand the true impact of the recent overturn of Chevron, it is necessary to comprehend the past application of agency deference.\u201d\n\nIn June 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an opinion that overturned the Chevron doctrine which previously had required courts to uphold a federal agency\u2019s interpretation of certain statutes.\n\nRounds has been pushing for federal regulatory reform since being sworn into the Senate in 2015. In August 2024, Rounds reintroduced the RESTORE Resolution of 2024, which would establish a Joint Select Committee to conduct a comprehensive review of rules enacted by federal agencies.\n\nRead the full text of the letter HERE or below.\n\n+++\n\nDear Comptroller General Dodaro,\n\nWe write to ask the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a retrospective analysis of the deference applied under Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. Specifically, we are attempting to learn more about which cases invoked the Chevron framework and how the deference principle impacted final decisions.\n\nAs you know, the Chevron decision has governed the relationship between agencies and courts for the last 40 years. The longstanding deference applied under Chevron has broadened the scope of administrative authority. It is clear the recent Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision will fundamentally change how courts interpret statutory authority.\n\nThe longstanding deference principle has disproportionally impacted rural states. As industries such as agriculture, mining and energy production are increasingly subject to a growing number of agency rules, the private industry has resorted to settling regulatory disputes in court. The expansion of the administrative state has precipitated this trend. To understand the true impact of the recent overturn of Chevron, it is necessary to comprehend the past application of agency deference.\n\nAccordingly, I would like to respectfully request GAO to conduct an analysis of key judicial opinions that made use of the Chevron doctrine. The review can involve opinions from the Supreme Court and lower courts from the last 20 years. Lastly, I ask you focus such a review on cases involving the below agencies:\n\nU.S. Department of Agriculture\n\nU.S. Department of the Interior\n\nEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA)\n\nDepartment of Energy (DOE)\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases/johnson-legislation-protects-us-infrastructure-china", "Johnson Legislation Protects U.S. Infrastructure from China", "2024-09-12", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "House", "SD", "Dusty Johnson", "J000301", "dustyjohnson.house.gov", "dustyjohnson", "https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) introduced legislation to prohibit use of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-affiliated LiDAR technology to be used by the Department of Transportation (DOT). Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) is a remote sensing technology that captures detailed three-dimensional maps of surrounding environments with millimeter-level accuracy.\n\n\u201cAmerica should not rely on this technology from our adversaries,\u201d said Johnson. \u201cChina\u2019s access to highly detailed maps of our country\u2019s infrastructure, from ports to highways to railroads, is a big threat to our national security. We must keep our sensitive data out of the hands of those who seek to undermine our nation.\u201d\n\n\u201cLiDAR is a foundational technology of the future, critical to the development of everything from automobiles to our roads and bridges,\u201d said Select Committee on the CCP Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI). \u201cBy prohibiting the Department of Transportation from using CCP-affiliated LiDAR technology, Congress will get ahead of yet another supply chain dependency on the CCP and reduce the Party\u2019s leverage over our industries and our country. I am thankful for Rep. Johnson\u2019s leadership on this critical issue.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe U.S. cannot rely on Communist China for emerging critical technologies such as LiDAR. Unsecure LiDAR produced by our greatest strategic adversary jeopardizes our national security and undermines the competitiveness of American companies. I am proud to join Congressman Dusty Johnson and Chairman John Moolenaar in introducing legislation to root out Communist Chinese-manufactured LiDAR from the United States,\u201d said Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.).\n\nJohnson introduced this bill alongside Select Committee on the CCP Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI), Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), and Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA).\n\nLegislation:\n\nThe Securing Infrastructure from Adversaries Act would prohibit the DOT from utilizing LiDAR technology from foreign adversaries, effective June 30, 2026.\n\nSpecifically, the DOT is prohibited from \u2013\n\nProcuring LiDAR from a covered company.\n\nContracting with entities using LiDAR from a covered company.\n\nProviding loans or grants to entities using LiDAR from a covered company.\n\nCovered LiDAR companies include \u2013\n\nAny entity on the Consolidated Screening List.\n\nAny entity on the 1260H list.\n\nAny entity that is domiciled or subject to unmitigated foreign ownership by the People\u2019s Republic of China, Iran, North Korea, or Russia.\n\nBackground:\n\nLiDAR is a remote sensing technology that captures detailed three-dimensional maps of surrounding environments with millimeter-level accuracy. LiDAR is widely utilized in the transportation space within autonomous vehicles, drone inspection of critical infrastructure, traffic control systems, railroad grade crossings, airports, and more.\n\nU.S. firms initially led in LiDAR production, but the People\u2019s Republic of China (PRC) firms are gaining market share at an alarming rate, some while using questionable practices related to U.S. intellectual property. While competition in the market is not inherently bad, PRC companies are subject to the country\u2019s National Security Law which states all companies must provide any available data collected by their products and systems to the Chinese Communist Party, when required.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=CCC7B04E-329F-494D-AE39-4024CAC9F92B", "Thune: Another Spectacular South Dakota Summer", "2024-09-12", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "Click here to watch the video.\n\nWASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today spoke on the Senate floor about his summer in South Dakota, including the many meetings and celebrations that he attended in all corners of the state. Thune noted that every opportunity to spend time at home is valuable because South Dakotans\u2019 priorities are his priorities, and he carries all of them with him to Washington, D.C.\n\nThune\u2019s remarks below (as prepared for delivery):\n\n\u201cMr. President, like many of our colleagues, I spend a lot of summer days on the road in my state.\n\n\u201cThe longer summer recesses give me the opportunity to travel the state far and wide.\n\n\u201cAnd with so much going on in South Dakota during this season, it\u2019s a great time for me to see familiar faces and meet new folks as well.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I spend a lot of these summer days listening because what I hear from South Dakotans informs a lot of the work I do here in the United States Senate.\n\n\u201cIn Howard, I heard from health care professionals about some of the important programs that help them provide health care in rural areas.\n\n\u201cHomebuilders in the Sioux Falls area told me about the headwinds they face from the Biden-Harris administration\u2019s overregulation, which has made building new homes more difficult and expensive.\n\n\u201cAnd at Dakotafest in Mitchell, agriculture producers expressed their frustration that Congress has still not passed an updated farm bill, a frustration that I share.\n\n\u201cI've been pushing hard for Congress to take up a bill, and will continue to do everything I can to advance this legislation.\n\n\u201cAnother extension is no substitute for the certainty an updated bill would give farmers and ranchers as they make plans for the future, and getting it done should be a priority.\n\n\u201cMr. President, traveling around South Dakota also gives me the chance to meet the people who keep our communities going.\n\n\u201cI dropped in to hear from local officials in Leola and Eureka.\n\n\u201cI got to learn about some of the things happening at Black Hills State University, and I toured South Dakota State\u2019s nursing simulation center in Brookings.\n\n\u201cI visited the Liberty Center in Box Elder and saw the great work the Black Hills community does to make the area a welcoming place for service members stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base, and for their families.\n\n\u201cAnd Mr. President, whether it\u2019s kuchen in Eureka, a quick bite at Ricky\u2019s Restaurant in Roscoe, or of course the Tubby Burger at the Brown County Fair, I know I can always find some good food to keep me fueled wherever I\u2019m traveling in South Dakota.\n\n\u201cAnd what would the summer be without a few celebrations?\n\n\u201cI was out in Rapid City for the annual Military Appreciation Barbecue.\n\n\u201cI joined the Fort Pierre Fourth of July Parade.\n\n\u201cAnd I was back in my hometown of Murdo celebrating the 70th anniversary of the legendary Pioneer Auto Show and honoring the life of longtime museum owner Dave Geisler who passed away earlier this year.\n\n\u201cMr. President, this summer was also notable for the successes of South Dakota\u2019s athletes.\n\n\u201cIt was great to see two South Dakotans competing in the Olympics and Paralympics this year.\n\n\u201cSioux Falls native Taryn Kloth competed in beach volleyball.\n\n\u201cAnd Miles Krajewski, a Yankton native and freshman at the University of South Dakota, made history as the first American to medal in badminton at the Paralympics, bringing home the silver medal in mixed doubles.\n\n\u201cThe Sioux Falls Little League All-Star Team made it to the Little League World Series this summer.\n\n\u201cBy all accounts they played well in Williamsport.\n\n\u201cThey should be proud of their success, and I\u2019m glad to hear they were able to befriend fellow players from across the country and world along the way.\n\n\u201cAnd it was great to be in Brookings this past weekend for the South Dakota State Jackrabbits\u2019 home opener, as they look to defend their back-to-back national titles this season.\n\n\u201cMr. President, summer is a wonderful time in South Dakota.\n\n\u201cAnd it\u2019s a privilege to be able to spend part of it exploring our state.\n\n\u201cThe sunshine on the open prairie, the smell of the Ponderosa pine, and the good people I meet along the way remind me how lucky I am to be a South Dakotan and what an honor it is to represent this special place in the U.S. Senate.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I yield the floor.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:46:43Z"], ["https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases/johnson-protects-ag-land-china", "Johnson Protects Ag Land from China", "2024-09-11", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "House", "SD", "Dusty Johnson", "J000301", "dustyjohnson.house.gov", "dustyjohnson", "https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) voted to pass the Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act to strengthen the review process for purchases of U.S. farmland by the Chinese Communist Party. China's growing investment in U.S. agricultural land has raised concerns about the security of our food supply. Johnson is a leader on this bill and has been vocal in his opposition to these purchases.\n\n\u201cFood security is national security, but China \u2013 one of our biggest adversaries \u2013 has significant access to our food supply,\u201d said Johnson. \u201cI\u2019ve been committed to tackling this issue for years, working to block these purchases and protect our supply chain from those who pose a threat.\u201d\n\nThe Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act would:\n\nAdd the Secretary of Agriculture to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) for certain covered transactions, including agricultural land, agriculture biotechnology, and the agriculture industry - transportation, storage, and processing.\n\nEnsure USDA has a seat at the table to properly report and review transactions from the People\u2019s Republic of China, Democratic People\u2019s Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, and the Islamic Republic of Iran.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=17293B1D-7FD3-40EE-8A3D-6D5B6195CFF3", "Thune: Harris Can Reverse Her Positions, But Not Her Record", "2024-09-11", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "Click here to watch the video.\n\nWASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today spoke on the Senate floor to contrast Vice President Kamala Harris\u2019 recent policy flip-flops with the Biden-Harris administration\u2019s record of high prices, open borders, and weakness on the global stage. Thune noted that the American people need look no further than the last four years to see what Democrat governance would look like for the next four.\n\nThune\u2019s remarks below (as prepared for delivery):\n\n\u201cMr. President, before I begin, I want to just take a moment to acknowledge what today is \u2013 23 years since terrorists flew planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.\n\n\u201cAnd 23 years since a heroic group of Americans prevented even greater tragedy by bringing down a fourth hijacked plane before it could crash into another target.\n\n\u201cAs on every September 11 since that black day, we remember the heroes who rose up \u2013 at the World Trade Center, at the Pentagon, and in that bare field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.\n\n\u201cAnd we mourn all those who were lost.\n\n\u201cMy prayers as always are with the families of all those who still grieve their fallen loved ones \u2013 and with all those whose calling is to respond to danger, and stand between us and terror.\n\n********\n\n\u201cMr. President, there\u2019s been a dizzying amount of change in the Democrat Party over the past couple of months.\n\n\u201cFirst, obviously, there was the replacement of President Biden with Kamala Harris on the ticket.\n\n\u201cDemocrat voters who had gone to the polls in the primaries and cast a vote for President Biden were informed that in fact the delegates they had chosen would be supporting Vice President Harris instead.\n\n\u201cThat was a big change, Mr. President.\n\n\u201cBut not the only one.\n\n\u201cThere\u2019s also the new Democrat nominee\u2019s attempt to reinvent herself.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s been five short years since Kamala Harris was running for president in the Democrat primary as a leftist.\n\n\u201cShe endorsed, among other things, a ban on fracking, taxpayer-funded gender reassignment surgeries for detained immigrants, decriminalizing drug possession, decriminalizing illegal border crossings, mandatory buybacks of certain guns \u2026 I could go on.\n\n\u201cOf course, none of that was a big surprise, Mr. President.\n\n\u201cAfter all, then-Senator Harris \u2013 a supporter of a government takeover of health care and the budget-busting Green New Deal \u2013 regularly made lists of most liberal senators.\n\n\u201cBut what is surprising, Mr. President, is the apparent 180-degree flip she has made in the past \u2013 well, seven weeks or so I guess.\n\n\u201cShe opposed a border wall \u2013 now she apparently supports one.\n\n\u201cShe supported a ban on fracking \u2013 well, now she opposes one.\n\n\u201cShe supported Medicare for All, the federal takeover of health care \u2013 now she says she won\u2019t push for it if she\u2019s president.\n\n\u201cShe supported mandatory gun buybacks \u2013 now she won\u2019t push for them.\n\n\u201cShe supported an electric vehicle mandate \u2013 now apparently she doesn\u2019t.\n\n\u201cAnd I could go on!\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s amazing what a brief seven weeks or so can do.\n\n\u201cOr perhaps I should say it\u2019s amazing what getting nominated for president can do.\n\n\u201cBut it seems that despite her apparent move to the center, progressive voters should not be alarmed.\n\n\u201cA far-left compatriot of the vice president\u2019s, the senior senator from Vermont, whose Medicare for All government health care takeover she cosponsored, was asked on Meet the Press last weekend whether he thought Vice President Harris was abandoning her progressive ideals.\n\n\u201c\u2018No,\u2019 he answered, \u2018I don\u2019t think she\u2019s abandoning her ideals. I think she\u2019s trying to be pragmatic and doing what she thinks is right in order to win the election.\u2019\n\n\u201c\u2018I think she\u2019s trying to be pragmatic and doing what she thinks is right in order to win the election.\u2019\n\n\u201cI suspect he\u2019s right \u2013 and I suspect that one of the Senate\u2019s most liberal senators would quickly become one of the nation\u2019s most liberal presidents.\n\n\u201cAnd I think it\u2019s fair to say we\u2019ve gotten a taste over the last four years of what government with Kamala Harris looks like.\n\n\u201cAnd so far it mostly looks like a historic inflation crisis, a raging border crisis, and uncertainty on the global stage.\n\n\u201cAnd when I say the past four years have looked like a historic inflation crisis and a raging border crisis, I do mean the past four years.\n\n\u201cInflation started spiking within two months of President Biden and Vice President Harris taking office, thanks in large part to Democrats\u2019 American Rescue Plan spending spree (a spending spree, I might add, for which Kamala Harris cast the deciding vote).\n\n\u201cAnd almost four years later inflation is STILL above the Federal Reserve\u2019s target inflation rate.\n\n\u201cAmericans are now paying a staggering $13,000 more a year just to maintain the same standard of living they enjoyed when President Biden and Vice President Harris took office.\n\n\u201c$13,000.\n\n\u201cVice President Harris recently said in her speech at the Democrat National Convention that her administration would work on lowering the cost of everyday needs like groceries.\n\n\u201cWell, Mr. President, why hasn\u2019t she tried that already?\n\n\u201cShe\u2019s not an outsider coming into office; she\u2019s been in office for the past four years.\n\n\u201cIf there was something she thought she could do to bring down prices, why hasn\u2019t she done it already?\n\n\u201cAnd, Mr. President, Democrats\u2019 nearly four-year inflation crisis has been matched by the Biden-Harris border crisis.\n\n\u201cBorder numbers started spiking almost immediately after President Biden and Vice President Harris took office, after they sent the message on day one that border security was at the bottom of their priority list.\n\n\u201cAnd the ensuing crisis has raged for almost the entirety of the Biden-Harris administration, until fears of losing reelection prompted President Biden to at last take some too-little-too-late action this summer.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I could go on, and talk about the Biden-Harris administration\u2019s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan \u2013 or the deep uncertainty on the world stage that has characterized their tenure.\n\n\u201cI could also talk about the ways they are putting us on track for an energy crisis.\n\n\u201cBut I\u2019ll stop here.\n\n\u201cSuffice it to say that after the past four years, no one has to wonder what Democrat governance would look like.\n\n\u201cAnd I hope our country \u2013 and American families \u2013 will be spared another four years of it.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I yield the floor.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:46:43Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=CBC30014-B537-4A38-8C41-B34799F371A0", "Thune: \u201cMy Way or the Highway\u201d for Senate Democrats", "2024-09-10", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "Click here to watch the video.\n\nWASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today spoke on the Senate floor about Senate Democrats\u2019 reckless plan to end the legislative filibuster, a short-sighted political tactic to advance their far-left agenda and silence the minority party. Thune noted that Democrats have a record of changing the rules whenever they interfere with the party\u2019s progressive agenda.\n\nThune\u2019s remarks below (as prepared for delivery):\n\n\u201cMr. President, it\u2019s no secret that Democrats increasingly subscribe to the philosophy that if you don\u2019t like the way the game is going, you change the rules.\n\n\u201cWe\u2019ve seen it in striking fashion with the Supreme Court.\n\n\u201cDemocrats respond to pretty much every Supreme Court decision they don\u2019t like these days with claims not just that the court\u2019s decision was wrong, but that the court itself is illegitimate.\n\n\u201cAnd as the president made clear with the release of his de facto court-packing plan this summer, if Democrats are elected we can confidently expect them to lose no time in remaking the court to their liking to ensure they get the policy outcomes they want.\n\n\u201cBut of course the Supreme Court is not the only institution Democrats have a problem with.\n\n\u201cDemocrats are also frustrated that they haven\u2019t gotten a blank check for their far-left priorities in the Senate.\n\n\u201cAnd so if Democrats win in November, they intend to change the rules of the Senate \u2013 specifically, the filibuster rule \u2013 to ensure that they can steamroll through their plans to remake the government and the country.\n\n\u201cThe Democrat leader made that very explicit last month at the Democrat National Convention, when he said that his party would change the rules to pass Democrats\u2019 so-called voting rights legislation \u2013 more accurately described as a federal takeover of elections designed to give Democrats a permanent electoral advantage.\n\n\u201cHe also indicated that his conference would move to change the rules to pass abortion legislation \u2013 perhaps Democrats\u2019 bill to codify abortion up until the moment of birth.\n\n\u201cReally, the only question remaining seems to be whether Democrats will abolish the filibuster completely, or just render it meaningless by carving out exemptions for all Democrats\u2019 most cherished priorities.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I have spoken on the floor more than once about the importance of the filibuster.\n\n\u201cThe Founders intended the Senate to be a counterbalance to the House.\n\n\u201cIt was designed as a more stable, more thoughtful, and more deliberative legislative body to check ill-considered or intemperate legislation or tyranny by the majority.\n\n\u201cAnd as time has gone on, the legislative filibuster is the Senate rule that has had perhaps the greatest impact in preserving the Founders\u2019 vision of the Senate.\n\n\u201cThe filibuster acts as a check on imprudent or highly partisan legislation.\n\n\u201cIt forces discussion and compromise.\n\n\u201cAnd, critically, it ensures that Americans whose party is not in power also have a voice in Congress.\n\n\u201cAs one senator said a few years ago when abolishing the filibuster was under discussion, \u2018Folks who want to see this change want to eliminate one of the procedural mechanisms designed for the express purpose of guaranteeing individual rights \u2026 and would undermine the protections of a minority point of view in the heat of majority excess.\u2019\n\n\u201cThat senator was Joe Biden.