Category: US Senator Mike Rounds

Rounds Questions EPA on Costly Carbon Emissions Proposal

Rounds Joins Bipartisan Call on EPA to Provide Certainty to Biodiesel Workers
Lacking Federal Direction, 80 Percent of U.S. Biodiesel Producers Scaled Back Production in 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today joined a bipartisan group of 32 Senators in pressing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to live up to its legal obligation to provide certainty to the biodiesel industry and the thousands of workers it employs by setting long-delayed production standards.

Expressing concern with recent layoffs and plant closures in the biodiesel industry, the Senators underscored the need for the EPA to provide certainty for biodiesel workers by setting production levels under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for 2014, and to move ahead on these levels for 2015 and 2016.

“EPA’s recent actions have neither reflected industry capacity nor biodiesel’s separate treatment under the RFS,” the Senators wrote. “The recent delay has only compounded the effects from the November 2013 RFS proposed rule which did not adequately reflect biodiesel production levels. These actions continue to create tremendous uncertainty and hardship for the U.S. biodiesel industry and its thousands of employees. Plants have reduced production and some have been forced to shut down, resulting in layoffs and lost economic productivity. We urge you to get biodiesel back on schedule under the statutorily prescribed Renewable Volume Obligations (RVO) process and quickly issue volumes for 2014 at the actual 2014 production numbers. We also hope you move forward on the 2015 and 2016 biodiesel volumes in a timely manner, ensuring that these delays do not become the norm for the industry.”

Last year, nearly 80 percent of U.S. biodiesel producers scaled back production and almost 6 in 10 idled production altogether. Additionally, two-thirds of producers said they have already reduced or anticipate reducing their workforce as a result of the downturn. The Senators emphasized the need for the agency to respond with new production levels immediately and to make production level decisions in a timely manner going forward.

Full text of the letter is attached.

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Senate Biodiesel RFS Letter 2-9-15

Real Clear politics has a profile on US Senator Mike Rounds, and how some of the lessons he learned while being Governor were helpful to his new position, and how he needs to reach back to when he was State Senate Majority Leader for others:

..Democrats wasted little time employing the same tactics they denounced Republicans for when they were in the majority. When the chamber moved from Keystone into funding for the Department of Homeland Security last week, Democrats filibustered the GOP leadership, voting three times in three days against debating a bill that would fund DHS while derailing Obama’s executive action delaying deportations for millions of undocumented immigrants.

Rounds’ experience with those two bills informed his observation that things often move either too quickly or too slowly in the Senate. The Keystone debate was positive because there was a free flow of ideas, but there wasn’t always time to look into amendments carefully before voting on them, Rounds said. With DHS funding, Rounds said Republicans want to bring the bill up for debate, even if they don’t necessarily agree with the House provision to reverse Obama’s immigration order, but Democrats are blocking anything from moving forward.

“It’s a matter of getting to that point where each of the two parties has a certain position of strength,” Rounds said, but at this point in the process, neither side trusts the other to compromise.

Though he served as governor for two terms, Rounds isn’t new to legislating. Before his gubernatorial run, he spent a decade in the South Dakota State Senate, including six years as majority leader. Rounds said the process so far in Washington is very similar to what he experienced legislating at the state level.

“I think he really knows the drill better than most who come here who haven’t had that dual background,” said Sen. John Hoeven, the former governor of North Dakota. “As a governor you can really set your agenda much more, whereas it’s much harder to do that in the Congress or in the Senate. But I think in Mike’s case he really comes well prepared because he’s had experience doing both.”

Read it here.

Taking Care of our Vets
By Senator Mike Rounds
February 6, 2015

Providing adequate care and support for our military personnel – during and after their service – is a fundamental responsibility of the federal government. In fact, national defense is the primary purpose of the federal government. The brave men and women in uniform sacrifice everything to protect our freedoms here at home, and we owe it to them to make sure they have everything they need when they return from service. In the Senate, I have the unique privilege to serve on two committees that focus specifically on our military personnel: The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

I continue to be humbled by the stories of the brave men and women who fought and continue to fight for our country. I recently took part in a Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony in the United States Capitol. The ceremony honored World War II veterans who served in the First Special Service Force. In the year and-a-half these men fought in combat, they never once lost a mission. They specialized in rock climbing, skiing and amphibious stealth attacks in dangerous territory. A number of these heroes were present at the ceremony, and hearing their stories was inspirational. Though their bravery and sacrifices can never be fully repaid, we must make sure they and other veterans are properly compensated. We must never forget their sacrifice in service to our country.

A recent SASC hearing focused on a commission report that called for an overhaul of the compensation layout of our armed forces. The Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission (MCRMC) recently completed their recommendation to overhaul how the military receives compensation and benefits, including regular and retirement payments. I thank the members of the commission who presented their findings to us. Right now, only about 17 percent of service members leave the military with any retirement benefits. The commission’s plan would bump that number up to 75 percent. From what I have read, there are some good ideas in the report. However, we have to honor the promises which we have made to those individuals currently in the retirement system. They honored their end, we must honor ours. We cannot balance our budget on the backs of service men and women or our veterans.

We wasted no time getting to work to help our heroes in the Veterans’ Affairs Committee. One of the very first pieces of legislation we took up this Congress was the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act. Tragically, too many returning veterans, still struggling with the invisible wounds of war, don’t seek the mental health care they need. By passing the Clay Hunt SAV Act, we hope to change that. I supported it out of committee and was happy it passed unanimously out of the Senate. The legislation takes important steps to supply returning veterans with the tools they need to safely acclimate to life back home. It would also streamline mental health resources to make them more effective and efficient.

