February 21, 2025
Dear John,

Serving South Dakotans

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.

Johnson with students at Canistota High School

Johnson with seniors at Tieszen Memorial Home

BIG Idea

River Cities Public Transit helps people get around across South Dakota, for things like a doctor’s appointment or a visit to the local Veterans’ Affairs (VA) facility. I stopped by River Cities Transit to learn more about their operations. They shared that they are facing a workforce shortage, especially with the challenge of recruiting drivers with a CDL. Even though we have a shortage of 80,0000 truck drivers, the Biden Administration implemented rules that made it harder to obtain a CDL. Veterans and senior citizens rely on businesses like River City Transit, and their CDL drivers, to make it to their appointments.

I’m a leader on legislation in the House that would make it easier for CDL applicants to get their license, and to expand coverage for rural veteran transportation. These men and women made sacrifices to keep America free and they deserve the highest quality of care we can provide. Ensuring veterans in rural America continue to have access to transportation is a critical first step.

Johnson visiting River Cities Public Transit

BIG News

America has an abundance of energy resources, but we’ve seen a stark contrast between how the Biden and Trump Administrations have stewarded them. Under the Biden Administration, many U.S. energy sources remained untapped as America relied on countries in the Middle East and Russia to meet our energy needs. Relying on these countries poses a risk to the security of our nation, economy, and supply chain. President Trump understands the need to increase energy security and during his first term, America became a net exporter of energy for the first time in nearly 70 years.

To unleash American energy again, President Trump recently established the National Energy Dominance Council, chaired by Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum. This council will cut red tape and spur innovation across the energy sector to lower prices for consumers and make America energy secure again.

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