Category: US Senator John Thune

Senators Thune and Stabenow Reintroduce Bill to Advance Agricultural Research

Legislation Invests in New and Innovative Agricultural Research

WASHINGTON, D.C.– U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), ranking member of the Agriculture Committee, today reintroduced legislation to support agricultural research. The Charitable Agricultural Research Act encourages the creation of public-private partnerships to boost funding and spur innovation for agricultural research. Thune and Stabenow, members of the Senate Finance Committee, introduced this legislation last Congress and co-led the passage of a similar bipartisan measure out the Finance Committee in February.

“The Charitable Agricultural Research Act would help facilitate the transfer of much-needed private investment to agricultural research, which would better equip our producers with the tools they need in order to meet the demands of a 21st century global marketplace,” said Thune. “This common-sense legislation creates a new means for generous Americans who wish to dedicate their own financial resources to agricultural research to do so more easily.”

“We need to invest in agricultural research if we want to have a strong agricultural industry in America,” Stabenow said. “Farmers and ranchers face extraordinary challenges every day, from pests and diseases to droughts and severe weather. Our bill builds on decades of success, giving incentives to new and creative partnerships to fund research into some of agriculture’s most pressing challenges.”

Over the last 60 years, agricultural research has significantly expanded crop, livestock, and food production. In South Dakota, agriculture contributes more than $25 billion to the state’s economy and generates nearly $4 billion in exports. Michigan agriculture contributes over $100 billion to the state’s economy and exports $3 billion in farm goods annually. However, agricultural scientists warn that failing to invest in agricultural research could spell disaster for the future safety and security of American food. The Charitable Agricultural Research Act seeks to address these challenges by creating agricultural research organizations (AROs) that would work in conjunction with agricultural and land-grant colleges and universities to conduct research in the field of agriculture. The legislation is modeled on medical research organizations (MROs), which were created by Congress in 1956 and have successfully generated billions of dollars of new investment in medical research.

The Thune-Stabenow Charitable Agricultural Research Act is cosponsored by Sens. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), and Ron Wyden (D-Wyo.).

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Thune Introduces Legislation to Increase EPA Transparency

“It’s important for Congress and the American people to have a full understanding of the impact proposed regulations may have.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today introduced the Real EPA Impact Reviews (REPAIR) Act, which would help facilitate a more transparent EPA regulatory impact analyses (RIA) process by requiring the EPA to include a scenario in each of its RIAs that does not contain additional proposed regulations.

“This is about transparency and accountability,” said Thune. “It’s important for Congress and the American people to have a full understanding of the impact proposed regulations may have. While including proposed regulations can be important for forecasting the future regulatory landscape, isolating a proposal’s impact without the influence of other proposed regulations will provide a clearer analysis of the proposal’s immediate impact.”

The REPAIR Act was inspired by the EPA’s draft RIA for lowering the National Ambient Air Quality Standard ground-level ozone, which was released on November 25, 2014. The RIA assumed that that numerous other regulations would be fully implemented, despite the possibility that these regulations may have been subject to delay, modification, or dismissal prior to finalization. The RIA also included in its baseline that the existing ozone standard would be fully implemented, despite the fact that 227 countries had yet to meet the existing standard. Such inclusions likely caused the RIA to significantly underestimate the true cost of a lower ozone standard.

Sens. Thune and Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) sent a letter in February to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy calling on the agency to explain why the RIA to lower ground-level ozone standards doesn’t align with a similar EPA proposal from 2011. Thune and Inhofe’s letter requested the EPA provide analysis that didn’t include co-benefits of reducing other emissions or include in its calculations any other proposed regulation.

In March, Thune reintroduced the bipartisan Clean Air, Strong Economies (CASE) Act (S. 751) with Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), which would stem the economic harm from a lower ground-level ozone standard by requiring the EPA to focus on the worst areas for air quality before lowering the standard across the country. This bill has 24 cosponsors.

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Strength in Times of Adversity
By Senator John Thune

South Dakotans are no strangers to the beauty and bounty Mother Nature can provide – landscapes, cropland, and seemingly endless outdoor recreation – and the devastation she can wreak – floods, blizzards, tornados, long winter storms, and summer droughts. These are facts of life in South Dakota. Generations before us not only persevered in the Great Plains through natural disasters and ever-changing weather patterns, they prospered. We’re doing the same today in South Dakota.

