Washington DC News - South Dakota War College

Press Release: Noem Responds to President Obama’s State of the Union Address

January 20, 2015 @SoDakCampaigns

Noem Responds to President Obama’s State of the Union Address

South Dakota Deserves Action, Not More Politics, Says Noem

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Kristi Noem today issued the following statement in response to the President’s State of the Union Address this evening:

“South Dakotans deserve to hear about opportunities, but unfortunately, most of tonight’s speech was about politics. I believe we can produce real results that give South Dakotans the peace of mind that if they work hard and play by the rules they’ll be given opportunity and security. That means we can’t be increasing taxes on Middle Class families trying to save for college or adding billions of dollars to the deficit, which our kids will be responsible for.

“We should, however, enact new trade agreements that create more opportunities for South Dakota commodities and products to be sold overseas. We should eliminate some of the burdensome regulations that make it difficult to do business in America. We should cooperate on real solutions that strengthen cybersecurity, simplify the tax code, secure our nation, and accomplish much more. But to do that, we have to put politics aside. Only then can we create an opportunity economy with higher paying jobs and an accountable, efficient government.”

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Press Release: Thune Reacts to President Obama’s State of the Union Address

January 20, 2015 @SoDakCampaigns

Thune Reacts to President Obama’s State of the Union Address

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) tonight issued the following statement on President Obama’s sixth State of the Union address:

“America’s new Congress is focused on a reform agenda to fight for the middle class with policies to help create jobs, increase wages, and lower health care and energy costs. The president tonight laid out an agenda of top-down policies of the past to tax, to spend, and to regulate.

“South Dakotans know that bigger government doesn’t mean better government, but that’s exactly what the president proposed tonight, new ways to expand Washington’s already-overextended bureaucracy. After six years of the same stale policies, it’s time for new ideas.

“Republicans will turn Congress’ focus back to Americans’ top priorities: stimulating economic growth and improving the lives of middle-class Americans. This includes policies important to South Dakotans like approving the Keystone XL pipeline, reining in burdensome regulations, enacting trade agreements to put American goods on an equal playing field in the global market, and acting on other bipartisan jobs bills that have passed the House but were stuck in the United States Senate.

“Republicans believe in tapping into the potential of the American people, not the government, and we hope the president will finally join us.”

Click here for the YouTube video of Thune’s remarks and here for the high resolution file. Audio of his remarks is available here.

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Thune Offers Remarks Ahead of Tonight’s State of the Union Address

January 20, 2015January 20, 2015 @SoDakCampaigns

Thune Offers Remarks Ahead of Tonight’s State of the Union Address

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today offered remarks on what he hopes to hear from President Obama ahead of the State of the Union address tonight:

“President Obama’s State of the Union address will play an important role in setting the tone for the next Congress and I hope he will outline a new path forward working with Republicans to rebuild our economy from the ground up, creating jobs and strengthening the middle class. Americans want to know if the president will promote a positive, bipartisan agenda and join Republicans on working to find solutions to increase economic opportunity for all. Or, based on his rhetoric from the past few weeks, will he deliver yet another unserious political speech that overpromises and under delivers the same failed policies that grow government at the expense of the hard-working American taxpayer?

“The economy is a top priority for the majority of Americans. Although the recession officially ended more than five years ago, too many Americans are still struggling to make ends meet. Wages have remained stagnant, and median household income has dropped almost $3,000 since the president took office. And the president’s response to this is: more burdensome taxes that will hurt small businesses, farmers, and ranchers; more spending to pile debt on the back of the next generation; and more top-down regulations to stifle innovation and economic freedom.

“While the president’s message remains the same, South Dakotans have a reason to be hopeful.

“The new Republican majority is focused on a future that embraces and fights for the potential of Americans, not the government.

“We are fighting to reform the tax code so it’s simpler, more efficient and fairer.

“We are pushing to approve common-sense, bipartisan jobs bills, starting with passing the Keystone XL pipeline legislation.

“Republicans will also take up other bipartisan jobs measures that were stuck in the Democrat-led Senate for far too long, including repealing the job-killing medical device tax and reinstating the 40-hour workweek that was shortened by ObamaCare.

“In addition to passing job-creating legislation, Republicans will also make oversight a priority in the new Congress.

“The Obama Environmental Protection Agency has proposed regulations that would drive Americans’ energy prices through the roof and result in the loss of tens of thousands of American jobs.

“Americans’ priorities are Republicans’ priorities. We have a reform agenda to strengthen the middle-class, create jobs, increase wages, and lower health care and energy costs. Not the failed, top-down approach the president repeats year after year. We are eager to get to work on behalf of the American people and we hope the president will join us in this effort.”