\n\n\u201cOr as another senator once said when a change to the filibuster rule was under discussion: \u2018The bottom line is very simple: the ideologues in the Senate want to turn what the Founding Fathers called the cooling saucer of democracy into the rubber stamp of dictatorship. \u2026 They want, because they can\u2019t get their way \u2026 to change the rules in midstream, to wash away 200 years of history. They want to make this country into a banana republic where if you don\u2019t get your way, you change the rules! \u2026 It\u2019ll be a doomsday for democracy if we do.\u2019\n\n\u201c\u2018It\u2019ll be a doomsday for democracy if we do.\u2019\n\n\u201cThe senator who said that, of course, was the current Democrat leader of the Senate.\n\n\u201cThe same leader who has announced that his party will \u2018change the rules in midstream\u2019 to force through Democrats\u2019 priorities.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I suppose the Democrat leader could have had a change of heart.\n\n\u201cThis once-fierce defender of the filibuster could have become convinced that the filibuster no longer serves a useful purpose.\n\n\u201cBut if that\u2019s what this is \u2013 if this is truly a principled change \u2013 then I would like to hear the Democrat leader endorse the abolition of the filibuster if Republicans win the election.\n\n\u201cI would like to hear him argue that a Republican Congress and a Republican president should be able to force through every legislative priority Republicans want \u2013 whether that\u2019s real border security legislation or a ban on killing unborn children past the point in a pregnancy where they can feel pain.\n\n\u201cI suspect, however, that the Democrat leader has not had this change of heart.\n\n\u201cIn fact, I suspect that if President Trump wins the election and Republicans take the House and the Senate, the Democrat leader will be happy to use the filibuster to check Republican legislation, just as he did during President Trump\u2019s first term.\n\n\u201cFunnily enough, I don\u2019t recall hearing much from Democrats about the need to abolish the filibuster then.\n\n\u201cIn fact, 32 Democrats \u2013 including then-Senator Kamala Harris \u2013 signed a letter in April of 2017 calling on Senate leadership to preserve the legislative filibuster.\n\n\u201cIn short, Mr. President, it\u2019s pretty clear that the Democrat leader\u2019s change of heart isn\u2019t principle.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s political expediency.\n\n\u201cDemocrats believe that the rules should apply when they serve the aims of the Democrat Party \u2013 and that the rules should be abolished whenever they interfere with Democrats\u2019 far-left agenda.\n\n\u201cMr. President, if Democrats abolish the filibuster \u2013 in whole or in part \u2013 it would (to quote the current Democrat whip) \u2018be the end of the Senate as it was originally devised and created going back to our Founding Fathers.\u2019\n\n\u201cThe minority party \u2013 in the Senate and in the country \u2013 would no longer have any meaningful voice in legislation.\n\n\u201cThe loss of the filibuster would also create legislative whiplash, with one party passing all its most controversial proposals when it has unified power in Washington, and then the other party undoing all of that legislation and passing its own proposals when it gains unified power.\n\n\u201cTo say that that kind of legislative instability would be bad for our country is an understatement.\n\n\u201cSharp changes in federal policy every few years would mean endless confusion for Americans \u2013 and could spell serious trouble for our economy.\n\n\u201cAnd, Mr. President, abolishing the filibuster would not only be bad for our country, I suspect Democrats would regret it on their own behalf \u2013 and sooner rather than later.\n\n\u201cI realize that Democrats have hopes that if they pass their so-called voting rights legislation it will help them stay in power, but surely Democrats don\u2019t believe that they can maintain a permanent hold on government.\n\n\u201cThere have been some pretty robust Senate majorities in American history, but sooner or later, power has always shifted.\n\n\u201cAnd when it inevitably does, Democrats are likely to bitterly regret the loss of the legislative filibuster.\n\n\u201cDemocrats have already had cause to regret the loss of the filibuster for judicial nominations.\n\n\u201cMore than one Democrat senator has openly admitted regretting Democrats\u2019 move to abolish the filibuster for judges and other nominees.\n\n\u201cThey should take a lesson from that.\n\n\u201cAnd if Democrats have the incredibly na\u00efve idea that they can somehow preserve the filibuster by simply creating a carveout for their top legislative priorities, they should think again.\n\n\u201cThe unraveling of the filibuster for judicial nominations should be a lesson to both parties on how well weakening the filibuster or creating a filibuster carveout would work.\n\n\u201cDemocrats carved out a filibuster exception for executive and judicial nominees.\n\n\u201cAnd Republicans took it to its logical conclusion.\n\n\u201cA legislative filibuster carveout would be the end of the legislative filibuster. Period.\n\n\u201cMr. President, it\u2019s become disturbingly clear that the Democrat Party is committed to getting its way in whatever way it can \u2013 no matter how many institutions it damages or how many rules it breaks in the process.\n\n\u201cBut I would hope that at least some of my Democrat colleagues might think about the fact that their operating principle of \u2018the rules don\u2019t apply to us\u2019 is generally more associated with despots than democratic republics.\n\n\u201cAnd that they would put the long-term health of our country and our institutions above short-term partisan gain.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I yield the floor.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:46:43Z"], ["https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases/johnson-requests-briefing-chinese-drones", "Johnson Requests Briefing on Chinese Drones", "2024-09-09", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "House", "SD", "Dusty Johnson", "J000301", "dustyjohnson.house.gov", "dustyjohnson", "https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and twelve members of Congress asked the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to brief members of Congress on the risk Chinese-manufactured drones pose to America\u2019s food supply and what the agencies are doing to protect American agriculture.\n\nJohnson has been outspoken in Congress and as a member of the Select Committee on China to secure our food supply from foreign adversaries and has advocated for more oversight of foreign purchases of U.S. farmland.\n\nShenzhen DJI Innovation Technology Co., Ltd. (DJI) is a Chinese Military Company, linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), that makes thousands of drones, many of which are used in the United States. These drones operate on Chinese military software, firmware, and hardware, posing a significant risk to American agriculture and safety.\n\n\u201cThe risk of these DJI agricultural spray drones being manipulated to carry out an attack in the United States cannot be ignored,\u201d the members wrote. \u201cRelying on our greatest strategic adversary for technology critical to the success of our agricultural production endangers the resiliency of our food supply.\u201d\n\nDJI\u2019s advanced surveillance drones use LiDAR sensors and multispectral cameras which DJI states can collect and interpret crop data that is \u201cimpossible for the human eye to see.\u201d The CCP\u2019s access to this data and software gives them an unprecedented ability to control our agriculture supply chain.\n\nThe letter was sent by Reps. Mark Alford (R-MO), Ben Cline (R-VA), Neal Dunn (R- FL), Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Michael Guest (R-MS), Ashley Hinson (R-IA), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), John Moolenaar (R-MI), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Zach Nunn (R-IA), Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Derrick Van Orden (R-WI), and Robert Wittman (R-VA).", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-introduces-artificial-intelligence-policy-package", "Rounds Introduces Artificial Intelligence Policy Package", "2024-08-27", "2024", "2024-08", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), co-chair of the Senate AI Caucus, has introduced a package of bipartisan artificial intelligence (AI) legislation that will increase AI literacy, enable the use of AI to enhance the efficiency of US Shipyards, spur innovation in financial services and improve healthcare outcomes. The package consists of five bills:\n\nThe GUIDE AI Act: Establishes a centralized data exchange center for biomedical data through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR).\n\nThe Unleashing AI Innovation in Financial Services Act: Establishes regulatory sandboxes at financial regulatory agencies for regulated entities to test AI projects, allowing them to responsibly experiment with cutting-edge technologies in the financial services space.\n\nThe Consumers LEARN AI Act: Develops a national literacy strategy, providing specific AI use case guidance and conducting a national media campaign to help consumers make informed decisions about how they use and interact with AI.\n\nThe Increasing AI Transparency in Financial Services Act: Requires reports on AI regulation in the financial services industry.\n\nLegislation to require the Secretary of Defense to carry out a pilot program on using AI-enabled software to optimize operations of depots, shipyards and other manufacturing facilities run by the Department of Defense. This bill has been included in the base text of the Senate FY25 National Defense Authorization Act.\n\n\u201cFollowing the AI Insight Forums held in late 2023, we have been looking at ways to promote the safe, responsible use of artificial intelligence in the lives of the American people,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cI fully believe each of these bills helps the United States make strides toward unleashing AI innovation and resulting opportunities, from national defense to health care research to financial services. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to study AI and implement meaningful, common-sense policies to support its growth and mitigate its risks.\u201d\n\nRounds serves as one of four members of the Senate\u2019s bipartisan AI working group, along with Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.). In late 2023, the group held nine insight forums that brought their Senate colleagues together with leaders from multiple industries impacted by AI to discuss policy and regulation. In May 2024, the group unveiled their bipartisan roadmap for AI policy in the United States.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:36:13Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-presses-interior-secretary-to-update-funding-formula-for-tribal-law-enforcement", "Rounds Presses Interior Secretary to Update Funding Formula for Tribal Law Enforcement", "2024-08-22", "2024", "2024-08", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) sent a letter to Secretary of the Department of the Interior Deb Haaland urging her to modernize the funding formula for tribal law enforcement.\n\nDespite circumstances such as rising crime and inflation, funding for Great Plains tribal law enforcement agencies has stayed stagnant since 1999, when law enforcement was removed from the Tribal Priority Allocation. Since then, any increases in budget have been required to be added on top of their 1999 budget. Consequently, tribal law enforcement funding levels from 25 years ago are a determining factor in current public safety budgets.\n\n\u201cIn the last several years, tribal leaders on the Great Plains have reported a significant increase in violent and drug-related crime,\u201d wrote Rounds. \u201cWith some reservations experiencing violent crime rates five times higher than the national average, it has become apparent tribal law enforcement agencies are lacking necessary resources. Concurrently, these same agencies are also reliant on the BIA\u2019s outdated law enforcement funding methodology. Many tribal leaders believe the current method for disbursing law enforcement funding puts Great Plains tribes at a disadvantage.\u201d\n\n\u201cIf the Department of Interior is unable to modernize the BIA law enforcement funding formula, tribal leaders will have difficulty addressing public safety threats,\u201d continued Rounds. \u201cIt is my hope our federal partners will take this issue seriously and consult with tribes. Specifically, this could involve developing a distribution formula that is able to deliver appropriated funding to areas with the greatest need.\u201d\n\nSince June 2023, Rounds has been working in consultation with tribes in South Dakota to push for additional funding and resources for law enforcement on reservations:\n\nIn August 2024, Rounds hosted a roundtable with all 9 tribes in South Dakota and United States Attorney General Merrick Garland to discuss what the Department of Justice can do to remedy rising crime.\n\nIn May 2024, Rounds requested funding for tribal law enforcement programs in the FY2025 Appropriations bill.\n\nIn April 2024, Rounds requested the BIA to consider the possibility of opening a tribal law enforcement training center in South Dakota to address officer recruitment and retention on reservations.\n\nIn March 2024, Rounds and Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) requested a Government Accountability Office inquiry into tribal law enforcement funding.\n\nIn December 2023, Rounds, Thune and Congressman Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) sent a letter to Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland urging her to address the public safety crisis on reservations in South Dakota.\n\nIn June 2023, Rounds, Thune and Johnson requested additional support for tribal law enforcement agencies in South Dakota from Secretary Haaland.\n\nRead the full text of the letter HERE or below.\n\n+++\n\nDear Secretary Haaland:\n\nThe funding formula for tribal law enforcement programs is failing Great Plains reservation communities. Tribal law enforcement leaders acknowledge this problem and are in search of funding solutions. Therefore, we believe it is time for the Department of the Interior to critically examine the current methodology used to disburse appropriated law enforcement funding. As Great Plains tribes continue to deal with significant public safety threats, it will be necessary for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to make certain funding is reaching communities with the greatest need.\n\nIn the last several years, tribal leaders on the Great Plains have reported a significant increase in violent and drug-related crime. With some reservations experiencing violent crime rates five times higher than the national average, it has become apparent tribal law enforcement agencies are lacking necessary resources. Concurrently, these same agencies are also reliant on the BIA\u2019s outdated law enforcement funding methodology. Many tribal leaders believe the current method for disbursing law enforcement funding puts Great Plains tribes at a disadvantage.\n\nIt is my understanding the current formula used for disbursing law enforcement funding is based on historical allocations. The current distribution method has been in place since law enforcement was removed from the Tribal Priority Allocation (TPA) in 1999. Since this time, any budgetary increases provided to tribes have been required to be added on top of their 1999 budget. Consequently, a tribe\u2019s funding level from 25 years ago has an outsized influence on their current law enforcement budget.\n\nThe current distribution method has only allowed for Great Plains law enforcement agencies to receive slight funding increases. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2013, one Great Plains tribe received just over $1.3 million in law enforcement funding. Today, this law enforcement agency is funded at the same level it was in FY 2013. Yet as you know, the overall topline budget for BIA Public Safety and Justice Law Enforcement Programs increased steadily during the same ten-year time frame. This has led some tribal leaders to conclude increases to BIA Public Safety and Justice Law Enforcement budgets are staying at the administrative level and not reaching officers on the ground.\n\nAs you are well aware, policing in tribal communities has changed markedly over the last two decades. Today, tribal law enforcement leaders are dealing with high levels of violent and drug-related crime. These issues have been exacerbated by a significant increase in transnational drug trafficking. At the same time, the cost of policing has increased steadily. As criminal investigations become more complex, law enforcement agencies increasingly rely on a wide range of technologies to stop crime.\n\nIf the Department of Interior is unable to modernize the BIA law enforcement funding formula, tribal leaders will have difficulty addressing public safety threats. It is my hope our federal partners will take this issue seriously and consult with tribes. Specifically, this could involve developing a distribution formula that is able to deliver appropriated funding to areas with the greatest need.\n\nThank you for your prompt attention to this matter.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:36:13Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/south-dakota-and-national-ag-organizations-support-rounds-legislation-to-reform-livestock-program", "South Dakota and National Ag Organizations Support Rounds\u2019 Legislation to Reform Livestock Program", "2024-08-21", "2024", "2024-08", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "MITCHELL \u2013 Several agriculture stakeholders in South Dakota and across the nation are showing support for legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) which offers producers fairer market prices for livestock disaster assistance programs. The LIP Payment Improvement Act, which was introduced in March, would require the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to make quarterly updates to Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) payment rates that reflect livestock market prices.\n\nThe LIP provides payments to eligible livestock owners and contract growers for abnormal livestock deaths caused by an eligible loss condition, such as severe weather, disease or animal attack. Currently, the FSA is required to update LIP payment rates annually. While the agency occasionally provides periodic price updates, the LIP Improvement Program would make these updates more frequently to reflect an ever-changing market.\n\nThe LIP Payment Improvement Act has been included in the U.S. House Agriculture Committee\u2019s version of the Farm Bill, which has been passed out of committee. The provision has also been included in both the majority and minority frameworks for the Senate Agriculture Committee\u2019s Farm Bill, which is awaiting markup.\n\n\u201cSouth Dakota farmers and ranchers work hard to produce quality livestock,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cUnfortunately, extenuating circumstances such as severe weather or disease can deplete their herds and as such, hurt their operations. These producers deserve to be paid a fair and updated market price for their livestock when tragedy strikes.\u201d\n\nThe LIP Payment Improvement Act is supported by the National Cattlemen\u2019s Beef Association, the South Dakota Farmers Union, the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association, the South Dakota Cattlemen\u2019s Association and the South Dakota Farm Bureau.\n\n\u201cThe South Dakota Stockgrowers Association, the oldest cattle organization in the United States, supports Senator Rounds efforts in maintaining updated and concise reports for our Livestock Indemnity Program with the Farm Service Agency. Our organization has always supported our livestock producers and we support all efforts to ensure their businesses and livelihood are protected,\u201d said Doris Lauing, Executive Director of South Dakota Stockgrowers Association. \u201cOur ranchers invest a vast amount of time, labor and finances into building a quality herd. When extenuating circumstances such as severe weather or disease can deplete their herds it cripples their operations. These producers deserve to be paid a fair and updated market price for their livestock when tragedy strikes in which Senator Rounds is asking for. As market prices fluctuate, so should the program so cattle producers are reimbursed the full value.\u201d\n\n\u201cNatural disasters take a heavy toll on cattle producers, especially when severe weather leads to livestock losses,\u201d said Allison Rivera, Executive Director of Government Affairs at National Cattlemen\u2019s Beef Association. \u201cMany producers rely on the Livestock Indemnity Program for support during these challenging times, but the program needs to be updated in a timely manner so that cattle producers are reimbursed for the full value of their lost cattle. Our members appreciate Senator Rounds introducing the Livestock Indemnity Payment Improvement Act of 2023 to correct this issue and ensure that cattle producers are compensated at the fair market value of their livestock.\u201d\n\n\u201cSouth Dakota Farmers Union applauds Senator Rounds and Senator Klobuchar for working to update the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) from an annual payment rate to a quarterly payment rate,\u201d said Doug Sombke, President of South Dakota Farmers Union. \u201cWith climate change plaguing many parts of the country, our emergency relief programs must adapt accordingly. Given these circumstances, it has become clear that an annual payment rate is not a reflective measure of the true market value for livestock. This change will provide flexibility to help farmers and ranchers due to climate-related impacts.\u201d\n\n\u201cIn an ever-changing cattle market, timely and accurate compensation for livestock losses is vital to sustaining producers\u2019 operations,\u201d said Warren Symens, President of the South Dakota Cattlemen\u2019s Association. \u201cThe Livestock Indemnity Program Improvement Act is a crucial step toward fairer market prices and greater financial stability for South Dakota\u2019s hardworking producers. We commend Senator Rounds and Klobuchar for their bipartisan leadership in making these necessary updates.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe South Dakota Farm Bureau appreciates Senator Rounds for introducing this bill that will benefit our 13,000 ranchers, farmers and rural families. It is critical that we have our voices heard and we\u2019re excited to hear progress is being made on getting this included in the Farm Bill,\u201d said Scott VanderWal, President of South Dakota Farm Bureau. \u201cWith an ever-changing market, it\u2019s important that cattle producers get fairly compensated when disaster strikes. This will go a long way in improving the farm safety net.\u201d\n\nClick HERE for full bill text.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:36:13Z"], ["https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases/johnson-re-introduces-sober-act-expand-successful-247-sobriety-program", "Johnson Re-introduces SOBER Act to Expand Successful 24/7 Sobriety Program", "2024-08-20", "2024", "2024-08", "Republican", "House", "SD", "Dusty Johnson", "J000301", "dustyjohnson.house.gov", "dustyjohnson", "https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) re-introduced the Supporting Opportunities to Build Everyday Responsibility (SOBER) Act, legislation aimed at combating repeat alcohol-related criminal offenses and bolstering the 24/7 sobriety program across the country.