The son of a South Dakota state senator received more than $1 million in COVID relief funding for a business he says is located in Union Center, S.D., but which public records and other data indicate actually operates in Texas.
Chris Cammack, son of Senate Majority Leader Gary Cammack, received more than $700,000 in state coronavirus relief funds designed to help businesses in South Dakota recover losses suffered during the pandemic. Rules of the program require that small businesses “must be physically located in South Dakota” in order to qualify for the funding.
Chris Cammack owns Prairie Mountain Wildlife Studios, a business he started more than a decade ago in a building on the Cammack family ranch in Union Center, a town of 400 in Meade County.
Cammack received $709,792 in state coronavirus relief funds in early 2021 to cover losses he reported at the Union Center business during the pandemic. Cammack also received more than $300,000 in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program loans from the federal government to keep 10 workers at the Union Center location employed.
However, a News Watch investigation using tax and property documents, source interviews, website information and a public statement from Chris Cammack indicates that Prairie Mountain Wildlife Studios is run from a site in Cypress, Texas, where Cammack owns a 7,300-square-foot studio building and he and his wife Felicia own an $880,000 home.
A new report sheds light on offshore accounts used to shield assets collectively worth trillions of dollars over the past quarter-century and it includes ties to South Dakota.
The report is being dubbed the “Pandora Papers” because the findings shed light on the previously hidden dealings of the elite and the corrupt. Many of the accounts were designed to evade taxes and conceal assets for other shady reasons, according to the report.
Leaked records open a “Pandora” box world leaders’ financial secrets The latest investigation dug into accounts registered in familiar offshore havens, including the British Virgin Islands, Hong Kong, and Belize. But some of the secret accounts were also scattered around in trusts set up in the U.S., including 81 in South Dakota, the most of any state.
In fact, South Dakota has more than double the number of other states; Florida comes in second with 37.
The more than 330 current and former politicians identified as beneficiaries of the secret accounts in the Pandora papers include Jordan’s King Abdullah II, former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, Czech Republic Prime Minister Andrej Babis, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso, and former associates of both Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
We are digging into the “Pandora Papers” and how South Dakota law makes it easy to set up these secret accounts.
PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) — The South Dakota Board of Economic Development approved one low-interest loan, one reinvestment payment and one grant to businesses Wednesday.
The loan of $4,685,625 went to WPW Properties LLC of Sioux Falls for workforce housing in Huron. A reinvestment payment of up to $546,477, but not to exceed 50% of state sales and use tax paid, was okayed for Moody Biogas LLC of Dallas, Texas, for dairy-manure anaerobic digesters in Moody County; and a South Dakota Jobs grant of $47,078.48, but not to exceed 100% of state sales and use tax paid, was made to AM&M LLC of Alpena, for hog barns in Jerauld County.
Many South Dakotans feel that democracy is not working very well in America right now, but those same people are highly supportive of their own right to make law directly from the voting booth.
According to a recent statewide poll, a wide majority of South Dakota residents supports the citizen-led ballot-initiative process as a way to make laws or change the state constitution, and a significant majority said they don’t want the state Legislature to make the process more difficult.
The poll was conducted in late April through a partnership between South Dakota News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota.
Despite failed attempts by South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to delay implementation of a medical marijuana program, a legislative leader on marijuana issues believes the state can be ready to roll out its first prescriptions for legal pot by Nov. 18, 2021, as scheduled.
Noem said the state needed more time to enact a well-designed regulatory framework, but her bill to put off the July 1, 2021, implementation date by a year failed in the Legislature.
The medical marijuana program, created by Initiated Measure 26, was approved by nearly 70% of voters in November 2020. IM 26 requires creation of a regulatory framework by the Department of Health within 120 days of its taking effect, or by Oct. 29, 2021, and issuance of the first medical marijuana prescription cards to patients within 140 days, or by Nov. 18, 2021.
The son of a South Dakota state senator received more than $1 million in COVID relief funding for a business he says is located in Union Center, S.D., but which public records and other data indicate actually operates in Texas.
Chris Cammack, son of Senate Majority Leader Gary Cammack, received more than $700,000 in state coronavirus relief funds designed to help businesses in South Dakota recover losses suffered during the pandemic. Rules of the program require that small businesses “must be physically located in South Dakota” in order to qualify for the funding.
Chris Cammack owns Prairie Mountain Wildlife Studios, a business he started more than a decade ago in a building on the Cammack family ranch in Union Center, a town of 400 in Meade County.
Cammack received $709,792 in state coronavirus relief funds in early 2021 to cover losses he reported at the Union Center business during the pandemic. Cammack also received more than $300,000 in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program loans from the federal government to keep 10 workers at the Union Center location employed.
However, a News Watch investigation using tax and property documents, source interviews, website information and a public statement from Chris Cammack indicates that Prairie Mountain Wildlife Studios is run from a site in Cypress, Texas, where Cammack owns a 7,300-square-foot studio building and he and his wife Felicia own an $880,000 home.
A new report sheds light on offshore accounts used to shield assets collectively worth trillions of dollars over the past quarter-century and it includes ties to South Dakota.
The report is being dubbed the “Pandora Papers” because the findings shed light on the previously hidden dealings of the elite and the corrupt. Many of the accounts were designed to evade taxes and conceal assets for other shady reasons, according to the report.
Leaked records open a “Pandora” box world leaders’ financial secrets The latest investigation dug into accounts registered in familiar offshore havens, including the British Virgin Islands, Hong Kong, and Belize. But some of the secret accounts were also scattered around in trusts set up in the U.S., including 81 in South Dakota, the most of any state.
In fact, South Dakota has more than double the number of other states; Florida comes in second with 37.
The more than 330 current and former politicians identified as beneficiaries of the secret accounts in the Pandora papers include Jordan’s King Abdullah II, former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, Czech Republic Prime Minister Andrej Babis, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso, and former associates of both Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
We are digging into the “Pandora Papers” and how South Dakota law makes it easy to set up these secret accounts.
PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) — The South Dakota Board of Economic Development approved one low-interest loan, one reinvestment payment and one grant to businesses Wednesday.
The loan of $4,685,625 went to WPW Properties LLC of Sioux Falls for workforce housing in Huron. A reinvestment payment of up to $546,477, but not to exceed 50% of state sales and use tax paid, was okayed for Moody Biogas LLC of Dallas, Texas, for dairy-manure anaerobic digesters in Moody County; and a South Dakota Jobs grant of $47,078.48, but not to exceed 100% of state sales and use tax paid, was made to AM&M LLC of Alpena, for hog barns in Jerauld County.
Many South Dakotans feel that democracy is not working very well in America right now, but those same people are highly supportive of their own right to make law directly from the voting booth.
According to a recent statewide poll, a wide majority of South Dakota residents supports the citizen-led ballot-initiative process as a way to make laws or change the state constitution, and a significant majority said they don’t want the state Legislature to make the process more difficult.
The poll was conducted in late April through a partnership between South Dakota News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota.
Despite failed attempts by South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to delay implementation of a medical marijuana program, a legislative leader on marijuana issues believes the state can be ready to roll out its first prescriptions for legal pot by Nov. 18, 2021, as scheduled.
Noem said the state needed more time to enact a well-designed regulatory framework, but her bill to put off the July 1, 2021, implementation date by a year failed in the Legislature.
The medical marijuana program, created by Initiated Measure 26, was approved by nearly 70% of voters in November 2020. IM 26 requires creation of a regulatory framework by the Department of Health within 120 days of its taking effect, or by Oct. 29, 2021, and issuance of the first medical marijuana prescription cards to patients within 140 days, or by Nov. 18, 2021.
This South Dakota onAir hub supports its citizens to become more informed about and engaged in federal and state politics while facilitating more civil and positive discussions with their representatives, candidates, and fellow Oregonians.
South Dakota onAir is one of 50 state governance and elections hubs that the US onAir Network is providing to reinvigorate our imperiled democracy.
Virginia onAir is US onAir’s model of how a state’s onAir Council and curators can enhance a state Hub with fresh Top News and state legislature content, moderated discussions, and production of zoom aircasts with committees, interviews and debates with candidates, and presentations.
For more information about the many opportunities to learn about and engage with this South Dakota onAir hub, go to this US onAir post on the US onAir central hub.
Our two minute vision video about the US onAir network is below.
This South Dakota onAir hub supports its citizens to become more informed about and engaged in federal and state politics while facilitating more civil and positive discussions with their representatives, candidates, and fellow Oregonians.
South Dakota onAir is one of 50 state governance and elections hubs that the US onAir Network is providing to reinvigorate our imperiled democracy.
Virginia onAir is US onAir’s model of how a state’s onAir Council and curators can enhance a state Hub with fresh Top News and state legislature content, moderated discussions, and production of zoom aircasts with committees, interviews and debates with candidates, and presentations.
For more information about the many opportunities to learn about and engage with this South Dakota onAir hub, go to this US onAir post on the US onAir central hub.
Our two minute vision video about the US onAir network is below.
Current Position: US Senator since 2005 Affiliation: Republican Former Position(s): US Representative from 1997 – 2003
Other Positions: Republican Whip
Featured Quote: Following my request, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing next week on potential manipulation in the beef market. South Dakota producers deserve answers, and this is an important development in our effort to hold the packing industry accountable.
Featured Video: Centralized voting bill won’t restore public trust in election, Sen. Thune says
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — South Dakota Senator John Thune says civilians should have been evacuated before U.S. military troops began leaving Afghanistan.
Thune says now the goal has to be securing the airport in order for people to leave the country.
Thune says his office has a long list from South Dakota military personnel of people who worked within Afghanistan, such as translators, who are seeking help to get them out.
Thune says his office has assisted a couple of people who are now in Texas. But other recent efforts have not been successful.
“We have a couple of family members of a couple of South Dakotans that we’ve been working with to try to get out. And they’ve gone there to the airport the last two days with what they thought was sufficient paperwork to get out and got turned down,” S.D. Rep. Sen. John Thune said.
Thune says the U.S. has an obligation to offer asylum to citizens threatened by the Taliban regime. He expects Senate hearings to take place on Capitol Hill over how the Afghan military withdrawal was handled.
