Category: US Senator John Thune

Putting Our Troops Ahead of Politics
By Senator John Thune

Last fall, Senate Republicans promised that if we were elected to the majority, we would get the Senate working again for the American people. Getting the Senate working again was not a campaign slogan – it was a commitment.

For years under Democrat leadership in the Senate, basic legislative functions went overlooked. Waiting until the last minute to pass important bills became the norm, and casting political show votes rather than striking bipartisan agreements was a sad reality.

But times are changing, and there’s new leadership in the Senate. In just the first few months of the 114^th Congress, the Senate has passed one bipartisan bill after another. We’ve already allowed more roll call votes on senators’ individual priorities in the past five months than Democrats allowed in all of 2014. Last month, the Senate passed a budget – that balances – and now we’re working toward funding our nation’s heroes.

Before any money can be appropriated, though, Congress must first authorize the federal government to spend it. For more than 50 years, the National Defense Authorization Act, which the Senate is now considering, has passed with strong bipartisan support. This year’s defense bill authorizes funding for our troops at the level requested by the president and provides key reforms that will strengthen our nation’s defense and improve training, benefits, and quality of life for our service members. It’s a strong, common-sense bill, and supporting it should be a no-brainer.

Unfortunately, Democrats are threatening to derail this year’s bill and its long track record of bipartisanship over demands to spend more federal money on nondefense programs. Incredibly, the president has gone as far as saying that he would veto this vital piece of legislation. That’s right: Democrats are prepared to block a bill that authorizes funding for our troops unless Republicans agree to hike federal spending on agencies like the IRS and EPA.

This bill is too important to get caught up in politics, and I hope my Democrat colleagues come to that realization, too. I’ll continue to fight for our men and women in uniform and send a clear message to the president that prioritizing politics at the expense of our preparedness and our active-duty military is not acceptable.

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Thune: Obamacare Is Broken

“While the Obamacare exchanges unravel, health insurance costs on the exchanges are soaring. More than 6 million people are enrolled in plans facing average rate increases of 10 percent or more.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) spoke on the floor of the Senate today on the double-digit premium increases many Obamacare consumers are facing and the continued broken promises of this failed law.

Click here to watch Senator Thune’s remarks on the Senate floor.

Remarks as prepared for delivery:

“The president made some comments yesterday on the upcoming Supreme Court Obamacare decision. Referring to his health care law, the president said, and I quote, ‘What’s more, the thing’s working.  Part of what’s bizarre about this whole thing is we haven’t had a lot of conversations about the horrors of Obamacare because it hasn’t come to pass.’

“Let me repeat that, Mr. President. The president thinks Obamacare is working and that negative predictions about the law haven’t come to pass. To respond to that, let me just read a few headlines from the past couple of weeks.

“From CNN: ‘Obamacare sticker shock: Big rate hikes proposed for 2016’

“From the Associated Press: ‘Many health insurers go big with initial 2016 rate requests’

“From The Hill: ‘Overhead costs exploding under ObamaCare, study finds’

“From the Associated Press: ‘8 Minnesota health plans propose big premium hikes for 2016’

“From the Lexington Herald-Leader: ‘Most health insurance rates expected to rise next year in Kentucky’

“I could go on.

“The truth is, Mr. President, not only is Obamacare not working, it’s rapidly unraveling.

“A May 1 headline from the Washington Post reported, and I quote, ‘Almost half of Obamacare exchanges face financial struggles in the future.’

“Hawaii’s exchange has already failed. California’s exchange is struggling to sign up consumers. One-third of the consumers who purchased insurance on the California exchange in 2014 declined to re-enroll in 2015.

“Massachusetts’ exchange is being investigated by the federal government. Colorado’s exchange is struggling financially and has raised fees for consumers purchasing insurance plans. Rhode Island’s governor is pushing for new fees on insurance plans to help fund the $30.9 million operating cost of the Rhode Island exchange. Incidentally, that’s $30.9 million to run an exchange that serves just 30,000 people.

“The Minnesota exchange was supposed to cover more than 150,000 individuals in its small-business marketplace by 2016. So far, it is covering 1,405 individuals, or approximately 1 percent of the number it’s intended to cover. The Minnesota exchange has cost federal taxpayers $189 million so far — $189 million, for an exchange that provides coverage for just 61,000 people.

“A recent Forbes piece notes that Vermont’s exchange, and I quote, ‘will need $51 million a year to provide insurance to fewer than 32,000 enrollees – or $1,613 per enrollee in overhead.  Before Obamacare, $1,600 would have been enough to pay the entire annual premium for some individual insurance plans.’ 

“Mr. President, while the Obamacare exchanges unravel, health insurance costs on the exchanges are soaring. Insurers have requested double-digit premium increases on 676 individual and small group plans for 2016.

“More than 6 million people are enrolled in plans facing average rate increases of 10 percent or more. Around the country, rate increases of 20, 30, 40, and 50 percent are common. One health care plan in Arizona is seeking a rate increase of 78.9 percent.

