Press Releases
Rounds Asks South Dakotans to Share Their Federal Regulation Stories
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today launched a new initiative to give South Dakotans an opportunity to share their stories about the impact federal regulation has in their work and on their daily lives. These stories will help Rounds determine where to focus his efforts to cut waste, fraud, abuse and overregulation by federal agencies. "I continue to hear from South Dakotans who are being overwhelmed by federal bureaucracy and red tape," said Rounds. "This will give them the oppor… Continue Reading
03.31.15
Rounds Congratulates Sioux Falls, Rapid City Students for Documentary Competition Award
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today congratulated nine Sioux Falls and Rapid City students for receiving top prizes in C-SPAN's 2015 StudentCam Documentary Competition. This contest asked students across the nation to create a brief documentary on a national policy issue. These nine South Dakotans are among 347 recipients nationwide. Winners of second prizes and above will have their videos aired on C-SPAN throughout the day on April 9th. "I congratulate these bright young South … Continue Reading
03.30.15
Rounds Announces South Dakota Photo Contest
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today announced his office is hosting a photo contest. He is seeking photos from across the state that highlight the unique scenery and landscape South Dakota has to offer. The top photo submissions will be featured on Rounds' social media pages and website. "From rolling hills and canyons to fertile river beds and prairies, our state has some of the most unique and diverse landscape in the country," said Rounds. "I look forward to showcasing some of … Continue Reading
03.27.15
Rounds Statement on Passage of Senate Budget Resolution
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) made the following statement on the passage of the Senate budget resolution early this morning: "When Republicans took control of the Senate this year, we vowed to restore regular order which has been missing for far too long. Passing a budget resolution is an important part of keeping that promise. The budget we spent more than 15 hours amending is an important framework that will allow us to get to work on the appropriations process and enact meanin… Continue Reading
03.26.15
Rounds Offers Amendment to Protect Taxpayers from Waste, Fraud and Abuse
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today introduced an amendment to the budget resolution requiring Congress to include findings from Inspectors General (IG) when examining ways to reduce waste, fraud and abuse within federal agencies. "We owe it to South Dakota taxpayers to make certain their hard-earned dollars are spent wisely in Washington," said Rounds. "I've already been working with IGs in my committee work and know firsthand how valuable their reports can be in finding waste, fra… Continue Reading
03.26.15
Rounds, Inhofe Statement on Chemical Safety Board Chairman’s Resignation
WASHINGTON- U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), chairman of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Management, and Regulatory Oversight, and Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, and released the following statement welcoming the resignation of Rafael Mourie-Eraso, chairman of the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board: "We applaud the White House for responding to our request for Chairman Rafael Mourie-Era… Continue Reading
03.25.15
Rounds Cosponsors Bill to Repeal Death Tax
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today joined U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) and 25 colleagues in introducing legislation to permanently repeal the federal estate tax, which will bring tax relief to farmers, ranchers and small business owners. "Currently, 70 percent of family businesses do not survive to the second generation, in part because of this additional tax which may force the sale of a family business upon the death of one of the owners," said Rounds. A similar bill was int… Continue Reading
03.24.15
Rounds: Federal Bureaucracy Unnecessarily Hurting South Dakota Banks
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, today at a hearing heard from regional bank executives how Dodd-Frank regulations are limiting their ability to grow, expand and remain competitive. During the hearing, Deron Smithy, Treasurer of the Regions Bank Group, told Rounds that Regions Bank Group now has more employees devoted to compliance related matters than commercial lending. "When a bank is forced to hire more compliance officers or retain more… Continue Reading
03.24.15
Rounds Offers Amendment to Budget Resolution to Give State and Local Governments a Say in Environmental Regs
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, today offered an amendment to the budget resolution that would allow the Senate to give state and local governments a say in environmental settlement agreements that affect citizens within their borders. EPW Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) is a cosponsor. The amendment seeks to end "sue and settle" tactics by requiring EPA and other agencies to notify state and local governments bef… Continue Reading
03.24.15
Rounds Questions VA Deputy Secretary Gibson on Health Care Accessibility for Vets
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, today questioned Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on ways to improve access to health care for veterans. During a hearing on the Veterans' Choice Act "40-mile rule" that was recently changed to provide more flexibility for veterans, Rounds took the opportunity to ask about other ways to streamline contracting for veteran services: "We have a duty to make sure ou… Continue Reading