Current Position: US Senator since 2005 Affiliation: Republican Former Position(s): US Representative from 1997 – 2003
Other Positions: Republican Whip
Featured Quote: Following my request, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing next week on potential manipulation in the beef market. South Dakota producers deserve answers, and this is an important development in our effort to hold the packing industry accountable.
Featured Video: Centralized voting bill won’t restore public trust in election, Sen. Thune says
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — South Dakota Senator John Thune says civilians should have been evacuated before U.S. military troops began leaving Afghanistan.
Thune says now the goal has to be securing the airport in order for people to leave the country.
Thune says his office has a long list from South Dakota military personnel of people who worked within Afghanistan, such as translators, who are seeking help to get them out.
Thune says his office has assisted a couple of people who are now in Texas. But other recent efforts have not been successful.
“We have a couple of family members of a couple of South Dakotans that we’ve been working with to try to get out. And they’ve gone there to the airport the last two days with what they thought was sufficient paperwork to get out and got turned down,” S.D. Rep. Sen. John Thune said.
Thune says the U.S. has an obligation to offer asylum to citizens threatened by the Taliban regime. He expects Senate hearings to take place on Capitol Hill over how the Afghan military withdrawal was handled.
John Thune grew up in Murdo, South Dakota. His interest in politics was sparked at a young age after making five of six free throws during a freshman high school basketball game. He was later greeted by a spectator who said, “I noticed you missed one.” That spectator happened to be well-known sports enthusiast and then-South Dakota U.S. Rep. Jim Abdnor. The introduction was the start of a friendship that ignited John’s career in public service.
John received his undergraduate degree at Biola University and his master’s degree in business administration from the University of South Dakota. Upon completion of his master’s degree in 1984, he married Kimberley Weems, a native of Doland, South Dakota.
John’s attraction to public service took him to Washington, D.C., to work for that sports enthusiast and then-U.S. Sen. Jim Abdnor. He then served at the Small Business Administration under an appointment from President Ronald Reagan.
In 1989, John and his family returned to South Dakota, where he served as the executive director of the South Dakota Republican Party. In 1991, then-Gov. George S. Mickelson appointed him to be state railroad director, a position he held until 1993, when he became executive director of the South Dakota Municipal League.
In 1996, with a shoestring budget and the support of family and friends, John won his first term as South Dakota’s lone member of the U.S. House of Representatives. John was reelected to a second term by the largest margin in South Dakota history. He returned again to Washington in 2001 to serve his third term in the House.
John then honored his 1996 campaign pledge to serve only three terms in the House. After a narrow loss in a U.S. Senate race in 2002, he won his current Senate seat in 2004, when he made history by defeating a sitting Senate party leader for the first time in 52 years.
In 2010, John was elected to serve a second term in the Senate in a rare unopposed race. He was only the third Republican and the only South Dakotan to run unopposed for the Senate since direct elections were created in 1913. John was elected to a third term in 2016.
John and his wife Kimberley live in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and they have two grown daughters and five grandchildren. In his free time, John enjoys spending time with his family, pheasant hunting, and running.
The Senate Republican Conference selected Thune as majority whip for the 116th Congress; he succeeded Senator John Cornyn of Texas, who was term-limited in the position. In 2020, he was chosen as minority whip for the 117th Congress.
Early life, education, and early political career
Thune was born in Pierre, South Dakota, the son of Yvonne Patricia (née Bodine) and Harold Richard Thune.[1][2] Harold Thune was a fighter pilot in the Pacific theater during World War II who flew the Grumman F6F Hellcat; he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross after shooting down four enemy planes.[3] Harold Thune flew his missions off the USS Intrepid. Thune’s paternal grandfather, Nicholas Thune, was an immigrant from Norway who partnered with his brother to start Thune Hardware stores in Mitchell and Murdo, South Dakota. Thune’s maternal grandfather was from Ontario, Canada, and his mother was born in Saskatchewan.[4]
After completing his MBA, Thune became involved in politics. He worked as a legislative aide for U.S. Senator James Abdnor from 1985 to 1987.[10] In 1980, Abdnor had defeated U.S. Senator George McGovern.[11]
In 1989, Thune moved to Pierre, where he served as executive director of the state Republican Party for two years.[12] Thune was appointed Railroad Director of South Dakota by GovernorGeorge S. Mickelson, serving from 1991 to 1993. From 1993 to 1996, he was executive director of the South Dakota Municipal League.[12]
U.S. House of Representatives (1997–2003)
Elections
Thune began his political career in 1996 by entering the race for South Dakota’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Almanac of American Politics said that Thune “entered the 1996 race as very much an underdog.”[13] His opponent in the Republican primary was sitting Lieutenant GovernorCarole Hillard of Rapid City, who benefited from the support of the longtime South Dakota GovernorBill Janklow. A May 1996 poll showed Hillard leading Thune by a margin of 69%-15%.[13] By relying on strong personal skills and the help of his old network of Abdnor friends, Thune won the primary, defeating Hillard 59%-41%.[14] In the general election, Thune defeated Democrat Rick Weiland, a long-serving aide to U.S. Senator Tom Daschle, 58%-37%.[15]
Thune won his subsequent races for U.S. House by wide margins. He was reelected in 1998 with 75% of the vote[16] and in 2000 with 73% of the vote.[17] In 2002, after briefly considering a run for governor, Thune set his sights on a run for the U.S. Senate.
In 2002, Thune challenged incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Tim Johnson. Thune lost by only 524 votes (0.15%).[18] One study concluded: “While the margin of victory [for Johnson] was a mere 524 votes, getting into that winning position required a number of important factors, including Native American turnout, the ability of Johnson and his allies to more effectively use the ground war to get their message out, Thune’s ineffectiveness on the air and lack of experience in winning competitive elections, low voter turnout in key Republican counties, the drought, and finally the presence of Kurt Evans. Evans, a Libertarian candidate who withdrew from the race, endorsed Thune, but remained on the ballot and siphoned away more votes from Thune than Johnson. Evans received only 3,070 votes, but that ended up being six times greater than the margin of victory.”[19] Despite the close results, Thune did not contest the election.[20]
In 2004 Thune challenged Tom Daschle, the United States Senate Minority Leader and leader of the Senate Democrats. In early 2003, Daschle had unexpectedly decided not to run for president. CNN reported that the “announcement surprised even some of his closest aides, one of whom told CNN plans were being made for Daschle to announce his candidacy Saturday in his hometown of Aberdeen, South Dakota.”[21]
The 2004 U.S. Senate race in South Dakota was the most expensive Senate race that year, with a total of $30 million spent,[22] and the most expensive race in South Dakota history. It was widely followed in the national media. Thune, along with Senate Majority LeaderBill Frist, PresidentGeorge W. Bush, and Vice PresidentDick Cheney, described Daschle as the “chief obstructionist” of Bush’s agenda: “Thune was able to criticize ‘Daschle for serving incompatible masters’ and portray him, as Frist did when he came to South Dakota to campaign for Thune, as a partisan obstructionist and political heir to liberal icon and former Senator George McGovern of South Dakota.”[23]
Daschle’s critics charged the Democrat with using filibusters to block confirmation of several of Bush’s nominees to the federal judiciary and of being out of step with South Dakota voters on other political and social issues: “The GOP had targeted Daschle, the Senate minority leader, claiming he had been the chief obstruction to President Bush on such issues as tax cuts, judicial nominees and the war in Iraq.”[24]
On November 2, 2004, Thune defeated Daschle by 4,508 votes,[25] winning 51% of the vote.[26] Daschle’s loss was the first ousting of an incumbent floor leader since 1952, when Arizona Senator Ernest McFarland lost to Barry Goldwater.[27] The loss made Daschle “the first Senate party leader in more than five decades to be voted out of office”.[28]
South Dakota native Tom Brokaw commented that Thune “ran a very strong campaign” to win the 2004 race.[29]University of South Dakota political scientist Bill Richardson said, “motivated John Thune supporters went to the polls in large numbers, part of a massive South Dakota turnout. Unofficial results show nearly 80 percent of registered voters cast ballots.”[30]
After Thune defeated Daschle, many Republicans regarded him as a “rising star with unlimited political potential.”[31]
Thune was re-elected 2010 without any opposition in either the primary or general elections.[32][33]Scott Heidepriem, the South Dakota Senate Minority Leader and a Democratic candidate for Governor of South Dakota, said, “We just concluded that John Thune is an extremely popular senator who is going to win another term in the Senate.”[34] The conservative publication Townhall commented that the absence of a Democratic candidate in the election marked “the first time in the state’s modern history in which a major party has failed to field a Senate candidate.”[35]
In 2016 Thune faced Democratic candidate Jay Williams, Chair of the Yankton County Democratic Party.[36] On November 8, 2016, Thune defeated Williams, winning 71.8% of the vote.[37]
Thune “drew the wrath of Donald Trump for pushing back on the former president’s false claims” that he won the 2020 presidential election.[38] Trump called upon South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to primary Thune in the 2022 U.S. Senate election in South Dakota; Noem declined.[39] Thune also received negative feedback from Trump supporters for his position on the 2020 election.[40]
While Thune seriously considered retiring from the Senate,[41][40] he announced in January 2022 that he would seek reelection to a fourth term.[42]
In March 2009, Thune was one of 14 senators to vote against a procedural move that essentially guaranteed a major expansion of a national service corps. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the bill would cost at least $418 million in the fiscal year 2010 and $5.7 billion from 2010 to 2014.[46]
He was elected Republican Conference Chairman in 2011, taking office in January 2012.[47] The Conference Chairman is the third-ranking position in the US Senate. In late 2011, the Mitchell Daily Republic reported that “Thune’s elevation to the No. 3 spot makes him the highest-ranking Republican senator in South Dakota history. Thune has served as chairman of the Republican Policy Committee from 2009 until the present time and was vice chairman of the Republican Conference from 2008 to 2009 and the Republican chief deputy whip from 2006 to 2008.”[48]
Thune’s emergence as a conservative voice in the Senate gained him a lengthy profile in the conservative magazine The Weekly Standard.[49] The American Conservative Union gave Senator Thune a rating of 100 in 2006[50] and again in 2010. As of 2020 Thune’s lifetime ACU rating was 84.11.[51] Thune was praised in a 2010 Weekly Standard profile as an exceptional politician who was, unlike many of his colleagues, able to communicate traditional conservatism, making him a popular alternative to Tea Party representatives.[52]
In June 2018, Thune called on Special Counsel Robert Mueller to “start winding” down his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.[53]
Thune is South Dakota’s senior U.S. senator.[54] The Senate Republican Conference selected Thune as majority whip for the 116th Congress, succeeding John Cornyn, who was term-limited in the position.[55] He serves as minority whip in the 117th Congress.[54]
In March 2019, Thune was one of 38 senators to sign a letter to U.S. Secretary of AgricultureSonny Perdue warning that dairy farmers “have continued to face market instability and are struggling to survive the fourth year of sustained low prices” and urging his department to “strongly encourage these farmers to consider the Dairy Margin Coverage program.”[58][better source needed]
Drug policy
In December 2017, Thune was one of six senators to sign a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer requesting their “help in ensuring the long-term sustainability of the 340B program”, a Trump administration rule mandating that drug companies give discounts to health-care organizations presently serving large numbers of low-income patients.[59]
Economy
In January 2019, Thune introduced legislation to repeal the estate tax, which applies to couples with estates above $22 million (it is estimated that approximately 1,700 families pay the tax annually).[60]
Education
In February 2019, Thune was one of 20 senators to sponsor the Employer Participation in Repayment Act, enabling employers to contribute up to $5,250 to their employees’ student loans. Thune noted the strong state of the economy and said they should keep their “foot on the gas by passing common-sense bills like the one Senator Warner and I have proposed that would give young career seekers additional tools to help overcome the burden of student loan debt and empower employers to attract future talent.”[61]
Energy
On March 6, 2014, Thune introduced the Reliable Home Heating Act (S. 2086; 113th Congress).[62] The bill would require the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to exempt motor carriers that transport home heating oil from numerous federal safety regulations if the governor of a state declares a state of emergency caused by a shortage of residential heating fuel.[63] The bill also would require the Energy Information Administration (EIA) to notify states if certain petroleum reserves fall below historical averages.[63] Thune said he was “hopeful that this legislation will eliminate red tape for governors to better meet the needs of their residents and businesses during what can be very dangerous conditions.”[64]
Environment
In March 2019, Thune joined all Senate Republicans, three Democrats, and Angus King in voting against the Green New Deal resolution.[65] Arguing against its implementation, Thune said the resolution would “absolutely be devastating and disastrous” for the agriculture economy both in South Dakota and across the US.[66]
Facebook
In May 2016, Thune sent Facebook a letter requesting details on how it operates its Trending Topics feature.[67] This followed a Gizmodo article that cited anonymous sources, claiming to be former Facebook employees, who alleged a systemic anti-conservative political bias in how material is selected for display in the list.[68]
Some commentators criticized Thune’s letter as an example of government overreach against a private company.[69][70][71] Facebook denied the bias allegations.[72] Thune thanked Facebook in a statement[73] saying, “Private companies are fully entitled to espouse their own views, so I appreciate Facebook’s efforts to address allegations of bias raised in the media and my concern about a lack of transparency in its methodology for determining trending topics.”
