“I commend my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for coming together to pass legislation to provide our Armed Forces with the tools they need to successfully complete their missions and protect our nation,” said Rounds. “In these dangerous times for our country and the world, our troops deserve our full support.”
“I’m also pleased that five provisions I offered were included in the final NDAA. I thank my colleagues for supporting these common sense provisions.”
The NDAA also included amendments Rounds offered to help develop the Air Force’s new bomber, improve the Pentagon workforce that develops new weapons and help states and localities if they are targets of cyber-attacks.
Thune Applauds passage of defense bill which will keep Ellsworth Air Force Base in strong position
“This bill rejects President Obama’s call for another round of BRAC closures, which would actually cost more money in the short term.”
WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) issued the following statement after the Senate passed bipartisan legislation, H.R. 1735, the National Defense Authorization Act:
“Passing the NDAA is welcome news for South Dakota’s active-duty military and their families, our wounded warriors, and our veterans. This reform bill provides for our nation’s heroes while simultaneously eliminating wasteful spending. Not only does it ensure that our B-1 fleet is maintained, our airmen and women are trained, and the long-range strike bomber moves forward, but this bill rejects President Obama’s call for another round of BRAC closures, which would actually cost more money in the short term.
“By allocating taxpayer dollars wisely, the NDAA provides savings in an era of tighter budgets and bolsters the readiness of our military. This bill is only one step in the process. In order to deliver this important funding to our troops, Democrats must abandon their threats of a ‘filibuster summer’ and join Senate Republicans in the appropriations process.”
Noem Helps Introduce Legislation to Strengthen Protections for Expectant Mothers
Washington, D.C. – Rep. Kristi Noem today joined Rep. Tim Walberg and Sen. Lisa Murkowski in introducing the Pregnancy Discrimination Amendment Act to strengthen protections for expectant mothers in the workplace. The legislation, which was introduced in both the House and Senate, provides much-needed protections in light of a recent Supreme Court decision, Young v. United Parcel Service, Inc., where the Justices wrote an unclear opinion related to a central provision of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978. Because of this, further clarification of the law is needed.
“Expectant mothers ought to be given some level of flexibility during their pregnancy so they can continue working and supporting their families,” said Noem. “I’m proud that our legislation takes a balanced approach, protecting mothers and strengthening families without imposing duplicative burdens on their employers.”
The legislation will modernize the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 by clarifying that a pregnant worker should be treated the same as a non-pregnant worker who may have a temporary disability and is therefore unable to perform certain duties. Click here to read a PDF of the Pregnancy Discrimination Amendment Act.
Noem Safeguards Accountability and Transparency with Support of Trade Promotion Authority
Washington, D.C. – Rep. Kristi Noem today joined colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bipartisan Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) bill, which would set the rules for trade negotiations and lay out congressional objectives as to what a good trade deal looks like for America.
“With Trade Promotion Authority in place, the American people would be guaranteed a seat at the negotiating table,” said Noem, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over such issues. “95 percent of the world’s consumers live outside our borders, so America limits its growth if we can’t reach those folks on a level playing field. TPA does not lock us into any trade agreement that gives Americans access to these markets, but it does set the rules as to how the administration can go about such negotiations. At its core, TPA guarantees a more transparent process where the administration can be held accountable to the American people for meeting the trade objectives set by Congress.”
With passage in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Trade Promotion Authority bill will be sent to the U.S. Senate for its approval before hitting the President’s desk. You can find more information on the authorities granted to Congress and the general public by TPA here.
“With TPA, Congress is telling the administration: If a trade agreement is to get the privilege of an up-or-down vote in Congress, you must follow our rules and instructions, consult us, and remember that we have the last say,” explained Noem. “But it’s also important to remember that TPA in no way obligates Congress to approve the Trans Pacific Partnership or any other trade agreement. If this administration violates the parameters we’ve set, Congress can revoke TPA. And if he follows the parameters and we still don’t like the agreement, Congress has the power to vote it down.”
