Press Releases - Senator John Thune

Thune and Shuster Question Whether FAA Has Explored All Cost Savings Before Punishing Employees and Traveling Public

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Ranking Member John Thune (R-SD) and House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) wrote today to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, questioning if the Department and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has explored all cost saving options to comply... Continue Reading

Thune, Johnson Introduce Black Hills Cemetery Bill

Senators John Thune (R-S.D.) and Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) today introduced legislation that would allow transfer ownership of nine historic cemeteries in the Black Hills from the U.S. Forest Service to local communities. Under authority granted by Thune and Johnson’s legislation, known as Black Hills Cemetery Act (S. 447), ownership of... Continue Reading

1,400 Days Later, Still No Senate Budget

U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, today made the following comment regarding the Senate Democrats’ failure to pass a budget for 1,400 days: “Today marks the 1,400th day since the Democrat-led Senate last passed a formal budget. American families and small businesses are required to... Continue Reading

Thune and Shuster Request Immediate Information on FAA’s Sequester Plans

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Ranking Member John Thune (R-SD) and House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) today again called on the administration to provide any details about its plans to meet the spending reductions for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under the... Continue Reading

Thune, Shuster, LoBiondo Critical of Administration’s Stance on Sequestration Impacts on Aviation

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation Ranking Member John Thune (R-SD), House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA), and House Subcommittee on Aviation Chairman Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ) released the following statements in response to the administration’s announcement regarding sequestration’s impact on the Federal Aviation Administration... Continue Reading

Senator Thune’s Office Accepting Summer Internship Applications

Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) is currently seeking intelligent, hard-working college students to serve as interns in his office in Washington, D.C., as well as in his offices in Aberdeen, Rapid City, and Sioux Falls. Interns in Senator Thune’s state offices will participate in constituent service and state outreach activities, while... Continue Reading

Johnson, Thune Sign on to Good Neighbor Forestry Act Reintroduction

U.S. Senators Tim Johnson (D-SD) and John Thune (R-SD) yesterday joined Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) in reintroducing the Good Neighbor Forestry Act, which would allow for cooperative agreements between the federal government and State foresters. This bill would allow cooperation between federal agencies and State foresters to provide certain forest,... Continue Reading

Thune, Udall Introduce Bill to Improve Access to Emergency Services in Rural Areas

Senators John Thune (R-S.D.) and Tom Udall (D-N.M.) today introduced legislation to improve access to emergency services in rural and medically underserved areas. The Strengthening Rural Access to Emergency Services Act (S. 328) would amend the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) to allow eligible hospitals in rural and... Continue Reading

Thune to Hold Town Hall Meetings in Spearfish and Mobridge

Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) today announced he would be holding town hall meetings in Spearfish and Mobridge next week to discuss the recently passed tax relief package, the debt ceiling negotiations, and the need to cut spending in Washington. “It is time for our country to face its most fundamental... Continue Reading

Senators Introduce Bill to Reauthorize Critical Drought Information Program

U.S. Senators Mark Pryor (D-AR), Jerry Moran (R-KS), John Thune (R-SD), Tom Udall (D-NM), and Mark Udall (D-CO) today introduced legislation to reauthorize the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), which provides vital drought information to farmers, ranchers, and other industries affected by weather conditions. The NIDIS program is a... Continue Reading

Thune Announces Commerce Subcommittee Assignments and Ranking Members

WASHINGTON,D.C.—U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today announced subcommittee assignments for the 113th Congress. “I am honored to serve on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee in this new capacity and am excited to welcome five new Republican members to the... Continue Reading

Thune Reaction to State of the Union

Below is and exerpt of Senator John Thune’s reaction to the State of the Union: “Tonight we heard the president’s State of the Union speech and as is always the case when I hear the president speak I’m really struck by the fact that we really need to see not... Continue Reading