Looking for a Christmas Miracle
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
December 20, 2024

BIG News

Earlier this week, the House put forward a continuing resolution (CR) spending bill that contained too many unrelated provisions. Many members of Congress, including myself, indicated our opposition to that bill.

That caused us to go back to the drawing board. I worked with House leadership and President Trump to craft a clean CR, eliminating 1,400 pages of unrelated policies. Ultimately, Democrats voted against that bill, abandoning disaster victims, letting family farms fail, and shutting down the government.

We’ve continued to work on this issue, and I expect in the next few hours we will be successful in funding government until March, when we can work with President Trump to secure the border and restore fiscal sanity to our nation.

BIG Update

The House DOGE Caucus held its first meeting this week and I was excited to be a part of it. Making our government more efficient and cutting spending is a big priority of the caucus and Trump’s presidency.

We had a great conversation on ideas to streamline the government to make the best use of taxpayer dollars, which is why I would have voted against the CR earlier this week. I heard from many of you who opposed the bill, and I agree, it was too big and spent too much money.

BIG Idea

In 2022, fentanyl was responsible for nearly 70% of drug overdose deaths for adults ages 18-45 – a staggering and preventable loss of life. Most of that fentanyl is coming from China. Steps must be taken to prevent this lethal drug from coming across our borders.

I’m a member of the Fentanyl Policy Working Group within the Select Committee on China and this week, we introduced three pieces of legislation to attack this part of the China threat from all sides. These bills will save lives and make our communities safer.

The bills would:

• Establish a joint task force to counter synthetic narcotics, primarily focusing on fentanyl coming from China.
• Establish new sanctions authorities against actors involved in fentanyl trafficking and expands existing sanctions authorities to target People’s Republic of China (PRC) vessels or ports that knowingly aid in fentanyl trafficking.
• Impose “docking fees” on PRC entities that fail to implement safeguards against the production and export of fentanyl precursors.

Making our communities safer requires securing our borders and staying tough on China.

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Through a Child’s Eyes
By: Gov. Kristi Noem  
December 21, 2024    

Every year, I am always blown away by the decorations at the South Dakota State Capitol. Volunteers decorate dozens of trees and decorate the whole Capitol in a theme. This year, the theme is “Through a Child’s Eyes,” and everything is larger than life to make you feel like a little kid again. If you’ve never experienced Christmas at the Capitol, I would encourage you to do so before the season is over – the last day to see the trees is December 26. 

When my kids were little, I was driving with them out to Rapid City, and we stopped at the State Capitol to see the trees. Booker was about four years old, and when we came in the doors, he threw his arms out and exclaimed, “It’s the North Pole!” So when I think about seeing Christmas “Through a Child’s Eyes,” I remember how Booker saw the Capitol that year.

 This theme truly is a reminder of how we should view the world – and how we should celebrate Christmas. We should look at the world with hope and optimism. We should see everything as new the way that our kids do. Our kids look forward to the holidays because we tell them stories; we spend time with family; we teach our kids about the birth of our Savior and the salvation that He brings. And yes, there’s always gifts, but we also celebrate the gifts we are blessed with like living in the wonderful state of South Dakota in the freest nation to ever exist.

Bryon shared with me that one of his favorite Christmas memories was always going to the Christmas Eve service with his family, particularly holding the candle. He loved being trusted with that candle, and he remembers how magical it was to look around the church  at all the other candles – how quiet and holy it seemed spending time together in worship.

When I was a kid, my parents would always give me and my siblings one gift together. On Christmas Morning, they’d hide it somewhere on our farm and ranch, and we would go on a scavenger hunt as a family to find it. We find notes in the barn, in the shop, or in a tractor – one time a note was taped to a cow’s head – pointing us in the direction of our gift. It might take us an hour or two to solve, but at the end of the hunt, we didn’t just have a present – we had a memory together as a family. That was often much more special than the gift itself.

As kids, we would always get up early and do chores for our dad. We would get up before he even woke up so that we could surprise him with the fact that he didn’t need to do any work on Christmas Morning.

We tried to create those memories for our kids, as well. None of our children were allowed to come out of their rooms until I rang the Christmas Bell. It was tradition that once mom was ready, I’d ring the bell, and the celebration would begin.

I hope that all of you have the opportunity to celebrate your own Christmas traditions this year. Please think about the holiday season “Through a Child’s Eyes.” You’ll find the season even more beautiful, more memorable, and more special. God bless you all – and Merry Christmas!

