Serving South Dakota is my greatest honor, and throughout my time in Congress, I’ve sought out ways to give our state a strong voice in Washington. Democrats control the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives, and while there have been plenty of policies I’ve disagreed with, I’m proud of the work I’ve been able to accomplish on behalf of all South Dakotans.

With the Senate having just begun its traditional August state work period, I’m excited to have more opportunities to travel across the state to talk to folks about what is on their minds, what has been accomplished the last few months in Washington, and what else is in store for the rest of the year.

One of the most important bills Congress takes up every year is the National Defense Authorization Act. This year’s bill will authorize critical funding to continue preparation for the B-21 mission at Ellsworth Air Force Base, and it will also include my proposal to authorize additional funding for school districts affected by growing missions. I am incredibly proud that South Dakota and Ellsworth were chosen to serve as the first operating base for the B-21. I am committed to ensuring that the base has everything it needs to continue serving as one of our nation’s essential military assets for decades to come, including by ensuring local communities have the resources to help address school and housing capacity needs.

Turning from the air to the sea, at the beginning of the summer, my Ocean Shipping Reform Act received overwhelming bipartisan support in both the House and Senate, and it is now the law of the land. This new law will help ease supply chain pressures by addressing unfair ocean carrier practices, speeding up the resolution of disputes over carrier fees, and improving the movement of goods at our nation’s ports. This is especially important for South Dakota producers, who rely on efficient access to markets around the world for their products. It won’t solve our nation’s inflation crisis, but it should help make life easier for U.S. exporters, importers, and consumers alike.

After months of requests, I was pleased that the administration finally agreed to restore the summertime sale of E15 fuel for 2022, which went into effect on June 1. I have long advocated to make permanent the year-round sale of E15, plus higher blends of ethanol, as a way to offer American drivers more affordable and cleaner options at the gas pump and to offset foreign sources of energy. It’s a step in the right direction, and I will continue to call on the Biden administration to leverage American agriculture to help drive down gas prices and support our state’s economy.

As a longtime member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, ensuring that our rural communities have a seat at the table remains a top priority for me. Right now, the 2023 farm bill is a big focus of mine. I’ve already begun to hold a series of roundtables to hear from South Dakota farmers and ranchers about what they need from next year’s bill, and I plan to continue introducing proposals that I hope to get included in it. Agriculture is the lifeblood of the South Dakota economy, and I will do everything I can to make sure that our farmers and ranchers have the resources they need to help feed our country.

As always, fighting for South Dakota is my number-one priority. I’m focused on the same principles and priorities that have always guided me: working hard, fighting for what matters, and listening to my top advisers – you, the people of South Dakota. I look forward to catching up with folks this month, and if we cross paths, please be sure to say hello. In the meantime, if you have questions about how I can help you, or if you have an idea or feedback about something I’m working on, please don’t hesitate to write, call, or email – I’m all ears.

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This week, the Speaker of the House interrupted the August Work Period in our districts and states, calling all Representatives to vote on the so-called “Inflation Reduction Act”. The $745 billion bill does little to actually reduce inflation – it may just make things even worse. July’s 8.5% inflation report shows a slight cooling of inflationary pressure. Passing this bill could reverse the little bit of progress we have made.

I am voting no on this bill, bringing my opposition of record spending to a total of $10 trillion since President Biden took office. We can’t just keep spending more money, especially when monthly economic reports show continuing inflation and a recession possibly looming. I’m open to some policy ideas in this legislation – for example some of the drug pricing policies are interesting – but the overall price tag is too high, and it was rushed through in the last few weeks.

Fiscal policies should be thoughtful. There should be give and take from both sides, analysis done on the long-term spending impacts, and time to decipher whether or not taxes on the middle class would go up.

The Inflation Reduction Act:

• Authorizes $80 billion for the IRS
• Spends over $350 billion on environmental policies
• Raises taxes on businesses who are already raising their prices—passing even higher prices onto consumers
• Is estimated by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to only reduce inflation by 0.01% at best in 2023
• Raises taxes on Americans in every income bracket
• Will likely increase costs for prescription drugs and health care insurance premiums

Increasing taxes and retail prices for hard-working Americans will only make it harder for families to make ends meet. 94% of South Dakotans are already experiencing inflation. In just about every meeting I take with South Dakotans, they mention how inflation is impacting them, their business, their family, or their community.