Foreign policy
In November 2006 Thune said he believed the US could win the Iraq War through stability. He elaborated, “It’s making sure that Iraq can’t be a staging ground for terrorist attacks against its neighbors in the region or, worse yet, against the United States. I think that is the minimum requirement. We have to achieve security and stability there, or at least a level of stability that doesn’t lead to further chaos, violence and ultimately future terrorist attacks against the United States.” Thune also espoused the position that while President Bush was open to more strategies in Iraq, his administration and a majority of members of Congress would grant military commanders the final decision on when to reduce U.S. military forces there.[74] In July 2008 Thune said that the Bush administration’s moves in Iraq had been a “remarkable success”, noting civilian casualties had been reduced by 80 percent, and charged Democratic presidential candidate and Senator Barack Obama with failing “to acknowledge the basic fact of the success and result and progress and gains that have been made as a result of the surge.”[75]
In December 2010, Thune was one of 26 senators who voted against the ratification of New START,[76] a nuclear arms reduction treaty between the United States and the Russian Federation obliging both countries to have no more than 1,550 strategic warheads and 700 launchers deployed during the next seven years, and providing for a continuation of on-site inspections that halted when START I expired the previous year. It was the first arms treaty with Russia in eight years.[77]
In November 2012, Thune and Chuck Grassley requested that United States Secretary of the TreasuryTimothy Geithner provide a review of the Chinese company Wanxiang Group’s plan to acquire bankrupt battery maker A123, arguing that the transaction should be reviewed by the Geithner-led Committee on Foreign Investment to ensure that U.S. military and taxpayer interests in A123 were protected.[78] In October 2018 Thune sent letters to chief executives of Apple Inc, Amazon.com Inc and Supermicro requesting staff briefings about a Bloomberg report that the Chinese government had implanted malicious hardware into server motherboards provided by Supermicro, writing that charges “that the U.S. hardware supply chain has been purposely tampered with by a foreign power must be taken seriously.”[79]
In September 2016, Thune was one of 34 senators to sign a letter to United States Secretary of StateJohn Kerry advocating that the United States use “all available tools to dissuade Russia from continuing its airstrikes in Syria” from an Iranian airbase near Hamadan “that are clearly not in our interest” and stating that the airstrikes violated “a legally binding Security Council Resolution” on Iran.[80]
In June 2017, Thune co-sponsored the Israel Anti-Boycott Act (s. 720), which made it a federal crime, punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment,[81] for Americans to encourage or participate in boycotts against Israel and Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories if protesting actions by the Israeli government.[82]
In March 2018, Thune voted to table a resolution spearheaded by Bernie Sanders, Chris Murphy, and Mike Lee that would have required President Trump to withdraw American troops either in or influencing Yemen within the next 30 days unless they were combating Al-Qaeda.[83]
In May 2020, group of Senate Republicans is planning to introduce a privacy bill that would regulate the data coronavirus contact-tracing apps collect. The COVID-19 Consumer Data Protection Act would “provide all Americans with more transparency, choice, and control over the collection and use of their personal health, geolocation, and proximity data”, according to a joint statement. Senator Roger Wicker said the legislation would also “hold businesses accountable to consumers if they use personal data to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.” The act would permit the creation of “platforms that could trace the virus and help flatten the curve and stop the spread—and maintaining privacy protections for U.S. citizens,” Thune said.[84]
In July 2017 Thune said that Republicans would continue trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act regardless of whether that month’s effort collapsed: “We are going to vote to repeal and replace Obamacare. It’s not a question of if, it’s a question of when.”[89]
Gun control
Thune is a strong advocate of gun rights, sponsoring legislation that would allow individuals with concealed carry permits to use such permits as a valid permit in other states.[90] He also voted against banning high-capacity magazines of over 10 bullets.[91][92]
On October 3, 2017, Thune became the center of media attention for his response to the mass shooting in Las Vegas. “It sounds like [the shooter] used conversion kits and other things, you know, to make the weapons more lethal,” he said. “We’ll look at the facts when we get them all in here. I think a lot of us want to do everything we can to prevent tragedies like that from happening again. You know, it’s an open society. And when somebody does what he wants to do it’s going to be hard to prevent anything. But I think people are going to have to take steps in their own lives to take precautions. To protect themselves. And in situations like that, you know, try to stay safe. As somebody said, get small.”[92][93]
Judiciary
In March 2016, about seven months before the next presidential election, Thune declared his opposition to considering President Obama’s nominee to the Supreme Court, saying, “the next president should make this lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court” because the “American people deserve to have their voices heard on the nomination of the next Supreme Court justice”. In September 2020, less than two months before the next presidential election, Thune supported an immediate vote on Trump’s nominee to fill the Supreme Court vacancy caused by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg‘s death.[94]
Trade
In January 2018 Thune was one of 36 Republican senators to sign a letter to President Trump requesting he preserve the North American Free Trade Agreement by modernizing it for the economy of the 21st century.[95]
In July 2018, as the Trump administration pushed for aid for agricultural producers affected by retaliatory tariffs, Thune stated that the plan offered a “false and short-term” sense of security and cited the importance of fair and free trade for farmers in South Dakota.[96]
2020 presidential election results
In December 2020, Thune made national news when he said that he opposed any further efforts to challenge the 2020 presidential election results. He argued that such efforts would “go down like a shot dog” in the Senate.[97][98] Then-President Donald Trump, who contended that the election results were illegitimate and that he had defeated Democratic nominee Joe Biden, responded by attacking Thune on Twitter[99] and publicly calling on South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to challenge him in a 2022 U.S. Senate primary.[100] Thune voted to certify the 2020 presidential election results.[101]
2021 United States Capitol riot
On May 28, 2021, Thune voted against creating an independent commission to investigate the January 6 capitol riot.[102]
Presidential and vice-presidential speculation
Prior to the selection of Sarah Palin, Thune was mentioned as a possible vice presidential pick for Republican nominee John McCain in the 2008 presidential election. Thune publicly played down the speculation.[103]
Significant speculation arose regarding a potential 2012 presidential bid by Thune.[104][105][106][107][108] He was encouraged to run by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell,[109] and South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, who called him “a consensus builder.”[110] One Wall Street Journal article stated that Thune had “name ID in the parts of the first caucus state of Iowa that get neighboring South Dakota media, a $6.9 million bank account he could use for a presidential run, and a national fundraising list of 100,000 names from his race against [former Senator Tom] Daschle.”[111] DNC Executive Director Jennifer O’Malley Dillon publicly stated that “among a field of generally flawed (in one way or another) Republican presidential candidates, Thune was the one candidate that she feared.[112] According to multiple commentators, Thune’s candidacy could be helped by his personal appearance.[113][114][115][116] On February 22, 2011, Thune announced he would not run in 2012.[117]
During the summer of 2012, the USA Today reported that Thune was on Mitt Romney’s short list as a potential running mate, but Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan was selected instead.[118]
Despite some speculation, Thune declined to seek the White House in 2016, stating that his “window…might have closed in 2012.”[119]
Thune is physically active and has frequently competed in running events. A 2012 Runner’s World Magazine feature called Thune “the fastest man in Congress since 2009.”[123]
^ ab“Election Statistics”. clerk.house.gov. Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Archived from the original on July 25, 2007. Retrieved August 8, 2007.
