Category: Dusty Johnson

Not Perfect, but Progress
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
July 16, 2021

In Congress, hardly anything is perfect. But just because it’s not perfect, doesn’t mean there’s not progress.

This past week we made progress for South Dakota.

The first comes following the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) decision to walk back plans to change the city status of Rapid City.

In January, OMB began toying with the idea to increase the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) qualification from 50,000 to 100,000 people. This set off the alarm bells in smaller cities across the country, including ours.

Upon learning of this proposal, I led several of my House colleagues to introduce theMetropolitan Statistical Area Preservation Act to preserve the more than 140 MSAs from losing their classification.

Rapid City is a robust, growing city – and it deserves the resources that come with being classified as an MSA. Following my legislative push, I’m glad to see the city’s classification is safe.

Secondly, the USDA announced two much needed and frankly overdue investments for our regional cattle producers to help level the playing field.

The first is a program to help expand meat processing capacity for small cattle processers which mirrors the Butcher Block Act that I recently introduced.

The second is the implementation of my bill – the Small Packer Overtime & Holiday Fee Relief for COVID-19 Act – leveling the regulatory playing field for small meat processors running extra shifts.

While we still have a long way to go, these programs will certainly get us one step closer to a fairer cattle market.

As reflected in both the OMB and USDA announcements, common-ground and common-sense proposals can be achieved in Washington.

It’s easy to get swept up in the more partisan issues of the day, but it’s important to acknowledge the small victories. This time, we made progress for cattle producers and residents of Rapid City.

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Whoever decides to challenge Congressman Dusty Johnson is definitely going to get the full Dusty when the campaign kicks off – because he’s adding to a total that’s now over $1.5 Million dollars in campaign cash.

Dusty Johnson July 2021 FEC Report by Pat Powers on Scribd

Dusty is reporting $453,727.16 in net contributions this quarter against only $50,188.37 in expenses, putting him at a strong $1,547,538.42 for the 2022 Congressional race to match his reported status as one of South Dakota’s most liked political figures.

Combatting Crime Rates
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
July 9, 2021

Crime is on the rise across America.

Since the beginning of 2021, cities have faced surging levels of violence. The most staggering statistics have emerged in Portland, where homicides and shootings have jumped by a disturbing 533% and 126% respectively, compared to 2020.

Rates are not likely to slow either, as summer is known to be the most volent time of year.

We all know 2020 was an unprecedented year given the COVID-19 pandemic and the protests that swept the nation last summer, but there are several factors contributing to rising crime rates in our nation.

It’s notable that one commonality among the many cities that are seeing an uptick – including LA, NYC, Portland, Chicago, and Philadelphia – is a reduction in police department budgets in the last year.

Data is clear – the strength of law enforcement impacts crime rates. It’s not surprising, but defunding law enforcement agencies diminishes their ability to carry out their duties effectively. Our nation’s law enforcement has also faced a disheartening increase in police-targeted crime which has caused a significant decline in police recruitment and hiring across the country.

Rising crime rates are a threat to all of us, so it’s important we channel our energy towards forming solutions rather than pointing the finger at one person or one party. Our men and women in blue need the resources to do their job and keep our communities safe.

That’s why I’m supporting the Justice Act, which provides $500 million for state and local law enforcement agencies to equip officers with equipment like body cameras to promote transparency and ensure our officers aren’t wrongfully accused. The Justice Act also requires the development of a curriculum for de-escalation and mental illness training. Just this week, I signed the Police Pledge – I will never support defunding law enforcement while I’m in Congress.

I am also a strong advocate of mental health resources to those that need them the most. I believe many of the problems in our society stem from a lack of investment in mental health – that’s why I worked to extend behavioral telehealth services during the pandemic and have supported mental health resources for Medicare beneficiaries and veterans.

From investing in economic development and behavioral health resources to sufficiently funding our law enforcement agencies, we can combat crime in America. Let’s work together to stop the surge.

Let’s Hear It for the Interns
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
July 2, 2021

Identifying bills to cosponsor, writing memos on proposed legislation, answering constituent calls, and compiling news stories – this is a day in the life of an intern in my Congressional office.

With only 15 full-time staffers among our four offices, it requires a full team effort to optimally serve over 880,000 constituents across South Dakota and our interns play an integral part in making that happen.

As much as the internship program helps our offices run efficiently, it also provides our interns with a valuable educational experience.

From learning the basics of a professional office to better understanding the innerworkings of the legislative branch, to developing writing and policy analysis skills, a lot is to be gained over a semester or summer session.

A commonalty among our interns is that they grew up in or have ties to South Dakota, yet each one brings a unique perspective to the team.

