Press Releases
Rounds, Gillibrand Lead Bipartisan Push To Fully Fund U.S-Israel Missile Defense Cooperation
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) led a bipartisan group of 38 senators in calling for $500 million to fully fund U.S.-Israel cooperative missile defense programs in the Defense Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2022. Israel's missile defense system is made up of four operational layers: Iron Dome, David's Sling, Arrow 2 and now Arrow 3. In addition to contributing to ballistic missile defense, the funding will support crucial work on research, dev… Continue Reading
06.09.21
Rounds: Ellsworth AFB Officially Named First Home of the B-21 Raider Bomber
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today announced that Ellsworth Air Force Base will officially be the Air Force's first base to receive the new B-21 Raider bomber. During a call this afternoon with Air Force Global Strike Commander General Timothy Ray, Sen. Rounds was informed that Ellsworth has been officially designated as the future home of the B-21. "I am pleased that the U.S. Air Force has officially selected Ellsworth Air Force Base as the first home of the B-21 Raider bomb… Continue Reading
06.08.21
Update to Emergency Grazing & Haying Policies
WASHINGTON - Historically, emergency Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grazing and haying requests could only be considered after state and national emergency declarations. However, the emergency CRP practice has been modified since South Dakota last experienced severe drought conditions. Today, counties are authorized to approve CRP emergency haying and grazing applications outside of the Primary Nesting Season (PNS) of May 1 - August 1 on all practices when any part of the county is in a D2 … Continue Reading
06.08.21
Rounds Helps Relaunch Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) joined a group of 56 Senators in relaunching the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism. First launched in 2019, the collaboration is the first of its kind in the United States Senate. BACKGROUND: In 2019, Rounds was part of the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism. Last Congress, the Task Force had 38 Members. The Task Force now includes 56 Senators, with an equal number of Democrats and Republicans: Senators M… Continue Reading
06.02.21
Rounds, Smith Lead 26 Colleagues in Calling for DOJ Investigation Into Cattle Market
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) led 26 of their colleagues in requesting that the Department of Justice (DOJ) investigate the meatpacking industry to determine if antitrust violations exist. In a bipartisan, bicameral letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, the members ask the DOJ to take decisive action in examining the behavior of the four large meatpacking companies-two of which are foreign-owned-that control over 80% of the meat processing market… Continue Reading
05.27.21
Rounds Introduces Bill to Reform Non-VA Emergency Care
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today introduced legislation that would reduce the cost burden faced by veterans for emergency care received outside the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Veterans' Emergency Care Claims Parity Act would legislate a 180-day deadline from date of treatment for non-VA health care providers to submit emergency care claims for care given to eligible veterans, regardless of whether the VA determines the care to have been for a non-service connected o… Continue Reading
05.25.21
Rounds Announces Federal Funding for AmeriCorps in South Dakota
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today announced that South Dakota will receive a total of $653,857 in continued funding for AmeriCorps programs within the state. Teach for America South Dakota in Mission, S.D. and Red Cloud Indian School, Inc. in Pine Ridge, S.D. will both receive grant funding to support approximately 65 AmeriCorps members as part of the AmeriCorps State and National Grant Competition for fiscal year 2021. "For over a decade, AmeriCorps members have helped prom… Continue Reading
05.20.21
Rounds, Luján Introduce Bill to Create a Congressional Charter for the National American Indian Veterans (NAIV) Organization
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to create a Congressional Charter for the National American Indian Veterans (NAIV). Headquartered in South Dakota on the Cheyenne River Reservation, the NAIV is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to advocating for tribal veterans. Originally started in 2004, today the NAIV serves the needs of Native veterans in all 50 states. NAIV formed as a result of a request by … Continue Reading
05.20.21
ICYMI: Rounds Discusses Nationwide Effort with Cattle Producers
WASHINGTON - Last night, U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) took part in a virtual town hall with cattle producers to discuss his nationwide effort to address meatpacker concentration issues in the cattle industry. During the town hall, Rounds spoke about his open letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland pointing out price discrepancies between live cattle and boxed beef. Rounds and Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) are asking the attorney general to examine whether the control large meatpackers have … Continue Reading
05.19.21
Rounds, Smith Launch Nationwide Effort to Protect Consumers and Cattlemen
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) today launched a nationwide effort to protect consumers and cattlemen from anticompetitive practices in the beef processing market. The senators are inviting Members of Congress to join their open letter requesting the Department of Justice (DOJ) examine whether the control large meatpackers have over the beef processing market violates U.S. antitrust laws and principles of fair competition. They are also requesting state … Continue Reading
