New and Improved

BIG Update 

Artificial intelligence (AI) will be an engine of economic growth around the world. That’s why China and the United States are in a race to develop the infrastructure to support this transformative technology. America must win this race. President Trump and I understand the urgency and importance of this issue, from an economic and national security perspective.

I was in Aberdeen with energy, AI, and data center leaders to talk about how these investments would provide critical property tax revenue for South Dakota counties while helping the United States win this race.

As the world becomes increasingly digital, I will work with industry leaders to find ways to grow and train Americans for the skills needed to support this future-forward, emerging AI technology. South Dakota absolutely can and should be positioned to have a place in this digital race.

BIG News

The federal government is unfortunately heading towards another government shutdown. Shutdowns are stupid and do not serve the American people. That’s why I introduced the Eliminate Shutdowns Act with Senator Ron Johnson to prevent the government from shutting down ever again. My bill makes sure government funding continues at current levels until Congress passes new funding packages.

There is plenty of blame to go around for any shutdown, but one thing is clear: no one benefits from a shutdown.

BIG Idea

Four decades have passed since America’s ag producers had a mandatory update for the base acres – essentially how much a farm plants of certain crops. I’m sure you know how much the world has changed since 1985 and so has production agriculture. Inaccurate base acre numbers create discrepancies between USDA program payments and what is actually planted.

To improve these programs, I introduced the Balanced Agricultural Support and Efficiency (BASE) Act to require a one-time update of base acres for covered commodities to ensure base acres reflect recent planting history. These updates will better protect producers during disasters and more accurately reflect a recent average of acres planted.