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The Governor’s proposal for an education savings account to fund private schools and homeschooling is challenged to find support among Brookings legislators according to an article appearing on the Brookings Register website yesterday, with members of the District 7 delegation expressing concern over the measure:

District 7 Rep. Roger DeGroot, R-Brookings, said if the program passes this year, its funding could easily balloon later. 

and..

Heermann said if private schools and homeschooling parents are going to receive taxpayer dollars, they should be subject to government oversight.

“Where’s that money coming to, is it the appropriate use for it and do we have any oversight? If the money is being used, how is it being used?” Heermann said.  

Read the entire story here.

Concern was expressed over the costs of the program ballooning in later years, and coming at the expense of public schools.

In the article, the Brookings School Superintendent voiced concerns over the fairness issue, whether parents of children with special education needs will be served by the program, or denied because their kids might have different needs:

“I’m not opposed to choice. I honestly had 11 years in Dell Rapids and had a strong relationship with Dell Rapids St. Mary’s, so I’m not against school choice,” Schultz said. “But if you say, ‘parent choice’ it should also include students on disabilities and students with behavioral and mental health issues. That parent choice, I believe, should be for all parents — not just for parents whose children fit a mold.”

Again, read that here.

This is the concern I have what may end up being implemented – one of fairness to all kids and their families.

Thune Announces Senate Republican Committee Assignments for the 119th Congress

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today announced the Senate Republican Conference committee assignments for the 119th Congress. The assignments have been ratified by the Senate Republican Conference and are expected to be ratified by the full Senate early next Congress.

Agriculture

John Boozman, Arkansas

Mitch McConnell, Kentucky

John Hoeven, North Dakota

Joni Ernst, Iowa

Cindy Hyde-Smith, Mississippi

Roger Marshall, Kansas

Tommy Tuberville, Alabama

Jim Justice, West Virginia

Chuck Grassley, Iowa

John Thune, South Dakota

Deb Fischer, Nebraska

Jerry Moran, Kansas

 

Appropriations

Susan Collins, Main

Mitch McConnell, Kentucky

Lisa Murkowski, Alaska

Lindsey Graham, South Carolina

Jerry Moran, Kansas

John Hoeven, North Dakota

John Boozman, Arkansas

Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia

John Kennedy, Louisiana

Cindy Hyde-Smith, Mississippi

Bill Hagerty, Tennessee

Katie Britt, Alabama

Markwayne Mullin, Oklahoma

Deb Fischer, Nebraska

Mike Rounds, South Dakota

 

Armed Services

Roger Wicker, Mississippi

Deb Fischer, Nebraska

Tom Cotton, Arkansas

Mike Rounds, South Dakota

Joni Ernst, Iowa

Dan Sullivan, Alaska

Kevin Cramer, North Dakota 

Rick Scott, Florida

Tommy Tuberville, Alabama

Markwayne Mullin, Oklahoma

Ted Budd, North Carolina

Eric Schmitt, Missouri

Jim Banks, Indiana

Tim Sheehy, Montana

 

Banking

Tim Scott, South Carolina

Mike Crapo, Idaho

Mike Rounds, South Dakota

Thom Tillis, North Carolina

John Kennedy, Louisiana

Bill Hagerty, Tennessee

Cynthia Lummis, Wyoming

Katie Britt, Alabama

Pete Ricketts, Nebraska

Jim Banks, Indiana

Kevin Cramer, North Dakota

Bernie Moreno, Ohio

Dave McCormick, Pennsylvania

 

Commerce

Ted Cruz, Texas

John Thune, South Dakota

Roger Wicker, Mississippi

Deb Fischer, Nebraska

Jerry Moran, Kansas

Dan Sullivan, Alaska

Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee

Todd Young, Indiana

Ted Budd, North Carolina

Eric Schmitt, Missouri

John Curtis, Utah 

Bernie Moreno, Ohio 

Tim Sheehy, Montana 

Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia 

Cynthia Lummis, Wyoming 

 

Energy

Mike Lee, Utah

John Barrasso, Wyoming

Jim Risch, Idaho

Steve Daines, Montana

Tom Cotton, Arkansas

Jim Justice, West Virginia

Dave McCormick, Pennsylvania

Bill Cassidy, Louisiana

Cindy Hyde-Smith, Mississippi

Lisa Murkowski, Alaska

John Hoeven, North Dakota

 

