Weekly Column
Our nation's immigration problems are not new, and frankly, they're getting worse. I had the opportunity to cut through the noise and travel to our southern border last week to see what's going on for myself.
For as long as I can remember, immigration reform headlines have frequented the front pages of our newspapers. It's a tough system to understand, and an even tougher system to legislate. Many of the world's greatest leaders have tried and failed over the years, and even some successes have resulted in failure years later.
Many people are familiar with the work I do in D.C., which ensures South Dakota's voice is heard on a national level about the issues that matter most to our state. However, I believe the most effective work gets done right here at home. I have offices in Sioux Falls, Aberdeen and Rapid City, where my staff works every day to help folks who are having issues with the federal government.
Over the last several weeks, South Dakota and our surrounding states have endured record level flooding. This has been a dire situation for the families and communities across the Midwest. Our state has barely begun to recover from dramatic flooding, and now we are seeing blizzard conditions in mid-April.
An average summer day in South Dakota is 82 degrees. While I am in the state for the August work period, I want to make sure I get face time with as many of you as possible.
Every week I travel back and forth from South Dakota to Washington, D.C., to represent our great state. I'm impressed by how many South Dakotans I've come across in D.C. over the last few months. Spring has sprung and families and school groups are headed to D.C. for spring break.
I grew up in a large working-class family in central South Dakota. My parents worked hard, every single day. So did I, and so did my brother and my sisters.
I've believed for a long time that technical and skilled labor education are the backbone of a strong national workforce. It's one thing to hear about successful programs at the state and local level, but it's a totally different experience to witness them firsthand and see the impact programs have on local communities.
As a self-described policy guy, I've spent a lot of time researching topics like agriculture and telecommunications. It's no secret that when elected I was laser focused on gaining a spot on the Agriculture Committee for South Dakotans. Now as a member of two very different committees, I've appreciated how many topics Members of Congress have the opportunity to study and debate.
Trade is about more than exchanging goods and services. Trade can lift families and industries out of an economic slump and offer opportunities for growth. The absence of trade can result in uncertainty and struggle.