United States Senator John Thune

Black Hills Cemetery Act Heads to Senate Floor

Thu, 16 May 2013 05:30:00 EST

U.S. Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) today announced that the Black Hills Cemetery Act (S. 447) was passed by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. This bill would transfer the ownership of nine historic cemeteries in the Black Hills from the U.S. Forest Service to local communities. Johnson introduced this bill along with U.S. Senator John Thune (R-SD) earlier this year, and it will now go to the Senate floor for a vote.

“I am very pleased that the Energy Committee voted favorably for this bill to go to the Senate floor,” Johnson said. “Transferring these historic cemeteries to the local communities that have been long maintaining and caring for them makes a lot of sense—this bill will allow for a permanent solution for the management and ownership of these sites.”

“This legislation provides a common-sense solution for the caretaking of nine Black Hills Cemeteries,” said Thune. “The current arrangement causes headaches for the caretaking communities that have managed these cemeteries for generations and also places an unnecessary liability on the Forest Service which, as the current owner, is responsible for the property. I am glad to see the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee acted today to approve the bill, and I hope the Senate will quickly pass this legislation and eliminate this burden for both Black Hills communities and the Forest Service.”

Under the authority granted by the Black Hills Cemetery Act, ownership of the nine cemeteries and up to two acres of adjacent land would be transferred to the caretaking local communities that have managed them for generation under special-use permits issued by the U.S. Forest Service.

The bill impacts nine pioneer-era cemeteries in the Black Hills: Englewood Cemetery, Galena Cemetery, Hayward Cemetery, Mountain Meadows Cemetery, Roubaix Cemetery, Nemo Cemetery, Rockerville Cemetery, Silver City Cemetery, and Cold Springs Cemetery. Although these cemeteries are currently managed by local cemetery associations and city governments in the surrounding communities, they have technically been owned by the U.S. Forest Service since the 1900s.

An identical bill introduced by Representative Noem (R-SD) was approved by the House of Representatives on May 6.

Thune Praises NPS Decision to Open Elk Mountain Campground

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:00:00 EST

Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) today issued the following statement regarding the National Park Service (NPS) decision to reverse its plans to close Wind Cave’s Elk Mountain Campground following the implementation of sequestration, and instead reopen the campground for the summer season.

“Reopening the Elk Mountain Campground is the right decision and is a victory for park visitors,” said Thune. “I was glad to see that the NPS decided to operate the campground rather than close a facility that generates revenue for the park. While I would prefer that the NPS work with the state and private companies to manage campgrounds such as Elk Mountain, I am pleased with its decision and look forward to working with the NPS and the dedicated staff at Wind Cave to continue improving the efficiency of our national parks.”

The NPS reversal on the campground comes following questions from Thune about whether the decision to close the campground was just one of many of the administration’s politically-calculated sequestration cuts. Thune also sent a follow-up letter on April 11^th to the NPS Regional Director, Michael Reynolds, urging the NPS to enter into a cooperative management agreement with the State of South Dakota or a concession contract with a private campground operator to manage Wind Cave National Park’s Elk Mountain Campground.

According to the NPS, the campground will soon open and will remain open for the remainder of 2013 and beyond. Wind Cave will be announcing additional details in the near future.

Thune News Conference

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:00:01 EST

Thune, Casey Re-introduce Bill to Encourage Physician Volunteering at Community Health Centers

Wed, 15 May 2013 02:30:00 EST

Legislation to Provide Medical Malpractice Coverage Using Existing Funds...

Thune Calls for the Resignation of Acting IRS Commissioner

Wed, 15 May 2013 11:00:00 EST

Treasury IG Report Indicates IRS Officials Concealed Misconduct from Congress and Public...

Senators’ Bipartisan Amendment to Block Proposed Corps Missouri River Surplus Water Fees Passes Senate

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:00:01 EST

The States’ Water Rights Act, an amendment sponsored by Senators John Thune (R-S.D.) and John Hoeven (R-N.D.), and cosponsored by Senators Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) and Max Baucus (D-Mont.), today passed in the U.S. Senate. The measure blocks the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from charging residents and businesses a surplus water fee for access to Missouri River reservoirs. The legislation was adopted into the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which passed in the Senate today.

