Economic Security | Health Care | Family Farms | Education
Veterans | Native Americans | Conservation and the Outdoors

Why I want to represent the people of South Dakota in Congress

I grew up on my family's fourth-generation farm and ranch in northeastern South Dakota. I became involved in public policy and public service because I want to make a difference on behalf of South Dakota families like mine – hard working, community-oriented folks who are more interested in getting something done than getting credit, and more interested in finding common ground than in fighting partisan political battles. South Dakota deserves an independent voice in Congress that will represent the individuals, families and businesses of our state, and I go to work every day with those people in mind.

As South Dakota's lone member of Congress, I work hard on a number of priorities every day. My positions on the Veterans' Affairs, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committees allow me to play an important role in shaping vital policy best suited to South Dakota's interests. Through my role on the Agriculture Committee, I was proud to help write the new Farm Bill. And as the chairwoman for the Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee for Economic Opportunity, I have passed legislation to help ease servicemembers’ transitions to civilian life – particularly this new generation of veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan. My position on the Natural Resources Committee allows me to focus on issues affecting South Dakota's nine sovereign Native American tribes, including law enforcement and health care needs, as well as critical issues regarding federal land, including the Black Hills National Forest.

I also use my position as one of just 15 members of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global warming to emphasize the continuing need to invest in the future of renewable biofuels, including ethanol and biodiesel. And as co-chair of the Rural Working Group, I work to make sure rural voices are heard on issues ranging from health care to education.

In addition to the central role I play on committees important to South Dakota's interests, my leadership position as a member of the fiscally-conservative Blue Dog Coalition is a sign of my commitment to balancing the budget and reducing the federal deficit. I believe the United States government should manage its budget the same way that families in South Dakota do – by not spending more than we can afford. As a Blue Dog, I was proud to help implement tough new pay-as-you-go rules in the 110th Congress, which require that we pay for what we spend and make the tough decisions necessary to get our country back on track to financial responsibility.

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Economic Security for South Dakota’s Working Families

In Congress, I am working to strengthen the economic security of South Dakota's working families through smart, targeted legislation aimed at fair treatment for workers and economic growth across the state. I support policies and initiatives that guarantee real job opportunities with living wages, employment and retirement security, educational and training opportunities, and access to affordable child care to allow people to live, work and raise families in our great state.

Nobody works harder than the people of South Dakota, but we lag among other states when it comes to annual income. We also have the nation's highest number per capita of women working outside the home. South Dakota also has a large number of individuals who work one or more part-time jobs to make ends meet. Skyrocketing energy prices, including the price of gas at the pump, are making it harder for South Dakotans to provide for their families. South Dakota needs a leader committed to representing the interests of our working people, preserving our quality of life, raising our standard of living, and developing a wide range of domestic energy sources to help build rural economies and lower gasoline prices. Here are reasons why I am that leader:

Making Health Care Affordable. I strongly believe that access to quality and affordable health care should not be considered a luxury for hardworking families. I have dedicated myself to improving our health care system and searching for innovative and forward-looking ways to make health insurance more affordable and to reduce the number of uninsured people in South Dakota. I have supported efforts to enable small businesses to work together to offer quality, affordable health insurance coverage. I think we also need to treat the self-employed – including farmers and ranchers – more fairly by allowing them the ability to deduct the cost of healthcare premiums from self-employment taxes in addition to income taxes. I also support strengthening successful public health programs, like the Children's Health Insurance Program.

Fair Tax Policies. I strongly support the recent economic recovery tax rebates being distributed to hundreds of thousands of working South Dakota households, including disabled veterans and seniors, in an effort to strengthen the economy through common-sense tax relief. I also support tax credits for working families to help address the need for quality, flexible, and affordable childcare, and the lowering of working families' marginal tax rates.

Prosperity for Individuals and Small Businesses. I am committed to economic policies that promote growth and prosperity for all Americans. The recent economic stimulus package that I supported doubles small business tax write-offs for new capital investments. I believe trade legislation, wage and benefit laws, monetary policy, farm policy, and all our economic decisions must be judged by their effect on individual Americans and small businesses, not just by their effect on the profits of our country's large corporations.

