Senator Mike Rounds

Pleased to be in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump as he signed the National Defense Authorization Act into law. I worked with President Trump on this bill that delivers real results for South Dakota and our servicemembers, including a well-deserved pay raise for our troops and the authorization of funding for construction projects at Ellsworth Air Force Base as we prepare for the B-21 Raider stealth bomber. We will keep working for South Dakota and for the men and women who defend America every day. 🇺🇸

Good to meet with Julie Wingen from Whitewood representing the American Physical Therapy Association. We discussed ways to increase access to physical therapy in South Dakota, including the Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act of 2026 which I will be introducing with Senator Heinrich this week!

Kevin Warsh is highly qualified, and I look forward to supporting his nomination to be Chairman of the Federal Reserve. If Democrats do not support his nomination, it says less about his qualifications and more about the state of the Democrat party.

Great to visit with members of NSSF - The Firearm Industry Trade Association, including Brandon Maddox of Sioux Falls-based Silencer Central, to discuss their priorities for the upcoming year.

Good to meet with doctors from South Dakota representing the American College of Gastroenterology in DC!

Spoke with South Dakota pharmacists from Fort Pierre and Sioux Falls recently about how the federal government can best support local pharmacies and the patients they serve.

President Trump said it best just now: we need to resolve our differences peacefully in our country. Violence is never the answer. I’m grateful for the brave law enforcement agents who acted quickly to protect President Trump, his team and everyone in attendance at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner tonight in DC. We also continue to pray for the Secret Service agent who was shot.

Tribal radio stations are critical for communications in rural South Dakota. Glad to receive @secretaryburgum’s support on this as we continue our appropriations process for FY27.

Anything grown in a lab should never be labeled as “meat” at the grocery store. I’m glad that @SecRollins 100% agrees.

DSU welcomed @SenatorRounds and senior federal cyber leadership to campus Friday for a strategic visit focused on cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, quantum research, and workforce development.

Year-round access to E15 is crucial to the American people as it helps families save money at the pump and supports demand for American grown crops. Great to sit down with South Dakotans with Growth Energy to talk about the importance of strong biofuels policy and what it means for our farmers and rural communities.

Visited with South Dakota Society of Professional Land Surveyors representatives to discuss ways we can help veterans find meaningful and important work as they transition out of the military and into civilian life.

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to meet with rural mail providers at the South Dakota Rural Letter Carrier Association Convention in Watertown. We had a productive conversation about their concerns and how we fix this flawed USPS system. It’s important we don’t blame them, they are just the messengers and are as frustrated as we are. Finding a solution to these issues can only happen if we work together.

Good to be in Spearfish and Deadwood last weekend for the conferences hosted by the National Guard Association of South Dakota and the South Dakota National Guard Enlisted Association. I appreciated the opportunity to visit with soldiers, airmen and South Dakota National Guard leaders. It is always valuable to hear their experiences directly.

Always good to see representatives from South Dakota Biotech to talk about how Congress can support South Dakota’s bioscience industry.

Visited with South Dakotans from the American Clean Power Association to discuss how their organizations are working to meet the growing demand for energy in our state.

Recently sat down with students with Fraternal Government Relations Coalition, including one of my former interns Griffin who is a senior at USD. Good to talk to them about the importance of protecting students' freedom of association rights.

Erik Gaikowski, State Director and Doug DeGroot, State President of AARP South Dakota stopped by the office to talk about healthcare needs and issues facing the aging population in South Dakota.

Always enjoy meeting with the with folks from South Dakota Tourism. I appreciate all they do to support our state’s economy by bringing in millions of tourists to the land of great faces and great places each year.

Appreciated the opportunity to speak at the Mortgage Bankers Association National Advocacy Conference and visit with Lorre Buhler, President of South Dakota’s Association for Mortgage Professionals.

Had a good time speaking with students from Marty Indian School while they were in DC!