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. We call it casework.
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. More than a foot of snow on already saturated ground may only make matters worse for families already suffering from flood damage.
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. To help beat the heat and hear from South Dakotans at the same time, I'm making stops at ice cream shops throughout the state to get the "Inside Scoop." I am always looking for more opportunities to sit down with constituents and have a conversation. What better way than over ice cream?
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. While my time here has focused on congressional work, I've enjoyed exploring some of the historical and cultural experiences D.C. has to offer.
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.
Even with that hard work, there were times when we needed help from government to get by. I am who I am today because of the experiences of both welfare and hard work. Government assistance can help meet people's basic needs— we all know that. But on its own, welfare alone means surviving just barely, on the edges.
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. I enjoy immersing myself in the intricacies of ag policy, but my time as a freshman member of the House Education and Labor Committee has allowed me to explore plenty of new avenues.
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.