Each year, Congress takes up the National Defense Authorization Act, the bill to authorize funds for our nation’s military and our national defense. This legislation typically passes with strong bipartisan support, and with good reason: Both Democrats and Republicans know the great responsibility we have to the men and women... Continue Reading
If you asked someone to name their favorite time of year, you might hear Christmas, Thanksgiving, or the Fourth of July. Don’t be surprised, though, if you posed the same question to a South Dakotan and they tell you it’s the third weekend in October – the traditional opening of... Continue Reading
In 1990, South Dakota Governor George Mickelson sought to reconcile some of the challenges faced between the Native and non-Native American citizens in South Dakota. One of his first steps toward this reconciliation was to change the federally recognized Columbus Day holiday to Native American Day in South Dakota. In... Continue Reading
This year, Ellsworth Air Force Base, located just outside Rapid City, has seen its role in our national security increase dramatically. Early this spring, the Air Force signed off on the completion of an eight-year project to expand the Powder River Training Complex, or PRTC, the airspace in which our... Continue Reading
Recently, the Senate took up a common-sense bill to protect human life, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. This bill would protect unborn children who have reached the age of 20 weeks – the age at which unborn children can feel pain – from being killed by abortion. Unfortunately, this bill was... Continue Reading
South Dakotans frequently share with me their frustrations and concerns with Washington’s overreach into Americans’ lives. Despite the progress the new Senate Republican majority has made on many issues that impact hard-working families and small businesses across the country, the fact remains that Washington continues to be plagued by the... Continue Reading
A majority of the American people oppose the president’s nuclear deal with Iran. They have good reason to be concerned, and they deserve to have their voices heard. Back in the spring, Congress tried to make sure that the American people, through their representatives in Congress, would have a say in... Continue Reading
This week, the U.S. Senate will consider the Obama administration’s nuclear agreement with Iran. I will be voting against this agreement, because this deeply flawed deal is not strong enough to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power and will allow Iran to increase its support for terrorism. A key... Continue Reading
I spent the busy August work period crisscrossing South Dakota, meeting with South Dakotans and taking in the sights and sounds of everything that our great state has to offer in the summertime. I attended fairs from Butte-Lawrence County to Brown County to Turner County and this year’s state fair... Continue Reading
When Republicans campaigned for the Senate majority in 2014, we made a simple, yet important pledge to the American people: If you elect Republicans to the majority, we will get the Senate, which has been dysfunctional for years, working again. That was not a half-hearted campaign slogan; it was a... Continue Reading
It is that special time of year again when families of all ages from every corner of the state can enjoy the sights and sounds of our state and county fairs. From Turner County to Brown County to the state fair in Huron and everywhere in between, there are multiple... Continue Reading
If there is one thing for which the Obama Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can be counted on, it is the repeated issuance of rules and regulations that stifle growth and make life harder and more costly for American families and businesses. The agency, stocked with a seemingly endless amount of... Continue Reading
