Mike Rounds
Weekly Round(s) Up for
July 25-31, 2022
We stayed busy again this week out in Washington – are you sensing a theme here? We’re now just one week away from our August in-state work period, which means we had a lot of work to get done last week and a lot ahead of us this week. On top of voting on legislation and attending committee hearings, I got to meet with nominees to executive positions and talk with multiple South Dakotans. Here’s my Weekly Round[s] Up:
South Dakota groups I visited with: South Dakota Trucking Association, South Dakota’s delegates to Boys & Girls Nation, and Tomorrow’s Ag Leaders with the South Dakota Agri-Business Association.
Other meetings this week: Two ambassadors from other countries to the United States: Taranjit Sandhu of India and Seleshi Bekele of Ethiopia; two nominees to executive positions whose nominations are being processed in the Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees; Tom Bossert, president of Trinity Cyber; and five British members of parliament who were visiting from all the way across the pond! Additionally, I hosted a great meeting with leaders in the cyber security community including National Cyber Director Chris Inglis, Executive Director of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission Mark Montgomery, Senator Angus King of Maine and Representative Mike Gallagher. We also had our Senate Prayer Breakfast (Senator Steve Daines from Montana was our speaker) and Senate Bible Study (Our verse of the week was 1 Corinthians 6:11), both of which happen weekly when the Senate is in session.
Met with South Dakotans from: Aberdeen, Brandon, Britton, Gettysburg, Harrisburg, Mitchell, Pierre, Rapid City, Rockham, Sioux Falls, Tabor, Wessington Springs, Wilmot and Wolsey.
Topics discussed: New GDP data indicating that we’ve entered a recession, cybersecurity, fertilizer costs, workforce issues supply chain issues, and high fuel prices.
Votes taken: 6 – One of these was on the Water Resources Development Act, which had a few of my amendments in it pertaining to the Missouri and Big Sioux Rivers that run through South Dakota.
Bills passed this week: My Greatest Generation Commemorative Coin Act unanimously passed both the Senate and the House this week. This bill would authorize the Department of the Treasury to mint commemorative coins, with proceeds going toward maintenance and repair at the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. This bill now goes to the president’s desk.
Hearings: Senate Armed Services Committee – We had a hearing this week on nominations for positions within the Defense Department; Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy – I served as ranking member for a hearing on the Biden administration’s budget requests for Africa.
Classified briefings: This week I had a classified briefing on America’s Indo-Pacific policy and operations as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee
My staff in South Dakota visited: Canistota, Dell Rapids, Garretson, Madison, Montrose, Salem and Spearfish.
Staff happenings: After a fun summer season playing against teams from different senate offices, our office softball team played Senator Thune’s team on Wednesday night. Team Rounds won 20-9 and brought home the traveling Tatanka trophy for another year! Better luck next year, Senator Thune!
Steps taken this week: 53,096 (or 24.60 miles)
I like this. Gives the South Dakota insight into what Rounds is up to in DC.
No word on PACT?
I too want to hear about PACT.
Nothing to see here, just a spineless member of the armed services committee voting against medical care for veterans with cancer from burn pits. Move along and talk about inflation some more.
Yep. They know they are wrong with their vote which is why they are not even going to bring it up. They should be ashamed that they are claiming it being mandatory spending versus discretionary spending is some sort of trick. It should be paid for every year. They just want it to pass so then later they can not fund it and make it worthless. I don’t understand why veterans would vote for a Republican.
Schumer decides if this bill lives or dies. Let’s see what happens.
We get it, you want republicans to be able to kill the bill by not funding it. Congratulations, you are sticking it to our veterans. There is no reason why this shouldn’t be marked as mandatory spending. The vets should get their money every year no matter what.
Truth: in the final House vote, this widely-loved bill drew no less than 174 Republican nay-votes. It passed on the strength of Pelosi’s scorched earth steamroller, basically. 174 representatives said NO, so this was never getting easy Senate passage. The falsity you present, about an 84-4 majority having members “change” their vote is ridiculous. The first vote was the consideration vote, and had this bill had a happy amendment process it might have been a big bipartisan YES at the end. The vote that failed was the FINAL vote and yes House Republicans and Senate Republicans had problems with this bill all the way along. TRUTH: it’s Chuck Schumer’s choice whether to dare everyone over the cliff and let the bill die again. Or if it is amended, then it’s Nancy Pelosi’s choice to reject it in conference. IF they decide Republicans get all the blame, they’ll let the bill die. That is politics. The people sick and dying before this bill, will still be sick and dying during this process, and whether it passes or fails will still be sick and dying, according to statistical fact. So forgive us for ignoring your angry threats and lies while we all wait to see what Schumer and Pelosi really want to do with this bill.
You support their delay because you want them to be able to not fund this bill. No need to write a giant paragraph to say that. Y
Looky Looky, the bill passed without any changes. Amazing how that was done after all their lies about voting against it were proven to be wrong.
And not one mention of the $375B corporate and green handouts in the CHIPS bill. Amazing!
Senator Rounds voted against the CHIPS bill.
Thanks.
Why the changed vote on PACT, Senator?