Delmont is the latest community to face adversity, as they continue to deal with the aftermath of an EF-2 tornado that hit on May 10. The tornado destroyed homes, businesses, and community buildings, but thankfully no lives were lost during the storm. The long path to recovery continues today for many of the 200 South Dakotans who call Delmont home.

Last weekend’s storm is a good reminder that the government has an important role to play in preparing for and responding to natural disasters. Severe weather watches and warnings ahead of potentially dangerous storms help communities prepare for the worst, while they hope for the best. When those hopes are not realized, federal disaster assistance helps communities rebuild after the storm strikes.

Like any federal program, federal disaster assistance programs can be improved, too. I’m working every day to do so. Over the past few years, I’ve helped enact permanent, standing agriculture disaster assistance that provides help to producers when disasters strike, rather than years later when Congress may or may not choose to enact ad hoc disaster assistance.

Today in the Senate, I’m working to modernize our National Weather Service through my proposal to redirect taxpayer resources away from supporting outdated bureaucracies and toward improving the accuracy of severe weather watches and warnings and modernizing how those warnings are communicated in the Internet age.

However, while these services are critical, federal programs play only a small role in rebuilding South Dakota communities in the wake of disasters. In Delmont, first responders were on the ground before the clouds had even cleared – despite the fire hall being completely destroyed by the tornado. Neighbors are helping neighbors search for belongings scattered across the county. South Dakotans are driving from miles away to help the recovery and serve food at an area shelter. Families whose homes were spared by the storm are opening their doors to friends and relatives who were not as fortunate. And although the walls of the 100-year old Lutheran church were completely destroyed, the congregation was strengthened, and will no doubt continue to serve the people of Delmont for the next 100 years.

South Dakota is routinely ranked among the most charitable states in the country. We understand that for as strong as Mother Nature can be, our communities and our families are even stronger. The people of Delmont will need that generosity once again.

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Customs Modernization Bill Contains Several Thune Provisions

  “I’m glad we were able to break the logjam in the Senate and move this update of our nation’s customs laws one step closer to the president’s desk.”

 

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), member of the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over tax and trade legislation, issued the following statement on the Senate’s passage of H.R. 644, the customs modernization bill, which updates customs laws and strengthens enforcement of trade laws:

 

“I’m glad we were able to break the logjam in the Senate and move this update of our nation’s customs laws one step closer to the president’s desk,” said Thune. “As the Senate moves forward on bipartisan legislation to renew trade promotion authority, we must also ensure that our trading partners play by the rules. This legislation strengthens our laws to make sure that unfair trade practices which have harmed American agriculture producers, such as honey producers, are better identified and eliminated, ensuring that free and fair trade is the norm.”

 

South Dakota is the third largest honey producing state in the nation, producing 15 million pounds of honey each year. Richard Adee, owner and operator of Adee Honey Farms in Bruce, South Dakota, was encouraged by the Senate’s action on the customs bill and applauded Thune’s effort:

 

“The honey industry, nationwide, is very grateful for Senator Thune’s action to help save the beekeeping industry from the illegal transshipping of Chinese honey on which duties are owed, through third world countries with no duties,” said Adee. “Also we certainly appreciate his amendment prohibiting CBP from deducting interest on import duties owed to beekeepers. This again, not only helps South Dakota beekeepers who were injured by dumped imports but beekeepers nationwide. Senator Thune’s action is not only appreciated by beekeepers but also by growers of crops dependent on a healthy, viable bee industry for their pollination needs.”

 

The following Thune provisions were included in H.R. 644:

 

1. Provisions to Reduce Trade Barriers for Low-Value Items: This legislation includes two provisions authored by Senator Thune to improve customs procedures for small sellers, such as small business owners using the Internet to sell abroad. Specifically, a Thune provision was included in the bill to reduce current trade barriers and allow for more low-value items to be imported into the United States duty-free with fewer unnecessary administrative requirements. The $200 de minimis exemption for imports has not been updated in over 20 years. Thune’s provision—taken from his legislation, S. 489, with Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.)—would raise the exemption level to $800.