It’s been light posting here for the last few days as I’ve been in Washington DC at the Autism Speaks Leadership Summit – which was excellent, BTW, and had us in the same room as several members of congress, especially a number of Republicans. But, as of 3AM, I’m finally in God’s country.
If you follow the SDWC on twitter (@SoDakCampaigns), I was a bit more active there than here, simply because of convenience:
And speaking of the Wednesday Sunrise Delegation Meeting in DC, I had visions of a cafeteria type room, maybe with a couple of tables, and a few people showing up. As you can tell by the photos, I was sorely mistaken.
This was held in a huge room, and it was packed! And there was another large group out the door. And despite the numbers, Congresswoman Noem, Senator Rounds and Senator Thune couldn’t have been more friendlier & gracious to each and every person in attendance. Each one of them went completely around the room chatting individually with those there, and only then did they do a brief presentation of what was happening in their respective chambers of Congress.
From there, my group broke out and we met with each member of the delegation and their staff. It was hit and miss, because they were actively meeting and voting, but we did speak with their appropriate staffers who were all up on our issues, and we did get to see them all.
Possibly because leaving the writer of South Dakota’s #1 political blog alone in their office had it’s own hazards…..
Kidding aside, and on a personal note, I have to say that I found our delegation quite supportive and receptive on our issues of ensuring the health and safety of individuals with disabilities, as well as working for progress in treating and, God willing, possibly curing some of these afflictions someday.
No issue is ever easy, but our delegation in Washington does care, and as we found, they’re always willing to listen.
But otherwise, great visit to our National’s Capitol in the very sweltering June heat & humidity!
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 114th 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.
Protecting our Troops by Reauthorizing NDAA
By Senator Mike Rounds
June 12, 2015
During the eight years I worked as governor of South Dakota, I had the honor of serving as the commander-in-chief of South Dakota’s National Guard forces. My first term began in 2003, right at the start of the war in Iraq. I attended ceremonies for our military men and women as they deployed to active duty and welcomed them home upon their return. I ask that everyone continue to remember the families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice and did not return home. These brave men and women and their families sacrifice everything to protect America and the freedoms bestowed to us. We owe it to them to give our full support of their efforts.
As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I joined an overwhelming majority of my colleagues to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2016 out of committee. Recognizing that the defense of our country is not a partisan issue, we came together to produce a bipartisan bill that supports our troops and provides them with the necessary tools to successfully accomplish their dangerous and demanding missions.
The NDAA legislation seeks to improve the quality of life for the men and women of our armed forces and their families and addresses the needs of our wounded, ill and injured service members. It also makes important reforms aimed at recruiting and retaining the all-volunteer force that has consistently defended our country for over four decades. And it cuts $10 billion in wasteful and duplicative spending, freeing up funds to develop and procure weapon systems of the future while also giving our troops in combat the resources they need today.
We also addressed the issue of the arbitrary spending caps in the NDAA. The Budget Control Act, which was passed in 2011, placed spending caps on the defense budget and threatens our troops with sequestration. But because this is the law of the land, we must abide by its rules until we are able to fix it. Fortunately, the members of the 112th Congress who passed the Budget Control Act recognized the importance of funding our servicemen and women, and included the “Overseas Contingency Operations” account in the Budget Control Act. NDAA includes money from this account to fully fund our armed forces.
Across the globe, military aggression and threats to our nation continue to emerge. The threats facing our country are multi-faceted, our enemies’ tactics ever-changing. New and dangerous weapons are getting into the hands of those who wish to do us harm. For these reasons, it is essential to properly equip our military men and women with the tools and support necessary to complete their missions.
The defense of our country should never be a partisan issue. Passing NDAA means that our military men and women are equipped with the tools they need to fight the enemy and defend the freedoms we too often take for granted here at home. The Senate has passed NDAA every year for the past five decades. This speaks to the importance that generations of Senate members have attached to passing the NDAA, despite ideological differences. I encourage my colleagues to continue that tradition and I hope the president will work with us. Our soldiers deserve nothing less.
