Thune Comments on Newly-Revealed Internal Obama Administration Memo Warning of EPA Extremism

Senator John Thune today commented on a memo compiled by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) which warns of the negative economic consequences of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recently released “endangerment finding,” which would pave the way for the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions under the... Continue Reading

Biofuels Industry Leaders Join Thune in Opposing EPA Indirect Land Use Proposal

Senator John Thune was today joined by representatives from the South Dakota Corn Growers Association, the South Dakota Soybean Association, the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council, POET, and the American Coalition for Ethanol to voice their opposition to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) decision to include carbon outputs resulting from... Continue Reading

Thune Blasts Obama Administration Proposal to Terminate Next Generation Bomber

Senator John Thune, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today criticized the Obama Administration’s proposal to terminate the Next Generation Bomber. “President Obama’s decision to put our nation’s long-term security at risk to pay for his out of control budget is irresponsible,” said Thune. “The Next Generation Bomber... Continue Reading

Thune: President’s Budget is Reckless and Irresponsible

Senator John Thune issued the following statement in response to the detailed budget proposal President Obama submitted to Congress today: “The President again failed to follow the example of South Dakotans who are making prudent financial decisions by not spending beyond their means. The President and the Democrats in Congress... Continue Reading

Thune, Klobuchar Designate Physical Education and Sports Week

U.S. Senators John Thune (R-SD) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced a resolution in the Senate today to designate the week of May 1 through May 7 as “National Physical Education and Sports Week.” Seeking to raise awareness of the benefits of physical activity for the nation’s youth, Klobuchar and Thune... Continue Reading

Thune Denounces EPA International Indirect Land Use Ruling

U.S. Senator John Thune released the following statement after today’s announcement by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that it will institute new models to measure ethanol’s lifecycle carbon emissions, including measurements of carbon resulting from “indirect land use” in other countries: “While I am pleased the EPA issued a range... Continue Reading

Thune Introduces TARP Repayment Amendment

Senator John Thune today introduced an amendment to the Housing Bill (S.896) that would prohibit the Treasury Department from re-spending funds returned by financial institutions under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). Several financial institutions that received TARP funding have either returned or expressed an interest in returning billions in... Continue Reading

Delegation To Address South Dakota Honor Flight

Today, the South Dakota Congressional delegation will address nearly 120 World War II-era veterans from the greater Sioux Falls area at the United States Marine Corps Memorial who have traveled to DC with the Honor Flight Program. Originating in 2005 in Ohio, the Honor Flight program provides veterans a trip... Continue Reading

Senate Rejects Bankruptcy ‘Cramdown’ Provision

Senator John Thune today issued the following statement after the U.S. Senate rejected an amendment to the Housing Bill (S.896) that would have allowed judges to rewrite mortgage terms for homes nearing foreclosure: “The majority of South Dakotans acted responsibly by not buying houses they could never afford, and our... Continue Reading

Thune Introduces Indirect Land Use Bill

U.S. Senator John Thune introduced a bill today designed to strengthen the Renewable Fuels Standard and prevent the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) attempts to use inaccurate indirect land use models to discredit the positive environmental impacts of ethanol. “Following California’s recent decision to use flawed models to estimate ethanol’s environmental... Continue Reading

Thune Amendment Protecting Charitable Deduction Stripped from Democrat Budget

Senator John Thune today issued the following statement after his amendment protecting the full tax deduction for charitable giving was dropped from the Democrat budget after conference deliberations between the House of Representatives and the Senate: “Charities and nonprofits in South Dakota and across the country provide needed services to... Continue Reading

Thune Supports Legislation to Boost Flex Fuel Vehicle Production

Senator John Thune today emphasized his support for the Open Fuel Standard Act (S. 835), which would significantly increase the number of flex fuel vehicles produced by U.S. auto manufacturers. Senator Thune is an original cosponsor of the bipartisan bill. “Flex fuel vehicles can create jobs in both the automobile... Continue Reading