{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://noem.house.gov/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=CFA7AAC8-F863-4531-8C4A-D184AAE56172", "Weekly Column: A Look Back at the 114th Congress", "2016-12-16", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "SD", "Kristi Noem", "N000184", "noem.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "By Rep. Kristi Noem \r\n\tBeing South Dakota\u2019s lone voice in the U.S. House of Representatives has been the honor of a lifetime. With the current administration in place, progress on big issues \u2013 like tax reform and the repeal and replacement of Obamacare \u2013 has been slow, but I\u2019m confident change will come soon.\u00a0 Still, many things have been accomplished. In fact, during the 114th Congress, we were able to come together on the more than 240 bills that were signed into law.\r\nFor example, we passed legislation, including provisions I authored, that allocated more resources for survivors of human trafficking, offered more tools to go after traffickers, and created a framework for law enforcement to better intervene and prevent human trafficking.\r\nChanges were made to correct No Child Left Behind, most notably empowering states and localities to make more decisions about our children\u2019s education and making sure the federal government can\u2019t force states into adopting Common Core.\u00a0\r\nLegislation to help address the country\u2019s mental healthcare crisis was also signed into law.\u00a0 It included important provisions for tribal communities, an addition that occurred after I brought the bill\u2019s author to South Dakota to see the challenges we faced.\u00a0 The legislation also included new resources to help expand mental health access for rural communities.\r\nThe first long-term infrastructure bill in a decade was also signed into law, offering much-needed certainty for states and localities.\u00a0 Additionally, the legislation cut red tape and gave states more flexibility to organize infrastructure programs in a way that best suits their local needs.\r\nIn addition to the new laws, we made headway in critical policy areas.\u00a0 The Indian Health Service, for example, has been poorly managed for years.\u00a0 In consultation with tribal communities and healthcare providers throughout South Dakota, I wrote and introduced legislation that would make comprehensive structural changes to how IHS operates, addressing both the medical and administrative challenges.\u00a0 This legislation pushed a critical conversation, one that will continue in earnest in 2017, into the national spotlight.\r\nI also helped introduce changes to the wetland determination process, which has frustrated many South Dakota farmers and ranchers in recent years. With the policy now written, we\u2019re already working to make sure it is included in the next Farm Bill.\r\nMoreover, we put forward ideas to hold the IRS accountable to taxpayers.\u00a0 We\u2019ve advanced legislation to expand the Black Hills National Cemetery and put pressure on the EPA to strengthen the Renewable Fuel Standard and reverse their controversial Waters of the U.S. rule.\u00a0\r\nWe\u2019ve gotten legislation signed into law to put restrictions on the Forest Service in an effort to prevent something like the devastating Pautre Fire in the future.\u00a0 We\u2019ve helped draft a blueprint for tax reform that will serve as an outline for upcoming negotiations.\u00a0 We\u2019ve protected DC Booth, helped prioritize the Lewis & Clark Water System, demanded answers from the VA about plans for the Hot Springs Hospital, and introduced reforms to incentivize work and fight poverty.\r\nAnd on an individual level, we\u2019ve personally helped more than 400 South Dakotans as they\u2019ve fought through federal bureaucracies to receive care from the VA, a passport from the State Department, or their Social Security benefits, among many other things.\r\nThere\u2019s so much more to do, but I\u2019m optimistic that the work we\u2019ve done in recent years has set us up for success when the new administration takes office in January.\u00a0 Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "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"], "primary_key_values": ["http://noem.house.gov/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=CFA7AAC8-F863-4531-8C4A-D184AAE56172"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.513672061264515, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}