Press Releases
Rounds, Thune, Colleagues Announce End of VA AIR Commission
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee (SVAC), and John Thune (R-S.D.), along with SVAC Chairman Jon Tester (D-Mont.), and U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) today released the following joint statement announcing their collectiv… Continue Reading
06.23.22
Rounds’ South Dakota Nominees Starting at U.S. Service Academies
PIERRE - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) announced that seven South Dakota students he nominated to the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy have been accepted as members of the graduating class of 2026 at their respective academies. Rounds' office is currently accepting nomination applications for the graduating class of 2027. Applications must be submitted by October 1, 2022. More information on the nomination process can be found HERE. "Each year, I … Continue Reading
06.22.22
Rounds’ Meat Packing Special Investigator Act Passes Senate Agriculture Committee
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today applauded passage of their bipartisan Meat Packing Special Investigator Act through the Senate Agriculture Committee. The senators' legislation will address anticompetitive practices in the meat and poultry industries that hurt consumers and producers, threaten the nation's food supply and endanger America's food security. "Anticompetitive behavior in the meat packing industry hurts both cons… Continue Reading
06.21.22
Rounds, Rubio and Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Protect the Rights of Pregnant Students and their Babies
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and other Senate colleagues introduced the Pregnant Students' Rights Act. The bill strengthens existing requirements for higher education institutions to publicly disclose the resources and rights available for pregnant and parenting students, including information about how to file a Title IX complaint with the U.S. Department of Education if their school does not provide these accommodations. "The Pregnant Students' Rights … Continue Reading
06.17.22
Rounds, Thune, Johnson Urge Biden to Grant Much-Needed Disaster Relief for Severe Storms
U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) today urged President Biden to promptly grant Gov. Kristi Noem's (R-S.D.) request for federal disaster assistance in portions of South Dakota. The request follows the severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, and flooding that devastated communities across eastern South Dakota on May 12, 2022. "Widespread impacts resulted from this storm system, including uprooted or snapped trees, significant prop… Continue Reading
06.15.22
Rounds, Inhofe Introduce Legislation to Close Illegal Immigrant “Catch and Release” Loophole
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) have introduced the Keep Our Communities Safe Act. This legislation closes the legal loophole that requires immigration authorities to release illegal aliens back into the United States when they have not been accepted for deportation to other countries after being detained for six months, a practice also referred to as "catch and release." "The failed policies of the Biden administration and the 'catch and release' loopho… Continue Reading
06.13.22
Rounds, Shaheen Bill to Support National World War II Memorial Unanimously Passes Senate
WASHINGTON - Recently, the U.S. Senate passed bipartisan legislation championed by U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) to support the National World War II Memorial. The legislation now heads to the House of Representatives. The Greatest Generation Commemorative Coin Act authorizes the U.S. Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. Proceeds from coin sales will go toward much-needed repairs and maintenance to the… Continue Reading
06.09.22
Rounds Seeking Fall 2022 Internship Applications
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) is currently accepting applications from college students to serve as interns during the fall semester. Positions are available in his Washington, D.C. office and his state offices in Aberdeen, Rapid City, Pierre and Sioux Falls. Fall internships typically run from August to December, but dates can be tailored to specific schedules. Interns will receive a stipend, and the office works closely with all the universities to meet the criteria necessary … Continue Reading
06.01.22
Rounds, Thune Defend Pro-Life Protections, Vow to Block Taxpayer-Funded Abortions
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) joined 46 of their colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) pledging to block any bill that would undermine pro-life protections, including the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits taxpayer funding for abortion. Last year, Rounds and Thune introduced legislation that would make the Hyde Amendment permanent. "We write to express our unwavering support for the Hyde Amendment and all othe… Continue Reading
05.24.22
Rounds and Manchin Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Eliminate the VA AIR Commission
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) reintroduced the Elimination of the VA Asset and Infrastructure Review (AIR) Commission Act, which would eliminate the commission that is tasked with finding facilities that should be consolidated or realigned. "The VA MISSION Act and its BRAC-style process called the AIR Commission were bad public policy when I voted against them in 2018, and they have not improved with age," said Rounds. "This legislation threate… Continue Reading
05.24.22
Rounds, Warren Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Directing FTC to Investigate Anticompetitive Practices and Allegations of Antitrust Law Violations in Beef Packing Industry
