Author: @SoDakCampaigns

Faith, Family, and Freedom
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
November 27, 2024

BIG Update

Happy Thanksgiving, South Dakota! I love this season – a time to slow down, spend time with my family, and think about all the things I am thankful for, like faith, family, and our freedoms.

I’m looking forward to working with a Republican Senate and White House to protect these values. Faith, family, and freedom are pillars of our nation, and we need to keep them at the center to remain a strong country.

This Thanksgiving, I hope your home is filled with loved ones, a full table, and thankfulness.

BIG Idea

The Indian Health Service (IHS) has failed numerous times to provide payment to healthcare providers for services under the purchased/referred care program within 30 days of completion. Due to the lack of payment by IHS, many Natives are left to pay a bill they don’t owe, or risk damaging their credit. My bill, the Purchased and Referred Care Improvement Act recently passed the House Natural Resources Committee to remedy this issue and make it even more clear that the IHS is responsible for these payments.

Getting this bill passed Committee is a big step forward to righting wrongs for tribal citizens.

Johnson meeting with Oglala Sioux Tribe

BIG News

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently created a group to study transgender medicine, but the group is filled with bias, secrecy, and has rejected scientific evidence. This group is angling to make gender transition medicine widely available with little to no scientific evidence to support their agenda.

I joined 28 of my colleagues to call on the WHO to dissolve this group immediately. If it isn’t ended, many people who suffer from gender dysphoria will be at risk of using improper drugs and medicinal techniques, and countries around the world will be subject to the WHO’s transgender campaign. This group must end.

You can read the letter I sent to the WHO here.

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WEEKLY ROUND[S] UP: November 18-22, 2024

Last week was another busy week out in DC! We took 48 votes on the Senate floor as Democrats attempted to confirm as many of President Biden’s nominees as possible before they lose their majority in January. With leadership elections over, we also returned to more regular activity in terms of meetings, hearings and briefings. I had the opportunity to meet with South Dakota groups, including leaders from several tribes in South Dakota. I also attended a few events to discuss advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) as well. All this and more in my Weekly Round[s] Up:

South Dakotans I met with: Leadership from the Oglala Sioux Tribe, including President Frank Star Comes Out; leadership from the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, including newly-elected President Kathleen Wooden Knife; leadership from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, including Chairwoman Janet Alkire; Dr. Julie Thorstenson, Executive Director of the Native American Fish and Wildlife Society and member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe; Dr. José-Marie Griffiths, President of Dakota State University and Dr. Ashley Podhradsky, Vice President for Research & Economic Development at Dakota State University; and Chris Baumgartner and Ryan Norrell from Basin Electric Power Cooperative.

Met with South Dakotans from: Eagle Butte, Lantry, Madison, Mission, Onida, Pine Ridge and Watertown.

Other meetings: Christopher Waller, member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve; Adriana Kugler, member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve; Sam Feist, CEO of C-SPAN; Dr. Jon Kosloski, Director of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO); Henry Schuck, CEO of ZoomInfo; Ian Bremmer, President of Eurasia Group; Brian Anderson, President of the Coalition for Health AI; Thomas Tull; Gregory Allen, Director of the Wadhwani AI Center at the Center for Strategic and International Studies; and Ana Botin, Executive Chairman of Santander Group. I spoke at the American Fintech Council’s Policy Summit and at FinRegLab’s AI Symposium. I also hosted an AI Visionaries dinner where I had the opportunity to sit down with leaders from all across the field and discuss the future of AI in the United States. 

I hosted our Senate Bible Study in my office, where our verse of the week was 2 Corinthians 5:20. I also attended a prayer breakfast with Mathilde Mukantabana, Rwanda’s Ambassador to the United States.

Halifax International Security Forum: This weekend, I joined a group of my colleagues in attending the Halifax International Security Forum in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. This conference is always a good opportunity to connect with our allies from around the world to discuss our international security priorities. I spoke on a panel regarding the challenge we face in supporting Ukraine’s defense of their homeland against Russia. You can watch the clip of that here.

Votes taken: 48 – almost all of these have been on nominations to judicial positions across the country.

