Category: US Senator John Thune

Senate Passes First Joint Balanced Budget in More Than a Decade

“The American people have a right to expect that the federal government will balance its budget – just like hard-working Americans do at home.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) issued the following statement on the Senate’s passage of the first joint 10-year balanced budget resolution in more than a decade:

“The American people have a right to expect that the federal government will balance its budget – just like hard-working Americans do at home. While the balanced budget we passed today doesn’t fix everything, it is an important step toward getting Washington working again for American families by creating a framework for the efficient, effective, and accountable government they deserve.”

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Thune Announces Staff Changes to Press Team

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today announced staff changes on his Washington-based press team:

Ryan Wrasse, Thune’s national press secretary at the Senate Republican Conference, has been promoted to communications director for Thune’s personal office beginning May 18. Wrasse previously served as digital communications adviser, deputy press secretary, and floor monitor at the Senate Republican Conference under Thune and former Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.). Prior to working on Capitol Hill, Wrasse was an aide at the U.S. Department of Commerce during the George W. Bush administration after graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

“Ryan has played an integral role at the Senate Republican Conference for the past several years, and I rely on his intelligence and insight as we work to bring our message to the American people,” said Thune. “I’m very pleased that he’s accepted this new role, and I know South Dakotans will benefit from his hard work and commitment. I welcome him to my personal office team.”

Rachel Millard, Thune’s outgoing communications director for his personal office, will soon be joining the private sector in Washington, D.C. Millard, a native of Chamberlain, South Dakota, and graduate of Creighton University, has worked for Thune for six years. She previously served as press secretary for Thune, internal communications adviser at the Senate Republican Conference, and legislative correspondent for Thune.

“South Dakotans have been well-served by Rachel during her years of service on my staff,” said Thune. “I’m thankful for her hard work, trusted advice, and dedication to the people of South Dakota. I wish her all the best with her new endeavor, and while she isn’t going far, she’ll be missed by all of us.”

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Thune Re-introduces Bill to Eliminate Unfair Government Competition with Private Sector Businesses

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today re-introduced legislation that would require federal agencies to rely on the private sector when providing goods and services that are readily available. Thune’s legislation, the Freedom from Government Competition Act, would ensure private enterprises performing activities duplicated by the government have the opportunity to compete for work that federal agencies unnecessarily handle in-house.

Thune’s legislation would codify the “Yellow Pages” test, which says that if the federal government is doing something that can be found in the Yellow Pages, the product or service should be subject to market competition to ensure better value for the taxpayer.

“Finding ways to stimulate job growth on Main Street while reducing federal spending and the size and scope of government remains a top priority for me,” said Thune. “We shouldn’t pit the resources of our federal government against privately owned businesses, and my bill is a step in the right direction. Private businesses, many of them small businesses, are the real job creators in America, yet the federal government has barred market access for these services. My bill gives private businesses in South Dakota and elsewhere equal footing to compete for government business while keeping jobs and revenue in local communities.”

Thune’s legislation does not mandate the privatization of any specific federal service and would protect those activities which are inherently governmental, such as certain national defense and homeland security functions, prosecutions, foreign policy and activities to bind the United States to take or not to take some action by contract, policy, regulation, authorization, or order.

Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) is a cosponsor of Thune’s bill. Rep. John J. “Jimmy” Duncan (R-Tenn.) is sponsoring the companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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Back to the Basics: Working and Listening
By Senator John Thune

One of the things I enjoy about traveling when I am back in the state is picking up on some of the key messages South Dakotans have for me to take back to Washington. One of the messages ringing loud and clear is the desire of South Dakotans and the American people to return to the principles of our Founding Fathers – liberty, self-determination, and limited government through the consent of the people. These are principles that I hold dearly. America cannot turn its back on the framework that has made this country great. Our Founding Fathers worked tirelessly to form a government system that would serve the people, not itself.

On November 4, 2014, the American people voted for a change in the Senate. They were tired of the do-nothing attitude of the upper chamber under Democrat leadership and were ready for us to get the Senate working again for the American people. That is precisely what Republicans pledged to do, and in a little more than 100 days, we’ve made significant progress. The Senate has conducted more than 100 amendment roll call votes in just the first three and a half months. That’s roughly seven times as many amendment roll call votes as were conducted all of last year.

The Senate has passed more than a dozen bipartisan bills, including the Clay Hunt SAV Act to ensure we prioritize the mental health needs of our veterans. We’ve passed legislation reauthorizing Terrorism Risk Insurance, a bill to approve the Keystone XL pipeline, a bill to strengthen Medicare for seniors and their doctors, and a critical bill that combats human trafficking. The Senate also passed a responsible budget that balances in 10 years, something the president’s budget never does.

