The Senate recently voted on two commonsense bills that would have gone a long way to help defend the rights of the defenseless. Unfortunately, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act and the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act were both defeated, largely on party lines. All Senate Republicans joined a handful... Continue Reading
Ask any farmer about his land, and he would be able to describe every inch of it without skipping a beat – the high spots, the low spots, the wet spots, and the dry spots. He could walk you to the corner of his plot that each year, despite even... Continue Reading
It’s no secret that the agriculture economy has seen better days. Bad weather, low commodity prices, and protracted trade disputes have created an untenable situation for many folks in the heartland. What’s flyover country to some is home to others, particularly those who help feed the world, and I’ll never... Continue Reading
The U.S. Senate has only confronted a presidential impeachment trial three times in American history. The first was President Andrew Johnson’s trial in 1868, which reflected the lingering divisions of the Civil War. The second was President Bill Clinton’s trial more than 130 years later in 1999. At that time,... Continue Reading
The Republican-led Senate, the Democrat-led House of Representatives, and the president all agree: the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will modernize the longstanding trade relationship with South Dakota’s top trading partners and help take us further into the 21st century. I’m relieved that after more than a year of unnecessary delay by House... Continue Reading
President Ronald Reagan once said, “I’ve always thought New Year’s Day was an especially American tradition, full of the optimism and hope we’re famous for in our daily lives – an energy and confidence we call the American spirit. Perhaps because we know we control our own destiny, we believe... Continue Reading
If you’re a Seinfeld fan like me, you probably remember the episode where Jerry receives a phone call from a telemarketer, interrupting his conversation with other characters on the show. Jerry tells the person on the other end of the line that he’s busy, but says that if the telemarketer... Continue Reading
In 1906, two brothers, Nikolai and Matthew Gjelsvik, arrived at Ellis Island from Norway. The only English they knew were the words apple pie and coffee, which they learned on the boat on the way over. The immigration officials at Ellis Island asked them to change their last name because... Continue Reading
Click here or on the picture above to watch Thune’s speech. WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today discussed his number one priority in the Senate: serving the people of South Dakota. Thune discussed the importance of passing the National Defense Authorization Act, which will authorize the full... Continue Reading
The holiday season is a special time of year. We get to rejoice in God’s gift to mankind while spending time with our family and friends, enjoying traditions of holidays past and the moments and memories created with those we love. It’s also a good reminder to slow down and... Continue Reading
I served four years as chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, which has jurisdiction over everything from planes, trains, and automobiles to the depths of the ocean and the heights of outer space. And no matter the subject, one of my favorite parts about serving in... Continue Reading
While I’m sure most people know about the Black Friday shopping event that follows Thanksgiving each year, a relatively new shopping “holiday,” of sorts, popped up in the last decade that is celebrated annually on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Small Business Saturday was created almost ten years ago to encourage... Continue Reading
