Weekly Round[s] Up: January 26 - February 1, 2026
Welcome back to another Weekly Round[s] Up. It was a cold and icy week here in DC but that didn’t stop us from getting right back to work. For context, it snowed about 6 inches on Sunday, January 25 and DC city government simply doesn’t have the snow removal tools to properly clean the streets. Schools are finally open without delay on Tuesday, February 3. In South Dakota, we would have dealt with that in a matter of hours!
On Friday, the Senate passed a package of five appropriation bills for Fiscal Year 2026. The legislation is now heading to President Trump’s desk for him to sign. I am pleased to have secured $145.7 million in funding for projects in South Dakota to improve in our rural health care facilities, expand our regional airports and invest in affordable housing. You can read more about the bill and our wins here. In addition, this legislation included a continuing resolution for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appropriations through February 13. After getting out of DC late Friday night after votes, I was able to attend the Black Hills Stock Show and Rodeo on Saturday. It’s always a good time getting to meet with folks from around the state. Click here to watch my recap on the weekend. More on this in the rest of my week in the Weekly Round[s] Up:
South Dakota groups I visited with: Ismael Collazo with the National Federation of the Blind of South Dakota; South Dakota Head Start Programs; South Dakota Wheat Growers Association; José-Marie Griffiths, President of Dakota State University; and Mike McKelvey, CEO and Vice President of Institutional Advancement, Dakota State University Foundation.
Met with South Dakotans from: Brookings, Madison, Pierre and Webster.
Other meetings: Steve Ryan, CEO of Trinity Cyber; Vice Admiral Robert Gaucher, Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Submarines; Brandon Williams, Administrator at National Nuclear Security Administration; LTG Christopher Eubank, and Philip Alcorn, Director of Army Cyber Technology and Innovation Center (ArCTIC).
Hearings: I attended a hearing this week for the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. It was a nomination hearing for Lieutenant General Joshua M. Rudd, USA, to be Director of the National Security Agency (NSA). You can watch me question him here. Additionally, I chaired a Cybersecurity Subcommittee hearing, to hear receive testimony on the Department’s cyber force generation plan.
Briefings: I attended one closed Senate Select Committee on Intelligence briefing.
Senate Prayer Breakfast: On Wednesday I joined my colleagues for Senate Prayer Breakfast. Senator Katie Britt from Alabama was this week’s speaker.
Votes taken: 10 - As stated above, the Senate passed five appropriation bills for Defense; Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS); Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies (T-HUD); Financial Services and General Government (FSGG); and National Security, Department of State and Related Programs. This legislation also includes a continuing resolution for the DHS appropriations through February 13. The House of Representatives passed the legislation and it is on its way to President Trump to be signed into law.
In addition to the votes related to the appropriation bills, I also voted Yea on the Pregnant Students’ Rights Act.
Steps taken: 61,827 steps or 28.33 miles.
Video of the Week: On Friday, I joined Fox and Friends First to discuss Iran and the government shutdown. Click here to watch.