Since 2010, the Corps has restricted access to the Missouri River reservoirs and has proposed charging an unprecedented fee for so-called surplus water taken from the major reservoirs in the upper basin. Upper basin states relinquished prime lands to create dams and reservoirs from Fort Peck in Montana, through Garrison Dam in North Dakota, to Gavins Point in South Dakota. The states never ceded the right to use Missouri River water for municipal and industrial water supplies, and the Corps has not charged a fee in more than 60 years.

The States’ Water Rights Act changes statute to prevent the Corps from charging fees for “surplus water.” The Corps actions would have been in direct violation of a state’s right to the waters that naturally flow through its boundaries as recognized by the federal government. Further, charging fees would have reversed decades of Corps policy on surplus water and violated provisions of the 1944 Flood Control Act, which provides protection for water resources in western states. The affected states have promised to sue the Corps if fees are charged.

“South Dakotans should not be charged for water that is legally and historically theirs,” said Thune. “The Corps’ surplus water fee proposal ignores the history and precedent of the Missouri River states’ water rights, and our common-sense legislation prevents a massive power grab by the Corps and ensures that the federal government honors the long-standing agreements between these Missouri River states and the Corps of Engineers.”

“North Dakota has fought long and hard to preserve the integrity of the Missouri River and the rights of our people to use it to support their homes and their livelihoods,” Hoeven said. “We cannot allow the federal government to charge us for water that historically, legally and ethically belongs to the citizens and tribes of North Dakota or any other Missouri River state that sacrificed valuable land and resources to the Pick–Sloan Missouri Basin Program.”

“It is completely inappropriate for the federal government to charge states and Tribal nations for water that naturally flows through their land,” said Heitkamp. “I am pleased that a bipartisan group of Senators came together in a proactive way to establish that the Corps of Engineers cannot tax North Dakotans for using their own water.”

“The tribes and communities in South Dakota that depend on Missouri River water for safe, reliable drinking water should not face additional charges for the water coming from the reservoirs,” said Johnson. “The steps by the Corps of Engineers to establish surplus water fees are ill-suited to the upper Missouri River reservoirs and run counter to the historical precedent of these projects. This amendment provides a good resolution to the legitimate concerns raised by our states and tribes.”

FINANCE REPUBLICANS DEMAND ANSWERS ON HHS DECISION TO SOLICIT DONATIONS

Tue, 14 May 2013 05:00:00 EST

In letter To Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Senators Write, “Our initial reaction is that this appears at best to be an inherent conflict of interest and at worst a potentially illegal augmentation of appropriation.”...

Thune Statement on Farm Bill Markup

Tue, 14 May 2013 04:00:00 EST

Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) today issued a statement following the Senate Agriculture Committee’s markup of the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2013:

“Today’s markup is just the beginning of drafting the 2013 Farm Bill,” said Thune. “The current climate of budgetary and fiscal restraint requires that we subject all areas of federal spending to close examination—no program can be exempt from reform, including the Farm Bill. Over the past two years in preparation for this Farm Bill, I have introduced legislation that would reform several titles of the bill and save more than $50 billion, while providing a strong safety net for production agriculture, nutrition assistance to those in need, and the necessary tools to protect our forests, soil, and natural resources. Unfortunately, the current Senate Farm Bill fails to meet this level of reform. I look forward to working with my colleagues to continue improving the Farm Bill on the floor and through a conference with the House of Representatives.”

Thune offered and cosponsored several reform-minded Commodity and Food and Nutrition Title amendments to the Farm Bill, including two that were accepted into the Chairman’s Mark and approved by voice vote. An amendment cosponsored by Thune that eliminated outdated fixed target prices for certain commodity crops and saved $276 million was accepted into the bill. Thune’s amendment to require that native sod and longstanding grassland acres converted to sod be tracked by the U.S. Department of Agriculture was incorporated into his sodsaver provision, which was also a part of the bill. The bill also includes Thune’s Forestry Title improvements that will assist fighting pine beetles in the Black Hills.

