Press Releases - Senator John Thune

Thune Named to Highway Bill Conference Committee, Participates in First Public Meeting

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) was recently named to the conference committee tasked with resolving the differences between the House and Senate transportation reauthorization bills and today participated in the committee’s first public meeting. In July, the Senate passed its version of the transportation bill, the Developing a Reliable and... Continue Reading

Commerce Committee Approves Thune Bill That Would Improve Access to and Availability of Rural Health Care

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today applauded the Commerce Committee’s passage of the Rural Health Care Connectivity Act of 2015 (S. 1916). The bipartisan bill, which was introduced earlier this year by Thune, would amend the Communications Act to permit... Continue Reading

Senate Urges President to Rein in Overreaching EPA

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today welcomed passage of legislation expressing the Senate’s disapproval of a federal rule detailing President Obama’s carbon mandates, which would increase the price of electricity and reduce grid reliability. “President Obama has once again attempted to circumvent Congress with his far-reaching and excessive carbon... Continue Reading

Thune Urges Prospective ESEA Conference Leaders to Include Tribal Youth Suicide Amendments in Final Bill

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today urged the prospective House and Senate leaders of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) conference committee to include his amendments that were adopted earlier this year as part of the Senate’s consideration of the Every Child Achieves Act (ECAA) in the final bill... Continue Reading

Thune Statement on Obama Administration’s Rejection of Keystone XL Pipeline

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) issued the following statement after the Obama administration announced it has denied TransCanada’s permit application to build the long-stalled Keystone XL pipeline: “I would say that I’m surprised, but with President Obama’s commitment to appeasing the far-left environmental wing of his political base,... Continue Reading

Democrats Block Critical Funding for Our Men and Women in Uniform

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) issued the following statement after Senate Democrats blocked the Department of Defense (DoD) appropriations bill, which includes important funding for our military personnel, their families, weapons, readiness, and infrastructure projects that contribute to our national security: “It’s incredible that Senate Democrats would repeatedly block a... Continue Reading

Noem, Thune Raise Questions about IHS’s Approach to Suicide Crisis

U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) and U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today raised questions about Indian Health Service’s (IHS) approach to the suicide crisis plaguing South Dakota’s tribal communities. In a letter to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell, Noem and Thune outlined specific concerns about a... Continue Reading

Senate Urges President to Overturn One of Nation’s Largest Federal Land Grabs

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today welcomed passage of a bill expressing the Senate’s disapproval of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule, which amounts to one of the largest federal land grabs in history. “The far-reaching WOTUS rule is a thinly veiled land... Continue Reading

Thune Discusses Importance of Protecting Honest Online Reviews on NBC’s TODAY Show

Earlier this morning, U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, appeared on NBC’s TODAY Show to discuss the importance of protecting honest online reviews. The segment previewed today’s Commerce Committee hearing on this topic and its impact on consumers and the economy.... Continue Reading

Thune Statement on Bill to Overturn Far-Reaching WOTUS Rule

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) issued the following statement after a majority of Senate Democrats blocked the Federal Water Quality Protection Act (S. 1140), legislation which would overturn the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule: “The Obama EPA’s WOTUS rule – of the largest federal... Continue Reading

Senators Introduce Bill to Withhold Bonuses from Tax Cheat Bureaucrats

Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) and Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), along with Senators John Thune (R-SD), Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Mike Enzi (R-WY) yesterday introduced No Bonuses for Tax Cheats Act, which withholds bonuses from federal employees who are delinquent on their taxes or have engaged in documented misconduct. “Today, we’re... Continue Reading

Thune, Murphy, Isakson, and Donnelly Introduce Bill to Encourage Healthy Living

U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), and Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) today introduced legislation that would allow Americans to make certain qualified sports and fitness purchases, like gym memberships, fitness equipment, and youth sports league fees, with money they have saved in pre-tax health care accounts.... Continue Reading