Author: @SoDakCampaigns

Rounds Issues Statement on “Product of USA” Voluntary Labeling Rule

Rounds has led the Congressional effort on closing the ‘Product of USA’ labeling loophole since 2019 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) issued the following statement after the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that their new rule will be going into effect, which defines that the “Product of USA” or “Made in the USA” voluntary labels can only be applied to meat, poultry and egg products that are born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the United States.

“Integrity has been restored to the ‘Product of the USA’ label,” said Rounds. “For years, we’ve called on the USDA to take action to stop foreign beef from using the ‘Product of the USA’ voluntary label. Our work is finally paying off.

“This rule change is a victory for American consumers and producers. Now that this rule has been finalized, our consumers will no longer be misled by a ‘Product of the USA’ label that had previously been permitted for use on foreign products. Hardworking American producers will no longer be at a disadvantage in the marketplace, where their high quality product had previously been labeled the same as foreign beef.

“While we acknowledge the magnitude of this ruling, there is still more work to be done. We need to address meat packer concentration and Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling for beef in order to restore transparency and fairness to the cattle market. The work must continue, and I remain committed to fighting for American ranchers and consumers.”

BACKGROUND:

Rounds led the congressional effort to close the “Product of USA” loophole:

• On October 30, 2019, Rounds first introduced legislation which would have made certain that the “Product of USA” label is only applied to beef and beef products exclusively derived from one or more animals born, raised and slaughtered in the United States.
• On October 30, 2019, Rounds sent a letter to then-Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue calling attention to the “Product of USA” loophole and requesting the establishment of beef labeling requirements.
• On February 3, 2021, Rounds met with Secretary Vilsack ahead of his confirmation vote to discuss the need to close the “Product of USA” labeling loophole. At the time, Vilsack agreed with Rounds that “consumers have the right to know where their meat comes from.”
• On June 25, 2021, Rounds hosted a roundtable discussion with South Dakota retailers and cattle producers on issues facing the beef industry, including the “Product of USA” label loophole.
• On July 1, 2021, Rounds issued a statement praising USDA’s decision to launch a full-scale review of the “Product of USA” label.
• On August 5, 2021, Rounds introduced the USA Beef Act which would limit the use of the “Product of USA” label only to beef products that are born, raised and slaughtered in the United States.
• On August 13, 2021, Rounds submitted a comment in opposition of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Center for Public Policy (NCBA) petition, which called for the elimination of the “Product of USA” label and the creation of a new “Processed in USA” label.
• On April 2, 2022, Rounds responded to a solicitation for comments from the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) regarding the “Product of USA” label in the Federal Register. In his comments, Rounds stated: “It is clear that consumers notice the “Product of USA” labeling claim, or producers would not utilize this voluntary label. Consumers want to know the true source of their food. It is long overdue to fix the “Product of USA” label to restore transparency and fairness for consumers in the marketplace.”
• On March 6, 2023, the USDA announced a new rule defining that the “Product of USA” or “Made in the USA” labels can only be applied to meat, poultry and egg products that are born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the United States.

SUPPORTING QUOTES:

“I appreciate Senator Rounds’ work on this ruling,” said Doug Sombke, President of South Dakota Farmers Union. “This ruling levels the playing field for U.S. producers because consumers will know where their beef comes from. The truth is consumers trust U.S. meat because of the safety and humane treatment standards our cattle producers follow. And because this label will be protected by the USDA, consumers can trust the labeling and U.S. cattle producers’ will once again have a competitive advantage over foreign beef.”

“In our 2019 petition for rulemaking to FSIS, USCA called out the practice of applying ‘Product of USA’ and ‘Made in the USA’ labeling claims on beef products that the food safety agency itself admitted could have come from other countries,” said Justin Tupper, President of United States Cattlemen’s Association. “USCA is thrilled that the proposed rule finally closes this loophole by accurately defining what these voluntary origin claims mean. If it says ‘Made in the USA,’ then it should be from cattle that have only known USA soil. Consumers have the right to know where their food comes from, full stop. We recognize the relentless work by our champions in Congress, including my home-state Senator Mike Rounds, who sponsored the U.S.A. Beef Act that would have prohibited beef from bearing the phrase ‘Product of USA’ unless it was exclusively derived from U.S. cattle. We could not have elevated this issue without the many voices speaking up in support of the change.”

