Author: @SoDakCampaigns

Thune Urges Prospective ESEA Conference Leaders to Include Tribal Youth Suicide Amendments in Final Bill

“Sadly, suicide is the second leading cause of death for Indian youth in Indian Health Service areas, where the death rate is four times the national average.”

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today urged the prospective House and Senate leaders of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) conference committee to include his amendments that were adopted earlier this year as part of the Senate’s consideration of the Every Child Achieves Act (ECAA) in the final bill that they will report from their anticipated conference committee.

Thune’s amendments would require the secretary of education to coordinate with other federal agencies to report on efforts to address youth suicide in Indian Country and expand the use of Project School Emergency Response to Violence (Project SERV) funds to include preventive efforts against youth suicide and other school violence instead of merely responding to the crisis.

“One of the greatest tragedies that can befall a family is the loss of a child to suicide,” wrote Thune. “Sadly, suicide is the second leading cause of death for Indian youth in Indian Health Service areas, where the death rate is four times the national average. I am hopeful that my amendments will help address this pressing issue, and I respectfully request they be retained by the ESEA conference committee.”

Full text of the letter can be found below:

The Honorable Lamar Alexander The Honorable Patty Murray
Chairman Ranking Member
455 Dirksen Office Building 154 Russell Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable John Kline The Honorable Robert Scott
Chairman Ranking Member
2439 Rayburn House Office Building 1201 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515 Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Chairman Alexander, Chairman Kline, Ranking Member Murray, and Ranking Member Scott:

Thank you for your continued leadership and efforts to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). As you seek to conference the House- and Senate-passed bills, I ask that you retain the Senate-passed provisions that I authored that would help address the serious suicide epidemic in Indian Country in my state.

S. Amdt. 2155, which was adopted by unanimous consent, would require the secretaries of education, interior, and health and human services to report on the efforts to address outbreaks of suicides among elementary school and secondary school students in Indian Country. Specifically, the report would include a federal response to this crisis, a list of federal resources available to prevent and respond to student suicide outbreaks, and interagency collaboration efforts to streamline access to response programs.

My second amendment, S. Amdt. 2232, would expand the authorized use of Project SERV extended services grants to include initiating or strengthening prevention activities in cases of chronic trauma or violence, such as the suicide crisis in Indian Country or gang violence in schools. This narrow expansion of authorization for grant recipients, which would remain subject to the discretion of the secretary of education, would better help restore and preserve the learning environment for students.

One of the greatest tragedies that can befall a family is the loss of a child to suicide. Sadly, suicide is the second leading cause of death for Indian youth in Indian Health Service areas, where the death rate is four times the national average. I am hopeful that my amendments will help address this pressing issue, and I respectfully request they be retained by the ESEA conference committee.

Kindest regards,

###

From the Huron Daily Plainsman, the Executive Director of the Democrat Party made some might bold claims recently.  First, that they’ll have a candidate to run against Thune. Second, they had 47 people interested in being ED of the State Democrat party:

“Candidate recruitment really is a process,” Jones Pranger, 26, said. “It takes about seven times to ask a man to be a candidate and women, usually you have to ask more than that, about 12 times they have to be asked before they typically agree.”

On the state level, she disclosed that Democrats will have a candidate to oppose Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., next year.

“There will be a candidate; we just haven’t announced yet,” she said.

and..

After graduation, she clerked for judges in Minnehaha and Lincoln counties before being chosen executive director of the state party from among 47 applicants.

Read it here.

47 people wanted to be the captain of the Titanic? Are there that many Democrats out of work under Obama’s failed jobs policies?  That might be more than the number of legitimate, non-placeholder legislative candidates they had last year.

As for the Thune claim, we’ve heard it before, and we continue to see it trotted out every time they have an interview.Yet amazingly, ther has yet to be a name to go with their ‘girlfriend from Canada.” Believe it when you see them produce a corpse.

They’ve gone past the time when they’ve got someone who can be a legitimate challenger, and have fast-forwarded into warm body willing to take one for the team just to save face.

