WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) recently introduced the Rural Hospital Regulatory Relief Act of 2017 (S. 243), legislation that would permanently prohibit the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) from enforcing direct supervision policy for certain outpatient therapeutic services, a harmful regulation that would jeopardize access to therapy services, particularly in rural areas where there are fewer practicing physicians. U.S. Reps. Lynn Jenkins (R-Kan.) and Dave Loebsack (D-Iowa) recently introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
“CMS’ flawed direct supervision rule is a perfect example of a Washington-based, one-size-fits-all policy that might look good on paper, but does not deliver its desired result,” said Thune. “In this case, like many others, it is rural America that is overlooked. If CMS had its way and this policy was fully implemented, outpatient therapy services in rural South Dakota could be put at risk. It is the wrong approach that could ultimately end up hurting, not helping seniors.”
“Delivering the dependable, accessible health care services rural families need is critical to maintaining strong, thriving communities – but too often, a one-size-fits-all regulations can hinder that access,” said Heitkamp. “By removing barriers that could hurt rural seniors’ abilities to obtain reliable, therapeutic care, we can prioritize the quality services rural towns need to strengthen the health of our statewide community. I’ll keep fighting for smart, commonsense fixes like this bipartisan bill so the nation’s health and regulatory systems fully support the vitality and growth of our rural communities.”
CMS’ policy would require practicing physicians to directly supervise other certified medical professionals who deliver outpatient therapy services. Without direct supervision, this type of service could not be administered. Thune and Heitkamp believe there is a more efficient and cost-effective approach, which would allow other certified medical professionals, like general practitioners, to provide outpatient therapy services with a more indirect role from a physician.
In response to concerns raised by hospitals and lawmakers, including Thune and Heitkamp, CMS delayed enforcement of its direct supervision policy through 2013 for Critical Access Hospitals and small rural hospitals. Congress suspended enforcement of the regulation from 2014-2016.
The above photo was taken during the reenactment ceremony in the Old Senate Chamber, which followed Thune’s formal swearing in ceremony on the Senate floor. Thune is pictured with his wife Kimberley and Vice President Joe Biden.
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) issued the following statement after he took the oath of office for his third term in the U.S. Senate. Thune was first elected to the Senate in 2004 after defeating a sitting Senate party leader for the first time in 52 years. Thune ran unopposed in 2010 and was reelected in November 2016.
“It is an unbelievably humbling experience to continue to serve the people of South Dakota in the U.S. Senate,” said Thune. “I want to thank all South Dakotans for this opportunity, and I look forward to hitting the ground running in 2017.”
Thune also issued the following statement after the Senate Republican Conference ratified committee assignments for the 115th Congress. Thune will again serve on the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee; the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee; and the Finance Committee. The full Senate is expected to formally ratify committee assignments this week.
“Having the opportunity to serve on these committees ensures that South Dakotans will continue to have an active voice on a wide range of issues that matter to them,” said Thune. “This year we’ll start the important work of drafting the next farm bill – my fourth overall – in the Agriculture Committee, laying the groundwork for comprehensive tax reform in the Finance Committee, and continuing to advance meaningful technology and transportation legislation in the Commerce Committee. It will be a busy year, but that’s because Senate Republicans are eager to get to work for the American people.”
Thune, chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today reintroduced S. 19, the MOBILE NOW Act, which proposes reforms to boost the development of next-generation 5G wireless broadband by ensuring more spectrum is made available for commercial use and by reducing the red tape associated with building wireless networks. The version introduced by Thune and cosponsored again by the committee’s ranking member, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), closely follows legislation approved last Congress by the Commerce Committee by a voice vote.
“The MOBILE NOW Act is a gateway to faster and more extensive wireless coverage that empowers more Americans to use technologies requiring a connection to the internet,” said Thune. “This legislation is an early technology priority that I expect the Commerce Committee will send to the Senate floor soon.”
Click here for the text of the newly introduced MOBILE NOW Act.
Highlights of the MOBILE NOW Act:
Making 500 megahertz available: A 2010 executive order set a goal of making available 500 MHz of federal spectrum for private sector use by 2020. The MOBILE NOW Act statutorily places key parts of that policy into law, including the requirement that the government meet the 500 MHz target by 2020.