I have opposed spending package after spending package pushed by Speaker Pelosi and President Biden that have consistently driven up inflation, increased prices on goods, services, energy, and everything in between. Spending more money now will continue to kick the can down the road—causing almost everyone to deal with the impacts of inflation for much longer.

I am focused on solving our supply chain crisis, increasing our energy independence, and supporting our small businesses to mitigate the impact of inflation on American consumers and business owners. We need to pass commonsense, realistic solutions that will actually work. Policies that bring down high prices in the grocery store and at the gas pump, get Americans back to work, and strengthen our economy.

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For more than 80 years, late summer has brought thousands of motorcycles to the Black Hills of South Dakota. Bikers come from across the country – and around the world – to participate in the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. They bring with them their money, supporting our local businesses and helping our state revenues. And they enjoy the beauty and freedom that South Dakota has to offer.

This happens every year, so it should not have been remarkable that it happened two years ago in August 2020 – but it was. At that time, the rest of the nation remained shut down. South Dakota had already drawn headlines for our unique approach to the pandemic. But the media scrutiny reached another level when bikers did what they had always done and rode out to South Dakota to enjoy our freedom and fresh air. Liberals across the country predicted a “superspreader” event. Flawed studies were drummed up to back this breathless allegation. The criticism was repeated so often that everyone assumed it was true.

Of course, the allegation was false. Even the CDC’s data only tied fewer than 500 cases to the rally. But this false allegation was repeated so often because the media needed it to be true. If events like Sturgis could go on without a major pandemic fallout, then the media’s entire narrative about the pandemic must be false. If states like South Dakota could thrive without mandates and lockdowns, then why were schools and businesses still closed in big cities and liberal states?

By repeating the lie again and again, the media unwittingly made Sturgis into something bigger – something more. They made it a banner of Freedom, and they made every rider at the Rally a carrier of that banner. The Rally already had that connotation. It was always about the biker’s mentality – individualism and love for the open road and fresh air. Most Rally attendees will quickly tell you that the government should not be telling you how to live your life. But it took on a far deeper meaning after the attacks by the liberal media.

As a result, the 2021 Rally was one of the biggest in history, and this year’s Rally has been above average, as well, despite the highest gas prices in American history. More American flags are waving at the event.

I attended this year’s Rally, participating in the Legends Ride and a charity auction to benefit causes like helping victims of human trafficking. Countless riders thanked me for providing an example that Freedom works – for giving them a place to come and be free.

I always knew that South Dakota could be an example for the nation. I didn’t necessarily expect that the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally would be part of setting that example, but today it certainly is. And I’m glad that it is. After all, I love what the Rally stands for: fast bikes, fresh air, and Freedom.

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Having seven kids, I’ve heard a lot of whoppers before, but this might be the biggest one ever.

At off-the-wall website Dakota Leader, where they worship Steve Haugaard, and promote Tina Mulally as a great leader, website author Breeanaugh Sagdahl has a video interview where the latest crazy-talk is that Kristi Noem didn’t actually keep South Dakota businesses open.

The fish-tale being promoted for your crazy aunt who spends too much time on Facebook is that they claim Kristi fought against keeping South Dakota open, and one of the heroes of keeping the state open was actually Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg.  And as a result he ended up on some enemies list and they were gonna get him no matter what.

I’m not sure what to say to all of that. Except that you have to eventually hope that they give up on the primary election at some point.

In Boston today before I head to DC tomorrow, but consider the 2022 Fish & Chips tour is on!

At the Black Rose in Boston, and the piece of fish (cod) is as thick as prime rib, and as light as a feather..

The ‘chips’ seem more like fries, but the fish is so good, it’s forgiven. It’s early in the day, so I got the small portion, but I could have eaten more fish in a flash.

Gov. Noem Issues Statement on FBI Raid on President Donald Trump’s Home

STURGIS, S.D. – Today, following the FBI raid on former President Donald J. Trump’s home, Governor Kristi Noem issued the following statement: 

“The FBI raid on President Trump’s home is an unprecedented political weaponization of the Justice Department. They’ve been after President Trump as a candidate, as President, and now as a former President. Using the criminal justice system in this manner is un-American.” 