\n\n24/7 sobriety was pioneered in South Dakota in 2005. An evaluation found a 12 percent reduction in DUI arrests in jurisdictions that adopted the program. The same evaluation found the program was associated with a 9 percent reduction in domestic violence arrests, and even a 4.2 percent reduction in all-cause mortality. Similar successes were seen through other state-run programs, like North Dakota where DUI arrests decreased by 9 percent in counties that implemented the program.\n\n\u201cThe SOBER Act is commonsense legislation. It encourages sobriety and safe driving, preventing accidents and saving lives, one person at a time,\u201d said Johnson. \u201cSouth Dakota has been leading 24/7 sobriety programs for nearly twenty years with positive results. My bill allows this success to be available for every state.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe SOBER Act is our best chance to meaningfully reduce alcohol-related crime, which costs the U.S. more than $80 billion a year,\u201d says Greg Newburn, Niskanen\u2019s Director of Criminal Justice. \u201cWe are grateful to Representative Johnson for his leadership in tackling a problem that negatively impacts millions of Americans.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe have long been advocates for 24/7 sobriety programs being a useful tool in ensuring public safety,\u201d said Nelson Brunn, Executive Director of the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA). \u201cWhen used in tandem with ignition interlock devices, 24/7 sobriety programs implemented with effective screening are a valuable and cost-effective way to combat crimes attributable to alcohol abuse. The NDAA supports the SOBER Act, which would expand access and funding to sustain and/or improve existing 24/7 sobriety programs, in addition to encouraging state and local governments to create new 24/7 sobriety programs within their communities.\u201d\n\nSpecifically, the SOBER Act would:\n\nProvide funding to help sustain and expand existing 24/7 sobriety programs;\n\nIncentivize the creation of 24/7 sobriety programs; and\n\nProvide data from grantees and a report assessing the impact of 24/7 sobriety programs.\n\nThe SOBER Act is cosponsored by Pete Stauber (R-MN), Angie Craig (D-MN), Don Bacon (R-NE), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Dina Titus (D-NV), and Julia Brownley (D-CA).\n\nThe SOBER Act is endorsed by the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO), National District Attorneys Association (NDAA), National Sheriffs\u2019 Association, Niskanen Center, and Major County Sheriffs of America.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:36:13Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-ernst-fetterman-and-colleagues-urge-usda-to-modernize-process-for-disclosing-foreign-owned-land", "Rounds, Ernst, Fetterman and Colleagues Urge USDA to Modernize Process for Disclosing Foreign-Owned Land", "2024-08-16", "2024", "2024-08", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and John Fetterman (D-Pa.) this week sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) urging the agency to streamline its process for electronic submission and retention of Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA) disclosures. In the letter, the senators note alleged inaccuracies in information publicly posted by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and the problems that arise when this information is inaccurate.\n\nCurrently, these disclosures are completed by hand on physical paper. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 mandated the establishment of a streamlined process for electronic submission and retention of AFIDA disclosures, including an internet database.\n\n\u201cThe current practice of manual data entry, including the re-typing of paper-filed reports into FSA systems, can lead to the publication of problematic and inaccurate information,\u201d wrote the senators. \u201cWe\u2019re told there have been instances where energy developers have been incorrectly identified as having ownership interests from sanctioned nations, when in reality the investment originates from U.S. allies. If true, such errors not only create confusion but also undermine the credibility of the data published by the FSA.\u201d\n\nRounds, Ernst and Fetterman were joined on the letter by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), James Risch (R-Idaho) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.).\n\nRead the full letter here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:36:13Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-introduces-restore-to-address-regulatory-reform", "Rounds Introduces RESTORE to Address Regulatory Reform", "2024-08-12", "2024", "2024-08", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) recently introduced a bipartisan resolution to permanently address federal overregulation in America. The Regulation Sensibility Through Oversight Restoration (RESTORE) Resolution of 2024 would establish a Joint Select Committee to conduct a comprehensive review of rules enacted by federal agencies and analyze the feasibility and options for creating a rules review process in Congress. The committee would also hold hearings on the effects of these rules and recommend ways to reduce the regulatory burden on the American people.\n\n\u201cThe Founding Fathers never intended for unelected bureaucrats in D.C. to make rules and regulations, enforceable as law, that circumvent the will of Congress. In the wake of Chevron being overturned by the Supreme Court, the time is now to address federal overregulation,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cIn an effort to rein in the federal government, this bipartisan bill would provide a rules review of the most burdensome rules like Waters of the United States (WOTUS). The review process would hear these cases and would have the ability to sunset or repeal.\u201d\n\nIn June, The Supreme Court overturned Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council which had allowed federal agencies to interpret ambiguous statue. Now, the Supreme Court has ruled that courts should rely on their own interpretation of ambiguous laws, not federal agencies. For more than 40 years while Chevron was in effect, it was cited by federal courts more than 18,000 times.\n\nEvery year, there are between 3,000 \u2013 4,500 final rules issued by more than 50 federal agencies. This bill would give a comprehensive review of rules already issued by federal agencies as well as any new rules being proposed that cost $50 million or more.\n\nBackground:\n\nThe RESTORE Resolution would create a Joint Select Committee consisting of members of both the Senate and House of Representatives. The committee would:\n\nAnalyze the feasibility of a permanent joint rules review committee to:\n\nReview all rules causing an annual impact on the economy of $50 million or more before the rule is enacted.\n\nDelay the imposition of rules for review to the Permanent Joint Rules Review Committee.\n\nAnalyze the feasibility of requiring each federal agency to submit each proposed rule over $50 million to the appropriate committees of Congress for review before the rule is enacted.\n\nConduct a systematic review of rules enacted by federal agencies.\n\nHold hearings on the effects of current rules and look for ways to reduce the regulatory overreach.\n\nSubmit to Congress recommendations for a process to sunset overly burdensome and unnecessary rules, as well as a process for federal agencies to submit rules to Congress for review before they are enacted.\n\nSubmit to Congress recommendations for ways to reduce the financial burden these regulations place on American families.\n\nRecommend whether Congress should overturn rules that do not align with the intent of laws passed by Congress by enacting a joint resolution of disapproval.\n\nSubmit a list of rules that should be repealed.\n\nOriginal cosponsors for the RESTORE Resolution include Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.).\n\nClick HERE for full resolution text.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:36:13Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-cortez-masto-introduce-legislation-to-extend-reporting-deadline-for-emergency-tribal-care", "Rounds, Cortez Masto Introduce Legislation to Extend Reporting Deadline for Emergency Tribal Care", "2024-08-05", "2024", "2024-08", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) introduced legislation to extend the reporting deadline for Indian Health Service (IHS) patients who seek emergency care outside of IHS facilities. The IHS Emergency Claims Parity Act would extend the emergency notification requirements of IHS\u2019s Purchased and Referred Care (PRC) program from within 72 hours to 15 days.\n\n\u201cWhen IHS patients are in an emergency situation, the last thing they should be worried about is whether IHS is going to cover the cost of care at an outside facility,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cIn an emergency, patients need to be able to seek care at the closest facility that can adequately address their needs. Asking them to report this care within 72 hours after a medical emergency is unrealistic and has contributed to significant medical debt in tribal communities. Currently, IHS offers one of the shortest windows to submit emergency claims out of any government-run health care system. This legislation would fix that.\u201d\n\n\u201cTribal families deserve access to lifesaving emergency care without additional barriers like strict reporting deadlines,\u201d said Cortez Masto. \u201cOur bipartisan legislation gives Tribal patients more time to report emergency care, whether they received health care services at an IHS facility or not.\u201d\n\n\u201cI support the IHSECPA legislation to extend the timeline for emergency reporting due to the many factors and obstacles our people face trying to navigate the current healthcare system and especially the patient rights that must be better explained to all patients who need guidance on making such critical decisions regarding their health care and benefit,\u201d said Clyde Estes, Chairman of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe.\n\n\u201cUnexpected emergency medical situations can happen at any time. When tribal patients are required to access outside emergency care, they deserve a fair reporting timeline. I would like to thank Senator Rounds for taking up this effort,\u201d said Christian Skunk, Lower Brule Sioux Tribe Councilman.\n\n\u201cThe last thing a medical patient should have to worry about is paperwork during a healthcare emergency. The Indian Health Service\u2019s current 72-hour emergency PRC reporting window places an undue burden on tribal members. We thank Senator Rounds for consulting with tribal leaders on this issue and working to find potential solutions. The restrictive rules of the PRC program need to be addressed. We look forward to working with the Senator to get this across the finish line,\u201d said Frank Star Comes Out, President of Oglala Sioux Tribe.\n\n\u201cTribal members are already subject to a number of strict rules when accessing Purchased and Referred Care resources. It is unrealistic for IHS to expect patients to report PRC claims when dealing with life threatening injuries or illness. I thank Senator Rounds for working with tribal leaders and taking a common-sense approach to address this issue,\u201d said Rosebud Sioux Tribe Treasurer Wayne Boyd.\n\nIHS beneficiaries are subject to a number of restrictive rules when seeking outside care; however, few of these rules are as problematic as the emergency reporting deadline. Currently, in emergency cases, the patient must notify the PRC office within 72 hours of receiving outside care. Native American patients determined to be elderly or disabled are given 30 days to notify the IHS of emergency medical care received from non-IHS medical providers or at non-IHS medical facilities.\n\nThe IHS Emergency Claims Parity Act would increase the window for timely consideration of emergency care payments to 15 days for all IHS beneficiaries. This excludes reporting requirements for patients considered to be elderly/disabled, which will stay at 30 days.\n\nThis bill is endorsed by the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen\u2019s Association.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:36:13Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-leads-bipartisan-bicameral-effort-for-ai-innovation-in-financial-services", "Rounds Leads Bipartisan, Bicameral Effort for AI Innovation in Financial Services", "2024-08-05", "2024", "2024-08", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representatives French Hill (R-Ark.) and Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to promote artificial intelligence (AI) innovation in the financial services industry. The Unleashing AI Innovation in Financial Services Act would establish regulatory sandboxes at financial regulatory agencies for regulated entities to test AI projects, allowing them to experiment with cutting-edge technologies in a safe way.\n\n\u201cThe financial services industry has been using AI for decades, but as major advancements in the technology emerge, companies must be able to innovate,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cThe Unleashing AI Innovation in Financial Services Act is designed to foster innovation and economic growth by providing a controlled environment where new financial products and services that use AI can be tested. By creating these sandboxes, we aim to strike a balance between encouraging innovation and maintaining consumer protection, ultimately strengthening our financial system and keeping our country at the forefront of global financial technology. I want to thank my bipartisan, bicameral partners for coming together on this legislation.\"\n\n\u201cTo unlock AI\u2019s full potential and ensure it is deployed responsibly, we need regulatory guardrails that are informed by real-life use cases,\u201d said Heinrich. \u201cThe Unleashing AI Innovation in Financial Services Act will enable the private sector and government agencies to work together \u2014 encouraging innovation that protects consumers in the financial services sector.\u201d\n\n\u201cAI is a rapidly advancing tool that we need to fully understand because it is going to impact every aspect of our lives,\u201d said Hill. \u201cThe Unleashing AI Innovation Financial Services Act would ensure our federal agencies allow for the companies they regulate to experiment with AI in regulatory sandboxes. This is a pivotal step to allow both government and the private sector to collaborate and learn together, as the U.S. must lead in the development and use of AI technology. I thank Rep. Richie Torres (D-NY) for leading this bill with me and for Senators Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) for introducing companion legislation in the Senate as it is crucial we push our legislation forward to make sure we get AI regulation right while allowing for innovation and experimentation.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs emerging technologies drive immense change within the financial sector, there is always the question of how to balance innovation with consumer protection,\u201d said Torres. \u201cThat is why I am proud to support the bipartisan Unleashing AI Innovation in Financial Services Act, which will encourage the use of new AI technology in the financial services sector while maintaining regulations that protect the public. We will continue pushing for enhanced competitiveness and results while ensuring that consumers\u2019 interests remain paramount.\u201d\n\nThe Unleashing AI Innovation in Financial Services Act establishes regulatory sandboxes for AI test projects at the Federal Reserve, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). Regulated entities would apply through their primary regulator and must be able to demonstrate the project will serve the public interest (including consumer projection), enhance efficiency or increase competitiveness and not present a systemic risk to the financial system.\n\nClick HERE to read full bill text.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:36:13Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-daines-colleagues-introduce-bill-to-prohibit-dhs-from-releasing-migrants-with-terrorism-ties-into-the-us", "Rounds, Daines, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Prohibit DHS from Releasing Migrants with Terrorism Ties into the U.S.", "2024-08-02", "2024", "2024-08", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and seven of their Senate colleagues recently introduced legislation that would prohibit the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from releasing migrants who are designated as Known and Suspected Terrorists or Special Interest Aliens into the U.S. The Safeguarding Americans from Extremist Risk (SAFER) at the Border Act would also give states legal standing in federal court to sue DHS if their failure to adhere to this rule causes harm to the state or their citizens.\n\n\u201cOur wide-open southern border is not only a humanitarian crisis, but a national security crisis as well,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cThere is absolutely no reason that an illegal migrant with ties to terrorism should be allowed into our country. I am pleased to cosponsor this legislation with Senator Daines to strengthen our border and protect Americans from those who wish to do us harm.\u201d\n\n\u201cJoe Biden and Senate Democrats\u2019 refusal to secure the southern border has resulted in the loss of American lives, and as long as migrants with criminal records and potential terrorist ties are being let into the country, our national security is at risk,\u201d said Daines. This bill will help protect our nation against the very real and serious consequences of Joe Biden\u2019s open southern border.\u201d\n\nRounds and Daines were joined by Senators Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Ted Cruz (Texas), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).\n\nClick HERE for full bill text.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:36:13Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-introduces-legislation-to-offer-affordable-student-loan-option", "Rounds Introduces Legislation to Offer Affordable Student Loan Option", "2024-08-01", "2024", "2024-08", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) introduced legislation to offer a new affordable student loan option that would leverage private financial institutions to cover the cost of college. By guaranteeing loans made through eligible lenders and making sure no interest accrues while students are in school, the Affordable Future Loan Program Act provides students a sustainable and affordable solution.\n\nThe Affordable Future Loan Program would exist alongside the current system and would provide another option for financing or for students who need to fill the gap between federal aid and the cost to attend most public institutions. The program is inspired by the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFEL) that was created by the Higher Education Act of 1965 but repealed in 2010. Since 2010, all federal loans have been issued by the Department of Education (ED).\n\n\u201cStudents in South Dakota and across the nation need a more affordable way to take out loans and pay for higher education,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cThe Affordable Future Loan Program would allow students to use private financial institutions to take out federal loans. By utilizing the efficiencies of the private sector and providing enough financing to cover the actual cost of going to school, this program will ultimately save money for hardworking students and their families. While it doesn\u2019t change any existing programs, this bill would provide a low-interest choice for financing education and take Washington bureaucrats out of the process.\u201d\n\n\u201cWith guaranteed loans that do not accrue interest while students are in school, the act provides a lifeline to students who struggle to bridge the gap between federal aid and the rising costs of higher education. Senator Rounds\u2019 innovative approach will make higher education attainable for all Americans, preserving the dream of college for future generations,\u201d said Jeff Olson, President-CEO, Dakota Credit Union Association. \u201cThe Affordable Future Loan Program Act, championed by Senator Mike Rounds, offers a crucial solution to the pressing issue of college affordability. By leveraging the private sector to create a sustainable and affordable loan product, this legislation ensures that middle-class families across the country are no longer burdened with long-term debt.\u201d\n\n\u201cChoosing a college or trade school is a decision most students look forward to making, but with rising costs and a decrease in available financing, these decisions have become an impossible burden for middle class families,\u201d said Jim Nussle, President/CEO of America\u2019s Credit Unions. \u201cSenator Rounds\u2019 Affordable Future Loan Program Act \u2013 legislation that America\u2019s Credit Unions fully supports \u2013 brings new life to these important, life-altering decisions. Whether you are choosing to pursue an undergraduate degree or seeking a trade education, this bill helps close the gap in affordable loan options, sets students up for success, and better ensures their financial well-being.\u201d\n\n\u201cI appreciate Senator Rounds trying to pull together local, state, and federal stakeholders in education,\u201d said South Dakota Senator Steve Kolbeck. \u201cIt\u2019s clear he wants to keep what is working, fix what is broken, and bring back what has worked in the past. I\u2019m optimistic he can help us push local control and education financing to be more community focused while still maintaining accountability of tax dollars. Over regulation is as harmful to education as under regulation is and finding commonsense solutions should be achievable.\u201d\n\n\u201cI commend Senator Rounds for addressing the issue of student loan reform and looking for ways to include the private sector in this solution,\u201d said Dylan Clarkson, President & CEO of Pioneer Bank & Trust and Chairman of the South Dakota Bankers Association. \u201cOffering a more affordable student loan option is not only good for students, but also good for local banks and the economy.\u201d\n\nThe Affordable Future Loan Program Act would issue federal student loans through private financial institutions. Loans would be guaranteed 98% by the federal government when the student attends an accredited institution. Students are able to borrow equal to the average cost to attend a public university plus room and board. Students would not accrue interest while they are in school, and the interest rate would be set by the Treasury 10-year note instead of Congress as it is currently.\n\nUnder Rounds\u2019 plan, the maximum interest rate that may apply is capped at 6.28%, while right now the interest rates for ED range from 6.53%-9.08%.\n\nClick HERE for full bill text. Click HERE to read a one page summary of the bill.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:36:13Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=0C0D2345-4C02-4AEA-83D3-BF27457AB1E5", "Thune: Two Years Since Democrats\u2019 \u201cInflation Reduction Act\u201d Deception", "2024-08-01", "2024", "2024-08", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "Click here to watch the video.\n\nWASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today spoke on the Senate floor about the two-year anniversary of the deceptively named Inflation Reduction Act, the Biden-Harris administration\u2019s signature climate legislation. Thune noted that the law, made possible by Vice President Harris\u2019 tie-breaking vote, has added to the deficit and done nothing to mitigate inflation.