Weekly Column

Every June, hundreds of high school students who just completed their junior year are selected by the American Legion Auxiliary to participate in Boys State and Girls State. I had the opportunity to attend Boys State when I was in high school, and it has had a lasting impact on me. I was honored to be able to speak at Boys State and Girls State again this year and met some of our state’s next generation leaders in government. This year was even more special because my oldest son, Max, was at Boys State.

South Dakota is home. It’s where I grew up, went to college, met my wife, and where I chose to raise my kids. June 5holds a special place in the hearts of South Dakotans.

In honor of 605 Day, I asked South Dakotans what they like most about our state, and I think you’ll agree with a lot of their answers:

As the debt limit “X-date” of June 1 becomes closer and closer, House Republicans have been standing firm on our requests to address our two crises—out-of-control government spending and a debt limit deadline.

In the late 1880s, a movement called the Ghost Dance swept across the nation. Indians believed that this dance would give stolen land back to them, bringing about a renewal of Native society. Indians would join together to dance for this renewal at the protest of the federal government.

There have been more than 5 million illegal crossings of our southern border since President Biden took office. Title 42 ended May 11, a policy that has allowed border patrol to turn migrants away due to public health concerns. Fentanyl is flowing across the border in record numbers.

Small businesses are the heart of our communities, providing employment and driving innovation at the national, state, and local levels. In South Dakota, 88,000 small businesses make up 99% of businesses in the state, employing nearly 210,000 people, more than 58% of our workforce. These businesses make large and small impacts in our communities and beyond.

A couple weeks ago, this opinion piece was published on CNN. It’s directed at my bill, the America Works Act. In the piece, the writers make broad, misleading claims about welfare work requirements legislation.

The share of mandatory federal spending has more than doubled in less than sixty years. In 1965, defense and discretionary spending totaled 66% of our spending—now they make up just over 25%. As spending continues to grow, mandatory program expenditures are increasing, taking up 71% of the budget. We’re also facing a historic debt crisis, record inflation, and high interest rates.