Lauck, Jon K. Daschle Vs. Thune: Anatomy of a High Plains Senate Race University of Oklahoma Press (September 30, 2007).ISBN 0-8061-3850-5.ISBN 978-0-8061-3850-3
The Senate Agriculture Committee has oversight over matters relating to: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) activities including farm payments, crop insurance, conservation programs, and livestock marketing rules; the Rural Utilities Service and Rural Development, which carryout important programs relating to rural energy development, rural business financing, and rural health care services; Nutrition programs including the National School Lunch Program, the Women, Infants and Children program, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formally known as food stamps); and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which oversees all futures markets.
Since January of 2013, I have served as a member on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. I currently serve as ranking member of the Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, which has jurisdiction over legislation, congressional action, and other matters relating to communications.
The committee has broad jurisdiction over matters relating to the Coast Guard, communications, highway safety, inland waterways, interstate commerce, marine and ocean navigation safety and transportation, marine fisheries, merchant marine and navigation, nonmilitary aeronautical and space sciences, oceans weather and atmospheric activities, regulation of consumer products and services, as well as regulation of interstate common carriers including railroads, buses, trucks, vessels, pipelines, civil aviation, science, engineering, technology research and development and policy, sports, and transportation.
The Senate Committee on Finance has jurisdiction with matters relating to: taxation and other revenue measures generally; bonded debt of the United States; customs, collection districts and ports of entry and delivery; reciprocal trade agreements; tariff and import quotas; the transportation of dutiable goods; deposit of public moneys; general revenue sharing; health programs under the Social Security Act, including Medicare, Medicaid, and other health and human services programs financed by a specific tax or trust fund; and Social Security.
South Dakota’s number one industry is agriculture, which is why I have chosen to serve our farmers and ranchers as a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and have helped write the last thr…
I strongly support the Second Amendment, which protects “the right of the people to keep and bear arms.” The plain language of the Second Amendment guarantees the right of law-abiding citizens to own …
Since being elected to Congress, I have worked to strengthen America’s energy security and increase the availability and use of alternative energy sources. I believe this is important, not only …
As ranking member of the Senate Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband, I am committed to advancing smart federal policy to keep South Dakota at the forefront of research and innovation….
The national unemployment rate remains high and families and small businesses struggle to make ends meet. The federal government continues placing burdensome regulations on businesses. Many companies …
I believe that reforming our health care system is necessary. However, like a growing number of Americans, I also believe the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, better known as ObamaCare, is …
Every South Dakota family must live within a budget, and I continue to believe the federal government should do the same. For too long, responsible budgeting has not been practiced in Washington, but …
The attacks of September 11, 2001, forced us to change the way we think about national security and how we protect our country here at home. Unfortunately, there have been numerous reminders in the Un…
The primary role of a government is to provide for the security of its people. To do so, it is essential that we secure our borders and ports of entry, as well as enforce our immigration laws. We must…
The culture and traditions of South Dakota’s nine tribes have greatly contributed to the rich history of our state and our nation. At the same time, our tribes continue to face numerous challenges. Du…
As a father, I understand the importance for all parents in South Dakota to know that educators have the tools they need to ensure that children can reach their full potential. Under Republican leader…
Judicial nominations should be treated the same regardless of which party controls the White House or the U.S. Senate. I look forward to reviewing the backgrounds and qualifications of all of the judi…
America must have a strong military to deter would-be adversaries and, when diplomatic efforts fail, protect our nation from acts or imminent threats of violence. Also, our national security and for…
As a member of Congress, I have a 100 percent pro-life voting record and have consistently supported a ban on abortion with the exceptions of rape, incest, and endangerment to a mother’s life. I…
There is no question that we need common sense environmental policies that protect our natural resources. However, I am concerned that some policies coming out of Washington, D.C., will result in mor…
I have long supported tax relief for families and small businesses in South Dakota. Tax relief accomplishes two important goals: it puts more money in the pockets of South Dakotans, and it grows the e…
South Dakota’s wide open spaces mean the nearest hospital or airport can be many miles away. Without question, adequate federal funding and the stability provided by a long-term transportation b…
As Americans, we have the humble responsibility to care for our veterans who have sacrificed so much for our freedom. As our men and women from both the active service and the National Guard return ho…
Current Position: US Senator since 2015 Affiliation: Republican Candidate: 2022 US Senator Former Position(s): US Representative from 2011 – 2019; State Delegate from 2007 – 2011
Featured Quote: The Biden administration’s lack of sanctions enforcement against the Nord Stream 2 pipeline is not only poor U.S. foreign policy but also makes our European allies more dependent on Putin.
Featured Video: Sen. Rounds’ full statement on Trump’s impeachment trial | Trump’s first impeachment trial
SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO) — In the last week, the world has seen an escalation of the situation in Afghanistan. On August 26, two suicide bombers killed 13 U.S. service members and at least 90 Afghans at the Kabul airport. 18 other U.S. service members were injured.
Three days later, on August 29, a U.S. drone strike was carried out on a car carrying Islamic State suicide bombers. Reports have now come in that 10 Afghan civilians, including children, were mistakenly killed in the attack. These casualties are being investigated by the Pentagon, who at this time says it cannot deny the possibility of civilian casualties.
Current Position: US Senator since 2015 Affiliation: Republican Candidate: 2022 US Senator Former Position(s): US Representative from 2011 – 2019; State Delegate from 2007 – 2011
Featured Quote: The Biden administration’s lack of sanctions enforcement against the Nord Stream 2 pipeline is not only poor U.S. foreign policy but also makes our European allies more dependent on Putin.
Featured Video: Sen. Rounds’ full statement on Trump’s impeachment trial | Trump’s first impeachment trial
SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO) — In the last week, the world has seen an escalation of the situation in Afghanistan. On August 26, two suicide bombers killed 13 U.S. service members and at least 90 Afghans at the Kabul airport. 18 other U.S. service members were injured.
Three days later, on August 29, a U.S. drone strike was carried out on a car carrying Islamic State suicide bombers. Reports have now come in that 10 Afghan civilians, including children, were mistakenly killed in the attack. These casualties are being investigated by the Pentagon, who at this time says it cannot deny the possibility of civilian casualties.
On January 6th, 2015, Senator Marion Michael “Mike” Rounds was sworn into the United States Senate. Senator Rounds serves on five committees: Senate Armed Services; Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs; Foreign Relations; Indian Affairs; and Veterans’ Affairs.
Rounds previously served as the 31st governor of South Dakota from 2003 – 2011, easily winning reelection in 2006. From 1991 to 2000, he was elected five times to the South Dakota State Senate. In 1995, his colleagues selected him to serve as Senate Majority Leader, a position that he held for six years. During his time in state government, Rounds was committed to growing the economy, keeping taxes low and strengthening South Dakota families.
A lifelong South Dakotan, Senator Rounds was born in Huron, the eldest of 11 siblings. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from South Dakota State University. In the private sector, Rounds built a successful insurance and real estate business with offices throughout the state. He and his wife, Jean, currently reside in Fort Pierre. They are the proud parents of four grown children and 10 grandchildren.
Caucuses are informal groups that allow Members of Congress with shared interests to work together to advance particular issues. Senator Rounds currently serves as co-chair of the Former Governor’s Caucus. He is also aco-founderand co-chair of the Senate Regulations Caucus and the Senate Payments Innovation Caucus. He also belongs to the following caucuses:
Air Force Caucus
Army Caucus
Baltic Caucus
Congressional Coalition on Adoption
Congressional Fire Services Caucus
Congressional French Caucus
Congressional Pilots Caucus
Congressional Wine Caucus
Former Governors Caucus
General Aviation Caucus
ICBM Caucus
Marine Corps Caucus
Military Family Caucus
National Guard Caucus
Senate Broadband Caucus
Senate India Caucus
Senate Law Enforcement Caucus
Senate Motorcycle Caucus
Senate Payments Innovation Caucus
Senate Regulations Caucus
Senate Reserve Caucus
Senate Retirement Security Caucus
Senate RV Caucus
Senate Taiwan Caucus
Senate Tourism Caucus
Special Operations Caucus
Sportsmen Caucus
UAS Caucus
Western Caucus
Offices
PIERRE
111 W Capitol Ave., Suite 210 P.O.Box 309 Pierre, SD 57501 Phone: (605) 224-1450 Fax: (605) 224-1379 DIRECTIONS
RAPID CITY
1313 W Main St. Rapid City, SD 57701 Phone: (605) 343-5035 Fax: (605) 343-5348 DIRECTIONS
SIOUX FALLS
320 N Main Ave., Suite A Sioux Falls, SD 57104 Phone: (605) 336-0486 Fax: (605) 336-6624 DIRECTIONS
ABERDEEN
514 S Main St., Suite 100 Aberdeen, SD 57401 Phone: (605) 225-0366 DIRECTIONS
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Hart Senate Office Bldg., Suite 716 Washington, DC 20510 Phone: (202) 224-5842 Toll Free: (844) 875-5268 Fax: (202) 224-7482 DIRECTIONS
Experience
Work Experience
Majority Leader South Dakota State Senate 1995 to 2000
Birth Year: 1954 Place of Birth: Huron, SD Gender: Male Race(s): Caucasian Religion: Christian: Catholic Spouse: Jean Rounds Children: Brian Rounds, Carrie Rounds, John Rounds, Christopher Rounds
Elected as an ally of Donald Trump,[3] Noem explicitly refused to follow the guidance of medical experts during the COVID-19 pandemic, and did not enact any of the standard public health and safety protections used in other states.[4][5] She did not implement face mask mandates, raised doubts about the efficacy of mask-wearing, encouraged large gatherings without social distancing or mask-wearing, and questioned public health experts’ advice.[6][7][8]
Early life and education
