WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) issued the following statement regarding passage of the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act (S. 1094), which would give the Department of Veterans Affairs secretary greater flexibility to terminate or demote agency employees based on performance, misconduct, or other issues... Continue Reading
U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) issued the following statement after the Senate voted to confirm South Dakota School of Mines and Technology President Dr. Heather Wilson as the next secretary of the Air Force by a vote of 76-22: “Dr. Wilson checks all of the boxes. She’s the leader of... Continue Reading
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today issued the following statement on the Senate’s passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) conference report, legislation that will provide our military with the largest pay increase since 2010 and make reforms to defense acquisition, military health care, military justice, and... Continue Reading
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) issued the following statement after Senate Democrats today blocked funding for veterans benefits, combating the Zika virus, and the Department of Defense for the third time this year. “Despite the fact the Zika virus currently poses a significant public health threat... Continue Reading
U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today urged his colleagues to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), legislation that would provide our troops with the resources they need to keep Americans safe. The NDAA also provides important benefits to the families of our men and women in uniform, and it... Continue Reading
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, today introduced the Tribal Veterans Health Care Enhancement Act, legislation that would improve tribal veterans’ access to health care. Their bill would allow the Indian Health Service (IHS) to cover the... Continue Reading
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) issued the following statement after the completion of the first large force exercise at the expanded Powder River Training Complex: “Congratulations to our commanders and airmen on the completion of the first large force exercise at the expanded Powder River Training Complex,” said... Continue Reading
U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) hosted a press conference on the expansion of the Powder River Training Complex airspace today, Friday, March 27, 2015. Thune is pictured with Rep. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.), Scott Landguth, Executive Director of the South Dakota Ellsworth Development Authority, and Lt. Gov. Matt Michels (R-S.D.). Thune... Continue Reading
Following nearly nine years of collaboration between U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) and the Air Force to expand the military training airspace over South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming, known as the Powder River Training Complex (PRTC), Thune today applauded the Air Force’s announcement that it finalized its Record... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) today voted in support of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which is the primary vehicle for authorizing defense spending for Fiscal Year 2014. Included in the compromise version of the bill was Thune’s amendment (S.Amdt. 2093) that put Congress on record in support for the... Continue Reading
U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, today issued a statement after Senate Democrats objected to four unanimous consent requests to pass spending bills to resume normal operations for several important government functions: “Unbelievably, today Senate Democrats went on record to oppose funding for National Guard... Continue Reading
Following reports that many Department of Defense (DoD) civilian personnel and full-time National Guard employees throughout the country were furloughed despite passage of the “Pay Our Military First Act,” Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) sent a letter today to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, calling on the Secretary to send these... Continue Reading