Legislation Introduced: I introduced the “Returning Education to Our States Act” which would eliminate the U.S. Department of Education and redistribute all critical federal programs under other departments. Despite the Department spending $16,000 per student per year, standardized test scores have been dropping over the past ten years, further displaying the federal Department’s ineffectiveness on the quality of education for American students. Local school boards and state Departments of Education know best what their students need, not unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. My legislation would redirect critical programs like Title I, special education and tribal programs to Departments of Interior, Treasury, Health and Human Services, Labor and State. Most importantly, there would be NO cuts to current funding levels. Read more here.

Floor Action: I delivered remarks on the Senate floor requesting passage of the Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act. This legislation would place 40 acres of land at the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre, purchased by the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in 2022, into restricted fee status. Unfortunately, my attempt to pass this bill was blocked by Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.). I will keep working to get this legislation across the finish line.

Hearings: We had two closed hearings in the Select Committee on Intelligence.

Classified briefings: I attended two classified briefings this week: one on biotechnology as part of my work on the Select Committee on Intelligence and the other on Ukraine as part of my work on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

My staff in South Dakota visited: Aberdeen, Madison, Mitchell, Wall and Watertown.

Steps taken this past week: 51,269 steps or 25.73 miles.

Video of the week: I joined Fox News on Thursday to discuss my new bill “Returning Education to Our States Act” as well as President-elect Trump’s cabinet picks:

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Senator Sydney Davis to Receive CSG 20 Under 40 Leadership Award
20 up-and-coming elected and appointed state officials to be awarded at the 2024 CSG National Conference

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 20, 2024) — The Council of State Governments has selected Senator Sydney Davis as one of 20 recipients to receive the 2024 CSG 20 Under 40 Leadership Award. This year’s class, representing U.S. 16 states and territories across all four CSG regions, is composed of esteemed and accomplished public servants whose hard work and dedication to public service is exhibited through service to their communities.

“I am truly honored to be recognized for leadership on behalf of my district and state. This acknowledgment demonstrates the importance of collaboration, hard work, and the power of public service to create meaningful change. I share this recognition with my family, mentors, and the incredible community I am privileged to serve. It inspires me to continue working tirelessly for a better future for South Dakota and beyond,” said Senator Sydney Davis. “One of the things I’m most proud of as a legislator is that many of the bills and ideas I’ve brought to Pierre originated directly from conversations with friends and neighbors back home. That means so much to me because that’s exactly how our process should work. It should reflect the voices of the people—bringing forward their questions, concerns, and ideas for solutions. I’ve been honored to help turn those ideas into meaningful policy.”

CSG annually welcomes outstanding leaders to join the 20 Under 40 community who exemplify a commitment to bipartisan and innovative solutions. While politically and personally diverse, the 2024 class is united in their pursuit of advancing the common good.

Senator Sydney Davis was elected to represent District 17 in 2020, where she has been a champion for her constituents and a dedicated voice for rural South Dakota. As the prime sponsor, she has successfully guided 16 bills to final passage and co-sponsored 77 bills signed into law, addressing critical issues like health care, workforce development, and small business support. A lifelong South Dakotan, Senator Davis brings a passion for community, a commitment to common-sense solutions, and a collaborative approach to leadership that delivers real results for the people she serves.

“As these exceptional leaders step forward to shape the future of their states, they embody the values that drive our work at The Council of State Governments — civility, collaboration and innovation,” said David Adkins, CSG executive director/CEO. “The 2024 CSG 20 Under 40 Leadership Award recipients represent the best of public service, demonstrating that leadership knows no age. Their achievements inspire confidence in the promise of state government to meet the challenges of tomorrow.”

“Recipients of the CSG 20 Under 40 Leadership Award showcase the incredible influence young leaders are having across the country to make meaningful impact in their states,” said Lorna Patches, CSG director of leadership development. “We look forward to having the opportunity to feature their achievements and celebrate their success during our annual national conference in December.”

The CSG 20 Under 40 Leadership Award was launched in 2020, inspired by the vision of New Hampshire Sen. Lou D’Allesandro, a devoted public servant of more than 50 years. As the 2019 CSG National Chair, D’Allesandro recognized a need for CSG to foster engagement with younger state leaders. Thanks to his efforts, the talents of 100 emerging elected and appointed state officials have since been recognized.

“The young leaders recognized with the award are a diverse group of change makers whose passion for public service matches the enthusiasm Sen. D’Allesandro has brought to his many public service roles,” Adkins said. “Coach Lou’s legacy looms large in the New Hampshire Capitol and his dedication to serve others is embodied in the recipients of the award he inspired.”