“With American cattle herds at a 60-year low, it is regrettable for consumers and cattle producers that it has taken 8 years to stop the mislabeling of foreign beef,” said Brett Kenzy, President of R-CALF USA. “Public sentiment has rallied to force the USDA to stop the lie, now America needs Congress to compel the truth by enacting The American Beef Labeling Act.”

“The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association (SDSGA) is very grateful for South Dakota Senator Michael Rounds efforts to re-establish Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) in order that our producer members can once more take pride in showcasing their superior quality products and consumers can be reassured of purchasing wholesome nutrition for their families,” said Doris Lauing, Executive Director of South Dakota Stockgrowers Association. “SDSGA members are appreciative of and supportive of the Senator’s leadership to obstruct the current fraudulent mislabeling of foreign imported meats with our prized USA label. Thank you, Senator Rounds, for addressing this deceptive practice by importers resulting in losses of millions of dollars to South Dakota beef producers.”

“The South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association (SDCA) welcomes USDA FSIS’s rule that amends the voluntary Product of the USA label to only be allowed on meat that is born, raised, and slaughtered in the USA,” said Warren Symens, President of the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association. “The prior rule allowed the voluntary label to be used on beef that was re-packaged in the USA, no matter where it had originated. We have long held the position that this was a violation of the consumer’s trust, and that the Product of the USA label needs to have the truth and integrity behind it that consumers expect from our nation’s beef producers. SDCA applauds this change to protect the positive relationship our nation’s beef producers have with its consumers and thanks Senator Rounds for his efforts.”

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Dakota Town Hall is out with another edition of their excellent podcast with Murdoc & Jake Schoenbeck. Guests this week include House Assistant Majority Leader Taylor Rehfeldt who talks about what she’s glad to have accomplished this session.

Check it out, and listen every week!  New Episodes are available every Friday.

Had a report today confirming that after spending the last week of the session getting beat up in the media, State Senator Tom Pischke was spotted out last Friday collecting signatures on his petitions for State Senate.

Which means only one thing – Get your checkbooks out and send his Republican primary opponent Jordan Youngberg a check.

You can send your donations to:

Youngberg for SD Senate
613 S Allen Ave
Colman, SD 57017

Make it snappy!

Good news for Republicans today, as Joni Tschetter who ran for District 15 House in the last election has filed petitions at the Secretary of State’s office today to give it another go. Joni was narrowly beaten out for a District 15 House seat in 2022 by Democrat Kadyn Wittman with a margin of fewer than 100 votes. Joni did a nice job in her race, and has a strong possibility of narrowing that margin and potentially even capturing one of the two seats in a second time at bat.

Thank God we finally have a good candidate in the contest, as just today I received another manifesto from her fellow D15 Republican House candidate Mike Zitterich, declaring among many things…

The American Declaration of Independence provides to the American People just how to Take Back America, and to Establish a New Government. If you were to read it closely, and pay attention, there is a legal manner, and legal mechanism for doing so.

and..

Today, 2022 to 2029 you’re seeing the trials and tribulations of Donald Trump and the Republic vs the Investigations of the Administration-Corporate Company.  The next period will be 2030 to 2037 the Restoration of the Republic to its natural state of being minus all the Corporate structure. This may lead to war or it may not.  By 2040 if we win, we have reached a Full Jubilee, Renowned in our Faith and Country. One People, Under the House of God, to whom all 50 States acting as Free, and Sovereign Republics, Commonwealths are placed back above the National Government.

Does anyone outside of the insane asylum think that this is going to cause people to elect them? NO! For the love of God, make it stop, because he’s just stinking up the big tent with this conspiracy nonsense.  (I will detail the awfulness of the other D15 GOP House candidate Brad Lindwurm, outside of the obvious, at a later date.)

