Category: US Senator Mike Rounds

Rounds Praises Senate Passage of Iran Bill

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today issued the following statement on the Senate’s passage of the bipartisan Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act, which passed 98-1.

“I’m pleased the Senate passed the bipartisan Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act today,” said Rounds. “The American people deserve to have a voice in any nuclear deal with Iran. It is important that any deal is enforceable so that we can keep Iran accountable. What’s most important though, is that Iran never be able to gain a pathway to nuclear weapons.”

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Rounds Questions FWS on Aggressive Confrontation Tactics

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, today questioned Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Director Dan Ashe about the agency’s aggressive techniques used to intimidate landowners regarding land easements. During the hearing, Rounds cited a letter he received from a South Dakota farmer who reports encountering an aggressive FWS agent he feels was using intimidation tactics regarding Waterfowl Management Rights despite proactively enacting conservation measures on his land for decades.

“I’m particularly troubled that taxpayer dollars are funding this type of truly aggressive approach to citizens who are voluntarily and proactively enacting conservation measures on their own land, as they have been doing for generations,” said Rounds.

 

Rounds, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Protect Navigable Waters in the United States

Bipartisan bill will direct EPA and Army Corps of Engineers to issue a revised WOTUS rule that protects traditional navigable water from water pollution, while also protecting farmers, ranchers and private landowners.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) joined his colleagues in introducing the bipartisan Federal Water Quality Protection Act (S.1140).

The bipartisan legislation would protect traditional navigable waters of the United States. It also protects farmers, ranchers and private landowners by directing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to issue a revised “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) rule that does not include things such as isolated ponds, ditches, agriculture water, storm water, groundwater, floodwater, municipal water supply systems, wastewater management systems, and streams without enough flow to carry pollutants to navigable waters.

“The administration’s proposed Waters of the U.S. rule is unnecessary and yet another example of unelected bureaucrats overstepping their boundaries when it comes to rulemaking,” said Rounds. “I agree with South Dakota farmers and ranchers, who continue to tell me this rule would bog down productivity by imposing massive new regulatory hurdles. In South Dakota, our producers are already good stewards of their land – they have to be because their livelihoods depend on it. I am pleased to be an original cosponsor of the Federal Water Quality Protection Act to protect South Dakota producers and put a stop to this unnecessary, burdensome and intrusive regulation.”

In addition to Rounds, the Federal Water Quality Protection Act is co-sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-K.Y.), The Committee on Environment and Public Works Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-O.K.), Senators Roy Blunt (R-M.O.), John Barrasso (R-W.Y.), Pat Roberts (R-K.S.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), Deb Fischer (R-N.E.), Dan Sullivan (R-A.K.), Joe Donnelly (D-I.N.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.V.).

Background

EPA and the Corps of Engineers have proposed to expand the scope of federal authority over land and water to encompass all water in a flood plain, manmade water management systems, and water that infiltrates into the ground or moves overland, and any other water that they decide has a “significant nexus” to downstream water based on use by animals, insects and birds and water storage considerations, shifting the focus of the Clean Water Act from water quality protection and navigable waters to habitat and water supply.

To address these concerns and to ensure protection of water for communities across the country, the Federal Water Quality Protection Act directs the agencies to issue a revised proposal that adheres to the following principles-

o The Federal Water Pollution Control Act is an Act to protect traditional navigable waters from water pollution.

o Waters of the U.S. under that Act should include

o   Traditional navigable waters and interstate waters.

o   Streams identified on maps at the scale used by EPA to identify potential sources of drinking water.

o   Streams with enough flow to carry pollutants to a navigable water, based on a quantifiable and statistically valid measure of flow for that geographic area, and

o   Wetlands situated next to a water of the United States that protect water quality by preventing the movement of pollutants to navigable water.

o  Areas unlawfully filled without a required permit.

o Waters of the U.S. should not include

o   Water that is located below the surface of the land, including soil water and groundwater.

o   Water that is not located within a body of water (e.g., river, stream, lake, pond, wetland), including channels that have no bed, bank or ordinary high water mark or surface hydrologic connection to traditional navigable waters.

o   Isolated ponds.

o   Stormwater and floodwater management systems.

o   Wastewater management systems.

o   Municipal and industrial water supply management systems.

o   Agricultural water management systems.

o   Streams that do not have enough flow to carry pollutants to navigable waters.

o   Prior converted cropland.

o   Areas lawfully filled pursuant to a permit or areas exempt from permitting.

