The Weekly Windup
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
In my ongoing effort to make myself and my office as open and accessible as possible, I wanted to give you an update of my work in D.C. and in South Dakota. I hope you’ll take the time to give me feedback on this new format by reaching out to one of my offices (https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/) or by finding me on social media @RepDustyJohnson!
It’s Not Perfect – Washington is far from perfect, that’s well known. Last week I was frustrated when the Speaker took three bipartisan bills that would lower drug pricing and paired them with three bills that bailout the failing portions of Obamacare. I voted against the package because Washington should stop pairing good legislation with poison pills that have no chance of becoming law.
Working Together – I’ve said this several times since coming to Congress – most members don’t have horns and scales like I thought they would. If we are going to get things done, both parties must work together and work with President Trump, which is why I introduced multiple bills this week with my colleagues across the aisle. Along with Agriculture Committee Chairman Peterson, I introduced the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Integrity Act. The EPA has let oil refiners off the hook by circumventing congressional intent, putting ethanol producers and our agriculture communities at a disadvantage. This bipartisan bill ensures that moving forward, the EPA’s waiver process will be fair, timely and transparent.
Constituent Spotlight – Meeting with South Dakotans is the best part of my job. This week the South Dakota Emergency Nurses Association came by and we discussed the amount of violence that nurses endure in the work place. The numbers of violent incidents are truly staggering, and we need to find a better way.
Weekly Windup – This week I teamed up with my colleague in the upper chamber, Senator Marco Rubio. We introduced the Rewarding Achievement and Incentivizing Successful Employees (RAISE) Act, which would allow employers to give merit-based compensation increases to their employees, even if those increases are not part of a collective bargaining agreement.
The RAISE Act would make wages set in union contracts a minimum floor, while giving employers the flexibility to reward employees for their hard work.
Great workers make businesses successful. When employers want to share profits with their hardest-working employees, regulations and union requirements shouldn’t be allowed to stand in the way. The RAISE Act will provide employers flexibility to give hard-working employees a raise. Hard work should be rewarded, not discouraged.
Back Home – I spent last weekend honoring the heroic men and women who serve in our nation’s military at the Sioux Falls Armed Forces Day ceremony – and even had the honor of sitting next to a Medal of Honor recipient. Later that afternoon, I spoke at the Disabled American Veterans annual convention and had a good conversation about how our nation’s veterans serve as constant reminders of the importance of putting country first.
As I head back to South Dakota for an in-state work week, I’ll be spending time with our state’s high school athletes at the State Track Meet and will also be traveling to Vermillion, Milbank, Sisseton and Aberdeen. I hope you all take time to remember Americans who showed the truest measure of devotion to our country this Memorial Day. I look forward with sharing my thoughts with you in next week’s update! You can find the very latest updates by following me on social media – @RepDustyJohnson.
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