Significant progress is being made in the Senate, but there is still much more work to be done. Committees are preparing bipartisan legislation for the full Senate to consider. For example, I am optimistic that the full Senate will soon consider a bipartisan bill to reduce federal control of K-12 education, giving more power back to state and local governments.

I look forward to more bipartisan accomplishments, and I will continue striving to ensure we prioritize the South Dakota values of hard work, determination, and common sense in my work in Washington.

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Thune Praises Finance Committee’s Bipartisan Passage of Trade Promotion Authority

-Thune provisions included in Finance-passed customs reauthorization bill-

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, praised the committee’s bipartisan passage of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). The legislation would help finalize trade deals that remove barriers facing U.S. exports, allowing American goods to compete on a level playing field. Last night, the Finance Committee passed The Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 (S. 995) and a customs reauthorization bill including provisions authored by Thune, among other trade bills.

“With 96 percent of the world’s consumers outside the borders of the United States, free and fair trade is essential to economic growth,” said Thune. “This important legislation will help put the United States in the strongest possible position when negotiating trade agreements by allowing Congress to set guidelines for trade negotiations and outlines the priorities the administration must follow. Since 2009, increasing exports have accounted for more than 1.6 million new jobs in the United States. In South Dakota alone, exports support more than 15,000 jobs in industries ranging from farming and ranching to machinery and electronics. The sooner Congress renews TPA, the sooner American workers and job creators can start experiencing the benefits.”

Among other provisions, the TPA legislation directs America’s trade negotiators to remove barriers to the export of America’s farm products, including those products currently subject to non-tariff barriers. Specifically, the bill will help to remove non-science based regulatory restrictions abroad to U.S. crops that use biotechnology. Trade is especially important to South Dakota’s agriculture industry. Export markets account for 30 percent of the sales of U.S. agricultural products. For South Dakota, that represents $3.8 billion worth of annual agriculture exports creating jobs, boosting farm income, and growing South Dakota’s economy.

The legislation also includes provisions updating U.S. trade policy for the modern era by addressing foreign barriers to digital trade, such as restrictions on data flows across borders. Increasingly the Internet is an important tool for small businesses looking to export their goods, and these provisions have been championed by Thune in his roles as member of the Finance Committee and as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

The following Thune provisions were included in the chairman’s modified mark to the customs reauthorization bill:

1. Provision to Reduce Trade Barriers for Low-Value Items: A Thune provision was included to 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 with Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) S. 489—would raise the exemption level to $800. The chairman’s modified mark also adopted a Thune amendment 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. Provision to Ensure Fair Treatment of Domestic Honey Producers: The bill includes a provision, championed by Thune, to 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. Additionally, the chairman’s modified mark adopted a Thune amendment 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 amendment will correct this CBP misinterpretation of law.

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Thune, Donnelly Lead Bipartisan Letter Urging USDA to Maximize CRP Enrollment, Conduct General Signup

-Without a Fiscal Year 2015 general signup, CRP enrollment could drop to 3 million acres below its acreage cap-

WASHINGTON D.C.— Today, U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) led a bipartisan group of 10 senators in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack strongly encouraging him to take whatever steps necessary, including conducting a general signup in fiscal year 2015, to keep Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) enrollment near the annual acreage caps authorized in the 2014 Farm Bill.

“CRP has evolved over the past 30 years into a versatile soil and water conservation and wildlife habitat program, that also provides a solid economic alternative for farmers in place of producing expensive crops on marginal land,” said Thune. “Because general CRP signups account for the highest percentage of enrolled acres and are the most cost-effective, we need a general CRP signup each year to keep enrollment at its maximum level.”

“The Conservation Reserve Program is critical to reducing soil erosion, improving water quality, and providing wildlife habitats,” said Donnelly. “This program helps both our agriculture businesses and conservation efforts. That is why my Senate colleagues and I are urging the USDA to make sure that eligible landowners have every opportunity to participate. I appreciate the opportunity to work with Senator Thune on this bipartisan effort.”

First authorized under the 1985 Farm Bill, CRP is administered USDA. CRP enrollment peaked at 37 million acres in 2007, but has dropped to its current enrollment of 24.29 million acres. The 2014 Farm Bill-authorized nationwide CRP acreage cap for fiscal year 2015 is 26 million acres. More than 1.9 million acres enrolled in CRP contracts expire September 30, 2015. Unless a large number of acres are enrolled in CRP during the remainder of Fiscal Year 2015, CRP enrollment may be nearly 3.6 million acres under the enrolled acreage cap at the end of this fiscal year.

More than 18 million acres or about 75 percent of the current CRP enrollment of 24.29 million acres enrolled via general signups, which indicates the important contribution general CRP signups are to overall enrollment. To emphasize cost-effectiveness of general CRP signups, the average rental rate for acres enrolled under general CRP signups is $66.34 and the average rental rate for acres enrolled in continuous CRP is $110.89.

