Thune Remembers Jean Rounds

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today remembered Jean Rounds, the late former first lady of the state of South Dakota, on the Senate floor.      Thune’s remarks below:   “Mr. President, let me begin this morning by saying how sorry we were to the hear the news about the... Continue Reading

Thune: Voters Reject Democrats’ Radical Agenda

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks highlighting that voters have rejected Washington Democrats’ radical tax-and-spending policies, which are out of step with the needs of the American people.   Thune’s remarks below (excerpts):   “There’s a lot of interpretation about what happened in these off-year elections... Continue Reading

Thune: Six-Figure Cash Settlements for Illegal Immigrants are Insulting to Taxpayers

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today blasted the Biden administration’s reported plan to give $450,000 settlements to migrants who illegally crossed our country’s southern border and are now suing the United States. Thune noted these payments would be six and a half times the median household income in the United States and warned that... Continue Reading

Thune: Democrats Plan to Double Down on Inflation-Creating Policies

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today discussed Democrats’ plan to flood the economy with unnecessary government money as they continue to ignore the growing inflation crisis. Thune noted that the Democrats’ reckless tax-and-spending spree would only make inflation worse and that South Dakota families will ultimately pay the price.     On Democrats’ obsession with... Continue Reading

Thune, Colleagues Urge USDA to Prioritize Broadband Funding to Rural Americans

U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) this week urged U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack to prioritize broadband funding to unserved areas in rural America. The letter requests that USDA continue to grant awards to areas... Continue Reading

Thune, Brown Push to Improve Prior Authorization in Medicare Advantage Plans

U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio.) this week led a bipartisan group of senators in requesting an update on the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) efforts to streamline prior authorization protocols across programs, including Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. The senators are encouraging the Biden administration to take additional... Continue Reading

Thune: Democrats Continue to Have Misplaced Priorities

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today called out Democrats for prioritizing their radical agenda and government expansion ahead of passing the National Defense Authorization Act or critical legislation to address the energy and border crises. Thune noted that Democrats are continuing to ignore important issues that are impacting Americans and... Continue Reading

Thune: Democrats Prioritize Radical Climate Agenda Over Addressing Ongoing Energy Crisis

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today spoke about the egregious climate policies in Democrats’ radical spending bill. Thune reiterated that Democrats in Washington are out-of-touch with the needs and priorities of rural states like South Dakota, and increasing taxes amid soaring prices on utilities and gas will hurt American families.... Continue Reading

Thune, Farm-State Colleagues Renew Request to Advocate for Commonsense Biofuel Policy

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), a longtime member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today led several of his colleagues in requesting a meeting with President Biden and representatives of his cabinet to discuss the Renewable Fuel Standard and promote biofuels as a key solution for America’s energy and climate... Continue Reading

Thune Questions TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube Representatives, Pushes for Increased Transparency

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband, today questioned representatives from TikTok, Snap Inc., and YouTube during a subcommittee hearing titled, “Protecting Kids Online: Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube.” Thune expressed deep concern about social media platforms’ use of algorithms and their ability... Continue Reading

Thune: South Dakotans See Right Through Democrats’ Budget Gimmicks

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today called out Democrats for trying to disguise the price of their reckless tax-and-spending spree through convoluted budget gimmicks that are designed to fool the American people. Thune warned that Democrats’ massive government expansion and proposed tax hikes pose serious, long-term consequences for the economy and... Continue Reading

Thune: Democrats’ Radical Spending Bill Places Job-Based Health Care Coverage at Risk

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) this week participated in a Senate Finance Committee hearing on the current and future role of federal programs in health insurance coverage in America. Thune discussed the long-term consequences of Democrats’ radical spending package and how it could jeopardize millions of Americans’ job-based health care... Continue Reading