WASHINGTON, March 10 -- Rep. Greg Gianforte, R-Montana, issued the following news release: At a recent congressional hearing, Congressman Greg Gianforte (R-Mont.) praised the effectiveness of Good Neighbor Authority in promoting forest health and called for more action to improve the resiliency of federal forests. Gianforte hailed efforts to boost forest management through Good Neighbor Authority (GNA), which allows the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to partner with state and local governments to   more

WASHINGTON, March 12 -- Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) applauded the U.S. House's final passage of the Supporting Older Americans Act of 2020. Johnson is an original cosponsor of the bipartisan bill which will reauthorize critical social and nutrition services for older Americans. Earlier this year, he saw the benefits of the program first-hand when he delivered Meals on Wheels to seniors. This legislation now he  more

WASHINGTON, March 11 -- Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota, issued the following statement: U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) made the following statement on the news that the state of South Dakota has confirmed five cases COVID-19, commonly referred to as coronavirus. One individual who tested positive for COVID-19 has passed away, but because of underlying health conditions, the cause of death is still being determined at this time. "The state of South Dakota has been preparing to deal with a COV  more

WASHINGTON, March 13 -- Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) reintroduced the Protect our Military Families' 2nd Amendment Rights Act. This legislation would allow military spouses to purchase handguns in the state where their husband or wife is permanently stationed for duty, or in a neighboring state if the military spouse commutes across state borders to their duty installation. "Our military personnel and their families make in  more

WASHINGTON, March 14 -- Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, issued the following op-ed: The coronavirus is obviously a front-and-center issue for Americans in every corner of the country, and effectively fighting this outbreak will require an all-of-the-above approach. U.S. health officials are working around the clock to continue learning as much as possible about the virus, how to mitigate the spread, and how to protect our loved ones. The highest levels of the federal government are focused on   more

WASHINGTON, March 11 -- Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, issued the following remarks: U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, discussed additional steps the United States must take to ensure 5G technology is deployed expeditiously so that Americans across the country, particularly in South Dakota can reap the benefits of this new technology. It is imperative for the United States to free up additional spectrum, th  more

WASHINGTON, March 14 -- Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: "While the coronavirus outbreak is something we should all take extremely seriously, no one should be provoking panic or fear. We have some of the best health care professionals in the world, and we can all do our part." U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today released his "Week in Washington Wrap-Up," which highlights what's on the Senate floor, bills he's introduced, groups he's met with in Washington, an  more

WASHINGTON, March 12 -- Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) expressed his disappointment in the Senate's failure to move forward on the American Energy Innovation Act this week. This bipartisan legislation would promote clean energy development, help maintain a strong domestic energy supply, increase the security of our energy grid, and invest in American workers. Forward action on this is necessary to keep energy affordable and abun  more

WASHINGTON, March 13 -- Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, issued the following remarks: U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) discussed the coronavirus outbreak in the United States and his hope for a bipartisan congressional response. "Mr. President, last week, Congress provided billions in funding to address the coronavirus outbreak. "These funds will support virus research, testing, and medical care. "Congress is now looking at other measures that may be required, including measures to address the  more

WASHINGTON, March 12 -- Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, issued the following statement: U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Majority Whip John Thune (R-SD), Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-NC), and Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) issued the following statement on the USA FREEDOM Reauthorization Act of 2020: 'A wide bipartisan majority in the House of Representatives has passed important legislation to reauthorize c  more

WASHINGTON, March 12 -- Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.), members of the Senate Finance Committee, and U.S. Reps. Adrian Smith (R-Neb.) and Ann Kuster (D-N.H.) introduced companion versions of the Reducing Unnecessary Senior Hospitalizations (RUSH) Act of 2020, bipartisan, bicameral legislation to facilitate greater use of telehealth in skilled nursing facilities. "South Dakota has led the way in utilizati  more

WASHINGTON, March 13 -- Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), a longtime member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, introduced the Cover Crop Flexibility Act of 2020 (S. 3479), legislation to permanently remove the prohibition on harvesting or grazing cover crops on prevented plant acres prior to November 1. This legislation was inspired by Thune's 20  more