United States Senator John Thune

Thune Statement on Senator Abdnor’s Passing

Wed, 16 May 2012 12:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C.--Senator John Thune issued the following statement after the passing of former Lieutenant Governor, Congressman, Senator, and Small Business Administrator Jim Abdnor:

"Everything I know about politics that is good I learned from Jim Abdnor. He was a hardworking and effective fighter for South Dakota, and one of the most decent and genuine people to ever hold elective office. I came to know Jim through our mutual love of sports and have been blessed to have him as a mentor and a role model. Kimberley and I and our daughters, who Jim treated as his own, will always remember Jim's friendship and mentoring and his boundless love for South Dakota. He was a mentor and a friend and I will miss him greatly."

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Thune on his Bipartisan Bill to Stop EU Airline Tax

Wed, 09 May 2012 10:00:00 EST

U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D) speaks on the Senate floor about his bipartisan legislation to stop the European Union from imposing an illegal tax on U.S. airlines and consumers.

Thune: If you don't get nat'l security right, the rest is just conversation

Wed, 09 May 2012 10:00:00 EST

U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) joins FOX News' "America's Newsroom" with host Bill Hemmer to discuss the looming defense sequestration cuts and efforts to prevent the gutting of the U.S.'s military. Thune says Congress is in this situation in the first place because the Senate Democrats have failed to pass a budget for over three years.

Thune News Conference

Wed, 09 May 2012 12:00:01 EST

Thune News Conference

Obama's Policies Hurting College Grads

Tue, 08 May 2012 12:30:00 EST

U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, joins FOX News' "Happening Now" with host Jenna Lee to discuss the student loan debate and how President Obama's economic policies are hurting job opportunities for recent college graduates.

Thune Speaks on Tax Reform at Finance Hearing

Tue, 08 May 2012 11:30:00 EST

U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) speaks at a Senate Finance Committee hearing on the need for comprehensive tax reform.

Thune Statement on TransCanada’s Second Request for Keystone Permit from Obama Administration

Fri, 04 May 2012 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C.--Following TransCanada's announcement today that the company has reapplied for federal approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, again called on the Obama Administration to end its obstruction of the Keystone XL pipeline. President Barack Obama formally rejected TransCanada's permit request on January 18, 2012, for the Keystone XL pipeline, a $7 billion project expected to create over 20,000 direct American jobs.

"After President Obama caved to political pressure from liberal special interest groups and blocked the Keystone XL pipeline earlier this year, I'm encouraged that TransCanada has resubmitted their application for a federal permit to begin construction on the full project," said Thune. "Now that TransCanada has rerouted the pipeline around the Nebraska Sandhills, the president is running out of excuses for delaying this job-creating, domestic energy-producing project. The president must now decide between job creation and energy production or political expediency. Democrats and Republicans alike have expressed strong support for this project, and I am calling on President Obama to drop his veto threat of a highway bill reauthorization that would approve the Keystone XL pipeline."

Since President Obama took office in January of 2009, gasoline prices have more than doubled from $1.85 per gallon to $3.80 per gallon.

TransCanada has moved forward on construction of the southern portion of the pipeline, which does not need the State Department's approval, but is unable to begin construction on the remaining 70 percent of the project until it receives approval from the State Department as the project crosses an international border.

South Dakota's economy would directly benefit from the pipeline. Keystone XL is expected to produce increased personal income of $319 million and create hundreds of construction jobs in South Dakota. Further, it is estimated that once the pipeline is operational, South Dakota counties and local governments could receive over $600 million in additional property tax revenue during the operating life of the pipeline. A similar pipeline already extends from Canada to the U.S. and the Keystone XL pipeline is already the most exhaustively reviewed pipeline in the nation's history.

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Senate Democrats Preside over Three Full Years with No Budget

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference and a member of the Senate Budget Committee, today criticized the Senate Democrats’ continued failure to produce a formal budget, despite being required to do so by law. Sunday, April 29, 2012, marks three full years—or 1,096 days—since the Democrat-led Senate last passed a formal budget.

“For three full years now, Senate Democrat leaders have abdicated their duty to propose and pass a formal budget as required by law, and in doing so, have failed to fulfill their most fundamental duty to the American taxpayer. With the national debt over $15.5 trillion and the unemployment rate over 8 percent for the past 38 straight months, the time is long overdue for Congress to exhibit fiscal restraint, which can only be achieved by producing a budget. America cannot afford for Congressional leaders to continue punting on the major budget challenges of our time.”

