Press Releases
Rounds Leads Bill to Reform NRCS and Protect Property Owners from Government Overreach
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) reintroduced legislation to reform the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The NRCS Wetland Compliance and Appeals Reform Act would safeguard farmers, ranchers and landowners from bureaucratic overreach by the NRCS and empower producers to continue to protect their land as they see fit. “South Dakota’s farmers, ranchers and landowners know their land better than … Continue Reading
03.29.23
Rounds Encourages High School Students to Attend Service Academy Days
WASHINGTON - Staff from the office of U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) will be holding Service Academy Days to give interested students and their families an opportunity to learn more about the U.S. service academies and the application process. "Each year, I am honored to nominate our nation's future military leaders to U.S. service academies," said Rounds. "By attending an academy, not only will students have the opportunity to serve our nation and help lead the best military in the world, b… Continue Reading
03.23.23
Rounds Introduces South Dakota Witnesses at Indian Affairs Roundtable
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), South Dakota's member of the Indian Affairs Committee, introduced Kelsey Scott of Gettysburg and Dustin Schmidt of White River during the committee's roundtable discussion titled, "Native Priorities for the 2023 Farm Bill Reauthorization." Click HERE to view Rounds' full remarks or read below, as prepared for delivery. +++ "Thank you, Chairman and Vice Chairman, and thank you to our panelists for taking the time to attend today's hearing and … Continue Reading
03.22.23
Rounds, Mullin Introduce Legislation to Protect Tribal Members Second Amendment Rights
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds, South Dakota's member of the Indian Affairs Committee, and Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) introduced the Tribal Firearm Access Act. This legislation would clarify that tribal governments are eligible entities to issue identification documents for the purposes of obtaining a firearm. "Under current federal law, tribal members are unable to use their tribal identification documents, which often is their only form of identification, to purchase a firearm,… Continue Reading
03.22.23
Rounds and Colleagues Introduce CRA Resolution and Legislation to Fight Back Against ATF Rule
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) and their Republican colleagues introduced a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to prevent the Biden administration's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) from enforcing an anti-Second Amendment pistol brace rule. "The ATF's latest rule is nothing more than a harassment of law-abiding citizens exercising their Second Amendment rights - plain and simple," said Rounds. "The A… Continue Reading
03.22.23
Rounds, King Lead Bipartisan Legislation Allowing Local Meat and Poultry Products to be Sold Across State Lines
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Angus King (I-Maine) reintroduced the New Markets for State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Act. This bipartisan legislation would allow meat and poultry products inspected by state Meat and Poultry Inspection (MPI) programs to be sold across state lines. "South Dakota producers raise some of the highest-quality meat and poultry in the world," said Rounds. "However, meat and poultry products are limited to markets within the state even though they … Continue Reading
03.21.23
Rounds Named One of Most Effective Republicans in United States Senate
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) was named as one of the top-10 most effective Republican lawmakers in the 117th Congress by the Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL). The CEL score is based on metrics such as substance of bills introduced, their progression throughout the legislative process and how many were signed into law. In addition to being recognized as one of the top-10 most effective Republican lawmakers in the Senate, Rounds was also named: 2nd most effective Republic… Continue Reading
03.21.23
Senate Unanimously Passes Rounds, Thune Resolution Honoring Abourezk
WASHINGTON - The United States Senate unanimously passed a resolution introduced by Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) honoring the life and legacy of the late James George Abourezk. The resolution highlights Abourezk's accomplishments and dedication as a public servant. The resolution reads in part, "James G. Abourezk was elected to the United States Senate in 1972, representing the State of South Dakota from 1973 to 1979, and was the first Arab American to serve in the Unit… Continue Reading
03.18.23
Rounds Submits Comment to Protect Ranchers from Burdensome RFID Mandate; Invites Public Comments
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) submitted a comment on the proposed U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service rule related to radio frequency identification (RFID) tags in cattle and bison. Rounds expressed his concern about the potential negative consequences this proposed rule may have on small and independent ranchers in South Dakota. In his comment to the USDA, Rounds writes, "I am concerned about the cost to producers for this mandate, … Continue Reading
03.16.23
Rounds, Thune Work with Bipartisan Colleagues to Reintroduce Year-Round E15 Legislation
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) joined Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) in reintroducing the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act. This bipartisan legislation aims to allow the year-round, nationwide sale of ethanol blends higher than 10 percent. If passed into law, this bill would end years of regulatory uncertainty and prevent a patchwork approach of uneven state regulations. Increasing the availability of biofuels like E15 would benefit the economy, enviro… Continue Reading
