Press Releases - Senator John Thune

Thune: Paycheck Protection Program has Been a Lifeline for Many Small Businesses

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today discussed the toll the coronavirus has taken on our economy, but emphasized some encouraging signs, specifically the success of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that was enacted as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. More than 4.5 million small businesses... Continue Reading

Thune, Stabenow, Johnson, and Loebsack Lead Bipartisan, Bicameral Letter Urging USDA to Provide Flexibility for Harvesting and Grazing Cover Crops on Prevented Plant Acres

U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and U.S. Reps. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and Dave Loebsack (D-Iowa) today led a bipartisan, bicameral letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) urging it to exercise its authority to allow producers to graze or harvest cover crops on prevented plant... Continue Reading

Thune: Fighting for South Dakota’s Farmers and Ranchers is a Top Priority During Pandemic

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), a longtime member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today discussed how the coronavirus pandemic has highlighted America’s dependence on our agriculture producers. Thune recently introduced the Paycheck Protection for Producers Act, which would help more farmers and ranchers benefit from the Paycheck Protection Program. He... Continue Reading

Thune Introduces Bill to Support Hand Sanitizer and Ethanol Production By Extending FDA Guidance

Click here or on the picture above to watch Thune discuss his bill on the Senate floor. U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today introduced legislation that would extend for two years The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) “Temporary Policy for Preparation of Certain Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizer Products During the Public... Continue Reading

Thune: COVID-19 Proves Value of Telehealth Across America

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

Thune: Senate Republicans Committed to Helping Americans Through This Health Crisis

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

Thune, Baldwin Introduce Bill to Improve Paycheck Protection Program for Agricultural Producers

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

Thune, Rounds Applaud Senate Passage of Their Bill to Allow Tribal Grant Schools to Devote Additional Resources to Improving Education

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

Thune, Smith Introduce Bill to Allow Emergency Haying and Grazing on CRP Acres During COVID-19 Pandemic

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

Thune: COVID-19 Pandemic Highlights How Critical Transportation is to Our Economy

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

Thune: There Are Ways to Help Revive the Economy Without Spending Trillions of Dollars

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

Thune: Countries Should Abandon 5G Infrastructure Made by Companies Beholden to Chinese Government

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