U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) recently joined a bipartisan congressional call for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to adjust regulations to reflect the risk profiles of local banks and credit unions. A letter to CFPB Director Richard Cordray signed Read more…
U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) recently led a request for a proposed offshore energy production rule to be dropped in light of insufficient evidence that it would benefit air quality. A letter led by Cassidy to Interior Secretary Sally Jewell Read more…
Bipartisan legislation recently introduced by U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) would prevent delays in reimbursements for medical bills from damaging veterans’ credit ratings. The Protecting Veterans’ Credit Act would prevent medical debt from being reported to credit agencies for a Read more…
Legislation introduced by members of the South Dakota congressional delegation on Thursday outlines a federal-state land swap that would create more outdoor opportunities in the state. U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-SD) and John Thune (R-SD) introduced the Senate version of Read more…
Legislation recently introduced by U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) aims to improve oversight of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) mental health and substance abuse treatment programs. The Protection and Advocacy for Veterans Act, S. 3141, would place independent patient advocates Read more…
Legislation introduced by U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) on Monday aims to ease the regulatory burden faced by local banks and credit unions. Under the Taking Account of Institutions with Low Operation Risk (TAILOR) Act, S. 3153, federal regulatory agencies Read more…
U.S. Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO) and John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced legislation on Thursday that would strip former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of her security clearance due to her alleged mishandling of classified information. The Taking Responsibility Using Secured Technologies Read more…
President Barack Obama signed chemical safety reform legislation into law on Wednesday that was led by U.S. Reps. John Shimkus (R-IL) and Fred Upton (R-MI). The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, H.R. 2576, reforms the Read more…
A hearing was held on Friday in Rapid City, South Dakota, at the request of U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-SD) to gain input from stakeholders about Indian Health Services (IHS) facilities on the Great Plains. The hearing also looked at Read more…
The Senate approved a resolution of disapproval on Wednesday to block a rule proposed by the Department of Labor (DOL) to redefine the term “fiduciary” and to impose new restrictions on financial advisors. U.S. Sens. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Pat Roberts Read more…
Republican lawmakers voiced concerns on Wednesday about the impact of a new rule expanding overtime for salaried employees would have on small businesses and jobs. The Department of Labor (DoL) announced on Wednesday that employers would be required to pay Read more…
U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem (R-SD) and U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-SD) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) joined Chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee John Barrasso (R-WY) on Monday in seeking information about new Indian Health Services (IHS) system agreements. In Read more…
Legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX) on Thursday would require the Obama administration to impose sanctions on hackers linked to the Iranian government. The Iran Cyber Sanctions Act, H.R. 5222, would compel the Obama administration to act on Read more…
The Senate Armed Services Committee approved the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on Friday, with key provisions led by U.S. Sens. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Roger Wicker (R-MS). The fiscal year 2017 NDAA authorizes Read more…
The Obama administration would be required to define a cyber act of war under a bill announced on Monday by U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD). Rounds, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced that he would introduce the Read more…
Leaders of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, spearheaded by chairman and ranking member of the committee, U.S. Sens. Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), rolled out bipartisan legislation on Thursday that would enhance accountability at the Department of Veterans Read more…
U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) introduced bipartisan legislation on Thursday that would improve how the Department of Defense (DoD) procures complex information technology and engineering services to save taxpayer dollars. The Promoting Value Based Defense Procurement Act, S. 2826, would Read more…
Legislators applauded the Senate’s passage on Wednesday of the first bill designed to modernize the nation’s energy policies in nearly a decade. The Energy Policy Modernization Act, S. 2012, addresses energy efficiency, modernization of the electrical grid, steps to ensure Read more…
U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) raised concerns on Monday about vulnerabilities in the IRS’s Identity Protection (IP) Personal Identification Number (PIN) program that have compromised taxpayers’ personal information. Rounds and U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), both members of the Senate Read more…
A bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) on Wednesday would require the president to submit a report to Congress on Iranian activities that jeopardize U.S. cybersecurity. Under the Iran Cyber Sanctions Act, the president would also be directed Read more…
Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Waste, Superfund and Oversight Management Mike Rounds (R-SD) held a hearing on Thursday in North Sioux City, SD, focused on the management of the Missouri River since the 2011 flood. Read more…
U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) introduced legislation on Tuesday that would prevent veterans from having to pay more for private health care. The Veterans Equal Cost for Care Act, S. 2649, would amend the Veterans Access Choice and Accountability Act Read more…
U.S. Sens. John Hoeven (R-ND) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) said that less government spending, fewer regulations and lower taxes are needed to drive economic growth on Thursday during a Ripon Society. Hoeven, who served as the governor of North Dakota Read more…
The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, chaired by U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS), advanced new legislation on Tuesday to address GMO labeling in a bipartisan 14-6 vote. The Chairman’s Mark on Biotechnology Labeling Solutions, introduced by Roberts, would Read more…
U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner’s (R-CO) North Korea Sanctions Policy and Enhancement Act was approved on Thursday by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Mandatory sanctions on individuals who contribute to North Korea’s nuclear program and proliferation activities would be imposed by Read more…
The South Dakota and Wyoming delegations wrote to U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell last week, calling on the department to increase its timber sale program for the Black Hills National Forest (BHNF) in Fiscal Year 2016. The letter, signed Read more…
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) criticized Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday for recent attempts to placate concerns from Iran about the United States’ Visa Waiver Program (VWP). In addition, Daines said that Kerry should press the Iranian government Read more…
U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) joined a group of Senate Republicans on Tuesday in calling on President Barack Obama to pursue additional military options as a means of degrading and destroying ISIS abroad and protecting U.S. citizens from attacks at Read more…
U.S. Rep. Mike Bishop (R-MI) said unelected bureaucrats annually create a multitude of rules without any checks over their impact on families and businesses, and he is co-sponsoring a resolution to “cut through the red tape that is holding America Read more…
U.S. Rep. Mike Bishop (R-MI), alongside fellow Congressman Collin Peterson (R-MN), introduced the Regulation Sensibility Through Oversight Restoration (RESTORE) Resolution in the House last week in an effort to create greater congressional oversight of federal rules. The resolution would establish Read more…
U.S. Sens. Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) introduced the Community Bank Access to Capital Act of 2015 on Thursday. The bill is designed to roll back financial regulations to make it easier for community banks to serve their Read more…
U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) introduced a resolution on Wednesday to permanently rein in regulation activities by U.S. government agencies. The Regulation Sensibility Through Oversight Restoration (RESTORE) Resolution, which has bipartisan support, would set up a Joint Select Committee that Read more…
During his regular media conference call, U.S. Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY) said on Monday that he is taking a lead role in the fight to protect taxpayers and shield the nation’s economy from more tax hikes and IRS abuses under Read more…
A delegation comprised of U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-SD) and Mike Rounds (R-SD), as well as Rep. Krist Noem (R-SD), have expressed their concern about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) approach to the declining population of long-eared bats. Read more…