During the recent Easter Recess Work Period when the Senate was out of session, I had the opportunity to travel around South Dakota and meet with people in every corner of the state. I was fortunate to visit several hospitals and health care facilities across our state, and it is... Continue Reading
Firearms have long been a part of the history and culture of South Dakota. It is difficult to imagine homesteaders defending their claims without the assistance of rifles, and it is hard to ponder an autumn in South Dakota without the blaze orange vests and shotguns that are everywhere during... Continue Reading
The U.S. Senate spent a week in mid-March debating the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Resolution. This annual exercise seeks to establish a framework for the upcoming year’s funding levels for federal programs, including the expected levels of tax revenues that allow the federal government to operate. It is said that... Continue Reading
The Constitution was carefully written to make sure that the process by which the government raises and spends money was not too far removed from the people, which is why Congress is given the “power of the purse.” As Congress prepares to write the budget for the next Fiscal Year,... Continue Reading
For more than a year, the Senate Agriculture Committee, of which I am a member, worked to draft a new Farm Bill. The Senate Farm Bill, which passed December 14, 2007, made a bold statement about the future of permanent disaster relief for U.S. agriculture producers. The Senate farm bill... Continue Reading
With the Senate in recess in honor of Presidents Day, I had the opportunity to travel across South Dakota and meet with people in all parts of the state. While these meetings covered a wide range of topics, including improving law enforcement and education in Indian Country, many visits demonstrated... Continue Reading
On February 18th the nation will celebrate President’s Day, which is not a celebration of all of the Presidents in our nation’s history, but rather a remembrance of the two men who have guided our nation through its stormiest days: George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. No President in our history... Continue Reading
The U.S. Senate recently passed a bill aimed at reviving our slowing economy by providing tax rebates to over 130 million households nationwide. I want to use this column to answer some questions about the stimulus plan and tell you why I support it. The economic stimulus bill will put... Continue Reading
One of the most basic principles of our economy is that people should be free to choose the best product for their own needs. When it comes to buying health insurance, individuals and employers in South Dakota and across the nation suffer from high costs and restricted choices. One of... Continue Reading
I have used this column to talk about the benefits of cellulosic ethanol on many occasions, and I am excited about the future of its production in South Dakota. In Congress, I am working to secure cellulosic ethanol’s place in our national energy strategy, and currently, this means fixing a... Continue Reading
A recent study conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the University of Nebraska has discovered that ethanol produced from switchgrass yields 540 percent more energy than is required to produce the fuel. These findings help underscore the great potential that cellulosic ethanol could play in reducing our dependence... Continue Reading
Earlier this month, oil traded at over $100 per barrel, an all-time high and a troubling indication of future energy prices. The increasing price of oil is not only creating a drag on the U.S. economy and squeezing the wallets of hard working Americans, it is creating a financial windfall... Continue Reading