Kristi Noem was born to Ron and Corinne Arnold in Watertown, South Dakota,[9] and raised with her siblings on their family ranch and farm in rural Hamlin County.[10] She has Norwegian ancestry.[11] Noem’s father was killed in a farm machinery accident.[10][12] Noem added a hunting lodge and restaurant to the family property. Her siblings moved back to help expand the businesses.[10]
Noem served for four years, from 2007 to 2010; she was an assistant majority leader during her last year.[17][18] In 2009 and 2010, she sponsored bills to lower the age of compulsory education in South Dakota to 16, after it had been raised to 18 in 2008, arguing that requiring school attendance until age 18 has not been proven to improve graduation rates.[19] During her tenure, Noem was a member of the House State Affairs Committee and House Taxation Committee.[20]
Noem’s opponent, incumbent Democratic U.S. Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, emphasized her own record of independence from the Democratic caucus, including her votes against health care reform, the Wall Street bailouts, and the cap-and-trade energy bill. In response, Noem repeatedly highlighted Herseth Sandlin’s vote for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House. During the 2010 election cycle, Noem outraised Herseth Sandlin, $2.3 million to $2.1 million.[23][24] Noem defeated Herseth Sandlin, 48 to 46 percent.[25]
The 2011 House Republican 87-member freshman class elected Noem as liaison to the House Republican leadership, making her the second woman member of the House GOP leadership.[29] According to The Hill, her role was to push the leadership to make significant cuts to federal government spending and to help Speaker John Boehner manage the expectations of the freshman class.[30] In March 2011, Republican Representative Pete Sessions of Texas named Noem one of the 12 regional directors for the National Republican Congressional Committee during the 2012 election campaign.[10][31]
After being elected to Congress, Noem continued her education through online courses. The Washington Post dubbed her Capitol Hill’s “most powerful intern” for receiving college intern credits from her position as a member of Congress.[32] She earned a B.A. in political science from South Dakota State University in 2012.[33]
On March 8, 2011, she announced the formation of a leadership political action committee, KRISTI PAC.[34] Former South Dakota Lieutenant GovernorSteve Kirby is its treasurer.[35][36][37] Noem was among the top freshman Republicans in PAC fundraising in the first quarter of 2011, raising $169,000 from PACs.[38]
Energy and environment
Noem in 2013
Noem has said that the U.S. must end its dependence on foreign oil.[39] She supports continuing ethanol subsidies that benefit her state[40] and opposes ending federal subsidies for oil companies.[41]
Noem opposed a bill introduced by South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson that would designate over 48,000 acres (190 km2) of the Buffalo Gap National Grassland as protected wilderness.[46] She supports the current designation of the land as a national grassland.[47] She pointed out that the land is already managed as roadless areas similar to wilderness[48] and argued that changing the land’s designation to wilderness would further limit leaseholder access to the land and imperil grazing rights.[47][48]
Foreign affairs
Noem supported the NATO-led military intervention in the 2011 Libyan civil war,[why?] but questioned whether the United States intervened to protect civilians, or whether the U.S. military would try to remove then-leader Muammar Gaddafi.[49] In March of that year, she called on President Obama to provide more information about the role of the U.S. in the conflict, characterizing his statements as vague and ambiguous.[49][50]
Health Care
Noem opposes the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and has voted to repeal it.[51][52] Having unsuccessfully sought to repeal it, she sought to defund it while retaining measures such as the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, the provision allowing parents to keep their children on their health insurance plan into their 20s, and the high-risk pools.[53] Noem wanted to add such provisions to federal law as limits on medical malpractice lawsuits and allowing patients to buy health insurance plans from other states.[53] She supported cuts to Medicaid funding proposed by Republican Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan. A study found that this action would reduce benefits for South Dakota Medicaid recipients by 55 percent.[41]
Immigrants and refugees
Noem supported President Donald Trump‘s 2017 Executive Order 13769 that suspended the U.S. refugee program for 120 days and banned all travel to the U.S. by nationals of seven Muslim-majority countries for 90 days.[54] She said she supported a temporary ban on accepting refugees from “terrorist-held” areas,[55] but “did not address whether she supports other aspects of the order, which led to the detention of legal U.S. residents such as green-card holders and people with dual citizenship as they reentered the country” in the aftermath of the order’s issuance.[54]
Taxes
In 2018, Noem was reported to have “pitched the idea to members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus” to attach her online sales tax bill to the government funding package as part of an omnibus. A court case under consideration in the South Dakota Supreme Court involved requiring “certain out-of-state retailers to collect its sales taxes.” Noem said that South Dakota businesses (and by extension businesses nationwide) “could be forced to comply with 1,000 different tax structures nationwide without the tools necessary to do so”, adding that her legislation “provides a necessary fix.”[56]
In 2011, Noem indicated that she would vote to raise the federal debt ceiling, but only if “tied to budget reforms that change the way we spend our dollars and how Washington, D.C., does business. It won’t just be a one-time spending cut.”[61] She ultimately voted for S. 365, The Budget Control Act of 2011, which allowed then-President Obama to raise the debt ceiling in exchange for spending cuts to be decided by a bipartisan committee.[62] She also said she wanted to eliminate the estate tax,[63] lower the corporate tax rate, and simplify the tax code.[10] She said she would not raise taxes to balance the budget.[64]
On November 14, 2016, Noem announced that she would run for governor of South Dakotain 2018 rather than seek reelection to Congress.[69] She defeated South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley in the June 5 Republican primary, 56 to 44 percent,[70][71] and Democratic nominee Billie Sutton in the general election, 51.0 to 47.6 percent.[72]
On November 12, 2021, Noem announced that she was running for reelection as governor.[73] On November 17, 2021, State Representative Steven Haugaard announced that he was running for governor against Noem.[74] On February 1, 2022, House Democratic Minority Leader Jamie Smith announced he was seeking the Democratic nomination for governor.[75]
Tenure
Noem was sworn in as governor of South Dakota on January 5, 2019, the first woman in that office in the state.[76]
On November 19, 2021, Noem named her fifth chief of staff, Mark Miller, to replace out going chief of staff Aaron Scheibe.[77] Scheibe served as chief of staff from May 1 to November 19, 2021. Tony Venhuizen preceded Scheibe from March 2, 2020, to April 23, 2021. Josh Shields preceded Venhuizen from October 1, 2019, to January 1, 2020. Herb Jones was Noem’s first chief of staff, serving from January 5 to October 1, 2019.[78][79][80][81]
In February 2021, Noem attended the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida, and spoke at the event. She criticized New York governor Andrew Cuomo‘s nursing home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as Anthony Fauci and Joe Biden‘s policies.[82] A CPAC straw poll found that 4 percent of attendees wanted Noem to run for president in 2024, putting her in third place behind Trump and Ron DeSantis. Another poll had 11 percent of attendees wanting her to launch a White House run if Trump does not run, which put her in second place behind DeSantis.[83] By October 2021, Noem had visited the states with the earliest presidential primaries, New Hampshire, Iowa, and South Carolina, and had attracted attention for her willingness to attack political rivals.[84]
2020 presidential election
Noem claimed that the 2020 presidential election, in which Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump, was marred by widespread voter fraud; no evidence supports this claim.[85] On December 8, 2020, Noem tacitly acknowledged the outcome of the election when she referred to a “Biden administration” during her annual state budget address, but even after Biden was inaugurated in January, she still refused to accept that the election was “free and fair.”[86][87][88] Noem was initially designated to be one of Trump’s three presidential electors for South Dakota,[89] but later withdrew. In 2020 the Trump-Pence ticket carried South Dakota, receiving 261,043 votes to 150,471 for the Biden-Harris ticket.[90][91]
After the U.S. Capitol was attacked by a pro-Trump mob on January 6, 2021, disrupting the counting of the electoral votes formalizing Biden’s victory, Noem spoke out against the violence, saying, “We are all entitled to peacefully protest. Violence is not a part of that.”[92][93] One day after calling for peace and reconciliation in the aftermath of the assault on the Capitol, Noem called the two newly elected Democratic senators from Georgia, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, “communists” in an op-ed for The Federalist, prompting criticism from South Dakota Democrats.[94]
Noem has signed several bills restricting abortion, saying that the bills would “crack down on abortion providers in South Dakota”. She also said, “A strong and growing body of medical research provides evidence that unborn babies can feel, think, and recognize sounds in the womb. These are people, they must be given the same basic dignities as anyone else.”[98][99]
Anti-protest legislation
In response to protests against the Keystone Pipeline, Noem’s office collaborated with the energy company TransCanada Corporation to develop anti-protest legislation, which Noem signed into law in March 2019. The law created a fund to cover the costs of policing pipeline protests. Another law was passed to raise revenue for the fund by creating civil penalties for advising, directing, or encouraging participation in rioting. The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation banned Noem from their grounds as a result. The Indigenous Environmental Network, Sierra Club, and other groups challenged the laws in suits, arguing that the laws violated First Amendment rights by incentivizing the state to sue protesters.[100]
Appraisal Certification & Conflict of interest allegations involving daughter
In July 2020, after Noem’s 26-year-old daughter,[101] Kassidy Peters, was denied a real estate appraisal license, Noem summoned to her office Sherry Bren, a state employee who had directed South Dakota’s Appraiser Certification Program for 30 years.[102] Additional attendees included Peters, Noem’s chief of staff Tony Venhuizen,[103] Department of Labor Attorney Amber Mulder and Labor Secretary Marcia Hultman.[104] By telephone the group was joined by the governor’s general counsel, Tom Hart, and a lawyer from the state’s Department of Labor and Regulation, Graham Oey.[102] A week later, Hultman demanded Bren’s resignation. Bren repeatedly, but unsuccessfully, tried to resolve the issues short of resigning, eventually filing an age discrimination complaint.[102] She received a $200,000 settlement as part of a nondisclosure agreement to withdraw her complaint and leave her position.
