U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today joined 33 senators and 171 representatives in filing an amicus brief, or friend of the court brief, that urges the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to stop the Obama Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) power plant emissions rule, also known as the Clean Power Plan.... Continue Reading
U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) issued the following statement after President Obama announced a plan to close Guantanamo Bay and transfer terrorists to the United States. Under current law, it is illegal to transfer foreign terrorists at Guantanamo to the United States. “Once again, the president is attempting to move... Continue Reading
U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, issued the following statement regarding the passing of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia who was scheduled to speak in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, next month: “Today we learned the sad news of Justice Scalia’s passing. With his sudden... Continue Reading
U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, recently met with Surface Transportation Board (STB) Chairman Dan Elliott about the implementation of S. 808, the STB Reauthorization Act, of which Thune was the lead Senate sponsor. “I appreciated Chairman Elliott taking the time... Continue Reading
U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), a member of the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement after the Senate adopted the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 (H.R. 644) conference report, which included several Thune-led provisions that will directly benefit South Dakota, by a vote of 75-20: “Free... Continue Reading
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) issued the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked implementation of President Obama’s excessive carbon mandates while legal challenges move forward. “Considering the president’s national energy tax would cost hundreds of billions of dollars over the next 15 years, today’s decision is welcome... Continue Reading
U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) in a letter to Indian Health Service (IHS) Acting Area Director Rear Admiral Kevin Meeks requested monthly updates from IHS regarding the state of its facilities in the Great Plains Area. These updates will help increase accountability and transparency within the Great Plains Area service... Continue Reading
U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) and members of the South Dakota, Wyoming, and Nebraska congressional delegations wrote to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert McDonald to request an extension until April 5, 2016, of the public comment period for the VA’s Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the proposed... Continue Reading
Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), John Thune (R-S.D.), and Mark Warner (D-Va.) introduced the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act, bipartisan legislation that would expand telehealth services through Medicare, improve care outcomes, make... Continue Reading
U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), and John Cornyn (R-Texas) today introduced the North Korea and Iran Sanctions Act, which would require the immediate reinstatement of sanctions against Iran that were waived or suspended as part of President Obama’s flawed nuclear deal if it’s determined Iran sought nuclear... Continue Reading
U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) issued the following statement on the state of Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities in the Great Plains area and the lack of accountability that currently exists with IHS leaders. Earlier today, Thune, at the request of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, participated in a... Continue Reading
U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today discussed S. 2012, the Energy Policy Modernization Act, bipartisan legislation that would modernize our nation’s energy policies for the 21st century. It has been nearly a decade since the last substantive energy bill was debated in the Senate, so this legislation provides a unique... Continue Reading