Lower Gas Prices. I believe expanded domestic exploration of our domestic oil and gas resources, including drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf and other areas currently off limits, can be an important tool in what must be a comprehensive effort to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. I am a leader in the development of biofuels, which are already keeping gas prices lower than they otherwise would be, and I am proud to have played a central role in helping to pass the historic Renewable Fuels Standard included in the recent Energy Bill. I also support a range of targeted policies that are intended to help lower oil and gasoline prices, including giving the Department of Justice authority to act against oil cartels; enhancing Commodity Futures Trading Commission authority to prevent harmful price manipulation; and suspending additions to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

Fair Trade Policies. Undeniably, NAFTA has had devastating effects on our state's manufacturing and agriculture industries. I believe that free trade must also be fair trade - and I am working hard to ensure that our federal trade negotiators effectively represent the interests of individual South Dakota workers, farmers and ranchers, not just large corporate interests.

Education and Training. I believe that education and training opportunities such as tuition reimbursement, work stipends, and grant funding for apprenticeship programs allow people to work smarter, not just harder - and should have a central place in our policies.

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Ensuring Quality and Affordable Health Care

Health care should not be considered a luxury for anyone - but quality, affordable care remains out of reach for far too many South Dakotans. Medicine in America has moved dramatically toward treating and curing many illnesses through pharmacology and advances in technology and research. I am working to ensure these advances continue, and that rural states like South Dakota receive the full benefit of these advances.

I am committed to improving our health care system and directly addressing the rising cost of health insurance and prescription drugs, the high number of uninsured, and the challenges associated with long-term care. Here are the priorities I take to Congress for ensuring quality, affordable health care for all South Dakotans:

Helping Seniors. I am encouraged that Congress has added a prescription drug benefit under Medicare. However, I support changes to the benefit that will strengthen the Medicare system and do more for seniors, particularly rural seniors, than for pharmaceutical and insurance companies. I strongly support efforts to direct Medicare to use its bargaining power to negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs under "Part D," similar to the way the Department of Veterans Affairs negotiates lower drug prices. I also strongly support important rural Medicare provisions that ensure fair payment to hospitals, physicians and other healthcare providers serving South Dakotans.

Lowering the Cost of Health Insurance. Skyrocketing premium costs have left tens of thousands of South Dakotans without health insurance and continue to place a heavy burden on employers who desire to offer this important benefit. Many families cannot even afford coverage for their children. Congress must act now to make health care coverage more affordable and available for all of our citizens. I support efforts to enable small businesses to work together to offer quality, affordable health insurance coverage. I think we also need to treat the self-employed – including farmers and ranchers – more fairly by allowing them the ability to deduct the cost of healthcare premiums from self-employment taxes in addition to income taxes. I also support strengthening successful public health programs, like the Children's Health Insurance Program, by providing more funding to cover children already eligible for coverage, and by improving outreach efforts, including by enrolling needy children through the school lunch program.

Making Long-Term Care Affordable and Accessible. Long-term care insurance is often the only way to meet the expenses of a nursing home without sacrificing one's life savings and other assets in order to qualify for Medicaid. Because there are such widespread misperceptions about the need for and cost of long-term care, I am leading efforts in Congress to raise awareness and help South Dakotans be prepared to address the long-term care needs of their families. I am also working to make long-term care insurance premiums tax deductible - separate from itemized deductions - including for those who pay the premiums for their parents' policies.

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Fighting for Family Farms and Ranches

Growing up on my family's fourth-generation farm and ranch near Houghton, SD, I know firsthand that agriculture remains the key driver of our economic growth. As South Dakota’s lone member of Congress, and through my service on the House Agriculture Committee, I was proud to have played a central role in crafting the Farm Bill that passed in 2008. I was very pleased to take input I received from thousands of South Dakotans to help ensure that the bill reflects the needs and priorities of our state's producers. The Farm Bill is the single most important piece of legislation for South Dakota producers, families, and businesses, and it’s critical to ensuring the viability of farm and ranch operations across the state.

The final version of the bill did not include everything that we would like, but it nonetheless includes critical reforms of key farm programs while maintaining a solid safety net for producers, permanent disaster assistance, a new livestock title, provisions to encourage the development of renewable sources of energy, increased spending for domestic and international food assistance, and increased funding for conservation programs.

I am pleased that several key provisions I authored were included in the final bill that was enacted, including delaying FSA and other USDA office closures for two years; improving access to broadband internet in rural America, and programs providing assistance for beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.