Of Noem’s intervention, University of Minnesota Law professor and former George W. Bush administration chief ethics counsel Richard Painter told the Associated Press, “It’s clearly a conflict of interest and an abuse of power for the benefit of a family member.”[101]
Noem’s spokesperson Ian Fury characterized the allegations as an example of how Noem cuts through “bureaucratic red tape”.[102] Noem responded to a public airing of the charges by writing, “Listen I get it. I signed up for this job. But now the media is trying to destroy my children” and “This story is just another example of the double standard that exists with the media… going after conservatives and their kids while ignoring Liberals.” Fury contended, “The Associated Press is disparaging the Governor’s daughter in order to attack the Governor politically – no wonder Americans’ trust in the media is at an all-time low.”[105] Critics compared Noem’s characterization of the response to questions about the licensure situation with her own prior criticism of Hunter Biden when his father was running for president.[101]
After the Associated Press published a story about the incident, the State Senate’s Government Operations and Audit Committee was delegated to investigate the situation.[105] The Attorney General, Republican Jason Ravnsborg, was tasked with providing guidance to the legislature as to their deliberations.[106][84] In April 2021, Noem had called for Ravnsborg’s resignation after release of details of an investigation into the death of a pedestrian he had hit with his car.[107] In October 2021, the Government Operations and Audit Committee invited Secretary of the Department of Labor Marcia Hultman and Sherry Bren to come before the committee to discuss the appraisal program in light of the controversy surrounding the program, Noem, Noem’s daughter, and a $200,000 payout to Bren for an age discrimination claim.[108][109] On November 1, 2021, the Government Accountability Board set an agenda to discuss the two complaints about the potential misuse of the state airplane and the potential abuse of power and conflict of interest involving Noem and her daughter with regard to the appraisal program and the payout to Bren.[110]
On December 14, 2021, Sherry Bren testified before the Government Operations and Audit Committee.[104] Bren testified that Peters received an Agreed Disposition around March/April 2020. Around July 20, 2020, Peters received a letter and/or Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law when she failed to meet the requirements of the Agreed Disposition. Bren said she was told by Department of Labor attorney Amber Mulder on July 26, 2020, to be prepared to discuss “What is the definition of a serious deficiency; what criteria do you use for denials; how many are denied each year; how many are approved; are we saying that Kassidy can take certain classes and resubmit.”[104] Bren said she felt “very nervous” and “intimidated” when meeting with Noem and numerous attorneys and Labor Secretary Hultman.[111] Bren mentioned during the meeting at the mansion some appraisal classes that she thought would be helpful to Peters. Bren said that Noem was upset that she was just now hearing about the classes. Bren testified that the decision to depart from recognized upgrade procedures and offer a third opportunity would be Hultman’s. Bren said this was beyond the recognized procedures and “not normal.”[104]
On December 15, 2021, the Government Accountability Board referred one of the two complaints to Noem for a response and sent the other complaint back to the complainant for further information.[112] On February 3, 2022, the Government Accountability Board referred the second complaint to Noem for a response and gave her until April 15, 2022, to answer both pending complaints.[113][114]
On February 24, 2022, Republican State Representative John Mills introduced House Resolution 7004, “Addressing the Governor’s unacceptable actions in matters related to the appraiser certification program”, against Noem.[115] On March 1, the resolution was debated and failed by a margin of 29 to 38 with three excused, including Noem’s primary opponent Steven Haugaard and U.S. House candidate Taffy Howard.[116]
Guns
In 2019, Noem signed a bill into law abolishing South Dakota’s permit requirement to carry a concealed handgun.[117][118][119]
In 2022, Noem sought to build a gun range in Meade County with government funds, but the legislature rejected it.[120][121][122]
During the COVID-19 pandemic in South Dakota, Noem at first was responsive to containment strategies.[123][124] As President Donald Trump began to actively resist governmental interventions, she segued to a hands-off approach. She used pandemic relief funds in November 2020 to promote tourism during a surge in cases in the state.[4] She did not implement face mask mandates, she raised doubts about the efficacy of mask-wearing, encouraged large gatherings without social distancing or mask-wearing, and questioned the advice of public health experts.[125][7] As of December 2020, she was one of few governors who had not maintained statewide stay-at-home orders or face-mask mandates.[126][127] Her response mirrored Trump’s rhetoric and handling of COVID-19.[7][8] She was rewarded for her COVID-19 response with a speech at the August 2020 Republican National Convention, which elevated her national profile.[8][128] The Argus Leader described the RNC speech as a “defining moment in her political career.”[129]
Early in the pandemic, Noem requested that the legislature pass a bill giving the state health secretary and county officials the power to close businesses and other entities.[123] The House rejected the bill.[124] On March 13, 2020, Noem ordered K-12 schools to close,[130][131] and on April 6, 2020, she extended that order for the remainder of the school year.[132][133] Also on April 6, Noem ordered businesses and local governments to practice social distancing and other CDC guidelines.[133][134]
Early on, Noem also emphasized South Dakota’s role in evaluating hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial drug that Trump had touted, when he tweeted, “HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE & AZITHROMYCIN, taken together, have a real chance to be one of the biggest game-changers in the history of medicine.”[135] It has never been shown to be useful in treating COVID-19 but can produce fatal cardiac arrythmia.[136][137]
One of the largest COVID-19 outbreaks in the U.S. at the time[when?] occurred in South Dakota.[138] The Smithfield Foods production plant in Sioux Falls had four deaths, with nearly 1,300 workers and their family members testing positive.[139]Secretary of Health and Human ServicesAlex Azar misinformed a group of legislators that meatpacking plants employees were not likely to be infected at work, but that their “home and social” habits were spreading the contagion. Noem may have been the first officeholder to publicly express that view. On April 13, 2020, of an outbreak where hundreds of workers had tested positive at a Smithfield pork plant, she told Fox News, “We believe that 99 percent of what’s going on today wasn’t happening inside the facility”. The industry didn’t explain the deaths from COVID-19 of USDA food-safety inspectors from three plants. Almost 200 inspectors contracted symptomatic COVID-19.[140] In the pandemic’s early days, the Food Safety and Inspection Service did not provide protective equipment to its monitors, forbidding them from wearing masks in the slaughterhouses as it feared that might accentuate the risks. On April 9, 2020, the agency said its inspectors would be allowed to wear masks if the meatpacking plants’ owners gave the federal employees permission to do so. Inspectors were expected to supply their own masks.[140] A month later, after publication of the risk for spreading the coronavirus, the USDA at last started giving its inspectors masks.[140] Noem had said that the plant was in full operation as an essential food manufacturing facility.[141] Forty-eight of Smithfield’s workers were hospitalized.[142] On April 6, Noem issued an executive order that said people “shall” follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;[143] she also ordered everyone over age 65 in Minnehaha and Lincoln counties to stay home for three weeks.[144][145]
Noem did not mandate social distancing or the wearing of face masks at a July 3 event at Mount Rushmore with Trump present. Health experts warned that large gatherings without social distancing or mask-wearing posed a risk to public health.[146] Noem doubted scientific recommendations on the usefulness of masks.[147] In an opinion piece in the Rapid City Journal, she defended her views, citing analysis by the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, a group known for promoting pseudoscience.[147] The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons had called vaccination the equivalent of “human experimentation.”[148] COVID-19 patients hospitalized on October 22 reached a record high of 355, including 75 in Intensive Care Units. South Dakota’s two largest hospital systems rescheduled elective procedures to increase available space and personnel to accommodate the surge. In the absence of a statewide mask mandate, hospital systems urged people to wear masks while in the company of those outside their own households. Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken advised his constituents, “Wear a dang mask.”[147]
Sixteen weeks after Trump’s executive order that provided enhanced weekly unemployment benefits of $300 as part of the U.S. federal government response to the pandemic, Noem opted out of the program, citing a low state unemployment rate.[149] South Dakota was the only state to refuse the assistance.[150] Its jobless rate in June was 7.2 percent, up from 3.1 percent in March, though down from 10.9 percent in April.[142] Acceptance of the funding required the state to augment the benefit by $100 unless other jobless assistance allowed for the match to be waived.[150]
South Dakota is one of two states in the U.S. to offer no emergency financial assistance to renters during the pandemic.[151]
In February 2020, Noem announced her opposition to a bill prohibiting schools and universities from requiring students to get vaccinated.[152] In May 2021, she signed an executive order prohibiting government facilities from requiring proof of vaccination to access services, a policy she called “un-American.”[153] In August 2021, Noem opposed legislation proposed by Republican state legislators Jon Hansen and Scott Odenbach that would prohibit businesses from requiring vaccinations as a condition for employment.[154]
Noem supported the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in August 2020, despite warnings from experts that it could spread COVID-19.[155] Nearly 500,000 bikers attended the event.[156] Public health notices were issued for saloons and other businesses in the Sturgis area. By the end of August, dozens of cases linked to attendance at the event were reported in several states.[157][158][159]
In September 2020, amid a surge of new cases, Noem announced that she would spend $5 million of relief funding on a state tourism campaign.[4] She used $819,000 of those funds to have the state’s Department of Tourism run a 30-second Fox News commercial she narrated during the 2020 Republican National Convention.[160] During September, over 550 students became infected at South Dakota universities; 200 more cases were reported in K–12 schools.[142]
In October 2020, as South Dakota reported the country’s second-highest number of new COVID-19 cases per capita and hospitals began to prioritize treatment of severe COVID-19 cases over lesser ones, Noem said the higher case numbers were because of more testing, despite the positive test rate and hospitalization rate also increasing.[161]
In February 2021, Noem signed a bill limiting civil liability for certain exposures to COVID-19. The bill exempts health care providers and other businesses, including those selling personal protective equipment, from lawsuits unless COVID-19 exposure was the result of gross negligence, recklessness, or willful misconduct.[162]
In July 2021, Noem criticized other Republican governors for enacting mandatory measures against COVID-19 and trying to “rewrite history” about it.[163] She argued that South Dakota had effectively combated the pandemic by instead testing and isolating cases; in fact, South Dakota had the 10th-highest death rate and third-highest case rate at that time.[163]
Department of Corrections
In July 2021, Noem placed Secretary of the Department of Corrections Mike Liedholt on administrative leave, and fired South Dakota State Penitentiary Warden Darin Young and Deputy Warden Jennifer Dreiske, after receiving an anonymous note with complaints regarding pay, medical coverage and instances of sexual harassment.[164][165] Liedholt later announced his retirement.[166] Later that month, after meeting with prison employees, despite lingering COVID-19 cases, Noem ended the prison’s mask mandate.[167] In August 2021, Noem announced that the CGL Group, a California-based company, was being hired for $166,410 to do a comprehensive review of the Department of Corrections operations.[168] At the same time, the director of the prison work program was fired, and two other DOC employees relieved of their duties.
