Washington Report: By Senator John Thune Since the Senate’s fresh start in January, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation has worked hard to pass common-sense legislation that will help spur job creation and strengthen our nation’s competitiveness in the global marketplace. I consider it a privilege to serve as chairman of this committee, which has broad jurisdiction over issues that touch every corner of our state, including telecommunications, aviation, rail, highway safety, and interstate commerce. All 24 members of our panel, which is made up of six active subcommittees, take seriously their responsibility to work on meaningful legislation that covers a broad range of oversight and legislative reforms. Our initiatives this year have ranged from consumer protection measures to space and Internet policies that are critical to our nation’s economic growth and scientific innovation. In all, the Commerce Committee can be credited with nearly 20 percent of all the bills that have been reported out of the Senate’s various committees so far this year.
A Record of Accomplishment they escalate into larger disputes that could put rail service at risk. The committee also passed the Motor Vehicle Safety Whistleblower Act (S. 304), the Seasonal Forecasting Improvement Act (S. 1331), the Sport Fish Restoration and Recreational Boating Safety Act (S. 834), and the Ports Performance Act (S. 1298), among others. I was particularly pleased that the Ports Performance Act cleared the committee because of the detrimental impact the West Coast container port disruptions had on South Dakota’s economy. This legislation would help provide advance warning to address future problems before they reach critical mass. While there is much more work to be done, the Commerce Committee has built a noteworthy record of accomplishment just halfway through the first session of the 114th Congress. Over the coming months, our committee will continue its effort to forge the effective, efficient, and accountable federal government that the American people deserve.
Of the many important issues the committee has tackled this year, there are several that are of particular importance to South Dakota. First, the multi-year highway bill the Senate recently passed, which would reverse the trend of kicking the can down the road on transportation funding, contains the Commerce Committee-approved Comprehensive Transportation and Consumer Protection Act (S. 1732). This legislation includes expanded flexibility for state infrastructure grant programs and consolidated freight infrastructure planning that will address unique safety and infrastructure needs in South Dakota and across the country. This bill also provides some much-needed permanent regulatory relief to certain commercial drivers involved in the agricultural sector. Earlier this year, the committee reported, and the Senate passed, the bipartisan Surface Transportation Board (STB) Reauthorization Act (S. 808), which would improve the STB’s dispute resolution process in the wake of the 20132014 rail service disruptions in South Dakota and around the country. This bill would ensure that the STB has the authority it needs to proactively resolve problems before 40
SOUTH DAKOTA MUNICIPALITIES
