Weekly Column
BIG Update
It’s important to honor the sacrifices our service members have made to protect our freedoms. Last week, I recognized 15 Vietnam-era veterans in Sturgis and thanked them for their service to our country.
BIG Update
China’s vaping sector is estimated to be worth $28 billion, but the sale of electronic cigarette devices is banned within its own borders. Thus, China makes a great effort distribute them in America, evading shipping regulations and customs enforcement to do so. If these products are not safe for their own citizens, I question their efforts to smuggle and sell them into the United States.
BIG Update
This week, I re-introduced my Traveler’s Gun Rights Act to protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding RV-ers, active-duty military, military spouses, and others who rely on P.O. Boxes as their mailing address. Currently, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) does not recognize alternative addresses – like a P.O. Box – for firearms paperwork, although these types of addresses are allowable for a driver’s license.
BIG Update
I had a great week visiting seniors young and old—high school seniors and senior citizens—across South Dakota this week. I can tell they’re all paying attention to the news because they had great questions about the border, TikTok, and Trump’s first few weeks in office, especially about tariffs and government efficiency.
I always love getting out in the state to talk to real people like you. It keeps me focused on the most important part of my job – serving South Dakota.
BIG Update
School conditions are dire in Indian country. For years, they haven’t received the funding they need, and now, unfortunately, schools are riddled with leaky roofs, broken heaters, mold, and more. Congress and the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) must do better to uphold our trust and treaty obligations to tribes.
BIG Update
The Biden Administration’s open border policies allowed fentanyl to flow across the border for four years. The outcome is tragic. Fentanyl poisoning is the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18-45. This illicit drug has ended thousands of lives, causing heartbreak and distress in families and communities nationwide.
BIG Update
Earlier this week, President Trump signed into law the Laken Riley Act which makes it easier to deport illegal immigrants with a criminal record. This was the first bill Trump signed into law during his second term which had broad support from Republicans and Democrats in both the House and Senate.
BIG Update
Every year, thousands of babies are born alive after a failed attempted abortion, however, they don’t all receive care they need to survive. It’s truly tragic. This week, I voted to pass the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act to require health care practitioners who are present preserve the life and health of the child born. Every child deserves a chance at life.