Press Releases - Senator John Thune

Thune Delivers Weekly Republican Address

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Republican Conference and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, delivered this week’s Republican address to the nation. Thune taped the address in Sioux Falls, S.D., and highlighted the growing list of accomplishments the Senate Republican majority has been able... Continue Reading

Rounds, Thune Introduce Bill to Strengthen Military Families’ Right to Self-Protection

U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs Committees, and U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), today introduced legislation to allow military spouses to purchase handguns in the state where their husband or wife is permanently stationed for duty, or in a neighboring state... Continue Reading

Republicans, Democrats Agree: IRS “Delinquent” With Treatment of Tax-Exempt Organizations

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), a member of the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over the IRS, issued the following statement after the Finance Committee released the findings of its bipartisan report on its investigation into the IRS’s treatment of organizations applying for tax-exempt status: “I... Continue Reading

Thune Highlights Accomplishments in the Republican-Led Senate

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today discussed the long list of bipartisan bills the Republican-led Senate has passed in just the first seven months of the 114th Congress to address the American people’s priorities. The full text of Thune’s floor speech follows (as prepared for delivery): “Mr. President, when Republicans... Continue Reading

Thune, Rounds Introduce Legislation to Authorize Permanent Land Transfer for Expansion of Black Hills National Cemetery

U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today introduced the Black Hills National Cemetery Boundary Expansion Act, legislation to facilitate a permanent land transfer of approximately 200 acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land to expand the Black Hills National Cemetery outside of Sturgis. “All of the... Continue Reading

EPA’s Backdoor National Energy Tax a Burden for South Dakota Consumers

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) issued the following statement in response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) announcement that it has approved the Clean Power Plan, which could increase electricity bills for Americans across the country: “The Obama EPA strikes again,” said Thune. “If there is one thing for which... Continue Reading

Thune Bill Would Improve Access, Availability of Rural Health Care

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today introduced S. 1916, the Rural Health Care Connectivity Act of 2015, a bill that would amend the Communications Act to permit skilled nursing facilities (SNF) to apply for support from the Universal Service Fund’s (USF) Rural Health Care Program (RHCP). The USF’s RHCP provides... Continue Reading

Thune Selects Family for 2015 Angels in Adoption Award

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today announced his selection of Aaron and Tami Fite of Platte, S.D., and their family for the 2015 Angels in Adoption Award presented by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, of which Thune is a member. This award recognizes the outstanding contributions of men and women... Continue Reading

Thune Statement on Passage of Bipartisan DRIVE Act

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, issued the following statement on the Senate’s bipartisan passage of the multi-year Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy (DRIVE) Act, which contains several Thune-led provisions that were included as part of the... Continue Reading

Thune Touts Bipartisan Freight Provisions in DRIVE Act

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today urged his colleagues in a speech on the Senate floor to pass the DRIVE Act, a bipartisan bill designed to modernize the nation’s infrastructure and transportation systems and allow America to better compete in... Continue Reading

Thune, Finance Republicans Request Information on Obamacare Enrollment Safeguards

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), a member of the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee, along with all Finance Committee Republicans, today sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt requesting information on how the agency verifies the authenticity of consumer information that is... Continue Reading

Thune: Multi-Year Transportation Bill Critical to Moving Transportation Projects Forward Without Disruption

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today urged his colleagues to pass the Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy (DRIVE) Act, a bipartisan, multi-year transportation bill that includes important modifications to the Commerce Committee’s various legislative titles that... Continue Reading