Washington Report | Sen. Rounds

COLUMN WASHINGTON REPORT

U.S. SENATOR MIKE ROUNDS

I visited many of South Dakota’s municipalities during my last in-state work period. It’s always important to hear feedback on the issues important to our state and nation. Here are just a few of the highlights: • Held Constituent Coffee events in

Wessington Springs, Milbank and

Spearfish. It was great to visit with the hundreds who turned out to share their input on our work in Washington. • Joined an agriculture panel at DakotaFest in Mitchell to discuss the upcoming farm bill. Another big topic of discussion was my legislation that would ban Russia, China, North Korea and Iran from buying or investing in American farmland or agricultural businesses. • Visited with friends at the South Dakota State Fair in Huron. I stopped to enjoy a cup of coffee with folks in Highmore and Wolsey along the way. • Joined the Sioux Falls Chamber for an hour-long Q&A discussion with questions ranging from health care and cybersecurity to agriculture and our veterans. • Discussed my strong support for Mandatory

Country of Origin Labeling (MCOOL) and the USA Beef Act at the R-CALF Convention in Deadwood. • Spoke with Veteran Service Officers from across the state at their annual benefits school held in Pierre. • Met with the leadership at Agtegra in

Aberdeen and Valley Queen Cheese in

Milbank. • Participated in an event in Sioux Falls celebrating the expansion and upgrade of the

South Dakota Mesonet weather monitoring systems. The data collected by these systems will help mitigate potential flood

and drought conditions. We worked hard to secure full funding for the construction of this project. • Held a rountable discussion with Milbank community and business leaders. • Talked about the importance of being a good citizen with the cub scouts and boy scouts in Pierre. • Presented a Purple Heart in Sioux Falls to the family of Private Arthur Healy. Private

Healy was wounded in France during World

War II and died shortly after of his injuries.

I also want to remind you that we are here to serve you. A large part of our office’s workload includes helping citizens who are experiencing issues with the federal government. We know these interactions can be frustrating, and we are here to help you get answers.

Some examples of assistance we can provide are: • Help with Veterans Benefits: My office can help with compensation claims, military records and obtaining military medals. • Service Academy Nominations: I’m honored to nominate South Dakota high school students to our nation’s elite service academies. Visit my website to apply. • Help with Other Federal Agencies: Our team regularly assists citizens in getting records or finding answers to questions with the Social Security Administration, IRS,

Medicare or immigration.

We want to hear from you - whether you’re having difficulties with the federal government or want to share your opinions and suggestions with me on something happening in DC, give my office a call.

The contact information for all five of my offices is listed on my website: rounds.senate.gov.

We are here to serve you. ■