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Congresswoman Kristi Noem endorsed Presidential Candidate Marco Rubio today. In a statement released by the Rubio Campaign, Kristi Noted:

“Marco Rubio represents the kind of next-generation conservative leader that puts our party in the best position to win back the White House next year. Marco stands out from his competitors in his ability to articulate a conservative vision for what kind of country we can become in this new American century. As the son of a bartender and a maid, he possesses a personal understanding of the challenges facing hardworking taxpayers in South Dakota and across the country, and he has conservative solutions to help address today’s most pressing problems. I’m proud to endorse Marco Rubio for President and I look forward to helping him win.” – Kristi Noem

Congresswoman Noem follows Mike Rounds in supporting Mike Huckabee, and several state legislators in supporting Jeb Bush.

One of the best free market economists in the country is going to be appearing at a dinner hosted by the Americans For Prosperity Foundation in Sioux Falls on Monday, November 16th.

Stephen Moore is the distinguished visiting fellow for the Project for Economic Growth at the Heritage Foundation.  He is also a contributing editor of the National Review, a Fox News contributor, the founder of the Club for Growth and the Free Enterprise Fund, a former member of the Wall Street Journal editorial review board, and the author of numerous books.

So, head over & register for the AFP Foundation event on November 16. You can click here for details and the registration link.

So far, it’s reported that they have more than 75 people registered. And why wouldn’t they? For $10 you get prime rib and a chance to hear one of the best free market economists in the country.

What else do you need in life?

From Argus Leader.com:

We don’t know who, but someone is going to get whacked!

Rounds Encourages South Dakotans
to Send Feedback on TPP

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today posted the full text of the just-released Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement on his website. South Dakotans interested in learning more about the proposed trade agreement are encouraged to review it and send their comments to Sen. Rounds.

“International trade plays an important role in American commerce,” said Rounds. “From higher wages for U.S. workers to supporting small businesses and agriculture, trade has a proven record of keeping our economy healthy and vibrant. However, we must make certain these agreements are fair and do not put hard-working South Dakota producers at a competitive disadvantage. The bipartisan Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation passed earlier this year was an important first step in establishing clear guidelines for reviewing the TPP deal by enforcing transparency, maintaining Congress’ important role in the approval process and giving South Dakotans a voice in the final product. I look forward to reviewing the TPP agreement in the coming months and hearing from South Dakotans before it comes for a vote in the Senate.”

On November 5, 2015, the full text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement was made public. This text will be available for public comment for several months before Congress considers it for a vote.

The full text of the TPP agreement is available here.

South Dakotans can share their thoughts and concerns regarding specific sections of the agreement with Sen. Rounds by calling his Washington, D.C., or South Dakota offices, or by emailing him here.

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Senate Passes Resolution Recognizing November as
“National Native American Heritage Month”

WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today applauded the Senate’s passage of a resolution he sponsored recognizing November as “National Native American Heritage Month.” The resolution was adopted by unanimous consent.

“In South Dakota, Native Americans have a rich and vibrant history that is deeply woven into the fabric of our society,” said Rounds. “We honor their heritage in many ways in our state, from attending a wacipi or powwow and showcasing their ornate tribal art in our museums to celebrating Native Americans’ Day instead of Columbus Day. Recognizing November as National Native American Heritage Month, we are able to highlight the many contributions of Native Americans to the history of our state and nation.”

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Lisa Furlong on behalf of South Dakotan’s for Fair Lending turned in what a source tells me was an incredible 60,287 signatures to place their ballot measure to limit the loan rate for short term loans to 18% in front of South Dakotans.  Slightly more than the number turned in for the Marsy’s law petition this week, it may set a new record for the number of signatures obtained.

It also stacks up against the Hildebrand petition as gathering an incredible 3 times the number.

And hold on to your hats…. There’s more to come on this story!

60k signatures submitted for constitutional amendment ballot question limiting interest rates (18%) pic.twitter.com/0dfR5We206

— Shantel Krebs (@SOSKrebs) November 5, 2015

After Marsy’s Law was filed, a couple more petitions have made their way to the Secretary of State for validation.  Both the Farmer’s Union/Democrat petition for redistricting, and the 36% payday loan initiated measure have been filed.

Senate Democrats Block Defense Funding Bill Again

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today issued the following statement on the Senate Democrats’ filibuster of the Department of Defense (DoD) appropriations bill for the third time this year, following the budget deal of last week:

“Refusing to debate the 12 appropriation bills which provide the necessary funds to keep the government running, simply to create a crisis, is not acceptable,” said Rounds. “Yet again, Senate Democrats blocked an important appropriations bill from being openly debated and amended on the Senate floor, despite receiving overwhelming bipartisan support when it was reported out of committee earlier this year. It will also comply with the funding levels agreed to in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, which many Senate Democrats supported and the President signed less than a week ago. But most importantly, this defense appropriations bill will provide our military members and their families with the certainty and stability that they deserve. The United States continues to face new and evolving threats, both at home and abroad. Providing our troops with the tools and support they need to complete their missions is critical.”

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Democrats Block Critical Funding for
Our Men and Women in Uniform

“It’s incredible that Senate Democrats would repeatedly block a bill that funds our troops and their families …”

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) issued the following statement after Senate Democrats blocked the Department of Defense (DoD) appropriations bill, which includes important funding for our military personnel, their families, weapons, readiness, and infrastructure projects that contribute to our national security:

“It’s incredible that Senate Democrats would repeatedly block a bill that funds our troops and their families, but even more perplexing since this bill meets the spending level Democrats agreed to just last week,” said Thune. “Today’s filibuster proves that Democrats are willing to risk the safety and security of our armed forces for vague reasons they have yet to fully explain. Senate Republicans have worked in good faith with Democrats to keep this bill moving forward. Democrats must now do their part and abandon this cynical strategy immediately.”

This is the third time this year that Democrats have prevented the Senate from considering the DoD appropriations bill, which garnered broad bipartisan support in committee and complies with the two-year budget deal Congress passed just last week.

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