Of our five current summer interns:

Nick grew up in West River and is currently studying economics and statistics.

Sydney graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English and is heading to law school in the fall.

Jakob is currently pursuing his master’s in public administration at the University of South Dakota.

John is a rising sophomore studying economics and political science.

Leslie, our Ben Reifel intern is an educator at O’Kreek School and Sinte Gleska University.

South Dakota is full of many talented young people, and I am always impressed with the level of enthusiasm and creativity that our interns bring to work each day.

My office is now seeking applications for fall 2021. For more information on the internship program and how to apply, visit dustyjohnson.house.gov/services/internships.

No one day is the same while interning on Capitol Hill. Who knows, you may even get a chance to write a letter to the Speaker of the House.

Ben Reifel intern Leslie Crow meets with Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.

More than 120 interns, led by the interns of the Office of Representative Dusty Johnson, requested Speaker Pelosi reopen the U.S. Capitol to constituents.

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The candidates are preparing for 4th of July weekend parades, and Dusty Johnson is promising a free t-shirt if you get out and walk for him, according to Facebook:

Fleeting Freedoms
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
June 25, 2021

Earlier this month marked the 32^nd anniversary of Tiananmen Square, a tragic day in which the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) forced the silence of thousands of pro-democracy activists and killed hundreds.

Unfortunately, no Chinese citizen will find mention of that day in their history books. That’s because the CCP continues its suppression of democratic values.

This past week, China forced Apple Daily, Hong Kong’s pro-democracy newspaper to shut down, citing violation of its year-old national security law.

Under Beijing’s new national security law, any act of subversion or collusion with foreign forces as deemed by the authoritarian regime may be punishable up to life in prison.

The forced shutdown of Apple Daily comes just one week after hundreds of officers raided their office. Several of the newspaper’s top editors and executives were arrested, the company’s assets were frozen, and reporters’ computers were seized.

In the company’s final press release, they noted they could no longer continue publication, given the pressuring circumstances.

With the doors closing at Apple Daily, the CCP has taken down the last Hong Kong based pro-democracy paper. Not only is this move alarming for its crackdown on democratic freedoms, it brings Beijing another step closer to reining in what little autonomy Hong Kong has left.

Two years have passed since democratic protests rocked Hong Kong. The U.S. must continue to stand by Hong Kong and its fight for freedom while standing up to the Chinese government, which is shaping up to be the single greatest geopolitical threat to the United States in the 21^st century.

A free press is the lifeblood of democracy. It is enshrined in our Constitution as a right guaranteed by the First Amendment. While the Founders could never have envisioned the magnitude and sophistication of what media has evolved into, they understood the inextricable bond between a free press and a lasting democracy.

As we advocate for democratic freedoms around the world, we must continue to preserve those same freedoms in our homeland.

From CNS News:

Over one hundred congressional interns will reportedly send a letter Thursday to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

The letter originated in Republican South Dakota Rep. Dusty Johnson’s office and implored Pelosi and McCarthy to reopen the U.S. Capitol to the public, CNS News reported.

“As congressional interns from both sides of the political aisle, our love of country is a shared trait. We’d be thrilled to provide this public service once again to our constituents and fellow countrymen,” the letter said, according to CNS News.

Read it here.

There’s more to come on this, as I’m sure Congressman Johnson will have a release.

As I understand it, a statement to this effect was read in the rotunda by Johnson intern Sydney Noordsy from here in Brookings.

Stay tuned.

** Update**

It didn’t take long for our interns to realize the Capitol should be reopened to the American people. Today a bipartisan group of House & Senate interns did something about it! pic.twitter.com/6G90NGJEOH

— Jazmine Kemp (@JazmineKemp_) June 24, 2021

And here’s a little better video link:

Time to Get Tough on Russia
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
June 18, 2021

This week, President Biden met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva, Switzerland.

Stakes were high leading into the summit as U.S.-Russian relations have reached a low point.

From Moscow’s crackdown on political opposition, to their military buildup along the Ukrainian border, and their recent agreement to supply Iran with advanced satellite systems, it is quite clear that Russia is not our friend.

Following the talks, President Biden said in a press conference that he told Putin his agenda “is not against Russia” but “for the American people.”

Despite the promise to be for America, this Administration isn’t taking a hard enough line against Putin.

Over the last two months, U.S. intelligence has attributed two major cyberattacks to Russian-based hackers.

The ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline shutdown thousands of miles of pipeline, shooting up gas prices and causing shortages across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern states.

Weeks later, JBS, the world’s largest meatpacker was targeted by a ransomware attack that disrupted meat production across the country.