Through my work on the House Agriculture Committee, I will continue to find ways to protect our family farms and ranches that complement and facilitate new economic growth in our communities; to level the playing field at home and abroad for American agriculture; and to keep feeding the world throughout this new century. We all have a stake in creating an environment where young people can thrive on and around our farms and ranches. Here are some ways I will continue to work for our family farms and strengthen South Dakota's agricultural economy:

Renewable Energy. Developing renewable fuels like ethanol, biodiesel and wind energy benefits South Dakota's economy through value-added agriculture, helps the environment and our health by keeping our air clean, and reduces our dependence on foreign oil. In Congress, I am leading efforts to maintain the Renewable Fuels Standard which was passed into law in December; expand the definition of renewable biomass to include resources from our forests; promote the development of wind energy; and support research into next generation and cellulosic biofuels.

Fair Prices. Fair prices depend on stricter enforcement of existing antitrust laws and other tools to avoid unfair concentration and monopolistic practices by large corporations. I support a ban on packer ownership of livestock, and I have joined efforts to ensure that the Department of Justice provides adequate oversight and regulation of consolidation in the industry. In addition, I am working with my colleagues on the House Agriculture Committee to investigate the role of speculation in the commodity markets and will take steps to ensure that the agriculture futures markets can continue to be a vehicle for real price discovery and a trustworthy place for producers to hedge risk.

Fair Trade. Free trade for South Dakota agriculture must also mean fair trade that eliminates barriers to marketing American food and fiber products abroad, providing us with access to new markets. In Congress, I am working to ensure that our trade negotiators effectively represent the interests of individual crop and livestock producers, not just corporate agricultural interests, and that currency valuations are an important factor in future trade agreements.

Food Safety. With the recent recalls of beef and outbreaks of disease in our fruits and vegetables, I believe this is an area of our agriculture policy that demands renewed attention. I am pleased that the Farm Bill contains an agreement on country-of-origin labeling. However, we need to continue to increase our vigilance around water supplies and animal and crop processing facilities. USDA and FDA inspectors must have the tools necessary to ensure our domestic food supply remains among the safest in the world. Also, I support improving resources for agencies responsible for inspecting products that enter our borders and am working to ensure that meat from countries not certified as free from Foot and Mouth Disease does not enter this country.

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Securing Resources for Quality Education

We all have a stake in ensuring quality education for each new generation of South Dakotans. Dedicating necessary resources to improving our education system is an investment in the very future of our country and is a fundamental form of economic development. States and local communities should lead this effort and define the specific needs of their individual students. The federal government can be an important partner to local efforts by providing resources to help teachers, students, and parents meet the educational goals of our communities.

In Congress, I have supported legislation to fully fund No Child Left Behind and the Individuals with Disabilities Act; to provide better resources for early childhood development; and to make higher education more affordable and a reality for all South Dakotans. My priorities in Congress include:

Promoting Early Childhood Development. Education is a lifelong endeavor. It is proven that quality early childhood education is a major factor in a child's future success. I am pleased to have joined with my colleagues to pass a reauthorization of the Head Start program this year, building on the proven success of Head Start by expanding the program to provide for more qualified teachers, increased accountability and greater accessibility. In addition, I support legislation that would provide resources to local school districts for the development of quality preschool programs.

Improving Student Achievement. Since its implementation it is clear that the No Child Left Behind Act has fallen far short of its stated goals. As Congress considers a reauthorization, I will work to ensure that the new legislation provides for increased flexibility for local educational agencies by allowing use of growth models and multiple measures of student success, takes appropriate and reasoned steps to hold failing schools accountable, does more to integrate students with disabilities and Native American students, and provides greater resources and tools for recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers and administrators.

Making College More Affordable and Accessible. I have supported and helped pass several bills this year to address the soaring price of college tuition and remove other obstacles that make it harder for qualified students in South Dakota to go to college, including one of the largest increases in student financial aid since the 1944 G.I. Bill. In addition, legislation passed this year includes measures to rein in colleges price increases, expands eligibility for Pell Grant scholarships, provides incentives to colleges who publish tuition and fee schedules up front so students and families can know in advance how much their college education will cost, cleans up corrupt practices in student loan programs, and streamlines the federal financial aid application process.