Since the Democrat-led Senate last passed a budget, the national debt has increased by $4.5 trillion dollars. President Barack Obama has presided over four straight years with deficits above $1 trillion, despite pledging to cut the deficit in half by the end of his first term.

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Good Week in Washington for South Dakota’s Agriculture Community

By Senator John Thune — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:00:01 EST

April 26th was a great day for South Dakota farmers and ranchers as two key events occurred in Washington, D.C. that will help our agriculture community breathe a little easier.

After months of work with my colleagues on the Senate Agriculture Committee, the Committee passed its version of the 2012 Farm Bill. This Farm Bill achieved many of my goals as it saves more than $23 billion; eliminates the Direct and Counter-cyclical Payment (DCP) Program, Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) Program, and Supplemental Revenue Assistance (SURE) Program; includes a strong Conservation Title; reauthorizes the permanent livestock disaster programs I was able to include in the 2008 Farm Bill; and most importantly, it not only preserves but strengthens crop insurance. The Aggregate Revenue and Risk Management (ARRM) Program I introduced in a bill last year was used as the framework for the Commodity Title of the Senate Agriculture Committee Farm Bill, and provided a savings of more than $20 billion.

The 2012 Farm Bill includes a provision I authored that will reduce crop insurance benefits for native sod converted to crop production and also eliminates policies that have encouraged the misuse of crop insurance. Inclusion of my provision, offered as an amendment, added an additional $200 million in savings for the Farm Bill.

In addition to finding much-needed budget savings and strengthening crop insurance, I was able to get language into the Farm Bill's Forestry Title based on legislation I introduced a few weeks ago that will help the Forest Service more effectively fight pine beetles in the Black Hills National Forest and other Forests across the country that face extreme fire hazards.

Although there is room for improvement to the Committee-passed Farm Bill, I believe it is a strong step toward reforming agriculture programs in a fiscally responsible way.

The second key event that took place on April 26th was the Department of Labor's (DOL) announcement that it will be backing off of its absurd proposed youth farm labor rule. After working relentlessly to defeat this out of touch rule-including introducing a bipartisan bill cosponsored by 44 of my Senate colleagues-the DOL finally caved on this government overreach. This rule, if finalized, would have drastically changed nearly every family farm and ranch operation, and discouraged countless young people from working on farms and ranches or pursuing careers in agriculture at a critical time when the average age of our farmers and ranchers is approaching 60 years old. The DOL rule was a prime example of what happens when government gets too big.

Although the battle for common sense is far from over in Washington, with your help, we were able to pass a Farm Bill that saves taxpayer dollars while ensuring a necessary safety net for our agriculture community, and defeat a government power grab.

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Thune Opening Statement at Farm Bill Markup

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 11:00:00 EST

U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) delivers his opening statement at the Senate Agriculture Committee hearing markup on the 2012 Farm Bill.

Obama DOL Withdraws Radical Farm Labor Rule Following Pressure from Thune, Others

--Thune to continue pushing for his bill to ensure rule cannot be implemented-- — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Senator John Thune, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today said the Obama Administration’s announcement that it will withdraw its proposed Department of Labor (DOL) rule that would prevent youth from participating in many commonplace work activities on family farms is a victory in the war against America’s heartland, but said he would not stop fighting until the entire proposed rule is completely put to rest. Thune, who is leading the Senate effort against the DOL’s attack on rural life, introduced legislation on March 21st to prevent the radical rule from being implemented. His bill currently has 44 cosponsors, including five Democrats.

“I am pleased to hear the Obama Administration is finally backing away from its absurd 85 page proposal to block youth from participating in family farm activities and ultimately undermine the very fabric of rural America, but I will continue working to ensure this overreaching proposal is completely and permanently put to rest,” said Thune. “The Obama DOL’s youth farm labor rule is a perfect example of what happens when government gets too big.”

Last year, DOL Secretary Hilda Solis proposed rules that would restrict family farm operations by prohibiting youth under the age of 18 from being near certain age animals without adult supervision, participating in common livestock practices such as vaccinating, and handling most animals more than six months old, which would severely limit participation in 4-H and FFA activities and restrict their youth farm safety classes; operating farm machinery over 20 power take-off (PTO) horsepower; completing tasks at elevations over six feet high; and working at stockyards and grain and feed facilities. The language of the proposed rule is so specific it would even ban youth from operating a battery powered screwdriver or a pressurized garden hose.