   The bill also includes a Thune provision, added to the bill during Finance Committee consideration, to express a Sense of Congress encouraging the U.S. trade representative to work with our trading partners to ensure they are also raising their de minimis limits for U.S. goods.

2. Provisions to Ensure Fair Treatment of Domestic Honey Producers: This legislation also includes two provisions that will benefit South Dakota’s honey producers. The first provision, championed by Thune, will provide additional tools to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) to better enforce existing trade laws against Chinese honey that is transshipped through third countries, thus evading applicable duties. The problem of transshipment of Chinese honey, sometimes referred to as “honey laundering,” was discussed in detail at a Finance Trade Subcommittee hearing in the 112^th Congress that Senator Thune co-chaired as ranking member of the subcommittee.

Additionally, the bill includes a Thune provision, adopted during Finance Committee consideration, requiring CBP to distribute all interest payments collected under the Byrd Amendment to affected domestic producers, such as honey producers. The law, which applies to products imported before September 30, 2007, requires that certain import duties, including all interest, be distributed to the domestic industries found to have been injured by the imports under existing trade remedy laws. CBP has made a determination, contrary to the plain language of the law, that certain interest payments are not due to the impacted U.S. producers, thus greatly reducing the payments to these producers. The Thune provision will correct this CBP misinterpretation of law, ensuring that South Dakota’s honey producers – and other affected producers – receive the relief to which they are entitled.

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Senators Introduce Port Transparency Bill in Wake of Prolonged West Coast Ports Strife

“This legislation adds needed sunshine to maritime shipping through our ports to help head off future economically destructive impediments to commerce.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.), along with Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) today introduced common-sense sunshine reforms as a part of S. 1298 to help with early identification of port disruptions caused by labor strife or other factors before they inflict serious damage on businesses and the broader U.S. economy.

At a hearing before the Commerce Committee earlier this year, Thune highlighted the challenges South Dakota businesses and agriculture producers have faced in light of the recent nine month labor dispute at 29 West Coast container ports. Some estimates say that these disputes cost the economy up to $2.5 billion per day and the resulting strife was widely cited as a contributing cause to the anemic 0.2 percent annual growth rate of the U.S. economy in the first quarter of 2015.

“Every day, South Dakota businesses and Ag producers depend on the efficient operation of U.S. ports,” said Thune. “The recent labor dispute at West Coast ports underscored how a lack of data and transparency to quantify on-going problems at our ports can affect businesses from coast to coast. At present, statistics for air cargo and even forms of ground transportation are more developed and accessible than those for maritime transport. This legislation adds needed sunshine to maritime shipping through our ports to help head off future economically destructive impediments to commerce.”

“A labor dispute at one of our ports can cause significant damage to U.S. employers and to our economy – the recent nine-month dispute at the West Coast ports made it difficult for auto manufacturers and suppliers in Tennessee to keep production lines running,” said Alexander. “This bill will help shine a light on what’s happening at our nation’s ports before a labor dispute erupts and threatens our economy.”

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation over half of all containerized imports enter the U.S. through West Coast ports. The Department has separately stated that a “lack of complete data on U.S. international freight continues to hamper research and analysis of trends in international freight movement and its impact on transportation activity within the United States.” While the Maritime Administration (MARAD) does produce its annual Statistical Snapshot of 20 water-freight-related statistics on freight volume and port of entry, MARAD has reported that the lack of a national standard for performance measures and “the lack of a reporting process have stymied its attempts to measure the efficiency of major U.S. ports.”
S. 1298 creates a new level of transparency and accountability for ports, many of which are government owned, by requiring:

· The director of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) to establish a port performance statistics program and report annually to Congress on the performance and capacity of the Nation’s key ports.

· U.S. port authorities that are subject to federal regulation or that receive federal assistance to report annually to BTS.

· The Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with the Secretaries of Labor and Commerce, to report to Congress on a port’s performance before and after the expiration of maritime labor agreements to help indicate whether labor discussions have impacted operations, the estimated economic impact of such disputes and roughly how long it will take for shipments to return to normal.

Click here for a copy of S. 1298 as introduced today by Sens. Thune, Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), and Cory Gardner (R-Colo.).