CSG 20 Under 40 Leadership Award recipients are selected from a competitive pool of applicants based on their bipartisan work, leadership and work within a specific policy area. Award nominees have demonstrated excellence in one or more of the following areas:

• Ability to engage officials across party, departments, branch and/or state lines in meaningful ways to advance the common good for their state/territory.
• Provide exceptional leadership to a state project, committee, chamber, commission or special
• Serve as a champion of change and seek to enhance the lives of all constituents within a specific policy area.

In addition to being an elected or appointed state official from a U.S. state or territory, nominees must be age 40 or younger on Dec. 31 of the year in which they are selected.

Recipients of the 2024 CSG Under 40 Leadership Award will be recognized at the CSG National Conference, Dec. 4-7, in New Orleans.

To learn more about the CSG 20 Under 40 Leadership Award, visit web.csg.org/20-40. Applications will reopen in spring 2025 for next year’s class of award recipients.

About The Council of State Governments

The Council of State Governments is our nation’s only organization serving all three branches of state government. CSG is a region-based forum that fosters the exchange of insights and ideas to help state officials shape public policy. This offers unparalleled regional, national and international opportunities to network, develop leaders, collaborate and create problem-solving partnerships.

For more information about The Council of State Governments, visit csg.org.

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A few housekeeping items for SDWC, mainly to do with translating words to sound.

• I’m attempting to find a TTS (Text to speech) solution I like, as I’ve had a couple of requests for people to be able to listen to posts versus trying to read them while on the run and for the visually impaired, so you might see a “listen to post” button appearing here and there as I test things.

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  Let me know what you think in terms of whether it helps with your use of the website, or if it causes weirdness. Ideally, I’d like something that would read all the posts on the page at a time, but we’ll see what solutions I can find.

• The “listen on the run” discussion has also moved me closer to working out the details for a regular podcast or vodcast (Video podcast) and moving that forward. I’m mainly slogging through the format, since I’m the writer, producer, audio engineer, etc. I don’t want to do it, unless I can do it well, but I’m just about there.  More on this to come, and if there are potentially interested sponsors, get in touch, and we can talk.
• Speaking of sponsors, there are still lots of advertising space left as we move towards the 2025 session (and the 2026 elections) – drop me a note for details and prices.

Attorney General Jackley Reminds Shoppers About Holiday Scams

PIERRE, S.D. – With the Christmas shopping season starting in earnest this week,  South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley warns shoppers that scammers look to dampen the holiday spirit.

“Scammers enjoy the holidays for all the wrong reasons,” said Attorney General Jackley. “They are always looking for ways to steal a person’s personal and financial information whether people are shopping in a store or online.”

One common scam during the holidays is receiving an email or text from the U.S. Postal Service, Federal Express or another delivery service telling the customer they have a package waiting and to click onto to the attached link for delivery instructions. Never click onto such a link but contact the delivery organization directly to confirm the information.

A scam that has increased during the holiday season involves gift cards. People who purchase gift cards should carefully check the card to make sure there has been no visible tampering with the package or the area to scratch off the code.

“Before you sign for an unexpected delivery, click onto a strange website or email, or agree to buy something over the telephone or Internet, always take a few minutes check out things first,” said Attorney General Jackley.

If you believe you have been a victim of a shopping scam or theft, you are encouraged to call the Consumer Protection Division at [email protected] or call 1-800-300-1986 or 605-773-4400.

Consumers can also sign up for Consumer Alerts via email from the Consumer Protection Division at www.consumer.sd.gov. Email addresses will not be shared or sold to a third party.

The Consumer Protection Division offers these tips on how to stay shopping safe:

IN-STORE PURCHASES

1. 1. Check the refund and return policies for restrictions and exceptions.
   2. Are there re-stocking fees for returned items?
   3. When buying gift cards, check for fees and expiration dates that apply.
   4. Compare Prices.
   5. Review warranties before purchasing.

Along with those traditional shopping methods consumers also need to proceed with caution when dealing with online retailers.