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Press Release: Thune Welcomes South Dakota Business Executive to Testify on Impact of Proposed Internet Regulations

January 20, 2015January 20, 2015 @SoDakCampaigns

Thune Welcomes South Dakota Business Executive to Testify on Impact of Proposed Internet Regulations

-Midco SVP Tom Simmons to testify before Commerce Committee, Thune’s inaugural hearing as chairman-

WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, welcomes South Dakotan and Senior Vice President of Public Policy at Midcontinent Communications (Midco), Tom Simmons, who will testify before the Commerce Committee tomorrow, Wednesday, January 21, at Thune’s inaugural hearing as chairman entitled, “Protecting the Internet and Consumers through Congressional Action.”

“It’s fitting that as the committee holds its first hearing of the new Congress, we draw from the first-hand knowledge and success of a growing South Dakota business,” said Thune. “Mr. Simmons offers tremendous insight on the importance of protecting an open Internet and the current light touch regulatory approach that has spurred innovation. Midco is a prime example of how these policies promote infrastructure investment that benefit South Dakotans. The role of the Internet in our daily lives is going to continue to grow. It will keep revolutionizing things like transportation, health care, agriculture, and education. But heavy-handed government regulation, like that being pursued by the Federal Communication Commission, could delay or even jeopardize the next big leap in innovation. I look forward to hearing from Mr. Simmons as the committee evaluates the best path forward to protect the entrepreneurial character of the Internet and hope to draw valuable knowledge from his testimony.”

Mr. Simmons is from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he serves as Senior Vice President of Public Policy for Midco and manages the public affairs, public relations, government and industry relations, and is the general spokesperson for the company. He joined Midcontinent Media, Inc., parent company of Midcontinent Communications, in 1987 as the general manager of Midcontinent’s South Dakota radio group. In 1995, Mr. Simmons joined Midco Communications, Midcontinent’s telecommunications company, as Vice President and General Manager and was given the primary task of leading the development of full service local and long distance telephone and non-traditional services on Midcontinent’s cable television/broadband infrastructure.

Last fall, PC Magazine named Midco the nation’s fastest Internet service provider. In November, Midco announced it will make gigabit speeds available by 2017 to approximately 600,000 homes and 55,000 businesses throughout South Dakota, North Dakota, and Minnesota along a high-capacity fiber network that covers more than 7,600 miles.

Watch Thune chair his inaugural Commerce Committee hearing live tomorrow, Wednesday, January 21 at 2:30 p.m. ET, 1:30 p.m. CT, 12:30 p.m. MT online here.

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Congresswoman Kristi Noem’s Weekly Column: Hitting the Ground Running

January 18, 2015January 18, 2015 @SoDakCampaigns

Hitting the Ground Running
By Rep. Kristi Noem
January 16, 2015

Over the last few years, thousands of South Dakotans have reached out to me about the Affordable Care Act – or as most people refer to it, “Obamacare.” Undoubtedly, there are a handful of people who have talked about the new access they’ve received, but the vast majority have contacted me about the problems they’ve faced – whether that’s significantly higher costs for their family, new restraints on their small business, or concerns about losing the healthcare coverage they trust, as it’s already gotten their family through some pretty serious medical situations.

By this time, most people reading this column understand that I want to fully repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and replace it with a patient-centered plan that gives you more control over your healthcare while simultaneously targeting the elements of healthcare that are driving insurance costs up, such as frivolous lawsuits and a lack of competition. I’ve voted numerous times to repeal the legislation and have put forward an alternate plan, but I remain convinced that repeal is not possible under this President. To him, this is his legacy and so he will veto any full repeal. And while we have hopes to overcome some presidential vetoes with the new Republican majority in the Senate, there is not enough support from Democrats to override a veto on the repeal of ACA.

While I remain committed to ultimately replacing the President’s healthcare law, I will do what I can today to lessen its impact on South Dakotans. With just two weeks under our belt in 2015, I’ve already helped the U.S. House of Representatives pass three reforms this year that specifically benefit veterans, volunteer firefighters, and small businesses.

The first, the Save American Workers Act, updates ACA’s definition of “full-time” – something I’ve talked to many South Dakota small businesses about in the last few years. Under ACA, full-time was defined as 30 hours per week – rather than the traditional 40 hours per week. The 30-hour definition is almost unheard of. Even France defines full-time as 35 hours per week.

As a result, some hourly workers – including many in the services industry – saw their time being cut from 40 hours per week to 29. Fewer hours means less pay. Through the Save American Workers Act, we aim to save workers from having their hours cut. This legislation passed with bipartisan support, 252-172.

We also passed the Hire More Heroes Act. Under ACA, employers with more than 50 full-time workers must help employees pay for insurance through an employer-sponsored plan or face a penalty. But many veterans receive healthcare through Tricare or the VA. The Hire More Heroes Act says that veterans don’t count toward ACA’s 50-employee threshold. I’m hopeful it will encourage folks to hire more of our heroes, while also allowing small businesses to grow without being held back by ACA’s red tape. This legislation passed the House unanimously.