Joining Thune and Donnelly in their letter are Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

Text of the senators’ letter follows:
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April 23, 2015

The Honorable Thomas J. Vilsack
Secretary
U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Ave, SW
Washington, DC 20250

Dear Secretary Vilsack,

We thank you and your team at the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for your efforts to implement critical provisions of the Agriculture Act of 2014 (2014 Farm Bill). As you continue to make implementation decisions pursuant to the intent of Congress, please keep in mind that decisions regarding Conservation Title programs have lasting and significant impacts on the agricultural landscape. The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is one of the most critical Conservation Title programs, and the undersigned members of the U.S. Senate write to clarify the intent of the language passed into law.

CRP was originally established under the Food Security Act of 1985 and over the past 30 years has evolved into one of the most important and versatile federal programs for both agricultural producers and conservationists. Annually, CRP reduces soil erosion by millions of tons, improves water quality for millions of people, and provides millions of acres of wildlife habitat. CRP also serves as an effective component of the “farm safety net” by helping producers mitigate risks associated with price and production by providing an alternative to raising crops on less productive, environmentally sensitive lands.

Nearly 37 million acres were enrolled in CRP at its peak in 2007; however, as authorized in the 2014 Farm Bill, the CRP acreage cap will be reduced to 26 million acres in fiscal year 2015, 25 million acres in fiscal year 2016, and 24 million acres in fiscal years 2017 and 2018.

Although the 2014 Farm Bill lowered the CRP acreage cap, this reduction does not signal waning congressional support for CRP. It is our intent that USDA provide adequate enrollment periods, including general CRP signups, in order to ensure eligible landowners are not denied sufficient opportunity to enroll their land and to ensure CRP does not remain undersubscribed.

The combination of larger tracts enrolled through the more cost-effective general CRP signups in close proximity to Continuous CRP (CCRP) or Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) enrolled acres maximizes the wildlife and recreational benefits of CRP, CCRP, and CREP and provides the most cost-effective use of CRP expenditures. CRP must be allowed to continue as one of USDA’s key conservation programs in concert with working lands conservation efforts.

Though the authorized CRP acreage cap for fiscal year 2015 is 26 million acres, as of February 2015 only 24.29 million acres were enrolled. With 1.9 million acres enrolled in contracts that expire on September 30, CRP may have a total enrollment of only 22.39 million acres at the end of this fiscal year, nearly 3.6 million acres under the allowed acreage cap.

Accordingly, we strongly encourage you to take whatever steps necessary to keep CRP enrollment near the annual acreage caps authorized in the 2014 Farm Bill, including conducting a general CRP signup during fiscal year 2015 and in future years as needed. In addition, please let us know specifically how you plan to keep CRP enrollment at or near its authorized acreage caps for the duration of 2014 Farm Bill.

Thank you for your consideration of our request. We stand ready to work with you to ensure CRP enrollment does not fall below the levels Congress intended.

Sincerely,

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Thune Statement on Passage of Human Trafficking Bill

“It’s good to see that bipartisanship has once again prevailed in the Senate so these victims can receive much-needed resources.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) issued the following statement on the Senate’s bipartisan passage of the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act:

“I’m glad that Senate Democrats finally dropped their weeks-long filibuster of this bipartisan, common-sense bill that targets the scourge of human trafficking and helps give a voice to the voiceless. This effort to help end modern-day slavery should have been above politics all along, but it’s good to see that bipartisanship has once again prevailed in the Senate so these victims can receive much-needed resources.”

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Thune Statement on Bipartisan Trade Promotion Authority Legislation

“Enacting TPA will be a boon to the economy, expanding opportunities for American workers and giving American farmers, ranchers, and manufacturers access to new markets for their goods.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), member of the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over trade-related matters, issued the following statement on today’s announcement of bipartisan trade promotion authority (TPA) legislation introduced by U.S. Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.):

“Today’s announcement is much-needed good news for American workers and businesses. Enacting TPA will be a boon to the economy, expanding opportunities for American workers and giving South Dakota farmers, ranchers, and manufacturers access to new markets for their goods,” Thune said. “The challenges facing our nation are best solved when members of both parties come together to find solutions for the American people, and I commend Sens. Hatch and Wyden and Chairman Ryan for their efforts on TPA and other trade-related issues.”