In identifying waters of the U.S., the agencies are directed that the following do not provide a basis for asserting federal control-

o The use of a body of water by an organism, including a migratory bird.

o The supply of water to a groundwater aquifer and the storage of water in an isolated waterbody.

o The water cycle, including the supply of water through evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, overland flow, and movement of water in an aquifer.

To ensure that Corps and EPA carry out the important analyses and consultations that are designed to improve regulation, a new regulatory proposal must be developed employing the following-

o Federalism consultation under Executive Order 13132.

o Economic analyses under the Regulatory Flexibility Act.

o Small business and small governmental entity review under the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act.

o Review of the unfunded mandates under the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.

o Compliance with Executive Orders 12866 and 13563, on improving regulation.

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Rounds, Isakson Request Clarification from VA on New Billing Rule

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and Veterans Affairs’ Committee Chairman Johnny Isakson (R-G.A.) today sent a letter to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert McDonald requesting that the VA clarify their billing rule change for home health and hospice providers.

“Providing timely and adequate health care to our veterans is of utmost importance,” said Rounds. “I appreciate the VA’s efforts to reimburse home health and hospice care for our vets, but we have concerns that the manner in which they are doing so is inefficient and ineffective. We must make certain the process is in the best interest of our veterans.”

“At a time when the VA is implementing sweeping reforms to expand accessible and quality care for our nation’s veterans through the Veterans’ Choice Program, it is alarming that it continues to have such difficulties processing payments to non-VA healthcare providers based on a rule adopted in 2013,” said Isakson, chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. “I urge the VA to swiftly address this problem and reform these bureaucratic inefficiencies in order to better serve the needs of America’s veterans.”

Full text of the letter follows:

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April 29, 2015

The Honorable Robert McDonald
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Department of Veterans Affairs
810 Vermont Ave, NW
Washington, D.C. 20420

Dear Secretary McDonald:

We are writing with concerns regarding the implementation of a billing methodology change for home health and hospice providers. We appreciate your attention and response to our request.

As you are aware, in November of 2011 the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) proposed a final rule to establish payments for home health services and hospice care by non-VA providers. VA then proposed a final rule change for the payment methodology for non-VA home health and hospice providers in May of 2013. The effective date for the change was June 2014, but was not implemented until last fall.

The change to the new billing process has been burdensome and confusing for providers across the nation. Home health caregivers have received conflicting information about specific implementation details. VA has promised to provide thorough direction to navigate the rule change. However, it does not appear the guidance is reaching the providers, resulting in untimely or absent payments. Ultimately, these delays can affect veterans’ access to care, which as members of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs deeply concerns us.

Although we appreciate the VA’s attempt to reimburse care for vital services like home health and hospice care, bureaucratic inefficiencies within VA seem to be hindering the effort to better serve veterans. We request VA clarify this rule as soon as possible and expedite all outstanding payments to all appropriate providers. We appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

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Trade Opportunities Benefit South Dakota Famers, Producers, Manufacturers
By Senator Mike Rounds
April 26, 2015

Free and fair trade plays an important role in American commerce. From higher wages for U.S. workers to supporting small businesses and agriculture, trade has a proven record of keeping our economy healthy and vibrant. In South Dakota alone, trade supports 124,000 jobs. In 2013, we exported $3.7 billion worth of products. Trade levels the playing field in the global marketplace so we have the best opportunity to promote American-made goods throughout the world. We should continually be looking for ways to increase trade opportunities.

The U.S. is currently negotiating a trade agreement known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) with 12 other nations along the Pacific Rim. Finding an agreement with these nations, which includes important trading partners such as Australia, Canada and Japan, could boost our GDP by $77 billion annually and create 500,000 new jobs. Another agreement with European nations, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), would create as many as 750,000 new jobs. That is in addition to the 40 million jobs trade already supports in the United States.