Finally, we made similar exceptions for volunteer firefighters and emergency personnel, as most receive healthcare through other means. I’m hopeful this legislation, which also passed the House unanimously, will help preserve precious emergency response dollars.

These three reforms are expected to be considered in the Senate soon, but they continue to face an uphill climb in the White House. Nonetheless, I remain hopeful that we’ll be able to get some reforms enacted.

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US Senator John Thune’s Weekly Column: Agriculture Remains a Top Priority in the New Congress

January 18, 2015January 18, 2015 @SoDakCampaigns

Agriculture Remains a Top Priority in the New Congress
By Senator John Thune

Last year’s passage of the 2014 Farm Bill was a significant step forward for South Dakota farmers, ranchers, and agri-businesses, as it included critical livestock assistance and a secure crop insurance program. While not perfect, the bill provided important reforms to the previous Farm Bill to help move ag policy into the 21^st century. As we move into the new session of Congress guided by a Republican majority in the House and Senate, ag policy remains a top priority for me.

As South Dakota’s senior senator, lone member of the delegation serving on a congressional agriculture committee, member of the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee, and chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, my committee assignments provide unique opportunities to address key agriculture priorities.

My role as chairman of the Commerce Committee will help strengthen South Dakota’s rail, transportation, and telecommunications infrastructure, which is important to keeping our agriculture and business economy strong and healthy. This past harvest season, agriculture producers were hit particularly hard by the rail service backlogs. As chairman of the Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over transportation issues, I will continue working closely with the Surface Transportation Board, which has direct oversight over our railroads to prevent future backlogs from occurring.

As a member of the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over tax and trade issues, I am committed to working toward tax reform that will simplify the tax system. Comprehensive tax reform is particularly important for farmers who pay taxes at the individual rates. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, more than 96 percent of farms and 75 percent of farm sales are taxed at the individual tax rates. I will also be reintroducing my legislation to repeal the federal estate tax, better known as the death tax. Protecting South Dakota agriculture from the confiscatory and unfair death tax is critical if we want to allow family farms to pass to the next generation.

South Dakota’s agriculture industry is very dependent on exports, with more than 40 percent of its annual soybean crop sent overseas. As a Member of the Finance Committee, I will fight for Trade Promotion Authority and favorable trade agreements to open new markets abroad to South Dakota’s agricultural products.

Finally, as a member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, I will continue to keep a watchful eye on the implementation of the 2014 Farm Bill. Crop insurance is the most important safety net tool for our state’s farmers. Thanks to crop insurance and past federal Farm Bill programs, most farmers have been able to sustain their operations while providing the safest and most affordable food supply in the world. I will continue to advocate for South Dakota’s farmers and ranchers as the U.S. Department of Agriculture implements Farm Bill commodity programs, conservation programs, and other important agriculture programs.

Agriculture is the backbone of South Dakota’s economy. As your U.S. Senator I am eager to work on the pressing issues facing South Dakota, and I look forward to being a strong voice in Washington for the South Dakota agriculture industry.

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US Senator Mike Rounds Weekly Column: Time to Pass Keystone XL Legislation

January 18, 2015January 18, 2015 @SoDakCampaigns

Time to Pass Keystone XL Legislation
By Senator Mike Rounds
Jan. 16, 2015

One of the first items the 114th Congress is taking up is a bill that would authorize construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. A long-time supporter of the project, it was the first bill I signed onto when I took office. The pipeline would bring new sources of energy, create tens of thousands of jobs in the U.S. and free up rail space for South Dakota crops to be sold.

Unfortunately, this project has been politicized by this Administration. By refusing to approve the project – despite having studied it for seven years and undeniable evidence showing that it should be built – the President gives Congress little choice but to take matters into our own hands. With a new Republican majority in both chambers of Congress, we now have an opportunity to put a Keystone bill on the President’s desk. The House of Representatives wasted no time passing Keystone XL pipeline legislation, just as they have in past sessions of Congress. Shortly afterward, the Senate voted 63-32 to bring the legislation to the floor for an open amendment process. I expect the Senate to pass it soon and get it to the President’s desk within weeks.

Unfortunately, the President has already threatened to veto the bill, despite widespread bipartisan support in Congress and the overwhelming support of the American public. A recent CNN poll shows a majority of Americans— 57 percent —support the Keystone XL pipeline. But the President is more concerned with using the pipeline as a political football.