 ONLINE SHOPPING TIPS:

1. 1. Always place orders from a secure connection – If your computer isn’t protected from potential malicious software, your financial information and passwords are at risk from being stolen and anything else you store on your computer or do online.
   2. Avoid offers that seem “to good to be true” – Any e-store that promises too much at too low a price should cause you to pause before going forward. Look-a-like sites are out there waiting to take your information and money.
   3. Don’t use an e-store that requires more information than necessary to make the sale.  Expect to provide method of payment, shipping address, telephone number, and email address IF the merchant requests other information walk away from the sale.  Never give your bank account or social security information.
   4. Need to create a password for a site? – make it unique.  Most site will allow you to make the purchase as a guest but if you want to create account use a unique and strong password.
   5. Is the site secure?  Look for the “https” NOT “http” the ‘s’ tells you website is secure and encrypted to protect your information.
   6. Use a Credit Card to make your purchases – Credit cards have standard protections in place should your card information be stolen.
   7. ALWAYS check the company’s shipping and return policies. Know the time frames for eligible returns and do you need a RMA, Return of Merchandise Authorization number before returning merchandise.
   8. ow the time frames you may be up against if you need to return the product.
   9. If the Terms and Conditions are buried within the site or if they are vague – stop and think before completing the purchase.

SMARTPHONE SHOPPING TIPS:

1. 1. Be sure your computer and mobile devices are current with all software updates.
   2. Be cautious of social media scams. Stick to the sites that you are familiar with and do not click on unfamiliar links.
   3. Research price comparison apps. There are many malicious mobile apps just ready to be downloaded.
   4. Do not download apps from unknown sources.

SCAM MESSAGE TIPS:

1. 1. Never click or access the link that is provided.
   2. Always go directly to source and contact them.
   3. Scammers may tell you there is a fraud investigation, and you must “verify” your account or claim there is an unauthorized or fraudulent activity on your Amazon account
   4. Common ways to detect a fake message:

1. Misspelling and poor grammar;
2. Abnormally long numbers;
3. Suspicious link – nothing relevant to the company they say they are from;
4. Message is urgent; and,
5. Message offers a refund.

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From KELOland News, State Auditor Rich Sattgast and his staff have put state agencies on notice to get pre-approval on promotional items and training events, as opposed to submitting the expenses after the fact:

Finance officers throughout South Dakota state government have received notice that they will need prior approval from the office of State Auditor Rich Sattgast before spending any public dollars for employees’ or non-employees’ meals or refreshments that exceed state per diem rates, or for hosting conferences or training events, or for recruiting and promotional items.

and..

“We want to work with state employees. We don’t want to hang them out to dry. But we are the watchdog of state tax dollars,” she added.

Read the entire story here.

And before some of you start, this has been going on for decades. So, it’s a useful reminder for agencies to ask before they make plans to buy those water bottles.. or plan on serving jumbo shrimp cocktail for an event as one department did when I was in state government 30 some years ago.

Gov. Noem Announces Cornerstones of Government Accountability

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem announced four cornerstones to enhance government accountability in the State of South Dakota. As the first step, Governor Noem signed Executive Order 2024-07, which establishes required state employee trainings centered around public trust, duty to act, internal controls, conflict of interest, and a service mindset for the citizens of South Dakota. 

“Every dollar that we spend or invest as a state belongs to the people of South Dakota, and they trust us to be wise and responsible with those dollars,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “We are taking enhanced measures to strengthen the fortitude of our financial infrastructure and make sure that we are taking care of taxpayer dollars. And we will guarantee that state employees are responsible stewards for the people that they serve.”

The four cornerstones of Governor Noem’s approach to fiscal fortitude include:

• Additional annual state employee trainings as outlined in Executive Order 2024-07;
• Enhancements to policies, procedures, systems, and technology to strengthen internal controls of taxpayer dollars;
• Increasing resources to assist with the mission of the State Board of Internal Control – Governor Noem has already taken action and hired one additional Internal Control Officer; and
• A legislative package for the 2025 legislative session, including clearer and stronger accountability measures.

Several actions have already been made as state agencies are onboarded through the Board of Internal Control process. We have more to do. The upcoming implementation of the new BISON state accounting system and the 605 Drive motor vehicle system will provide more safeguards to protect taxpayer dollars that simply were not possible with the state’s aging technology systems.

The State Board of Internal Control was created in 2016 with the goal of establishing and maintaining guidelines for an effective system of accountability to be implemented by state agencies, a code of conduct for use by state agencies, and a conflict of interest policy for use by state agencies. SDCL 1-56-1(3) defines an internal control as “a process that integrates the… procedures, systems, resources, and efforts of an organization and that is designed to… detect and prevent financial malfeasance.”