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Honoring Our Veterans

It is not surprising that our state has one of the largest per capita number of veterans, because South Dakotans have always answered their country's call to serve. We have a rich tradition of service men and women who accepted low pay and risked their lives in many cases at home and overseas. In return, the government promised to provide for the needs of these heroes – a small price to pay for the defense of our collective freedom.

As a member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and as Chairwoman of its Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, I believe a promise made should be a promise kept. One of the reasons I ran for Congress was because I have seen our veterans pushed to the back of the line when it comes time to write the budget in Washington, D.C. For years, Congress passed flat-lined veterans' health care budgets at a time when overall health care costs skyrocketed and the veteran population was in need of more advanced care.

Fortunately, the veterans' health care budget has seen a record increase in funding in recent years. However, there remains much room for improvement in our care for veterans. I am continuing to fight for a veteran's health care budget that provides timely services at our VA hospitals, provides affordable prescription drug coverage, covers the long-term care needs of our older veterans, and meets the growing mental and physical health care needs of recently returned veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I am working to open new Community Based Outreach Clinics in South Dakota, like those in Eagle Butte, Aberdeen, Winner and Pierre, which can be important ways for veterans to get help without traveling hundreds of miles to VA medical centers in Fort Meade, Hot Springs or Sioux Falls. As the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Chairwoman, I also am working to improve employment and training opportunities for veterans, ensure the Montgomery G.I. Bill is modernized to meet the needs of the 21st century total force, improve housing benefits for disabled veterans, and protect the employment rights of deployed servicemembers. Additionally, I have introduced legislation to create new work study programs for veterans seeking a college education, improve VA health care services for women veterans, prevent homelessness among low-income veterans, and protect the employment rights of federal employees that have served in the military. Finally, in order to ensure that VA health care is adequately funded, I have cosponsored legislation to require mandatory funding of veterans health care.

The sacrifices we ask of our men and women in uniform are great. They give up some of their freedom to protect freedom for the rest of us. Those of us who seek to represent them owe more than just words in return for their sacrifices. We owe them specific answers as to how we will support servicemembers, veterans, and their families.

Failing to take care of our veterans' basic needs disrespects their service and turns our commitment to them into little more than hollow words. In Congress I will continue to cast South Dakota's vote in favor of reestablishing our commitment to our nation's veterans, prioritizing their needs, and honoring their service.

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Commitment to Native Americans

My basic belief is that Indian Nations are sovereign governments, recognized in the Constitution and in hundreds of treaties with the United States executive branch. Through these government-to-government relationships, the federal government must uphold its trust responsibilities to tribes and Native Americans. The federal government should facilitate and complement tribal governments' efforts to improve quality of life and support economic development in Indian Country.

But simple words are not enough. Like all Americans, what Native Americans need are specific actions by their representatives to help them solve the difficult problems they face. My service on the Resources Committee has allowed me to focus on these solutions on behalf of South Dakota's tribes. Here are just a few of the issues I am working on in Congress in coordination with tribal leaders.

Law Enforcement. The federal government has a responsibility to promote a strong law enforcement and tribal justice system. Too often, the Bureau of Indian Affairs has failed to provide the officers, equipment, and other resources necessary to keep communities safe. This failure leads to startling disparities, including the fact that Native women are 2.5 times more likely than non-Native women to suffer sexual abuse during their lifetimes. Improving public safety requires federal investment in tribal courts, jails, juvenile detention facilities, rehabilitation programs, officer recruitment and retention, and other necessary components. I will work with tribal leaders to continue to address this complex problem.

Sovereignty. I am committed to supporting Native Americans in their inherent right to be self-governing, to retain their culture and language, to build thriving communities and to continue their extraordinary contributions to a diverse American society.

Making Quality Health Care Available. The Indian Health Service is the backbone of health care across Indian Country. I am actively working with my colleagues in the House to reauthorize the Indian Health Care Improvement Act which will provide much needed resources to Native communities to address health care needs. I will vote to fully fund the IHS in order to provide the quality health care Indians were solemnly promised by the American government generations ago.

I also believe that the availability of nursing home care on our Native American reservations must be addressed at the federal level. It is a travesty that individuals who have lived their entire lives on the reservation must leave their families, friends, and communities during their final years in order to receive adequate medical treatment and long-term care.

