Two hundred and forty-five years ago, a group of patriots stood up and declared independence for themselves and their countrymen. They did this despite the risk to their own lives and with no promise that their campaign for freedom would succeed. All they had was a ragtag team of volunteer... Continue Reading
South Dakota producers are some of the hardest-working people I know. The life of a producer may not be easy to imagine for folks who’ve never woken with the sun, tilled the land, mended a fence, or prayed for a rainy forecast. And, for many Americans, the idea of farming... Continue Reading
In the era of the 24-hour news cycle and instant gratification, it’s important to remember that some good things still take time. On June 9, South Dakota scored a historic, once-in-a-generation win when the U.S. Air Force signed a record of decision to formally designate Ellsworth Air Force Base in... Continue Reading
The recent Colonial Pipeline hack was a stark reminder of the importance of American energy independence and security. Americans should never have to question whether they will have reliable and affordable access to energy and fuel, but lines at gas pumps across the northeast hearkened back to the 1970s, when... Continue Reading
From the beginning, the story of the U.S. auto industry has been one of ingenuity, of taking risks and of pushing forward. At the dawn of the twentieth century, most Americans could hardly comprehend the idea of the automobile. Yet twenty years later they had become nearly ubiquitous in American life,... Continue Reading
There is a high demand for high-quality U.S.-raised beef in this country. If there was any doubt, the bare supermarket shelves throughout parts of 2020 proved it. I believe the South Dakota producers who work day in and day out to raise this livestock should be the ones benefitting from... Continue Reading
The April jobs report was less than stellar. Far less, in fact. With the rollout of the vaccine and millions of Americans ready to get back to work, economists predicted the U.S. economy would add around 1 million new jobs. The reality: only a quarter of the predicted new jobs... Continue Reading
Spring in South Dakota may be one of my favorite seasons. While South Dakotans understand the unpredictability of our spring weather, the month of May always brings back great memories. It makes me think back to watching my daughters Brittany and Larissa compete at the Howard Wood Relays and state... Continue Reading
Sadly, a theme of President Biden’s presidency has been the disconnect between what he says and what he does. I wasn’t sure which president we would see when he gave his first joint address to Congress. Would he echo the tone of his inauguration – calling for unity and bipartisanship?... Continue Reading
Democrats want the Senate to take up infrastructure legislation in the near future – a goal Republicans fully support. What we don’t support is Democrats’ threat to shove through another massive, partisan bill – this time on infrastructure – using reconciliation rules (a parliamentary procedure to expedite legislation with only... Continue Reading
In what is fast becoming a theme of his presidency, President Biden caved to the demands of the far left and officially established his court-packing commission. Yes, court-packing. An idea that had been consigned to the ash heap of history almost a century ago has been given new life by... Continue Reading
For the last two weeks, I have been crisscrossing the state to meet with business owners, students, teachers, health care workers, community leaders, and South Dakotans of every walk of life. It might sound cheesy, but “Great Faces, Great Places” refers to a lot more than the faces on Mt.... Continue Reading