The Senate Commerce Committee has broad jurisdiction over the U.S. Department of Transportation and our nation’s transportation system, as well as the U.S. Department of Commerce.

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Thune Leads Bipartisan Letter Calling on FCC to Modernize Support for Rural Broadband Services

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and fellow committee member U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) today released a letter signed by 61 senators to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler calling for a modernization of rules intended to ensure that Americans in rural areas have access to affordable broadband services. Under current rules, Universal Service Fund (USF) support for broadband in rural areas is dependent on the outdated requirement that customers also sign up for traditional landline phone service. When rural customers “cut the cord” of traditional phone service in favor of wireless or Internet-based phone services, rural communities served by smaller telecommunication providers lose access to USF support for broadband deployment even if the customer continues to pay for broadband Internet service. The outdated rules create a needless link between customers signing up for services they may not want or need and broadband deployment.

The Senate Commerce Committee has jurisdiction over the FCC and related telecommunication laws. The full letter is available here and the text appears below:

Dear Chairman Wheeler:

On May 6, 2014, 44 Senators signed a bipartisan letter calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to move forward on tailored modifications to modernize the federal Universal Service Fund (USF) as it supports the delivery of communications services to consumers in high-cost portions of the United States served by small, rural rate-of-return-regulated local exchange carriers.  While we commend the FCC for its continuing efforts to implement a Connect America Fund for consumers in areas served by larger carriers, we are troubled that the FCC has yet to take meaningful steps to address one of the most problematic aspects of the existing USF rules in areas served by smaller carriers. 

As you know, Americans are increasingly “cutting the cord” and dropping their traditional landline voice “plain old telephone service” (POTS) in favor of wireless or voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service.  Many of these consumers, however, still desire fixed broadband services that offer robust speeds – in fact, fixed broadband services are necessary for consumers to make effective use of VoIP service. 

Unfortunately, the FCC’s USF rules have not kept pace with changing technology and shifting consumer preference.  Instead, out-of-date rules tie high-cost USF cost recovery for small rural carriers to a consumer’s actual purchase of voice service, even if the consumer no longer wants that service and only wants broadband service.  The POTS requirement prevents rural consumers from making choices that are available to their urban counterparts.  Ironically, these outdated rules may hurt lower-income rural consumers the most, possibly putting the price of broadband out of reach unless those consumers make the additional expenditures to buy POTS as well.  

A year after the previous letter, the time has come to take common-sense steps to update the rules.  While long-term options to modify USF support can and should be explored, as you’ve committed to doing via the Connect America Fund Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the FCC must not leave consumers in the lurch given the substantial time needed to develop, evaluate, and implement such options.  No new models or sweeping changes are needed to adopt and implement a targeted update to fix the issue highlighted in this and last year’s letters – instead a simple plan that isolates and solves this specific issue is all that is needed right now.  In addition, we continue to support measures that ensure USF distributions are invested prudently and reasonably, which helps provide the credibility necessary for the FCC to fulfill its statutory mandate. 

Small rural carriers have worked hard to provide innovative services to some of the most difficult-to-serve parts of our country.  However, without the update to the USF support rules described in this letter and in the letter last year, many rural consumers will continue to be denied a choice among these innovative services.  As the FCC continues to modernize USF to support broadband deployment, we must ensure rural consumers are not left behind by antiquated rules that inhibit investment, adoption, and consumer choice.  We therefore renew our call for the FCC to expeditiously make careful, targeted updates to the existing USF mechanisms to provide sufficient and predictable support so that consumers in areas served by smaller rural carriers can make the choice to obtain robust broadband services at affordable rates without being compelled to purchase other services.

Thank you for your consideration.  We look forward to continuing to work with you to update USF to ensure rural consumers receive reasonably comparable voice and broadband communications services of their choosing at reasonably comparable rates.  

