Thank You, Veterans
By Sen. John Thune 

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On Veterans Day we remember all those who have served in the United States military. Thanks to my job as a senator, I have been privileged to meet a lot of our South Dakota veterans, as well as our airmen at Ellsworth Air Force Base and members of the South Dakota Air and Army National Guard. And it is the honor of my life to represent them in Congress.

Earlier this year, I had the chance to talk to a lot of our veterans at the South Dakota Veterans of Foreign Wars annual convention, and I was reminded once again how much we owe to these men and women. We live in peace and freedom because of their sacrifices. This year I’ve also had the chance to interact with many men and women who are still serving at several National Guard activation and deactivation ceremonies, and I’ve appreciated the opportunity to hear from our Guard members and from their families, who sacrifice so much to support their loved ones.

I may be biased, but I’m pretty sure that South Dakota has the most outstanding Guard troops in the nation. The South Dakota Air National Guard’s 114^th Fighter Wing was recently recognized for the fifth time for combat readiness and unit performance with the Spaatz Trophy. For the second year in a row, the South Dakota Army National Guard’s 152^nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion received an award for the nation’s most outstanding Army National Guard battalion.

And, of course, congratulations once again to Ellsworth Air Force Base on the most exciting news of the year – being officially selected as the first base to host the B-21 bomber. I couldn’t be prouder to welcome this mission in the years ahead.

On Veterans Day and every day, I remember my favorite veteran of all, my dad Harold Thune. My father was a fighter pilot who flew Hellcats off the U.S.S. Intrepid in the Pacific theater during World War II, and I came to know the Greatest Generation through him – their humility, their quiet service, their deep patriotism, and their dedication to the cause of freedom. My dad died last year, and I have always been grateful that I was able to sit down with him for the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project to hear about his service.

Of course, he kept turning the conversation to those he served with. Like other members of the Greatest Generation – and so many of the veterans I’ve met – my dad wasn’t interested in bragging about his achievements. He won the Distinguished Flying Cross, but he didn’t talk about that. What he did like to talk about was the men he served with, and what they did.

Between my dad and the opportunities I have had to interact with our airmen and Guard members and with generations of South Dakota veterans, I know very well that members of the military are a special breed. They are men and women of purpose, driven by a love of country, a commitment to their comrades, and a desire to protect the innocent from danger. I am grateful every day to the men and women of our nation’s military, who stand guard around the world so that we can live in peace and freedom. I am also profoundly grateful to their families, who sacrifice time with their loved ones and shoulder many tasks alone to ensure their loved ones can complete their mission.

This Veterans Day, those who served in Afghanistan over the past 20 years are on my mind and heart in a special way. I know it was painful for many of them to watch the Afghanistan withdrawal and see the Taliban take over, and to know that the safety of many security partners, interpreters, and their families, as well as the lives of millions of Afghans, remain at the mercy of the Taliban. But I want our veterans to know that their work was not in vain. They helped keep terrorism away from our nation for two decades and introduced a generation of Afghans to freedom. And I am convinced that the seeds of liberty they sowed will yet bear fruit.

To South Dakota veterans, and to all those who have served our nation, thank you. We owe you a debt we can never repay.

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Build Back Broke
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
November 5, 2021

It is Groundhog Day again on Capitol Hill.  Every week, for the past seven weeks, House Democrats have claimed we will vote on their massive spending bill. Not surprisingly, it’s 5pm on Friday and a vote in the U.S. House has was open for over eight hours. This bill is so large, and so partisan, even Democrats cannot come to an agreement within their own party.

The Democrats’ spending spree is not what Americans want. More than 60% of Americans do not believe the plan will help the economy or their families, and they are right. It’s a “cradle to grave” welfare revamp. A 50-50 Senate and a narrowly divided House portrays a population that wants and needs bipartisan, common ground solutions.

If made permanent, “Build Back Better,” or as some are calling it “Build Back Broke,” will skyrocket the deficit by $2.5 trillion more every decade. It would place more strain on Medicare, further risking insolvency in five years.

Growing up on welfare assistance, I know the good that a safety net provides for those struggling to make ends meet, but this bill would not help those who need it most. It would lower wages, slow job creation, and increase the deficit, compared to the Tax Foundation baseline. This bill undermines work, rather than encouraging it, during a time when there is already a workforce crisis.

