Press Releases
Rounds Introduces Bill to Ease Regulatory Burden on Local Banks & Credit Unions
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, today introduced the Taking Account of Institutions with Low Operation Risk (TAILOR) Act, a bill to require federal regulatory agencies to take risk profiles and business models of institutions into account when crafting regulations. "Since the passage of the Dodd-Frank Act in 2010, smaller financial institutions in particular have been negatively impacted by burdensome, unneces… Continue Reading
07.07.16
Rounds Cosponsors Bill to Revoke Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s Security Clearance
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today cosponsored the Taking Responsibility Using Secured Technologies (TRUST) Act of 2016, which would revoke Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's security clearance as well as the security clearances of Secretary Clinton's colleagues at the State Department who exhibited extreme carelessness in their handling of classified information. Additionally, the TRUST Act expresses the sense of Congress that Secretary Clinton should not have access … Continue Reading
07.07.16
Rounds: VA’s Veteran Suicide Study Reinforces Need to Address Mental Health Care of Vets
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, today introduced the Protection and Advocacy for Veterans Act. This legislation would establish a pilot program to improve the monitoring and oversight of mental health and substance abuse treatment programs within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) by authorizing independent advocates for veterans receiving inadequate health care from the VA. Earlier today, the VA released key findings of a c… Continue Reading
07.06.16
Rounds Requests Audit of Indian Health Service
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today formally requested an audit of the financial aspects of hospital and health care, medical services and overall financial management at Indian Health Service (IHS). In a letter sent to the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Rounds outlined specific areas of focus for the audit based on an in-depth profile analysis conducted by Rounds and his staff. "Despite the agency's well-documented history of faili… Continue Reading
06.29.16
Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Chairman David Flute Testifies in Support of Rounds’ RESPECT Act
WASHINGTON-Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Chairman David Flute testified today at a Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing in support of S. 2796, the RESPECT Act, which was introduced by Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) in April 2016. The RESPECT Act would repeal a number of antiquated, obsolete statutes related to the treatment of Native Americans by the federal government that are still part of current law. Chairman Flute said in his testimony, "Senator Rounds introduced the RESPECT Act, S. 2796, to strik… Continue Reading
06.29.16
Rounds Delivers Opening Statement at EPW Subcommittee Hearing on EPA Enforcement Actions
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Management, and Regulatory Oversight, today delivered the opening statement at his hearing entitled, "Oversight of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Enforcement and Compliance Programs." The purpose of today's hearing is to conduct oversight related to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enforcement actions. Rounds' opening statement, as prepared for d… Continue Reading
06.28.16
Rounds Issues Statement on Senate Passage of BUILD Act
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, today issued the following statement on the Senate passage of S. 1479, the Brownfields Utilization, Investment, and Local Development (BUILD) Act, of which he is a cosponsor. The legislation passed by unanimous consent. "A number of South Dakota communities have benefited from the Brownfields program, which provides federal funding for technical assistance grants to small communiti… Continue Reading
06.27.16
Rounds Expresses Concern Over Staff Downsizing at Hot Springs VA
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, today sent a letter to Janet Murphy, Director of the Veterans Affairs (VA) Midwest Health Care Network, asking why the VA Black Hills Health Care System continues to downsize staff at the Hot Springs Medical Clinic, despite current law which forbids such actions. No formal decision has been made on the realignment of services within the Black Hills Health Care System, nor has the final Environment… Continue Reading
06.23.16
Rounds Encourages Colleagues to Pass Veterans First Act
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, spoke on the Senate floor to encourage his colleagues to pass the Veterans First Act, of which he is an original cosponsor. The Veterans First Act is a comprehensive, bipartisan bill to improve accountability at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and enhance care and benefits for veterans. It includes major provisions of two pieces of legislation Rounds introduced, the Veterans Choice Equal Cos… Continue Reading
06.17.16
Indian Affairs Committee Field Hearing Shines Light on IHS Crisis, Response
RAPID CITY, S.D. - Today the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, at the request of U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), convened an oversight and legislative hearing in Rapid City to receive testimony from stakeholders impacted by the years-long crisis at Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities across the Great Plains area and examine comprehensive IHS reform legislation recently introduced by Thune and Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and… Continue Reading
06.17.16