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Record-high inflation is the number-one issue impacting Americans right now. From soaring gas prices to food prices – and just about everything in between – a nearly 41-year high inflation rate is forcing families to dig deeper into their pocketbooks as they try to make ends meet. I continue to hear from folks across the state who tell me about the sacrifices they are making, and it’s abundantly clear that they need some relief.

Unfortunately, instead of pursuing policies that would grow our economy and drive down prices for families and small businesses, Democrats continue to pursue the policies that helped lead to record-high inflation in the first place. Democrats are pursuing their so-called “Inflation Reduction Act,” a bill that would do nothing to reduce inflation but would double down on wasteful government spending and impose hundreds of billions of dollars in tax hikes on American businesses – tax hikes that would result in higher prices for consumers in nearly every income bracket.

Our economy has posted negative economic growth for the past two quarters – the textbook definition of a recession – and Democrats think now is an ideal time to raise taxes on American businesses. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that raising taxes in the middle of a recession is a very, very bad idea. Bottom line, Democrats are failing Economics 101.

Increasing the tax burden on American businesses and consumers doesn’t end there. The Democrats’ bill would also impose a methane fee and a new tax hike on U.S. refiners importing crude oil and petroleum products, which are intended to make conventional energy prohibitively more expensive. Regardless of the wishful thinking Democrats engage in, Americans still need conventional energy – now and into the near future. The Democrats’ energy tax hikes are setting everyday Americans up to continue to suffer under high energy prices for the foreseeable future, as the cost for gas far exceeds the $2.38 price per gallon when President Biden took office.

The Democrats’ bill – that they bizarrely claim is going to lower inflation – happens to be chock-full of radical, Green New Deal-esque policies. There’s billions of dollars for a grant program to plant trees and things like identifying gaps in tree canopy coverage. There are billions of dollars going to purchase heavy-duty electric vehicles like garbage trucks and even more money for the U.S. Postal Service to purchase zero-emission delivery vehicles – to name a few.

Among other egregious policies, there are tax credits for folks who purchase electric vehicles and even more write-offs for refitting windows, skylights, and doors to meet Democrats’ required level of energy efficiency. The icing on the cake, of course, is the fact that the wealthiest Americans in our country are the ones who are purchasing electric vehicles, and Democrats want to give these high-income earners a tax break. This bill is wasteful and irresponsible and would create a lot of economic pain for hardworking Americans and job creators.

The Democrats’ $1.9 trillion spending spree in early 2021 helped plunge our economy into an inflation crisis that has left Americans struggling. If anything, Democrats should have learned that dumping unnecessary dollars into the economy is a recipe for disaster. Their new partisan tax-and-spending spree, unfortunately, tees up even more economic pain for families. As we have seen time and time again, economic common sense is taking a back seat to Democrats’ big-spending, big-government ideology. I will continue to fight back against these radical, out-of-touch policies and focus on solutions that put more money into the pocketbooks of hardworking South Dakotans.

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The 360,000 acres of American land owned by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is just the start. The CCP is purchasing more and more farmland and has a plan to drastically increase their ownership in the next few years. It’s become a growing concern of mine, and I’m working to put an end to it.

In our global economy, I understand there is a time and place to work internationally on issues. But we cannot give our foreign adversaries – like China – access to our food supply. Food security is national security.

I’m not just worried about our farmland and food supply. Recently, the Chinese food manufacturer Fufeng Group bought 300 acres of land near Grand Forks, North Dakota, to set up a milling plant. This piece of land is located about 20 minutes from the Grand Forks Air Force Base, which is home to some of the nation’s most sensitive military drone technology. This has raised national security concerns because the Fufeng Group’s passive receiving equipment could intercept sensitive drone and space-based communications to and from the base. The communication that happens at Grand Forks AFB is the backbone of all U.S. military communications across the globe. We cannot allow one of our greatest adversaries potential control over our military technology or our food supply.

I am co-leading two bills—the Prohibition of Agricultural Land for the People’s Republic of China Act and the Promoting Agriculture Safeguards and Security (PASS) Act—to prohibit China’s purchase of American farmland and agriculture businesses. Thankfully, these bills are gaining traction in Congress, at least among conservatives.

