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John Thune's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

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Official Position: Candidate addressed this issue directly by taking the Political Courage Test.
Inferred Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, but Vote Smart inferred this issue based on the candidate's public record, including statements, voting record, and special interest group endorsements.
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John Thune did not provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2022 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart and voters like you.

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Issue Positions

For Presidential and Congressional candidates who refuse to provide voters with their positions, Vote Smart has researched their public records to determine their likely responses. These issue positions are from 2022.

  • Rated 100% in 2021 with National Right to Life Committee (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Roe v. Wade was a bad decision, and the Supreme Court acted far outside of the Constitution when it created this precedent nearly 50 years ago. Our country was founded on the right to life, a right that should be extended to unborn children." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of S 311 - Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act - (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of S Amdt 3967 - Senator Rand Paul's Amendment to H.R.6157 (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Roe v. Wade was a bad decision, and the Supreme Court acted far outside of the Constitution when it created this precedent nearly 50 years ago. Our country was founded on the right to life, a right that should be extended to unborn children. (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Signed Letter to Administrator Verma: "We write to express our strong support for Medicare Advantage and the high-quality care it provides to more than 21 million seniors and individuals with disabilities. We appreciate the Administration's recognition of the value of Medicare Advantage and its work to encourage innovation for these private health plans. As annual updates are considered for 2020, we ask you to continue to strengthen and grow this proven part of the Medicare program by proposing policies that provide stability and predictability." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • ""South Dakotans were utilizing telehealth services long before the pandemic, and they understand the value and increased access it brings," said Thune. "We've learned plenty from the pandemic, and it's now all the more clear how important it is to continue to expand access to telehealth. I appreciate the opportunity to work with my colleagues and stakeholders on this important bill that will make it easier for patients to use telehealth."" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against S Amdt 340 - Expanded and Improved Medicare For All Act (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 1892 - Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • South Dakotans were utilizing telehealth services long before the pandemic, and they understand the value and increased access it brings, said Thune. "We've learned plenty from the pandemic, and it's now all the more clear how important it is to continue to expand access to telehealth. I appreciate the opportunity to work with my colleagues and stakeholders on this important bill that will make it easier for patients to use telehealth." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 0% by Common Cause. (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "S. 1 would impose one-size-fits-all, Federal regulations on elections--in many cases, deeply problematic regulations. S. 1 would require States to allow unlimited ballot harvesting, which is the controversial practice of allowing political operatives and others to pick up and deliver ballots, with all of the possibilities for fraud that that creates." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Today's vote summed up: Republicans believe that states have the authority *under the Constitution* to conduct elections & decisions are better when they're made closer to the people. Dems believe Washington bureaucrats are better positioned to make decisions." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against S 2093 - For the People Act of 2021 (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • S. 1 would impose one-size-fits-all, Federal regulations on elections--in many cases, deeply problematic regulations. S. 1 would require States to allow unlimited ballot harvesting, which is the controversial practice of allowing political operatives and others to pick up and deliver ballots, with all of the possibilities for fraud that that creates. (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Today's vote summed up: Republicans believe that states have the authority *under the Constitution* to conduct elections & decisions are better when they're made closer to the people. Dems believe Washington bureaucrats are better positioned to make decisions. (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against S 2093 - For the People Act of 2021 (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "I look forward to carefully reviewing @SenatorTimScott 's #PoliceReform proposal. He's approaching this effort with a sincere desire to get results -- and that means including elements that have support on both sides of the aisle." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • ""Our men and women in uniform put their lives on the line day in and day out for the safety of communities across the country, and this last year, we've seen a dangerous rise in attacks against those who have chosen to wear a badge." said Thune. "These kinds of attacks and violence against law enforcement officers are unacceptable and must be punished, which is why I am pleased to support this bill. "" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • I look forward to carefully reviewing @SenatorTimScott 's #PoliceReform proposal. He's approaching this effort with a sincere desire to get results -- and that means including elements that have support on both sides of the aisle. (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Our men and women in uniform put their lives on the line day in and day out for the safety of communities across the country, and this last year, we've seen a dangerous rise in attacks against those who have chosen to wear a badge. said Thune. "These kinds of attacks and violence against law enforcement officers are unacceptable and must be punished, which is why I am pleased to support this bill." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 100% by Center for Security Policy. (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "The Senate just passed #NDAA to fund our military. I was proud to vote yes in support of our troops and the many big wins for South Dakota, including B-21 construction at Ellsworth Air Force Base." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of S 1605 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 - (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of S 4049 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 - (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • The Senate just passed #NDAA to fund our military. I was proud to vote yes in support of our troops and the many big wins for South Dakota, including B-21 construction at Ellsworth Air Force Base. (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Democrats are living in a bubble & tuning out the message that Americans sent loud and clear at the ballot box. The American people see what's in Democrats' Build Back BIGGER, nanny state, big-government approach, and they don't want that to be our nation's future." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • ""For months, senators from both sides of the aisle engaged in good-faith negotiations to produce an infrastructure bill for the Senate to consider, and I applaud them for their tireless efforts," said Thune. "I have said from the very beginning that this bill should be fully paid for, and unfortunately, that is not the case. While I support investments in our nation's infrastructure, I could not support this final product that will further increase the national debt and financially burden future generations."" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "It's never been more clear how important a reliable internet connection is for Americans -- from telehealth to distance learning, this year has shown how vital broadband connectivity is for human connectivity. I'm fighting to expand broadband in rural SD." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted no on HR 3684 - Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act - (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "For months, senators from both sides of the aisle engaged in good-faith negotiations to produce an infrastructure bill for the Senate to consider, and I applaud them for their tireless efforts, said Thune. "I have said from the very beginning that this bill should be fully paid for, and unfortunately, that is not the case. While I support investments in our nation's infrastructure, I could not support this final product that will further increase the national debt and financially burden future generations." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • It's never been more clear how important a reliable internet connection is for Americans -- from telehealth to distance learning, this year has shown how vital broadband connectivity is for human connectivity. I'm fighting to expand broadband in rural SD. (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Applications for #SmallBusiness #COVID relief loans open today. Key info: #PaycheckProtectionProgram loans can be forgiven if used for eligible expenses like paying workers. Details" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • ""One of the main goals of the CARES Act was to make sure Main Street small businesses across the country could pay their workers and keep them employed during this health crisis," said Thune. "Our job now is to make sure we can continue to provide help to struggling businesses and keep the critically important Paycheck Protection Program funded. I'm grateful for today's opportunity to discuss these issues and get important feedback from the businesses and entrepreneurs who have been affected by this crisis."" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Updates to #PPP have just been signed into law. This program, & other @SenateGOP -supported COVID relief, have been vital to getting our economy through this pandemic. Today's better-than-expected #JobsReport is a sign that these programs have helped #SmallBiz bounce back faster." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 748 - Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act - (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 748 - Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Applications for #SmallBusiness #COVID relief loans open today. Key info: #PaycheckProtectionProgram loans can be forgiven if used for eligible expenses like paying workers. Details (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "One of the main goals of the CARES Act was to make sure Main Street small businesses across the country could pay their workers and keep them employed during this health crisis, said Thune. "Our job now is to make sure we can continue to provide help to struggling businesses and keep the critically important Paycheck Protection Program funded. I'm grateful for today's opportunity to discuss these issues and get important feedback from the businesses and entrepreneurs who have been affected by this crisis." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "The Democrats' so-called Inflation Reduction Act--which is a misnomer if ever there was one, since the bill will do nothing to help alleviate our current inflation crisis--will take hundreds of billions of dollars out of the economy in the form of new tax hikes and comes just as our economy posted a second quarter of negative growth." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "The so-called Inflation Reduction Act will do nothing to address the real economic challenges facing Americans. What it will do is spend hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars on Democrats' socialist, big-government fantasies -- and raise taxes to help pay for it." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 5376 "Inflation Reduction Act of 2022" (votesmart.org)
  • "Some estimates suggest that forgiving $10,000 in student loans for certain borrowers would cost taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars. In addition, the current student loan repayment freeze has already cost American taxpayers more than $100 billion. In April, Thune introduced the Stop Reckless Student Loan Actions Act, which would end President Biden's untargeted, budget-busting suspension of repayments on qualifying federal student loans. The bill would still allow the president to temporarily suspend repayment for low- and middle-income borrowers in future national emergencies and would prohibit the president from cancelling outstanding federal student loan obligations due to a national emergency."