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) introduced a bipartisan joint resolution that would direct the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to report to Congress within one year on the extent of anticompetitive practices and violations of antitrust law in the beef packing industry, including price-fixing, anticompetitive acquisitions, dominance of supply chains and monopolization. "For the past two years, I have been calling on the Department of Justice to inve… Continue Reading
05.05.22
Rounds, Smith Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation Expanding Mental Health Services in Rural America
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) led a bipartisan group of senators in reintroducing legislation to expand telemental health services in rural areas. The Home-Based Telemental Health Care Act would establish a grant program for health providers to expand telemental health services for those specifically in rural populations working in farming, forestry and fishing industries. Additional cosponsors include Senators John Thune (R-S.D.) and John Boozman (R-Ar… Continue Reading
05.03.22
Rounds Delivers Opening Remarks at Cybersecurity Subcommittee Hearing
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, delivered opening remarks today at a subcommittee hearing on AI applications to operations in cyberspace. Video of the remarks is available here. Rounds' remarks, as prepared for delivery: I would like to thank our witnesses for appearing at our hearing today. The topic of today's hearing is one that is of particular interest to me. Over the last few years, this subcomm… Continue Reading
05.03.22
Rounds Issues Statement on Leaked Supreme Court Draft Decision
WASHINGTON - Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) issued the following statement after the leak of a draft decision authored by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito on Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization: "Our Framers intended for the Supreme Court to be an independent judiciary, separate and distinct from the executive and legislative branches. The information being reported on the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization case was wrongfully leaked from the Court. The Court should investiga… Continue Reading
04.29.22
South Dakotan Testifies on Behalf of Rounds’ RESPECT Act
WASHINGTON - Tamara St. John, archivist for the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate and a member of the South Dakota State House of Representatives, testified in support of Senator Mike Rounds' (R-S.D.) legislation that would repeal discriminatory federal laws targeting Native Americans. During a legislative hearing of the United States House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indigenous Peoples of the United States, St. John testified on behalf of S. 789, the Repealing Existing Substandard Provisions Encou… Continue Reading
04.29.22
Rounds, Cruz and Colleagues Oppose Biden’s DOJ Expanding Firearm Definitions
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and 20 colleagues have introduced a Congressional Review Act Joint Resolution of Disapproval (CRA) to prohibit President Biden's Department of Justice from implementing a new rule to expand firearm definitions. The Biden administration wants to institute a final rule redefining a "firearm" under federal law to not only mean a complete product, but also its individual parts, often included in a weapons parts kit. If imple… Continue Reading
04.28.22
Rounds’ Bill Protecting Veterans Unanimously Passes Senate
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds' (R-S.D.) legislation to reduce the cost burden faced by veterans for emergency care received outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs has unanimously passed the Senate. The Veterans' Emergency Care Claims Parity Act would prevent veterans from being held liable for payment of medical bills due to errors by the VA or by non-VA health care providers in submitting emergency care claims. The measure would also legislate a 180-day deadline from the date of… Continue Reading
04.13.22
Rounds, Cramer and Hoeven Introduce the Landowner Easement Rights Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and John Hoeven (R-N.D.) introduced the Landowner Easement Rights Act. This bill will prohibit the Department of the Interior's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) from entering into a conservation easement with a term of more than 50 years. It will also give owners of existing easements the option to renegotiate, renew or buy out the easement. "The Landowner Easement Rights Act protects the private property rights of Sou… Continue Reading
04.12.22
Rounds, Johnson Introduce Traveler’s Gun Rights Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) introduced the Traveler's Gun Rights Act. This bill would update federal law to account for various residency-related issues facing full-time Recreational Vehicle (RV) travelers, individuals with multiple physical residences, active duty military personnel and military spouses. Companion legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.). "The Traveler's Gun Rights Act removes an unfair prohibition faci… Continue Reading
04.08.22
Rounds, Manchin to Biden: Don’t Cut VA Medical Services for Elderly Veterans
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), members of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, led a group of ten bipartisan senators in calling on President Biden to consult with Congress and local stakeholders on a state-by-state basis on the potential impacts the Asset and Infrastructure Review (AIR) Commission recommendations would have on elderly Veterans. "We write to you today expressing our extreme concern with the VA's recommendations to the Asset and In… Continue Reading