03.15.23
Rounds Leads Legislation to Strengthen School Security
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today reintroduced the Security to Avoid Violence in Educational Settings (SAVES) Act. This legislation would redirect federal funds to establish a grant program to enhance school safety at the state and local levels. "The first responsibility of any school is to provide for the safety of all students," said Rounds. "When it comes to our kids, it should not be a one-size-fits-all approach. South Dakota has schools of many sizes and needs. Decisions… Continue Reading
03.15.23
Rounds, Manchin Lead Bipartisan Effort to Protect Small Businesses from Labor Shortages
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) led ten bipartisan senators in urging Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Ur Jaddou to reconsider plans that would dramatically increase the fees businesses pay for H-2A and H-2B nonimmigrant work visas. These temporary visas are crucial for helping small businesses across South Dakota meet consumer demand during the ongoing an… Continue Reading
03.09.23
Rounds-Hirono Spectrum Auction Authority Extension Blocked on Senate Floor, Authority Expires Tonight
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) requested unanimous consent on his bipartisan legislation that would extend the Federal Communications Commission's spectrum auction authority until September 30, 2023. This extension would allow time for the Department of Defense and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to complete their joint study on the spectrum needs of critical defense capabilities before frequencies in the 3.1-3.45 GHz band could be auctioned. The Ro… Continue Reading
03.09.23
Rounds Leads Traveler’s Gun Rights Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today reintroduced the Traveler's Gun Rights Act. This legislation 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. "As a supporter of the Second Amendment, I am committed to protecting the rights of lawful gun owners," said Rounds. "The Traveler's Gun Rights Act removes an… Continue Reading
03.07.23
Rounds Presses Fed Chair on Biden’s Policy-Induced Inflation
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today questioned Jerome Powell, Chair of the Federal Reserve, during a Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs hearing titled, "The Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to the Congress." "As you know, both core and headline inflation have remained persistently elevated, and over the past 12 months, real average hourly earnings fell by 1.8 percent, about 4 percent since President Biden took office," said Rounds. "Over the past year, the Fed has acted aggr… Continue Reading
03.06.23
Rounds, Hirono Introduce Legislation Extending Spectrum Auction Authority Until End of Fiscal Year, Protecting National Security
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) introduced legislation that would extend the Federal Communications Commission's spectrum auction authority until September 30, 2023. This authority, which was previously extended in December, is set to expire on March 9, 2023. A two-month extension is expected to be considered in the Senate this week. "Our bipartisan bill would enable the Department of Defense (DOD) to focus on a statutorily-required study, which will … Continue Reading
03.06.23
Rounds: Integrity Restored to “Product of USA” Label
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) issued the following statement after the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a new rule defining that the "Product of USA" or "Made in the USA" labels can only be applied to meat, poultry and egg products that are born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the United States: "Integrity has been restored to the 'Product of USA' label," said Rounds. "For years, we've called on the USDA to take action to stop foreign beef from rec… Continue Reading
03.02.23
Rounds, Wicker and Armed Services Republicans Challenge Pentagon Abortion Rule
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, sent a letter blasting the Department of Defense's recent decision to permit taxpayer funding for and authorization of travel to acquire abortion-related services. The senators wrote Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin criticizing the department for failing to perform a timely notification to congressional leaders regarding this change in policy, while also neglecting… Continue Reading
03.01.23
Rounds, Baldwin and Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Combat Misleading Labeling of Non-Dairy Products
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) introduced the Defending Against Imitations and Replacements of Yogurt, milk, and cheese to Promote Regular Intake of Dairy Everyday (DAIRY PRIDE) Act of 2023. This bipartisan legislation would combat the unfair practice of misleading labeling of non-dairy products using dairy names. "Dairy farmers work tirelessly to provide high-quality nutrition rich pr… Continue Reading
03.01.23
Rounds Issues Statement on SCOTUS CFPB Announcement
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, today issued the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court announced it will consider the decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on the constitutionality of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) funding structure. "Since its creation under the Dodd-Frank Act, the CFPB has operated as an unaccountable regulatory agency, consistently impos… Continue Reading
