Press Releases
Rounds, Klobuchar Introduce Legislation to Improve Training for VA Personnel Overseeing PTSD Claims
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) reintroduced legislation to improve training for personnel handling post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) claims at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). By improving training for VA personnel who are responsible for processing disability claims, this bipartisan legislation would help make certain benefits are being correctly determined so veterans experiencing PTSD are able to access the health care, treatment a… Continue Reading
05.31.23
Rounds, Blackburn Introduce Legislation to Provide Veterans with More Health Care Options
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) reintroduced the Veterans Health Care Freedom Act. This legislation would allow veterans enrolled in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health system to receive care through a local community provider. Currently, veterans must meet certain eligibility criteria, and the VA must approve the provider referral to seek care in non-VA facilities under the Veterans Community Care Program. This legislation would re… Continue Reading
05.22.23
Rounds, Manchin Lead Bipartisan, Bicameral Letter Urging Investments to Modernize Marines
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) led a group of their colleagues in sending a bipartisan, bicameral letter to the Senate and House of Representatives leadership of the Appropriations Subcommittees on Defense, urging them to continue to invest in the Marine Corps Force Design 2030 initiatives. Force Design 2030 is the Marine Corps' restructuring plan to modernize and prepare its forces to counter growing threats from China. "As Members of Congress, we ask… Continue Reading
05.18.23
Rounds, Hoeven, Daines and Colleagues Press BLM to Withdraw Public Lands Rule
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and 13 of their Senate colleagues sent a letter pressing the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to withdraw its proposed Public Lands Rule. The senators stressed the negative impact the proposal would have on western states, including South Dakota, North Dakota and Montana, as the rule would undermine the multiple use requirements established by Congress and lock away taxpayer-owned lands from activities t… Continue Reading
05.18.23
Rounds, Schatz Introduce Legislation to Protect Education Benefits for Veterans
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) reintroduced the Student Veterans Transparency and Protection Act. This bipartisan legislation would improve veterans' access to information about higher education and allow the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to restore benefits that veterans use at schools subject to civil enforcement. "Our veterans and service members deserve full access to the educational benefits they have earned," said Rounds. "This bipartisan… Continue Reading
05.17.23
Rounds, Baldwin and Risch Slam FDA Rule that Allows Plant-Based Products to Use Dairy’s Name, Hurting Consumers and Producers
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho) led a bipartisan group of colleagues to call out the Biden administration's misguided draft guidance that allows non-dairy product imitators to use dairy names, like milk, when labeling their products. In February, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) contradicted their own regulations by releasing draft guidance that would allow plant-based products to continue to use dairy terms, despite not… Continue Reading
05.17.23
Rounds, Coons, Murkowski and Whitehouse Introduce Legislation to Support Military Families Affected by ALS
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) reintroduced the Justice for ALS Veterans Act. This bipartisan legislation would guarantee that surviving spouses of veterans who died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) receive the benefits they have earned. "Our men and women in uniform have made incredible sacrifices so that we can be free," said Rounds. "We have a responsibility to provide them with the bene… Continue Reading
05.16.23
Rounds Questions Former SVB CEO on Second-Largest Bank Failure in U.S. History
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, today questioned Gregory Becker, the former CEO of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB). The collapse of SVB was the second-largest bank failure in U.S. history and the largest since the 2007-2008 financial crisis. "In November of 2022, the Federal Reserve issued an MRA, Matter Requiring Attention, for SVB's interest rate risk. The supervisory findings stated that the firm's interest ra… Continue Reading
05.16.23
Rounds, Cornyn and Colleagues Introduce Bill to Reform Security Classification System
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), John Cornyn (R-Texas) and eight of their Senate colleagues introduced the Sensible Classification Act of 2023. This bipartisan legislation would increase accountability and oversight of the classification system, limit overclassification and direct federal agencies to justify security clearance requirements. "We place our national security at risk by adhering to a classification system rooted in the Cold War," said Rounds. "This bill takes meanin… Continue Reading
05.12.23
Rounds, Manchin Call for Increased Accountability of China’s Role in Opioid Crisis
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) sent a bipartisan letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging the Department of State to hold the People's Republic of China (PRC) accountable for its role in the illegal trafficking of synthetic opioid drugs. China is the primary source of the precursor chemicals, which are then processed and manufactured into synthetic opioids by Mexican drug cartels to bring into the United States. "As the PRC continues to … Continue Reading
