The end of the current session of Congress is drawing near and these final weeks, commonly referred to as the “lame duck,” are now upon us. The Democrats are still in the majority in both the House and the Senate and have an ambitious agenda, but they have yet to... Continue Reading
The campaign advertisements are over and the yard signs have been taken down. Election Day has come and gone and a new group of legislators will soon come to Washington. The American people sent a strong message this past Election Day and we must be ready to address the serious... Continue Reading
November is upon us and with it comes our nation’s unified appreciation for the men and women who have served in the Armed Forces. Veterans Day is a time for all of us to recognize our veterans’ role in making America the greatest country on earth. Our nation has done... Continue Reading
Washington has recently brought rise to a culture of open-ended federal government bailouts and runaway federal spending. While media attention has focused heavily on the taxpayer funded bailouts of AIG and General Motors, for the past two years American taxpayers have been on the hook for a massive bailout of... Continue Reading
This past week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finally announced a partial approval of E15-the blend of 15 percent ethanol and 85 percent gasoline-for use in lightweight vehicles manufactured since 2007. The Obama Administration’s decision to only approve E15 in a limited number of lightweight vehicles will unfortunately have very... Continue Reading
The highly anticipated opening day of the 2010 pheasant hunting season has finally arrived. The bird dogs are trained and ready for their big day, the guns are clean, and hunters across South Dakota have nothing but bird hunting on the brain. While bird hunting is the reason for the... Continue Reading
After returning to work for a brief three week period following the August recess, Congress adjourned this week for the upcoming midterm elections without passing a budget resolution or any of the twelve appropriations bills for the new fiscal year which started on October 1st. Instead of spending time debating... Continue Reading
We are just past the first official day of fall and there is an increasing bite to the air. College football teams have a few games under their belts and classes are in full swing. Students and faculty on South Dakota’s college and university campuses are gearing up for homecoming... Continue Reading
This past week, the Senate had an opportunity to pass a bipartisan amendment to repeal a burdensome tax-reporting requirement included in the recently enacted health care bill, which requires that every business submit a 1099 tax form for business transactions totaling $600 or more per year. The amendment, offered by... Continue Reading
In Philadelphia 223 years ago this week, 39 men joined together to sign the final draft of the U.S. Constitution. September 17, 1787 marked a new day for our young country and ensured freedom for both the new Democracy and its future generations. George Washington once remarked that the “Constitution... Continue Reading
We all remember where we were on that tragic Tuesday in September of 2001. It was a crisp, clear day in New York City and business was carrying on as usual. People just like you and me were working hard on a day they thought would turn out like any... Continue Reading
The shoulder pads have been fitted, the jersey numbers have been selected, and the cleats have been broken-in. After weeks of sweating it out during August practices, high school student-athletes across South Dakota are gearing up for the start of the fall sports season. When the bleachers fill up with... Continue Reading