The bill’s Commodity Title included reforms from Thune’s Aggregate Revenue and Risk Management legislation, which eliminated direct payments and other outdated programs. However, the bill voted on today included a costly fixed target price and counter-cyclical program for peanuts and rice which Thune was unable to support.

During today’s markup, Thune offered the following amendments he believed would have improved the bill; however, they were not accepted:

An amendment to limit the Adverse Market Price program to rice and peanuts. The new target price program is unnecessary for other crops, and limiting it to just rice and peanuts would save $897 million over 10 years.
An amendment to ensure a fair regional distribution of nutrition education and obesity grants within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps. This amendment would have saved $2 billion over 10 years without impacting SNAP benefits for those currently enrolled in the program.
An amendment to encourage able-bodied adults without dependents to work part-time or participate in work training programs in order to receive SNAP benefits beyond the current three-month period.

Thune will continue pushing for needed reforms to improve Farm Bill programs and save taxpayer dollars.

Thune, Toomey, McCarthy, McHenry Urge SEC to Implement Stalled JOBS Act

Mon, 13 May 2013 02:30:00 EST

Senators John Thune (R-S.D.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), and Representatives Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) today sent a letter to the Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mary Jo White, urging the SEC to move forward with the proposed rule to implement Section 201 of the bipartisan Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act. The JOBS Act passed in both the House and Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support and included a bill that was sponsored by Thune and McCarthy, the Access to Capital for Job Creators Act (S. 1831/H.R. 2940), which served as the basis for Section 201 of the bill.

Section 201 of the JOBS Act removes an outdated SEC provision that currently prevents small businesses from attracting capital from accredited investors nationwide. The SEC’s general solicitation prohibition has been a roadblock for small businesses looking to obtain needed capital because it currently requires them to raise capital only from investors with whom they have a pre-existing relationship. This prohibition severely hampers the ability for small companies to obtain needed capital from investors in order to grow and create jobs. The JOBS Act would remove the solicitation prohibition and allow businesses to attract capital from accredited investors nationwide. Modifying this roadblock to capital formation has been widely supported by industry stakeholders, including the SEC’s Advisory Committee on Small and Emerging Companies.

The JOBS Act mandated that the SEC complete this and other rulemakings under the Act within 270 days of enactment, but the SEC has disregarded these mandates.

The text of the letter is below:

May 13, 2013

The Honorable Mary Jo White Chairman
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
100 F Street, Northeast
Washington, D.C. 20549

Dear Chairman White:

As you settle into your new role as Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), we write to urge the Commission to take prompt action in issuing a final rule to implement Section 201 of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act. As you know, it has been more than a year since Congress passed – with broad bipartisan support – and the president signed into law the JOBS Act. We were encouraged by the commitment that you demonstrated during your confirmation process to see that the Commission completes these important rulemakings and hope that you will take steps to do so expeditiously.

The overall purpose of the JOBS Act was to facilitate capital formation to help small businesses and entrepreneurs invest, expand and create jobs. As proponents of the JOBS Act, we believe that the rule proposed by the Commission last August accomplishes this goal. The proposed rule properly implements Congress’ intent to remove the general solicitation ban in a consistent manner for all types of issuers conducting private offerings under Rule 506.

Paragraph (b) of Section 201 clearly effectuates this by providing that all issuers subject to other federal securities laws will be able to conduct private offerings pursuant to amended Rule 506. The proposed rule ensures that all purchasers of securities under Rule 506 are accredited investors, and follows Congress’ policy objectives to require that issuers take reasonable steps to verify that the purchasers are accredited investors. Adding additional or more prescriptive requirements would overturn Congress’ intent and we strongly urge the Commission not to do so.

Again, we were encouraged by your demonstrated commitment to completing the JOBS Act rulemakings and respectfully urge the commission to move forward with the proposed rule and implement a final rule in the near future.

