U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Angus King (I-Maine) have introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at expediting combat veterans' access to health care benefits. The Combat Veterans Pre-Enrollment Act, co-sponsored by Senators Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), would allow transitioning service members to enroll in the Veterans Health Administration's health care services on their first day as civilians, eliminating the current waiting period.Currently, transitioning service members must wait until they have left the military and received their...
U.S. Senators Mike Rounds and John Thune have called on Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai to initiate discussions about updating trade agreements to enable the use of a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) vaccine. The senators sent a letter expressing their concern that the slow progress in updating trade agreements may hinder the implementation of the vaccine.In their letter, Rounds and Thune highlighted the ongoing efforts of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to test vaccines to combat HPAI. The avian...
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) have introduced legislation aimed at increasing transparency and accountability within the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC). The FSOC Improvement Act seeks to enhance the transparency and fairness of the systemically important financial institutions (SIFI) designation process.The proposed legislation would codify the 2019 guidance that requires the FSOC to assess whether systemic risks can be addressed through means other than designating a financial institution as a SIFI. It would...
The U.S. Senate has passed a resolution honoring the South Dakota State University (SDSU) Jackrabbits football team for their impressive achievement of winning the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Championship Subdivision title for the second year in a row. Senators Mike Rounds and John Thune, both Republicans from South Dakota, announced the news and expressed their congratulations to the team.In a joint statement, Senators Rounds and Thune said, "Congratulations to the SDSU Jackrabbits football team on another remarkable season. It’s a...