Weekly Column

Nearly 100 days ago, President Biden stood before America and promised unity and a path forward. He told us that path forward would include Republicans – it hasn't yet. I'm an optimist though, and during my first two years in Washington, when faced with a global pandemic, Congress stepped up to the plate and passed bipartisan legislation to help all Americans. I believe we can get back to that place.

"Fighting Escalates in Eastern Ukraine, Signaling the End to Another Cease-Fire."

"Russia seems to be preparing to invade Ukraine but it's not clear whether Putin will go through with it."

Those were two major headlines splashed across U.S. newspapers this week. It's easy to skip past them – after all, Russia is 5,010 miles from South Dakota. So why do these headlines matter? First, Russia is not our friend. Putin is a power-hungry egomaniac – and his attempts to influence American politics is unacceptable.

At the start of the 117^th Congress when control of the Senate and White House changed, I had concerns regarding legislation coming down the pipeline. I saw politically-motivated changes to the Supreme Court coming from a mile away – that's why the first bill I introduced this year was to safeguard the Supreme Court by capping the number of justices at nine. We've had nine justices since 1869 – nine justices are the right number for deliberation – and in recent years both Justice Breyer and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg have agreed.

South Dakota is lucky to call home to seven of our nation's National Parks, Monuments and Recreation Areas. As we celebrate National Parks Week in the month of April, I can't help but reminisce on the beauty of places like the Badlands, Mount Rushmore, and the Missouri River.

"I recognize the right and duty of this generation to develop and use the natural resources of our land; but I do not recognize the right to waste them, or to rob, by wasteful use, the generations that come after us." -Teddy Roosevelt

Historically, the Black Hills National Forest has flourished by serving many purposes. From camping to grazing, hiking to timber production, mining and wildlife habitat, the Black Hills have balanced economic, conservation, and recreational interests for decades.

Over the last two months, Speaker Pelosi has passed one large bill after another. From the federalization of state elections to immigration reform, we've just about seen it all.

I'm eager to move past the first 100 days of the session and hopeful we can move on to legislation that has a chance of passing in the Senate. So what's the next big thing Congress will tackle?

Over the last two months there has been a growing crisis at the southern border.

Following decisions to end the Migrant Protection Protocols or the "remain-in-Mexico" policy and the reestablishment of catch-and-release policies, there has been a surge in illegal crossings at the border.

Temps are rising and the sun isn't setting at 4:30 in the afternoon – that can only mean one thing – Daylight Saving Time (DST) is here.

The "spring forward" has its pros and cons – the cons, we lose an hour of sleep and our kids' schedules are in disarray for a few days – but for me, the extra daylight in the evening is well worth it. It's the "fall back" I dislike, so much of the afternoon daylight is lost.