Speeding up 5G infrastructure: Next-generation 5G wireless will rely on smaller antenna and infrastructure systems than current cellular technology. Federal agencies would have a new obligation to make decisions on applications and permit requests for placing wireless infrastructure on federal property in a timely and reasonable manner.
Spectrum assessments: The bill directs the Federal government to conduct assessments of spectrum in the 3 GHz band and in the millimeter wave frequencies to determine whether authorizing licensed or unlicensed wireless broadband services in those bands is feasible, and if so, which frequencies are best suited for such operations. Frequencies totaling more than 13 gigahertz of bandwidth will be studied, most of which are in the millimeter wave frequencies that will be critical for future 5G wireless networks.
Dig once: The Act includes a statement of policy and sense of Congress that allows for the adoption of safe and efficient “dig once” policies by Federal agencies. Dig once is the idea that a single conduit through which all broadband wires can be run should be laid in the ground at the same time as other below-ground infrastructure work, like highway construction. Dig once can reduce costs for deployment of broadband infrastructure.
National broadband facilities asset database: The bill creates a central, online inventory of federal government property assets available or appropriate for private-sector deployment of broadband facilities. Such information includes the location of buildings and points of contact for siting applications. State and local governments would be permitted to voluntarily submit information about their assets to the inventory.
Reallocation incentives: The Commerce Department would be directed to issue a report within 18 months on additional legislative or regulatory proposals to incentivize Federal entities to relinquish or share their spectrum with non-federal spectrum users.
Immediate transfer of funds for agencies: The MOBILE NOW Act accelerates the relocation of Federal entities by allowing existing Spectrum Relocation Fund balances to be transferred to agencies for transition efforts immediately upon completion of an auction, rather than after the actual receipt by the Fund of auction proceeds. By immediately executing their transition plans, agencies would reduce their timelines to vacate, potentially increasing auction proceeds due to the value of accelerated access to the auctioned bands.
Click here or on the image above to watch the video.This link will take you offsite to youtube.com
For many South Dakotans, the presidential election probably dominated conversations with friends and family for much of the year. It’s no surprise, considering how historic the election was from beginning to end. And while that certainly makes 2016 a year for the history books, I’m sure there are many other reasons why South Dakotans will remember the last 12 months and be thankful for the opportunities that came their way. So before we flip the calendar from 2016 to 2017, I wanted to share just a handful of reasons why this year has been so special for me.
After my faith, my family means more to me than anything else in the world. Kimberley, my far better half, has been my rock for more than 30 years and continues to push me to be a better person both personally and professionally. Our daughters Brittany and Larissa never cease to amaze me, and I’m so proud of the lives they continue to build with their respective husbands Luke and Scott.
This year was a year of firsts for our family as Larissa and Scott welcomed their first child, Henley Joy Hargens, who also happened to be our first grandchild. I joke with Kimberley that it was easier for her than me to add “grand” to our titles of mother and father, but all joking aside, there is no way to fully describe in words the immense joy of seeing your baby girl holding a baby girl of her own. Next year will bring another first for our family as Brittany and Luke welcome their first child, too.
After becoming a grandfather, it’s hard not to think about my dad who is now a great grandfather to 20 amazing kids. While my dad will turn 97 years old this year, he’s a perfect example of age merely being a number. He and I spent a morning on the golf course earlier this summer, and although he’s more than 40 years my senior, he can still golf a better round than me. My dad still joins us every October for the pheasant opener, too. Roosters or not, he’s usually one of the happiest people in camp.
I’m also thankful for the people of South Dakota. It’s a humbling experience to be elected to the Senate and bring your voice to the halls of the U.S. Capitol. My staff, who work throughout South Dakota and in Washington, D.C., are easily the hardest-working group in the Senate. Like me, whether it is spring, summer, fall, or now during the holiday season, they are always ready to work hard for you.
2016 has been busy, but it has also been a fun, healthy, and happy year. Here’s to an even better 2017.
Washington, DC — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) issued the following statements after the House passed Thune and Heitkamp’s Prescribed Burn Approval Act of 2016 (S. 3395), bipartisan legislation that would require collaboration between the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and local officials before initiating a prescribed burn on USFS lands when fire danger is rated as extreme.