The sixty-one U.S. Senators who signed the letter are:

1. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.)
2. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)
3. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.)
4. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.)
5. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii)
6. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.)
7. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.)
8. Joe Manchin III (W-Va.)
9. Deb Fisher (R-Neb.)
10. Michael F. Bennet (D-Colo.)
11. Jerry Moran (R-Kans.)
12. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.)
13. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska)
14. Al Franken (D-Minn.)
15. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.)
16. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.)
17. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.)
18. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.)
19. Steve Daines (R-Mont.)
20. Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine)
21. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)
22. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.)
23. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.)
24. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.)
25. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa)
26. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.)
27. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.)
28. Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-N.Y.)
29. Pat Roberts (R-Kans.)
30. Jon Tester (D-Mont.)
31. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.)
32. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.)
33. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.)
34. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.)
35. John Boozman (R-Ark.)
36. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.)
37. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho)
38. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.)
39. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.)
40. Dan Coats (R-Ind.)
41. Bill Cassidy (R-La.)
42. John Hoeven (R-N.D.)
43. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.)
44. James E. Risch (R-Idaho)
45. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah)
46. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa)
47. Tim Scott (R-S.C.)
48. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)
49. Richard Burr (R-N.C.)
50. Rob Portman (R-Ohio)
51. James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.)
52. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)
53. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.)
54. David Vitter (R-La.)
55. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.)
56. Susan Collins (R-Maine)
57. John Cornyn (R-Tex.)
58. Patty Murray (D-Wash.)
59. Gary Peters (D-Mich.)
60. Dean Heller (R-Nev.)
61. Tim Kaine (D-Va.)

 

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Thune Optimistic on Trade Promotion Authority Bill Despite Setback

“Unfortunately, Senate Democrats have chosen to block their own president’s agenda, uniting against one of his top policy priorities …”

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) issued the following statement after Senate Democrats obstructed consideration of H.R. 1314, the TPA legislation:

“The sooner Congress renews the bipartisan trade promotion authority legislation, the sooner South Dakota consumers, workers, and job creators can experience the benefits of a healthier economy. Unfortunately, Senate Democrats have chosen to block their own president’s agenda, uniting against one of his top policy priorities while, so far, President Obama has failed to adequately make his case among his own party. This is a setback, but I am hopeful that the Senate can find a path forward to pass this legislation, which is essential to securing free and fair trade agreements and providing access to new markets for American farmers, ranchers, and manufacturers.”

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Promoting South Dakota Tourism
By Senator John Thune

My work in the Senate requires me to spend most weeks commuting back and forth between South Dakota and Washington, D.C. While traveling, I’m fortunate to meet a wide range of people, some of whom are curious about South Dakota’s landmarks and history, while some are South Dakota enthusiasts having visited a number of the state’s great landmarks. Those who have visited speak highly of Mount Rushmore, the Badlands, Deadwood, Sturgis, the Corn Palace, Sioux Falls, the Lewis and Clark Trail and many of the other great places and experiences South Dakota has to offer.

Yet it is the honest, kind, and generous disposition of South Dakotans that visitors seem to highlight most often when talking to me about our great state. I have been told a number of heartwarming stories about how South Dakotans were so kind during visits, providing tourists with a great experience and memories that last a lifetime.

Likewise, helping South Dakotans with their visits to our nation’s capital provides me with an opportunity to share so much of our nation’s rich history with our state’s residents. I have watched families light up when they see the Capitol for the first time, marvel at the Declaration of Independence, and get goosebumps from Arlington National Cemetery. Over 18 million American tourists visit D.C. each year, allowing people from around the globe to share in our symbols of freedom and democracy.

The first week of May is recognized as National Travel and Tourism Week. As our state’s second largest industry, tourism is critical to South Dakota’s economy, with domestic and foreign visitors greatly contributing to our state and local tax bases. In 2013, South Dakota saw nearly $2 billion in economic impact from tourism-related activities and collected $298 million in local tax revenue.

I’m pleased to advocate for an industry that contributes so much to our country and our state. I commend those who work tirelessly to provide services to travelers and provide opportunities for cultural and educational growth through travel.

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Thune Blasts Long-Eared Bat ESA Listing at EPW Committee Hearing

“…Once again we have a federal agency that is throwing aside common sense and listening to special interest groups that based on their actions, do not have the best interests of the people of this country in mind.”

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) sharply criticized the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) misguided decision to address the decline of the northern long-eared bat population by listing the bat as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Although not a member of the EPW Committee, Thune was invited to speak at today’s hearing by the committee chairman to point out that the northern long-eared bat’s declining population is due to disease, not loss of habitat, and to express his strong opposition to the FWS action.