Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) today sent a letter to the Acting Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Bob Perciasepe, to express his concerns about the EPA release of personal information of approximately 80,000 agriculture producers to environmental groups, including more than 500 farms and ranches in South Dakota. This... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) introduced the Emergency Forest Rehabilitation and Restoration Act, (S. 661) as another effort in his continuing battle to address the pine beetle infestation in the Black Hills National Forest and to improve the health of federally-owned forest land. Thune’s legislation includes a requirement that the Secretary of... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) issued the following statement today regarding the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announcement that it will not increase the releases of Missouri River water to aid Mississippi River navigation. The Corps’ announcement is in response to requests from lawmakers and groups to aid Mississippi River navigation... Continue Reading
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In November of last year, Senators Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) and John Thune (R-S.D.), and Representative Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) wrote to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack requesting additional funding for the fight against the mountain pine beetle infestation in the Black Hills National Forest (BHNF). Today,... Continue Reading
WASHINGTON, D.C.–Following TransCanada’s announcement today that the company has reapplied for federal approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, again called on the Obama Administration to end its obstruction of the Keystone XL pipeline. President Barack Obama formally rejected TransCanada’s... Continue Reading
U.S. Senators John Thune (R-S.D.) joined Senators Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) and Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) and U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell today to discuss the pine beetle infestation in the Black Hills National Forest. The Forest Service has focused its efforts near Mt. Rushmore, Custer State Park, and in the... Continue Reading
WASHINGTON, D.C.–Senator John Thune today criticized President Barack Obama’s politically-motivated decision to veto the Keystone XL pipeline, a $7 billion project expected to create over 20,000 direct jobs. “In rejecting the job-creating Keystone XL pipeline, President Obama today chose to try and save his own job by pandering to his... Continue Reading
Senators Chuck Grassley, John Thune, Mike Johanns and Kit Bond today pressed President Barack Obama on his administration’s decision to further delay the entry of E15 blends of gasoline into the market. The Senators asked the President for prompt action on the waiver petition and immediate consideration of an interim... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today commented on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final rule for regulating carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses emitted from stationary sources, such as power plants and ethanol plants, under the Clean Air Act. “As expected, the Obama administration’s EPA has laid out a policy that will... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today received the Teaming with Wildlife Award from the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. The award recognizes Senator Thune’s support for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program, which assists states in managing and protecting non-game species. “Protecting wildlife species in a way that keeps them... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson urging the agency to not move forward with proposed regulations on the emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses that would amount to a national energy tax. The tax would increase energy rates paid... Continue Reading
Senator John Thune today released the following statement regarding legislation introduced by Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) to delay the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from regulating stationary sources of greenhouse gases for two years: “The Obama administration and its allies in Congress have failed to advance cap-and-trade legislation, so the EPA... Continue Reading