Environment and Public Works

Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia

Kevin Cramer, North Dakota

Cynthia Lummis, Wyoming

John Curtis, Utah

Lindsey Graham, South Carolina

Dan Sullivan, Alaska

Pete Ricketts, Nebraska

Roger Wicker, Mississippi

John Boozman, Arkansas

Jerry Moran, Kansas

 

Finance

Mike Crapo, Idaho

Chuck Grassley, Iowa

John Cornyn, Texas

John Thune, South Dakota

Tim Scott, South Carolina

Bill Cassidy, Louisiana

James Lankford, Oklahoma

Steve Daines, Montana

Todd Young, Indiana

John Barrasso, Wyoming

Ron Johnson, Wisconsin

Thom Tillis, North Carolina

Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee

Roger Marshall, Kansas

 

Foreign Relations

Jim Risch, Idaho

Pete Ricketts, Nebraska

Dave McCormick, Pennsylvania

Steve Daines, Montana

Bill Hagerty, Tennessee

John Barrasso, Wyoming

Rand Paul, Kentucky

Ted Cruz, Texas

Mike Lee, Utah

Rick Scott, Florida

John Curtis, Utah

John Cornyn, Texas

 

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

Bill Cassidy, Louisiana

Rand Paul, Kentucky

Susan Collins, Maine

Lisa Murkowski, Alaska

Markwayne Mullin, Oklahoma

Roger Marshall, Kansas

Tommy Tuberville, Alabama

Tim Scott, South Carolina

Josh Hawley, Missouri

Jim Banks, Indiana

Mike Crapo, Idaho

Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee

 

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

Rand Paul, Kentucky

Ron Johnson, Wisconsin

James Lankford, Oklahoma

Rick Scott, Florida

Josh Hawley, Missouri

Bernie Moreno, Ohio

Joni Ernst, Iowa

Tim Scott, South Carolina

 

Judiciary

Chuck Grassley, Iowa

Lindsey Graham, South Carolina

John Cornyn, Texas

Mike Lee, Utah

Ted Cruz, Texas

Josh Hawley, Missouri

Thom Tillis, North Carolina

John Kennedy, Louisiana

Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee

Eric Schmitt, Missouri

Katie Britt, Alabama

Mike Crapo, Idaho

 

Intel 

Tom Cotton, Arkansas 

Jim Risch, Idaho 

Susan Collins, Maine 

John Cornyn, Texas 

Jerry Moran, Kansas

James Lankford, Oklahoma

Mike Rounds, South Dakota

Todd Young, Indiana

Marco Rubio, Florida

 

Aging

Rick Scott, Florida

Dave McCormick, Pennsylvania

Jim Justice, West Virginia

Tommy Tuberville, Alabama

Ron Johnson, Wisconsin 

Mike Crapo, Idaho 

Tim Scott, South Carolina 

 

Budget 

Lindsey Graham, South Carolina 

Chuck Grassley, Iowa 

Mike Crapo, Idaho 

Ron Johnson, Wisconsin 

Roger Marshall, Kansas 

John Cornyn, Texas 

Mike Lee, Utah 

John Kennedy, Louisiana 

Pete Ricketts, Nebraska 

Bernie Moreno, Ohio 

Rick Scott, Florida 

 

Indian Affairs 

Lisa Murkowski, Alaska 

John Hoeven, North Dakota 

Steve Daines, Montana 

Markwayne Mullin, Oklahoma 

Mike Rounds, South Dakota 

Jerry Moran, Kansas 

 

Joint Economic Committee 

Eric Schmitt, Missouri 

Tom Cotton, Arkansas

Ted Budd, North Carolina

Dave McCormick, Pennsylvania

Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee

Jerry Moran, Kansas

 

Rules

Mitch McConnell, Kentucky

Deb Fischer, Nebraska

Ted Cruz, Texas

Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia

Roger Wicker, Mississippi

Cindy Hyde-Smith, Mississippi

Bill Hagerty, Tennessee

Katie Britt, Alabama

John Boozman, Arkansas

 

Small Business

Joni Ernst, Iowa

Jim Risch, Idaho

Rand Paul, Kentucky

Tim Scott, South Carolina

Todd Young, Indiana

Josh Hawley, Missouri

Ted Budd, North Carolina

John Curtis, Utah

Jim Justice, West Virginia

Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee

 

Veterans Affairs

Jerry Moran, Kansas

John Boozman, Arkansas

Bill Cassidy, Louisiana

Thom Tillis, North Carolina

Dan Sullivan, Alaska

Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee

Kevin Cramer, North Dakota

Tommy Tuberville, Alabama

Jim Banks, Indiana

Tim Sheehy, Montana

 

Ethics

James Lankford, Oklahoma

Jim Risch, Idaho 

Deb Fischer, Nebraska

 

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Turkeys Provided for Holiday Meals
100,000 pounds of turkey distributed to 121 communities. 

