Central South Dakota News

The work week resumed in Washington following the Thanksgiving holiday, with meetings and activities taking center stage. This week included engagements with South Dakotans, cabinet nominee discussions, hearings, votes, and classified briefings.

Notable meetings involved Amy Bruner from Minnehaha County Moms for Liberty and Joel Foster of the National Association of Farm Service Agency County Office Employees. Attention was also given to President-elect Trump's cabinet nominees as they progress through Senate confirmation.

Meetings were held with Elise Stefanik, nominated as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations. Confidence was expressed in her potential to advocate for policies prioritizing America. Former Representative Doug Collins, nominated for Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs, shared a vision for reforming the VA. Pete Hegseth, nominated for Secretary of Defense, brought a fresh perspective on military strengthening.

Other notable interactions included Tiffany Justice from Moms for Liberty; Talus Renewables leaders; General C.Q. Brown; American Business Immigration Coalition board members; Turkey’s Ambassador Sedat Önal; Dr. Harald Malmgren; GEVO CEO Patrick Gruber; and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. A conference hosted by Empower focused on AI and financial services issues.

A half-day Senate Republican retreat discussed priorities such as confirming President-Elect Trump’s cabinet swiftly. A dinner honored retiring Republican Senators.

Thirteen votes were cast this week on judicial nominations across several states including California and New York. The focus remained on pushing through left-leaning nominees by the current administration and Democrat-controlled Senate.

One closed hearing took place within the Select Committee on Intelligence alongside three classified briefings related to cybersecurity operations in defense sectors.

In South Dakota, staff visited Belle Fourche while personal steps taken totaled 49,295 or 24.78 miles.