  • "I want to be very clear about this: Not one penny of debt is being "canceled" or "forgiven." This debt is being transferred from the 13% of the country with student loan debt to the 87% of the country that does not have student debt." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "It would effectively eliminate States' voter ID requirements. It would politicize the IRS by allowing the IRS to consider organizations' beliefs when deciding whether or not to grant them tax-exempt status, and the list goes on." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "The For the People Act ``lite'' would still impose troubling new burdens on free speech; it would still undermine State voter ID laws; it would still spend taxpayer dollars on political campaigns; it would still make it easier for those here illegally to vote; and, most of all, it would still put Washington, not State governments, in charge of elections for no reason at all." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today discussed the upcoming vote on the Democrats’ partisan bill that attempts to federalize elections and re-write election laws in all 50 states. Thune believes that protecting the right to vote and preserving the integrity of our election systems are essential, but this legislation is nothing more than an attempted power-grab from the left to publicly finance political campaigns and overturn popular election measures like voter I.D. requirements." (www.thune.senate.gov)
  • ""The Renewable Fuel Standard has been a driver of American energy innovation, but regulatory inaction has stifled the advancement of promising technologies like ethanol derived from corn kernel fiber," said Thune. "This bill will permit biofuel producers to capitalize on the research and facility investments they have made to bring this technology to scale, improve their operating margins, and further lower lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions. This will strengthen the biofuel industry, which continues to provide an essential market for South Dakota farmers."" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • ""This bill is a commonsense solution to help South Dakota's dairy producers, boost our economy, and better preserve our environment," said Thune. "I'd like to thank Senator Brown and our colleagues in the House for this bipartisan effort to invest in sustainable biogas technology and American jobs, and I look forward to working to get this bill enacted into law."" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 1957 - Great American Outdoors Act (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "The Renewable Fuel Standard has been a driver of American energy innovation, but regulatory inaction has stifled the advancement of promising technologies like ethanol derived from corn kernel fiber, said Thune. "This bill will permit biofuel producers to capitalize on the research and facility investments they have made to bring this technology to scale, improve their operating margins, and further lower lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions. This will strengthen the biofuel industry, which continues to provide an essential market for South Dakota farmers." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "This bill is a commonsense solution to help South Dakota's dairy producers, boost our economy, and better preserve our environment, said Thune. "I'd like to thank Senator Brown and our colleagues in the House for this bipartisan effort to invest in sustainable biogas technology and American jobs, and I look forward to working to get this bill enacted into law." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Earlier this month, I reintroduced two bipartisan bills that would provide a roadmap for increasing the use of biofuels. The Adopt GREET Act, which I introduced with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to update its greenhouse gas modeling for ethanol and biodiesel by using the U.S. Department of Energy's GREET model. A recent Harvard study found that ethanol is 46 percent cleaner than gasoline, with some technologies reducing lifecycle emissions by as much as 61 percent. These findings underscore how biofuels can achieve near-term emissions reductions using the existing vehicle fleet and fueling infrastructure without costly subsidies for electric vehicles." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 100% by Independent Petroleum Association of America. (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Signed Letter to Administrator Regan: "We write to respectfully request that you continue your commitment to support farmers and rural communities by upholding and restoring confidence in the RFS. Restoring the integrity of the RFS and expanding market opportunities for renewable fuels should remain a core part of our plans to assist in the economic recovery of rural America and further reduce emissions from the transportation sector. It is for this reason that when considering the 2021 and 2022 Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO), we also urge you to require conventional renewable fuel volumes of at least 15 billion gallons per year, as required by the statute, along with the court-ordered 500 million gallons illegally waived from the 2016 standards and increase biodiesel, advanced, and cellulosic volumes." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against S J Res 8 - A joint resolution recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Earlier this month, I reintroduced two bipartisan bills that would provide a roadmap for increasing the use of biofuels. The Adopt GREET Act, which I introduced with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to update its greenhouse gas modeling for ethanol and biodiesel by using the U.S. Department of Energy's GREET model. A recent Harvard study found that ethanol is 46 percent cleaner than gasoline, with some technologies reducing lifecycle emissions by as much as 61 percent. These findings underscore how biofuels can achieve near-term emissions reductions using the existing vehicle fleet and fueling infrastructure without costly subsidies for electric vehicles. (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 93% by National Rifle Association (NRA) (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against S Amdt 4720 - Prohibits the Transfer of Firearms to Suspected Terrorists - (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • ""As long as I've been in Congress, I've fought for Second Amendment rights as outlined in the Constitution and have stood with law-abiding South Dakotans who choose to exercise those rights," said Thune. "Since state borders shouldn't restrict constitutional rights, this legislation ensures people who are legally entitled to carry a concealed firearm in one state can also carry in another state as long as they respect the laws of any other state they visit."" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • ""Federal funds should not be spent to violate the privacy of law-abiding firearm owners," said Thune. "This bill would help defend against the firearm registries and gun owner databases that have been proposed among other infringements against the Second Amendment."" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Federal funds should not be spent to violate the privacy of law-abiding firearm owners, said Thune. "This bill would help defend against the firearm registries and gun owner databases that have been proposed among other infringements against the Second Amendment." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against S Amdt 4720 - Prohibits the Transfer of Firearms to Suspected Terrorists (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "As long as I've been in Congress, I've fought for Second Amendment rights as outlined in the Constitution and have stood with law-abiding South Dakotans who choose to exercise those rights, said Thune. "Since state borders shouldn't restrict constitutional rights, this legislation ensures people who are legally entitled to carry a concealed firearm in one state can also carry in another state as long as they respect the laws of any other state they visit." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "I support proposals that would make the private insurance market more competitive and ensure individuals and families have choices when it comes to their health care needs" (www.thune.senate.gov)
  • "...rather than expand the government’s role in providing health care." (www.thune.senate.gov)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "As part of the solution, we must invest in our border..." (www.thune.senate.gov)
  • "U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today discussed the Biden administration's reckless decision to end Title 42 border restrictions without a coherent plan in place to ensure a secure, orderly, and humane process at the border. Thune noted that once Title 42 is officially lifted, the flood of illegal immigration across our southern border is expected to become a tsunami." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "When our borders are not sufficiently secure, or there’s no accountability for those who break our laws, it only encourages continued illegal immigration." (www.thune.senate.gov)
  • "It's essential that our nation doesn't fall behind when it comes to investing in our national security. " (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "And it continues our strong support for Ukraine. Ukraine no longer dominates every front page, but for 5 months now, Ukraine has been fighting a heroic war against Russian aggression. Thanks to support from allies in Europe and from our own country, Ukraine is still holding out." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "The free world cannot accept that one nation can simply attack and subjugate another. The U.S. and allies must provide the critical support Ukraine needs to defend itself, and we must impose real costs against its Russian aggressors." (twitter.com)
  • "I stand ready to reduce spending, enact meaningful reforms to strengthen existing programs, and ultimately put our nation’s fiscal house back in order." (www.thune.senate.gov)
  • "The so-called Inflation Reduction Act will do nothing to address the real economic challenges facing Americans." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 7% by Public Citizen. (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "The U.S. economy continues to do well, including the most recent jobs report announcing more than 140,000 new jobs were created in December. But one industry that remains behind is agriculture. We must be able to expand our economic growth to the farmers and ranchers who need it most. This trade agreement will boost almost every sector of the American economy -- creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and increasing wages for workers. By getting USMCA across the finish line, we are delivering on one of the issues that matters most to American families across the country." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted yes on HR 5430 - United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act - (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted yes on HR 5430 - United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act (justfacts.votesmart.org)

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