The prison work program director, Stephany Bawek, subsequently filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), alleging that she was retaliated against for reporting sexual harassment by Young.[169] On March 14, 2022, Bawek filed a lawsuit in federal district court alleging that she was fired for reporting incidents of sexual harassment in the workplace.[170][171]
Deployment of South Dakota National Guard to southern border (2021)
In June 2021, Noem announced that she was sending members of the South Dakota National Guard to Texas’s border with Mexico.[172] Tennessee billionaire Willis Johnson and his wife Reba said they would donate the money necessary for the deployment.[173] On September 22, 2021, the Center for Public Integrity sued the South Dakota National Guard and the U.S. Department of Defense in the federal district court in the District of Columbia to obtain documents about the deployment and the donation.[174] The 2022 National Defense Authorization Act banned National Guard members from crossing state borders to perform duties paid for by private donors.[175]
Fireworks at Mt. Rushmore lawsuit (2021)
In 2021, Noem sued U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, seeking to have fireworks at Mount Rushmore for Independence Day. (Fireworks displays had been halted at the site in 2009 by the National Park Service due to fire risks and other reasons.)[176][177] Noem hired the private Washington D.C. law firm Consovoy McCarthy to bring the case, with South Dakota state taxpayer money paying for the suit.[178] The U.S. District Court dismissed the suit, with Judge Roberto Lange finding that four of the five reasons given by the NPS and Secretary Haaland were valid.[179] On July 13, Noem filed an appeal with the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals.[180]
On March 14, 2022, the National Park Service again denied Noem’s application for a permit to have fireworks at Mt. Rushmore for the 4th of July, citing opposition from Native American groups and the possibility of wildfires.[181]
Governor’s mansion spending
In May 2019, Noem proposed to build a fence around the governor’s mansion, estimated to cost approximately $400,000, but retracted the proposal.[182][183] In 2020, the 2019 project was revived; a senior Noem advisor told the media that the decision was based on the recommendations of Noem’s security team.[184] In late November 2021, it was reported that Noem spent $68,000 of taxpayer dollars on imported rugs from India, chandeliers and a sauna for the mansion.[185]
On March 8, Noem announced on Twitter that she would sign into law H.B. 1217, the Women’s Fairness in Sports Bill,[188] which bans transgender athletes from playing on or against women’s school and college sports teams. Some critics of the bill say they are worried it might turn away business and cost the state money.[189] On March 19, Noem issued a style and form veto to H.B. 1217 that substantially altered the bill, not just correcting grammar and spelling mistakes.[190] She appeared on “Tucker Carlson Tonight” seeking to defend her position.[191] On March 29, the South Dakota House rejected Noem’s style and form veto, 67–2.[192] After the House returned H.B. 1217 to Noem for consideration after the House rejected her veto, she vetoed H.B. 1217.[193] The House then failed to override her veto by a vote of 45-24 (47 votes were needed to override).[194] Numerous conservative commentators criticized Noem for vetoing the bill.[195][196]
In December 2021, Noem and her office signaled their support for an anti-trans bill called “An Act to protect fairness in women’s sports.” The bill would require young athletes to join teams that aligned with their “biological sex at birth.”[197]
In 2021, Noem signed a religious refusal bill into law; the legislation amended the state RFRA to allow businesses owners to cite religious beliefs as a basis to deny products or services to people on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.[198] The legislation, S.B. 124, was criticized by civil rights groups who said it would enable discrimination against LGBTQ+ people, women, and members of minority faiths.[199][200] This bill was the first major state RFFA law signed into law in six years and resembles the 2015 bill signed into law by Indiana Governor Mike Pence.[201]
“Meth. We’re on It” Campaign
On November 18, 2019, Noem released a meth awareness campaign named “Meth. We’re on It”. The campaign was widely mocked and Noem was criticized for spending $449,000 of public funds while hiring an out-of-state advertising agency from Minnesota to lead the project.[202] She defended the campaign as successful in raising awareness.[203]
Opposition to cannabis legalization
In 2020, Noem opposed two ballot measures to legalize cannabis for medical use and recreational use in South Dakota,[204] saying, “The fact is, I’ve never met someone who got smarter from smoking pot. It’s not good for our kids. And it’s not going to improve our communities.”[205] After both measures passed, she and two police officers filed a lawsuit seeking a court decision against the measure legalizing recreational use, Amendment A.[206][207] On February 8, 2021, circuit court judge Christina Klinger struck down the amendment as unconstitutional.[208] After the ruling, she also sought to delay the implementation of the medical marijuana initiative for a year.[209] Ultimately, her efforts failed and medical marijuana became legal on July 1, 2021.[210]
Noem has also opposed the cultivation of industrial hemp, vetoing a bill that passed the South Dakota House and Senate in 2019 to legalize hemp cultivation. She said, “There is no question in my mind that normalizing hemp, like legalizing medical marijuana, is part of a larger strategy to undermine enforcement of the drug laws and make legalized marijuana inevitable.”[211]
Prayer in School bill
In 2022, Noem sought to have prayer put back in school after mentioning it in a speech in Iowa. On January 21, 2022, the “prayer” bill, HB 1015, was defeated in the House Education Committee by a vote of 9-6. An aide to Neom admitted in the committee that not one school was consulted about the proposal.[212][213]
RV Park in Custer State Park proposal
In 2022, Noem sought to put a government paid RV park in Custer State Park.[214]The proposal was met with significant opposition to include government competing with private business and disturbing the pristine nature of the park.[215] The House Agricultural and Natural Resources deferred the bill to the 41st day, effectively killing it, by a vote of 9-3.
Trade
In February 2019, she said that the Trump administration‘s trade wars with China and the European Union had devastated South Dakota’s economy, particularly the agricultural sector, “by far” the state’s largest industry.[216]
She married Bryon Noem in 1992, in Watertown, South Dakota.[219] They have three children. In 2011, when Noem moved to Washington to take her congressional office, her family continued to live on a ranch near Castlewood, South Dakota.[219]
^Bolton, Alexander (January 1, 2011). “A new order: House power players to watch in the 112th Congress”. The Hill. Capitol Hill Publishing Corp. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved March 13, 2011. Noem and Scott … will give the freshman class a voice in GOP leadership meetings and will press their leaders to take immediate steps to cut government spending significantly. Boehner and other House leaders will also rely on Noem and Scott to manage the expectations of the freshman class.
^“Noem wants to expand offshore energy production”. KEVN-LD. March 31, 2011. Archived from the original on October 3, 2011. Retrieved April 5, 2011. The bills would end the Obama administration’s moratorium on drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and require the re-opening of sales on oil leases in the Gulf and off the coast of Virginia.
^ abWoster, Kevin (March 20, 2011). “Rough road ahead in Congress for Johnson wilderness plan”. Rapid City Journal. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved March 20, 2011. Noem made opposition to Johnson’s wilderness plan one of her prominent campaign points last year in her race against incumbent Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, a Democrat.
^Mercer, Bob (December 13, 2020). “Lederman in, Noem out as S.D. Trump elector”. KELO-TV. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved January 5, 2021. The governor’s communications director, Ian Fury, didn’t respond to questions Saturday from KELOLAND News about what led to Lederman’s substitution for her.
^Noem, Kristi (April 6, 2020). “Executive Order 2020-12”(PDF). South Dakota Secretary of State. Archived(PDF) from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
^Noem, Kristi (April 6, 2020). “Executive Order 2020-13”(PDF). South Dakota Secretary of State. Archived(PDF) from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
The United States Senate Committee on Armed Services is a committee of the United States Senate empowered with legislative oversight of the nation’s military, including the Department of Defense, military research and development, nuclear energy, benefits for members of the military, the Selective Service System and other matters related to defense policy. Considered one of the most powerful Senate committees, its broad mandate allowed it to report some of the most extensive and revolutionary legislation during the Cold War years, including the National Security Act of 1947.
Senator Rounds additionally serves as the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity. He also serves on the following Armed Services subcommittees: Readiness, and Strategic Forces.
The United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs has jurisdiction over matters related to banks and banking, price controls, deposit insurance, export promotion and controls, federal monetary policy, financial aid to commerce and industry, issuance of redemption of notes, currency and coinage, public and private housing, urban development and mass transit and government contracts.
The United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is one of the original ten committees of the United States Senate. The committee has been influential in developing and influencing United States foreign policy, along with holding jurisdiction over diplomatic nominations. Members of this committee have shaped negotiations of treaties, foreign policy and international war and peace relations.
The United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs has the authority to help resolve issues that face the American Indian, Native Hawaiian and Alaska Native peoples in the United States. The Indian Affairs Committee may address issues that include, but are not limited to, Indian education, economic development, land management, trust responsibilities, health care and claims against the United States.
The United States Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs has jurisdiction over compensation of veterans, life insurance issued by the government due to military service, national cemeteries, pensions, and readjustment of service men and women to civilian life.
I’ve talked with many South Dakotans throughout the state who are tired of federal bureaucracy getting in the way of their everyday lives. From family health care decisions to business ones, federal regulations have become too complicated and redundant. I have made it a priority in the Senate to reduce unnecessary and excess regulations to make government more effective, efficient and accountable. That starts with reducing unnecessary federal regulations for Americans.
To help me best understand which federal agencies and regulations are in need of reform, I’m inviting South Dakotans to share their story of a federal regulation impacting their lives. Tell us about your red tape nightmare by emailing your story to Regulations_Story@rounds.senate.gov. Be sure to include your name and hometown in your submission.
Civil Rights
2nd Amendment
I am a strong supporter of second amendment rights with a proven record of standing up for gun owners. I’m against any additional regulations that restrict individual, law-abiding citizens from owning and using firearms.
Economy
Agriculture
Agriculture is our state’s greatest economic engine. South Dakota farmers and ranchers play an important role in feeding and fueling a growing global population. I will work to pass the Reins Act; a bipartisan effort to limit federal bureaucracy and the overreaching rule-making our producers are frequently exposed to under this Administration.
Banking
Our financial system has been stressed in recent years due to the collapse of the housing market, an economic downturn and the passage of Dodd-Frank, an ill-advised attempt to regulate the financial services industry. As a member of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs committee, my focus is to instill free-market principles to our financial institutions and roll back Dodd-Frank, which has wrongfully affected dozens of financial institutions in South Dakota.
Budget
With an $18 trillion national debt that threatens to destroy our economy, budget issues are a top priority of mine. We are required to balance our budget annually in South Dakota, and the federal government should do the same. I support a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution requiring the government to balance its books. I also believe lawmakers should follow the law and pass an annual budget in an open and transparent amendment process. I look forward to participating in the budget process under new Senate leadership and finding commonsense solutions to reducing the debt.
