Press Releases
Rounds Applauds Administration for Backing Off Ammunition Ban Proposal
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today applauded the Administration's decision to withdraw a proposal to severely limit rifle ammunition primarily used for sporting purposes. Rounds is a member of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus. "I was appalled to hear the Administration would even consider restricting access to bullets," said Rounds. "In our letter, we made clear that the right to bear arms includes ammunition as well. I'm pleased common sense and the 2nd amendment prevailed.… Continue Reading
03.09.15
Rounds Condemns ATF Framework Limiting Sporting Ammo
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today joined 52 colleagues in expressing concern for a new proposal that would severely limit access to rifle ammunition primarily used for sporting purposes. This class of ammunition is protected from prohibition under a 1986 Law Enforcement Officer Protection Act exemption. The framework, proposed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), would set arbitrary guidelines for determining whether certain ammunition meets the 1986… Continue Reading
03.09.15
Rounds Questions Administration’s Commitment to Public Input on Social Cost of Carbon Estimates
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D), a member of The Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), joined EPW Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Sens. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), David Vitter (R-La.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.) in sending a letter to Howard Shelanski, administrator for the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), on the s… Continue Reading
03.06.15
Weekly Column: Stopping Iran's Nuclear Threat
I recently had the opportunity to attend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to a Joint Meeting of Congress. His speech to us focused on the important bond between the U.S. and Israel, as well as our shared goal of preventing Iran from ever obtaining nuclear weapons. I was pleased to hear the Prime Minister's thoughts, especially as the Administration negotiates with Iran to eliminate their nuclear program. Iran is a dangerous nation that threatens the security of the entire wor… Continue Reading
03.04.15
Rounds Presses EPA on Economic Impact of Regulatory Proposals
WASHINGTON -U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPA) Committee, today had the opportunity to question Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy about the agency's process for determining the economic impact when proposing major new rules. In addition, he asked her to clarify EPA's contradictory statements about the public comments received on the proposed Waters of the U.S. rule. Misleading statements could confuse the … Continue Reading
03.04.15
Rounds Statement on NLRB’s “Ambush Election” Rule
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today supported a Joint Resolution of Disapproval, which he cosponsored, against the National Labor Relations Board's (NLRB) recent rule on "ambush elections," The rule is scheduled to take effect on April 14, 2015. "With this rule, the NLRB isn't looking out for workers or employers-it's looking to protect big unions," said Rounds. "By dramatically cutting the time between a union petition to a representation election, it not only limits the rights … Continue Reading
03.03.15
Rounds Statement on Netanyahu Address
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today made the following statement following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to Congress: "I thank Prime Minister Netanyahu for taking the time to address us today on our shared goal of stopping Iran from its nuclear ambitions. Our relationship with Israel transcends both time and political theater, and we must continue to work together to defeat our enemies which seek to destroy us. A nuclear Iran threatens the entire world … Continue Reading
02.27.15
Rounds Joins Senate EPW Republicans in Taking a Stand for Academic Freedom
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, today joined all other EPW Republicans in a letter promoting scientific discovery and academic freedom. The letter was sent to the same 107 recipients of letters sent earlier this week by Congressional Democrats to universities, private companies, trade groups, and non-profit organizations, asking for detailed information on funding climate science. As explained in the EPW Republican letter s… Continue Reading
02.27.15
Weekly Column: Academy Nominations
Serving in the United States Senate comes with a lot of responsibilities, but nominating South Dakota students to the military service academies is one that I am really looking forward to. My first opportunity to nominate students to the academies will be this fall. Each member of the Congressional delegation will nominate students to the academies. The four service academies that require a Congressional Nomination are the Military Academy at West Point, New York; the Naval Academy at Annapolis… Continue Reading
02.26.15
Rounds Receives Assurances that Decision on Hot Springs is not Predetermined
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, today received assurances from U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert McDonald that the agency has not made any premature decisions regarding the Hot Springs VA hospital. Rounds asked: Would you be able to assure the committee that the SCIP items in the Fiscal Year 2016 budget request regarding the Black Hills Health Care System are not an indication of a predetermined decision for… Continue Reading
02.26.15
Rounds Announces Military Academy Day in Sioux Falls