In comparison, Joni is a parent, a businesswoman, and when in education worked with people with disabilities.  She might be much more conservative than I am, and I’m sure there are things we disagree on, but I know her heart is in the right place, and she’s grounded in reality.  Those are the kinds of candidates we should be supporting for office.

I’ve said it before, and I will continue to say it until I’m blue in the face – quality candidates matter. And we need more of them.

It looks like a new candidate has announced themselves to the world, as this weekend a “Mykala Voita” has filed Statement of Organization paperwork with the Secretary of State to form a committee to run for District 21 State Senate against Incumbent State Senator Erin Tobin. And unfortunately, once again it seems like we’re going down the rabbit hole.

So, Mykala Voita filed her paperwork..

Voita_sdcfdisclosure by Pat Powers on Scribd

And not ever having heard of her, I went to the internet and did some perusing of social media. And, bad on me, I find myself faced with some unfamiliar terms, as I’ve never heard of a forerunner, nor have I heard of what “The Supernatural Life” is. Is that a wiccan thing, or what is that?

What was I saying about going down the rabbit hole?  Because I did find it.  And apparently it’s some sort of ministry. Apparently. I’m guessing it’s the ministry of the airbrush and instagram filter?

The web page blares that if you become a forerunner, you will be “part of the end-time army.” And at least according to the website, yes, candidate Voita is listed as one of their “certified forerunners.” 

You can go read all about it yourself if you’re so inclined.

You know, I just have the feeling as this candidate runs for office and serves in the end-time army, this is just the start of a strange trip more than it will be an actual campaign for office.

Stay tuned.

Johnson to TikTok: Cut Ties with the CCP or Lose Access to American Markets 

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) co-sponsored bipartisan legislation to take further steps to prohibit the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) access to Americans’ private data through apps like TikTok. The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act would remove CCP-backed ByteDance apps, including TikTok, from American app stores and web hosting services unless the application severs ties to entities like ByteDance that are subject to control of a foreign adversary.

“TikTok is Chinese Communist Party malware, promoting their propaganda and stealing Americans’ private data,” said Johnson. “This bill gives TikTok the choice—continue operating its high-user platform in America or cut ties with the Chinese Communist Party. We need to keep our country safe from the malign influence of CCP.” 

Johnson has long been a critic of TikTok and ByteDance. In 2022, he introduced the Block the Tok Act to remove TikTok from federal government devices. Later that year, he voted to ban it on federal government devices.

What the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act Does:

• Incentivize Divestment of TikTok: Unless TikTok is fully divested such that it is no longer controlled by a PRC-based entity, the application will face a prohibition in the U.S. from app store availability and web hosting services until such time as a divestment occurs.
• Address the National Security Risks Posed by Other Applications Controlled by Foreign Adversary Companies: Establishes a process for the President to designate other foreign adversary controlled social media applications—as defined by statute—that shall face a prohibition on app store availability and access to web hosting services in the United States unless they sever ties to the foreign adversary-controlled company. The President may exercise this authority if an application presents a national security threat, has over one million annual active users, and is under the control of a foreign adversary entity, as defined by statute.
• Empower Users to Switch Platforms: Designated applications must provide users with a copy of their data in a format that can be imported into an alternative social media application. All users would be able to download their data and content and transition to another platform.

What the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act Does Not Do:

• Punish Individual Social Media Users: No enforcement action can be taken against individual users of an impacted app.
• Censor Speech: This legislation does not regulate speech. It is focused entirely on foreign adversary control—not the content of speech being shared. This bill only applies to specifically defined social media apps subject to the control of foreign adversaries, as defined by Congress.
• Impact Apps That Sever Ties to Foreign Adversary-Controlled Entities: An app, including TikTok, that severs ties with entities subject to the control of a foreign adversary is not impacted by any other provision of the bill.

View full bill text here.

