Recent Press Releases

Washington, D.C. — 

U.S. Senator John Thune (R-South Dakota) today released the following statement after receiving his committee assignments for the 114th session of Congress (2015-2016). Thune was selected to continue serving on the following committees: Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; Commerce, Science, and Transportation; and Finance. Members of these committees will vote in early January to select committee chairs, and the full Republican conference will ratify those selections. Thune was previously named ranking member, or the senior most Republican, of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee for the 113th Congress. Thune will continue to serve in Republican leadership as Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference.

“Continuing to serve South Dakota in the United States Senate is the highest privilege in public service afforded to me,” said Thune. “Over the past 10 years I have worked diligently to be a strong voice for South Dakota and to represent the values and interests of our state and its residents both through my committee assignments and on the Senate floor. As a member of the Agriculture, Commerce, and Finance Committees, I will be able to help the new Republican majority advance solutions for American families on a variety of issues that are important to South Dakota, from agriculture to rural telecom and transportation reforms to tax and trade policy.”

Thune Committee Assignments for 114th Congress:

Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry   

The Senate Agriculture Committee oversees matters relating to: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) activities including farm payments, crop insurance, conservation programs, and livestock marketing rules; the Rural Utilities Service and Rural Development, which carry out important programs relating to rural energy development, rural business financing, and rural health care services; nutrition programs including the National School Lunch Program, the Women, Infants and Children program, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as food stamps); and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which oversees all futures markets.

Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation has wide jurisdiction with matters relating to: the U.S. Department of Transportation with respect to highway safety, commercial motor carriers, railroads, buses, vessels, pipelines, inland waterways, and civil and commercial aviation; the U.S. Department of Commerce regarding weather and atmospheric activities at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, marine fisheries and navigation, science and technology research and development; telecommunications policy and the Internet; U.S. Coast Guard and Merchant Marine, National Aeronautics and Space Administration regarding nonmilitary aeronautical and space sciences; regulation of consumer products via the Consumer Product Safety Commission; the Federal Trade Commission; and sports.

Committee on Finance 

The Senate Committee on Finance has jurisdiction over matters relating to: taxation and other revenue measures; bonded debt of the United States; customs, collection districts and ports of entry and delivery; reciprocal trade agreements; tariff and import quotas; the transportation of dutiable goods; deposit of public moneys; general revenue sharing; health programs under the Social Security Act, including Medicare, Medicaid, and other health and human services programs financed by a specific tax or trust fund; and Social Security.