Senator John Thune today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has published the Notice of Funds Availability for the initial stage of the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) in the Federal Register. Senator Thune authored the BCAP, which was included in the 2008 Farm Bill. “Second generation biofuels... Continue Reading
U.S. Senator John Thune today introduced the Government Ownership Exit Plan Act (S.1242), a bill that would require the federal government to end its ownership of private entities acquired under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) by July 1, 2010. The bill also prohibits the future acquisition of new or... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today joined Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) in re-introducing the 340B Program Improvement and Integrity Act (S. 1239), a bill that would help safety net hospitals struggling to afford pharmaceuticals for their patients. “Higher prescription drug costs in recent years have hurt all consumers,” said Thune. “But the... Continue Reading
U.S. Senator John Thune today sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack urging him to reconsider the Farm Service Agency request from South Dakota that would enroll 20,000 additional acres in the State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) program. The USDA recently denied the original... Continue Reading
U.S. Senator John Thune today introduced the Freedom from Government Competition Act (S.1167), a bill that would require federal agencies to rely on the private sector when providing goods and services that are readily available. The federal government has identified that roughly 850,000 federal employees perform jobs that can be... Continue Reading
U.S. Senators Tim Johnson (D-SD) and John Thune (R-SD) and U.S. Representative Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD) today sent a letter to President Barack Obama supporting Governor Michael Rounds’ request for a presidential disaster declaration in response to a series of severe weather events since March. As a result of these... Continue Reading
U.S. Senator John Thune applauded today’s announcement by Small Business Administration (SBA) chief Karen Mills regarding low-interest loans that will be available to auto dealers. Last month, Senator Thune led a bipartisan group of his colleagues in urging the SBA to provide temporary low-interest floor plan financing that private lenders... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune, Vice Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, today issued the following statement on President Obama’s announcement of his nominee to the Supreme Court: “Now that President Obama has announced Sonia Sotomayor as his nominee for a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court, I expect a thorough and... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today commented on the announcement by the Veterans Health Administration that the Office of Rural Health will allocate over $1.5 million for mental health services for veterans living in rural areas surrounding Sioux Falls, South Dakota and St. Cloud, Minnesota. Overall, the Office of Rural Health is... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune last night joined his Senate colleagues in passing legislation (S. 614) honoring the more than 1,000 women who served as Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) during World War II with the Congressional Gold Medal. The Congressional Gold Medal, given in honor of outstanding service to the United... Continue Reading
Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD), Senator John Thune (R-SD), and Representative Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD) today sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack calling for the Department to quickly release the rules for the agriculture disaster programs authorized in the 2008 Farm Bill, specifically the Livestock... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today questioned Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Admiral Michael Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, about the Obama administration’s plan to terminate the Next Generation Bomber program at a full Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. Secretary Gates had previously expressed support for the Next... Continue Reading