Rounds Delivers Opening Statement at Senate Indian Affairs Committee Field Hearing
RAPID CITY-U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today delivered the following opening statement at a hearing entitled, Improving Accountability and Quality of Care at the Indian Health Service through S. 2953. Rounds' opening statement, as prepared for delivery: Thank you, Chairman Barrasso, for holding today's field hearing here in South Dakota, where our tribal members are all too familiar with the failures of the Indian Health Service. I would also like to thank Senator Thune and Congresswom… Continue Reading
06.16.16
South Dakota Senators Introduce Amendment to Help Tribes Construct New Detention Facilities
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) today introduced an amendment to the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) appropriations bill currently being debated on the Senate floor that would set aside $25 million from the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) existing budget to replace outdated detention facilities on tribal land. "Many detention facilities on tribal land in South Dakota are dilapidated and unfit to hold detainees," said Rounds. "Sisseton… Continue Reading
06.15.16
Rounds and Colleagues Request VA Update on Progress to Improve Access to Health Care
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, joined 10 of his Senate colleagues in writing a letter raising concerns about veterans' timely access to quality health care at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The letter requests the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) promptly issue a comprehensive scheduling directive to address immediate wait times and healthcare access issues raised in a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report… Continue Reading
06.14.16
Rounds Delivers Opening Statement at EPW Subcommittee Hearing on EPA Progress Implementing IG, GAO Recommendations
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Management, and Regulatory Oversight, today delivered the opening statement at his hearing entitled, "Oversight of the Environmental Protection Agency's Progress in Implementing Inspector General and Government Accountability Office Recommendations." This hearing is a continuation of the subcommittee's oversight of the EPA, with a specific focus on the EPA's progress… Continue Reading
06.13.16
Rounds Welcomes Summer Interns to D.C. Office
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) has welcomed three summer interns to his Washington, D.C., office. Noah Cozad is from Sioux Falls, S.D., and recently graduated from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities with a degree in Political Science. Andrew Leiferman is from Pierre, S.D., and attends the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he is pursuing a degree in Finance and Economics. Thomas McNamara is from Washington, D.C., and attends the University of Texas at Austi… Continue Reading
06.09.16
Rounds Seeks to Protect Rural Military Retirees From Higher Prescription Drug Costs
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today delivered remarks on the Senate floor regarding an amendment he introduced to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) currently being debated on the Senate floor. Rounds' amendment would change a provision in the current NDAA bill that requires military retirees and their families who get their prescription drugs from a retail pharmacy or through mail order to pay even more than now, while those who obtain them from a Military Treatment Fa… Continue Reading
06.07.16
Rounds’ Hearing Reaffirms Importance of State and Local Input Before EPA Implements Regulations
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Management, and Regulatory Oversight, today held a hearing entitled, "Oversight of EPA Unfunded Mandates on State, Local, and Tribal Governments." The purpose of the hearing was to examine the impact that unfunded mandates issued by the EPA have on local units of government. Rounds' full opening statement from the hearing can be found here. During the hearing,… Continue Reading
06.07.16
Rounds Delivers Opening Statement at EPW Subcommittee Hearing
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Management, and Regulatory Oversight, today delivered the opening statement at his hearing entitled, "Oversight of EPA Unfunded Mandates on State, Local, and Tribal Governments." This hearing is a continuation of the subcommittee's oversight on various aspects of the EPA's rulemaking process. Throughout this Congress the subcommittee has held multiple hearings on EP… Continue Reading
05.24.16
Rounds Cosponsors Resolution to Protect South Dakota Families from Costly New Energy Tax
WASHINGTON -U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today joined a number of his Senate colleagues in introducing a resolution to block efforts to impose a national tax on carbon energy, which has historically supplied at least 80 percent of America's energy needs. "In South Dakota, we depend on affordable energy to run our farms and businesses, heat our homes in the dead of winter and transport goods and people throughout the state," said Rounds. "The effect of a carbon tax - which will lead to hig… Continue Reading
05.24.16
Rounds Votes to Stop Harmful Fiduciary Rule That Would Limit Availability of Retirement Advice
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, today voted to block the fiduciary rule issued by the Department of Labor (DOL) last month. The resolution of disapproval, which requires a simple majority vote, passed 56-41. Having passed the House of Representatives last month, it now heads to President Obama's desk. "The administration's fiduciary rule will have harmful consequences for South Dakota families saving for retirement, which is why I support … Continue Reading
