Today Senator John Thune applauded the U.S. Senate for passing (99-1) the $26.3 billion Fiscal Year 2006 Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, which included $1.5 billion in funding to meet shortfalls for Fiscal Year 2005 Department of Veterans Affairs funding. “America’s veterans sacrificed much for our nation and it... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune secured $150 million worth of transportation projects for South Dakota and a total of $1.3 billion for transportation improvements across the state as a conferee to the transportation reauthorization bill. Under the conference agreement set to pass Congress, South Dakota will see a 30 percent increase in... Continue Reading
U.S. Senators Tim Johnson (D-SD) and John Thune (R-SD) today announced $225 million in project earmarks for South Dakota as part of the soon-to-be-passed Transportation Bill. Both Johnson and Thune were negotiators on the conference committee responsible for this much needed legislation. This bill, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune is urging his colleagues to support the three BRAC-related amendments he introduced to the Defense Authorization bill. Each of the three amendments would empower Congress with critical information or options before voting on the BRAC Commission’s upcoming recommendations. The amendments are (1) delay base closures until completion... Continue Reading
“Homestake’s selection as one of only two finalists is very encouraging news for South Dakotans. I am confident that the Homestake Mine is the best site for the DUSEL project. This money allows us to produce a competitive design and fight to bring this project to the Black Hills, creating... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune tonight said he is pleased to see President Bush nominate a well-qualified judge who would strictly interpret the Constitution and called on his colleagues to give Judge John G. Roberts a fair and timely confirmation hearing: “Judge Roberts is a distinguished and intelligent judge who will strictly... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today announced the U.S. Department of Labor is granting $1 million to the South Dakota Department of Labor to help the State initiate early planning for workers who could be at risk as a result of the current Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round. The federal grant... Continue Reading
“Today’s vote is a major step towards a national energy policy that promotes ethanol and creates jobs. The Senate bill makes ethanol a cornerstone of our energy policy and creates jobs in America’s heartland. Since the Senate version includes the Domenici-Thune ethanol amendment for an 8 billion gallon Renewable Fuels... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune announced today that the Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded $28,000 in grants ranging from $5,000 – $6,000 to five different Native American Reservations in South Dakota. The recipients are Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Oglala Sioux Tribe, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate, and Yankton Sioux Tribe.... Continue Reading
With thousands of Ellsworth supporters rallying behind us last week in Rapid City, we presented a compelling and fact-filled case before three members of the Base Realignment and Closure Committee (BRAC). But our work is not finished. It was a first-class presentation and event organized by the Ellsworth Task Force,... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune announced today that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office of State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness (SLGCP) awarded a $150,000 grant to South Dakota through their Buffer Zone Protection Program (BZPP). BZPP funding serves to enhance protection efforts around Critical Infrastructure and Key Resource (CI/KR)... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune led a bipartisan group of a dozen lawmakers this week in urging House and Senate Transportation conferees to preserve the bio-based transportation research provision he advocated in the Senate-passed Highway Bill. The Sun Grant Initiative seeks to facilitate the development of biobased energy technologies at the regional... Continue Reading