Rounds Signs Letter to President on Potential ISIS Infiltration of Syrian Refugee Flow

“No refugee related to the Syrian crisis [should be] admitted to the United States unless the U.S. government can guarantee, with 100 percent assurance, that they are not members, supporters, or sympathizers of ISIS.”

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today joined his colleagues in a letter to President Obama requesting the administration make certain no members, supporters or sympathizers of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) are infiltrating Syrian refugee movements to enter the United States. ISIS claimed responsibility for the synchronized terror attacks in Paris, and French and other European officials said at least one of the attackers used the flow of Syrian refugees to enter the European Union.

“While our country has a long history of welcoming refugees and has an important role to play in the heartbreaking Syrian refugee crisis, our first and most important priority must be to ensure that any refugee who comes to the United States does not present a threat to the American people,” the Senators wrote.  “We believe that an essential component of that effort is ensuring that no refugee related to the Syrian crisis is admitted to the United States unless the U.S. government can guarantee, with 100 percent assurance, that they are not members, supporters, or sympathizers of the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), also known as Daesh or ISIL.”

Earlier this year, Rounds sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry and U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson urging them to maintain rigorous security vetting processes of all refugee applicants to make sure terrorist organizations like ISIS do not attempt to infiltrate the United States as refugees.

The letter, led by Sens. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), was signed by Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Daniel Coats (R-Ind.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.V.).

Full text of the letter:

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President:

We stand in solidarity with the people of France and against the terrorists who carried out the horrific attacks of November 13th that clearly were designed deliberately to kill as many innocent people as possible.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.  As we mourn the loss of life and provide France all the support and assistance it needs, the U.S. government must redouble its efforts to keep the American people safe.  We believe that an essential component of that effort is ensuring that no refugee related to the Syrian crisis is admitted to the United States unless the U.S. government can guarantee, with 100 percent assurance, that they are not members, supporters, or sympathizers of the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), also known as Daesh or ISIL.

It is already clear that ISIS is responsible for the barbaric attacks.  Reports indicate that at least one of the attackers apparently utilized the flow of refugees to infiltrate into Europe.  These facts require a serious and objective reexamination of the Administration’s policy toward Syrian refugees to avoid unnecessary risks.

While our country has a long history of welcoming refugees and has an important role to play in the heartbreaking Syrian refugee crisis, our first and most important priority must be to ensure that any refugee who comes to the United States does not present a threat to the American people.  Compassion for Syrian refugees is important, but a fierce determination to protect the American people is also important.

The fact that ISIS may have utilized the flow of refugees to infiltrate Europe and potentially the United States is not a surprise.  In September, the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), James Clapper, publicly warned the U.S. intelligence community has a “huge concern” that ISIS may seek to infiltrate Syrian refugees who are flowing into Europe and potentially the United States.  “As they [refugees] descend on Europe, one of the obvious issues that we worry about, and in turn as we bring refugees into this country, is exactly what’s their background?”  DNI Clapper added:  “We don’t obviously put it past the likes of ISIL to infiltrate operatives among these refugees.

On October 21, 2015, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey told the House Committee on Homeland Security that the U.S. government may not have the ability to vet thoroughly all Syrian refugees coming into the United States.  He explained that if a Syrian person is not already in the FBI’s database, that person is unknown to the agency, leaving an inadequate basis for the person’s background to be screened for terrorism risk.  “We can only query against that which we have collected,” Director Comey cautioned.  He also said, “So if someone has never made a ripple in the pond in Syria in a way that would get their identity or their interest reflected in our database, we can query our database until the cows come home but we are not going to—there will be nothing … because we have no record on that person.”

Given DNI Clapper’s stated concern that ISIS may try to infiltrate Syrian refugee movements as well as FBI Director Comey’s public acknowledgment of the U.S. government’s limitations in thoroughly vetting all Syrian refugees, we respectfully request your Administration:

• List comprehensively the challenges, prior to the November 13th terrorist attacks, in the process for checking the background of Syrian refugees and checking potential risks to national security, including potential terrorism risks;
• Detail what special or enhanced measures will be added to the screening process for Syrian refugees in the aftermath of the November 13th terrorist attacks; and
• Describe how it plans to address the vetting challenges that Director Comey describes.