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DOL Waging War on Heartland w/ Farm Labor Rule

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:00:00 EST

U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, joins FOX News' "On the Record w/ Greta Van Susteren" to discuss the Department of Labor's (DOL) war against the heartland. The DOL is proposing 85 pages of regulations that would severely limit activiites youth can participate in on family farms. Thune has a bill to prevent the regulations from being implemented and the bill has 45 cosponsors, including 5 Democrats.

Thune News Conference

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:00:00 EST

Thune News Conference

Thune on Digital Goods

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:00:00 EST

U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) speaks at a Senate Finance Committee hearing on his bill to prevent the multiple taxation of digital goods.

NLRB 'Ambush Election' Rule will Hurt Job Creation

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:30:00 EST

U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, speaks on the Senate floor about the job-crushing NLRB "Ambush Election" rule.

Future of Online Video Streaming

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:30:00 EST

U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) speaks at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing regarding the future of online streaming of video.

NLRB Rule Another Power Grab for Big Labor

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:00:01 EST

U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, joins FOX News' "Your World w/ Neil Cavuto" to discuss the NLRB "ambush election" rule.

Thune Criticizes Senate’s Failure to Protect Local Businesses from Burdensome NLRB “Ambush Election” Rule

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, today criticized the Senate’s failure to pass a resolution of disapproval that would have prevented “ambush” union elections. Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) and 44 of his Senate colleagues introduced the resolution under the Congressional Review Act, which allows either the Senate or the House of Representatives to introduce a joint resolution of disapproval with the full force of law to stop a federal agency from implementing a recent rule or regulation. Enzi’s resolution failed by a vote of 45-54.

“The NLRB’s ambush election rule is just another example of an Obama Administration power grab that gives political favors to Big Labor at the expense of local job creators,” said Thune. “This new federal regulation will be especially harmful to small business owners, who may need to quickly hire expensive legal counsel in order to comply with the rule. With nearly 13 million Americans currently unemployed and unemployment above 8 percent for the past 38 months, it is unfathomable that our president thinks Washington should pile more regulations onto the backs of America’s job creators.”

Currently, the average timeframe for a union election to be held is 38 days and the “ambush election” rule will shorten this timeframe to as few as 10 days, giving local business owners little time to comply with the legal intricacies—including hiring lawyers—that they must adhere to during the representation election process.

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Grassley, Thune Seek Answers on Federal Loan to Luxury Car Maker

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) are asking the Energy Department to explain the selection of a luxury automaker – now described as “troubled” – for a $529 million federal loan for advanced technology vehicles manufacturing. The federal government made part of the loan to the Fisker Automotive Corporation, then froze the remaining portion, raising questions about whether the company was vetted properly in the first place.

“The government is responsible for minimizing risk to taxpayers,” Grassley said. “It’s important to know what went into the Energy Department’s decision to fund the production of expensive luxury vehicles. The riskiness of loans to companies that may or may not be able to pay them back deserves scrutiny. The taxpayers can’t and shouldn’t have to subsidize these decisions.”

“There seems to be a troubling pattern developing at the Department of Energy when it comes to providing taxpayer-backed government loans to private companies,” Thune said. “Taxpayers have a right to know why their hard-earned money was used in part to back the production of luxury automobiles overseas, especially in a manner that might not have undergone proper review. I hope Secretary Chu will provide Congress with answers about why this loan was granted and to ensure that taxpayer dollars are not at risk.”

The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 required the creation of a direct loan program from the federal government to car companies through the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Incentive program. Fisker’s two planned vehicles would sell for more than $100,000 and about $50,000. The high retail prices seem to indicate the vehicles would be out of reach for most Americans, thereby seeming like a questionable choice of investment for a federal program. Also, the senators questioned whether the company’s vehicle production in Finland diminishes the goal of developing advanced vehicle technology to create jobs in the United States.

The text of the Grassley-Thune letter to Energy Secretary Stephen Chu is available here.

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Thune Statement on the Passing of Chuck Colson

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 12:00:01 EST

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, today made the following statement regarding the passing of Chuck Colson:

“Kimberley and I join people the world over in mourning the loss of Chuck Colson. Chuck's redemptive story has inspired millions and his life demonstrated a profound understanding of God's desire to use human beings, despite their failures, to serve Him and His purposes with their lives.

“Kimberley and I have been personally touched by Chuck's writings, his wise counsel, and his friendship over the years. As he has to so many others, Chuck spoke truth and encouragement into our lives and helped us better understand the important role faith plays in public life. We will miss him and extend our deepest sympathy to his wife, Patty, and their family, and join them in grieving his loss.”

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