Press Releases - Senator John Thune

Delegation Invites Veteran Affairs Secretary to Hot Springs VA Facility in South Dakota

U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) have invited Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie, who was confirmed in July, to visit the Hot Springs VA facility in South Dakota. The delegation has worked closely with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and... Continue Reading

Bipartisan TRACED Act Cracks Down on Illegal Robocall Scams

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the committee and author of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, today announced the introduction of S. 3655, the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) Act.... Continue Reading

Thune Selects Dakota State University President Griffiths to Serve on the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today announced the selection of Dakota State University President Dr. José-Marie Griffiths to serve as a member of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, which was included in the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization... Continue Reading

Thune: We Can Work Together to Get Things Done for the American People

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) this week discussed the importance of working together with his colleagues from both the Senate and the House of Representatives and from both sides of the aisle to achieve real results for the American people. Excerpt from Thune’s speech (as prepared for delivery): “Mr. President, as... Continue Reading

Thune Statement on Being Elected Senate Republican Whip

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) was today elected by his Senate Republican colleagues to serve as the caucus’s whip for the 116th Congress, which begins in January 2019. The majority whip is the second most senior position in Senate Republican leadership and is tasked with working hand-in-hand with all Senate Republicans... Continue Reading

Thune: Republican Policies Are Getting Americans Back to Work

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today issued the following statement regarding the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ announcement that the economy added 250,000 jobs and wages are rising at the highest rate since 2009. “Once again, the jobs report out today shows the economy is continuing to grow under Republican-led policies... Continue Reading

Republican Reforms Have Revitalized Our Economy

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today issued the following statement regarding the Department of Commerce’s announcement that the economy grew at 3.5 percent in the third quarter. “Republicans came to Washington, D.C., to revitalize our economy, and we continue to deliver on our promises,” said Thune. “Today’s news... Continue Reading

South Dakota’s Century-Long Pheasant Hunting Tradition Continues

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), a longtime member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today released a video highlighting South Dakota’s 100th annual pheasant hunting season and discussed the tradition’s importance to South Dakota’s economy and the critical need for effective conservation practices. “This is the 100th anniversary... Continue Reading

Thune: Growing the Economy Has Been Republicans’ Top Priority

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) this week discussed the growing economy, which has been helped by Republicans’ pro-growth, pro-jobs policies. By removing burdensome regulations and reforming the tax code, the economy has continued to grow – 4.2 percent growth last quarter alone – and the unemployment rate is... Continue Reading

Thune, Wyden Reintroduce Bill to Protect Innovative Digital Goods and Services from Multiple and Discriminatory Taxes

U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, today reintroduced legislation to prevent discriminatory and duplicative taxes on digital goods and services, including online downloads of music, literature, movies, mobile apps, and cloud computing services.... Continue Reading

Thune Statement on Passage of Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), today applauded the Senate’s passage of the bipartisan America’s Water Infrastructure Act, a comprehensive water resources infrastructure bill that will authorize U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects for port, waterway, flood protection, and other water infrastructure improvements; reauthorize the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund for... Continue Reading

Thune Leads Second Hearing Examining Safeguards for Consumer Data Privacy

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today convened a hearing entitled, “Consumer Data Privacy: Examining Lessons From the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation and the California Consumer Privacy Act,” which followed the committee’s recent examination of this topic with top... Continue Reading