Jobs & The Economy
South Dakotans are feeling the effects of a sluggish national economy and overregulated industries that hinder growth. A strong economy depends on business-friendly federal policies that encourage growth in the private sector. This includes lowering taxes and streamlining the tax code so South Dakotans can keep more of their paychecks.
Small Business
The Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship has jurisdiction over legislation related to small business, and is responsible for oversight of the Small Business Administration. Additionally, it is tasked with researching problems facing small businesses in the United States and reporting them to the full Senate.
Taxes
Our current tax code is too complex, inefficient and long overdue for reform. The last major reform occurred 29 years ago when President Reagan signed the 1986 Tax Reform Act. Over this period of time, the tax code has grown by more than 40,000 pages. Additionally, according to the National Taxpayers Union, the cost of tax preparation cost taxpayers and businesses an estimated $202.1 billion this past year, due to 6.1 billion hours in labor lost complying with the tax code. I believe we must streamline our tax code, broaden our tax base and lower rates across the board. Making these changes will benefit the economy and protect hard-working South Dakota families from higher taxes.
Trade
Free and fair trade plays an important role in American commerce. From higher wages for U.S. workers to supporting small businesses and agriculture, trade has a proven record of keeping our economy healthy and vibrant. In South Dakota alone, trade supports 124,000 jobs. In 2013, we exported $3.7 billion worth of products. Trade levels the playing field in the global marketplace so we have the best opportunity to promote American-made goods throughout the world. We should continually be looking for ways to increase trade opportunities.
The bipartisan Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation passed earlier this year was an important first step in establishing clear guidelines that enforce transparency, maintain Congress’ important role in the process and sure South Dakotans’ voices are heard in all trade negotiations.
Education
Education
A strong education system is vital to making certain our young people have the opportunity for a prosperous future. To accomplish that goal, I believe the federal government’s role in education should be limited and well-defined. In July, the Senate Passed the Every Child Achieves Act, or ECAA, a comprehensive, bipartisan overhaul of our education system that will improve the quality of education across the nation. The ECAA restores decision-making on education and accountability standards to those who know students best—parents, teachers and local school boards—and provides flexibility to our education system.
Environment
Environment
The Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee has jurisdiction over a host of issues important to South Dakotans. It oversees key infrastructure projects and provides oversight to two agencies known for overstepping their regulatory boundaries: the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S Army Corps of Engineers. As a member of the EPW committee and Chairman of the Subcommittee Superfund, Waste Management and Regulatory Oversight, I will fight to keep over regulation of these agencies in check and promote a fact-based energy and infrastructure policy that encourages economic growth.
Health Care
Health Care
Obamacare continues to wreak havoc on the health care industry. I will work to repeal and replace it, section-by-section, in a business-like manner. Too many South Dakotans have lost the coverage they enjoyed, faced higher premiums or been dropped from their provider all together because of Obamacare. Instead, it should be replaced with a market-based solution that keeps Americans in control of their health care.
Immigration
Immigration
President Obama overstepped his boundaries when he used executive action to essentially provide amnesty to millions of immigrants who crossed our borders illegally. Our immigration system is unequivocally broken, but reform must start with stronger border security to stop the influx of illegal immigrants for good. Only then can we begin to create a limited, legal path to citizenship for those who are currently in the U.S. illegally.
Infrastructure
Energy
I believe in a “North American” solution to our dependence on foreign energy, which includes the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. Maintaining steady, balanced energy production will allow the United States to export energy around the world while growing our economy and strengthening our national security. I will continue to work in the Senate to promote South Dakota and American energy production.
Veterans
Veterans
Our men and women in uniform make incredible sacrifices to protect and defend our freedoms. Thus, it is our duty to make sure they receive the care they’ve been promised upon returning to civilian life. As a member of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, I am committed to giving our veterans the care and benefits they need to thrive and grow. Recent scandals within the Department of Veterans Affairs are unacceptable; I will keep a close watch on the agency so that such mistakes do not happen again.
Cybersecurity
The number one responsibility of the federal government is to provide for the defense of our country, and now more than ever, that includes protecting our defense systems and civilian infrastructure from damaging cyber-attacks. Recent events have shown that the United States is not immune to a cyber-attack from hostile foreign actors. Even more alarming, our adversaries have determined that the reward outweighs the risk of launching a cyber-attack against our nation. It is the newest, most sophisticated form of attack threatening our national security today. A cyber-attack on our critical infrastructure, including electric grids, transportation systems and water supplies, could cause significant destruction, or worse, lead to loss of life. As chairman of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, I will work with my colleagues in Congress, the administration, our military personnel and other stakeholders to develop policies that will protect the United States from damaging cyber-attacks.
Family Values
Since my time working as governor and state senator, protecting and strengthening family values has been a priority of mine. I am pro-life and believe in the traditional definition of marriage.
Tribal Relations
The history of Native Americans is deeply woven into the fabric of America, especially in South Dakota. While we are all South Dakotans, I recognize the sovereignty of tribal governments. This creates a special relationship when interacting with local, state and federal agencies. I am committed to working as partners to seek realistic, long-term and innovative solutions to the unique circumstances our tribal governments face.
Current Position: US Representative since 2019 Affiliation: Republican Candidate: 2022 US Senator Former Position(s): Chief of Staff to the Governor of South Dakota from 2011 – 2014; US Senator; South Dakota Public Utilities Commission from 2005 – 2011
Featured Quote: Today I joined @RepTenneyand 175 of my fellow Republicans in defense of the Second Amendment. In some states across the country, conceal carry permits aren’t often permitted — we filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court to fight for lawful gun owners right to conceal carry.
Featured Video: USDA Implements Johnson Cattle Proposals
SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO) — Speaking before an event to honor Vietnam veterans Tuesday, Representative Dusty Johnson discussed the state of COVID-19 and the need for vaccination.
South Dakota National Guard activated to help with COVID-19 testing efforts “Clearly I’m not in favor of a federal national vaccine mandate,” Johnson clarified off the top before going on to say “I do think the vaccine has worked pretty well for me. It’s worked for my family, President Trump got it, President Biden got it. All 50 governors of this country, Republican and Democrat; the overwhelming majority of the house members of both parties have gotten the vaccine — it’s really the way we can best protect our communities.”
COVID-19 in South Dakota: 1,020 total new cases; Death toll rises to 2,069; Active cases at 5,035 While advocating for vaccination, Johnson also pushed for keeping schools open even with the rise of the Delta variant. “Well it seems as though the Delta variant is somewhat more contagious and appears to be hitting some young people harder than the original COVID-19,” he said. “That being said, I don’t think we need to freak out — we don’t want to overreact.”
Current Position: US Representative since 2019 Affiliation: Republican Candidate: 2022 US Senator Former Position(s): Chief of Staff to the Governor of South Dakota from 2011 – 2014; US Senator; South Dakota Public Utilities Commission from 2005 – 2011
Featured Quote: Today I joined @RepTenneyand 175 of my fellow Republicans in defense of the Second Amendment. In some states across the country, conceal carry permits aren’t often permitted — we filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court to fight for lawful gun owners right to conceal carry.
Featured Video: USDA Implements Johnson Cattle Proposals
SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO) — Speaking before an event to honor Vietnam veterans Tuesday, Representative Dusty Johnson discussed the state of COVID-19 and the need for vaccination.
South Dakota National Guard activated to help with COVID-19 testing efforts “Clearly I’m not in favor of a federal national vaccine mandate,” Johnson clarified off the top before going on to say “I do think the vaccine has worked pretty well for me. It’s worked for my family, President Trump got it, President Biden got it. All 50 governors of this country, Republican and Democrat; the overwhelming majority of the house members of both parties have gotten the vaccine — it’s really the way we can best protect our communities.”
COVID-19 in South Dakota: 1,020 total new cases; Death toll rises to 2,069; Active cases at 5,035 While advocating for vaccination, Johnson also pushed for keeping schools open even with the rise of the Delta variant. “Well it seems as though the Delta variant is somewhat more contagious and appears to be hitting some young people harder than the original COVID-19,” he said. “That being said, I don’t think we need to freak out — we don’t want to overreact.”
Dusty Johnson brings an energetic and optimistic style to Washington as South Dakota’s lone voice in the U.S. House of Representatives. A “policy guy,” he works hard to be a knowledgeable and value-added member on issues related to his two primary committee assignments: Agriculture, Transportation & Infrastructure.
Committee on Agriculture – A recognized leader in issues related to rural America, agriculture, livestock, and welfare reform, Dusty was grateful to be named Ranking Member of the Livestock & Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee. Johnson is the first Northern Plains congressman to be selected as top Republican of this subcommittee in nearly 40 years.
Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure – Dusty was appointed to this committee in his second term in advance of this year’s reauthorization of the five-year highway bill. The surface transportation bill will be among the most important pieces of legislation Congress will tackle in the 117th. T&I also has jurisdiction over other issues important to South Dakota, including railroads, aviation, pipelines, FEMA, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Dusty serves on the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, as well as the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.
Business Background
Prior to being elected to Congress, Dusty served as vice president for Vantage Point Solutions, a South Dakota-based engineering and consulting firm specializing in rural telecommunications. Vantage Point has more than 200 employees and helps rural providers design, build, and operate broadband systems in 40 states. Dusty is an expert in state and national telecommunications policy, especially Federal Communications Commission reform efforts and the transformation of the Universal Service Fund.
Public Service Experience
In 2004, Dusty was elected statewide to the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission. He worked with his colleagues to maintain a fair and reasonable regulatory environment, facilitating the investment of hundreds of millions of dollars into rural energy and telecommunications infrastructure. In 2010, Governor Dennis Daugaard asked Dusty to serve as chief of staff, the chief operating officer for much of state government. In that role, Dusty oversaw many of the Governor’s top projects and initiatives, especially those related to infrastructure and public safety.
Personal
Dusty grew up in a large working-class family in central South Dakota. He has degrees from the University of South Dakota and the University of Kansas. Dusty has been an active community volunteer, having served as a Sunday School teacher, adjunct faculty member at Dakota Wesleyan University, and president and board member of Abbott House, an agency serving abused and neglected children. He lives in Mitchell with his wife and three sons. As a family, they enjoy hiking, camping, hunting, and reading.
John R. Thune
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