![Photo of Sen. John Thune [R-SD]](/data/photos/400546-200px.jpeg)
Analysis
Legislative Metrics
Read our 2016 Report Card for Thune.
Sponsorship Analysis
Our unique analysis of the bills Thune has sponsored and cosponsored provides insight into his position in the Senate.
Each dot in the chart below is a member of the Senate. The dots are positioned horizontally according to our progressive—conservative ideology score and vertically according to our leadership score (leaders toward the top). Thune is shown as a purple triangle. (analysis methodology)
Committee Membership
John Thune sits on the following committees:
-
Chair,
Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
- Ex Officio, Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security
- Ex Officio, Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet
- Ex Officio, Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance, and Data Security
- Ex Officio, Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard
- Ex Officio, Subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competitiveness
- Ex Officio, Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security
-
Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
- Member, Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade
- Member, Subcommittee on Livestock, Marketing, and Agriculture Security
- Member, Subcommittee on Rural Development and Energy
-
Senate Committee on Finance
- Member, Subcommittee on Health Care
- Member, Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness
- Member, Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight
Enacted Legislation
Thune was the primary sponsor of 24 bills that were enacted. The most recent include:
- S. 570: Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017
- S. 3395 (114th): Prescribed Burn Approval Act of 2016
- S. 3304 (114th): No Veterans Crisis Line Call Should Go Unanswered Act
- S. 2650 (114th): United States Appreciation for Olympians and Paralympians Act
- S. 808 (114th): Surface Transportation Board Reauthorization Act of 2015
- S. 1461 (114th): A bill to provide for the extension of the enforcement instruction on supervision requirements for outpatient therapeutic services in critical access and small rural hospitals through 2015.
- S. 2044 (114th): Consumer Review Freedom Act of 2015
We consider a bill enacted if one of the following is true: a) it is enacted itself, b) it has a companion bill in the other chamber (as identified by Congress) which was enacted, or c) if about one third or more of its provisions were incorporated into bills that were enacted (as determined by an automated text analysis, applicable beginning with bills in the 110th Congress).
Bills Sponsored
Issue Areas
Thune sponsors bills primarily in these issue areas:
Taxation (23%) Health (21%) Transportation and Public Works (16%) Science, Technology, Communications (11%) Public Lands and Natural Resources (8%) Environmental Protection (7%) Agriculture and Food (6%) Armed Forces and National Security (6%)
Recent Bills
Some of Thune’s most recently sponsored bills include...
- S. 1343: Charities Helping Americans Regularly Throughout the Year Act of 2017
- S. 1259: Commodity Program Improvement Act of 2017
- S. 1214: Hunting, Fishing, and Recreational Shooting Protection Act
- S. 1144: INVEST Act of 2017
- S. 971: REPAIR Act
- S.Res. 137: A resolution supporting the goals and ideals of National Safe Digging Month.
- S. 909: Conservation Program Improvement Act of 2017
Voting Record
Key Votes
| Thune’s Vote | Vote Description |
|---|---|
| Yea |
H.R. 5325: Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2017
Sep 28, 2016. Bill Passed 72/26.
|
| Yea |
On the Nomination PN64: Alissa M. Starzak, of New York, to be General Counsel of the Department of the Army
Dec 14, 2015. Nomination Confirmed 45/34.
|
| Yea |
H.R. 22: Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act
Dec 3, 2015. Conference Report Agreed to 83/16.
H.R 22, formerly the Hire More Heroes Act, has become the Senate’s vehicle for passage of the Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act or DRIVE Act (S. 1647). The DRIVE Act is a major bipartisan transportation bill that would authorize funding ... |
| Yea |
H.R. 1314: Trade Act of 2015
Oct 30, 2015. Motion Agreed to 64/35.
This vote was on the bill in its final form as the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015. |
| Yea |
H.J.Res. 124 (113th): Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2015
Sep 18, 2014. Joint Resolution Passed 78/22.
|
| Yea |
H.R. 325 (113th): No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013
Jan 31, 2013. Bill Passed 64/34.
|
| Yea |
S. 3240 (112th): Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2012
Jun 21, 2012. Bill Passed 64/35.
|
| Yea |
H.R. 4853 (111th): Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010
Dec 15, 2010. Motion Agreed to 81/19.
The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 (Pub.L. 111–312, H.R. 4853, 124 Stat. 3296, enacted December 17, 2010), also known as the 2010 Tax Relief Act, was passed by the United States Congress on December 16, 2010, and signed into ... |
| Nay |
H.R. 627 (111th): Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009
May 19, 2009. Bill Passed 90/5.
The Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009, or Credit CARD Act of 2009, is a federal statute passed by the United States Congress and signed by President Barack Obama on May 22, 2009. It is comprehensive credit card reform legislation that aims ... |
Missed Votes
From Jan 2005 to Jun 2017, Thune missed 45 of 3,794 roll call votes, which is 1.2%. This is on par with the median of 1.4% among the lifetime records of senators currently serving. The chart below reports missed votes over time.
Primary Sources
The information on this page is originally sourced from a variety of materials, including:
- Congress-Legislators, a community project collecting election information
- The House and Senate websites, for committee membership and voting records
- GPO Member Guide for the photo
- GPO.gov/FDSys, for sponsored bills