May 16, 2012: The Senate will convene at 9:30 a.m. Following Leader remarks, the Senate will proceed to the consideration of motions to proceed to the following budget resolutions, en bloc: S.Con.Res.41 (Senator Sessions-his interpretation of the Obama budget); H.Con.Res.112 (Congressman Ryan); S.Con.Res.37 (Senator Toomey); S.Con.Res.42 (Senator Paul); and S.Con.Res.44 (Senators Lee, Paul, DeMint). There will be up to 6 hours for debate on the motions to proceed, equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or their designees. Upon the use or yielding back of time (at approximately 4:00 p.m. if all time is used), the Senate will conduct up to 5 roll call votes on the motion to proceed to each concurrent resolution. There will be 2 minutes of debate between each vote and all votes after the first vote will be 10 minutes in duration.
One of my top priorities for South Dakota has been our state’s continued economic development. As your elected representative, it is my job to work on your behalf here in Washington, DC.
As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I am proud of the work I have done in the Senate and the millions of dollars of funding I have helped direct home for economic development, new roads, and our schools and universities. I have always agreed that transparency is a necessary part of the process, which is why I supported the ethics reform Congress passed two years ago. With the earlier reforms, it has become easier to identify which member of Congress had requested funding for a project that is included in an appropriations bill.
As the fiscal year 2010 appropriations process begins in Congress, members of Congress submit requests for projects. In order to promote even greater transparency, Members of Congress will post all of their earmark requests for the following fiscal year on their website. The information will include the purpose, locations, recipient and an explanation of why the spending is in the interest of taxpayers. These steps will bring an unprecedented level of accountability, transparency and openness to the process.
Now I know that the word ‘earmarks’ has unfortunately become a symbol for over-spending and government waste when, in truth, congressionally-directed funding is a vital way to provide much needed resources to local communities when they are handled responsibly.
At the end of the day, eliminating earmarks wouldn’t save the federal government any money. Earmarks make up only one percent of the federal budget and without Congressional guidance on where that money should be spent, the task is left to a nameless, faceless bureaucrat here in Washington to direct money around the country as they see fit. The money is still spent, but it will likely be directed towards New York and Los Angeles rather than Sioux Falls and Rapid City.
I hope you find the information on this page informative. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I look forward to fighting for these valuable South Dakota projects.
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
(Department of Agriculture; Farm Credit Administration; Farm Credit System Financial Assistance; Commodity Futures Trading Commission & Food and Drug Administration (HHS) and related agencies)
Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
(Departments of Commerce and Justice; NASA; National Science Foundation and related agencies)
(Department of Defense; Departments of Army; Departments of Navy; Departments of Air Force; Central Intelligence Agency and related agencies)
(Department of Energy; Department of Army Corps of Engineers-Civil; Department of Interior – Bureau of Reclamation and related agencies)
Financial Services and General Government
(Department of Treasury; District of Columbia; Small Business Administration; The Judiciary; Executive Office of the President; other related agencies and independent agencies)
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
(Department of Interior; Environmental Protection Agency and other related agencies)
Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
(Department of Education; Department of Health and Human Services; Department of Labor and other related agencies)
Military Construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
(Department of Defense – certain agencies including military construction, BRAC, and military housing; Department of Veterans Affairs and related agencies)
State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
(Department of State; Department of Defense - certain agencies; Department of Treasury; Peace Corps; and related agencies)
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
(Department of Housing and Urban Development; Department of Transportation and other related agencies)
(Department of Defense, the Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy, and the Department of the Air Force)
For more information about the appropriations process, click here to visit the Senate Appropriations Committee website.
| DISCOVER SOUTH DAKOTA | LATEST NEWS | CONSTITUENT SERVICES |
|
After agriculture, tourism is South Dakota's largest industry. Each year South Dakota entertains thousands of visitors, won't you be one of them? I invite you to come and discover South Dakota! |
My office in Washington, D.C. and three offices in South Dakota are here to serve you. Find out more about the services offered to South Dakotans. |