Thousands of children throughout South Dakota have lived without one, and in some cases, both of their parents while they are serving in the U.S. military far away from home. These quiet warriors face an array of stresses that most children will never have to consider, including anxiety about the... Continue Reading
After formally rejecting the Keystone XL Pipeline outright in January of this year, President Obama recently traveled to Cushing, Oklahoma, to announce an “expedited” process to approve the southern 29 percent of the 1,700-mile Pipeline from Cushing to the Gulf of Mexico—the segment that does not require presidential approval. Ironically,... Continue Reading
On the eve of the second anniversary of the passage of the sweeping health care law, Americans are evaluating the impact the law has had on cost and quality of care in our country. When Washington began debating changes to health care in this country, Americans were promised legislation that... Continue Reading
In March of 2010, then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi infamously stated, “We have to pass the bill so you can find out what is in it” regarding President Obama’s signature piece of legislation. Two years later, America is indeed finding out what was in that controversial bill and the... Continue Reading
The sun is a-risingTo welcome the day.High-ho!Come to the fair! When my brother and I heard those lyrics in crystal clear soprano, we usually pulled the pillow over our heads. It meant that our mother was trying to rustle us out of bed in the morning. She had a way... Continue Reading
During the 2008 presidential election, then-candidate Obama stated that under his policies, energy costs would necessarily “skyrocket.” That same year, when national gasoline prices hit an all-time high of $4.11 per gallon, then-candidate Obama also said that he “would have preferred a gradual adjustment” to higher gasoline prices. After three... Continue Reading
Job creation and economic growth continue to be the subject of national discussion as America’s unemployment rate has hovered over eight percent for the past 36 straight months and the national economy remains stagnant due to a crippling national debt, and excessive taxation and regulations on U.S. job creators. During... Continue Reading
A recent Gallup poll found that 85 percent of small businesses in this country are not hiring and when asked why, nearly half of those businesses said it was due to the president’s signature health care law and concern over new government regulations. I believe there is no better example... Continue Reading
There is an old political axiom that is attributed to Thomas Jefferson, and more recently Gerald Ford, that says, “A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have.” Those words took on new meaning in January when we found out... Continue Reading
Family farms are woven into the fabric and culture of life in South Dakota. Most of us visited or worked on a farm growing up, or had friends and family that did. While working on a farm during the summer months as a teenager, I learned countless life lessons, including... Continue Reading
After being elected by my colleagues to serve as the Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference at the end of last year, I officially assumed the role and responsibilities of the Chairmanship on January 26th. In this new position, I will help lead our Conference’s efforts in communicating our positive... Continue Reading
While home in South Dakota during Congress’ winter work period, I traveled to several towns and held a series of six town hall meetings. These listening sessions were an opportunity for me to give an update on my work in the Senate and to hear South Dakotans’ thoughts on important... Continue Reading
