Press Releases - Senator John Thune

Thune Statement on B-21 Announcement for Ellsworth Air Force Base

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) issued the following statement after the U.S. Air Force announced that Ellsworth Air Force Base has been selected as one of three reasonable alternatives for B-21 bases across the country. The Air Force hopes to have a fleet of 100 or more aircraft and intends... Continue Reading

Thune, Rounds Join Bipartisan Group of Senators in Pushing EPA Administrator Pruitt for Year-Round E15 Waiver

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today joined 16 of their Senate colleagues in writing to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt highlighting the benefits of year-round E15 sales. The letter comes weeks after the president indicated he supported such a waiver. Thune and... Continue Reading

Thune: Democrats Should Immediately Drop Their Obstruction of Mike Pompeo

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) this week urged his Democrat colleagues to abandon their obstruction of President Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, Mike Pompeo. Thune added that this continued obstruction of certain nominees can have consequences for our national security and diplomacy. In addition to the Pompeo nomination, Democrats... Continue Reading

Thune Votes to Confirm Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) issued the following statement after a bipartisan majority in the Senate voted to confirm Mike Pompeo as secretary of state. “I’m glad the Senate voted to confirm Mike Pompeo as our next secretary of state, despite many Senate Democrats’ risky partisan attempts to obstruct his... Continue Reading

Thune, Brown Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Improve the Agriculture Risk Coverage Program

Today U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, unveiled bipartisan legislation they are advocating to be included in the 2018 farm bill. The Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) Improvement and Innovation Act would improve the current ARC program by... Continue Reading

Following Thune’s Request, USDA Will Provide More Adequate and Timely Livestock Assistance for Ranchers Affected by Recent Storms

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), a longtime member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today applauded the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) decision to make administrative changes to the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), which Thune requested on April 16, that would result in more accurate and timely assistance from LIP for... Continue Reading

Thune Leads Commerce Committee Hearing Examining the Problem of Abusive Robocalls

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today convened a hearing entitled, “Abusive Robocalls and How We Can Stop Them.” The hearing examined the problem of malicious spoofing and abusive robocalls designed to defraud consumers, as well as measures being taken by... Continue Reading

Thune Statement on House Farm Bill Advancing to House Floor

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), a longtime Senate Agriculture Committee member who has been involved in writing three farm bills during his time in Congress, issued the following statement after the House Agriculture Committee voted to send its farm bill to the full House of Representatives for consideration. The Senate... Continue Reading

Thune Statement on the Passing of Former First Lady Barbara Bush

“Barbara Bush’s life was characterized by selfless dedication to the nation and to her family, multiple generations of which continue to serve the country they love,” said Thune. “Throughout 73 years of marriage, she was former President Bush’s rock. She was highly respected by all who knew her, and she... Continue Reading

On Tax Day, Thune Highlights How Tax Reform Benefits South Dakota Families

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), a member of the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee and a key voice during the tax reform debate, highlighted that today is the last day Americans will be required to file taxes under the old, burdensome system, and he outlined how they are already benefiting from... Continue Reading

Thune Requests Adequate and Timely Livestock Assistance from USDA for Ranchers Affected by Recent Winter Storms

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D) today sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue requesting administrative changes to the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) that would result in more acceptable and timely assistance from LIP. Thune’s requested LIP changes are needed to ensure adequate indemnification for livestock losses... Continue Reading

Grassley, Thune, Blunt, Fischer, Ernst Joint Statement on EPA Attacks on RFS

In response to a January letter sent by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), John Thune (R-S.D.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), EPA again confirmed that oil refiners aren’t negatively impacted by compliance with the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), stating that it stood by its previous conclusion that “all obligated parties,... Continue Reading