Sincerely,

Senator John Thune
Senator Pat Toomey
Representative Kevin McCarthy
Representative Patrick McHenry

Thune Denounces IRS Bullying of Conservative Political Groups

Fri, 10 May 2013 04:30:00 EST

U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, today reacted to the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) admission that it inappropriately targeted conservative political groups for additional screening and scrutiny:

“Chicago-style politics strikes again. The specific targeting of groups or organizations by a government agency due to the group’s political views or affiliations is deplorable and cannot be tolerated. The Obama IRS needs to answer for its harassment of conservative groups. These actions undermine the confidence the American people have in the IRS to objectively and transparently administer our nation’s tax laws. I urge the president to conduct a thorough review of the unacceptable practice of political discrimination at the IRS.”

Last year, Thune, along with several members of the Senate Finance Committee, which has oversight of the IRS, sent three letters to the IRS urging it not to play politics with the review and evaluation of any non-profit 501(c)(4) organizations. The letters questioned the practices used by the IRS for the approval and renewal of a tax-exempt designation under section 501(c)(4) and requested a review of its procedures.

Showing Appreciation for Our Nation’s Military

Senator John Thune — Fri, 10 May 2013 03:30:00 EST

South Dakota has a proud legacy of military service, extending from some of our state's earliest days to our current conflicts around the globe. South Dakotans of every background have always answered the call to defend America from those who seek to destroy the freedom that we cherish. I doubt there are many South Dakotans who do not have a family member or friend who has worn one of our nation's uniforms.

May is National Military Appreciation month, and provides all of us an opportunity to recognize the role our servicemen and women play in making America the greatest country on earth. Our nation has done remarkable things throughout its short history to make the world a better place abroad and at home. Our troops have protected our citizens from foreign and domestic threats, and fought in the name of liberty all over the world.

Last month I had the opportunity to welcome home the 927^th Survey and Design team of the South Dakota National Guard from a nine month deployment to Kuwait and Afghanistan. It is always a privilege to watch our troops return home to their families and their communities. These servicemen and women represent some of the best that both South Dakota and our nation have to offer, and they make us proud to call them family, friends, and neighbors.

Honoring our troops and veterans also includes helping preserve their legacy, history, and stories. One way that people can continue to preserve the memories of our servicemen and women is through the Veterans History Project through the Library of Congress. Interviewing your friends and family can be a great way to learn more about their experience and contributions during their time serving our country. I encourage people to visit http://www.loc.gov/vets for more information.

I invite all South Dakotans to join me in not only remembering those who have fought for our freedom and liberty, but in making a commitment to honor our living heroes throughout the entire year in our thoughts, prayers, and actions as they continue to serve on our behalf.

Thune Statement in Advance of President Obama’s Health Care Speech

Fri, 10 May 2013 03:30:00 EST

U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, today released the following statement ahead of President Obama’s health care speech to women later this afternoon:

“Instead of delivering another stump speech, President Obama should finally level with the American people about the true consequences of his signature law. Women are feeling these consequences firsthand. Instead of seeing their insurance premiums shrink, as they were repeatedly promised, they’ve actually seen them increase since ObamaCare’s enactment. As if that weren’t bad enough, ObamaCare’s incentive to employ part-time workers also means many women will face fewer hours and lower wages. Last month alone, nearly 280,000 Americans involuntarily entered part-time employment.

“ObamaCare is broken. It’s time to repeal this faulty law and replace it with common-sense reforms that truly protect American families and give them access to the care they need, from a doctor they choose, at a lower cost.”

Thune Pushes Amendment to Prevent Corps’ Plans to Charge Users for Water from Missouri River

Thu, 09 May 2013 01:00:00 EST

Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) today joined Senator John Hoeven (R-N.D.) in introducing an amendment (S.Amdt. 862) to the Water Resources Development Act (S. 601) to prevent the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from implementing their proposal to restrict access to Missouri River water and charge users for water taken from Missouri River reservoirs in South Dakota, North Dakota, and Montana.

“The Corps’ water fee proposal is an unprecedented power grab,” said Thune. “When the Corps flooded land along the river in order to build the dams on the Missouri River, they did so under the agreement that residents would have access to water from the Missouri for various purposes. The Corps’ new proposed fees for surplus water usage infringes on the agreement the Corps made with residents along the Missouri to allow them access to water that is legally and historically theirs. The Corps’ actions would have numerous negative impacts on individuals, tribes, businesses, and water systems in South Dakota, and I hope my colleagues will join us in supporting this common-sense amendment to prevent this power grab.”

