Press Releases
Rounds Questions Witnesses on the Dangers of Foreign Adversaries Owning American Farmland and Agricultural Businesses
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) questioned witnesses about the dangers of foreign adversaries owning American farmland and agricultural businesses during a Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs hearing titled, "Advancing National Security and Foreign Policy Through Sanctions, Export Controls, and Other Economic Tools." Rounds teamed up with Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.) during the hearing to emphasize the need for their bipartisan legislation, the Promoting Agriculture Safeguards an… Continue Reading
02.22.23
Rounds, Tester Introduce Bill to Suspend Brazilian Beef Imports amid Food Safety and Animal Health Concerns
WASHINGTON - As part of their continued effort to support American ranchers and safeguard American consumers, U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) reintroduced their bipartisan legislation to suspend Brazilian beef imports to the United States until experts can conduct a systemic review of the commodity’s impact on food safety and animal health. “South Dakota ranch families work tirelessly to produce the safest, highest quality and most affordable beef in the world,” said… Continue Reading
02.21.23
Rounds, Tester Legislation to Improve Homeownership Opportunities for Native American Veterans Passes Committee
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.), member and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, applauded passage of their bipartisan Native American Direct Loan (NADL) Improvement Act through the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee this past week. The senators' legislation aims to help Native American veterans achieve homeownership. "Homeownership is part of the American dream and a key to building wealth," said Rounds. "This legislation seeks to impr… Continue Reading
02.13.23
Rounds Seeking Summer 2023 Internship Applications
PIERRE - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) is currently accepting applications from college students to serve as interns during the summer. Positions are available in his Washington, D.C. office and his state offices in Aberdeen, Pierre, Rapid City and Sioux Falls. Summer internships typically run from May to August, 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 for interns to… Continue Reading
02.10.23
Rounds, Britt and Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Strengthen Border Security
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and their Senate colleagues introduced a package of four pieces of legislation aimed at sealing and securing the southern border, cracking down on asylum abuse, keeping American communities safe and eliminating the ongoing border crisis. "Our immigration system has been broken for years, but the Biden administration's policies have created a crisis at our southern border," said Rounds. "Congress must take action if we are eve… Continue Reading
02.10.23
Rounds to Serve as Top Republican on Securities, Insurance, and Investment Subcommittee
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today announced his leadership role on the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment, where he will serve as Ranking Member during the 118th Congress. "The Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment has an important role in furthering policies that will positively impact South Dakota," said Rounds. "I look forward to working with my colleagu… Continue Reading
02.10.23
Rounds, Tester Leading Legislation to Improve Homeownership Opportunities for Native American Veterans
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.), member and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, reintroduced the Native American Direct Loan (NADL) Improvement Act, bipartisan legislation aimed at helping Native American veterans achieve homeownership. "Homeownership is part of the American dream and a key to building wealth," said Rounds. "This legislation seeks to improve the NADL program and offers enhanced outreach and other assistance as needed t… Continue Reading
02.09.23
Rounds to Serve as Top Republican on Cybersecurity Subcommittee
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today announced his leadership role on the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, where he will serve as Ranking Member during the 118th Congress. "The SASC Subcommittee on Cybersecurity plays a critical role in the defense of our nation," said Rounds. "As our near-peer competitors, like China, continue to improve their cyber capabilities, it is important we make sure our men and women in uniform are equipped with bet… Continue Reading
02.09.23
Rounds, Tester and Grassley Introduce Bill to Defend Cattle Producers from Anticompetitive Practices
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) reintroduced the Meat Packing Special Investigator Act to fight consolidation and enforce the nation's anti-trust laws. "Anticompetitive behavior in the meat packing industry hurts both consumers and producers," said Rounds. "Unfortunately, packer concentration in the beef industry is more consolidated today than it was when the Packers and Stockyards Act was first signed into law over 100 years ag… Continue Reading
02.09.23
Rounds Reintroduces Bill to Ease Regulatory Burden on Local Banks and Credit Unions
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) and Steve Daines (R-Mont.), members of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, reintroduced the Taking Account of Institutions with Low Operation Risk (TAILOR) Act. This legislation would require federal regulatory agencies to take risk profiles and business models of institutions into account when crafting regulations. "Financial institutions across South … Continue Reading
02.02.23
