U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today highlighted the heightened value of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic across the United States, especially in rural areas like those in his home state of South Dakota, where access to specialty care is more difficult to find. Thune has long been a proponent of... Continue Reading
U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today discussed the far-left push to defund police departments across the United States. Thune also discussed Democrats’ continued legislative partisanship, even during a national crisis, and expressed his desire to work with Senate Democrats to provide relief to the American people who are suffering during... Continue Reading
U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) today introduced legislation that would revise the way producers calculate their Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan award. PPP was created by Congress in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to help small businesses retain their employees and cover other... Continue Reading
U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) this week applauded the Senate for passing their legislation that would allow tribal grant schools to participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) and Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) programs. This change would free up resources to improve recruiting... Continue Reading
U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.), members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, this week introduced legislation that would allow emergency haying and grazing on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres during the COVID-19 health crisis. Under current statute, emergency CRP haying and grazing is limited to weather-related disaster... Continue Reading
U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) this week participated in a Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing titled, “The State of Transportation and Critical Infrastructure: Examining the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic.” In the hearing, Thune questioned a panel of experts on the challenges transportation workers are facing during... Continue Reading
U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), a member of the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee, today discussed Senate Republicans’ continued effort to provide Americans who are feeling the economic effect of this global health crisis with real relief. Thune highlighted three tax bills he has introduced that would help Americans during and... Continue Reading
U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, today discussed his Network Security Trade Act, legislation that would make telecommunications security a key objective when negotiating future trade deals. Thune also discussed how the COVID-19 pandemic has further exposed China’s lack of... Continue Reading
U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) recently introduced a joint resolution to formally request that U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary David Bernhardt authorize an audio and video display at the Mount Rushmore National Memorial near Rapid City, South Dakota, to honor and celebrate the 100th anniversary of the ratification of... Continue Reading
U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today discussed the importance of monitoring the comprehensive and bipartisan response to the COVID-19 crisis to ensure money borrowed from future generations is going to programs and efforts that are working to bring real relief to Americans who are suffering in the wake of this... Continue Reading
U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) today introduced the Railroad Rehabilitation and Financing Innovation Act, legislation to improve the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) loan program by providing dedicated funding for RRIF financing costs, streamlining... Continue Reading
U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Deb Fischer, R-Neb., chairman of the Subcommittee on Transportation and Safety, John Thune, R-S.D., and Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., today released the... Continue Reading
