Thune Reflects on His South Dakota Roots and Values that Shaped Him

Click here to watch the video. WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor: Thune’s remarks below (as delivered): “Mr. President, over the weekend I headed back to Jones County, South Dakota, for my high school reunion. “It’s been a few years since high school, Mr. President – just a few. “But it’s amazing how the years roll away when you head back and see some of the people who shaped your high school years. “Some of them are missing now, of course. “Teachers. “Coaches. “Parents. “My dad, who was a teacher at my high school, a coach at my high school, and the bus driver at my high school. “And my mom, who served as the school librarian. “Needless to say, we Thune kids didn’t get away with much in our high school years. “My high school reunion this year happened to coincide with the 120th anniversary of the town of Murdo where I grew up – current population: roughly 500. “And being back in Jones County and in Murdo really got me to reminiscing about growing up in small-town South Dakota – about how blessed I was to grow up in a small town in South Dakota. “People discuss the loss of community today that can result from the circumstances of modern life. “That was never something we had to worry about in Murdo. “In Murdo, you knew you were part of a community. “Rural South Dakotans are sturdy and independent people, but they also know from experience that you can’t get by in a small town on the prairie without the support of your neighbors. “And when someone was in need in Murdo, the whole town rallied around to help – whether it was an unexpected death in the family or the collapse of a barn roof. “We celebrated with each other too – whether it was a harvest, Fourth of July, pheasant season. “And the whole town swelled with pride at one of its kids’ achievements. “I carry the sense of community and belonging I had growing up in Murdo with me to this day. “And I carry those small-town South Dakotans with me in a special way in my work here in Washington. “When we look at a government regulation, I think about what impact it will have on small-town South Dakota – on the people in our state like the ones that I grew up with. “Is it going to lighten their burden? “Or is it going to add new challenges on top of those they already face? “Agriculture is the lifeblood of our state; it was the lifeblood of Murdo as well. “Farmers and ranchers have a tough job: backbreaking work in all weathers – work that can be destroyed in an instant by a storm or a flood. “I want to ensure that Washington isn’t making their life even tougher than it is already. “That’s why I’ve fought for things like the elimination of the death tax – so that farmers and ranchers can hand down the family enterprise to their kids, and don’t have to spend time and money on costly estate planning. “It’s also why I’ve fought to ensure that federal farm programs are actually serving farmers – that they take into account the realities of farm life and keep pace with changes. “You can bet that I had small-town South Dakota in mind when I fought to pass the tax relief [for] hardworking Americans in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act – and then when we made that new tax relief permanent in the Working Families Tax Cuts just last year. “I think a lot of my political beliefs have their roots in growing up in Murdo: from a belief that government should be limited – and that if a matter can be handled at the state or local level, it should be – to my understanding of the importance of freedom, and the individual responsibility that comes with the freedoms that we enjoy. “I’m grateful every day, Mr. President, for the blessings of growing up in a small town, and in small-town South Dakota. “And I am proud to be a son of Murdo.”