One tool that recently passed out of the Senate Finance Committee would help us negotiate international trade agreements. Trade Promotion Authority, commonly referred to as TPA, is a tool that has been used since the days of FDR help the U.S. negotiate stronger, more enforceable international standards on trade agreements.

The TPA bill making its way through the Senate creates a stronger, more enforceable framework for Congress to exercise oversight over the Administration, giving us a stronger voice in the negotiations process. It also establishes new trade-negotiating objectives that reflect today’s economic challenges, including measures to combat currency manipulation and eliminate barriers to innovation and digital trade.

TPA strengthens our hand by giving the Senate an opportunity to guide the negotiations before a final deal is reached, rather than afterward. If the President has negotiated a good deal for our country, he then has the opportunity to take it to the Senate for an up-or-down vote. Members are not permitted to amend trade agreements, which gives other countries more confidence and certainty in the deal and the process.

Companion legislation recently passed the House Ways and Means Committee, and President Obama continues to signal his support. I expect the full Senate to consider TPA legislation in the coming weeks. This is a real step forward on policy that has had long-standing bipartisan support in Congress and from the administration, but had been held up under previous Senate leadership.

Free and fair trade agreements across the world open up new markets to South Dakota products. Our farmers and ranchers would particularly benefit from agreements such as TPP and TTIP. But in order to negotiate the best deal for our country, we must allow the administration to pursue trade agreements through parameters set by the Congress, and within the Trade Promotion Authority, to enable our current and future presidents to negotiate the best deal possible. That is exactly what the Senate TPA bill would do. This method has a proven record of boosting economic activity and bringing higher-paying American jobs. I look forward to debating TPA legislation when it comes to the full Senate in the coming weeks.

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Reforming Medicare Payments Helps Ensure Access to Better Care
By Senator John Thune

Thousands of South Dakotans, including my own father back in my hometown of Murdo, depend on Medicare to help with the cost of their health care. Since 1997, beneficiaries’ access to quality care has been threatened due to Medicare’s use of a flawed physician reimbursement formula known as the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR). The formula was implemented to help curb the increasing costs associated with the Medicare program. Unfortunately, rather than helping to rein in costs, the caps associated with the SGR would have made large payment cuts to Medicare physicians, providing a disincentive for doctors to accept Medicare patients. Since then, Congress has been kicking the can down the road, patching this defective payment system 17 times.

Congress recognized how important it is to provide certainty to Medicare beneficiaries and physicians, which is why on April 14, the Senate approved the bipartisan Medicare Access and Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act. This legislation repeals the flawed SGR formula and modernizes Medicare payments to incentivize high-quality, low-cost care for seniors.

I am pleased that Medicare payment modernization included a provision I championed that gives rural providers sufficient technical assistance to ensure they are able to effectively transition into new payment models. Additionally, I am pleased that the bill included provisions that I helped spearhead that would improve access to durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies through Medicare. These are just a few of the many reforms included in the bill that are vital to ensuring that South Dakota seniors continue receiving high quality, affordable health care.

Not only do our seniors deserve access to quality and efficient health care, but our physicians should be paid for the quality of care they provide, not the volume of services they provide. I will continue working to strengthen Medicare to ensure beneficiaries receive the best care possible, while improving access to care in rural communities. There is more work to be done to protect and preserve this important program, but the passage of the Medicare Access and Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act was an important first step to ensure we make needed reforms that will continue putting South Dakota seniors first.

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My First 100 Days
By Senator Mike Rounds
April 17, 2014

My first 100 days working as a U.S. Senator have been full of activity. When the people of South Dakota elected me to the Senate, I made them a promise to help get things working in Washington again. For too long, our federal government has been mired in dysfunction and lack of accountability. The new Republican majority in Congress has been working hard to get government back on track. Already, we have made significant progress.

In the senate, we have passed many important bipartisan bills, including veterans’ suicide prevention legislation, the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA), a bill authorizing construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, and most recently, a bill that will strengthen Medicare for patients and their providers. We have opened up the amendment process on the Senate floor, allowing for full, robust debate on every issue. In the three and a half months since taking office, we have held roughly seven times as many amendment roll call votes as were conducted all of last year under Democrat leadership. Our goal is to make the Senate work as it was intended, with an open legislative process to help end the gridlock that has defined Washington for far too long.