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In case you were wondering how the legislature is going to look next year, the Legislative Research Council announced the House Committee makeup a few moments ago:

Legislative Committees (** denotes Chair, * denotes Vice Chair):

Agriculture and Natural Resources: Marty Overweg**, Spencer Gosch *, Julie Auch, Tim Goodwin, Jana Hunt, Travis Ismay, Trish Ladner, Kaley Nolz, Drew Peterson, Kathy Rice, Richard Vasgaard, Kevin Van Diepen, Kadyn Wittman

Appropriations: Mike Derby**, Tony Venhuizen*, Terri Jorgenson, Chris Kassin, Liz May, Scott Moore, Erik Muckey, Al Novstrup, John Sjaarda

Commerce and Energy: Karla Lems**, Jessica Bahmuller*, Aaron Aylward, Steve Duffy, Lana Greenfield, Tony Kayser, Tina Mulally, Kaley Nolz, Drew Peterson, Tesa Schwans, William Shorma, Nicole Uhre-Balk, Mike Weisgram

Education: Lana Greenfield**, Phil Jensen*, Amber Arlint, Heather Baxter, Roger DeGroot, Josephine Garcia, Jim Halverson, Mellissa Heermann, Travis Ismay, Dylan Jordan, Logan Manhart, Kathy Rice, Tesa Schwans, Mike Stevens, Nicole Uhre-Balk

Government Operations and Audit: Marty Overweg**, Scott Moore*, Julie Auch, Eric Emery, Karla Lems

Health and Human Services: Brian Mulder**, Les Heinemann*, Bobbi Andera, Heather Baxter, Eric Emery, Josephine Garcia, Jim Halverson, Dylan Jordan, Tony Kayser, Logan Manhart, Rebecca Reimer, Taylor Rehfeldt, Brandei Schaefbauer

Judiciary: Mike Stevens**, Bethany Soye*, Mary Fitzgerald, John Hughes, Jana Hunt, David Kull, Curt Massie, Will Mortenson, Peri Pourier, Rebecca Reimer, Tim Reisch, Matt Roby, Tim Walburg

Legislative Procedure: Jon Hansen**, Karla Lems*, Erin Healy, Tina Mulally, Scott Odenbach, Marty Overweg, Tony Venhuizen

Local Government: Greg Jamison**, Julie Auch*, Bobbi Andera, Jeff Bathke, Roger DeGroot, Mary Fitzgerald, Mellissa Heermann, David Kull, Trish Ladner, Tina Mulally, Matt Roby, Kevin Van Diepen, Kadyn Wittman

Military and Veterans Affairs: Tim Goodwin**, Tim Reisch*, Aaron Aylward, Jessica Bahmuller, Heather Baxter, Terri Jorgenson, Tony Kayser, Scott Moore, Peri Pourier, Christopher Reder, Tony Randolph, William Shorma, Keri Weems

Retirement Laws: Mike Weisgram**, Les Heinemann*, Amber Arlint, David Kull, Erik Muckey

State Affairs: Scott Odenbach**, Marty Overweg*, Jessica Bahmuller, Eric Emery, Spencer Gosch, Jon Hansen, Erin Healy, Les Heinemann, Greg Jamison, Karla Lems, Tim Reisch, Brandei Schaefbauer, Bethany Soye

Taxation: Aaron Aylward**, John Hughes*, Jeff Bathke, Curt Massie, Will Mortenson, Herman Otten, Peri Pourier, Christopher Reder, Kent Roe, Tony Randolph, Tim Walburg, Keri Weems, Mike Weisgram

Transportation: Tony Randolph**, Herman Otten*, Amber Arlint, Steve Duffy, Tim Goodwin, Phil Jensen, Brian Mulder, Christopher Reder, Taylor Rehfeldt, Kent Roe, William Shorma, Richard Vasgaard, Keri Weems

Interim Committees (** denotes Chair or co-Chair):

Joint Appropriations: Mike Derby**(co-Chair), Terri Jorgenson, Chris Kassin, Liz May, Scott Moore, Erik Muckey, Al Novstrup, John Sjaarda, Tony Venhuizen

Rules Review: Roger DeGroot, Jon Hansen, Erik Muckey

State-Tribal Relations: Will Mortenson**(co-Chair), Heather Baxter, Eric Emery, Scott Odenbach, Peri Pourier

Thoughts?

