Weekly Columns
Break out your blaze orange vests; pheasant season is back again in South Dakota!
This guest column is written by Shawnee Red Bear, who works in Congressman Johnson’s Washington DC office
This past Wednesday, I hosted a telephone town hall with constituents 35 and under.
Now some of you may be thinking, Dusty, why would you host a town hall exclusive to younger folks?
If you turned on the news this week or scrolled through social media, it is likely that you came across the tragic story of 22-year-old Gabby Petito whose body was found in Wyoming this week. A little less than two weeks ago, Petito’s family filed a missing person’s report when her fiancé returned home to Florida from a cross-country road trip without her.
With August recess wrapping up and Members of Congress soon returning to Washington, I wanted to provide you with some of the highlights from my time spent in South Dakota over the summer work period.
Tuesday, September 11, 2001. It was like every other day working for then-Congressman John Thune on Capitol Hill. I was a staff assistant at the time and our office, the Longworth House Office Building, was located adjacent to the Capitol.
The events that unfolded in Afghanistan over the last few weeks have been a tragedy.
This week, the House was called back for a special session. However, it was not to vote on legislation related to the heart-wrenching humanitarian and military crisis unfolding in Afghanistan. Instead, Speaker Pelosi called us back to vote on a $3.5 trillion budget blueprint.
Summer is coming to an end and students across South Dakota are heading back to school. I was home to see my three boys off to start the 2021-2022 school year this week.
Like many South Dakotans, I grew up in a working-class family where the value of hard work was instilled in me at a young age. The ability to earn an income and support your family is one of the greatest opportunities America has to offer.