In September of 2012, Thune was joined by Senators Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) in a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee outlining their concerns about the Corps’ proposal and urged the committee to schedule an oversight hearing on the issue.

Thune News Conference

Wed, 08 May 2013 12:00:01 EST

Mothers in our Lives

Senator John Thune — Fri, 03 May 2013 03:30:00 EST

I’ve been blessed with two incredible mothers in my life, one was my mother Pat Thune who passed away in March of last year, and the other is my wonderful wife Kimberley who is mother to our two beautiful daughters. Every Mother’s Day our family, along with millions of other families across our country, join in celebrating the mothers and the women in our lives who each day provide love and support to their families. While it can be a difficult day for those who have lost this special person in their life, let us all celebrate the profound impact they played in our life while they were still with us.

Kimberley has been an extraordinary example of a faithful, intelligent, loving, and caring mother to our two daughters. While both of them are grown now, I still remember so many of the little things Kimberley would do for the girls, like reading them bedtime stories, preparing snacks, helping them with homework, and running them to their school activities. Her strength, compassion, kindness, and love are virtues that I now enjoy seeing in our girls. As our youngest daughter prepares for her wedding later this summer, it has been special to watch the bond Kimberley shares with both of our daughters and the admiration they share for her.

As each family gathers to celebrate the mothers, grandmothers, and spouses who have left an enduring mark of love and joy on our lives, let us pay special tribute to all those mothers who are serving in the military, or have sons and daughters who are serving overseas. I ask all South Dakotans to keep those mothers, grandmothers, and their children, in their thoughts and prayers.

Mother’s Day is the perfect opportunity for all of us to take time out of our busy lives to go the extra step of showing the mothers in our lives just how much they mean to all of us. I wish a very happy Mother’s Day to my wife Kimberley, my mother-in-law Esther, and to all of the mothers across South Dakota.

Thune Praises Air Force Plan to Partially Restore B-1 Training Flight Hours

Wed, 01 May 2013 12:00:00 EST

Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) today praised the Air Force’s announcement that it plans to alter its previous decision to ground B-1B Lancer bombers at Ellsworth and once again begin flying B-1 training missions on a limited basis starting May 1, 2013. On April 12, 2013, the Air Force had announced that it planned to ground B-1s at Ellsworth for the remainder of the federal fiscal year through October 1, 2013, due to the deep defense cuts in the sequester.

“I am pleased the Air Force leadership has decided to begin flying B-1s again on a limited basis. This is a step in the right direction,” said Thune. “Ellsworth Air Force Base is a key part of our national defense, and the B-1 aircraft have been integral to operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya over the past decade. The grounding of the B-1s raised significant concerns regarding our nation’s combat readiness. Although I am pleased with the reinstatement of limited flights so that our crews and aircraft can remain active, my biggest concern with the president’s sequester plan continues to be the deep cuts made to our military. That is why I have supported legislation that replaces the sequester with smarter, targeted cuts elsewhere in the budget and have also supported providing the administration with increased flexibility in implementing the sequester to make cuts to lower-priority programs to lessen the impact on our national defense. I will continue working with Ellsworth and Air Force officials to ensure we continue to fully prepare and support the men and women at Ellsworth.”

Thune is a cosponsor of the Down Payment to Protect National Security Act of 2013 (S. 263), which would replace the sequester with a reduction in the federal workforce through attrition. Thune also voted for S. 16, which would have given the Department of Defense more flexibility to make spending cuts without hurting military readiness.

Thune Leads Letter Requesting Scrutiny of European Commission Ethanol Imports Decision

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 03:00:00 EST

Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) yesterday sent a letter along with several of his colleagues to Acting U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador, Demetrios Marantis, and Acting Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Rebecca Blank, urging them to evaluate a recent decision by the European Commission (E.C.) to impose a country-wide anti-dumping duty on exports of U.S. ethanol. The duty of $83.20 a metric ton penalizes U.S. bioethanol exporters for allegedly selling ethanol in the European Union below cost, which is a practice known as dumping. U.S. ethanol industry representatives dispute this E.C. allegation. The Senators’ letter expresses their concerns that the E.C.’s action establishes a troubling precedent that could unilaterally change the limits of international anti-dumping laws.