\n\nThune\u2019s remarks below (as prepared for delivery):\n\n\u201cMr. President, in a couple of weeks we will mark the second anniversary of one of President Biden\u2019s signature measures \u2013 the so-called Inflation Reduction Act.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m sure the White House will be celebrating.\n\n\u201cBut Americans shouldn\u2019t be.\n\n\u201cBecause Democrats did the country no favors with this legislation.\n\n\u201cIn fact, the bill reads like a roster of bad Democrat policies.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s hard to know where to even begin.\n\n\u201cPerhaps with the bill\u2019s misleading \u2013 really, outright deceptive \u2013 title.\n\n\u201cDemocrats called the bill the Inflation Reduction Act \u2013 yet even before the bill had been signed into law, the nonpartisan Penn Wharton Budget Model was noting that the bill\u2019s impact on inflation was, quote, \u2018statistically indistinguishable from zero.\u2019\n\n\u201cIn other words, the Inflation Reduction Act \u2026 would do nothing to reduce inflation.\n\n\u201cAnd President Biden confirmed this fact a year later when he noted, and I quote, \u2018Well, we\u2019ve put ourselves in a position where we passed the most comprehensive environmental piece of \u2014 it\u2019s called the \u201cInflation Reduction Act.\u201d \u2026 It has nothing to do with inflation.\u2019\n\n\u201cLet me just repeat that, Mr. President.\n\n\u201c\u2018[I]t\u2019s called the \u201cInflation Reduction Act.\u201d \u2026 It has nothing to do with inflation.\u2019\n\n\u201cPresident Biden\u2019s own words.\n\n\u201cWhy Democrats chose to name it that, when it had nothing to do with reducing inflation, is a good question.\n\n\u201cPerhaps it was to try to convince the American people \u2013 falsely \u2013 that Democrats were doing something to stem the historic inflation crisis they\u2019d created.\n\n\u201cOr perhaps it was to disguise the substance of what Democrats thought might otherwise be an unpopular bill.\n\n\u201cBut moving on, Mr. President.\n\n\u201cAnother Democrat selling point for the bill was its claim that it would reduce the deficit.\n\n\u201cBut that claim has proved to be just as hollow as the bill\u2019s title.\n\n\u201cThe cost of the bill\u2019s Green New Deal provisions has grown to such an extent that the bill will not only not reduce the deficit, it\u2019s now on track to add to it.\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s right.\n\n\u201cA bill Democrats touted for its deficit reduction is now predicted to actually add to the deficit.\n\n\u201cAnd speaking of the bill\u2019s Green New Deal provisions.\n\n\u201cAs the president himself admitted last year, the so-called Inflation Reduction Act was really a chance for Democrats to impose their Green New Deal fantasies.\n\n\u201cAnd so the bill contains things like $1.5 billion \u2013 billion \u2013 for a grant program to plant trees.\n\n\u201c$1 billion for zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles like garbage trucks.\n\n\u201c$3 billion for the U.S. Postal Service for zero-emission delivery vehicles.\n\n\u201c$1.9 billion for things like road equity and identifying gaps in tree canopy coverage.\n\n\u201cAnd at least $30 billion in climate slush funds \u2013 part of which was allocated for, among other things, climate-related political activity.\n\n\u201cYes, Mr. President.\n\n\u201cClimate-related political activity.\n\n\u201cBecause clearly families struggling with high grocery prices and high energy prices in the Biden-Harris economy are eager to see their tax dollars going to Green New Deal activism.\n\n\u201cThen of course there are the tax credits the bill provides for well-off Americans to purchase new electric vehicles.\n\n\u201cAnd much, much more.\n\n\u201cAll told, the climate- and energy-related provisions of the bill are now projected to cost American taxpayers in excess of $1 trillion.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I mentioned tax credits for electric vehicles.\n\n\u201cPerhaps the Biden administration\u2019s signature environmental measure has been attempting to force the widespread adoption of electric vehicles.\n\n\u201cThe Inflation Reduction Act tax credits are one part of this crusade.\n\n\u201cOthers include the final emissions rules the Biden administration released this spring that will have the practical effect of forcing car and truck companies to electrify a huge portion of their sales lots.\n\n\u201cAnd the big problem here, Mr. President, is that the president is attempting to force the adoption of his electric-vehicle fantasy at a time when our electric grid is barely keeping up with current demand.\n\n\u201cAn article in the Washington Post this March \u2013 entitled \u2018Amid explosive demand, America is running out of power\u2019 \u2013 noted, and I quote, \u2018Vast swaths of the United States are at risk of running short of power as electricity-hungry data centers and clean-technology factories proliferate around the country, leaving utilities and regulators grasping for credible plans to expand the nation\u2019s creaking power grid.\u2019\n\n\u201cAnd that\u2019s our situation right now, Mr. President, without the incredible burden that would be added to our grid by a vast increase in the number of electric cars and trucks on the road.\n\n\u201cIf the president is successful in imposing a rapid and widespread increase in the number of electric vehicles, we are likely to be facing a situation where there is simply not enough power available to keep up with demand \u2013 with higher prices, electricity rationing, blackouts, and brownouts as the inevitable result.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I could go on for a while here about the strain the president is attempting to place on our electric grid \u2013 even as he seeks to weaken our already creaky grid even further with burdensome new regulations.\n\n\u201cAnd I could go on about the Inflation Reduction Act.\n\n\u201cI haven\u2019t even talked about the incredible amount of money Democrats funneled to the IRS through this legislation \u2013 the majority of it earmarked for increased audits and enforcement to help fund Democrats\u2019 Green New Deal fantasies.\n\n\u201cNor have I talked about the tax hikes the bill levies on conventional energy \u2013 which are doing no favors for Americans already beset by high energy bills in the Biden-Harris economy.\n\n\u201cAnd then there are the bill\u2019s price controls for prescription drugs, which will curtail medical innovation and the development of new medications.\n\n\u201cWhen the Biden administration originally proposed this policy, research from the University of Chicago projected that price controls on prescription drugs in Medicare would result in 135 fewer new drugs available to patients.\n\n\u201cAnd we have already seen those projections beginning to come to fruition, as multiple drug companies have halted research into new treatments as a result of the Inflation Reduction Act.\n\n\u201cBut I\u2019ll stop here, Mr. President.\n\n\u201cSuffice it to say that Democrats\u2019 so-called Inflation Reduction Act is a catalog of bad Democrat policies \u2013 from unrealistic Green New Deal measures to costly tax hikes to irresponsible spending.\n\n\u201cAnd unfortunately, if we end up with a President Harris next year, this legislation is likely a grim preview of more bad bills to come.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I yield the floor.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:41:32Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=C61E8530-DA2A-4291-90D7-F6D209E3041A", "Thune Applauds Passage of Bipartisan AI Bill in Senate Commerce Committee", "2024-07-31", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband, today applauded the Senate Commerce Committee\u2019s passage of his bipartisan Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research, Innovation, and Accountability Act. The legislation establishes a framework to bolster innovation while bringing greater transparency, accountability, and security to the development and operation of the highest-impact applications of AI.\n\n\u201cAs this technology continues to evolve, we should identify some basic rules of the road that protect consumers, foster an environment in which innovators and entrepreneurs can thrive, and limit government intervention,\u201d said Thune. \u201cThis legislation would bolster the United States\u2019 leadership in AI, strengthen innovation, and establish common-sense safety and security guardrails for the highest-risk AI applications. I hope Leader Schumer will prioritize AI transparency legislation and bring this important bill to the Senate floor for a vote as soon as possible.\u201d\n\nFind additional information on the AI Research, Innovation, and Accountability Act here:\n\nContent Provenance and Emergence Detection Standards: To provide clearer distinctions between human and AI-generated content, the bill would require the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to carry out research to facilitate the development of standards for providing both authenticity and provenance information for online content, similar to the efforts of the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity. The bill would also direct NIST to support standardization of methods for detecting and understanding emergent properties in AI systems in order to mitigate issues stemming from unanticipated behavior.\n\nAI Definitions: The bill would provide new definitions for \u201cgenerative,\u201d \u201chigh-impact,\u201d and \u201ccritical-impact\u201d AI systems. A clear distinction would also be made between \u201cdeveloper\u201d and \u201cdeployer\u201d of the AI system for purposes of requirements outlined below.\n\nGenerative AI Transparency: To ensure consumers are properly notified when they are interacting with generative AI, the bill would require large internet platforms to provide notice to users when the platform is using generative AI to create content the user sees. The U.S. Department of Commerce would have the authority to enforce this requirement.\n\nNIST Recommendations to Agencies: NIST would be required to develop recommendations to agencies for technical, risk-based guardrails on \u201chigh-impact\u201d AI systems, in consultation with other agencies and non-government stakeholders. The Office of Management and Budget would be tasked with interagency implementation of such recommendations.\n\nRisk Management Assessment and Reporting: Consistent with the structure of NIST\u2019s AI Risk Management Framework, the bill would require companies deploying critical-impact AI to perform detailed risk assessments. These reports would provide a comprehensive, detailed outline of how the organizations manage, mitigate, and understand risk. Deployers of \u201chigh-impact\u201d AI systems would be required to submit transparency reports to the Commerce Department.\n\nCritical-Impact AI Certification: The bill would require critical-impact AI systems to be subject to a certification framework, in which critical-impact AI organizations would self-certify compliance with standards prescribed by the Commerce Department. The structure of the certification process is outlined below:\n\nAI Certification Advisory Committee: The bill would establish an advisory committee, composed of industry stakeholders, to provide input and recommendations on the issuance of proposed critical-impact AI certification standards.\n\nSubmission of Certification Plan: Before any standards for critical-impact AI could be prescribed, the Commerce Department would be required to submit to Congress and the advisory committee a five-year plan for testing and certifying critical-impact AI. The plan would outline not only proposed standards and a timeline for their implementation, but also a process for (1) evaluating whether standards are necessary and appropriate, including whether a prevailing international standard is sufficient and (2) how objective and transparent information will be gathered. The Commerce Department would be required to regularly update the plan and consult with other government agencies, the advisory committee, and non-governmental standards organizations in the process.\n\nCritical-Impact AI Standards: The Commerce Department, upon submitting a certification plan to Congress and the advisory committee, would have the authority to prescribe testing, evaluation, validation, and verification (TEVV) standards for critical-impact AI. Critical-impact AI deployers would self-certify compliance with the standards. All standards would have to be submitted for public comment.\n\nExemptions: The Commerce Department would have the authority to issue exemptions from certain TEVV standards, as deemed appropriate, in response to exemption applications from critical-impact AI deployers.\n\nNoncompliance and Enforcement: Upon discovering noncompliance with an applicable TEVV standard, critical-impact AI organizations would be required to immediately notify the Commerce Department and provide a plan for addressing the noncompliant aspect of the AI system. In response, the Commerce Department could order additional actions to be taken by the organization.\n\nAI Consumer Education: The bill would require the Commerce Department to establish a working group to provide recommendations for the development of voluntary, industry-led consumer education efforts for AI systems.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:32:29Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=C805872B-3EBE-444B-91CA-E0CE00993790", "Thune: Biden-Harris Economic Policies Leave Working Families in the Dust", "2024-07-31", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "Click here to watch the video.\n\nWASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today spoke on the Senate floor about the harsh realities families are facing due to the Biden-Harris administration\u2019s tax-and-spend agenda. Thune noted that working families are paying more for everything from groceries to gas, while also dealing with soaring interest rates, mounting debt, and shrinking savings due to this administration\u2019s misguided economic policies.\n\nThune\u2019s remarks below (as prepared for delivery):\n\n\u201cMr. President, America has always been a place where if you work hard, you can get ahead.\n\n\u201cBut it\u2019s a lot more challenging in the Biden economy.\n\n\u201cInflation has dealt working families a series of setbacks that have made it harder to get ahead.\n\n\u201cAnd it\u2019s in large part due to this administration\u2019s reckless spending.\n\n\u201cMr. President, three and a half years ago Vice President Harris cast her first tie-breaking votes in the Senate to advance $1.9 trillion in spending under the guise of pandemic relief.\n\n\u201cShe and our Democrat colleagues had been warned that that level of spending risked setting off inflation unlike any we had seen in a generation.\n\n\u201cBut they passed it anyway.\n\n\u201cAnd inflation began to take off almost immediately.\n\n\u201cThree years later, prices have gone up by more than 20 percent.\n\n\u201cGroceries are up 21 percent.\n\n\u201cThe cost of car repairs is up 31 percent.\n\n\u201cEnergy costs have gone up 40 percent.\n\n\u201cNearly every aspect of daily life is more expensive in the Biden-Harris economy, and Americans are struggling to make ends meet.\n\n\u201cMore than one-third of Americans are worried about paying their bills.\n\n\u201cThey\u2019re pulling back on their spending and putting more on their credit cards.\n\n\u201cSome people are even taking on extra work just to get by.\n\n\u201cBut sometimes, it\u2019s still not enough.\n\n\u201cAs one new mom in Missouri put it: \u2018It's just hard. I work full time. My husband works full time. I feel like at this point, we're moving more towards survival mode, rather than thriving.\u2019\n\n\u201cAnother mom in Virginia says of her sons and their wives \u2018everybody is working as absolutely hard as they can. They are not farther ahead than my husband and I were 30 years ago.\u2019\n\n\u201cAnd another woman in Pennsylvania, who\u2019s working two jobs, says \u2018Prior to inflation, I didn\u2019t have any debt, I didn\u2019t have any credit cards, never applied for like a payday loan or any of those things. But since inflation I needed to do all those things\u2026I\u2019ve had to downgrade my life completely.\u2019\n\n\u201cMr. President, they\u2019re not alone.\n\n\u201cFor many Americans, life in the Biden-Harris economy feels like a downgrade.\n\n\u201cIt now costs a typical family $13,000 more per year just to maintain the same standard of living it enjoyed when President Biden took office.\n\n\u201c$13,000 more just to tread water.\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s an incredible strain on families\u2019 budgets.\n\n\u201cAnd it\u2019s not just higher prices, measures to tame inflation have also added to Americans\u2019 financial pain.\n\n\u201cTo fight inflation, the Federal Reserve has been forced to keep interest rates high, which affects Americans\u2019 finances in a variety of ways.\n\n\u201cAs I said, many Americans have turned to credit cards to cope with inflation.\n\n\u201cAnd higher interest rates, in part the result of the Fed\u2019s actions, are making credit card bills harder to pay down.\n\n\u201cThe same is true for car payments.\n\n\u201cAnd Americans looking to own their own home are facing what one housing expert called \u2018the most challenging home buying market we\u2019ve ever seen.\u2019\n\n\u201cThe average monthly mortgage payment is a staggering $2,600 \u2013 the result of a combination of higher mortgage rates and higher home prices.\n\n\u201cMr. President, the White House has spent a lot of time trying to spin this economy as strong.\n\n\u201cBut the American people aren\u2019t buying it.\n\n\u201cAn economy where people are working harder and still struggling to get by isn\u2019t what most Americans consider a strong economy.\n\n\u201cAnd it can\u2019t be America\u2019s future.\n\n\u201cI said inflation began accelerating as a result of Democrats\u2019 reckless spending.\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s not a Republican talking point.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s a fact with which Democrat economists agree.\n\n\u201cYet the Biden-Harris administration and congressional Democrats show no signs of backing off their reckless tax and spending agenda.\n\n\u201cIn fact, it\u2019s clear they envision a lot more of the same.\n\n\u201cThe administration\u2019s latest budget request is filled with burdensome new taxes and trillions in new spending.\n\n\u201cThey want to see the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act expire, which would mean more tax increases.\n\n\u201cAnd Democrats still have plenty of other tax and spending ideas they would like to implement.\n\n\u201cMr. President, the American people have suffered enough.\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t want to think about what kind of economic pain we could see from another four years of Democrats\u2019 reckless spending.\n\n\u201cAnd I hope the American people will not have to experience it.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I yield the floor.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:32:29Z"], ["https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases/delegation-urges-biden-grant-disaster-declaration-following-june-storms-and", "Delegation Urges Biden to Grant Disaster Declaration Following June Storms and Flooding", "2024-07-30", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "House", "SD", "Dusty Johnson", "J000301", "dustyjohnson.house.gov", "dustyjohnson", "https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) recently urged President Biden to issue a major disaster declaration for the state of South Dakota following the severe storms and flooding from June 16 through July 8, 2024.\n\n\u201cIn light of these considerations, we respectfully request that you expeditiously review Gov. Noem\u2019s request and declare a major disaster for relevant areas of our state,\u201d the delegation wrote. \u201cAlong with our fellow South Dakotans, we appreciate your consideration of this request and stand ready to assist in any way possible.\u201d\n\nFull letter below:\n\nDear President Biden:\n\nWe write in support of Gov. Kristi Noem\u2019s (R-S.D.) request for a major disaster declaration for the state of South Dakota as a result of severe storms and flooding that occurred June 16 through July 8, 2024.\n\nAs Gov. Noem\u2019s request indicates, the catastrophic flooding began on June 16, 2024, resulting from a succession of heavy rainstorms that filled the creeks and rivers that coincide in the southeast corner of the state. The excess water flooded the Niobrara River, the Missouri River, and the Big Sioux River, causing an emergency evacuation of the affected areas before sink holes emerged, houses washed away, and the BNSF Railway railroad bridge connecting North Sioux City, S.D., with Sioux City, Iowa, collapsed into the Big Sioux River. The flooding caused significant damage to public infrastructure, homes, and businesses, and has disrupted the lives of the nearly six thousand residents that live in the North Sioux City and Dakota Dunes areas.\n\nData from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows that the Big Sioux River crested at 44.98 feet, surpassing the previous 2014 record by 7.28 feet. Analysis from the National Weather Service shows the rain event that created this year\u2019s flooding was a 1,000-year event. Eleven river gauges were at record-high levels. This disaster has impacted 25 counties and five tribal nations and caused tens of millions of dollars in damage to public infrastructure, homes, and businesses.\n\nIn light of these considerations, we respectfully request that you expeditiously review Gov. Noem\u2019s request and declare a major disaster for relevant areas of our state. Along with our fellow South Dakotans, we appreciate your consideration of this request and stand ready to assist in any way possible.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:24:45Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/delegation-urges-biden-to-grant-disaster-declaration-following-june-storms-and-flooding", "Delegation Urges Biden to Grant Disaster Declaration Following June Storms and Flooding", "2024-07-30", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) recently urged President Biden to issue a major disaster declaration for the state of South Dakota following the severe storms and flooding from June 16 through July 8, 2024. Their letter, which was sent Friday, immediately followed Gov. Noem\u2019s major disaster declaration.\n\n\u201cIn light of these considerations, we respectfully request that you expeditiously review Gov. Noem\u2019s request and declare a major disaster for relevant areas of our state,\u201d the delegation wrote. \u201cAlong with our fellow South Dakotans, we appreciate your consideration of this request and stand ready to assist in any way possible.\u201d\n\nFull letter below:\n\nDear President Biden:\n\nWe write in support of Gov. Kristi Noem\u2019s (R-S.D.) request for a major disaster declaration for the state of South Dakota as a result of severe storms and flooding that occurred June 16 through July 8, 2024.\n\nAs Gov. Noem\u2019s request indicates, the catastrophic flooding began on June 16, 2024, resulting from a succession of heavy rainstorms that filled the creeks and rivers that coincide in the southeast corner of the state. The excess water flooded the Niobrara River, the Missouri River, and the Big Sioux River, causing an emergency evacuation of the affected areas before sink holes emerged, houses washed away, and the BNSF Railway railroad bridge connecting North Sioux City, S.D., with Sioux City, Iowa, collapsed into the Big Sioux River. The flooding caused significant damage to public infrastructure, homes, and businesses, and has disrupted the lives of the nearly six thousand residents that live in the North Sioux City and Dakota Dunes areas.