Rounds, Capito and Colleagues Formally Challenge Biden WOTUS Rule through Congressional Review Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) joined Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and all Senate Republicans in formally challenging the Biden Administration's Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule through a Congressional Review Act (CRA) joint resolution of disapproval. The resolution comes after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps) announced a new rule in December 2022 repealing the Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR) an… Continue Reading
02.01.23
Rounds, Tester Lead Legislation to Blacklist Foreign Adversaries from Buying American Farmland and Agricultural Businesses
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) today introduced legislation that would blacklist China, Russia, Iran and North Korea from investing in, purchasing or otherwise acquiring land or businesses involved in agriculture. "Protecting American farmland is critical to maintaining our national security," said Rounds. "In my travels around South Dakota, I have heard from many farmers and ranchers who are concerned about foreign adversaries owning American farmland.… Continue Reading
02.01.23
Rounds Secures Key Committee Memberships for 118th Congress
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today announced his membership on five committees for the 118th Congress. Armed Services Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Intelligence Veterans' Affairs Indian Affairs Rounds Statement: "I am grateful for the opportunity to serve on five key committees on behalf of the people of South Dakota and for the national security of our nation. "Real, collaborative work to defend our country is done in the Senate Armed Services Committee. We h… Continue Reading
01.27.23
Rounds, Thune and Johnson Request Biden to Approve Major Disaster Declaration Requests of Tribes in South Dakota
WASHINGTON - Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) and U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) sent two letters of support to President Joe Biden regarding the major disaster declaration requests from the Oglala Sioux Tribe (OST) and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe (RST). If the president approves each tribes' declaration request, it would expedite recovery efforts from significant weather events that occurred from December 12 to December 26, 2022. "As you are aware, the Sandy Recove… Continue Reading
01.26.23
Rounds and Colleagues Push Biden Administration to Better Address Nursing Home Staffing Shortages in Rural Communities
WASHINGTON - Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) joined 12 of his Senate colleagues in sending a bipartisan letter to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. The senators urged the agency to avoid one-size-fits-all staffing mandates for nursing homes and to support provider flexibility in addressing recruitment and retention issues. Such mandates would worsen existing workforce shortages and place additional financial burdens on facilities in rural and und… Continue Reading
01.23.23
Navy Cross Awarded to Korean War Veteran from South Dakota
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Armed Services and Veterans' Affairs Committees, announced South Dakota native and retired U.S. Navy Captain E. Royce Williams received the Navy Cross from the Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro this past Friday. Rounds' office worked with the Navy to properly recognize Capt. Williams with an upgrade of his previously-awarded Silver Star Medal, which he received for his service during the Korean War. "Royce is a true Amer… Continue Reading
01.12.23
Rounds to Leader Schumer: Take Up Legislation to Stop Hiring of 87,000 New IRS Agents
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) urging the leader to schedule a vote on the Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act, H.R. 23. This legislation, which passed the House of Representatives on January 9, 2023, would return over $71 billion to American taxpayers over a ten-year period and would provide immediate relief from costly IRS audits to everyday American families who are already constrained by record… Continue Reading
01.11.23
Rounds, Tester Bill to Protect and Expand National and Tribal Veterans’ Cemeteries Signed into Law
WASHINGTON - Legislation championed by U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester (D-Mont.) has been signed into law by President Joe Biden. The National Cemeteries Preservation and Protection Act of 2022, S. 4949, supports the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Cemetery Administration in honoring veterans nationwide. "This law is a small way for us to show gratitude to our veterans and their families," said Rounds. "It provides the t… Continue Reading
12.27.22
Rounds’ RESPECT Act Signed into Law
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds' (R-S.D.) bipartisan legislation to repeal discriminatory federal laws targeting Native Americans was signed into law by the president today. The Repealing Existing Substandard Provisions Encouraging Conciliation with Tribes (RESPECT) Act will repeal 11 outdated federal laws, including laws that stripped Native American children from their families for the purpose of placing them in "Indian reform schools," such as the now-infamous Carlisle Indian Industri… Continue Reading
12.16.22
Rounds Secures Victories for South Dakota in Annual Defense Bill
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today issued the following statement after the Senate voted to advance the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2023: "This year's NDAA secures major wins for South Dakota. It authorizes construction funding for Ellsworth Air Force Base and supports economic and research opportunities for multiple organizations across South Dakota. "Our members on the Armed Services committee h… Continue Reading