“So much for the president’s promise that his health care plan ‘would bring down the cost of health care for millions.’

“In my home state of South Dakota, proposed rate increases range up to 44.4 percent. That’s not something South Dakota families can afford.

“Mr. President, the discussion about Obamacare’s success or failure is no longer theoretical. The evidence is in, and it shows that the president’s health care law is broken. It’s time to repeal Obamacare and replace it with real health care reforms that will actually drive down costs. Five years under Obamacare is long enough for American families.”

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Reining in the Obama EPA
By Senator John Thune

I strongly believe in the outdoor heritage that makes South Dakota such an amazing place to live, work, and raise a family. Whether it’s earning a living off of the land, like so many of our hard-working farmers and ranchers, or enjoying a weekend pheasant hunt with friends and family, South Dakotans take seriously their responsibility to help protect the outdoors.

While certain protections are necessary to ensure these resources are available for future generations, there are limits to the federal government’s role. In some cases, the rules and regulations that come out of Washington, D.C., specifically the Obama Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), can often cause more harm than good in places like South Dakota.

Many of the Washington bureaucrats who write and implement these rules have never stepped foot in the states in which the rules will apply. Therein lies the problem: Rule-makers in Washington’s concrete jungle are forcing agriculture producers, homeowners, and small businesses across the country to comply with rules that will have devastating effects in rural America.

Take, for example, last week’s EPA announcement on the “waters of the United States” (WOTUS), which is one of the largest federal government power grabs over private land we’ve ever seen. The EPA’s broad new definition of U.S. waterways could classify a small ditch or creek on South Dakota farmland or housing subdivisions as a waterway, which under these new rules, could now be subject to federal permitting, compliance costs, and potentially significant penalties and fines. I am especially concerned about the EPA claiming jurisdiction in the Prairie Pothole Region throughout East River.

The EPA delivered a one-two punch to South Dakota farmers last week, when following its WOTUS announcement, it proposed new Renewable Fuels Standards (RFS) volume requirements for 2014-2016. Not only do the EPA’s proposed requirements fall short of the RFS volumes first prescribed by Congress, but they fail to provide the certainty needed to spur investment in our domestic biofuels industry.

I strongly oppose EPA’s overreach, and will continue to work with my colleagues in the Senate to do whatever is possible to block these heavy-handed regulations and help mitigate the damage they will inevitably cause to South Dakotans.

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Thune Introduces CASE Act at EPW Committee Hearing

“This bipartisan bill is a reasonable way forward to prioritize smog in the most polluted areas while not imposing undue costs on the American economy and workforce.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today at a hearing before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) introduced the Clean Air, Strong Economies (CASE) Act, a bipartisan bill that will balance economic growth and environmental progress by requiring the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to focus on the most polluted areas that are in non-attainment with its current smog standard before it can implement a lower one.

Thune’s statement (as prepared for delivery) is below, and video is available here or by clicking on the image above.

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member Boxer, for giving me the opportunity to speak in front of the committee this morning and I want to thank all the members for giving me the chance to talk about a bill that I’ve introduced called the CASE Act.

“It’s a bipartisan bill–introduced with Senator Manchin, that would prevent the staggering blow that a lower ozone standard would deliver to the economy at a time when many of our industries are seeking to turn the corner. 

“After an area is deemed in non-attainment with the smog standard, communities face stiff federal penalties, increased business costs, restrictions on infrastructure investment, and lost highway dollars. 

“When businesses are restrained by regulatory overreach, they can’t expand, jobs are put at risk, and innovation is stifled. 

“Areas in non-attainment, or even those in marginal attainment, will face steep challenges in promoting economic development or attracting new businesses. 

“In fact, it was for these exact reasons—‘regulatory burdens and regulatory uncertainty’—that the Obama administration withdrew a similar proposal in 2011. 

“The cost of a lower smog standard has hardly lessened, and the hit this could have on manufacturing and other economic sectors nationwide would be unprecedented.

“The bipartisan CASE Act strikes a balance between economic growth and environmental progress by requiring the EPA to first focus on the most polluted areas that are in non-attainment with the current standard before it can implement a lower one. 

“We have made great progress in cleaning up our air, and pollution levels are at an all-time low. 

“However, 40 percent of Americans live in the 227 counties that have not yet met the 75 ppb standard that was set in 2008. 

“The CASE Act would require 85 percent of these counties to achieve compliance with the existing 75 ppb standard before the EPA can impose a stricter regulation like the one proposed in November. 

“The EPA needs to focus its efforts on areas already struggling with attainment, where smog remains a consistent problem. 

“We should first tackle smog where it is the worst, in places like Los Angeles, not go after regions like the Great Plains, where there clearly is not a smog problem.

“The EPA contends that a lower standard will benefit public health, yet most of these benefits will come from the reductions of other criteria pollutants, like particulate matter, which are already subject to their own regulations. 

“Moreover, the EPA would be well-served to acknowledge that it has not yet sufficiently implemented the existing 2008 standard and prioritize its efforts to combat smog in the most polluted areas.

