Central South Dakota News

U.S. Senator Mike Rounds from South Dakota has been recognized as one of the top-five most effective Republican lawmakers in the 118th Congress by the Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL). The CEL score evaluates factors such as the substance of bills introduced, their legislative progress, and how many were enacted into law.

Senator Rounds was also ranked highly in several specific areas: he is the second most effective Republican on agricultural issues (ninth overall), third on Indian Affairs (sixth overall), third on labor and employment (sixth overall), and fourth on defense issues (sixth overall). Overall, he was ranked as the 14th most effective senator.

Rounds commented on his role, stating, "As lawmakers, one of the most important parts of our jobs is writing and introducing substantive bills and shepherding them through the legislative process with the ultimate goal of getting them signed into law." He highlighted his achievements in various policy areas from agriculture to national security.

He emphasized his work with the Senate Armed Services Committee where he contributed significantly to composing the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This included authoring 40 provisions that were incorporated into the NDAA. Notably, this legislation allocated $282 million for projects at Ellsworth Air Force Base and $2.6 billion for B-21 Raider bombers based there. It also included measures related to cybersecurity and artificial intelligence for national defense.

Rounds noted South Dakota's strong agriculture industry and mentioned his efforts to support farmers and ranchers despite not being a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. He stated his commitment to supporting American-made products from farm production to retail shelves.

Additionally, as part of his work with South Dakota's tribal communities, Rounds expressed dedication to collaborating with all nine tribes within South Dakota through legislation that supports tribal members while respecting tribal sovereignty. His past efforts include improving Indian Health Service programs and addressing public safety issues on reservations. The Native American Direct Loan Improvement Act, which reformed a VA program for Native American veterans living on tribal trust land, was signed into law last Congress under his leadership.

Looking ahead, Rounds said there remains much work in these areas during the current Congress. "I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in the Senate to get results for the people of South Dakota," he concluded.