The University of Chicago found that 1.5 million Americans will leave the workforce because of the subsidies and tax credits included in this bill, leaving our country further behind in the race to economic recovery following COVID-19.

America needs opportunity-expanding programs that encourage work, rather than disincentivize it. Today’s jobs report was finally better than the past two months – now it not that time to pass a bill that will stand directly in the way of that progress.

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Highlighting our best and brightest this Veterans Day
By: Governor Kristi Noem
November 5, 2021

On Veterans Day each year, we honor those brave Americans who volunteered their lives in service to our country. This year, in addition to celebrating the six military branches and their reserve forces, I want to highlight the exceptional service by the veterans of our South Dakota Army and Air National Guard. As Governor I serve as their Commander-in-Chief — a sacred role I am honored to serve.

The National Guard is so foundational to our country that it is included in our U.S. Constitution under Article 1, Section 8: “To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions.” The National Guard is unique in that they have two commanders-in-chief. They can be called to state service by the governor; or, be called up for federal service by the president.

National Guard troops are civilians who can be called to service at a moment’s notice. They can be deployed to a health care mission in the Black Hills or to drug-trafficking hotspots along the U.S.-Mexico border. They can also be deployed to Europe, Africa, or the Middle East to prepare for forward combat operations or serve regional peace-keeping missions.

The South Dakota National Guard has deployed troops in every war since the Spanish-American War in 1898 — less than 10 years after South Dakota joined the U.S.

In the last 30 years, the South Dakota National Guard has deployed more than 10,000 of its Air Force and Army service members. We have had guardsmen deployed nearly every day in the last 20 years since the 9/11 attacks.

Our state certainly has our share of heroes who have served in the Army, Marines, Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard — we’re still waiting on our first standout servicemember with the Space Force. And we cannot forget the contributions of our Reserve forces serving these branches.

Our National Guard in the past few years have defined excellence.For the last four years straight, South Dakota National Guard units have been ranked the very best in America for combat readiness. Our battalions are raising the bar for combat and service readiness standards.

Their service during the COVID pandemic has reminded us that when disasters strike — including tornadoes, wildfires, floods, and blizzards — we have the best-trained arsenal of military operatives ready to deploy at a moment’s notice. The National Guard motto says it all: Always Ready, Always There.

Despite more than 150 years of dutiful service, it wasn’t until 2016 that all National Guard and Reserve forces were recognized as veterans. I was proud to vote for H.R. 6416 as a Representative in the 114^th U.S. Congress. The law ensures that Guardsmen and Reservists who served 20 years regardless of combat deployment status, receive the honorary veteran recognition.

As Governor, I am working with our Department of Veterans Affairs to better serve our 72,000 veterans from all our military branches. I am also committed to upholding our status as the best state for a veteran to live and work.

To all our veterans who have served in our National Guard – including Lt. Gov. Larry Rhoden, whose family has served in the military dating back to World War I — thank you for raising your hand and answering the call to serve. Thank you for making South Dakota your home, both during your time of service and as a veteran.

To all veterans across South Dakota, thank you for being part of the 1% of Americans who wear the uniform to protect and defend our freedoms. God bless you and all those who have bravely served.

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With fewer than 60 days until petitions start circulating for political offices, the South Dakota GOP is active in not just recruiting Republican candidates for office, but in helping them equip them with the right tools as they prepare to run.

In Sioux Falls, the South Dakota Republican Party is hosting the Leadership Institute on Saturday, November 20th, 2021 at 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM at Military Heritage Alliance, 1600 W Russell Street, in Sioux Falls.

The GOP Candidate school focuses on preparing Republicans for service as elected officials and community leaders. Ideal attendees for the workshop are Republican party members who are looking to become more politically active, including candidates and campaign staff.

LI is a great group, and they have previously put on workshops for the party before on the basics of running for office and campaigning.

You can sign up for the Candidate Workshop here, and the cost for the workshop is $20.