\n\nData from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows that the Big Sioux River crested at 44.98 feet, surpassing the previous 2014 record by 7.28 feet. Analysis from the National Weather Service shows the rain event that created this year\u2019s flooding was a 1,000-year event. Eleven river gauges were at record-high levels. This disaster has impacted 25 counties and five tribal nations and caused tens of millions of dollars in damage to public infrastructure, homes, and businesses.\n\nIn light of these considerations, we respectfully request that you expeditiously review Gov. Noem\u2019s request and declare a major disaster for relevant areas of our state. Along with our fellow South Dakotans, we appreciate your consideration of this request and stand ready to assist in any way possible.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:24:45Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=556AE410-CD59-4A00-BD56-5D417D8C23A8", "Delegation Urges Biden to Grant Disaster Declaration Following June Storms and Flooding", "2024-07-30", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) recently urged President Biden to issue a major disaster declaration for the state of South Dakota following the severe storms and flooding from June 16 through July 8, 2024. Their letter, which was sent Friday, immediately followed Gov. Noem\u2019s major disaster declaration.\n\n\u201cIn light of these considerations, we respectfully request that you expeditiously review Gov. Noem\u2019s request and declare a major disaster for relevant areas of our state,\u201d the delegation wrote. \u201cAlong with our fellow South Dakotans, we appreciate your consideration of this request and stand ready to assist in any way possible.\u201d\n\nFull letter below:\n\nDear President Biden:\n\nWe write in support of Gov. Kristi Noem\u2019s (R-S.D.) request for a major disaster declaration for the state of South Dakota as a result of severe storms and flooding that occurred June 16 through July 8, 2024.\n\nAs Gov. Noem\u2019s request indicates, the catastrophic flooding began on June 16, 2024, resulting from a succession of heavy rainstorms that filled the creeks and rivers that coincide in the southeast corner of the state. The excess water flooded the Niobrara River, the Missouri River, and the Big Sioux River, causing an emergency evacuation of the affected areas before sink holes emerged, houses washed away, and the BNSF Railway railroad bridge connecting North Sioux City, S.D., with Sioux City, Iowa, collapsed into the Big Sioux River. The flooding caused significant damage to public infrastructure, homes, and businesses, and has disrupted the lives of the nearly six thousand residents that live in the North Sioux City and Dakota Dunes areas.\n\nData from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows that the Big Sioux River crested at 44.98 feet, surpassing the previous 2014 record by 7.28 feet. Analysis from the National Weather Service shows the rain event that created this year\u2019s flooding was a 1,000-year event. Eleven river gauges were at record-high levels. This disaster has impacted 25 counties and five tribal nations and caused tens of millions of dollars in damage to public infrastructure, homes, and businesses.\n\nIn light of these considerations, we respectfully request that you expeditiously review Gov. Noem\u2019s request and declare a major disaster for relevant areas of our state. Along with our fellow South Dakotans, we appreciate your consideration of this request and stand ready to assist in any way possible.\n\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:32:29Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=72FF38AA-63F5-42A1-8122-7862E0911C3B", "Thune Applauds Senate Passage of His Big Tech Transparency Bill", "2024-07-30", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband, today applauded the passage of his bipartisan Filter Bubble Transparency Act, which was included in a larger bill to address kids\u2019 safety on the internet, led by Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.). Thune\u2019s bill would make it easier for internet platform users to understand the potential manipulation that exists with secret algorithms and require large-scale platforms to allow those users to consume information outside of that potential manipulation zone or \u201cfilter bubble.\u201d It would essentially mandate that large Big Tech platforms, including Meta, provide an algorithm-free option for users to consume information in an unmanipulated form.\n\n\u201cConsumers deserve more transparency when it comes to how social media and other internet platforms use algorithms to amplify or suppress content on their services,\u201d said Thune. \u201cThis bill helps consumers better understand how algorithms are used to select content in their \u2018feed\u2019 and gives users more control over what information they are digesting. I applaud the Senate\u2019s strong bipartisan passage of my bill, and I hope the House of Representatives considers it in short order.\u201d\n\nThe Filter Bubble Transparency Act would require large-scale internet platforms to disclose algorithm use to consumers and allow users to view content that has not been curated as a result of a secret algorithm. The bill would also make it unlawful for any person to operate a covered internet platform that uses a secret algorithm unless the platform complies with the two above requirements. The Federal Trade Commission would enforce the legislation\u2019s requirements, and it would be authorized to seek civil penalties for knowing violations.\n\nThune first introduced the legislation in 2019 and reintroduced it during the 117th Congress. In July 2023, the Commerce Committee unanimously approved his legislation. In June 2019, Thune led a hearing entitled, \u201cOptimizing for Engagement: Understanding the Use of Persuasive Technology on Internet Platforms,\u201d where he pressed technology experts, including current and former Google employees, on how algorithmic decision-making and machine learning on internet platforms influences the public. In December 2021, Thune helped lead a subcommittee hearing titled, \u201cDisrupting Dangerous Algorithms: Addressing the Harms of Persuasive Technology,\u201d where he questioned industry experts on Big Tech\u2019s use of persuasive technology.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:32:29Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=C2E9A8B8-71BC-4009-929D-3716ACD7F847", "Thune: Democrats\u2019 Supreme Court \u201cReforms\u201d Amount to Changing the Rules in the Middle of the Game", "2024-07-30", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "Click here to watch the video.\n\nWASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today called out Democrats\u2019 relentless attempts to politicize and undermine the legitimacy of the U.S. Supreme Court. Thune noted that the administration\u2019s most recent ploy would set an incredibly dangerous precedent and undermine the Supreme Court\u2019s independence.\n\nThune\u2019s remarks below (as prepared for delivery):\n\n\u201cMr. President, yesterday evening, in the tradition of another Democrat president and his infamous court-packing scheme way back in 1937, President Biden announced a proposal to interfere with the Constitution\u2019s separation of powers and permanently politicize the Supreme Court.\n\n\u201cHe dressed it up with appeals to permanent American values.\n\n\u201cBut what it all boiled down to, Mr. President, was this:\n\n\u201cDemocrats don\u2019t like some of the Supreme Court\u2019s recent decisions.\n\n\u201cAnd so they\u2019ve decided to change the rules of the game.\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s it.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I\u2019ve disagreed with more than one Supreme Court decision in my time.\n\n\u201cI\u2019ve disagreed with Supreme Court justices nominated by presidents of my own party.\n\n\u201cBut I have never thought that my not agreeing with a Supreme Court decision meant that the court itself was illegitimate \u2013 or that my party should attempt to change the law to make over the Supreme Court in our image.\n\n\u201cNot so for Democrats.\n\n\u201cThe Supreme Court releases a handful of decisions Democrats don\u2019t like, and they decide that the court is illegitimate \u2013 and that it\u2019s time to remake the court to their liking.\n\n\u201cMore than one Democrat has already introduced legislation in Congress to do so.\n\n\u201cAnd now, with the president\u2019s announcement yesterday, it\u2019s become clear that those plans have accelerated \u2013 and that if Democrats take the White House and Congress in November, we can expect them to lose no time in destroying the court as we know it.\n\n\u201cAnd while the president\u2019s proposals are troubling enough \u2013 a measure to circumvent the Constitution\u2019s lifetime appointments for justices and replace the Supreme Court\u2019s own code of conduct with a code of conduct mandated by Democrat congressmembers \u2013 who knows if Democrats will stop there.\n\n\u201cAfter all, while their proposal would conveniently start by retiring Republican appointees, Democrats would only be able to retire one justice every two years.\n\n\u201cWho\u2019s to say that would be fast enough for Democrats?\n\n\u201cWe all know that court-packing \u2013 expanding the Supreme Court until you get a sufficient number of justices to endorse your policies \u2013 has gained significant traction in Democrat circles.\n\n\u201cIndeed, President Biden\u2019s term-limits proposal is a version of court-packing by another name.\n\n\u201cAnd it would not surprise me at all if Democrats didn\u2019t stop there.\n\n\u201cBecause make no mistake, Mr. President, this is a slippery slope.\n\n\u201cOnce you start interfering, there is no going back.\n\n\u201cIf the Democrats implement this plan, it is easy to see a future where each subsequent administration acts to \u2018return balance\u2019 to the Supreme Court, with the result that the Supreme Court changes wildly from administration to administration, losing all independence and credibility and any resemblance to the Supreme Court as established by the Constitution.\n\n\u201cI\u2019d like to remind my Democrat colleagues of what happened with the filibuster for judicial nominees here in the Senate.\n\n\u201cBack in 2013, Democrats \u2013 frustrated that they could not rubber-stamp all of President Obama\u2019s appointees \u2013 abolished the filibuster for lower-court nominees.\n\n\u201cIt turned out to be a quick step from that to abolishing the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees a few years later.\n\n\u201cAnd I\u2019m pretty sure I\u2019ve heard more than one of my Democrat colleagues express regret over that 2013 decision.\n\n\u201cBut it seems that Democrats are resolved not to learn from history \u2013 and are perfectly willing to sacrifice the long-term stability of the Supreme Court for their own short-term political gain.\n\n\u201cMr. President, even worse than any specific element of President Biden\u2019s proposals yesterday is the incredibly dangerous precedent they would set for meddling in what is supposed to be a separate, independent branch of our government.\n\n\u201cIf Democrats were really concerned about impartiality and the rule of law and promoting faith in the Supreme Court, the last thing they would be doing is interfering with the court\u2019s makeup.\n\n\u201cAnd if there are any Democrats left in Congress who are willing to put the long-term health of our institutions over some temporary political gain, I urge them to join Republicans in opposing this power grab.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I yield the floor.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:32:29Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=DD6BEC92-D352-4AE2-8D81-711C320AD84A", "Thune, Luj\u00e1n, Barrasso Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Expedite Broadband Permits to Unserved, Rural Communities", "2024-07-29", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Ben Ray Luj\u00e1n (D-N.M.), ranking member and chairman, respectively, of the Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband, and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) today introduced the Accelerating Broadband Permits Act, bipartisan legislation that would improve federal agencies\u2019 review and processing of broadband permits and allow service to be more quickly deployed to unserved communities. The legislation cuts unnecessary red tape, increases transparency into the federal permitting process, and requires all federal agencies to implement controls to ensure broadband applications are being processed within the required 270-day deadline.\n\n\u201cTo ensure rural communities across South Dakota have access to reliable broadband, it is critical that federal agencies are processing broadband permits in a timely fashion and that they are being held accountable for any delays,\u201d said Thune. \u201cFor years I have fought for rural areas to have access to reliable broadband services, and I\u2019m proud to introduce this legislation that would help accelerate the deployment of these services throughout our communities.\u201d\n\n\u201cMore must be done to address the barriers that have long kept rural communities on the wrong side of the digital divide. For years, I have pushed the federal government to streamline and expedite permitting processes to improve rural broadband connectivity. I\u2019m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation with Senators Thune and Barrasso to help build out broadband infrastructure in New Mexico and across the country,\u201d said Luj\u00e1n. \u201cI remain hopeful that we can work in a bipartisan way to deliver high-speed, affordable broadband to every American.\u201d\n\n\u201cNearly half of Wyoming is federal land. We must ensure efficient and timely internet access for communities in these areas,\u201d said Barrasso. \u201cMany broadband providers have faced issues with the federal permitting process for applications on federal land. This results in higher costs for internet providers and delays in closing the digital divide across rural America. Our legislation will improve the application process and allow more projects to move forward and provide our rural communities with reliable internet services.\u201d\n\nThune\u2019s MOBILE NOW Act, which was signed into law in 2018, directed executive agencies to approve or deny applications for broadband infrastructure within 270 days. In April 2024, the Government Accountability Office reported significant issues with federal agencies processing broadband applications within the 270-day deadline. Following that report, Thune and Barrasso urged the Bureau of Land Management and the United States Forest Service to fix the broken permitting process for broadband infrastructure on federal lands.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:32:29Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-ossoff-introduce-legislation-to-advance-federal-cyber-workforce-development", "Rounds, Ossoff Introduce Legislation to Advance Federal Cyber Workforce Development", "2024-07-26", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee\u2019s Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, and Senator Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) have introduced legislation that would help advance the development of the federal government\u2019s cyber workforce. Specifically, the Federal Cyber Workforce Training Act of 2024 would require the National Cyber Director to develop a plan to establish an institute within the federal government to serve as a centralized resource and training center for federal cyber workforce development.\n\nThis program would make it easier for federal government employers to prepare newly hired, early-career personnel for federal cyber positions. It would also support new skills for federal workers moving jobs mid-career. The program would leverage the private sector, specifically academia, to develop and deliver cyber training.\n\n\u201cCybersecurity is involved in every aspect of the federal government and continues to rapidly evolve,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cWe can\u2019t simply keep up with this evolution, we must be ahead of the curve. Being proactive in training our federal cyber workforce will help the United States bolster cybersecurity across all agencies of the federal government.\"\n\n\u201cStrong cybersecurity is a necessity to protect families and businesses from threats and bad actors,\u201d said Ossoff. \u201cThat\u2019s why Senator Rounds and I are introducing this new bipartisan bill to help ensure we have the workforce we need to protect families and businesses from cyber threats, with Georgia positioned to lead the way.\u201d\n\nClick HERE for full bill text.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:24:45Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=9F74C1EC-6A35-4B5A-A7CF-7B7710F10072", "Thune, Warner Introduce Legislation to Address Student Debt Crisis", "2024-07-26", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) recently introduced the Employer Participation in Repayment Act. This bipartisan legislation would help Americans tackle their student loan debt by making permanent Thune\u2019s previously enacted provision that allows employers to contribute up to $5,250 tax-free to their employees\u2019 student loans. This bill would help provide relief to employees living with student loan debt and act as a free-market alternative to unfair and fiscally irresponsible student loan forgiveness proposals.\n\n\u201cIncentivizing employers to help repay their employees\u2019 student loans was a common-sense step Congress took to address the high levels of student debt that borrowers face,\u201d said Thune. \u201cThe Thune-Warner bill would permanently equip employers with this unique tool to help attract and retain talented employees while protecting American taxpayers from costly burdens. This is a win-win for graduates and their employers, and I hope it will once again garner strong, bipartisan support.\u201d\n\n\u201cToo many young Americans are struggling under the weight of student debt, preventing them from establishing savings, buying homes, and building wealth,\u201d said Warner. \u201cMy Employer Participation in Repayment Act took an important step to help folks pay down their debt while also giving employers a powerful tool to recruit and retain the best talent, but it\u2019s set to expire soon. I\u2019m proud to be pushing to make this benefit permanent so we can grow our economy and support the middle class by supporting recent graduates and employers alike.\u201d\n\nCompanion legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Reps. Scott Peters (D-Calif.) and Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.).\n\nIn 2020, Thune and Warner\u2019s legislation was first included as part of the CARES Act, which received overwhelming, bipartisan support.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:32:29Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-peters-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-streamline-tribal-government-requests-for-fire-management-assistance-grants", "Rounds, Peters Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Streamline Tribal Government Requests for Fire Management Assistance Grants", "2024-07-25", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, introduced bipartisan legislation that requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to accept requests from tribal governments to receive a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) Declaration.\n\nCurrently, FEMA can accept Emergency and Major Disaster Declaration requests from Tribal governments, but the agency is not authorized to accept FMAG requests directly from tribes. As a result, tribes can only receive FMAG assistance as sub-recipients of state-approved declarations. This limitation impedes tribes\u2019 capacity to access federal resources for wildfire management and undermines tribal independence by forcing them to work through state governments, rather than having the option to interact directly with federal authorities for this specific type of assistance.\n\n\u201cTribes in South Dakota and across the nation shouldn\u2019t have to go through unnecessary extra steps to receive assistance for wildfire management,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cI am pleased to co-lead this legislation with Senator Peters, which would allow tribes to directly request Fire Management Assistance Grant declarations from FEMA. This maintains tribal sovereignty, instead of making tribes a sub-recipient of a state emergency declaration.\u201d\n\n\u201cTribal governments have the right to interact directly with the federal government as sovereign nations, especially in times of crisis,\u201d said Peters. \u201cMy bipartisan bill closes a crucial gap in our disaster response system, authorizing FEMA to give Tribal governments the option of direct access to federal resources, and ultimately improving our ability to respond to the increasing threat of wildfires.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) thanks Senators Gary Peters and Mike Rounds for introducing the Fire Management Assistance Grants for Tribal Governments Act. This critical legislation recognizes the need to bring tribal governments to full parity with state governments in requesting assistance to manage and prevent wildfires,\u201d said Larry Wright, Jr., Executive Director of the National Congress of American Indians. \u201cNCAI appreciates the Senators' commitment to addressing this oversight, acknowledging the authority and capability of tribal governments to declare disasters and protect their citizens from imminent threats. These amendments ensure that emergency disaster assistance requests from tribal governments will be treated with the same urgency and consideration as those from states. NCAI looks forward to the regulatory amendments that will follow the passage of this bill, fostering robust discussions on enhancing partnerships between tribal governments and federal agencies to safeguard Indian Country from the escalating threat of wildfires.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis legislation will allow Tribal Governments to request all three types of disaster declarations: Emergency, Major, or Fire Management. Currently, Tribes must go through a state for a Fire Management Assistance Grant Declaration, but have the option to request their own Emergency and Major Disaster Declarations,\u201d said Gary Edwards of the Chief Executive Office of the National Native American Law Enforcement Association. \u201cOnce this legislation becomes law, the Tribes will stand on equal footing with states in making all three Disaster Declaration. We thank Senators Peters and Rounds for their leadership on this issue.\u201d\n\nThe Great Plains Tribal Chairmen's Association is also supportive of this bill.\n\n\u201cWhen disasters strike, county officials and emergency responders play a critical role in the immediate response and longer-term efforts to help our communities and residents recover,\u201d said National Association of Counties Executive Director Matthew Chase. \u201cCounties work closely with our tribal partners to ensure that necessary resources are available after a disaster. The bipartisan Fire Management Assistance Grants for Tribal Governments Act would allow tribal governments to request a fire management declaration directly from FEMA, which would result in assistance reaching the ground more efficiently. We thank Senators Peters and Rounds for introducing this legislation and urge its swift consideration.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:24:45Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=B161D177-78D1-49F2-98CD-0C245564ED8B", "Thune: The Senate Must Do More to Protect Our Nation", "2024-07-25", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "Click here to watch the video.