Congressional Update from Washington DC

South Dakota’s three Congressional leaders will provide an update on important ag issues. Join Sen. John Thune, Sen. Mike Rounds and Rep. Dusty Johnson for updates on timely issues such as beef and cattle markets, the new Farm Bill and more.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall will moderate this important forum.

Catch the forum replay below.

Speaker Details  

Senator Rounds

On January 6th, 2015, Senator Marion Michael “Mike” Rounds was sworn into the United States Senate. Senator Rounds serves on four committees: Senate Armed Services; Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs; Veterans’ Affairs; and Environment and Public Works.

Rounds previously served as the 31st governor of South Dakota from 2003 – 2011, easily winning reelection in 2006. From 1991 to 2000, he was elected five times to the South Dakota State Senate. In 1995, his colleagues selected him to serve as Senate Majority Leader, a position that he held for six years. During his time in state government, Rounds was committed to growing the economy, keeping taxes low and strengthening South Dakota families.

A lifelong South Dakotan, Senator Rounds was born in Huron, the eldest of 11 siblings. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from South Dakota State University. In the private sector, Rounds built a successful insurance and real estate business with offices throughout the state. He and his wife, Jean, currently reside in Fort Pierre. They are the proud parents of four grown children and 10 grandchildren.

Representative Johnson

Dusty Johnson brings an energetic and optimistic style to Washington as South Dakota’s lone voice in the U.S. House of Representatives. A recognized leader in issues related to rural

America, agriculture, and welfare reform, he serves on the Agriculture Committee and as ranking member of the subcommittee overseeing the SNAP Food Stamp program and the implementation of the 2018 Farm Bill. Dusty also focuses on welfare reform and workforce development as a key member of the Committee on Education and Labor. Prior to being elected to Congress, he served as chief of staff to the Governor and as vice president of an engineering firm specializing in rural telecommunications. Dusty lives in Mitchell with his wife and three sons.

Senator John Thune

In 1996, with a shoestring budget and the support of family and friends, John won his first term as South Dakota’s lone member of the U.S. House of Representatives. John was re-elected to a second term by the largest margin in South Dakota history. He returned again to Washington in 2001 to serve his third term in the House.

John then honored his 1996 campaign pledge to serve only three terms in the House. After a narrow loss in a U.S. Senate race in 2002, he won his current Senate seat in 2004, when he made history by defeating a sitting Senate party leader for the first time in 52 years.

In 2010, John was elected to serve a second term in the Senate in a rare unopposed race. He was only the third Republican and the only South Dakotan to run unopposed for the Senate since direct elections were created in 1913. John was elected to a third term in 2016.

For the 117th Congress, John serves on the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee; the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee; and the Finance Committee. He serves as ranking member of the Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband and ranking member of the Finance Committee's Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight. He also serves as the Senate Republican whip, the number two position in Senate Republican leadership, and has previously served as chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee from 2009–2011 and chairman of the Senate Republican Conference from 2012-2018.

John and his wife Kimberley live in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and they have two grown daughters and five grandchildren. In his free time, John enjoys spending time with his family, pheasant hunting, and running.