Johnson Statement on Infrastructure

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) issued a statement following the U.S. House passage of the $1.2 trillion infrastructure package:

“I appreciate that the infrastructure package is largely focused on roads, bridges, and hard infrastructure, but $1.2 trillion isn’t a number I can support. Today’s bill relies on one-time funding sources that will create a massive fiscal cliff in a few years. While the Democrats $1.75 trillion spending package looms over our country, I simply can’t support more unsustainable spending.”

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From Twitter:

Calling all candidates! Join the SDGOP and Leadership Institute for the Candidate Development Workshop being held in Sioux Falls on November 20th! Register today! https://t.co/QNNBxFrsFB

— South Dakota GOP (@sdgop) November 5, 2021

Flags at Half-Staff in Honor of Former First Lady Jean Rounds

PIERRE, S.D. – Governor Kristi Noem has ordered that flags be flown at half-staff statewide from sunrise until sundown on Saturday, November 6, in honor of former First Lady Jean Rounds.

“Jean has been a gentle, steady support for her family and for our state for many years,” said Governor Noem. “She didn’t seek out the spotlight, but her impact was felt on the lives of so many South Dakotans. Let’s hold Mike and Jean’s entire family up in our prayers.”

A visitation for Jean Rounds will be held on Friday, November 5, from 5pm to 7pm with a 6pm prayer service at Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Pierre.

A mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, November 6, at 10 am at Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church.

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Governor Noem holds the local Associated Press reporter, Stephen Groves, feet to the fire demanding that he tell the truth in a recent press conference.

MUST SEE: I challenged @stephengroves on his manipulated reporting about South Dakota’s appraiser program. He had promised to report about what we’re doing to fix the program, but changed his mind because it wasn’t “newsworthy.”

Stephen, tell the truth. pic.twitter.com/tDAXIrjfqy

— Governor Kristi Noem (@govkristinoem) November 5, 2021

And not just minutes later, Governor Noem called out Groves even further on Twitter:

. @stephengroves is a dishonest reporter who cooks up stories, misleads readers on the background of his sources & refuses to report detailed documented facts given to him that don’t align w/ the agenda of his boss @DouglasGlass. Hey Groves have you ever answered this question? https://t.co/8d3KPHDhJp

— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) November 5, 2021

ATTORNEY GENERAL JOINS 11 STATE COALITION IN FILING SUIT TO HALT FEDERAL VACCINE MANDATE

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg today joined an eleven-state coalition in filing a lawsuit against Joe Biden and the Biden Administration to halt their vaccine mandate on private employers with more than 100 employees. This coalition of states is the first to file suit against the vaccine mandate on private employers. Five private employers joined the challenge as well. A Petition for Judicial Review was filed in the United States 8th Circuit Court of Appeals earlier this morning, and a Motion for Stay is expected to be filed early next week.

The lawsuit, which was filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit earlier this morning, challenges the Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) propagated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) which requires private employers with 100 or more employees to mandate their employees to get vaccinated or implement weekly testing and mask requirements. Non- compliant businesses could face steep fines.

The petition states, “This mandate is unconstitutional, unlawful, and unwise. The federal government lacks constitutional authority under its enumerated powers to issue this mandate, and its attempt to do so unconstitutionally infringes on the States’ powers expressly reserved by the Tenth Amendment.

OSHA also lacks statutory authority to issue this mandate, which it shoe-horned into statutes that govern workplace safety, and which were never intended to federalize public-health policy.”

The petition also states, “For over a century, the U.S. Supreme Court has recognized that policies on compulsory vaccination lie within the police powers of the States, and that ‘they are matters that do not ordinarily concern the national government.’ Until quite recently, the Biden Administration agreed. The White House stated on July 23 of this year that mandating vaccines is ‘not the role of the federal government.’ But on September 9, 2021, that position underwent a dramatic reversal. The President announced several sweeping vaccine mandates, including a vaccine mandate to be issued by OSHA that applies to all employers who employ more than 100 employees. OSHA published this ‘emergency’ mandate two months later, crafting an elaborate post hoc justification for a policy that the President had already dictated that it would impose.”

The full petition can be found here.

In addition to South Dakota, attorneys general from Missouri, Arizona, Montana, Nebraska, Arkansas, Iowa, North Dakota, Alaska, New Hampshire, and Wyoming also joined the challenge.

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