The Kind of Father My Husband Is By Rep. Kristi Noem June 12, 2015
Moms tend to notice things that don’t get done. I’ll admit it. I’m guilty. I can drive in the driveway and see that the yard needs to be mowed or the fences painted. I’ll walk in the house and see the pile of shoes by the door or the laundry that needs to be folded. Moms tend to be multi-taskers; only able to relax when everything is put away, kids are clean, and animals fed. And if we are tired or overwhelmed, you will hear us say “Honey, will you?”
At our house, Bryon completes many of our chores. I am gone most weeks to DC and he is left to handle all things related to work, kids, the ranch, and the house until I come home on the weekend. I know that I am blessed to have a husband who recognizes how wonderful it is for me to come home to a clean house and tended family – and he tries to make that happen.
But what makes me love him more each day is to come home to happy children. You see, I married Bryon because I loved him and wanted to build a life with him, but at the time, I really had no idea what kind of a father he would be. I had a sneaking suspicion he would be a great dad because he has a wonderful father who is a great role model. Bryon loves the Lord and understands the responsibility that God gives to men leading their families. As the years went by and the kids were born, his actions revealed to me how he viewed fatherhood. He served.
He gave Kassidy her first bath. In fact, my mom came to stay with us for a few days after Kassidy was born and soon she came to me and said, “I might as well go home. Bryon won’t let me do anything.”
When Kennedy was a baby, she had reflux so bad, everyone was reluctant to hold her because of the spit up bath she was sure to give them. But her dad held her constantly and thought it was “cute.”
Booker was such a sick little boy with so many breathing problems that he needed multiple inhalers, medications, and constant trips to the hospital. Bryon prayed over him every night, asking God to heal our little boy.
When you look at our family home videos, you will find they were all taken by Bryon. I’m not sure it ever occurred to me to document those busy years. Yet there are hours and hours of video of the kids playing, talking, and sometimes just watching TV! It is almost as if he knew how special those moments were and wanted to save them for me to enjoy when I decided to slow down enough to appreciate them.
His gifts to our children are not often material. They are not fancy or over the top. But he gives our children so much more. Bryon teaches them the importance of hard work, independence, the value of the dollar and responsibility, while also making sure they know they are special, unique and loved.
When I stop to really think about what his busy weeks must be like when he is running his business, coaching athletic teams, organizing the kids’ schedules, keeping the house running and remembering to buy milk, I remember how blessed I am. And when I get home and hear the stories of the week and listen to my children’s laughter in the retelling, I thank God for the father He gave to Kassidy, Kennedy and Booker.
First and foremost, Washington uses far too many abbreviations and they can get misconstrued, so let’s start with some definitions…
TPA = Trade Promotion Authority. This is what the U.S. House is expected to vote on this Friday. It defines congressional objectives and priorities for the administration to follow when negotiating trade agreements (more on this below). TPA is not a new power being sought by the President. In fact, nearly every president since FDR has had TPA. The legislative text for TPA is available here.
TPP = Trans Pacific Partnership.This is the name of a trade agreement that the U.S. is negotiating with 11 other countries. The U.S. has been negotiating this since the Bush administration. There is no vote scheduled on TPP and there won’t be until all of the countries involved finalize negotiations and the public has been able to review it for at least 60 days (assuming TPA passes, that is).
There is a lot of misinformation floating around about what the U.S. House of Representatives is voting on this week. Let’s set the record straight…
Myth: Congress is voting this week on a trade agreement.
Fact: This week, Congress is expected to vote on TPA – a bill that would set congressional parameters on any ongoing trade negotiations, including TPP.
TPA is in no way a trade agreement. Instead, TPA allows Congress to help set the rules for trade negotiations and lays out objectives of what a good trade deal looks like for America. This helps ensure greater transparency throughout the negotiating process by empowering Congress to conduct vigorous oversight and hold the administration accountable.
Myth: Congress will have to pass TPA to see what is in it.
Fact: TPA’s legislative language has been publicly available for nearly two months. You can find a copy of the bill Congress will be voting on here.