The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act is led by the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL)

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Received an e-mail last night that the Brookings County GOP has a couple of events coming up this weekend and next Monday:

Legislative Wrap-up March 16 – District 7 & 8 legislators will meet with Brookings County Republicans to review the just completed legislative session at the Saturday, March 16 meeting at the Outdoor Adventure Center.   A short business meeting at 9:00 a.m. will be followed by the legislative report with time for questions and answers.  This is your opportunity to visit with legislators about the challenges facing South Dakota.  Coffee and cookies will be served.

Meet Kristie Fiegen March 18 – S.D Public Utilities Commissioner Kristie Fiegen will be speaking at the Monday, March 18 Republican Noon Luncheon at Cubby’s in Brookings.  Fiegen is currently chairman of the P.U.C. and is up for  reelection. This is your opportunity to learn more about state  government.  Cubby’s Bar & Grill, 307 Main Avenue.  Lunch from the menu available at 11:45, program from noon to 1 p.m.  The public is invited.

Now, I did hear that for District 8, at least 2 of the 3 have planned post-legislative session vacations over this weekend, so they probably won’t be there on Saturday. Rep. Mills is local, so he’ll most likely represent the D8 contingent.  Haven’t spoken to the local D7 reps, as I think everyone is still in hiding after an exhausting legislative session.

Trying to decide if I’m going. We’ll see.  The Luncheon meeting on Monday is usually a good event, so I’ll have to try to make that.

Are you a member of the GOP faithful, and can’t find the form? Or are you thinking of going to the State GOP Convention on June 7/8 in Pierre, and want to offer your voice as to what should be in the GOP platform, what resolutions should be in place, and most importantly, who the Republican party’s candidates should be?

Well, here’s your chance.  You too can be a Republican Party Precinct Committeeman or Committeewoman.

I’ve had a couple of people – hoping they could improve the situation with the GOP at the grassroots level – ask me where the could find the form to be a Republican Precinct Committeeman or Republican Precinct Committeewoman.   At one time when I managed the Republican Party website before they went to a new version, that form was available for download. Since I haven’t managed it for some time, and with the new iteration of the website, unfortunately that form isn’t hosted there anymore. Or at the very least, it’s a lot tougher to find.

So, I’m going to help walk you through the process, and post the information for you. Want to be a precinct person? First off, you have to be a Republican registered to vote in the state of South Dakota.  And you have to sign a form. That’s it.

The form is actually available on the Secretary of State’s website, but you have to do a little digging. So, I’m going to bring it to you to download directly here.  You can download the form in Microsoft Word at this link.. Or, you can download and print out the .pdf version of the form by clicking here.

Now that you have this form in hand, how do you fill it out?

It’s pretty straight forward based on how you filled out your voter registration address.

I, _(Write your name here)_, of __(your County)__ County, declare myself a candidate for the position of __(Republican)__ (insert party) Party Precinct ___(Committeeman or Woman based in your gender)__ (insert committeeman or committeewoman) for Precinct No. __(****)__.

Here’s where some might be confused if you don’t know your precinct. It’s actually easy for you to find. You can ask your county auditor, or on-line, you can go to the Secretary of State’s Voter Information Portal and do a search for your voter registration.

After filling it out, it will come back with your voter information, including your PRECINCT NUMBER.  Use that information on the form.  Continuing on,

My mailing address is ______________________________________, __________________________, SD ________, my residence address is __________________________________, _____________________, SD ________, my email address is ____________________________________, and my telephone number is ________________________.

All of that information is straightforward, and should be used based on your voting registration address.  On Telephone and E-mail, that requirement was the most recent information added to the form, and it is required for it to be complete.

and furthermore..

I certify all of the above information to be true.

Print Name ____________________________________

Date __________________

Signature ______________________________________

Telephone Number _________________________

Again, very straightforward.

From here, we have a filled out form, which needs to be PHYSICALLY turned into your local county auditor before March 26th. Mailing should be sufficient if it will get there before the deadline (or send REGISTERED MAIL never certified), but many just drop it off in person. No e-mailing.

From this point, if your position is uncontested as many precinct positions across the state are, if no one else files, you will have won your election, and have won the right to vote at the Republican convention. OR if you have someone else seeking a precinct position, you will have a primary election on June 4th.  Either way, the list of the precinct-level candidates can be found here, and it is updated live as forms come into the offices.

