WASHINGTON, June 19 -- The House Natural Resources subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands issued the following testimony by Ryan Brunner, president of the National Association of State Trust Lands and South Dakota commissioner of school and public lands, for a remote hearing on the Advancing Conservation and Education Act (H.R. 244) on June 18: My name is Ryan Brunner and I am the South Dakota Commissioner of School and Public Lands and also the President of the National Asso  more

WASHINGTON, June 17 -- Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) joined a bipartisan group of senators, led by Sens. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), in calling for the expansion of access to telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic to be made permanent. Provisions from the CONNECT for Health Act that have allowed Medicare beneficiaries in all areas of the country, and in their homes, to utilize telehealth serv  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) joined Sens. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), to introduce a bipartisan resolution calling on Americans to buy products made in the U.S. whenever possible in order to support American jobs and manufacturing, and help build up the U.S. supply chain. "Reducing our dependence on other countries such as China will help to keep America strong," said Rounds. "Beca  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) cosponsored the Just and Unifying Solutions to Invigorate Communities Everywhere (JUSTICE) Act, which was introduced in the Senate by Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.). The JUSTICE Act seeks to reform law enforcement practices by improving officer training and hiring, discouraging the use of certain tactics, and adding new reporting requirements when tactics such as Use of Force and   more

WASHINGTON, June 16 -- Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota, issued the following statement after Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyoming, Chair of the House Republican Conference, introduced companion legislation to Rounds' the New Markets for State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Act in the House: "While our major meat processing facilities continue working to get up and running at full capacity, allowing state Meat and Poultry Inspection programs to sell their meat across state lines will help address our current  more

WASHINGTON, June 16 -- Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) announced that South Dakota students in grades 3-12 are invited to submit artwork to the White House for an exhibit called Building the Movement: America's Youth Celebrate 100 Years of Women's Suffrage. "Throughout our nation's history, women have made significant contributions to our state and nation," said Rounds. "We are a better country because of the women who helped   more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, issued the following transcript on Fox Business CAVUTO Live: U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) joined Fox Business' "CAVUTO Live" to discuss the Republican-led JUSTICE Act, sponsored by Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), aimed at improving policing in America. Thune also discussed legislation he'll be introducing to help relieve remote and mobile workers of unfair tax burdens - an issue highlighted by the experiences of health care workers during the co  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) introduced legislation to approve certain advanced biofuel registrations that have languished before the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) despite the fuels being successfully used in at least one state. EPA would also be required to render a decision within 90 days on any registration application that has been pending for at least 180 days, as well as take action within   more

WASHINGTON, June 19 -- Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, introduced the Rural Connectivity Advancement Program (RCAP) Act of 2020, legislation that would capture a portion of the proceeds from spectrum auctions conducted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) through September 30, 2022, for the buildout of broadband networks. The FCC   more

WASHINGTON, June 20 -- Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, issued the following op-ed: Unlike the majority of the economy, which was thriving before the coronavirus pandemic, the agriculture economy had been struggling for a while. Low prices, extended trade disputes, and natural disasters had meant a tough few years for farmers and ranchers even before the coronavirus hit. Now things are even more challenging. Agriculture is the lifeblood of South Dakota, so supporting farmers and ranchers durin  more

WASHINGTON, June 17 -- Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, issued the following remarks: U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) discussed the toll the coronavirus has taken on our economy, but emphasized some encouraging signs, specifically the success of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that was enacted as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. More than 4.5 million small businesses have taken advantage of the program, including more than 21,500 businesses in South Dakota. Th  more

WASHINGTON, June 19 -- Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight, and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, introduced the Remote and Mobile Worker Relief Act (S. 3995), bipartisan legislation that would ensure that medical professionals from around the country who supported areas hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic do not face unex  more