Families across South Dakota will be receiving a free turkey ahead of the holidays, through a partnership of Team Buche Cares and G.F. Buche Co. 100,000 pounds of turkey will be distributed to 121 communities, including all nine South Dakota tribes.

“We are honored to be able to spread joy this holiday season by contributing to the holiday meal of families across our state.”

Team Buche Cares coordinates several initiatives to address hunger in rural South Dakota, including through support of local food pantries, coordinating summer feeding programs for children, and increasing access to healthy foods. The charitable organization provides a wide range of services that also includes scholarship funding for high school seniors and financial support for cancer patients. Team Buche Cares resources are supported through the 2024 Rooster Roundup event, which marked the organization’s first fundraising effort, with proceeds dedicated to feeding families in these 121 communities.

Turkey distribution will be taking place in communities across Yankton Sioux Tribe, Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Oglala Lakota Sioux Tribe, Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, as well as other rural communities throughout South Dakota. Team Buche Cares are coordinating turkey distributions with local food pantries and tribal leaders to deliver all 100,000 pounds of the holiday bird to families ahead of the Christmas holiday.

“So many of us have fond memories of holiday meals or traditions developed around a special food. Team Buche Cares is happy to provide access to a healthy protein while also contributing to this year’s holiday memories for families across our state.”

Additional information about Team Buche Cares is available at https://teambuchecares.org.

One of the current crop of SDGOP Chairman wannabees is campaigning as we roll into the holidays, this time with a postcard. A tiny, weird postcard which doesn’t really tell us anything other than they’re “calm.”

Ezra Hayes dropped this 4×6 postcard to County GOP officials, or rather, Custer County’s LeeAnn McWhorter did so on Hayes’ behalf, with a postcard extolling that he’s  Calm * Confident * Servant*.   Ezra might have also added “groomed” or “freshly showered” for all the meaning it has.  The fact he’s telling us he’s a “calm servant” might be nice if he’s bringing me brunch at Perkins or the Fryn’ Pan, but what does that have to do with him wanting to be SDGOP Chair?

(And before you ask, you’d have to ask the SOS if that is supposed to have a disclaimer for a party office, versus a public office. I tend not to think so.)

If you go to the reverse side, the address side tells us what Hayes would bring to the table besides syrup.

Actually, it said absolutely nothing.  …which is what he’s telling us he brings to the table in this postcard.

Custer County GOP Chair LeeAnne has her return address on it for sending these out. I would venture a guess that is who he intends as his vice-chair, which might be the the most we glean off of this ‘campaign’ piece, and I use that in the loosest of terms.

When it comes to the next chair of the South Dakota Republican Party, I’m still hoping for someone good to jump in. Because we don’t have that to date.

Sioux Falls City Councilor David Barranco is telling KELOland to day that he’s noticed that people are hating on Sioux Falls less:

After traveling across the state for the past two years, Sioux Falls council member David Barranco said he starting to see the anti-Sioux Falls bias starting to crack.

and..

Barranco said during the prior legislative session, lawmakers and others from rural communities were key in the support of some of the city’s legislative priorities. He gave credit to local Sioux Falls lawmakers, but “it must be noted that we prevailed, not despite rural communities’ efforts, but thanks to them.”

Read it all here.

That’s good to know. I’m sure with a bit of effort in the new year, we can all find more things to hate about Sioux Falls.   🙂

Republican State’s Attorney Austin Hoffman drops truth a well-deserved truth bomb on McPherson GOP chairman Mike Klipfel using and abusing his position as County GOP Chair to promote his own personal issues in a lengthy letter to the local newspaper:

This is a response to a “letter to the editor” published on December 12, 2024, on the McPherson County Herald’s Facebook page, written by Mike Klipfel, as Chairman of the McPherson County Republicans. Over the last several years, I have seldom responded to inaccurate statements and accusations leveled by misinformed citizens. When I did, I remained polite. However, the disinformation in that letter requires a less than tepid response. Here are the undisputable facts.

and..