If you have a primary election, you have the ability to campaign for the office, and that’s done so to the Republican voters who reside within your precinct boundaries. You can put up signs, go door to door, etcetera to all. It may be as few as a couple dozen Republicans, or as in my case, I have 600 households, because the county hasn’t split my precinct in a very long time. So it’s a bit of a chore.

With that information, you are now in possession of the ability to have your voice be heard at the South Dakota Republican Party’s convention in early June in Pierre. 

Don’t like how things are going? Never be afraid to be an agent for change.

I was remarking to a member of Legislative Leadership yesterday that it’s kind of a downer reporting on just a depressing string of awfulness lately with badly behaving legislators doing things with syrup bottles, gatecrashers, and candidates whose family members have to file lawsuits to stop them from misappropriating the family inheritance.  So maybe it’s a worthwhile exercise to point out what’s going well.

As we move into election season, one thing I am noticing is that things seem to have settled down in the Secretary of State’s election office. The process of candidate certification seems to be going smoothly, the election office is generally responsive to information requests, and we don’t seem to see any major screw ups. In other words, all things seem like they should be.

Maybe it’s the result of the office working to get back to basics, and shaking off the election trutherism that dogged Monae Johnson’s early tenure. There was early evidence of this before session as the SOS urged South Dakotans to trust election officials, and that’s a good thing.

Hopefully they can continue to follow in supporting county election officials and help South Dakotas understand that the wave of attacks on election machines through county level initiated petition efforts appear to be an attempt to illegally disenfranchise the disabled in from voting in violation of federal law.

Regardless, let’s give credit where credit is due when we can positively highlight the efforts of Secretary of State Monae Johnson and her staff. It’s a good thing.

 

The President Promises More of the Same
By Sen. John Thune

After three years of an inflation crisis, a border crisis, and national security challenges around the world, President Biden’s State of the Union address was hardly the course correction our country needs. In fact, the president promised more of the same policies that led to these problems in the first place. Like many Americans, I’m ready to turn the page on the failed policies that have made life more expensive, our country less secure, and our world increasingly unstable.

The inflation crisis the president helped create may be the Biden administration’s defining legacy. Today it costs a typical family $1,000 more per month to maintain the standard of living it enjoyed when President Biden took office. Americans are feeling the pain of higher prices, particularly at the grocery store where prices are up 21 percent in the last three years. The cost of food now takes up a larger share of disposable incomes than it has in more than 30 years. As inflation strains budgets, many Americans are struggling to get ahead, saving less, and taking on more debt. This is the unfortunate reality of life in the Biden economy.

Three years ago, the president also began dismantling the Trump administration’s border security policies. On his first day in office, President Biden stopped construction of the border wall, rescinded the declaration of a national emergency at the border, and paused most deportations. What followed is three years of surging illegal immigration, with no sign of stopping. More than 9 million illegal immigrants have crossed the border under this president, and there is no question this surge is smoothing the way for dangerous individuals to enter the country. It’s a national security, humanitarian, and logistical crisis of the president’s own making.

In the last few years, the world has become increasingly unstable, and the president’s policies have proved ill-suited to this reality. His disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan weakened our standing among our allies. The president’s policy toward Iran, beginning with his attempt to revive the Iran nuclear deal, failed to deter Iran’s malign activity in the Middle East. The Biden administration’s hostility to conventional energy production at home has also undermined our energy security. The president’s Green New Deal vision is jeopardizing the affordable and reliable energy supply we need now and in the future.

I doubt anyone outside the White House looks at this administration’s record in the last three years and sees anything worth repeating. But, in the State of the Union, the president didn’t present a new way forward. Instead, we heard much of the same message we’ve come to expect from the Biden administration.

Reckless tax-and-spending policies, open borders, and weakness on the world stage have come to define the Biden presidency. Many Americans are understandably feeling pessimistic about the state of the country and worried about the future. Unfortunately, the president only made clear in his address that if the American people are looking for relief, they’re not going to find it from him.

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