Support South Dakota’s Small Businesses
By Sen. John Thune

Soon after the snow starts in South Dakota, Thanksgiving ushers in the holiday season. I love this time of year: gathering around the Thanksgiving feast with my family, throwing the football around outside, and giving thanks to God for our many blessings.

Of course, the holiday season also means a long to-do list: picking up groceries, finding the perfect gift, and getting gas for the trip to see family. Whatever it is you need and wherever the holidays take you, South Dakota’s small businesses will have you covered.

For a number of years now, the Saturday after Thanksgiving has marked Small Business Saturday. It’s a special opportunity to support the roughly 95,000 small businesses that are the backbone of our state’s and many communities’ economies. Shopping small has a big impact. Small businesses are often a lot more than a storefront on Main Street, they are a big a part of our communities. Dollars spent at a small business stay local, and small businesses often turn around and support their communities through booster clubs, Chambers of Commerce, or even offering a young person his or her first job.

I also have a great appreciation for the important role small businesses play in helping people achieve the American Dream. After immigrating from Norway and helping build the railroad across South Dakota, my grandfather and his brother opened a hardware store in Mitchell. My grandfather opened another location in Murdo, and my parents worked there after World War II. I also got my start working at a small business: the Star Family Restaurant. I worked my way up from busboy to cook, and it taught me invaluable lessons about hard work and what it takes to run a small business.

As I’m traveling around South Dakota, it’s always a pleasure to drop in to small businesses wherever I am. It’s great to have a chance to hear directly from business owners and see what their operation is all about. Just recently I stopped into the Daily Grind in Lemmon for a cup of coffee, and got some treats for my grandkids at Grandma’s Chocolates. I was at the Meathouse in Andover, and popped into Mike’s Food Center down the road in Webster. And I grabbed lunch at Toby’s Lounge in Meckling on my way to tour Masaba’s manufacturing facility in Vermillion.

These visits give me valuable insight when I return to Washington. Small business owners need pro-growth policies that help them reinvest in their businesses, hire more workers, and grow. Next year, Congress will have an important debate about tax policy as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act expires at the end of 2025. President Trump and Republican majorities in Congress are committed to preserving lower tax rates and policies that ushered in a strong economy and grew paychecks during the first Trump administration. As always, I’ll rely on the input from South Dakota small businesses for this important debate.

Small businesses are at the heart of the American spirit. Whether they’re working out of a storefront on Main Street or working late nights at their kitchen table to get a business off the ground, small business owners are preserving the American Dream. I hope you’ll join me in supporting South Dakota’s small businesses this Small Business Saturday, throughout the holiday season, and all year round.

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Making Washington Work for You
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
November 21, 2024

 BIG Update

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Director testified in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee this week to address concerns about the Agency’s response to disasters. It was recently reported that employees were directed to skip homes that displayed Trump signs or flags.

I joined Fox Business to discuss the hearing. You can watch my conversation by clicking here or the image below.

BIG Idea

Our veterans served to keep America the way the Founders intended—free. In return for their service, they deserve the best support and care we can provide. I’ve heard from veterans and veterans’ groups in the past that the current system isn’t doing enough to meet their needs. To address these concerns and remedy deficiencies in the VA, I voted to pass the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act which covers a broad range of veterans’ health care and benefits policies.

To name a few, the bill would streamline the Veterans Community Care Program, including the patient scheduling system, dental treatment availability, and outreach to veterans. It also provides much-needed support for caregivers, increases assistance for nursing home alternatives and establishes a program to provide in-home care services. The bill also provides resources and support to Native American veterans and homeless veterans.

The Elizabeth Dole Act is a huge win for veterans to provide overdue updates to make sure our veterans don’t get the short end of the stick during and after their service.

BIG News

Earlier this year, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) announced it would be restructuring post offices across the country, including two in South Dakota. Following opposition to these changes from Congress and citizens, the USPS put the plan on pause to reevaluate their decision. This week, the USPS announced it will not be changing the services at the Sioux Falls post office. This is great news for those in Sioux Falls who won’t experience drastically higher processing times for local mail. I’m glad the USPS is changing its course.

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