We know exactly what TPA will do and we have for quite some time. As a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Noem helped edit the TPA bill that the House is expected to vote on this week. On April 23 in a public hearing, she joined members of that Committee in clearing the legislative language for consideration by the full House.
Myth: TPP is being negotiated with a dangerous and unprecedented level of secrecy (and TPA lets that happen).
Fact: While TPP negotiating documents are available to Members of Congress, they are not fully available to the general public right now because there is no finalized agreement to review. This is common during negotiations like this. That being said, the final text would be available online for 60 days before it’s even sent to Congress for its consideration, assuming TPA is in place. This 60-day review period is mandated by the pending TPA legislation.
It is false to say that TPP negotiations have been secretive. The USTR and Congress have met nearly 1,700 times in the last five years to discuss TPP negotiations. Key congressional committees – including the House Ways and Means Committee of which Rep. Noem is a member – have also received previews of various TPP proposals before the U.S. Trade Representative took them to our trading partners.
With TPA in place, the general public will have online access to the final version of any trade agreement, including TPP, 60 days before that agreement is sent to Congress. Earlier drafts are not made public in this way, because revealing draft proposals before a deal is struck emboldens our opposition, undermines our negotiating positions, and exposes negotiators to public scrutiny over provisions that might not even be in a final deal. We need to keep the upper hand to get the best deal for America.
Myth: TPA gives the President new and unlimited powers.
Fact: TPA gives Congress greater powers, while putting dozens of strict negotiating parameters on the President.
The President already has the authority to negotiate a trade agreement under the Constitution, but TPA enables Congress to be part of the process. If TPA is established, Congress is telling the administration: If a trade agreement is to get the privilege of an up-or-down vote in Congress, you must follow our rules and instructions, keep us in the loop, and remember that we have the last say. As a result, Congress maintains total control over the international trade authority granted to it by Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution.
Additionally, TPA in no way obligates Congress to approve TPP or any other trade agreement. If this administration violates the parameters we’ve set, Congress can revoke TPA. And if he follows the parameters and we still don’t like the agreement, Congress has the power to vote it down.
Myth: TPP is a secret backdoor to achieve the President’s political agenda.
Fact: The TPA bill specifically bars the President from enacting any changes to U.S. law.
Many have tried to claim that TPA will allow the President to bypass Congress and use the TPP as a backdoor to lawlessly expand immigration, curtail gun rights, or restrict Internet freedom, among other things. That is false. The Constitution is clear: only Congress can change U.S. law. TPA further reinforces that with additional restraints on the President.
MYTH: Trade agreements destroy U.S. jobs.
FACT: Expanding markets for American exports will fuel stronger economic growth and create jobs.
95 percent of the world’s consumers live outside our borders. Our growth is limited if our products can’t reach those consumers on a level playing field. Trade supports 124,000 jobs in South Dakota. It enables South Dakota to export $3.7 billion in goods and $1.3 billion in services annually through more than 970 exporters. It has a huge impact on our economy, and with lower trade barriers, those opportunities only grow. If we don’t expand our opportunities through trade agreements, other countries (like China) will fill the void.
Still looking for more information? Here are some helpful links.
Rounds Encourages Support of Bipartisan Defense Bill
WASHINGTON —U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today spoke on the Senate floor to encourage his colleagues to support the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2016.
“I’m proud of my colleagues who serve with me on the Armed Services Committee for coming together to achieve a truly bipartisan, comprehensive bill,” said Rounds on the Senate floor. “Our bill will support our troops and meet the demands of a military that needs to continue its dynamic evolution in the face of ever more sophisticated threats.
“I was pleased that a number of provisions I offered were included in the final package that we are debating today. Now that we’ve completed our work in committee and Leader McConnell has brought our bill to the full Senate for debate, we must come together to pass the NDAA as the Senate has done each year for more than five decades.”
Text as Prepared for Delivery:
I rise today to encourage my colleagues to join the bipartisan group of Armed Services Committee members who support an important measure for our troops.
Last month we overwhelmingly voted in favor of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2016 that the Senate is considering today.