We ask that your Administration immediately share this information with the American people. We look forward to a timely response.  We cannot imagine a more urgent or higher priority.

Sincerely,

###

Don’t forget to bring your checkbook to support Representative Wollmann’s re-election campaign.

While our representatives in Washington are concerning themselves with questions and concerns affecting us as a nation, apparently Congresswoman Kristi Noem’s opponent, Paula Hawks, is switching tactics, and running on made up issues in State Government:

From: “Paula Hawks” <[email protected]>
Date: November 16, 2015 at 2:00:47 PM CST
To:
Subject: ✏ SIGN: government corruption
Reply-To: [email protected]

{redacted},  for too long, the South Dakota Republican-led government has participated in corrupt and unethical behavior – refusing to open up their back-room dealings to the public and obstructing progress at every turn, at every level of government. Last week, the Center for Public Integrity gave our state an “F” grade on its 2015 State Integrity report card. Our government officials – nearly all Republicans – have been guilty of concealing campaign finance reports, turning a blind eye to electoral corruption, and hiding lobbying disclosure reports from the public. If our government won’t improve on its own, it’s up to us to DEMAND a change in leadership. Sign my petition to demand transparency and accountability in our state government! The South Dakota GOP has been cheating its way to the top, ignoring the best interest of the people, and running wild without any oversight or accountability. We’re WAY overdue for an overhaul. It’s up to us to bring REAL leadership back to South Dakota. Sign my petition demanding an end to the GOP’s dysfunction, corruption, and obstruction. Click here >>> Thanks for taking a stand, Paula

There’s a couple of fatal flaws with this train of thought for Paula Hawks.

First, its a made up issue from a special interest group trying to promote their agenda, as easily illustrated by this headline off of their own website:

Only three states score higher than D+ in State Integrity Investigation; 11 flunk

THEY GAVE EVERYONE AWFUL GRADES WHO HAVEN’T PASSED THEIR SPECIAL INTEREST LEGISLATION.  Seriously. The gave three states higher grades, and the rest got D’s and F’s.  I’d say that’s a pretty darned slanted agenda, especially by their own admission of the scoring.

Second, and probably more important to Paula, her “state level” partisan snipping shows that she isn’t anywhere near ready for prime time.  She wants to play in the majors. But by her own words, she isn’t ready to be sent up.

While Congresswoman Noem is talking about issues of national importance and how they affect South Dakota, Hawks is mired down in mewling about Republicans in State Government being “meanies.”

And the best part – “concealing campaign finance reports…. and hiding lobbying disclosure reports from the public”  – has no basis in fact. It just flat out isn’t true.  In other words, her propaganda has caught her in an outright lie.

If she’s going to make the claim, lets hear her tell us exactly, which lobbyist(s) she’s accusing of “hiding their lobbyist disclosure report?”  And who exactly is she accusing of “concealing campaign finance reports?”  Because last I checked, they’re pretty easy to look up on the internet and all.

But that does not play into the lies she’s telling to try to raise money. Really, until she cares to put some information on the table to back up her claims, we shouldn’t consider her as anything more than a politician who throws out lies to try to gain traction.

One that’s stuck in the bush leagues, at that.

Congresswoman Kristi Noem offered a statement today in the face of the crisis of a Syrian refugee participating in the attacks on Paris. It notes in part:

As we turn toward the refugee crisis, my top priority today is to protect the safety and security of Americans, which is why I believe we need to immediately suspend accepting refugees from Iraq and Syria. Our efforts to differentiate between refugees and ISIL militants aren’t foolproof. When I met with Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos in October, he shared the same concerns.  He explained that he believed the screening process could be allowing those who want to cause harm through Greece and into Europe. We know now that one of the Paris attackers may have disguised himself as a refugee to get through Greece and into Europe.  That’s a risk I’m not willing to take on American soil.

