Press Releases - Senator John Thune

Senate Democrats’ Budget Grows Government, Not Economy

Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, issued the following statement regarding the budget proposal unveiled by Senate Democrats this evening: “After four years and nearly $6 trillion added to our national debt, today the Senate Democrats finally unveiled their budget blueprint. Republicans hoped that the Democrats’... Continue Reading

Thune Calls For More Spectrum, Update of Communications Laws

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator John Thune (R-SD), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation delivered the following prepared remarks at today’s Federal Communications Commission oversight hearing: Mr. Chairman, thank you for holding this important hearing. I join you in welcoming Chairman Genachowski and each of the... Continue Reading

Thune Re-introduces Legislation to Eliminate Unfair Government Competition with Private Sector Businesses

Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, today re-introduced legislation that would require federal agencies to rely on the private sector when providing goods and services that are readily available. Thune’s legislation, the Freedom from Government Competition Act (S. 523), would ensure private enterprises performing activities duplicated... Continue Reading

Thune Questions Whether Decision to Close Wind Cave National Park Campground is Politically Motivated

Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) today sent a letter to National Park Service (NPS) Director Jonathan Jarvis questioning whether the NPS is playing politics in deciding to close Wind Cave National Park’s 64-site Elk Mountain Campground. The NPS decision to close the Elk Mountain Campground came following the implementation of sequestration... Continue Reading

Thune Leads Group in Questioning Suspension of White House Public Tours

Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) today sent a letter along with several of his colleagues to President Obama questioning the White House’s decision to suspend public tours due to the across-the-board spending cuts known as the sequester. Joining Thune in sending this letter were Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.),... Continue Reading

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