Senator John Thune today sent a bipartisan letter to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta requesting assistance concerning BioBased Transportation Research. Section 5201 of the Transportation Reauthorization bill that Congress passed last year provides funding to five land-grant universities for the Sun Grant Initiative, which organizes and coordinates research... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today joined fellow Senators, Maj. Gen. Patrick H. Brady, U.S. Army (Ret.) of South Dakota, and Chicago Cubs great, Rick Monday, who is known for saving the American flag from being burned during a 1976 baseball game, at an event to highlight the Flag Protection Amendment. Senator... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today cosponsored the Rural Hospital and Provider Equity Act of 2006, which was introduced by Senator Craig Thomas (R-WY), Chairman of the Senate Rural Health Caucus. This legislation contains Senator Thune’s previously introduced Fostering Independence Through Technology (FITT) Act. The FITT Act would require the Secretary of... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today issued the following statement regarding the defeat of legislation to permanently repeal the estate tax. The legislation was killed by a procedural vote of 57-41. “Today I voted in support of permanently repealing the unfair death tax that burdens South Dakota’s family farmers and small business... Continue Reading
“This is a victory in the war on terror. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s death is a significant defeat to al-Qaida and the insurgency that is spreading death and terror throughout Iraq. Justice has been served. Zarqawi’s death will not bring an end to the violence in Iraq, but it does represent... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune introduced legislation today that would require the U.S. Government Accounting Office (GAO) to submit a report to Congress on the compliance of the United States Postal Service (USPS) with the procedural requirements in the decision to close the postal sorting facility in Aberdeen. The legislation also directs... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today issued the following statement in support of the Marriage Protection Amendment, which is being debated today on the Senate floor: “Nothing is more central to the fabric of American society than the family. It is the glue that binds our communities, raises healthy children into successful... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune (R-SD) today issued the following statement regarding the recommendation from Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey that Master Sergeant Woodrow W. Keeble be posthumously awarded the nation’s highest military honor, the Medal of Honor, for his brave service during the Korean War. Keeble, who was a member of... Continue Reading
In honor of Memorial Day, Sen. Thune has introduced the Veterans Disability Compensation Automatic COLA Act. which would automatically make annual cost of living adjustments (COLA) for veterans’ disability benefits each year. Currently, Congress must enact the benefit each year. The Act would also provide for an annual automatic increase... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune will host a public forum with Air Force officials to update the community and answer questions about this new mission and the potential job opportunities at the Air Force Financial Services Center (AFFSC) at Ellsworth Air Force Base. Senator Thune has invited a panel of Air Force... Continue Reading
Today Senator John Thune joined members of the Senate Committees on Veterans’ Affairs, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs at a joint hearing on the recent ID theft of more than twenty-six million veterans. Senator Thune is a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Please find below Senator Thune’s... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune, member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, today issued the following statement cautioning South Dakota veterans to keep close track of their financial and other personal information in light of the recent theft of millions of electronic records of veterans: “The FBI is currently investigating the recent... Continue Reading