Education. There are thousands of Native American children in South Dakota who are students enrolled in Bureau of Indian Education schools. Despite dedicated teaching and support staff, administrators, and parental involvement, many Native students are still not receiving the highest quality education due to crumbling facilities, lack of access to the technology and educational resources, and inadequate funding of federal mandates. I believe that education and economic development go hand-in-hand in Indian Country. With this in mind, and the fact that over 50 percent of the American Indian population in South Dakota is under the age of eighteen, education must be a top priority. I support the continuation of key educational programs, such as Johnson O’Malley. I am working to ensure that this treaty right is funded adequately and that any future reauthorization of No Child Left Behind addresses the unique needs of Native students.

Finding Solutions to the Trust Fund Issue. Congress must take responsibility for the mismanagement of the Trust Fund. Generations have come and gone as Presidents of both parties have tried to address this problem. By law, the federal government is responsible for the management of certain funds for the benefit of Native American people, and it is past time for the government to get this fiscal house in order. While there are no easy remedies to this complex issue, there can be no excuse for inaction on the part of Congress. I have dedicated myself to working with all parties involved in finding a better way to manage the Trust Fund.

Native American Servicemembers. Native Americans have fought for the United States whenever she has been threatened, and they are fighting in large numbers today in Iraq and Afghanistan. Indian servicemembers and veterans deserve quality health care and a fair salary. That is why I continue to oppose the Administration's plan to charge enrollment fees for access to VA care, against raising veterans’ prescription drug co-pay, and for full funding of the VA health care system.

I am working hard on many other matters important to Indian Country, such as ensuring resources for road construction and improvement, investing in infrastructure for safe water supplies, promoting meaningful oversight over the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and more actively encouraging economic development opportunities on South Dakota’s reservations through increased access to small business loans.

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Conservation and South Dakota’s Sportsmen and Women

Growing up on my family’s farm near Houghton and the Sand Lake Wildlife Refuge in the northeast part of the state, I appreciate that outdoors activities are a treasured South Dakota tradition and vital to our state’s economy. To preserve that tradition, and to grow our tourism industry, we need to enact sensible legislation regarding conservation.

The beauty of South Dakota as seen by Lewis & Clark 200 years ago is still intact. We have a quality of life that is the envy of the nation, including clean air and water, as well as rich and productive soil. Our wonderful culture of recreation and outdoors activities contributes greatly to our high quality of life, and in Congress, I continue to work on behalf of our sportsmen and women. We are all lucky to live here, and have an obligation and opportunity to preserve the nation’s best quality of life for future generations.

Gun ownership. I received an “A” rating from the NRA because I oppose further restrictions on gun ownership at the federal level, and I believe that we should focus our attention on enforcing the laws already on the books. As a defender of our Second Amendment rights, I support allowing law-abiding citizens to exercise their right to carry firearms for personal protection. I oppose federal firearm registration and licensing, as well as attempts to limit gun owners’ rights through bans on types of firearms or ammunition.

Wetlands. I support initiatives like the Farmable Wetlands Pilot Program, which was created to protect small and sensitive farmed wetlands and to compensate producers for taking these acres out of production. I recognize the need to maintain all wetlands including seasonal and temporary wetlands that hold water for only brief periods of time. They are very important to nesting waterfowl, and also important to water quality and flood control.

Grassland Reserve Program. One of the most popular conservation programs in South Dakota is the Grassland Reserve Program (GRP). However, funding has been continually low, preventing significant numbers of acres from being enrolled. In Congress, I am working to ensure that this conservation measure is adequately funded to help landowners protect, restore, and enhance grasslands, rangeland, pastureland, shrubland and other lands on their property. Through conservation of our grasslands we can help maintain South Dakota’s viable ranching operations and help ensure we not only have safe drinking water but abundant fishing.

Conservation Reserve Program. The Conservation Reserve Program has done much to help us expand South Dakota’s wildlife habitat while improving our water quality and restoring soil quality. Not only does the program bring us many conservation benefits but it also compensates South Dakota’s landowners for entering into multi-year contracts to convert highly erodible cropland or other sensitive acreage to vegetative cover, such as tame or native grasses, wildlife plantings, trees, filterstrips or riparian buffers. I am working with members from both sides of the aisle to expand this critical conservation program to bring additional benefits to South Dakota’s landowners and to protect our valuable wetlands.

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