The proposed pipeline will run more than 1,000 miles and carry 830,000 barrels of crude oil to refineries on the gulf coast. It will enter the United States in Montana, then run through South Dakota to connect with an existing pipeline in Nebraska. Separate from Keystone, which has been politicized, thousands of miles of pipeline have already been built and are in use in South Dakota. Over the past seven years, the federal government has run a number of environmental impact studies along the route, coming to the conclusion that construction of the pipeline would not cause any significant environmental risks. Yet the Administration continues to delay its approval, showing us that American jobs and energy independence are not their top priorities. Earlier this month, a lawsuit holding up approval of the route through Nebraska was overturned by the Nebraska Supreme Court, removing another excuse the President has used to delay the project.

Since the pipeline will pass through our state, this would bring job opportunities for South Dakotans. It would also play a significant role in an “all of the above” approach to our nation’s growing energy needs and free up rail space for South Dakota grains. I’m pleased my colleagues have agreed to take matters into our own hands on this important issue. I look forward to debating amendments on the Keystone bill in the Senate. Doing so brings us one step closer to finally building the pipeline, bringing along an economic boost to our country.

Release: Rounds Applauds Advancement of Powder River Training Complex Expansion

January 16, 2015January 16, 2015 @SoDakCampaigns

Rounds Applauds Advancement of Powder River Training Complex Expansion

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) made the following statement on the Air Force’s announcement that it has formalized its decision to expand the Powder River Training Complex:

“Today’s announcement is great news for our state, the federal budget, and our national security,” Rounds said. “The additional airspace the complex will provide to Ellsworth will greatly benefit the facility, strengthening the role the Air Force Base plays in national defense. Plus, it make sense fiscally – saving taxpayers millions of dollars annually. It’s good to have the FAA and Air Force work together on this effort and I look forward the FAA finalizing the expansion decision. I thank Sen. Thune and Rep. Noem on their work in previous sessions of Congress to see this important project advance and look forward to working with them to see it cross the finish line.”

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Release: Powder River Decision a Victory for Ellsworth and the Air Force, Says Noem

January 16, 2015 @SoDakCampaigns

Powder River Decision a Victory for Ellsworth and the Air Force, Says Noem

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Kristi Noem today applauded the U.S. Air Force’s final Record of Decision on the Powder River Training Complex as a positive step toward finalizing the proposed expansion of air space.

“Nothing can replace the value of air time for our airmen,” said Noem. “Proper training and readiness are critical to our airmen’s safety and success in the field. With the expansion of air space at Powder River, Ellsworth Air Force Base and the U.S. Air Force will have critical access to one of the largest training complexes in the country. I have worked with the Air Force and monitored the progress of the Powder River Training Complex expansion since coming to Congress. The Record of Decision released today clears an important hurdle for the U.S. Air Force and moves us one step closer to finalizing this mission-critical project.”

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Release: Following Thune Backing, Air Force Finalizes Critical Training Airspace Expansion

January 16, 2015 @SoDakCampaigns

Following Thune Backing, Air Force Finalizes Critical Training Airspace Expansion

-Approval of PRTC increases national security while saving taxpayers money-

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Following nearly nine years of collaboration between U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) and the Air Force to expand the military training airspace over South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming, known as the Powder River Training Complex (PRTC), Thune today applauded the Air Force’s announcement that it finalized its Record of Decision (ROD) to approve the PRTC. Now that the Air Force has completed its portion of the process, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will complete its review before the training airspace can be utilized.

“It is rare to have an opportunity to increase national security while saving taxpayer dollars, but that’s precisely what this project does,” said Thune. “After nearly nine years working with the Air Force on this important expansion project, I’m pleased we’ve entered the final step to ensuring our Air Force pilots and personnel have the adequate airspace to perform the critical training they need in conditions that more closely resemble combat missions. I’m proud of the vital role Ellsworth continues to play in protecting and preserving America’s freedom at home and abroad and look forward to the FAA finalizing the PRTC expansion.”

The PRTC expansion will provide Air Force pilots and personnel with expanded airspace to perform the critical training they need in conditions that more closely resemble combat missions. The expansion will also allow for large force exercises where multiple aircraft and crews can train together simulating a combat environment without live fire exercises.

The new Powder River Training Complex will be divided into four quadrants, with each of these quadrants divided into low-, medium-, and high-altitude sections. With the exception of Large Force Exercises, which will be for only 10 days per year, only a few quadrants will be in use during the week, and only for a few hours each day. The airspace will continue to be open for civilian and commercial use when it is not being used for training exercises.

The PRTC expansion not only marks the largest expansion of Special Use Airspace in America’s history, but also represents an important cost-saving initiative. The expanded airspace will save Ellsworth Air Force Base up to $23 million per year and is the first time the FAA and Air Force have worked jointly on such an effort, setting a precedent for further cost-saving cooperation down the road and addressing stakeholder concerns up front.

Ellsworth Air Force Base has a $350 million impact on South Dakota’s economy and is the state’s second largest employer.

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