U.S. Senator John Thune (R-South Dakota) this morning made the following comment regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed regulations on existing power plants: “Make no mistake, the administration’s proposed rule is nothing more than a national energy tax that will be yet another sucker punch to middle-class families throughout... Continue Reading
U.S. Senator John Thune (R-South Dakota) made the following statement regarding the resignation of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Eric Shinseki: “Secretary Shinseki’s resignation is a necessary first step, but the VA crisis is bigger than any one person at the top. We must hold accountable all who played a role... Continue Reading
Following the release today of the interim Veterans Affairs (VA) inspector general (IG) report, which concludes that misreporting veteran wait times is systemic throughout the Veterans Health Administration, U.S. Senator John Thune (R-South Dakota) again called for a nationwide IG investigation of all VA medical facilities. Of the hundreds of... Continue Reading
This morning, U.S. Senator John Thune (R-South Dakota) joined CBS’s “Face the Nation” to discuss the ongoing nationwide crisis at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Excerpts of Thune’s interview are available below and video of Thune’s interview on the VA crisis is available here. On the Obama administration’s... Continue Reading
Senators Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) and Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) welcomed the administration’s reversal this week on electronic health records deadlines, after officials earlier this year refused to grant providers additional time to comply with regulations as groups nationwide requested. In a proposed... Continue Reading
U.S. Senators John Thune (R-South Dakota), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) applauded the Senate’s bipartisan approval of their legislation to minimize future propane and heating fuel shortages and regional supply disruptions. A slightly modified version of Thune and Klobuchar’s Reliable... Continue Reading
Following the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) announcement today that it will revise previously proposed rules for 501(c)4 organizations, U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference and member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement: “I am pleased that the IRS has listened to those... Continue Reading
U.S. Senator John Thune (R-South Dakota) today joined a bipartisan group of 46 senators in sending a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy requesting a 120-day public comment period for its proposed regulation of greenhouse gases (GHG) from existing power plants. The EPA is expected to release... Continue Reading
U.S. Senator John Thune (R-South Dakota) today sent a letter to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Eric Shinseki calling for independent oversight of the VA’s internal audit and calling for a review of wait times for veterans in South Dakota. “With the credibility of the VA in serious... Continue Reading
Following President Obama’s press conference today regarding the ongoing nationwide scandal at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care facilities, U.S. Senator John Thune (R-South Dakota) issued the following statement: “While I’m glad the president finally acknowledged the VA scandal, it’s completely unacceptable that it took several weeks for... Continue Reading
U.S. Senator John Thune (R-South Dakota), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, issued the following statement regarding the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) release of a proposed rule this evening to allow providers and hospitals to use Electronic Health Records (EHR) certified in 2011 to qualify for the... Continue Reading
U.S. Senators John Thune (R-South Dakota), Robert Casey (D-Pennsylvania), and John Hoeven (R-North Dakota) today led a bipartisan group of 34 Senators in sending a letter to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Marilyn Tavenner calling on CMS to hold off on expanding the CMS Durable Medical Equipment,... Continue Reading