“Actions taken by the European Commission set a dangerous precedent for trade between the United States and the E.U. and these unwarranted actions may violate numerous provisions of the World Trade Organization’s agreement on anti-dumping,” said Thune. “As we move toward the trans-Atlantic trade talks, my colleagues and I are eager to learn more about how the E.C. conducted its investigation, and we urge USTR and Commerce to evaluate its ruling to ensure that no WTO commitments have been violated.”

The text of the Senators letter is below:

April 30, 2013

Demetrios Marantis
Ambassador
Acting U.S. Trade Representative
600 17th Street NW
Washington, DC 20508

Rebecca Blank
Acting Secretary
U.S. Department of Commerce
1401 Constitution Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20230

Dear Ambassador Marantis and Acting Secretary Blank:

We are writing to express our concern regarding a recent decision by the European Commission (EC) to impose an unprecedented, country-wide anti-dumping duty on exports of ethanol from the United States.

As you know, on February 18, 2013, the EC announced that it would impose a country-wide dumping penalty on all imports of ethanol from the United States. It is taking this unprecedented action, despite the Commission’s failure to make any particular finding of dumping by any producer or marketer investigated in connection with the case. We believe this rule sets dangerous precedent for trade and trade remedies in advance of the well-publicized start of important trade talks between the United States and the European Union, and will dramatically and unilaterally change the boundaries and limits of international anti-dumping law.

Decades of international and EC trade case precedent has required that international adjudicative bodies of anti-dumping complaints make a finding of actual dumping by a particular actor or group of actors, and assign differing degrees of penalties or duty rates to those deemed to be bad actors or otherwise found to be unwilling investigation participants. Breaking from that well-established practice, we understand that the EC is now proposing a country-wide duty against all ethanol imports from the United States, regardless of whether that producer or marketer has engaged in any of the alleged offensive acts, or was willing or unwilling to participate in the investigation. Further, we do not believe there has been an adequate finding by the EC that any injury was suffered by anyone in the European ethanol industry, a further requirement of anti-dumping law.

We ask that you carefully evaluate the EC ruling, and if appropriate, consider submitting a challenge on behalf of the U.S. ethanol industry to the World Trade Organization regarding any aspect of the ruling that violates established and negotiated trade law standards and practices

Thank you for your attention to this important issue.

Sincerely,

Senator John Thune
Senator Amy Klobuchar
Senator Tom Harkin
Senator Charles Grassley
Senator Richard Durbin
Senator Mike Johanns
Senator Al Franken
Senator Deb Fischer
Senator Heidi Heitkamp
Senator John Hoeven
Senator Tim Johnson
Senator Pat Roberts
Senator Claire McCaskill
Senator Roy Blunt

FAA Flight Delays Unnecessary, Avoidable

Senator John Thune — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 05:30:00 EST

The unnecessary flight delays experienced across the country due to the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) decision to furlough 47,000 employees, including 15,500 air traffic controllers, were avoidable. The administration has blamed these delays on the Budget Control Act (BCA), which passed in August of 2011 as a last-resort measure to avert a fiscal crisis. Because an agreement couldn’t be reached to reduce overall federal spending, the BCA included across-the-board spending cuts, known as sequestration, that were triggered in March of this year. While administration officials will continue to claim that their hands were tied and that furloughs for all FAA employees were unavoidable, the truth is that the administration failed to adequately plan for these cuts or use existing flexibility to make cuts to lower-priority programs to lessen the impact on air travelers. The legislation that I was pleased to help pass protects air travelers from the frustrations related to the FAA’s poor planning.

