December 8, 2023
Dear John,

BIG Update

The Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed emission standards would essentially require two-thirds of all new vehicles to be electric by 2032. The Biden Administration is pushing its green agenda and forcing America to further rely on China for batteries.

This emission mandate will force consumers to buy electric vehicles, which are more expensive, have more issues, and are less reliable than automobiles with internal combustion engines. Electric vehicles are not practical for many South Dakotans who want to have options when it comes to choosing a vehicle.

The Biden Administration hasn’t built a single EV charging station nationwide since President Biden took office. Implementation of this policy would be faulty and impractical. This week, House Republicans passed the CARS Act to block this overreaching mandate and protect consumer choice.

BIG Idea

The National Park Service (NPS) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) create Air Tour Management Plans for commercial air tours over national parks. The recently proposed plan for Mount Rushmore and the Badlands is the most restrictive plan in the nation.

This week, I met with Mark Schlaefli from Rushmore Helicopters and asked him questions when he testified in the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation. We discussed ways to improve the consultation process between the industry, FAA, and NPS.

View the line of questioning here or by clicking the image below.

BIG News

I met up with leaders from South Dakota’s tribes at the White House Tribal Nations Summit this week. Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Chairman Garret Renville, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Chairman Ryman LeBeau, Oglala Sioux Tribe President Frank Star Comes Out, and Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Chairwoman Janet Alkire were there to hear from the Administration on policies, priorities, and issues facing Indian country.

Earlier this week, I called on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies to hold field hearings to learn about the challenges faced by tribal law enforcement in the Great Plains.

Tribal law enforcement agencies are facing a lack of resources, not enough officers, and slow response times. Many tribes have issued States of Emergency on their reservations because of increased crime rates and insufficient law enforcement.

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