Weekly Column
The six-week August break did folks some good – my colleagues on the right, and many on the left, are ready to get to work on passing the United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA). It's amazing the spark that ignites when legislators spend six weeks hearing from their bosses back home. Democrats and Republicans are finding common ground on this issue – that's a win for America.
School is back in session, which means so is Congress. I spent the last six weeks in South Dakota for the summer in-state work period. I've said it before – I don't think Congress needs a six-week break. We have work to do in Washington. However, my time spent in the state was valuable.
Most of South Dakota's students are back in the swing of the school year. Whether your child is beginning kindergarten or just moved into their first dorm room to begin freshman year at college, education - from pre-K to secondary - is central to the American way and our progress as a nation.
School is back in session, which means so is Congress. I spent the last six weeks in South Dakota for the summer in-state work period. I've said it before – I don't think Congress needs a six-week break. We have work to do in Washington. However, my time spent in the state was valuable.
South Dakota is leading the way in energy independence. I've always said the greatest improvements in our environment and conservation won't come in the form of a "green new deal" or the latest trend on the internet – it will come from U.S. innovation.
As the cicadas buzz fills the sky in the waning days of summer and South Dakota's students begin to head back for their first few weeks of school, you can bet that Dakotafest is right around the corner. For those of you who don't know, Dakotafest is a three-day celebration of our state's agricultural community held just south of my home of Mitchell.
Across America, opioids are ripping apart communities and families. After coming to Congress, my bipartisan freshman class made the decision to make addiction a primary focus, because combating the opioid crisis is one issue that all lawmakers can agree on. |
New love is fun. It‘s easy to enjoy the excitement, the rush, the sense of opportunity.
I prefer old love, though.
New love is perishable. It‘s easily distracted and fades quickly. Old love is abiding. It's stubborn, willing to ride out the inevitable storms and maelstroms of marriage.
Both in South Dakota and in Washington, I repeatedly hear the same thing – support free trade but hold bad actors accountable. As Americans, our innovation and ambition has allowed us to compete and succeed in a global market – but the playing field should be even. South Dakota has benefited greatly from market access, particularly for agricultural products.