Senator John Thune today announced he would vote against Supreme Court Nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor and released the following statement: “Judge Sotomayor has a compelling personal story and I appreciate her meeting with me. I carefully followed last week’s Judiciary Committee hearings as members questioned Judge Sotomayor on her judicial... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today reminded South Dakotans that they have until July 20, 2009 to comment on a proposal that would allow a higher percentage of ethanol to be blended with gasoline for use in non-flex fuel engines. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is reviewing a fuel waiver application that... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today announced that the Farm Service Agency (FSA) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting applications for payments through the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) for losses that occurred on or after January 1, 2008. LIP, a permanent disaster assistance program established by the 2008 Farm... Continue Reading
Scott VanderWal, president of the South Dakota Farm Bureau, yesterday presented Senator John Thune with the “Friend of Farm Bureau” Award, which recognizes Senator Thune’s record on agricultural and energy issues, including his work in helping to write the 2008 Farm Bill. Senator Thune, a member of the Senate Agriculture... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today announced that several of his South Dakota funding priorities were included in the Fiscal Year 2010 Senate Energy and Water Appropriations bill, which was approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee earlier today. “South Dakota communities rely on water systems to deliver a clean and reliable drinking... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today announced that several of his funding requests for South Dakota were included in the Fiscal Year 2010 Senate Agriculture Appropriations bill, which was approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee today. “Agriculture is a vital component of our state’s economy, and the continued strength of our farmers... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today sent a letter to Bill Roderick, Acting Inspector General at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), asking him to investigate the apparent suppression of scientific views dissenting from the EPA’s April 17, 2009 Endangerment Finding for carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses, including methane. Recently discovered emails... Continue Reading
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the world’s largest business federation representing three million businesses, has sent a letter to Senator John Thune and all of his Senate colleagues to express support for the Government Ownership Exit Plan Act (S. 1242). The legislation, which Senator Thune introduced last week, would prohibit... Continue Reading
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
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
