U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) today introduced the Railroad Rehabilitation and Financing Innovation Act, legislation to improve the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) loan program by providing dedicated funding for RRIF financing costs, streamlining... Continue Reading
U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today led a hearing titled, “Rebuilding Infrastructure in America: Administration Perspectives.” The hearing featured testimony from U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Rick Perry, U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary... Continue Reading
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, issued the following statement on the Senate’s bipartisan passage of the five-year Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act conference report. The FAST Act contains several Thune-led transportation and safety initiatives that benefit South... Continue Reading
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) released the following statement after Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has approved $6 million in Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant funding for two South Dakota rail projects. Thune led the South Dakota congressional delegation in... Continue Reading
In case you missed it, here’s what South Dakota stakeholders are saying about U.S. Sen. John Thune’s (R-S.D.) bipartisan Surface Transportation Board (STB) Reauthorization Act of 2015, which passed the Senate last night by unanimous consent: “South Dakota Wheat Growers is pleased by the Senate’s adoption of Senator Thune’s Surface... Continue Reading
WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), the lead sponsor of S. 808, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) Reauthorization Act of 2015, issued the following statement on the bill’s approval by the U.S. Senate last night by unanimous consent: “Nearly 20 years ago, Congress established the Surface Transportation Board to oversee our nation’s freight railroad system. Passage... Continue Reading
U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) today commented on a newly released report that they called for from the U.S. Department of Agriculture examining the rail service challenges in the Upper Midwest in 2013 and 2014 and the implications these issues had on the region’s agricultural sectors.... Continue Reading
U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today held his second hearing as chairman entitled, “Freight Rail Transportation: Enhancing Safety, Efficiency, and Commerce.” The hearing focused on challenges facing our nation’s freight rail network created by higher demand, pending and proposed rules... Continue Reading
U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today announced a hearing of the full committee entitled, “Freight Rail Transportation: Enhancing Safety, Efficiency, and Commerce” on Wednesday, January 28 at 10:00 a.m. ET (9:00 a.m. CT, 8:00 a.m. MT). The hearing will focus... Continue Reading
U.S. Senators John Thune (R-South Dakota), Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) today sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack calling on USDA to conduct an economic analysis of the rail service challenges facing agricultural shippers. Thune... Continue Reading
U.S. Senator John Thune (R-South Dakota), Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today praised the committee’s bipartisan passage of his Surface Transportation Board (STB) reform bill, which he introduced along with Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-West Virginia). Thune and Rockefeller’s bill, the STB Reauthorization Act... Continue Reading