The PASS Act won’t just prohibit China from purchasing our agriculture businesses, but also blacklists Russia, Iran, North Korea, and those acting on behalf of those countries from taking control of any American ag business.

The last few years our supply chain has seen continuous disruptions – our country can’t afford to let China get a hold of more American business and land.

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Hope has power – it drives us to achieve incredible things that we never thought possible or endure difficulties that previous seemed insurmountable. Unfortunately, for the same reasons, hopelessness can hold tremendous power over a person’s life, too. Too often, that loss of hope leads to suicide, a suicide that is entirely preventable. Suicide is a growing public health issue in our country and in South Dakota, and it affects each of our lives in some way.

I want everyone who has struggled with hopelessness or thoughts of suicide to have access to the help and resources they need. We can restore hope – we just need to start the conversation. Together, we can restore hope to the hopeless, and that’s exactly what I have tasked state government to help me do.

In South Dakota, when we truly care about an issue or problem, we work together to take action. That’s what we did in the summer of 2019 when I tasked five state agencies to develop a comprehensive statewide plan to prevent suicide. Together, the departments of Health, Social Services, Education, Tribal Relations, and Agriculture & Natural Resources, as well as the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board have committed to spotlighting this issue to reduce suicides in South Dakota. This group is working hard to get people talking more about suicide and how to prevent it.

Last summer, a data-to-action group from these agencies began meeting to identify counties experiencing high rates of suicide. The group has been proactively reaching out to communities with these high rates and offering assistance in areas like healthcare, behavioral health, school counseling, and community supports.

To date, eight high risk counties have been identified through this process, and we’ve taken action to restore hope. Multiple agencies have worked together to provide training and awareness resources to those counties, including social media messaging and print materials to help jumpstart the conversation about suicide prevention.

With this added support and collaboration, we are hoping to see suicide rates in these high-risk counties turn around. But our work isn’t done, and we need your help. Suicide is not an easy topic to discuss, but we cannot be afraid to talk about it.

We will be hosting the “Start the Conversation” statewide suicide prevention conference on August 11-12 at the Sioux Falls Convention Center. Sometimes people just need the right tools to start the conversation. The conference will be an opportunity for individuals to access training and resources to help prevent suicide in South Dakota. Key speakers and sessions will focus on prevention strategies for veterans, ag producers, youth, tribal communities, and the general population. Training opportunities are also available, and you can attend the conference at no cost.

Suicide prevention is everyone’s concern. Take time to check in with your family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors to see how they are doing. Learn the risk factors and watch for the warning signs. Find the words and offer help. You may help save a life.

You are not alone in helping someone. If you need help with thoughts of suicide, please call 988. Help is available 24/7. Or, visit SDSuicidePrevention.org or BeThe1SD.com for numerous resources for those needing help for themselves or others.

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ATTORNEY GENERAL RELEASES DRAFT EXPLANATION FOR PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE SOUTH DAKOTA CONSTITUTION 

PIERRE, S.D. — South Dakota Attorney General Mark Vargo has released the following Attorney General’s ballot draft explanation for the November 2024 general election.

The draft amendment is entitled: A Constitutional Amendment Concerning the Regulation of Abortion.

State law requires the Attorney General to draft a title and explanation for each initiated measure, initiated constitutional amendment, constitutional amendment proposed by the Legislature, or referred measure that may appear on an election ballot. See SDCL 12-13-9 & 12-13-25.1.

The Attorney General’s explanation is meant to be an “objective, clear, and simple summary” intended to “educate the voters of the purpose and effect of the proposed” measure, as well as identify the “legal consequences” of each measure. SDCL 12-13-9 & 12-13-25.1. Each explanation is limited to 200 words.

The public can comment on draft Attorney General explanations. Once the Attorney General has filed and posted the draft explanation, the public has 10 days to provide written comment. The Attorney General must review all accepted comments and may revise the draft explanation as deemed necessary. The final explanation from the Attorney General must be filed with the Secretary of State no later than 20 days after filing the draft explanation.

For more information regarding ballot measures, please visit the Secretary of State’s website.