U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today joined his colleagues in introducing the Let Experienced Pilots Fly Act, legislation that would raise the mandatory commercial pilot retirement age from 65 to 67. “Airline staffing challenges continue to result in cancellations and delays across the aviation system,” said Thune. “Providing an opportunity for highly qualified,... Continue Reading
Click here to watch the video. U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, today questioned U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on the whether the department considered the unique circumstances of rural America in developing a forthcoming rule that sets a greenhouse gas (GHG) performance standard. Thune also pressed Buttigieg on... Continue Reading
Click here to watch the video. U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today called out the Biden administration for focusing on pet projects instead of addressing the country’s rampant supply chain crisis. Thune noted that some ocean carriers are refusing to transport certain goods, such as South Dakota agricultural products, and he discussed his recent legislation that... Continue Reading
U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today delivered remarks at the committee’s nomination hearing for Mayor Pete Buttigieg to be Secretary of Transportation. Thune questioned Mayor Buttigieg on his approach to freight rail policy, tribal transportation, and support for state... Continue Reading
Today, Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) introduced the Mobile Enrollment Act to improve Transportation Security Administration (TSA) PreCheck services, including by enabling Americans in rural communities to enroll online, rather than making an unnecessary trip to an enrollment-friendly airport during the COVID-19 pandemic. “This corrective legislation will... Continue Reading
U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) this week participated in a Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing titled, “The State of Transportation and Critical Infrastructure: Examining the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic.” In the hearing, Thune questioned a panel of experts on the challenges transportation workers are facing during... Continue Reading
U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, this week introduced the Tribal Transportation Equity and Transparency Improvement Act, legislation to increase tribal transportation funding flexibility and improve the transparency and consistency of the Tribal Transportation Program’s administration and... Continue Reading
U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) today applauded the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT’s) decision to award the City of Brookings $18.7 million in critical infrastructure funding under the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) program. Today’s announcement follows requests... Continue Reading
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, issued the following statement on attending a signing ceremony of H.R. 302, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, which President Donald Trump signed into law today. “With President Trump’s signature, the FAA Reauthorization Act will... 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
U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, which has jurisdiction over the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), released the following statement after Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao announced that the DOT has approved a $21 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER)... Continue Reading
U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, this week discussed the future of self-driving vehicle legislation in a full committee hearing that explored automated vehicle technology and hurdles for testing and deployment in the United States. “The transportation laws and regulations currently... Continue Reading