\n\nWASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today spoke on the Senate floor to condemn the lawless, pro-Hamas violence and vandalism that took place yesterday in Washington, D.C. He urged Majority Leader Schumer to schedule a vote on the National Defense Authorization Act, noting that more could be done to ensure the United States meets its security obligations at home and abroad. Thune also encouraged passage of the Kids Online Safety Act, which includes his Filter Bubble Transparency Act, legislation that would give users more awareness around social media algorithms.\n\nThune\u2019s remarks below (as prepared for delivery):\n\n\u201cMr. President, before I begin, I want to take a moment to address the events that transpired yesterday just a few short blocks from where we\u2019re standing.\n\n\u201cThe summer months are busy tourist months here in our nation\u2019s capital, and for some, the view from Union Station is the very first sight they have of Washington, D.C.\n\n\u201cThose who emerged from Union Station yesterday afternoon, however, were confronted not with the beauty of the historic station but with a scene of lawlessness.\n\n\u201cViolent protesters tore down American flags that fly in front of Union Station, lit at least one of them on fire, and raised Palestinian flags in their place.\n\n\u201cOthers defiled the monuments in front of the station with messages including, and I quote, \u2018Hamas is comin\u2019\u2019 and \u2018Globalize the Intifada.\u2019\n\n\u201cImagine being a Jewish person walking to work past those slogans.\n\n\u201cMr. President, we have a proud tradition of public protest in the United States.\n\n\u201cBut there is a difference between exercising free speech rights and the vandalism and violence we saw yesterday.\n\n\u201cIn addition to what we saw in front of Union Station and elsewhere, an anti-Israel protester or protesters released hundreds of maggots and mealworms into the hotel where the prime minister \u2013 and a lot of other people \u2013 were staying.\n\n\u201cThis is not part of the proud tradition of American political discourse.\n\n\u201cThis is pure thuggery.\n\n\u201cAnd I am frankly appalled by how little we have heard in response from Democrats.\n\n\u201cThe president addressed the nation last night \u2013 could he not have added a few words on this disturbing display?\n\n\u201cWhat about the vice president?\n\n\u201cEvery single public official \u2013 and every single American \u2013 should be united in condemning this violence and vandalism, as well as rhetoric that elevates terrorism and foments antisemitism.\n\n\u201cWe are better than this.\n\n\u201cAnd it\u2019s time we started acting like it.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I\u2019m pleased to say that during a summer in which Democrats have focused on show votes, we\u2019re actually going to vote this week on a substantial piece of legislation, the Kids Online Safety Act.\n\n\u201cSenator Blackburn has done a tremendous amount of work to deliver a bill that will take real steps to mitigate the harm social media can do to children, and I\u2019m grateful for her leadership on this issue.\n\n\u201cThe package before us also includes legislation from Senator Cassidy to update the Children\u2019s Online Privacy Protection Act, and I applaud him for his work.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m pleased also that my bipartisan Filter Bubble Transparency Act, which I introduced with Senator Blackburn and others, has been included in the final legislation.\n\n\u201cThe Filter Bubble Transparency Act requires social media companies and other internet platforms to notify users that the content they are seeing has been selected for them by hidden algorithms, which create a unique universe of information for each user \u2013 a phenomenon that\u2019s often referred to as the \u2018filter bubble.\u2019\n\n\u201cPlatforms would also be required to give users the choice to switch to a version of the platform that is filter-bubble-free.\n\n\u201cAnd I am hopeful that along with the rest of the Kids Online Safety Act, this will provide a meaningful way to address some of the more problematic aspects of the internet.\n\n\u201cMr. President, as I said, it\u2019s good to be voting on something substantial here in the Senate.\n\n\u201cWe\u2019ve done essentially nothing for two months other than vote on guaranteed-to-fail legislation that Democrats hope will somehow win them votes in November.\n\n\u201cBut voting on the Kids Online Safety Act is not enough.\n\n\u201cWe have a lot more work we should be doing, starting with action on one of the most important pieces of legislation we consider each year, the National Defense Authorization Act.\n\n\u201cThe Israeli prime minister\u2019s speech to Congress yesterday \u2013 a speech that a number of my Democrat colleagues and Vice President Harris chose to boycott \u2013 was a timely reminder of the dangerous world we face:\n\n\u201cIran-backed terrorist organizations like Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis fomenting terror and instability in the Middle East.\n\n\u201cAn emboldened Russia engaged in a ground war against Ukraine, on the doorstep of NATO allies.\n\n\u201cAn increasingly aggressive China and an increasingly endangered Taiwan.\n\n\u201cAnd the unfortunate truth, Mr. President, is that we are not as prepared as we should be to confront these threats.\n\n\u201cWe have service branches struggling with recruitment.\n\n\u201cWe have ships that can\u2019t sail and planes that can\u2019t fly because of maintenance issues.\n\n\u201cAnd we have shortages of munitions.\n\n\u201cOur colleague Senator Wicker, the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, recently put forward a blueprint for rebuilding our military.\n\n\u201cHe points out that our defense budget as a share of the economy has fallen to near historic lows, hardly in line with the threats we face today.\n\n\u201cAnd he proposes increasing the defense budget over the next few years alongside important reforms to put our military in a position of strength not just now but well into the future.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s a call we need to heed.\n\n\u201cLast fall, the Strategic Posture Commission offered a disturbing assessment, and I quote: \u2018Today the United States is on the cusp of having not one, but two nuclear peer adversaries, each with ambitions to change the international status quo, by force, if necessary: a situation which the United States did not anticipate and for which it is not prepared.\u2019\n\n\u201c\u2018\u2026 a situation which the United States did not anticipate and for which it is not prepared.\u2019\n\n\u201cThat is a pretty disturbing analysis, Mr. President.\n\n\u201cAnd it underlines the absolute imperative of addressing our military readiness TODAY.\n\n\u201cWhich brings me to this year\u2019s National Defense Authorization Act.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m grateful that our colleagues on the Armed Services Committee have put forward a bill that \u2013 while it does not authorize all the investment our military needs \u2013 does take steps to address the challenges we\u2019re facing.\n\n\u201cThis year\u2019s NDAA authorizes full funding for the European and Pacific deterrence initiatives and takes steps to strengthen our partnerships to counter Russia and China.\n\n\u201cIt takes important steps to modernize our military and authorize financing for the technologies and weapons of tomorrow.\n\n\u201cAnd it authorizes the purchase of new ships, combat vehicles, and aircraft to update our aging fleets.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m particularly pleased to report that this bill includes full funding for the next steps of the B-21 mission, including necessary support facilities.\n\n\u201cThe Air Force calls the B-21 Raider \u2013 its new long-range strategic bomber \u2013 the future backbone of its bomber force.\n\n\u201cAnd I am incredibly proud that this mission will be hosted at South Dakota\u2019s own Ellsworth Air Force Base.\n\n\u201cAnd one of my top priorities here in Congress is ensuring that the Air Force \u2013 and Ellsworth in particular \u2013 has everything it needs for this critical advancement in our nation\u2019s readiness.\n\n\u201cMr. President, the Senate Armed Services Committee passed this year\u2019s National Defense Authorization Act on June 13.\n\n\u201cAnd well over a month later the Democrat leader still hasn\u2019t found time for this critical legislation \u2013 nor is there any indication of when he will.\n\n\u201cIt says a lot about Democrats\u2019 priorities.\n\n\u201cBut I hope that the Democrat leader will take a moment to consider that while he puts our defense on the back burner, our enemies are not delaying their ambitions or their aggressive activities.\n\n\u201cAnd I hope he will bring this legislation to the floor in the very near future.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I yield the floor.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:32:29Z"], ["https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases/johnson-secures-tribal-wins-interior-funding-bill", "Johnson Secures Tribal Wins in Interior Funding Bill", "2024-07-24", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "House", "SD", "Dusty Johnson", "J000301", "dustyjohnson.house.gov", "dustyjohnson", "https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) secured several wins for tribal communities in the House Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations package.\n\n\u201cThere is a public safety crisis on our Indian reservations,\u201d said Johnson. \u201cWe also have major needs in tribal healthcare and education. Our efforts have secured major funding increases for these areas, including a 34% increase in tribal public safety funding.\u201d\n\nJohnsonnoted that with our nation $35 trillion in debt, these new investments needed to be made in a fiscally responsible manner. \u201cWe managed to secure these substantive increases while decreasing overall spending because we implemented significant cuts elsewhere. This is a big win for Indian country and for fiscal responsibility.\u201d\n\nThe total cost of the bill is $72 million below the FY24 enacted level. It rescinds $55 million authorized by the Inflation Reduction Act and reduces funding for the Environmental Protection Agency by 20% from the FY24 enacted level.\n\nJohnson has led initiatives to increase funding for tribal law enforcement on reservations, reform the Indian Health Service, and improve education opportunities in tribal communities.\n\nThe FY25 Interior appropriations package includes several of Johnson\u2019s priorities:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:24:45Z"], ["https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases/johnson-testifies-his-ihs-priorities", "Johnson Testifies on his IHS Priorities", "2024-07-24", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "House", "SD", "Dusty Johnson", "J000301", "dustyjohnson.house.gov", "dustyjohnson", "https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, the House Natural Resources Committee held a hearing to discuss key provisions of U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson\u2019s (R-S.D.) bill to improve quality and delivery of patient care within the Indian Health Service (IHS).\n\n\u201cIn South Dakota, the average age of death is 78 years old, for Native American enrolled members, it\u2019s 58 years. That\u2019s a remarkable 20-year gap,\u201d said Johnson. \u201cOne of the reasons for that is the poor quality of health care in Indian country. That\u2019s something we have trust and treaty obligations to address.\u201d\n\nImage\n\nView Johnson\u2019s remarks here or by clicking the image above.\n\nThe Restoring Accountability in the Indian Health Service Act of 2024 seeks to improve the delivery of care for Native Americans relying on IHS by promoting the recruitment and retention of staff, best practices on information-sharing, cultural awareness, and accountability.\n\nSpecifically, the hearing discussed these sections of the bill:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:24:45Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-blumenthal-colleagues-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-strengthen-research-and-treatment-development-for-brain-cancers", "Rounds, Blumenthal, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Research and Treatment Development for Brain Cancers", "2024-07-24", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) introduced the Bolstering Research and Innovation Now (BRAIN) Act, bipartisan legislation to strengthen research and treatment development for brain tumors and to improve the accessibility of brain tumor health care.\n\n\u201cFor me, the fight against cancer is personal. When my late wife Jean was courageously battling cancer a few years ago, we were already seeing encouraging progress in the development of new treatments for many cancers,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cI firmly believe we are years, not decades, away from seeing cures to many of the most deadly cancers. The BRAIN Act will allow us to continue capitalizing on the progress we have made so far by implementing programs and funding that will advance research and treatments for brain tumors. I am glad to be joining a bipartisan group of my colleagues on this legislation.\u201d\n\n\u201cMalignant brain tumors remain a vicious and persistent enemy for many Americans\u2014impacting more than one million people in the United States today,\u201d said Blumenthal. \u201cWith incidence and survival rates remaining stagnant for decades, our bipartisan, bicameral BRAIN Act is needed to advance research and treatment for these highly deadly cancers and defeat brain tumors once and for all.\u201d\n\nRounds and Blumenthal are joined on this legislation by their colleagues U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). The House version of the BRAIN Act is led by U.S. Representative Susan Wild (D-Penn.), who is joined by Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Penn.), Lori Trahan (D-Mass.) and John Joyce (R-Penn.).\n\n\u201cA brain tumor diagnosis is devastating news for too many American families, and the federal government needs to step up to help find a cure and better diagnostics and treatment. The BRAIN Act is about saving lives, changing lives, and improving health outcomes. It would help fast-track scientific discovery and breakthroughs by improving access to clinical trials for patients and advancing innovative new treatments. It would also make it easier for researchers to access biospecimens for new research on brain tumors and fund more clinical trials for the most aggressive, hard-to-treat brain tumors,\u201d said Reed. \u201cThis bipartisan bill would also establish new programs and research for brain tumor survivors to improve quality of life and ensure appropriate follow up care over the long term.\u201d\n\n\u201cAfter losing my wife, Bobbi, to glioblastoma, I know firsthand how tragic a brain tumor diagnosis can be for patients and their families. Raising awareness and supporting efforts to find a cure is a personal priority for me,\u201d said Barrasso. \u201cI\u2019m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bipartisan, bicameral legislation to advance treatments and support research to find a cure for these deadly diagnoses.\u201d\n\n\u201cI am proud to be the House lead of the BRAIN Act, which will enable our medical community to research groundbreaking treatments and innovative systems of care for the millions of Americans affected by brain tumors,\u201d said Wild. \u201cAmerican families \u2014 including my own \u2014 have been impacted by this terrible disease for far too long. I\u2019ll never stop fighting for a cure, for the American children, adults, and seniors currently living with brain tumors, and to honor my mother, who I lost to brain cancer in 2014.\u201d\n\n\u201cSanford Health is grateful for Senator Rounds\u2019 leadership on the BRAIN Act,\u201d said Dr. David Pearce, President of Sanford Research. \u201cThis legislation offers a fantastic opportunity to expand upon our brain tumor and cancer research. From our pediatric research to clinical trials to our Biobank, Sanford Research is excited to see the positive impacts the BRAIN Act will have on this important work.\u201d\n\n\"To treat more difficult cancers, such as brain cancer, we will need advances in research and innovation,\" said Katie VanBeek, Administrative Lead of Avera's Oncology Service Line. \"AveraCancer Institute has a strong history of offering clinical trials, including Phase 1 trials. Due to our experience in this area, we\u2019ve expanded access of cancer clinical trials to rural and regional cancer centers so that people have access to more treatment options, no matter where they live. We are optimistic about this bill that will continue to drive positive change for our patients.\"\n\nSpecifically, the BRAIN Act:\n\nIncreases transparency of federally-funded biobank collections so that researchers are aware of others who possess samples that might be shared to enable important research.\n\nSufficiently resources the National Cancer Institute\u2019s Glioblastoma Therapeutics Network, so that it can realize its promise of vetting treatments and completing innovative early-phase clinical trials.\n\nEnables team science to advance immunotherapy research (CAR-T) engineered to attack brain cancer cells.\n\nDirects the Centers for Disease Control to conduct a public education campaign around the importance of clinical trials and biomarker testing in cancer treatment.\n\nAugments and expands funding to develop innovative systems of care models for brain tumor survivors.\n\nDirects FDA to issue guidance to ensure brain tumor and other rare and recalcitrant cancer patient access to clinical trials evaluating treatments for other diseases.\n\nToday, more than one million people in the United States are living with a primary brain tumor. Another 94,000 more will likely be diagnosed in 2024, in addition to hundreds of thousands of Americans diagnosed with metastatic brain cancer. Despite major improvements made in the treatment of other cancers in recent years, incidence and survival rates for malignant brain tumors have remained stagnant for 45 years, with a five-year relative survival rate of only 35.7%.\n\nClick HERE for full bill text.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:24:45Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=1559DF6B-541E-42DF-B0DE-1A7135AF1903", "Thune Calls for National Unity, Stresses Urgent Need for Reforms at Secret Service", "2024-07-24", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "\u201c[I]f there\u2019s one thing we can take from the events of July 13 \u2013 other than the immediate practical need of addressing security failures \u2013 it is a renewed determination to live our lives in such a way that we too, at the time of our testing, would be among those whose response was to help and protect their fellow man.\u201d\n\nClick here to watch the video.\n\nWASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today spoke on the Senate floor about the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump and the need for Americans to embrace the values that unite us. Thune noted that it was appropriate for the Secret Service director to resign, but that serious reforms and accountability are still necessary to ensure the agency fulfills its mission going forward.\n\nThune\u2019s remarks below (as prepared for delivery):\n\n\u201cMr. President, the attempted assassination of President Trump 11 days ago at a peaceful rally in Pennsylvania shook the nation.\n\n\u201cAnd I am very thankful that he was not seriously harmed.\n\n\u201cAnd I am grateful also for the law enforcement personnel who rushed in to cover the president when the shooting started.\n\n\u201cBut as every American knows by now, the events of July 13 should never have happened.\n\n\u201cThere was not just one but a number of apparent security breakdowns, notably a failure to secure the roof before the rally.\n\n\u201cAnd while we are grateful for the fact that President Trump was not killed, these security failures resulted in the death of one innocent American, and serious injury to two others.\n\n\u201cAnd it is appropriate that the Secret Service director resigned yesterday in the wake of this tragedy.\n\n\u201cBut there is more work to be done.\n\n\u201cMultiple investigations are currently being conducted, several of them here in Congress, to identify everything that went wrong that Saturday and explore ways to ensure that it never happens again.\n\n\u201cAnd among other things, we obviously need to take a hard look at what needs to be done at the Secret Service.\n\n\u201cI have no doubt that there are many dedicated agents serving there, including those who heroically dived to cover President Trump when the shooting started, but the fact is that the Secret Service has been beset by problems for a number of years now, including staffing issues and a number of previous security failures.\n\n\u201cAnd it\u2019s time to fix these problems once and for all and ensure that the Secret Service is fully prepared to fulfill its mission.\n\n\u201cWe also need a new Secret Service director committed to making reform of the agency a priority.\n\n\u201cMr. President, events like the ones of July 13 always horrify because they demonstrate the worst of which human beings are capable.\n\n\u201cBut they also often give us a glimpse of the very best.\n\n\u201cAnd that was certainly true in Pennsylvania.\n\n\u201cThere was Corey Comperatore, the volunteer firefighter who died protecting his family.\n\n\u201cThe emergency room physician and others who attempted to render medical assistance.\n\n\u201cThe everyday Americans who stepped in to help their fellow rallygoers.\n\n\u201cAnd if there\u2019s one thing we can take from the events of July 13 \u2013 other than the immediate practical need of addressing security failures \u2013 it is a renewed determination to live our lives in such a way that we too, at the time of our testing, would be among those whose response was to help and protect their fellow man.\n\n\u201cMr. President, soon after surviving the attempt on his life, President Trump said, \u2018In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand United, and show our True Character as Americans ...\u2019\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s a call that we should all heed.\n\n\u201cThat doesn\u2019t mean, of course, that our disagreements suddenly disappear, but it does mean that we recognize and remember that most Americans, regardless of where they land politically, want what\u2019s best for our country\u2019s future.\n\n\u201cAnd I hope that out of this tragedy can come a renewed sense of what unites us.\n\n\u201cAmid the outpouring of shock and concern after the attempted assassination, there were those who actually made remarks lamenting that President Trump wasn\u2019t killed.\n\n\u201cAnd it is disturbing that our discourse \u2013 and our regard for the value of human life \u2013 has deteriorated to such an extent that there would actually be people wishing bodily harm on a political candidate simply because they don\u2019t like his politics.\n\n\u201cAnd in the midst of our real and valid disagreements, I hope we can remember the people beneath the politics and emerge with a greater respect for our fellow Americans.\n\n\u201cMr. President, my thoughts and prayers continue to be with those injured on July 13, and with the families of the injured and deceased.\n\n\u201cAnd I pray that the events in Butler, Pennsylvania, will never be repeated.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I yield the floor.