05.13.21
Rounds, Colleagues Urge President Biden to Stand with Israel and Reject Iran Sanction Relief
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) joined Senator Marco Rubio (R-F.L.) and 42 of their Republican colleagues in urging President Joe Biden to stand with Israel, our closest ally in the region. As Israel is under attack from Iranian-backed terrorists, the Biden Administration is negotiating and potentially offering sanctions relief to Iran, the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism. The senators called on President Biden to immediately end negotiations with Iran, and make clear t… Continue Reading
05.13.21
Rounds, Sinema Propose “McCain-Mansfield Fellowship” for Wounded Warriors
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) reintroduced a bipartisan resolution to establish a first-of-its-kind Senate fellowship program for wounded American veterans. The program, called the McCain-Mansfield Fellowship, would give each Senate office the opportunity to hire a qualified veteran for a two-year fellowship. The positions could be in a senator's state or Washington, D.C., office. "America's veterans are uniquely qualified to work in Senate offices… Continue Reading
05.13.21
Rounds, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Protect Education Benefits for Veterans
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) today introduced the Student Veterans Transparency and Protection Act. The 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, servicemembers and their families deserve full access to the educati… Continue Reading
05.12.21
Rounds, Shaheen Introduce Bill to Support National World War II Memorial
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) introduced the Greatest Generation Memorial Act today to authorize 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 at the Memorial, and support commemorative and educational programming. The National World War II Memorial has hosted over 70 million visitors, including tens of thousands o… Continue Reading
04.29.21
Rounds Statement on the President’s Address to Congress
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) issued the following statement after President Biden's address to a joint session of Congress: "President Biden continues to talk about bipartisanship but his actions in the first 100 days reflect a more partisan agenda. His $6 trillion spending proposals reflect a far-left approach to growing government and increasing regulations. In particular, his infrastructure proposal is long on unsustainable social welfare spending and short on real infrastr… Continue Reading
04.27.21
Rounds, Thune Condemn Biden Administration’s Radical 30 by 30 Directive
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) today sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to express concern with the directive in President Biden's climate change executive order to conserve 30 percent of land and waters by 2030 (30 by 30). The senators strongly urged the secretaries to consider farmers and ranchers as they develop environmental policy. "We urge the administrati… Continue Reading
04.22.21
Rounds, Blackburn Introduce Legislation Preventing Unilateral Deal with Iranian Regime
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn) introduced legislation to curb President Biden's ability to renegotiate the failed Iran Nuclear Deal. Sens. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Mike Lee (R-Utah), and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) are original cosponsors. The legislation was led by Representative Andy Barr (R-Ky.) in the House of Representatives. "The Iran nuclear deal remains an incredib… Continue Reading
04.22.21
Rounds Urges EPA to Protect Corn Farmers by Upholding Renewable Fuel Standard
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and 10 of their colleagues sent a bipartisan letter requesting that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reject requests to waive or reduce the minimum amount of renewable fuels required in motor fuel in 2021 and 2022 under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The RFS is a program created by Congress and administered by the EPA that is aimed at increasing the use of renewable fuels such as corn ethanol in the nation's f… Continue Reading
04.22.21
St. Thomas More High School Student Receives Fully Qualified Offer of Appointment to U.S. Naval Academy
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today announced that Grace Blote, a senior at St. Thomas More High School, has received a fully qualified offer of appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA). Grace was nominated to the USNA by Senator Rounds. She is the daughter of Steve and LaRae Blote of Rapid City, South Dakota. "Congratulations to Grace on her appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy," said Rounds. "Grace has served in various leadership positions, including student council presiden… Continue Reading
04.20.21
Rounds, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan TRUST Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) joined Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and 10 other colleagues in introducing the Time to Rescue United States' Trusts (TRUST) Act, bipartisan and bicameral legislation which would create a process to rescue the endangered federal trust funds and rein in the national debt. Rounds and Romney initially introduced the legislation last Congress. A one-pager of the legislation is available here. Some of the nation's most important federal programs ar… Continue Reading