“Prescribed burns are a proven management tool that I support,” said Thune. “That said, before a prescribed burn is initiated, effective collaboration between Forest Service personnel and local officials is essential. South Dakota is all too familiar with what can happen when carelessly started prescribed burns, like the Pautre Fire, for example, blaze out of control. They can damage private property and require multiple local firefighting units, at a significant cost to taxpayers. I’m glad this common-sense bill is headed to the president, and I want to thank my colleagues in the House, including South Dakota Rep. Kristi Noem and House leadership, for recognizing the need to get this bill to the finish line.”
“The Forest Service needs to listen when ranchers and first responders say conditions are unsafe for a burn – and this bill will help guarantee that happens,” said Heitkamp. “The Pautre wildfire was completely preventable, making it obvious that the Forest Service hasn’t done enough to listen to local communities in North Dakota and beyond. Our bipartisan bill will help prevent what happened in 2013 from happening again, which will help protect our ranchers, their property, and valuable grasslands.”
Thune and Heitkamp introduced this legislation in response to the Pautre fire, a prescribed burn that was intended to cover just over 100 acres in northwestern South Dakota, but quickly turned into a 16,000 acre out-of-control fire that burned for several days and destroyed millions of dollars in private property.
The collaboration requirements in S. 3395 pertain only to the U.S. Forest Service. The bill, which was unanimously approved by the Senate on November 17, now heads to the president for his signature.
Fighting for What Matters By US Senator John Thune
December 2. 2016
If you tuned in to C-SPAN today, you’d find a much different Senate than the one that existed just a few short years ago. In 2013 and 2014, under Democrat leadership, the Senate repeatedly chose politics and partisanship over bipartisanship and efficiency. The legislative process, including the important work done in our committees, nearly ground to a halt. Only backroom, cherry-picked bills chosen by Democrat leaders made it to the floor. The Senate wasn’t passing the important pieces of legislation that it should have been, and senators were often backed into take-it-or-leave-it scenarios created by politically orchestrated cliffs and countdown clocks.
US Senator John Thune (file photo)
Republicans told the American people that if we were given the opportunity to lead in the Senate, we would do things differently. We would focus on the issues that mattered to the people. We would help give them the voice they deserved. After Republicans regained the majority in January 2015, we quickly got to work. Republicans and Democrats were able to participate in the legislative process and offer proposals they thought would make bills better for the people they served. Ideas were debated and considered in committee, and bills that were sent to the floor were better for it.
We passed a balanced budget, appropriations bills, and the first major energy bill in more than a decade. The Commerce Committee, which I chair, worked hard to get a Federal Aviation Administration bill with major airport security provisions through the Senate and onto the president’s desk. And the committee delivered the same result on the first long-term transportation bill since 2005. I’ve always believed that hard work delivers positive results, and there’s no better proof than what we’ve accomplished in the last two years in the Senate.
We’re just getting started, though, and I’m glad Republicans will have the chance to continue working toward our goal of creating greater economic and national security for the American people. That starts with rolling back some of the Obama administration’s most onerous regulations, particularly the Waters of the United States rule. We’ll work toward repealing and replacing Obamacare, which has been a huge drag on family budgets in South Dakota and across the country. And we’ll continue to protect our nation’s borders and address the threats posed by terrorist groups like ISIS.
Republicans plan to start the 115th Congress in January the same way we’re ending the 114th this month – with a lot of hard work and determination. We’re going to have a long list of items to tackle, including confirming a Supreme Court nominee who will judge based on the law and the Constitution. January will be here in no time, and I’m looking forward to hitting the ground running and advancing our pro-growth, pro-jobs, pro-America agenda in 2017 and beyond.
When South Dakotans picture opening day of pheasant season, they see unharvested corn and milo fields, sloughs, shelterbelts, and food plots lined with hunters – often friends and family, conspicuous in their bright orange clothing. Although shooting a limit of pheasants isn’t the mark of a successful hunt, the allure of the “Pheasant Capital of the World” is why hunters from across the United States gather in South Dakota every third Saturday in October to participate in this world-class event and renew or create family memories and traditions.
As you walk through the amply covered fields during your fall hunt, it’s important to think about what the surrounding landscape looks like in winter after the crops are harvested, snow covers the ground, and temperatures dive below zero. It’s also important to think about the spring nesting season when quality habitat is crucial for pheasants to hide their nests and offer protection to their young chicks. Most people probably assume that’s what the widely known and well-respected Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is for, and they would be right.