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:32:29Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-hagerty-colleagues-demand-answers-on-dojs-lack-of-prosecutions-of-non-citizens-registering-to-vote", "Rounds, Hagerty, Colleagues Demand Answers on DOJ\u2019s Lack of Prosecutions of Non-Citizens Registering to Vote", "2024-07-18", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) recently joined his colleagues Senator Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) and Representative Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) in demanding answers from U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on the Department of Justice\u2019s (DOJ) efforts to enforce the laws that protect the integrity of U.S. elections.\n\n\u201cAs you are likely aware, the United States has experienced a record number of border encounters since President Biden took office\u2014nearly 10 million\u2014many of whom have been released into, or evaded apprehension while entering, the U.S.,\u201d wrote the members. \u201cWe\u2019re writing to inquire regarding the efforts undertaken by your Department to enforce the law that prohibits non-citizens from voting in our elections.\u201d\n\n\u201cPlainly, there are opportunities for and instances of non-citizen voter registration, and so the critical question is whether the laws against doing so are being enforced by your Department,\u201d continued the members. \u201cThere appear to have been few prosecutions by your Department under these laws, and there is no indication that you have been pursuing cases in places like Georgia and Ohio where aliens have been caught registering or voting.\u201d\n\nRounds, Hagerty and Biggs were joined on this letter by Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and JD Vance (R-Ohio), along with 41 members of the House of Representatives.\n\nThe members are requesting information on the number of non-citizens attempting to vote who have been charged, tried or convicted, as well as additional information on the DOJ\u2019s protocols regarding non-citizens attempting to vote.\n\nRead the full letter HERE or below.\n\n+++\n\nDear Attorney General Garland:\n\nAs you are likely aware, the United States has experienced a record number of border encounters since President Biden took office\u2014nearly 10 million\u2014many of whom have been released into, or evaded apprehension while entering, the U.S. We\u2019re writing to inquire regarding the efforts undertaken by your Department to enforce the law that prohibits non-citizens from voting in our elections.\n\nSeveral recent reports have described, upon examination by state officials, instances of non-citizens registering to vote in elections or being prompted to do so. For example, the Governor of South Carolina recently called for an investigation after it was revealed that voter registration forms were allegedly given to non-citizens. Similarly, in 2022, the Georgia Secretary of State found that more than 1,600 non-citizens had attempted to register to vote in Georgia. And Ohio\u2019s Secretary of State called for increased verification efforts by county election officials after non-citizens were found on state voter rolls.\n\nThese reports are especially concerning given the record-shattering number of illegal aliens entering the United States and certain state and local laws that permit aliens to vote in local elections.\n\nAs you are aware, federal law prohibits aliens from voting or registering to vote in federal elections. For example, 18 U.S.C. \u00a7 611 prohibits aliens from voting in federal elections. Additionally, 52 U.S.C. \u00a7 20511 makes it unlawful to fraudulently register or vote. And 18 U.S.C. \u00a7 911 prohibits making a false claim of U.S. citizenship.\n\nPlainly, there are opportunities for and instances of non-citizen voter registration, and so the critical question is whether the laws against doing so are being enforced by your Department. There appear to have been few prosecutions by your Department under these laws, and there is no indication that you have been pursuing cases in places like Georgia and Ohio where aliens have been caught registering or voting. Nor is there any indication that you have taken steps to obtain information from the Department of Homeland Security regarding aliens who admit that they have registered or voted in U.S. elections when completing the N-400, \u201cApplication for Naturalization.\u201d Part 9 of that form specifically asks applicants that question.\n\nFurthermore, there is no evidence that your U.S. Attorneys are using information obtained from jury lists in their cases to investigate aliens who may have violated federal law. It is our understanding that potential jurors for federal cases are obtained from state voter registration lists in many federal districts. This begs the question: Has an individual ever been excused from federal jury duty because they are not a U.S. citizen, and if so, does the Department address the fact that they are a registered voter?\n\nTo promote public trust regarding the steps your Department has taken to prosecute non-citizens for illegally voting or registering to vote in federal elections, please provide the following information no later than July 19, 2024:\n\n1. Please provide the number of aliens who have been charged, tried, or convicted under 18 U.S.C. \u00a7 611 since January 20, 2021, including the status of each case.\n\n2. Please provide the number of aliens who been charged, tried, or convicted under 52 U.S.C. \u00a7 20511 since January 20, 2021, including the status of each case.\n\n3. Please provide the number of aliens who have been prosecuted under 18 U.S.C. \u00a7 911 since 2021, including the status of each case.\n\n4. Please provide the number of referrals received from other government officials or the public in reference to the statutes cited in questions 1 through 3.\n\n5. How does the Department of Justice investigate allegations received of non-citizen voting or voter registration?\n\n6. What affirmative steps has the Department of Justice taken to detect, prevent, and deter illegal aliens and other non-citizens from registering and voting in federal elections?\n\n7. What affirmative steps has the Department taken to obtain relevant information from the Department of Homeland Security on aliens who have registered or voted in elections?\n\n8. What steps have been taken by U.S. Attorneys and the Public Integrity Section of the Criminal Division, which is responsible for prosecuting election crimes and assisting U.S. Attorneys in prosecuting election crimes, to obtain jury-related information that indicates aliens have unlawfully registered to vote?\n\n9. As the 2024 election nears, what steps will the Department take to detect, investigate, and prosecute non-citizens who violate 18 U.S.C. \u00a7 911, 52 U.S.C. \u00a7 20511, or 18 U.S.C. \u00a7 611 by voting or registering to vote in the 2024 election?\n\nThank you for your attention to this matter and we look forward to your prompt reply.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:32:29Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-manchin-legislation-to-provide-back-pay-to-military-officers-impacted-by-holds-passes-with-committee-version-of-fy25-ndaa", "Rounds, Manchin Legislation to Provide Back Pay to Military Officers Impacted by Holds Passes With Committee Version of FY25 NDAA", "2024-07-16", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) recently passed legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) to provide back pay for military officers whose promotions were delayed in the Senate. The Military Personnel Confirmation and Restoration Act was included as part of the committee version of the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that was reported out of the Senate Armed Services Committee. The NDAA was officially filed on Monday, July 8. This provision would also make an adjustment to the affected service members\u2019 time in grade and other administrative fixes.\n\n\u201cI am pleased that the Military Personnel Confirmation and Restoration Act is included in our Armed Services committee version of the FY25 Senate NDAA,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cThese nominations for our military members were initially held up due to policy differences. Though their promotions and nominations are no longer stalled, many military officers spent much of 2023 waiting on positions they had earned through exemplary service to our country, often in combat zones, over the last two decades. This legislation would make certain they and their families receive the benefits they missed out on for several months.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m proud our bipartisan Military Personnel Confirmation and Restoration Act has been included in the FY25 Senate NDAA,\u201d said Manchin. \u201cThis important legislation will provide well-earned retroactive promotion dates and back pay for our nation\u2019s senior military officers after many promotions were blocked for months. These men and women are true American heroes and we have a responsibility in Congress to make them whole. I will continue doing everything in my power to ensure the passage of our bill to compensate our troops and strengthen America\u2019s national security.\u201d\n\nRounds and Manchin initially introduced the Military Personnel Confirmation and Restoration Act as a standalone bill in December 2023. This legislation passed the Senate unanimously later that same month but still remains stalled in the House.\n\nThe FY25 NDAA was reported out of the Senate Armed Services Committee on June 13, 2024. This is the tenth NDAA that Rounds has helped author as a member of the committee. At the start of the 118th Congress, Vanderbilt University and the University of Virginia\u2019s Center for Effective Lawmaking named Rounds as the second most effective Republican on Defense issues. The FY25 NDAA now heads to the full Senate for consideration.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:32:29Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=652DE060-45DB-487C-96C9-BE06C2A5ABD8", "Thune: Biden\u2019s Border Crisis Makes Americans Less Safe", "2024-07-11", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "Click here to watch the video.\n\nWASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today spoke on the Senate floor about the serious risks that President Biden\u2019s open-border policies pose to the safety of the American people, both today and into the future. Thune noted that 10 million illegal immigrants have crossed the border during the Biden administration, including suspected terrorists and criminals.\n\nThune\u2019s remarks below (as prepared for delivery):\n\n\u201cMr. President, last month\u2019s arrest of eight men from Tajikistan with suspected ties to ISIS further underscored what we have known for a long time \u2013 that President Biden\u2019s three-year-plus border crisis is a threat to our national security.\n\n\u201cAll eight of these individuals had made their way into our country across our overrun southern border.\n\n\u201cAnd they are hardly the only dangerous individuals to have made their way into our country on President Biden\u2019s watch.\n\n\u201cAn illegal immigrant who had successfully evaded the Border Patrol to enter the United States has been arrested for the murder of a mother in Maryland.\n\n\u201cAn illegal immigrant released into the country on parole has been charged with the murder of a nursing student in Georgia.\n\n\u201cTwo illegal immigrants are charged with the killing of a 12-year-old girl in Texas.\n\n\u201cAnd unfortunately, Mr. President, I could go on.\n\n\u201cIn another alarming case, 50 out of 400 illegal immigrants who entered the United States through an ISIS-linked smuggling network are still unaccounted for.\n\n\u201cMr. President, it is of course impossible to predict \u2013 or stop \u2013 every crime.\n\n\u201cBut the chaos at the southern border that President Biden has allowed to rage for three-plus years has unquestionably created an environment that facilitates the entry of dangerous individuals into our country.\n\n\u201cSince President Biden took office, approximately 10 million individuals \u2013 that we know of \u2013 have made their way illegally into our country.\n\n\u201c10 million.\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s larger than the population of the vast majority of U.S. states.\n\n\u201cWe have had three successive years of record-breaking illegal immigration on President Biden\u2019s watch.\n\n\u201cThree.\n\n\u201cAnd we can only hope that we will manage to avoid a fourth.\n\n\u201cThe situation is so bad that President Biden finally realized that if he didn\u2019t do something, his disastrous record on the border might tank his reelection prospects.\n\n\u201cAnd while it would be nice if the executive action he took last month had been motivated by the clear national security dangers the situation presents and not by fear of losing an election, at least he finally conceded that he had to do something \u2013 inadequate and full of exemptions as it might be.\n\n\u201cBut while this might \u2013 might \u2013 be a case of better late than never, I\u2019m afraid it\u2019s also a case of too little, too late.\n\n\u201cBecause a tremendous amount of damage has been done that President Biden can\u2019t fix even if he should succeed in restricting future flows.\n\n\u201cAs I said, roughly 10 million illegal immigrants have entered our country on President Biden\u2019s watch.\n\n\u201cAnd while I am sure that many of these individuals were simply in search of a better life, we can be pretty confident that there are others \u2013 like the recently arrested individuals with suspected ties to ISIS \u2013 who have more malign intentions.\n\n\u201cOf particular concern are the roughly 1.8 million known gotaways \u2013 individuals the Border Patrol saw but was unable to apprehend \u2013 who have made their way into the country over the course of this administration.\n\n\u201cU.S. Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens, speaking earlier this year about the number of gotaways at the border, said, and I quote, \u2018\u2026 those are the numbers that really keep us up at night, because if you know that all you need to do is turn yourself in to the Border Patrol and go through the process, what possible reason would you have for wanting to evade capture? Could it be that those are the folks that probably have criminal intent?\u2019\n\n\u201cChief Owens was referring to the fact that under the Biden administration\u2019s lax asylum system, individuals who show up at the border claiming asylum have frequently been released into the country with court dates as much as a decade into the future.\n\n\u201cAnd his point, of course, is that when turning yourself in to the Border Patrol with a claim for asylum is likely to result in years of essentially legal permanent residence, it\u2019s especially concerning that we have had hundreds of thousands of individuals choosing not to turn themselves in and escaping into the interior of our country.\n\n\u201cSo again, Mr. President, even if President Biden\u2019s executive action from last month does do something to help reduce the flow of illegal immigration \u2013 which very much remains to be seen \u2013 we will still be left with the effects of the chaos he has allowed to rage at our southern border for three-plus years.\n\n\u201cAnd we\u2019ll still be left with the effects of his other disastrous border and immigration policies, from offering mass amnesty to hundreds of thousands of individuals whose asylum cases have been closed without a decision, to fast-tracking mass parole through the CBP One app, to placing unaccompanied children with possibly dangerous guardians in the U.S. (something Senator Grassley is currently working to prevent in the future).\n\n\u201cAnd I expect we\u2019ll still be dealing with the consequences of the president\u2019s dangerous policies for a long time to come.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I yield the floor.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:32:29Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=CDBCE609-E6B6-4458-9C29-F5FE169A44F2", "Thune, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Expand Interstate Firearm Sales", "2024-07-11", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) recently joined his colleagues in introducing the Firearms Interstate Commerce Reform Act (FICRA), legislation that would address burdensome federal regulations on the sale or delivery of firearms between different states.\n\n\u201cEnabling licensed firearm dealers to sell across state lines strengthens law-abiding gun owners\u2019 Second Amendment rights and helps promote a marketplace on which many livelihoods depend,\u201d said Thune. \u201cLawful South Dakota gun owners, including members of our armed forces, should have unimpeded access to exercise their lawful right to keep and bear arms.\u201d\n\nThe legislation was led by U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and, in addition to Thune, was cosponsored by Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kan.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), and Tim Scott (R-S.C.).\n\nThune has led several efforts to protect the freedoms of law-abiding gun owners and prevent the federal government from infringing on those rights. Last year, Thune introduced the Merchant Category Code Neutrality Act, legislation that would block the Internal Revenue Service from conducting taxpayer audits that unfairly target lawful firearm sales. Thune also introduced the Allowing for Recreational Resources for Outdoor Wellness Act to prevent the Biden administration from blocking funding for elementary and secondary schools\u2019 hunting and archery programs.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:32:29Z"], ["https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases/johnson-votes-election-integrity", "Johnson Votes for Election Integrity", "2024-07-10", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "House", "SD", "Dusty Johnson", "J000301", "dustyjohnson.house.gov", "dustyjohnson", "https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) voted to secure the integrity of American elections by passing the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act to prevent noncitizens from voting in federal elections. The SAVE Act would require proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote.\n\n\u201cVoting is a sacred honor reserved for American citizens,\u201d said Johnson. \u201cMillions of illegal immigrants have crossed our border since Joe Biden took office\u2014if they cast votes, our election system would be severely compromised. We must protect this right and protect election security. Allowing noncitizens to vote threatens both of those objectives.\u201d\n\nNearly 25 million noncitizens reside in the United States, and nearly ten million illegal immigrants have crossed our borders since January 2021. Many states are committed to providing driver\u2019s licenses to these individuals.\n\nThe Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act will:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:24:45Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/icymi-rounds-grills-fed-chair-powell-on-inflation-basel-iii-endgame-in-banking-committee-hearing", "ICYMI: Rounds Grills Fed Chair Powell on Inflation, Basel III Endgame in Banking Committee Hearing", "2024-07-10", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) questioned Chair of the Federal Reserve Jerome Powell this week in a hearing of the Senate Banking Committee. The hearing was Powell\u2019s semiannual appearance in front of the Committee to address monetary policy in the United States.\n\nRounds asked Powell about revisions to the Basel III Endgame proposal, as well as how the bad policies of the Biden administration have fueled inflation. According the Joint Economic Committee, the average South Dakota family is paying over $1,000 more per month in living expenses for needs such as shelter, food and energy compared to when President Biden took office.\n\n\u201cSince President Biden took office, gasoline prices have risen over 54%, energy prices have risen 41%, fuel oil prices have risen 37%. Now, I can go on and on, but you understand what I'm saying is that energy has increased substantially,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cI think one of the reasons for this has been additional demand as we've come out of a pandemic. But the other part of this has been whether or not investors really want to go back in and invest in traditional energy resources after the President made this specific determination to cancel the Keystone XL Pipeline on the day that he stepped into office. When he did that, he sent one heck of a message to investors about traditional energy, and investing in traditional energy, in the United States. And the fact that a multibillion dollar contract could be cancelled with a stroke of a pen.\u201d\n\nWatch the full exchange HERE. Read the full transcript below.\n\n+++\n\nRounds: Mr. Chairman, first of all, thanks for coming in again and visiting with us. I just want to focus on two specific items. And I'm going to start with the Basel III Endgame discussion. Senator Scott did an excellent job of kind of laying out the concerns that many of us have had with it. I would like to go back into just one particular issue, which I think a lot of folks out there that follow this, and I know it's technical in nature. But let me just ask a specific question and you can kind of pick it apart for me, please. Both you and Vice Chair Barr have confirmed that there will be material changes to every risk type outlined in the proposal. Since there will be significant changes, do you believe where the agencies have landed now would be considered a logical outgrowth of the original proposal from last summer?\n\nPowell: For those people who are not familiar with it, that's the legal test for that turns out to be if it's a logical outgrowth. If it's not a logical outgrowth that would require, legally require reproposal. And I don't want to make the legal judgment. I will just say, again, from my standpoint, my view and strongly held view of some of my colleagues on the board is that it will be appropriate for us to put out the changes again, for a period of comment, just because it's the right thing to do. It's what we would do, typically, in a situation where there\u2019s, you know, material changes to a proposal.\n\nRounds: Do you feel that you have a consensus in the board to allow that to move forward? In terms of an additional comment period?\n\nPowell: Yes, but of course, we have to get the FDIC and the OCC, you know, we're in discussions with them to work on something that would meet that need. And we have to get their agreement too.\n\nRounds: Assuming it sounds like that's the path that you would like to go down, if that were the case, would it be fair to say that we probably be looking at final determinations or recommendations for a Basel III Endgame proposal probably in the next year, before it would become anything of a final determination?\n\nPowell: I think that that may be right. You know, something like that could be right. Yeah. I mean, it's, you can't be, it's hard to be precise, you know. We would put it out, it takes some time to write this stuff up, then you put it out for comment, then you get the comments, then you read the comments, then you write the final rule. You know, beginning part of next year is a good guesstimate.\n\nRounds: The only reason why I push is because there are so many folks directly involved with this and the impact on our economy here. And with a lot of our financial institutions, this is a significant change, and it's one that a lot of people are following. So I'm trying to get you to get into the depth of this as much as possible. And I thank you for that.