Central South Dakota News

Senator Mike Rounds has returned to Washington, D.C., following the August work period spent in South Dakota. The Senate is currently working on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which allocates funding for military programs, personnel, and equipment. The legislative body is also focused on passing government funding before the end of the fiscal year on September 30.

Rounds criticized Senate Democrats for what he described as "historic obstruction" regarding the confirmation of President Trump’s nominees. According to Rounds, "the numbers tell the story: in the first eight months of the Trump Administration, only 135 nominees have been confirmed. By contrast, President Biden had 817 confirmed in his first two years, and even President Trump’s first term saw 715." He noted that more than 90% of nominees have historically been cleared quickly by unanimous consent or voice vote, but under "Trump II," none have been approved this way. Instead, each nominee has required a roll call vote with an average confirmation time of 94 days. Rounds stated that less than 12% of positions are filled so far this term and said this was evidence that Democrats are intentionally slowing down government operations for partisan reasons. Despite these challenges, he emphasized that Senate Republicans remain committed to confirming nominees.

During August in South Dakota, Rounds attended several events including the Brown County Fair in Aberdeen, Central States Fair’s Ag Appreciation Event in Rapid City, Dakotafest’s Annual Congressional Forum in Mitchell, and Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce’s Inside Washington Event. He expressed appreciation for constituents who participated in these gatherings.

In meetings last week, Rounds met with Secretary of Energy Chris Wright to discuss activities at Sanford Underground Research Facility near Lead. He also met Dr. Stephen Miran—Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors and Federal Reserve Board nominee—General Christopher Mahoney—nominee for Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff—and representatives from Rwanda's embassy. Additionally, Rounds spoke at a Defense News Conference about information warfare.

The Senate Banking Committee held a hearing for several nominees including Dr. Stephen Miran; a clip from this hearing is available online.

The Senate took four votes last week—two were procedural steps advancing this year’s NDAA. While some amendments remain pending, Rounds indicated optimism about passing the legislation before month-end.

Rounds reported his staff visited Martin and Sioux Falls during this period and noted he walked over 44,000 steps totaling approximately 21 miles.