03.24.15
Rounds Applauds FAA’s Approval of Powder River Training Complex Expansion for Ellsworth Air Force Base
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today applauded the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) announcement that it has approved the Air Force's proposed expansion of the Powder River Training Complex (PRTC). PRTC encompasses air space over South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana and Wyoming. This is the last step in the expansion process. "I commend the collaborative efforts of the Air Force and the FAA, who have worked diligently to see t… Continue Reading
03.23.15
Rounds, Freshmen Senators Hold Press Conference to Address Obamacare’s Five-Year Anniversary
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) joined fellow freshmen members of the Senate in a press conference today to address the future of health care on the five-year anniversary of Obamacare. "We're not going to stop until we fix a lot of the problems that we find within the health care industry," said Rounds at the conference. "What we can do to start is pass a budget resolution that provides tools for us in which to impact the implementation of health care. And it provides us something … Continue Reading
03.23.15
Rounds Introduces Amendment to Budget Resolution to Open More Mortgage Options in Rural Areas
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, today introduced an amendment to the budget resolution to facilitate help for those in rural areas seeking a mortgage to purchase a home. The Dodd-Frank financial reform law of 2010 has made it more difficult for citizens in rural areas to receive a mortgage. "South Dakotans who live in rural areas are finding it increasingly hard to get a loan for a home because of new layers of red tape at the federal level… Continue Reading
03.18.15
Rounds Statement on Senate Budget Resolution
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today made the following statement on the Senate Budget resolution: "The budget released today outlines a robust plan to get government working again," said Rounds. "It's a road map to make government more efficient, effective and accountable to the American people. Our plan rightfully balances the budget, strengthens national defense, repeals Obamacare, and protects the most vulnerable among us while encouraging economic growth and productivity. Whil… Continue Reading
03.18.15
Rounds Calls for End to Sequestration
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today at a hearing made the following remarks reinforcing his desire to end sequestration and increase spending for defense: "I would like to briefly address an overarching theme that has dominated this committee's dialog over many weeks. That theme is, of course, the critical importance of properly funding our armed forces. We have heard over and over from leaders from throughout the Defense Depart… Continue Reading
03.17.15
Rounds to Administration: Act Quickly To Protect South Dakota Tourism and Construction Industries
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today wrote a letter to Department of Labor (DOL) encouraging the agency to act quickly to find a long-term solution for issuing temporary, seasonal employment visas (H-2B) that are critical for a number of industries in South Dakota. Earlier this month, DOL stopped processing H-2B visas following an injunction by a federal court. Today, a judge granted stay that would allow DOL to continue issuing H-2B visas while a long-term solution is established. … Continue Reading
03.13.15
Weekly Column: Helping South Dakotans Navigate Federal Agencies
Part of my job as a United States Senator is to provide assistance to South Dakotans who are having trouble dealing with a federal agency. In fact, it is the primary focus in my state offices. Members of my staff in South Dakota are specially trained to help constituents navigate the federal maze. We work with our fellow South Dakotans on a daily basis, addressing their concerns and issues related to the federal government. Sometimes, we even work to remind the federal government it’s the citiz… Continue Reading
03.13.15
Rounds Visits Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, tonight returned from a trip to the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, also known as GTMO. The facility houses some of the world's most dangerous terrorists. Rounds was joined by U.S. Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.). During their trip, the delegation toured the Guantanamo Bay base, observed detention operations and met wit… Continue Reading
03.12.15
Rounds Questions Pentagon Officials on BRAC Process
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support, Wednesday questioned Department of Defense (DoD) officials about the Administration's proposal for another Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round. When Rounds was working as governor during the last BRAC round (2005), Ellsworth Air Force Base was removed from DoD's proposed closure list as a result of extensive information that South Dakota presented to the BRA… Continue Reading
03.11.15
Rounds Presses Army Corps for Answers on Misleading Waters of the U.S. Statements
WASHINGTON -U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, today pressed for answers regarding misleading comments made by members of the Obama Administration on the Waters of the U.S. proposal. At a hearing last week, Rounds asked Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy to clarify contradictory statements about the public comments received, but was deferred to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Today's le… Continue Reading