Since its authorization in the 1985 farm bill, CRP has evolved into the cornerstone of federal conservation programs and has helped create a field of dreams for South Dakota pheasant hunters. CRP acreage in South Dakota peaked in 2007 at more than 1.5 million acres, and as a result of the nesting habitat and winter cover most CRP acres provide, pheasant numbers increased dramatically. Since then, CRP acreage has dropped, and unfortunately it’s only going to get worse. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports show that over the next six years, nearly 580,000 additional acres will expire from CRP in South Dakota – that’s a 60 percent loss of our current CRP-enrolled acres.
The opportunity for South Dakota landowners to enroll more land in the most recent general CRP sign-up was significantly hamstrung when the USDA announced it had accepted just 107 of the more than 40,000 acres that South Dakota landowners had offered. In response, I wrote to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and later had an opportunity to question him during a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing about the department’s disappointing decision and inappropriate CRP management practices.
As a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I will continue to work with USDA officials and focus my efforts on making changes to CRP policy next year when we begin debate on the next farm bill to ensure adequate and equitable CRP enrollment and common-sense management of CRP in the future.
Keeping adequate acres enrolled in South Dakota will benefit everyone because it will help maintain our state’s nearly quarter-million-dollar pheasant hunting industry, which directly benefits our small towns and rural areas. Farmers will continue to protect and preserve soil health, and our state’s pheasant hunting legacy will continue for generations to come.
Rapid City, SD – July 29, 2016 – Today was a grand day for Word War 2 Army veteran Ralph Schat. Serving post-war in the American occupation in Germany, Schat considered himself fortunate. His infantry unit, about to shipped to the european theatre for combat operations was instead assigned to the US Constabulary Service. The mission was to patrol main roads in occupied Germany for groups that had not yet agreed to the armistice and might disrupt traffic and the peace on major highways.
After many years of trying to get the medals he earned during his service to the nation, including the Victory Medal, the Army of Occupation Medal and Germany Clasp, the Honorable Service Lapel Button, and the Sharpshooter Badge and Rifle Bar, the Schat’s turned to Senator Thunes office for help as do many other veterans trying to resolve veterans service issues.
Ralph Schat is a long time member of Rushmore VFW Post 1273 and is a member of the VFW Post 1273 Honor Guard. His wife Joyce has 64 years service in The VFW Auxiliary and was State Past President 1969 – 1970.
U.S. Senator John Thune pins a World War 2 Victory Medal on Army veteran Pfc Ralph Schat at Thunes Rapid City office Friday July 29, 2016. Photo:Herb Ryan/Custer Free Press.
U.S. Senator John Thune, Joyce Schat and her husband WW2 veteran Army Pfc Ralph Schat pose for a photo after the presentation of the World War 2 Victory medal at Thunes Rapid City office Friday July 29, 2016. Photo:Herb Ryan/Custer Free Press.
Jay Williams, South Dakota’s Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, is calling for Senator John Thune to debate him. In past years, Dakotafest in Mitchell has been the unofficial kickoff to the political debate season. This year, Senator Thune has told Dakotafest sponsor IDEAg Group that he has no plans to debate this year. Mr. Williams is calling for Senator Thune to change his position and agree to a series of debates.
Mr. Williams issued the following statement calling for Senator Thune to debate him:
“There are major issues challenging the United States and South Dakota. Senator Thune has a responsibility to debate me and tell the voters of South Dakota his views on these issues. The voters of South Dakota deserve to hear how the incumbent Senator and his challenger stand on the issues. Senator Thune has voted repeatedly to repeal the Affordable Care Act. This in spite of the fact that the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA), the cornerstone legal authority for the provision of health care to American Indians and Alaska Natives, was made permanent as part of the Affordable Care Act. This is just one of several issues where Senator Thune and I disagree. We differ on how to address the income inequality in our country and on the importance of eliminating fossil fuels as our source of energy. Senator Thune needs to explain why he endorses the racist, self professed greedy real estate mogul, Donald Trump for President. Let’s have a series of debates to discuss these and other issues important to South Dakota voters.“
Custer Free Press - HFR DESIGN STUDIO 