Not only does the U.S. need to develop better cyber defense capabilities, but we need to hold Russia accountable. Unfortunately, the President simply provided Putin with a list of U.S. infrastructure that should be “off-limits” to Russian cybercriminals.

The Biden Administration also waived sanctions on the Russian company overseeing the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline which will double natural gas supplies from Russia into Germany. Doing so only deepens European dependence on Russian energy and emboldens Russian influence in the region.

Meanwhile, one of President Biden’s first acts in office was to halt construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline causing TC Energy to abandon the project completely. This decision is a not only a huge blow to American jobs and energy security, but also to communities across South Dakota who were depending on the pipeline for business.

Putin knows how to play his cards and is excelling in deploying tactics that undermine the United States. In response, Biden has talked a big game about standing up to Russian aggression, but his track record does not mirror his rhetoric.

Mr. President, actions speak louder than words. It is time to get tough on Russia.

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Say No to WOTUS, POTUS
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
June 11, 2021

On Monday, I sat down with the South Dakota Corn & South Dakota Soybean Associations in Valley Springs. For over an hour, I heard directly from producers on concerns they have, the challenges of the last four years, as well as the emerging opportunities. From workforce to trade to farm programs, there was a common goal amongst both groups: greater predictability.

Every two to four years, power can shift in Washington – that constant changing of the guard can cause problems for these producers. Farm programs and regulations change, and often, those changes aren’t for the better.

This week the Biden Administration’s Environmental Protection Agency announced they will be revisiting the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule dictating which bodies of water are subject to EPA regulation. For those unfamiliar, the Obama-era WOTUS rule granted the federal government regulatory control over any “body” of water on private land. Basically, if there’s a dry ditch, ephemeral stream or certain converted farmland, the federal government would have the power to regulate your property.

This rule was confusing and poorly written – it created a lot of uncertainty in farm country. I was proud to work with the Trump Administration to get the WOTUS rule repealed and replaced with a more practical approach. Farmers and ranchers should not need a team of engineers, lawyers, and consultants each time they want to manage their property. We need to protect our waters and be good stewards of our land but regulating ditches and puddles didn’t meet that goal.

Under President Trump, the EPA replaced WOTUS with the Navigable Waters Protection Rule – this policy protected our larger navigable waters from pollution rather than placed unnecessary burdens on farmers potholes.

If you’ve spent much time with farmers and ranchers, you’ll know they care about preserving our waters and lands more than most – they are diligent stewards of the land. Why the Biden Administration is set on taking every page from Obama’s playbook despite knowing the WOTUS rule was a giant flop is a mystery to me.

It’s possible to be environmentally conscious without harming producers – I hope the Biden Administration remembers that as they explore this out of touch WOTUS rule.

Rep. Johnson meets with South Dakota Corn and South Dakota Soybean Associations.

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I caught a bit of interesting chatter last evening. The word is that after South Dakota Democrats highlighted their dysfunction this past election by failing to field a candidate for Congress, a few have banded together to promote a candidate to run in 2022.

A Facebook group has recently been set up to promote Democrat Remi Bald Eagle for Congress. The same Remi Bald Eagle who unsuccessfully ran for the Public Utilities Commission in 2020.

Scratching your head yet?  You have to wonder what the thought process is in the Democrat Party as they search for someone to place on the bench for the next Congressional race. Do they look for a fresh face? Oh heck no – they look for those who were completely knocked off the bench.

Nevermind that last election, Bald Eagle had received 26.8% of the statewide vote to Gary Hanson’s massive 68% landslide, marking him as having the worst showing of any Democrat on the Statewide ballot (after Joe Biden’s 35.6% and Dan Ahlers 34.3%).

And from the sounds of it, they’re setting their sights on placing Bald Eagle up against a Republican who has polled more popular than Donald Trump among South Dakotans.

Johnson’s last race had him running in the lopsided Congressional contest where there was no Democrat opponent, giving Dusty a 81-19% win against a Libertarian. And that came after a GOP Primary which saw him crushing GOP competitor Liz May 76.7% – 23.3%.

That’s a lot of voters across the spectrum who made the incumbent Johnson their choice in the last election. Making it all that much harder for Democrats to convince voters to choose someone else.

Ultimately, for Democrats the game is about actually fielding a candidate at all, so as to avoid the embarrassment of failing to get sufficient signatures for not just one but two candidates on the Congressional ballot this last election.  So if they can manage to get behind one candidate, albeit someone one candidate who got their butt kicked in a down-ticket race last election, more power to them.

I’m sure Republicans will be happy to face those odds.