Read it all here.

From Reuters:

Five U.S. governors on Monday said they would not allow Syrian refugees to be settled in their states, joining Alabama and Michigan and contending it is too dangerous to let in people from that war-torn country following Friday’s deadly Paris attacks.

Republican Governors Greg Abbott of Texas, Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, Mike Pence of Indiana, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Phil Bryant of Mississippi said their states would no longer help support the Obama administration’s goal of accepting 10,000 Syrian refugees in the coming years.

Read it all here.

Now Nine: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/11/16/alabama-refuses-syrian-refugees-paris-terror-attack/75857924/

And now 15 –

The resistance at the state level is coalescing at a rapid clip. So far, governors in at least 15 states have moved to suspend or restrict the refugee resettlement, including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin.

Read it here.

and add Terry Brandstad for Iowa to make 16.

Gov. Daugaard Orders State Capitol Flags Half-Staff For Former State Rep. Louise Van Gerpen

PIERRE, S.D. – Former state Rep. Louise Van Gerpen passed away on Nov. 13, 2015. Gov. Dennis Daugaard has ordered flags to fly half-staff at the State Capitol on Tuesday, Nov. 17, the date of Van Gerpen’s funeral, in her honor.

She was appointed to the State House of Representatives by Gov. Bill Janklow in 1983 to replace her husband, Rep. Roland Van Gerpen, who had died.

Van Gerpen’s son, Bill, is currently a state senator from District 19.

– 30 –

From the Washington Post, Republican Governors are starting to make public their refusal to accept Syrian refugees as a result of the Paris attacks this past weekend:

The terrorist attacks in Paris have prompted two governors to announce that Syrian refugees will not be allowed to resettle in their states.

Gov. Rick Snyder of Michigan and Gov. Robert Bentley of Alabama, both Republicans, issued individual statements Sunday declaring that their states would not be open to refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria.

Noting Michigan’s “rich history of immigration,” Snyder’s statement said, “But our first priority is protecting the safety of our residents.”

and…

Police are investigating a Syrian passport found near the spot where suicide bombers blew themselves up outside France’s national stadium. Greek authorities have traced the passport to a refugee who was among the 198 that arrived at Leros, an Aegean island, by way of a migrant boat on Oct. 3.

Read it all here.

The story also notes that there’s little that Governors can actually do, despite the strain accepting refugees puts on state and local governments.

The attacks on Paris linked to at least some Syrian refugees comes a couple of months after South Dakota’s Liberal Democrats are out there saying “We should take more refugees from Syria.”

But, given their promises to attack the United States, should we?

What do you think? Do we need to open our borders and accept Syrian refugees, or is the risk and expense too great?

*Update* – Add Gov. Bobby Jindal to the list of people at least thinking about it:

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, a Republican candidate for president, wrote the White House a letter Saturday, demanding information on refugees seeking resettlement in his state.  “It is irresponsible and severely disconcerting to place individuals, who may have ties to ISIS, in a state without the state’s knowledge or involvement.”

Read it here.

*Another Update* – At least one South Dakota State legislator is also having concerns over Obama’s Syrian Refugee Resettlement program:

We’ve already learned that at least one of the Paris terrorists was from Syria and rescued in Greece from a sinking boat and found his way to France with other refugees.

Syrian refugees are starting to arrive in New Orleans this week. We are expecting 15,000 or so in the United States. The administration doubled down over the weekend on their commitment to receiving Syrian refugees. They have no papers, we know nothing about them, and some of them will eventually be settled in Sioux Falls and Huron, among other places nearby.

I sure hope for all of our sakes that these in Paris slipped through the cracks. But, when we know nothing about them and can get no history of them–there’s no slipping needed, and the crack is about 2500 miles wide. If they’re not coming here directly, they’re just going to Mexico and walking north. I know we’re a nation of immigrants, but when my great grandparents went through Ellis Island, other Germans, Norwegians, or Irish weren’t screaming Death to America–they wanted to become Americans.

Read it here.