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Thune Praises House Repeal of Death Tax

“This legislation will finally give farmers, ranchers and family business owners the peace of mind of knowing that they no longer have to spend substantial sums on planning to minimize their death tax liability.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today praised the House of Representatives bipartisan passage of a bill to permanently abolish the estate tax, more commonly referred to as the death tax. The Death Tax Repeal Act of 2015, which Thune introduced in the Senate, passed the House by a vote of 240 to 179. Thune offered the following statement regarding today’s vote:

“The death of a loved one should not be a taxable event. Imposing yet another layer of taxation, as high as 40 percent, on a family’s life savings is not just bad for the economy, it’s unfair to those who have spent their entire lives building job-creating small businesses, farms, and ranches in their local communities. This legislation will finally give farmers, ranchers, and family business owners the peace of mind of knowing that they no longer have to spend substantial sums on planning to minimize their death tax liability. I applaud the House’s bipartisan approval of this bill and look forward to the Senate taking it up later this year.”

The Death Tax Repeal Act of 2015 will now be sent to the Senate for further consideration. Last month, the Senate adopted Thune’s amendment to the Fiscal Year 2016 budget resolution to create a deficit neutral reserve fund to eliminate the death tax.

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Tax Day Not a Happy Time for Hard-Working Americans

“We need to cut rates for families so that Americans can spend more of the year working for themselves, and less of the year working for the federal government.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) marked Tax Day, April 15, by delivering the following remarks (as prepared for delivery) on the Senate floor:

“Mr. President, it’s been said that April is the cruelest month.

“I think that pretty much captures how Americans feel as Tax Day approaches each year.

“This year, Americans will spend 114 days working to pay for their federal, state, and local taxes.

“In other words, Americans may have submitted their federal tax returns – or be getting ready to submit them tonight – but they’re still not done working off all their taxes.

“In fact, Americans won’t start earning a dollar for themselves until April 25, almost one-third of the way through the year.

“Americans spend 6.1 billion hours every year trying to comply with the tax code.

“That’s an average of 19 hours for every man, woman, and child in the United States – or an average of 76 hours for a family of four.

“Almost half of small businesses spend more than $5,000 each year on tax compliance – that’s $5,000 on top of their tax bill.

“Mr. President, paying taxes is never going to be at the top of Americans’ list of favorite activities, but it does not have to be the torturous process it has become.

“The tax code takes too much time to comply with, and it takes too much money from hard-working Americans.

“Comprehensive tax reform is long overdue.

“Unfortunately, instead of tax reform, under the Obama administration Americans have just gotten more taxes.

“The president’s health care law created or raised taxes to the tune of more than $1 trillion over its first decade.

“And several of those taxes have hit families making less than $250,000 a year, despite the president’s campaign pledge not to raise taxes on families making less than $250,000.

“Take the Obamacare medical device tax.

“Thanks to this tax, families are now facing higher prices on life-saving medical equipment like pacemakers and insulin pumps.

“Obamacare taxes are also driving up prices for families on essential drugs like EpiPens and asthma medications.

“Other Obamacare taxes are costing American families in other ways:

“The Obamacare employer mandate tax is discouraging employers from expanding and hiring, which means fewer jobs and opportunities for American workers.

“Then there’s the individual mandate tax that last year began hitting American families without government-approved insurance.

“For 2015, the individual mandate tax penalty is $325 per person, or 2 percent of household income, whichever is greater.

“In 2016, that tax penalty will rise to $695 per person, or 2.5 percent of household income, whichever is greater.

“But that’s not all Obamacare is bringing to tax season.

“This year, a full half of Americans receiving Obamacare health insurance subsidies discovered that they have to pay back some or all of their subsidies because they didn’t estimate their income correctly.

“Ultimately, just 4 percent of households receiving subsidies had the correct subsidy advanced to their insurance companies.

“Unfortunately, the confusion and mistakes are par for the course for Obamacare.

“The administration apparently finds the law so confusing that it sent out incorrect Obamacare forms to more than 800,000 people.

“And yet the administration wants us to believe that Obamacare is working.

“Mr. President, we need to repeal this broken law and its trillion dollars’ worth of taxes.

“And we need to reform our bloated tax code.

“We need to cut rates for families so that Americans can spend more of the year working for themselves, and less of the year working for the federal government.

“And we need to cut rates for businesses large and small.

“The U.S. currently has the highest corporate tax rate in the developed world.

“That puts American businesses at a huge disadvantage compared to their foreign competitors, and American workers suffer the consequences: lower wages and fewer opportunities.

“Reforming both corporate and individual tax rates would go a long way toward making American businesses more competitive and opening new opportunities and higher-paying jobs for American workers.

“And of course, any tax reform measure should include reforms to the IRS.

“From mishandled customer service to the agency’s most serious offenses – the First Amendment violations involving the deliberate targeting of groups for extra scrutiny based on their political beliefs – this agency is long overdue for reform.

“The IRS commissioner himself, John Koskinen, was quoted in Monday’s Washington Post as saying “We certainly can’t afford to have taxpayer service be any worse than it is, although it’s hard to imagine it being much worse than it is.”

“When even the IRS commissioner admits that the agency’s taxpayer services can’t get much worse, that’s a signal that the agency is ripe for reform.”

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