\n\nI'd also want to go into one other area. And once again, this is something that you and I have had visits about in front of this group before, but I want to talk about what the parts of inflation are and what parts you can control and what parts, as the Fed, you really can't control. The demand side of the equation on inflation is the part that you have the tools to work with. But there is the supply side of the equation, which is still out there. And I want to just lay this out, because as we do this in this setting, it naturally becomes political in nature because the one of the starting points that we talk about is when this administration took office and what happened with supply side issues at that time. And as I work my way through this, I just want to share the concerns that I've got. And I recognize you don't want to be political in it, but I want to lay this out. And then I want to talk about what you can control and what you can't control with regard to making changes on inflation, through the processes that you have.\n\nSince President Biden took office, gasoline prices have risen over 54%, energy prices have risen 41%, fuel oil prices have risen 37%. Now, I can go on and on, but you understand what I'm saying is that energy has increased substantially. And I think one of the reasons for this has been additional demand as we've come out of a pandemic. But the other part of this has been whether or not investors really want to go back in and invest in traditional energy resources after the President made this specific determination to cancel the Keystone XL Pipeline on the day that he stepped into office. When he did that he sent one heck of a message to investors about traditional energy and investing in traditional energy in the United States. And the fact that a multibillion dollar contract could be cancelled with a stroke of a pen.\n\nNow, my question to you is, what percent, or has there been a discussion about what percent or what amount of the inflation that we've seen over 20% increase in terms of affordability for a lot of our products, how much of that is attributable to the demand side, and how much of it really is attributable to supply side challenges that we've seen in this country?\n\nPowell: That's a question that we've thought about a lot. Any attempt to reduce that to a precise number would be inappropriate because it's so uncertain, but I think we can say, I believe strongly there's a significant demand element, and there's a significant supply element. And we've seen the supply side heal so much over the course of the last year or so and we clearly see that that's contributing to lower inflation. We also see cooling demand, for example, in the labor market, so the two forces are working together. I can't really break it down. It would be such an imprecise estimate.\n\nRounds: Just simply an acknowledgment, though, that it is both demand and it is supply.\n\nPowell: It\u2019s both. It\u2019s definitely both. It is both. Yeah, for sure.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:24:45Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-joins-colleagues-in-honoring-late-oklahoma-senator-jim-inhofe-on-senate-floor", "Rounds Joins Colleagues in Honoring Late Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe on Senate Floor", "2024-07-10", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) joined several of his Senate colleagues in delivering a series of floor speeches honoring the late Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.). Inhofe passed away earlier this week after a stroke. Rounds and Inhofe served alongside one another in the Senate for eight years before Inhofe\u2019s retirement in January 2023, with both serving on the Senate Armed Services Committee.\n\n\u201cJim Inhofe was a true ambassador for his state, his country and most importantly, Jesus,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cWhether he was in another country or attending our weekly Senate prayer breakfasts, he loved sharing his faith with others.\u201d\n\n\u201cHe was one of my best friends in the United States Senate,\u201d continued Rounds. \u201cJim often said that real friendship did exist in the Senate, even if the news wouldn't necessarily show it. To Jim, it didn't matter if someone was a Republican, a Democrat or an Independent, he put political parties aside to get things done and trusted and respected the colleagues he worked with. Many of us in this chamber are lucky to have worked with Jim and to have called him a friend.\u201d\n\nView the full speech HERE. Read the full transcript of the speech below.\n\n+++\n\nI think many of us come down here to the floor with prepared remarks because we want to be precise in what we say, but after listening to my friend from Nebraska and her remarks, I have to admit that some of the memories that she has of Jim Inhofe are very similar to the memories that I have of Jim.\n\nAnd before I go into fully prepared remarks, I just wanted to share with you that I don't know that anybody else has the record that Jim has of the number of snowballs that have been tossed on the floor of the Senate. Jim is one of those guys who could get away with coming in with a snowball and then looking at a young page and saying, \u201cBe ready to catch this when I throw it at you.\u201d And then in the middle of talking about climate change and the fact that he disagreed with a lot of the new ideas, he would pick up a snowball, show it to everybody and then toss it over to one young page, who I'm sure will never forget that for as long as he lives.\n\nJim made friends every place he went. Now, he had his own ideas about what things should look like and about how things should proceed, and I have to tell you that I think the vast majority of cases he was right. But he also wanted to have a discussion with other people. He liked to have debate. They were friends as far as he was concerned, and you could have disagreements among one another, and you could still be friends. Jim was one of those guys who truly believed that if you were his friend, and you agreed with him 80% of the time, you were never going to be an enemy. You were always going to be a friend.\n\nI've traveled the world with Jim on more than one occasion, and no matter where he went, he went in what he called the spirit of Jesus. He believed that that Christian value that he had was the conduit between people from all different faiths, and that in his opinion, and as long as he was prepared to share his faith, he was going to be welcome. And he was. I don't think people realize that this guy from the middle part of the United States of America was a guy who later on could say that he was a man who shared a prayer with Muammar Gaddafi in Gaddafi's tent. But he did that because he thought it was the right thing to do.\n\nJim was my friend. He was a mentor, and the way that he treated other people is the way that I think all the rest of us should treat people. Jim's wife Kay became a very special friend of both myself and my late wife Jean. She treated both of us with that respect and that acceptance that you don't always get, and yet you see it as being very, very sincere. We became part of their family, and we'll never forget that.\n\nYou see, Jim Inhofe was a true ambassador for his state, his country and most importantly, Jesus. Whether he was in another country or attending our weekly Senate prayer breakfasts, he loved sharing his faith with others.\n\nJim and I traveled the world together, and we shared a love for Aviation. He was one of my best friends in the United States Senate. Jim often said that real friendship did exist in the Senate, even if the news wouldn't necessarily show it. To Jim, it didn't matter if someone was a Republican, a Democrat or an Independent, he put political parties aside to get things done and trusted and respected the colleagues he worked with. Many of us in this chamber are lucky to have worked with Jim and to have called him a friend.\n\nI especially appreciated his leadership and partnership while working together on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Jim worked tirelessly each year to make sure that the Senate passed legislation providing for our national security and for our service members through the National Defense Authorization Act. It was fitting and well-deserved as a tribute to have the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for the Fiscal Year 2023 signed into law.\n\nHe made many contributions on the national and international stage, including his deep love and appreciation for the people of Africa, particularly Ethiopia. He developed meaningful relationships across the world through a shared love of Jesus, and our world is better off because of it.\n\nMy thoughts and my prayers go out to Jim's wife, Kay, and to their family.\n\nJim has slipped the surly bonds of Earth. Now, he can put out his hand and touch the face of God. I will miss my friend, Jim.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:24:45Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=6BCAE6BB-8158-4857-B1EA-3A4C48986360", "Thune Honors Former Senator Jim Inhofe", "2024-07-10", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "Click here to watch the video.\n\nWASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today paid tribute on the Senate floor to former Sen. Jim Inhofe and honored his life of service to the people of Oklahoma.\n\nThune\u2019s remarks below (as delivered):\n\n\u201cMr. President, I want to join with Senator Reed and so many of my colleagues today as we express our great sorrow in learning about the death of Senator Jim Inhofe.\n\n\u201cJim was an icon here in the Senate.\n\n\u201cHe was a personal inspiration to me.\n\n\u201cWhen I first got here, he was the chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee in the Senate and worked with me.\n\n\u201cMy first legislative accomplishments came as a result of him and his staff working with me to help me establish myself as a new senator and to do the work that the people of South Dakota sent me here to do.\n\n\u201cAnd he made that possible because of just the way that he led the committee, his understanding of what it takes to get things accomplished here in the United States Senate.\n\n\u201cAnd I'm grateful for his legislative prowess, for his leadership as the chairman of not only that committee, but later the Senate Armed Services Committee, and grateful for his tireless work ethic.\n\n\u201cI learned a lot-- my first trip, actually, as a senator abroad was to Iraq and I went with Senator Inhofe.\n\n\u201cAnd I can tell you from traveling with him, and I know that anybody who's traveled with Senator Inhofe knew that he had boundless energy and an ability to work people half his age under the table.\n\n\u201cHe was a truly, remarkably durable and passionate advocate for this country, a man of deep convictions, and as was pointed out by Senator Reed, somebody who had a connection with the rank-and-file military because of his military background.\n\n\u201cAnd every place that we went, we would meet with soldiers who respected him for that, the connection that he had, and also for the leadership that he provided for our country when it came to important national security matters.\n\n\u201cI also had the opportunity in Oklahoma to visit, to travel the state a little bit with him.\n\n\u201cI flew in an airplane with Senator Inhofe, and he was a renowned pilot.\n\n\u201cI think everybody knew that was one of his great passions in life.\n\n\u201cBut there wasn't anybody who was around him ever, who had the opportunity to interact with or work with Senator Inhofe, who wasn't impressed by that powerful work ethic that he brought for the people of Oklahoma and for the people of this country.\n\n\u201cAnd I know that traveling abroad with him, I saw that firsthand.\n\n\u201cI know his many trips to the continent of Africa, oftentimes to war-torn countries, where he built relationships, advocated for American ideals, and was a tremendous example and witness on those trips.\n\n\u201cAnd I'm grateful for his leadership in so many ways and for the impact that he had, not only to the people of Oklahoma and to the people of this country, but people all over the world who he touched by his work, by his efforts, and by his character.\n\n\u201cAnd I also want to say, finally, and probably most importantly, Mr. President, above all, I'm grateful for his Christian witness.\n\n\u201cJim was a man of deep and profound faith, and it showed up literally, as I mentioned, in every aspect of his life.\n\n\u201cFor many years, he hosted Chaplain Black's Bible study in his office, providing a place for senators from both parties to gather for prayer and study.\n\n\u201cI don't think, and I think Chaplain Black would probably validate this, that Jim ever missed a session of that Bible study.\n\n\u201cWhile the Bible study has continued without him, and is still, I would argue, one of the most significant hours that we spend here each week, I know that all of us miss being welcomed into Jim's office, which Jim made easy for us to find by hanging an ichthus symbol outside the door.\n\n\u201cMr. President, my thoughts and prayers today are with Jim's wife, Kay, and with his family.\n\n\u201cJim will be sorely missed.\n\n\u201cBut in the midst of the sorrow, I'm also comforted by these words from the Apostle Paul, and these are words that I know Jim deeply believed.\n\n\u201cQuoting here: \u2018Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you not grieve like the rest of mankind who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again. And so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him. The Lord Himself will come down from Heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore, encourage one another with these words.\u2019\n\n\u201cMr. President, I yield the floor.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:32:29Z"], ["https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases/johnson-bill-reforms-indian-health-service", "Johnson Bill Reforms Indian Health Service", "2024-07-09", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "House", "SD", "Dusty Johnson", "J000301", "dustyjohnson.house.gov", "dustyjohnson", "https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) reintroduced the Restoring Accountability in the Indian Health Service Act of 2024 to improve quality and delivery of patient care.\n\nDue to a lack of oversight, financial integrity, staffing needs, and employee shortcomings at the Indian Health Service (IHS), tribal patients have been receiving substandard care for far too long.\n\n\u201cTribal communities deserve access to efficient, safe, and high-quality care through the IHS,\u201d said Johnson. \u201cThis bill would bring necessary changes to improve the quality of service and care for tribal members.\"\n\nBackground:\n\nThe Restoring Accountability in the Indian Health Service Act of 2024 seeks to improve the delivery of care for Native Americans relying on IHS by promoting the recruitment and retention of staff, best practices on information-sharing, cultural awareness, and accountability. Specifically, the bill:\n\nIncentivizes recruitment and retention of staff by establishing a competitive pay system and expanding eligibility for IHS loan repayment program.\n\nStrengthens information-sharing practices between IHS and state medical boards on provider professional conduct violations.\n\nEstablishes a tribal consultation policy with IHS.\n\nDirects IHS to establish standards for timeliness of care.\n\nProtects whistleblowers from retaliation.\n\nPromotes fiscal accountability and requires reports on spending at all levels of IHS.\n\nRequires HHS Inspector General to report on patient harm/deaths and deferrals/denials of care in Service units.\n\nU.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-W.Y.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) are leading similar legislation in the Senate.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:24:45Z"], ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=40A96503-6BC3-4E8E-BAF9-73D927F82AD4", "Thune Condemns Democrats\u2019 Crusade to Delegitimize the Supreme Court", "2024-07-09", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "Click here to watch the video.\n\nWASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today spoke on the Senate floor about Democrats\u2019 latest attempt to undermine the legitimacy of the Supreme Court and noted that these ongoing attacks weaken our institutions.\n\nThune\u2019s remarks below (as prepared for delivery):\n\n\u201cMr. President, the Supreme Court recently concluded its term, and as predicted, Democrats met the decisions they didn\u2019t like with howls of outrage.\n\n\u201c\u2018We will fight to rein in the outrageous abuses of this brazen Court,\u2019 one Democrat offered temperately.\n\n\u201c\u2018We must expand the Court now,\u2019 another cried, before it, quote, \u2018destroy[s] our democracy and our planet.\u2019\n\n\u201cYet another announced that she would be filing impeachment articles against a Supreme Court justice or justices \u2013 presumably for the high crime of ruling in a way that she didn\u2019t like.\n\n\u201cMr. President, for years now \u2013 since at least the last administration \u2013 Democrats have been engaged in a concerted campaign to paint the Supreme Court as illegitimate and extreme.\n\n\u201cWe\u2019ve heard about \u2018stolen seats\u2019 and \u2018MAGA justices\u2019 and other melodramatic statements meant to persuade the American people that the Supreme Court has somehow been hijacked.\n\n\u201cBut what it all boils down to, Mr. President, is this:\n\n\u201cDemocrats think that the only legitimate Supreme Court is a Supreme Court that rules in line with Democrats\u2019 policy preferences.\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s it, Mr. President.\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s what it all boils down to.\n\n\u201cDemocrats can dress things up any way they like, with a host of invented reasons for why this court is illegitimate.\n\n\u201cBut the truth of the matter is, Democrats\u2019 real problem with this court is that a number of the justices have had the temerity to periodically deliver rulings that Democrats disagree with.\n\n\u201cIf this court were universally delivering the outcomes that Democrats want, they would have no problem with the court or its Republican nominees.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I could spend time debunking Democrats\u2019 wild claims.\n\n\u201cI could point out just how often this court delivers unanimous decisions \u2013 yes, contrary to what you might think from Democrats\u2019 lurid statements, the Democrat nominees and the Republican nominees are frequently in unanimous agreement.\n\n\u201cOr I could talk about just how often some of the court\u2019s more conservative justices and some of the court\u2019s more liberal justices agree.\n\n\u201cBut I\u2019m not going to do that today.\n\n\u201cBecause I\u2019d like to spend a minute talking about the profound irresponsibility Democrats are displaying.\n\n\u201cWe hear a lot from Democrats about their concern for our institutions.\n\n\u201cAnd yet they are attempting to delegitimize a bedrock American institution all for the crime of periodically daring to deliver decisions that Democrats disagree with.\n\n\u201cAnd at a time of deep political division, I can think of few things more irresponsible than attempting to shake Americans\u2019 faith in the impartiality of the court and the legitimacy of our institutions.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I realize that Democrats don\u2019t like it when a decision doesn\u2019t go their way.\n\n\u201cAnd I completely understand that.\n\n\u201cI\u2019ve disagreed with a few Supreme Court decisions in my time.\n\n\u201cBut it\u2019s one thing \u2013 a legitimate thing \u2013 to disagree with a decision.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s another thing entirely to let your disagreement lead you into attempting to delegitimize a duly constituted court composed of nine duly confirmed justices.\n\n\u201cI hate to tell Democrats, but in a democratic republic such as ours, you don\u2019t always get your way.\n\n\u201cAnd the proper response when you don\u2019t get your way is not to attempt to tear down institutions or pack the court so that you always get the outcomes you want.\n\n\u201cMr. President, before I close, there is one other thing I would like to address.\n\n\u201cAnd that is the disturbing anti-religious sentiment that has cropped up in recent Democrat attacks on the court.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s not a new thing for Democrats, of course.\n\n\u201cWe all remember the Democrat ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee telling then-circuit-court-nominee Amy Coney Barrett that, quote, \u2018The dogma lives loudly within you\u2019 \u2013 with the implication that anyone who takes his or her religious faith seriously can\u2019t be trusted to hold public office.\n\n\u201cAnother judicial nominee faced scrutiny for his membership in the Knights of Columbus \u2013 a Catholic organization that participates in such disturbing activities as serving veterans, raising money for the needy, and providing young people with scholarships.\n\n\u201cAnd of course during the last presidential election cycle, a Biden staffer stated that she\u2019d prefer that orthodox Catholics, Muslims, and Jews not sit on the Supreme Court.\n\n\u201cNow it would appear that that anti-religious sentiment is back, with more than one Senate Democrat suggesting that certain members of the Supreme Court can\u2019t be trusted because they happen to take their religious faith seriously.\n\n\u201cThese Democrats take the fact that these members of the court have periodically ruled in ways that Democrats don\u2019t like as evidence that they are attempting to impose their faith instead of the law \u2013 with the implication that religious people are incapable of distinguishing between the two.\n\n\u201cMr. President, the Constitution is very clear on whether being a person of faith can disqualify you from public office.\n\n\u201cFrom Article Six: \u2018\u2026 no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.\u2019\n\n\u201cLet me just repeat that.\n\n\u201c\u2018NO religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.\u2019\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s becoming clear that that isn\u2019t a section of our Constitution that Democrats agree with \u2013 or understand.\n\n\u201cAnd that is deeply disturbing.\n\n\u201cI shouldn\u2019t have to tell Democrats that religious people are as capable as any other of distinguishing between their beliefs and the law.\n\n\u201cOr that our founders did not intend for religious people to be second-class citizens.\n\n\u201cOr that a Supreme Court justice disagreeing with a Democrat does not mean that the Supreme Court justice is attempting to impose his or her faith.\n\n\u201cIt likely means that he or she is trying to impose the law \u2013 and the Constitution.\n\n\u201cAnd I\u2019m a little tired of members of the Democratic Party promoting the un-American idea that taking your faith seriously makes you less qualified to participate in the public square.\n\n\u201cMr. President, if Democrats really cared about protecting our democracy and American institutions, they would stop trying to undermine the legitimacy of the Supreme Court.\n\n\u201cBut with Democrats\u2019 inability to deal with not getting their way \u2013 and with an upcoming election this November \u2013 I\u2019m not holding my breath.\n\n\u201cMr. President, I yield the floor.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:32:29Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 268, "expanded_columns": [], "expandable_columns": [], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "units": {}, "query": {"sql": "select url, title, date, year, month, party, chamber, state, member_name, bioguide_id, domain, scraper, source, date_source, text, has_text, collected_at, updated_at from releases where \"state\" = :p0 and \"year\" 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