U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today discussed the long list of accomplishments during the 114th Congress under Republican leadership. The Republican majority worked hard to pass a balanced budget, a major energy bill, a multi-year transportation bill, a Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization, and an education reform bill, among many others.... Continue Reading
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, applauded the Senate’s unanimous passage of bipartisan, bicameral legislation that will outlaw the use of “gag clauses” in non-negotiable form contracts. Some businesses have attracted national scrutiny for using gag clauses to punish... Continue Reading
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) wrote to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert McDonald to express their disappointment and concern over McDonald’s decision to decline a December 2, 2016,... Continue Reading
U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) and U.S. Rep. David Young (R-Iowa) applauded the Senate’s passage of the No Veterans Crisis Line Call Should Go Unanswered Act, legislation first introduced in the House of Representatives earlier this year. The bill seeks to address shortcomings in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)... Continue Reading
U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) issued the following statement after being re-elected chairman of the Senate Republican Conference. As Conference chairman, which is the third-ranking Republican leadership post in the Senate, Thune is responsible for creating and implementing the communications strategy for the Republican Conference. “I’m honored my colleagues... Continue Reading
U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) today issued the following statements regarding the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) final environmental impact statement (EIS) on the Black Hills Health Care System and the... Continue Reading
U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, issued the following statement on the 2016 elections: “Congratulations to President-elect Trump for his election to serve as president of this great country. The American people have cast their votes and elected Republicans to the majority in the Senate... Continue Reading
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today wrote to Tom Vilsack, secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), encouraging him to provide immediate disaster assistance to ranchers who have been affected by the Cottonwood Fire. The fire... Continue Reading
Led by U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), a member of the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee, and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, 41 Senate Republicans today wrote to Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew encouraging the Treasury Department to abandon proposed regulations that would significantly increase the estate tax... Continue Reading
U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) issued the following statements after the Senate passed the USA Olympians and Paralympians Act (H.R. 5946), companion legislation to the Senate bill they introduced earlier this year that will exempt Team USA athletes with an adjusted gross income of $1 million... Continue Reading
U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today announced the introduction of S. 3379, the Surface Transportation and Maritime Security Act. The legislation addresses deficiencies in the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA’s) efforts to protect rail, transit, highway, and maritime passenger and freight... Continue Reading
U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today questioned U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack during a Senate Committee on Agriculture hearing on the state of the agriculture economy. Thune discussed the lack of common-sense guidance and policy for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which is critical to South Dakota agriculture... Continue Reading