The new Republican majority also passed a budget this year— something that rarely happened under previous leadership. Additionally, our budget balances in 10 years, something that neither the President nor previous leaderships’ budgets accomplished. Our budget plan offers a responsible path forward to corral our fiscal problems and reflects a number of my top priorities: growing our economy so folks have more take-home pay each month, creating new jobs, repealing Obamacare, funding our military at proper levels and reining in our national debt. We will now have twelve opportunities in twelve different appropriations bills in which we can impact how money at the federal level is being spent, making sure it is spent responsibly and that middle class Americans are protected from burdensome taxes and regulations.

My offices in South Dakota have been busy during our first 100 days as well. They serve as my eyes and ears while I am in Washington, talking to constituents and helping them with their federal government-related issues. We have helped dozens of South Dakotans by expediting delayed passports in critical moments and helped veterans obtain overdue benefits they have been promised. We can step in when people are having problems with any federal government agency, acting as a liaison for the constituent. The ability to make a real difference in the lives of individual South Dakotans is one of the best parts of serving in the Senate.

The American people deserve a government that is effective, efficient and accountable. Government ought to be working for the people, not against them. When I was elected to the Senate, I made a promise to the people of South Dakota that I would help get government working again. I remain as committed as ever to fulfilling that promise. It won’t get done overnight, but if these first 100 days are any indication, we are on the right path.

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Rounds Opening Statement at Subcommittee Hearing on Management of EPA, Fish and Wildlife, Chemical Safety Agencies

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Management, and Regulatory Oversight, today provided the following opening statement at a hearing entitled “Oversight of the Management of the Federal Environmental Protection, Chemical Safety, and Fish and Wildlife Agencies.”

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery

The Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Management, and Regulatory Oversight is meeting for the first time today to conduct a hearing on “Oversight of the Management of the Federal Environmental Protection, Chemical Safety, and Fish and Wildlife Agencies.  I’d like to thank our witnesses, Inspector General Arthur Elkins of the Environmental Protection Agency, and Deputy Inspector General Mary Kendall of the Department of the Interior for taking time out of their schedules to be with us today.

I am honored to be chairing this Subcommittee in the 114th Congress with my friend from Massachusetts, Senator Ed Markey, as Ranking Member.  As Subcommittee Chairman, I plan to conduct thorough oversight over the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Interior.  The Inspectors General from these Agencies can and should serve as a resource for these reviews and today’s hearing serves as a starting point for this Oversight plan.

Inspectors General are tasked with independently conducting audits and investigations relating to agency actions and programmatic mismanagement.  Not only are they an asset to Congressional oversight, but their recommendations are effective at correcting mismanagement, waste, fraud, and abuse, at the EPA and Department of the Interior.  It is essential the Inspectors General view Congress as a partner in this oversight process.

Throughout this Congress we will be focusing chiefly on good governance and making certain the agencies are operating transparently, responsibly managing taxpayer dollars and working to achieve their core missions without the regulatory overreach so prevalent in agency actions today.  More than ever we are seeing agency regulatory regimes expanding federal jurisdiction beyond their statutory limits, encroaching into private businesses, landowner’s rights, and the States’ ability to manage and regulate the environment and land within their own borders.

Additionally, the EPA and the Department of the Interior are moving forward with implementing major environmental regulations impacting every sector of the U.S. economy and affecting hundreds of thousands of American jobs.

We must make certain that the regulations these agencies implement are being written in an open, transparent process that allows for full public participation taking into account all views regardless of the agencies’ notions of their goals.  The EPA and Fish and Wildlife Service owe it to the American people to not only provide a thorough, transparent and honest analysis of how regulations will affect them but also to base these regulations on the most current and reliable economic data and sound science.

Notably, these IG’s have conducted recent investigations on mismanagement of the Chemical Safety Board, grant management, and administrative management issues.  I look forward to hearing a review of the work the IG’s have done regarding management of the EPA, CSB, and Fish and Wildlife Service along with an update of the reviews the IG’s are currently undertaking.  Again, I’d like to thank our witnesses for being with us today and for presenting their testimony.

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