For months now, I have been attempting to get the White House to comply with, and provide key details about the sequester’s impacts after the president signed into law my Sequestration Transparency Act. This bill required the administration to provide a detailed plan to Congress and the American people on the impacts of the sequester by September of 2012, over seven months ago. After ignoring the law and failing to plan for the sequester’s impact, the administration has been playing politics with the sequester cuts—effectively choosing to make cuts that are most visible to the public, and then blaming Congressional Republicans for the negative impacts, despite the fact that Congressional Republicans voted to provide the administration with increased flexibility in implementing the sequester before it took effect.

Instead, the administration has resisted all attempts to utilize flexibility and share information with Congress. In fact, FAA staff briefed congressional staff just 72 hours before implementing the air traffic controller furloughs. Over the past few months, as Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, I have been partnering with Chairman John Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), and Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), to acquire key details from the administration on their plans to implement the sequester cuts at the FAA.

Thankfully, after weeks of hard work, on April 25, 2013, just five days after the furloughs were implemented, I, along with Senators Rockefeller, Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Mark Udall (D-Colo.) negotiated and passed legislation in the Senate to provide the FAA the authority to utilize unspent funds and additional flexibility to transfer other funding within the FAA budget to prevent reduced operations and staffing during fiscal year 2013. More importantly, the legislation provides flexibility to resolve the FAA’s problems within the spending caps required under the Budget Control Act of 2011 without raising taxes or increasing deficit spending.

While I would have preferred the Secretary of Transportation and the FAA Administrator had planned and better managed resources to avoid unnecessary flight delays that the American public experienced, our bipartisan legislation returns air traffic controllers to the towers, which best serves air travelers, aviation safety, and the economy.

Thune Urges Appropriations Committee to Prioritize Forest Management Over Land Acquisition

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 03:00:00 EST

Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) today led an effort to send a letter to Senators Jack Reed (D-RI.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, urging the Senators to prioritize pine beetle forest management over land acquisition when they draft the Fiscal Year 2014 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill.

President Obama’s 2014 budget proposal recommended significant increases in land acquisition at a time when the Forest Service owns millions of acres in need of management and has a maintenance backlog of over $6 billion for roads, trails, campgrounds, and visitors centers. Additionally, the president’s 2014 budget proposed a 15 percent reduction in timber offer levels, which will result in the loss of over 7,000 jobs in some of the poorest counties in America. Thune’s letter calls on Congress to help the Forest Service properly care for the land it currently owns instead of authorizing acquisition funding to acquire more land.

Thune’s other efforts to fight pine beetle infestations and improve forest health include introduction of S. 661, the Emergency Forest Rehabilitation and Restoration Act, on March 22, 2013, which would restrict the Forest Service from purchasing additional land for the next five fiscal years and use those funds that would have been used for acquisition to finance the increased timber harvest.

The text of the Senators’ letter is below:

April 25, 2013

Senator Jack Reed
Chairman
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Senator Lisa Murkowski
Ranking Member
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Reed and Senator Murkowski:

We write today to encourage you to prioritize forest management over land acquisition as you begin drafting the Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill.

The condition of our federal forestlands continues to deteriorate. Over the past 10 years, bark beetle epidemics and wildfires have devastated millions of acres of forestland. Large landscapes of dead and infested trees pose a significant threat of forest fires. However, the land managed by the Forest Services continues to grow year after year. Over that same 10-year period, the Forest Service has acquired an additional 700,000 acres at a cost of $580 million.

In order to address these conditions, it is critical the Forest Service meet its previously stated goal of harvesting at least three billion board feet of timber in FY 2014. Responsible timber harvests reduce the risk of catastrophic fires, improve the health of our forests, and slow the spread of insect infestations such as the Mountain Pine Beetle. Unfortunately, the President’s budget request would only result in a timber harvest of 2.38 billion board feet in FY 2014. Not only does that fall short of the administration’s goal, it would also result in a reduction from the 2.8 billion board feet of projected timber harvest in FY 2013.

As you know, the administration’s budget also requests $58 million in discretionary funding for Forest Service land acquisitions, which is a $5 million increase over FY 2013 levels, and $34 million in mandatory funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), for a combined total of $92 million. During a period of unsustainable deficits and rapid forest health deterioration, we believe the limited amount of taxpayer dollars under the committee’s jurisdiction would be better utilized managing the land already under the Forest Service’s purview rather than increasing federal land ownership.

