Senator John Thune today reminded South Dakota producers that the general Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) signup will end Friday, April 15th. Participation in the general CRP signup, which began March 15th, will determine how many acres remain enrolled in CRP at the end of the year. Land owners and operators... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today reintroduced the Freedom from Government Competition Act (S.785), which would require federal agencies to rely on the private sector when providing goods and services that are readily available. “With our nation’s debt well over $14 trillion and our national unemployment hovering near nine percent, it is... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune has reintroduced legislation (S.781) to fix the flawed definition of “Renewable Biomass” included in the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, which currently excludes any material removed from national forests and most private forestlands. Under the EISA definition, cellulosic ethanol derived from this feedstock does... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune has been selected to continue serving as ranking member of one of five Subcommittees of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. Senator Thune will serve as the ranking Republican on the Subcommittee on Jobs, Rural Economic Growth, and Energy Innovation for the 112th session of... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Inspector General to request an investigation of the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s (MSHA) inconsistent and aggressive inspections of South Dakota’s surface mines. “Businesses and their employees have the right to operate under fair and consistent federal... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today expressed disappointment over the U.S. Senate’s failure to pass a bipartisan measure that would have stopped the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from imposing a backdoor energy tax via regulation of greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide through the Clean Air Act. The amendment, sponsored by Minority Leader... Continue Reading
U.S. Senators John Thune (R-S.D.), Chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) today introduced the Repeal the CLASS Entitlement Act, which would fully repeal the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act, a new long-term care entitlement program included in Obamacare. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office... Continue Reading
On the one-year anniversary of Obamacare, Senator John Thune today commented on the failed promises of the law: “One year ago today, the president and congressional Democrats celebrated the passage of Obamacare, despite the vocal outcry of the American people. As predicted, critics’ concerns have been confirmed and Americans are... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today issued the following remarks regarding the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) announcement that President Obama’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2012 will add $9.5 trillion to the nation’s publicly held debt over the next 10 years, instead of $7.2 trillion originally predicted by the White House:... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune, a member of the Senate Budget Committee, today sent a letter to Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) requesting a hearing to assess the budget implications of the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act, which was included in the new health spending law. In... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune has been awarded the American Farm Bureau’s “Friend of Farm Bureau” award for the 111th session of Congress in recognition of his voting record, bill sponsor and cosponsorship, leadership role on Farm Bureau priorities, and accessibility and responsiveness to Farm Bureau members and leaders. “It is a... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today voted in support of H.R. 1, legislation passed by the U.S. House of Representatives that would have saved American taxpayers $57 billion this year. Combined with the $4 billion in cuts agreed to last week, these spending reductions would have cut $862 billion over the next... Continue Reading
