Senator John Thune last week sent a letter along with seven other Senators to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack urging him to commit additional resources to the Rocky Mountain Region of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to fight the widespread bark beetle infestation. The Rocky Mountain Region has 17 national forests... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today released the following statement in anticipation of the 8:00 PM ET cloture vote tonight on the motion to proceed to the health care reform proposal unveiled by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Wednesday: “The American people have asked for health care reform that will lower... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today highlighted important provisions in the Fiscal Year 2010 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill, which the Senate today passed by a vote of 100-0. The bill provides a total of $133.9 billion for military construction and veterans affairs, as well as advance funding for veterans... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune sent a letter today to Tom Tidwell, Chief of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), requesting that Forest Service extend the original comment period for the Nebraska National Forest and Grasslands Draft Environmental Impact Statement for designation of a motorized travel access system for an additional 45 days.... Continue Reading
The U.S. Senate tonight voted 93 to 7 to approve the Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Appropriations bill. The bill includes nearly $25.5 million in defense funding for South Dakota priorities requested by Senator John Thune. In total, the bill includes over $625 billion for the Department of Defense. “South Dakota’s... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune yesterday joined a bipartisan group of his colleagues in sending a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, and Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius requesting an update on the status of an emergency plan to allocate the $2 billion... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today released the following statement after the Senate passed the Fiscal Year 2010 Senate Agriculture Appropriations bill by a vote of 80 to 17: “South Dakota’s economy relies on the continued growth and health of our agricultural sector. South Dakota plays a significant role in helping meet... Continue Reading
U.S. Senator John Thune (R-SD) released the following weekly Republican address. Full transcript of Senator Thune’s address: “Hello, I’m Senator John Thune of South Dakota. With summer in full swing, children across the country are enjoying vacations and time off from school. Too many of their parents, however, don’t get... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune tonight made the following statement after the Senate passed the Fiscal Year 2010 Senate Energy and Water Appropriations bill by a vote of 85 to 9. The bill appropriates money for several South Dakota projects requested by Senator Thune. “Water systems deliver clean, reliable water service to... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune led a bipartisan group of his colleagues on Friday in sending a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson regarding the EPA’s pending decision on approving E15 (15 percent ethanol and 85 percent gasoline) for use in non-flex fuel vehicles. “Homegrown biofuels can do even... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today joined his Republican colleagues on the Senate Agriculture Committee in sending a letter to the chief economist at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The letter asks USDA to address concerns arising from the methodology of a study released concerning potential impact on our nation’s... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today issued the following statement after his bipartisan amendment that would allow individuals to lawfully carry concealed firearms across state lines so long as the laws of the host state are obeyed was defeated by a vote of 58 to 39: “Today, overheated rhetoric and fearmongering overcame... Continue Reading
