Weekly Column: Here to Help
By Rep. Kristi Noem
Every year, hundreds of South Dakotans take the opportunity to visit our nation’s capital, to stand at the base of the Lincoln Memorial, wander through the World War II Memorial, or sit underneath the Capitol dome. Some make the trip with their high school class, a cause they care deeply about, or a veterans’ group. Others do it with their families or colleagues. Regardless of the reason, the visit for many is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Our office is committed to doing everything we can to make sure this visit is as memorable and educational as possible. In fact, we consider our office on Capitol Hill as a home base for any South Dakotan in the area, so never hesitate to stop by.
One of the services we offer is a personalized tour around the Capitol building. We’ll make sure you get a behind-the-scenes look at how the Legislative Branch operates and the halls where history has been written.
Most Wednesday mornings, you can also join Senator John Thune, Senator Mike Rounds, and I at the South Dakota Sunrise Coffee (the coffee is on us!) This is an opportunity to sit down with all three members of the South Dakota delegation to talk about the issues on your mind and what we’ve been working on as of late. I’m always surprised at just how many South Dakotans make it each week and I always look forward to getting that mid-week dose of South Dakota commonsense.
Of course, most of my days are spent meeting one-on-one with South Dakotans, having in-depth conversations about the issues impacting their families and communities. On any given week that I’m away from South Dakota, I will meet with dozens of constituents out of our D.C. office – each sharing their story and their ideas.
Our office can also be helpful for anything you’d like to do off of Capitol Hill too. If you’d like to visit the Pentagon, White House, Supreme Court or any of the other attractions in the area, let us know and we can set up tours for you in many cases. Even if you’re just looking for a good hotel to stay at or a nice restaurant to take the family, reach out and we’ll do everything we can to help. You can find a lot of this information on noem.house.gov or by calling our office toll-free at 855-225-2801.
Our local offices are also there to help. You are welcome to come visit us in Sioux Falls, Rapid City or Watertown at any time. We also have a regular staff presence in Aberdeen and Pierre and travel frequently to many of the surrounding communities throughout the year.
Whether you are looking for help while you’re in South Dakota or the nation’s capital, please keep us in mind. We are here to help.