Over the last several years, Mr. Klipfel and other members of the Executive Board have used those positions to push personal agendas. They have used the McPherson County Republican Executive Board as a vehicle to move forward an anti-CO2 pipeline agenda, an unfounded election integrity agenda, and most recently to push a blatantly false and incorrect narrative that myself, as State’s Attorney, am attempting to push a resolution that would violate First Amendment freedom of speech rights. The first two items I mention are inappropriate. The latter is absurd.

If Mr. Klipfel, or anyone else on the Executive Board, wants to make these arguments as a citizen of McPherson County, they have every right to do that. However, to use their positions on the McPherson County Republican Executive Board to do so, is in direct violation of the Board’s bylaws. It needs to stop. They represent the entirety of the Republican Party in McPherson County. I am positive that many Republicans do not share the same viewpoints as they do. Simply put, they are not policymakers.

and..

I have no issues with someone disagreeing with me politically or unhappy with the decisions I make as McPherson County State’s Attorney. Everyone has the right to their opinion. But using one’s role as Chairman of the McPherson County Republicans to make incorrect and false accusations, to push personal agendas, or to complain about legal bills they created, is an entirely different story.

Go read the entire letter here.

Everyone should go read this, as it lays out a cogent argument against everything that many people want the South Dakota Republican organization to become.  Because either they want to represent Republicans and win elections, or they want the Republican Party to become a giant facebook group where they scold people for not agreeing with them.

From Twitter, Congressman Dusty Johnson in the middle of first big deal for Trump and he isn’t even President yet!

Rep. Dusty Johnson R-SD mobbed as he leaves the Speaker’s office: “We’re making progress and things are going well.” pic.twitter.com/9YDnAnoO3L

— Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) December 19, 2024

And President-Elect Trump is endorsing the deal.

SUCCESS in Washington!

Speaker Mike Johnson and the House have come to a very good Deal for the American People. The newly agreed to American Relief Act of 2024 will keep the Government open, fund our Great Farmers and others, and provide relief for those severely impacted by…

— Trump Posts on 𝕏 (@trump_repost) December 19, 2024

Mr. President, I agree this is a strong deal, and I was honored to help negotiate it. Looking forward to passage tonight. pic.twitter.com/zEjEZ8rXqJ

— Rep. Dusty Johnson (@RepDustyJohnson) December 19, 2024

Rounds’ Legislation to Improve Homeownership Opportunities for Native American Veterans Headed to President’s Desk
The Native American Direct Loan Improvement Act passed the Senate and House in December

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC) and the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs (SCIA), today announced that his legislation to help Native American veterans achieve homeownership is heading to the President’s desk to be signed into law. The Native American Direct Loan (NADL) Improvement Act passed the Senate on December 12, 2024, and the House on December 16, 2024.

The NADL Improvement Act will reform the NADL program administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and make it more accessible to Native American veterans living on trust land.

“Homeownership is part of the American dream and a key to building wealth,” said Rounds. “The mortgage lending process is particularly difficult on tribal trust land. My legislation seeks to improve the NADL program by offering enhanced outreach and other assistance as needed to Native American veterans who are looking to qualify for mortgage financing. I am pleased this bill is heading to the President’s desk to be signed into law, making the dream of homeownership a reality for more of our veterans.”

Specifically, the NADL Improvement Act will:

·         Allow Native American veterans to use the NADL program to refinance other existing mortgages on the same property.

·         Expand the VA’s existing NADL program outreach to include collaborating with local service providers that are familiar with the mortgage lending process on trust land, which would offer homebuyer education and housing counseling to assist Native American veterans who are looking to qualify for mortgage financing.

·         Create a relending program to allow Native Community Development Financial Institutions to obtain loans through the NADL program and relend those funds to qualified Native American veterans.

BACKGROUND:

In June 2020, Rounds joined SVAC Chairman Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) in requesting a Government Accountability Office (GAO) review of the NADL program. The report was published in April 2022. The GAO found that in Fiscal Years 2012 through 2021, NADL originated only 89 loans to veterans in the contiguous United States, despite there being an estimated 64,000 to 70,000 eligible veterans.

Following the release of the GAO report, Rounds first introduced the NADL Improvement Act in July 2022. It was reintroduced in the 118th Congress in February 2023, passing SVAC later that same month.

Click HERE for full bill text.

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