“The CASE Act would also require the EPA to consider the cost and feasibility of a lower standard, which it currently does not consider. 

“At a standard of 65 ppb, approximately 75 percent of the projected costs are attributed to unknown controls, or technologies and emission reduction strategies that have yet to be developed. 

“Hinging a regulation of this magnitude on unknown controls could hamper economic growth with staggering costs for years to come.

“I want to thank you for the opportunity to come before this committee and introduce the CASE Act today. 

“I hope you will agree that this bipartisan bill is a reasonable way forward to prioritize smog in the most polluted areas while not imposing undue costs on the American economy and workforce.

“Mr. Chairman I appreciate the opportunity to present this legislation and I encourage its consideration.

“Thank you.”

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Telemedicine Helps Bring Patients to Doctors
By Senator John Thune

An increasing number of South Dakotans are seeking the use of telemedicine, which makes it easier for physicians to see patients that may not be able to travel as easily or frequently to where their physician practices. It can be particularly useful when patients are seeking medical care from a specialty provider located outside of the state. Despite its advantages, without a way to more efficiently license physicians across state lines, telemedicine advancement is hindered.

In March 2013, I led a bipartisan letter to the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB), an organization of state boards of medicine responsible for regulating medicine in each state, encouraging them to begin development of a comprehensive system that would allow states to retain control of medical licensure and ensure the safety of patients who choose to use telemedicine.

During its past legislative session, the South Dakota state legislature was one of the first states that opted to join a compact that would speed up the process of licensing physicians who wish to practice in multiple states. Just recently, a sufficient number of states opted into the compact, making it an effective way to more easily license physicians in multiple states.

Expediting the process by which physicians can be licensed and practicing telemedicine in multiple states in a safe and accountable manner is important, and I am pleased that several of my Senate colleagues have joined me in encouraging FSMB to address this barrier to effective telemedicine. I am particularly pleased that this compact is now in force and can be used to continue to advance the adoption of telemedicine.

I am committed to continuing telemedicine’s advancement in a way that both preserves states’ ability to regulate medicine within their borders and protect their patients. Allowing states to share information, while allowing each state to retain jurisdiction over physicians who choose to practice in the state, is in the best interest of both physicians and patients.

This compact keeps patients safe by preserving state-based licensure and is a win for doctors and patients.

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Thune Denounces EPA Power Grab Over Private Land   

“The Obama administration is forgoing the consent of Congress and the courts in a never-ending effort to extend its power and stifle economic growth in the process …”

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today criticized a sweeping regulation from the Obama administration, saying the Environmental Protection Agency’s final “waters of the United States” rule is yet another power grab by an administration that has established a pattern of acting unilaterally:

“Yet again, the Obama administration is forgoing the consent of Congress and the courts in a never-ending effort to extend its power and stifle economic growth in the process. The administration appears to have no regard for the fact that this expansion will hurt hard-working Americans and South Dakotans – men and women who cannot afford the additional permit application expenses, compliance costs, and threats of significant fines.

“States like South Dakota have a strong interest in protecting and preserving their water resources, which are the lifeblood of our agricultural, hunting, and tourism sectors, yet I am especially concerned that the restrictions regarding prairie potholes will mean greater regulatory restrictions in eastern South Dakota, the heart of the Prairie Pothole Region.  Not only is this rule another example of the Obama administration’s federal overreach, but we’ve also seen alarming evidence that suggests the EPA influenced the public comment period using questionable practices. The Obama administration has hit our nation and South Dakota with yet another devastating blow, but I will continue to work with my colleagues to do whatever is possible to block these heavy-handed EPA regulations,” said Thune.

The final rule includes broad new definitions of the scope of “waters of the United States” that fall under the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act of 1972. The final rule could apply to countless small wetlands, creeks, stock ponds, and ditches that are typically regulated at the state level, which would have significant economic impacts for property owners hit with new federal permits, compliance costs, and threats of significant fines.

Thune is a co-sponsor of legislation to block the EPA’s power grab. Previously, Thune joined several of his Republican House and Senate colleagues in sending a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy regarding his opposition to the EPA’s efforts to expand its regulatory authority under the Clean Water Act. That letter can be read here.

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US Senator John Thune notes that while the Transportation Security Administration is busy seeing us all naked, they’re losing security badges left and right:

Senator John Thune fired off a blistering letter to TSA officials demanding answers regarding missing, lost or stolen SIDA (Secured Identification Display Area) badges that can be used by employees to gain access to secure areas at airports.

“Clearly there are an awful lot of things falling through the cracks and there’s just no room for an error when it comes to this issue. We need answers. They’re not providing them.”

Thune, who chairs the Transportation Committee, said previous answers from the agency had actually raised more questions than answers.

The concern follows reports that more than 270 badges went missing at the San Diego International Airport in the last two years and more than 1,400 badges missing from Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

Read it all here.

Ugh. Yeah, I’m not so sure I want to fly anytime soon.  (But I do appreciate that Senator Thune is demanding answers from the people who pat us down.)