We have a duty to care for our men and women in uniform and follow through on our promises to them, and it’s an honor to serve them in the Senate Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs Committees. I will continue to find ways make sure these brave men and women have the support they deserve from the government of the country they fight so hard to defend.

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Weekly Column: Balancing our Budgets
By Sen. Mike Rounds
January 30, 2015

In my time spent working as State Senate Majority Leader and Governor of South Dakota, balancing the state budget was part of my job. Our state laws require us to balance our books each year, so we found ways to do more with less and grow our economy without overspending – just as has always been done in South Dakota. Despite sometimes having to make tough decisions, in the end we are better off for it. I’m proud of our record of balancing the books in South Dakota for 125 years.

At the federal level, the idea of balancing a budget is seemingly a foreign concept. Our current national debt is more than $18 trillion, and shows no signs of slowing down. A recent report by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated our annual federal deficit will be half-a-trillion dollars in 2015, and again in 2016. That comes off the heels of several years of $1 trillion annual deficits under President Obama’s watch, which CBO projects will return within a decade. This is unsustainable and poses a threat to our entire economic system.

One action we can take to combat our debt problem is to pass a Balanced Budget Amendment that would force the federal government to balance its books. It simply means that Washington cannot spend more than they’ve taken in. I’ve already agreed to cosponsor balanced budget legislation in the Senate and hopefully it will receive widespread, bipartisan support among my colleagues.

Taking significant steps to rein in spending, as the Balanced Budget Amendment would do, would send a strong signal to job creators that we are serious about growing our economy for the long haul. It would give them the confidence to invest and hire again.

The South Dakota State House just passed legislation calling for a convention to amend the U.S. Constitution to require a balanced federal budget. If it is approved by the Senate and signed by the Governor, South Dakota would join 24 other states calling for such an amendment. Thirty eight states are required by law to approve an amendment to the Constitution. It is unfortunate that Washington’s irresponsibility is forcing these actions.

When I talk to South Dakotans, they always ask me why Washington is so broken, and the fact is that the culture of spending in this country has gotten out of hand. It is extremely frustrating to me, and I will support every effort to responsibly rein in spending. Continuing to kick the can down the road only exacerbates the problem for future generations. Congress must begin its work on a long-term solution to balancing our books. Passing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution is a good place to start.

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Senate Passes Keystone XL Legislation

WASHINGTON–U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) voted today to approve legislation authorizing the Keystone XL pipeline. It passed the Senate 62-36.

“The Administration’s approval of the Keystone XL pipeline is long overdue,” said Rounds. “I’m pleased Congress took matters into its own hands and we were able to come together in a bipartisan manner to finally get this accomplished,” said Rounds. “This project will create jobs for hard-working South Dakotans and free up our railways to get more of our farmers’ grain to market.  It’s a commonsense piece of legislation that the President should sign into law as soon as it hits his desk.”

The Keystone XL pipeline will run through South Dakota and connect with an existing pipeline in Nebraska, carrying nearly 830,000 barrels of crude oil to U.S. refineries along the gulf coast. Rounds is one of 60 cosponsors to the legislation.

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Weekly Column
State of the Union Address a Missed Opportunity
By Senator Mike Rounds
Jan. 23, 2015

The State of the Union address fulfills a constitutionally mandated duty that calls on the President to periodically update Congress on the state of our nation. In recent history, the State of Union is an annual event in which the President addresses both chambers of Congress in person at the U.S. Capitol. President Obama’s 2015 address was no different. I sat with my colleagues no more than 50 feet from the President, listening in earnest for ways to work together to find areas of agreement or opportunity. As many of you have expressed, I too was disappointed.

Given the challenges we face as a nation, I had hoped the President would have used this opportunity to set a bipartisan, positive tone for 2015 and focus on our shared vision for moving the country forward. Republicans have wasted no time getting to work this year. In the Senate, we’re currently considering legislation to authorize construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. We are working on a number of bills that will help our economy grow, providing for private sector jobs and beginning to reduce government red-tape that is slowing down our recovery. We will not forget about the American taxpayers. We are already beginning our work. In the Senate, we’ve already voted on more amendments this year than all of 2014 under Democrat leadership.

Unfortunately, the President showed no signs of wanting to work with us on these issues. He told us again during the State of the Union that he plans to veto our Keystone pipeline bill, despite widespread support in Congress and among the American people. He also used the State of the Union to propose a tax plan he knows is dead on arrival in Congress because it calls for hundreds of billions of dollars in tax increases.  We know this hurts farmers, ranchers and small business owners. Our plan is to get the federal government out of the way so the economy can begin to grow again.

The President also used his speech to double down on his record, touting failed policies such as Obamacare, and took credit for a ‘strong’ economic recovery. It’s hard to take this rhetoric seriously when evidence of these successes is so scarce. We know that health care premiums have skyrocketed for many South Dakota families and many others lost the coverage they enjoyed all together because of the health care law. We also know that the median household income is weak. Since the President has taken office, median household annual income has dropped by $3,000 and the labor force has continued to shrink. That’s why few Americans are actually feeling the economic recovery he claims to have led us through.

The ideas laid out in the President’s speech may have excited the left wing of his political base, but it proved he has turned a deaf ear to the majority of Americans. By continuing to put politics first and promote the same old policies that have failed him in the past, he ignores the loud cries of voters who made clear they are tired of the same old ideas and practices in Washington.

Americans want us to work together to make government more efficient and effective. I, along with my Republican colleagues, remain committed to American priorities: jobs, the economy and government efficiency. We’re already rolling up our sleeves and getting to work again. Hopefully Congress and the President can find a way to put politics aside to remove the bureaucratic hurdles and unnecessary regulations that hardworking South Dakotans have to deal with every day. It’s time the President realizes that more government isn’t the right answer to the problems facing our country.

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