The defense of our nation is a fundamental responsibility of the federal government, and the annual passage of the NDAA is an important step in making sure our service members have what they need to succeed.
These brave men and women selflessly sacrifice everything to keep us safe from the forces of darkness who wish to do us harm.
We owe it to these men and women to wisely work together to make certain they have the necessary tools to accomplish their dangerous and demanding missions.
And that is what we did in the Armed Services Committee just a few weeks ago.
Under the leadership of Chairman McCain and Ranking Member Reed, we reported a bill out of committee that not only supports our armed forces but makes a host of needed reforms.
And we did so overwhelmingly, by a bipartisan vote of 22 to 4.
I would like to cite a number of bill provisions which make our nation stronger, and which I hope congress and the president will enact into law.
Our bill cuts nearly $10 billion in wasteful and duplicative spending, thereby freeing up additional funds to develop and procure weapon systems of the future while also giving our troops in combat the tools they need today.
The bill also makes important reforms aimed at recruiting and retaining the all-volunteer force that has so consistently defended our country for over four decades.
The Armed Services Committee produced this legislation by using the limited and admittedly less than optimal funding tools at its disposal.
For now, the hand we are dealt to fund the defense of our country is limited by the Budget Control Act, which includes arbitrary spending caps and the threat of sequestration.
So in our bill, we are funding our armed forces using funds from the “Overseas Contingency Operations” account. We are doing so at a level above that requested by the President for this account.
OCO was included in the Budget Control Act because members of the 112th Congress recognized the importance of funding our men and women on the front lines.
I believe that many members of the Senate fervently hope that in the near future we will be able to fund our government in a fiscally-sound manner without the irrational budget caps and threat of sequestration that pervades all of Congress’s budgetary deliberations.
And I am willing to work with any of my colleagues on either side of the aisle to fix the Budget Control Act.
But until that day comes we need to use what funding options we have to keep America safe. Our legislation does that.
We are following the rules that are in force today.
I’m proud of my colleagues who serve with me on the Armed Services Committee for coming together to achieve a truly bipartisan, comprehensive bill.
Our bill will support our troops and meet the demands of a military that needs to continue its dynamic evolution in the face of ever more sophisticated threats.
And I was pleased that a number of provisions I offered were included in the final package that we are debating today.
Now that we’ve completed our work in committee and Leader McConnell has brought our bill to the full Senate for debate, we must come together to pass the NDAA as the Senate has done each year for more than five decades.
It is no coincidence that the NDAA is the only legislation to achieve this track record.
Rather, it indicates the vital importance that generations of Senate members have attached to it.
The defense of our country is not a partisan issue.
Our bipartisan NDAA bill sustains what our service members need to succeed in a world that grows ever more dangerous.
From Russian aggression in Ukraine and mounting Chinese coercion in Asia to the ugly aggression of the self-proclaimed Islamic State in the Middle East, new threats continue to rise throughout the world.
These threats are multi-faceted, our enemies’ tactics ever-changing.
We must make certain our armed forces can continue to face these challenges and we must uphold our commitment to them.
I encourage my colleagues to pass the NDAA in the Senate, and I encourage our president to work with congress to keep Americans safe.
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.
During the eight years I worked as governor of South Dakota, I had the honor of serving as the commander-in-chief of South Dakota’s National Guard forces. My first term began in 2003, right at the start of the war in Iraq. I attended ceremonies for our military men and women as they deployed to active duty and welcomed them home upon their return. I ask that everyone continue to remember the families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice and did not return home. These brave men and women and their families sacrifice everything to protect America and the freedoms bestowed to us. We owe it to them to give our full support of their efforts.
Moms tend to notice things that don’t get done. I’ll admit it. I’m guilty. I can drive in the driveway and see that the yard needs to be mowed or the fences painted. I’ll walk in the house and see the pile of shoes by the door or the laundry that needs to be folded. Moms tend to be multi-taskers; only able to relax when everything is put away, kids are clean, and animals fed. And if we are tired or overwhelmed, you will hear us say “Honey, will you?”