Senator John Thune today announced that the Farm Service Agency (FSA) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting applications for payments through the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) for losses that occurred on or after January 1, 2008. LIP, a permanent disaster assistance program established by the 2008 Farm... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today reminded South Dakotans that they have until July 20, 2009 to comment on a proposal that would allow a higher percentage of ethanol to be blended with gasoline for use in non-flex fuel engines. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is reviewing a fuel waiver application that... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today announced his subcommittee assignments for the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee for the 111th Congress. Senator Thune will serve as the ranking Republican member of the Science, Energy, and Technology Subcommittee. He will also sit on the Rural Revitalization, Conservation, Forestry, and Credit Subcommittee, as... Continue Reading
Scott VanderWal, president of the South Dakota Farm Bureau, yesterday presented Senator John Thune with the “Friend of Farm Bureau” Award, which recognizes Senator Thune’s record on agricultural and energy issues, including his work in helping to write the 2008 Farm Bill. Senator Thune, a member of the Senate Agriculture... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today announced that several of his South Dakota funding priorities were included in the Fiscal Year 2010 Senate Energy and Water Appropriations bill, which was approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee earlier today. “South Dakota communities rely on water systems to deliver a clean and reliable drinking... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today announced that several of his funding requests for South Dakota were included in the Fiscal Year 2010 Senate Agriculture Appropriations bill, which was approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee today. “Agriculture is a vital component of our state’s economy, and the continued strength of our farmers... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today outlined a comprehensive plan to address the pine beetle infestation that is claiming an increasing number of acres in the Black Hills National Forest and surrounding areas. The plan focuses on accelerating and expanding effective forest management practices, creating a market for woody biomass material removed... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today sent a letter to Bill Roderick, Acting Inspector General at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), asking him to investigate the apparent suppression of scientific views dissenting from the EPA’s April 17, 2009 Endangerment Finding for carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses, including methane. Recently discovered emails... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today announced that the Senate Armed Services Committee unanimously approved the National Defense Authorization bill for Fiscal Year 2010. The bill authorizes $680 billion in funding for the Department of Defense and the national security programs of the Department of Energy, including several South Dakota defense related... Continue Reading
U.S. Senator John Thune was elected Chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee (RPC) today by the Senate Republican caucus. Senator Thune’s previous position as Senate Republican Conference Vice Chairman was filled by Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. The Chairman of the Republican Policy Committee is considered the number four... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today sent a letter to U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar drawing his attention to the current shortage of Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) law enforcement officers on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. Standing Rock, which is roughly the size of Connecticut, has only 13... Continue Reading
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the world’s largest business federation representing three million businesses, has sent a letter to Senator John Thune and all of his Senate colleagues to express support for the Government Ownership Exit Plan Act (S. 1242). The legislation, which Senator Thune introduced last week, would prohibit... Continue Reading
