WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 -- Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: Today U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) introduced the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Cost Benefit Improvement Act to formalize the office of the Chief Economist at the CFTC and require the Commission to assess the cost and benefits of any Commission actions or added regulations. The House Agriculture Committee will consider this legislation on Wednesday during the markup of the  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 -- Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-South Dakota, issued the following statement regarding the House vote on the impeachment inquiry: "I voted against the impeachment resolution. "The process it establishes doesn't provide the transparency and fairness we need. "It concentrates power in the hands of Adam Schiff, who is given a veto over Republican efforts to call witnesses and subpoena records. "A tainted impeachment process does not better us as a nation." * * * This formal impea  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 -- Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) today sent a letter to President Trump in support of Gov. Kristi Noem's (R-S.D.) request for a major disaster declaration for the state of South Dakota as a result of severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding that began on September 9, 2019. The delegation has strongly supported South Dakota's previous disaster re  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 -- Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) joined a number of his colleagues in introducing the Down Syndrome Discrimination by Abortion Prohibition Act, which would prohibit abortion based on an unborn child having Down syndrome. "Life is a precious gift from God that should be treated with respect and dignity, from the very beginning to the very end," said Rounds. "Unborn children have a right to life, regardless  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 -- Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.), members of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, today introduced the Native American Housing Affordability Act of 2019. The bipartisan legislation reforms the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 184 Indian Home Loan Guarantee Program, which provides mortgage loans to Native Americans and Alaska Natives, by speeding   more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 -- Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-North Dakota, issued the following statement, which was published in the Congressional Record on Oct. 31, on 130th anniversary of North Dakota: I rise today to mark the 130th birthday of the State of North Dakota. On November 2, 1889, President Benjamin Harrison signed the documents turning Dakota Territory into two States, North Dakota and South Dakota. In the 13 decades since then, the people of North Dakota hive embraced the many opportunities and c  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 -- Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, issued the following floor statement, which was published in the Congressional Record on Oct. 29, on health care: I appreciate my colleague from South Dakota's talking about this issue before us this week, which is these 1332 waivers, and he is absolutely right. Millions of Americans are getting less expensive healthcare. Isn't that the whole idea here, that healthcare needs to be affordable and that we need to have good, quality healthcare? Th  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 -- Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) today sent a letter to President Trump in support of Gov. Kristi Noem's (R-S.D.) request for a major disaster declaration for the state of South Dakota as a result of severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding that began on September 9, 2019. The delegation has strongly supported South Dakota's previous disaster requ  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 -- Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, issued the following floor statement, which was published in the Congressional Record on Oct. 29, remembering ex-North Carolina Sen. Kay Hagan: Before I begin, I want to say I was sad to hear of the death of former Senator Kay Hagan yesterday. Kay represented the State of North Carolina in the Senate. She was a very dedicated public servant. I think she was someone whom all of us who were here at the time enjoyed working with and always  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 -- Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, issued the following floor statement, which was published in the Congressional Record on Oct. 31, on the defense appropriations bill: Last weekend, I had the privilege of attending the welcome-home ceremony for 112 members of the South Dakota National Guard. These men and women, who serve in the 147th Forward Support Company or the Bravo Battery of the 1-147th Field Artillery Battalion, were deployed to Europe as part of Atlantic Resolve, a  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 -- Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, issued the following floor statement, which was published in the Congressional Record on Oct. 29, on the health insurance plans: Later this week, we are going to vote on a Democratic resolution to repeal guidance the President issued to give States more flexibility to design insurance plans that meet the needs of their residents. Democrats have tried to portray this resolution as a move to protect people with preexisting conditions. That i  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 25 -- Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, issued the following op-ed: There's nothing better than autumn in South Dakota. I always enjoy traveling around the state in the fall. So far this October, I've gotten to visit with South Dakota students, present a Purple Heart medal to a Vietnam vet, talk to the new commander at Ellsworth Air Force Base, attend the groundbreaking for Dakota Wesleyan University's new School of Business Innovation and Leadership, greet a returning Honor Fli  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 -- Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, issued the following statement after the Senate Democrats blocked passage of a bill that would provide essential funding for U.S. troops: "As members of Congress, it is our duty to ensure our men and women in uniform have the tools they need to keep our nation safe. "By blocking this year's defense appropriations bill, Democrats are failing to fulfill that fundamental responsibility. The stakes are too high when it comes to our national   more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 -- Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) today sent a letter to President Trump in support of Gov. Kristi Noem's (R-S.D.) request for a major disaster declaration for the state of South Dakota as a result of severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding that began on September 9, 2019. The delegation has strongly supported South Dakota's previous disaster reque  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 -- Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: Senate Majority Whip Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today discussed the Democrats' latest political messaging bill, which would repeal guidance that the administration issued to give states more flexibility to design health insurance plans that meet the needs of their residents. Thune's remarks below (as prepared for delivery): "Mr. President, before I begin, I want to say that I was saddened to hear of the d  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 23 -- Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: Senate Majority Whip Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today discussed the growing hostility to religion within the far-left wing of the Democrat Party, which recently included a proposal to selectively tax churches based on their religious beliefs. Thune also discussed the Democrats' desire to roll back a key provision of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which would amount to a tax cut for millionaires. Thune's remark  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 -- Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) today took steps to keep beef born, raised and slaughtered in foreign countries from receiving a "Product of the U.S.A." label. The U.S. Beef Integrity Act would make certain that the "Product of the U.S.A." label only goes to beef and beef products exclusively derived from one or more animals born, raised and slaughtered in the United States. Curr  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 -- Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, which has jurisdiction over the internet and consumer protection, and Mark Warner (D-Va.) today introduced the Filter Bubble Transparency Act. The bill would require large-scale internet platforms that collect data from  more