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today announced his office is hosting a Military Academy Day in Sioux Falls so students can learn more about the academy enrollment process at our nation's military academies. The Sioux Falls Academy Day will be the first in a series across the state, including in Pierre and Rapid City. Others may be added. "Our nation's academies offer an opportunity to serve our nation while receiving top-notch education," said Rounds. "The purpose of Military… Continue Reading
02.26.15
Delegation Meets with VA Secretary to Urge Reconsideration of Proposal to Close Hot Springs VA
WASHINGTON, D.C.-Following a February 10 letter from the South Dakota delegation to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert McDonald urging the Obama administration to withdraw its budget proposal plans to reconfigure the Hot Springs VA, U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, and Rep. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) held a delegation meeting today with the secretary to reiterate their concerns with the administration's pr… Continue Reading
02.24.15
Rounds Meets With South Dakota Veterans
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, today met with the South Dakota American Legion and the South Dakota Disabled American Veterans (DAV) in his Washington, D.C. office. "When our service men and women step forward to bravely serve our country, we must make sure we honor our promises to them," said Rounds. "I thank the American Legion and DAV representatives for meeting with me today to share their experiences post-service. Their informed v… Continue Reading
02.24.15
Rounds: President 'Thumbed His Nose' at American People
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today expressed his disappointment in President Obama's veto of the Keystone XL legislation. "Once again, the President has chosen to appease the far-left wing of his political base instead of doing what's best for the American people," said Rounds. "Our Keystone legislation is an important jobs, infrastructure and energy bill that received widespread, bipartisan support in Congress. In his veto, he has thumbed his nose at the American people who ove… Continue Reading
02.23.15
Waters of the U.S. Rule Hurts South Dakota Producers
In South Dakota, agriculture is our number one industry, accounting for more than half of our economic output. To be successful, our farmers and ranchers must be good stewards of their land so that it remains viable. And they are. South Dakota producers are inherently good conservationists - their livelihoods depend on it. They don't need the Obama Administration interfering in their conservation efforts. Unfortunately, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers … Continue Reading
02.20.15
Delegation Concerned 2015 Dietary Guidelines May Discourage Meat Consumption
Washington, D.C. - Following a new report from the Obama administration's Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, which advises the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on the suggested 2015 dietary guidelines, U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Rep. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) expressed their concern about the misleading and inconsistent guidelines on meat consumption in the report. Every five years, USDA and HHS review … Continue Reading
02.20.15
Rounds Statement on Fermilab Meeting
PIERRE, S.D. - U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today made the following statement following a meeting with Fermilab Director Nigel Lockyer to discuss the planned Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) experiment: "I was pleased to meet with Director Nigel Lockyer to hear about the latest LBNF developments. Fermilab is leading LBNF for the Department of Energy, partnering with the Sanford Underground Research Facility to base the LBNF detectors for this world-leading neutrino experiment deep und… Continue Reading
02.17.15
Rounds Announces Internship Opportunities in Washington, South Dakota Offices
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today announced internship opportunities in his Washington, D.C., Pierre, Rapid City and Sioux Falls offices for the summer 2015 semester. The summer semester will run from May to August 2015. College credit is available. Duties in the Washington, D.C., office may include tracking legislation, researching bills, attending committee hearings and briefings, leading tours of the U.S. Capitol, handling constituent phone calls, sorting mail and … Continue Reading
02.13.15
Rounds Announces Washington, South Dakota Office Information
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today announced his office locations and contact information. "I'm pleased to say that we are officially open for business," said Rounds. "We have four offices throughout the state, staffed with knowledgeable individuals who look forward to assisting South Dakotans." The Pierre, Sioux Falls and Rapid City offices will be open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Aberdeen location will be open on Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Josh Haeder, th… Continue Reading
02.13.15
Weekly Column: Providing Regulatory Relief for Community Banks
Small main-street banks are critical to the success of small businesses in South Dakota. They offer loans to farmers and support our small businesses that provide good jobs and essential services to all corners of our state. Often times, they also serve as community centers where birthdays, anniversaries, town meetings and other gatherings are held and lifelong memories are created. We understand that the longevity and prosperity of community banks are essential. Recently, financial institution… Continue Reading