Surprisingly, along with the administration’s budget request for additional funding for Forest Service land acquisitions the Forest Service budget also suggests a 17.9 percent decrease in capital improvement and maintenance (CI&M) spending. The agency is already facing a $6 billion backlog in maintaining its roads, trails, campgrounds, and visitors’ centers. We should not be diverting scarce resources to acquire more land when existing facilities are not being maintained adequately.

Congress should help the Forest Service properly care for the land it currently owns before authorizing it to acquire more. Therefore, we respectfully request that you consider reducing funding for land acquisitions and redirect that funding to help meet the administration’s goal of harvesting three billion board feet in FY 2014.

Thank you for your consideration of this request, and we look forward to working with you to improve the health of our forests in a fiscally responsible manner.

Kindest Regards,

Senator John Thune
Senator Orrin Hatch

SENATE PASSES BILL TO PROVIDE FAA WITH SEQUESTER FLEXIBILITY

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:00:00 EST

Today U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine), John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W. Va.), John Thune (R-SD), and Mark Udall (D-Colo.), introduced and passed legislation (S. 853) that would provide the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) the authority to utilize unspent Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funds and additional flexibility to transfer other funding within the FAA, up to $253 million, to prevent reduced operations and staffing during fiscal year 2013. This legislative solution will ensure a safe and efficient air transportation system. The legislation does not increase the FAA’s budget authority or exceed the 2011 Budget Control Act limits. On Sunday, the FAA began furloughs of 47,000 employees – due to the sequester – that have led to significant flight delays across the aviation system.

“The challenges the FAA faces this fiscal year are daunting; not only is the agency operating under a continuing resolution but sequestration compounds the problem. It’s unfortunate that these irresponsible cuts led to widespread delays to the air transportation system,” said Collins, Ranking Member of the Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee. “I met with Transportation Secretary LaHood and FAA Administrator Huerta this morning to discuss a possible solution. I am delighted that the Senate has passed our bipartisan bill to restore funding for essential programs at the FAA and avoid the unnecessary furloughs of air traffic controllers. This agreement will help avoid onerous delays for the traveling public and keep people working.”

“Tonight we worked together in the Senate to avoid total gridlock in our aviation system and avert the real harm that rampant delays would cause to our economy and jobs,” said Rockefeller, Chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. “By plugging a hole in the budget and providing the FAA with crucial funds to operate the air traffic control system, we will eliminate flight delays due to inadequate staffing and keep America moving. This does not fix all of the problems the FAA faces because of budget cuts, especially for contract towers in rural communities. And it does nothing for other essential government operations and employees that also desperately need relief. But it's a start, and I'm committed to keep working on more solutions."

“I want to thank my colleagues for working together to resolve this issue for air travelers,” said Thune, Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. “While I would have preferred the Secretary of Transportation and the FAA Administrator had planned and better managed resources to avoid unnecessary flight delays that the American public suffered this week, our bipartisan legislation returns air traffic controllers to the towers, which best serves air travelers, aviation safety, and the economy.”

"Automatic budget cuts known as sequestration have left many of our businesses and travelers languishing in long lines at our nation's airports. This is an unacceptable and avoidable drag on our resurgent economy. That's why I am proud to stand with Senators Collins, Rockefeller and Thune to announce a bipartisan solution to unchain our airports and restore common sense to the FAA," Udall said. "We need to reduce the federal budget deficit and cut federal spending, but we should not allow the blunt cuts of sequestration to cripple travel, tourism, business and commerce — all critical parts of our ongoing economic recovery. This deal is good news for Colorado, the West and our nation."

Other cosponsors included: Senators Begich (D-Alaska), Chambliss (R-Ga.), Hagan (D-N.C.), Isakson (R-Ga.), McCaskill (D-Mo.), Murkowski (R-Alaska), Nelson (D-Fla.), Risch (R-Idaho), Roberts (R-Kan.), Toomey (R-Pa.), and Warner (D-Va.).

The legislation now goes to the U.S. House of Representatives for their consideration.