Senator John Thune today commented on the growing opposition to the Democrats’ government health care plan that would increase taxes, increase premiums and increase the cost of doing business for American small businesses. “I applaud the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) for highlighting the negative impact the Democrats’ health... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune yesterday joined a number of his Western colleagues in both the Senate and the House of Representatives in sending a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) urging them not to advance the Clean Water Restoration Act (S.... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today reiterated his support for terminating the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) to prevent the Treasury Department from spending additional funds that would add to the ballooning national debt. “Although only a fraction of the money from the nearly $800 billion stimulus bill passed earlier this year... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune made the following statement in response to the endangerment finding issued today by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that classifies for the first time carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions as pollutants under the Clean Air Act: “This decision lays the groundwork for EPA to undercut... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today noted that Frank Buckles, who at 108 years old is the last surviving American World War I veteran, spoke before the Senate National Parks Subcommittee in support of Senator Thune’s bipartisan bill (S. 2097) to establish a national World War I memorial on the National Mall... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune applauded today’s vote by the Senate Indian Affairs Committee to pass the Seventh Generation Promise: Indian Youth Suicide Prevention Act. Senator Thune is a cosponsor of the measure, which would provide resources for tribes to combat the high rates of youth suicide that affect many reservations, including... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune applauded today’s announcement by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that the agency has determined the black-tailed prairie dog does not require designation as a threatened or endangered species. “Anyone who lives or ranches on the grasslands of South Dakota can see that prairie dogs are thriving,... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today released the following statement in response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcement that the agency will not meet the December 1, 2009 statutory deadline and will instead delay a final decision on approving higher blends of ethanol for use in conventional vehicles: “Today’s announcement is... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune last week sent a letter along with seven other Senators to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack urging him to commit additional resources to the Rocky Mountain Region of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to fight the widespread bark beetle infestation. The Rocky Mountain Region has 17 national forests... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today released the following statement in anticipation of the 8:00 PM ET cloture vote tonight on the motion to proceed to the health care reform proposal unveiled by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Wednesday: “The American people have asked for health care reform that will lower... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today highlighted important provisions in the Fiscal Year 2010 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill, which the Senate today passed by a vote of 100-0. The bill provides a total of $133.9 billion for military construction and veterans affairs, as well as advance funding for veterans... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today introduced a bill that would prohibit the Treasury Secretary from extending the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) beyond its current December 31, 2009 expiration date. The original legislation creating TARP allows the Treasury Secretary to extend the program without additional Congressional consent until October 3, 2010;... Continue Reading
