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
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
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
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
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
U.S. Senators Tim Johnson (D-SD) and John Thune (R-SD) and Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD) today asked Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to hold a listening session regarding the proposed National Animal Identification System (NAIS) in the state of South Dakota. The request follows an announcement by the USDA that the... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune issued the following statement in response to the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) approval of a so-called low-carbon fuel standard that unfairly penalizes biofuels: “The California Air Resources Board’s decision to unfairly target ethanol for carbon emissions from around the world is one that could have a... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today offered an amendment (S.AMDT.1002) to the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery bill (S.386) that would require the Secretary of the Treasury to use taxpayer funds returned by financial institutions under the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) to reduce the national debt. Several financial institutions that received TARP... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune joined a bipartisan group of his colleagues in sending a letter to fellow Senators urging them to cosponsor the Rural Veterans Health Care Improvement Act (S.658). This legislation would expand access to medical care for veterans who live far from Veterans Administration (VA) facilities. Senator Thune is... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today introduced a bill that would require the Secretary of the Treasury to use taxpayer funds returned by financial institutions under the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) to reduce the national debt. Several financial institutions that received TARP funding have returned or expressed an interest in returning... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today sent a letter to Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) administrator Timothy Meeks urging the development of a wind power permitting process that does not unduly burden wind developers and land owners while at the same time accounting for wildlife habitat preservation issues. “South Dakota has the... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune announced today that he has been selected as a co-chairman of the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Internet Caucus. The Congressional Internet Caucus has over 150 members from the House of Representatives and the Senate who work to promote Internet issues. “The Internet continues to change our lives by... Continue Reading