05.11.23
Rounds, Luján and Johnson Introduce National American Indian Veterans Charter Bill
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), members of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, today led a group of 36 senators in introducing bipartisan legislation to create a congressional charter for the National American Indian Veterans (NAIV). Congress grants charters to recognize patriotic and national organizations that operate solely for charitable, literary, educational, scientific or civil improvement purposes. The NAIV serves the needs and … Continue Reading
05.03.23
Rounds, Smith Introduce Bipartisan Package to Create and Update Rural Housing Programs
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.), members of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, introduced legislation to improve rural housing programs, cut red tape and increase the accessibility of affordable housing. The senators' bipartisan legislation would be one of the most significant reforms of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Housing Service in years. "Homeownership is part of the American dream and a key to bui… Continue Reading
04.28.23
Rounds Secures South Dakota National Guard Meal Entitlements
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), discussed an issue faced by members of the South Dakota National Guard with General Christopher Cavoli during a SASC hearing this week. General Cavoli serves as the Commander of the United States European Command (EUCOM) and is the Supreme Allied Commander Europe. Ten South Dakota National Guard soldiers from the 129th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment did not receive payment of their meal… Continue Reading
04.27.23
Rounds, Thune Sound Alarm on Biden Administration’s Egregious Proposal to Punish Americans with Good Credit Scores
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) joined 16 Republican senators in sending a letter to the Biden administration's Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Sandra Thompson regarding the agency's proposal to penalize certain homebuyers who have good credit scores with larger fees in order to reduce fees for homebuyers with lower credit scores. "[Y]our proposal incorrectly assumes that creditworthiness is solely attained by only the affluent, blatantly dis… Continue Reading
04.27.23
Rounds, Scott Introduce Legislation to Bolster Border Security
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) introduced the Securing Our Border Act, which would redirect $15 billion of funding passed by Democrats to hire 87,000 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agents and instead utilize it to bolster security measures along our southern border. "President Biden's priorities are out of whack," said Rounds. "More than five million illegal immigrants have entered the country through our southern border during his presidency. Instead… Continue Reading
04.20.23
Rounds, Rosen Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Counter Chinese Cyber Aggression against Taiwan
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) introduced the Taiwan Cybersecurity Resiliency Act. This bipartisan legislation would require the U.S. Department of Defense to expand cybersecurity cooperation with Taiwan to help them counter cyber threats from China. In 2019, Taiwan's government estimated that it faced 20 to 40 million cyberattacks every month from China, some of which were later used against the United States. "Taiwan's security is vital to our own nat… Continue Reading
04.20.23
Rounds, Thune and Daines Introduce Bill to Stop Ban of Traditional Ammo and Tackle
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and 22 of their Senate colleagues introduced the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act of 2023. This legislation would prohibit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) from banning the use of traditional lead ammunition or tackle on public lands unless such action is supported by the best available science and state wildlife and… Continue Reading
04.05.23
Rounds Announces New Aberdeen Office Location
ABERDEEN - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today announced that his Aberdeen office has relocated to 221 Brown County Highway 19 S, #112. The office is under the direction of Jennifer Hieb, who serves as the Northeast Regional Director for Rounds. "One of the most important parts of my job as a senator is working on behalf of South Dakotans during times of need," said Rounds. "I have highly-qualified individuals on staff, many of whom have years of experience dealing with casework on both the… Continue Reading
04.05.23
Rounds, Smith Lead Bipartisan Legislation Expanding Mental Health Services in Rural America
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) reintroduced legislation to expand mental health and substance use services. The Home-Based Telemental Health Care Act of 2023 would establish a grant program for health providers to increase telemental health services in rural areas and for individuals working in the farming, forestry and fishing industries. “Individuals in rural areas may not have easy access to a mental health facility, making in-person visi… Continue Reading
04.04.23
Rounds Issues Statement on Indictment of Former President
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) issued the following statement on the indictment of the former president: "Regardless of your political position or perspective, this prosecution should concern everyone. The integrity of our justice system has been called into question because of a politically-motivated district attorney who is bringing charges that the Department of Justice declined to prosecute. The indictment includes 34 counts of falsifying business records for allegations of … Continue Reading
