John Thune

John Thune

Republican Party

U.S. Senate South Dakota

Tenure

2005 - Present

Term ends

2023

Years in position

16

Prior offices

Representative U. S. House of Representatives

---

Compensation

Base salary

$174,000

Net worth

$384,509.50

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 8, 2016

Education

Bachelor's

Biola University, 1983

Graduate

University of South Dakota, 1984

Personal

Religion

Christian: Protestant

Contact

Official website

Official Facebook

Official Twitter

Official Instagram

Official YouTube

John Thune (b. January 7, 1961, in Pierre, S.D.) is a Republican member of the U.S. Senate from the state of South Dakota. Thune was first elected to the Senate in 2004. Thune serves as Senate minority whip. He previously served as the Senate majority whip from 2019 to 2021.

Thune won re-election in 2016 with more than 71 percent of the vote. He defeated Jay Williams (D) in the general election.

Before being elected to the Senate, Thune served as the U.S. Representative for South Dakota's at-large congressional district from 1997 to 2003.

Thune has an MBA from the University of South Dakota. He was appointed to the Small Business Administration by President Ronald Reagan.

Based on analysis of multiple outside rankings, Thune is one of the most reliable Republican votes, meaning he can be considered a safe vote for the Republican Party in Congress.

On March 28, 2020, a spokesman for Thune announced he tested negative for COVID-19. Click here for more information on political figures impacted by coronavirus.

Biography

Email editor@ballotpedia.org to notify us of updates to this biography.

In 1983, Thune received his bachelor's degree from Biola University in La Mirada, California. He earned his MBA from the University of South Dakota at Vermillion in 1984. Prior to his election to the U.S. Senate, Thune served in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Thune's academic, professional, and political career:

• 2005-Present: U.S. Senator from South Dakota
  • 2019-Present: Senate Republican Whip
• 1997-2003: Member of the United States House of Representatives
• 1993-1996: Served as director, South Dakota State Municipal League
• 1991-1993: Served as director, South Dakota State Railroad Division
• 1989-1991: Served as director, South Dakota State Republican Party
• 1985-1986: Worked on the staff of United States Senator James Abdnor of South Dakota

Committee assignments

U.S. Senate

2019-2020

Thune was assigned to the following committees:^[Source]

• Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
• Committee on Finance
• Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry

2017-2018

At the beginning of the 115th Congress, Thune was assigned to the following committees:

• Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
• Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
• Committee on Finance

2015-2016

Thune served on the following committees:

• Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
  • Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management and Trade
  • Subcommittee on Rural Development and Energy
  • Subcommittee on Livestock, Marketing and Agriculture Security
• Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, Chairman
• Finance Committee
  • Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight
  • Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure
  • Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness

2013-2014

Thune served on the following Senate committees:

• Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
  • Subcommittee on Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Food and Agricultural Research
  • Subcommittee on Conservation, Forestry and Natural Resources
  • Subcommittee on Jobs, Rural Economic Growth and Energy Innovation
• Commerce, Science and Transportation
  • Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security
  • Subcommittee on Science and Space
  • Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard
  • Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Insurance
  • Subcommittee on Competitiveness, Innovation, and Export Promotion
  • Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet
  • Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security
• Finance
  • The Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness
  • The Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure
  • The Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight

2011-2012

Thune served on the following Senate committees:

• Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
• Budget
• Commerce, Science and Transportation
• Finance

Key votes

See also: Key votes

Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.

Key votes: 116th Congress, 2019-2020

Key votes: Previous sessions of Congress

Key votes (click "show" to expand or "hide" to contract)

Key votes: 115th Congress, 2017-2018 For detailed information about each vote, click here. Votes on domestic policy (click to expand) Voted Yea on: First Step Act of 2018 (S 756)  Motion Agreed to (87-12) on December 18, 2018 Proposed making changes to the criminal justice system. Voted Yea on: Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (HR 2)  Conference Report Agreed to (87-13) on December 11, 2018 Proposed providing funding for commodity support, conservation, trade and international food aid, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development, research and extension activities, forestry, horticulture, and crop insurance through fiscal year 2023. Voted Yea on: "Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States" (PN2259)  Nomination Confirmed (50-48) on October 6, 2018 Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Voted Yea on: "Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States" (PN2259)  Cloture Motion Agreed to (51-49) on October 5, 2018 Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Voted Yea on: Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (HR 2)  Bill Passed (86-11, 3/5 majority required) on June 28, 2018 Proposed providing funding for commodity support, conservation, trade and international food aid, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development, research and extension activities, forestry, horticulture, and crop insurance. Voted Nay on: Immigration reform proposal from Sen. Chuck Grassley and the Trump administration (S Amdt 1959 to HR 2579)  Cloture Motion Rejected (39-60, 3/5 majority required) on February 15, 2018 Proposed providing a path to citizenship for 1.8 million individuals brought into the U.S. without legal permission as children, $25 billion for border security, limits on chain migration or family-based migration, and eliminating the visa lottery system. Voted Nay on: Immigration reform proposal from the Common Sense Coalition (S Amdt 1958 to HR 2579)  Cloture Motion Rejected (54-45, 3/5 majority required) on February 15, 2018 Proposed providing a path to citizenship for individuals brought into the U.S. without legal permission as children, $25 billion for border security, and limitations on chain or family-based immigration. Voted Yea on: Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act amendment (S Amdt 1948 to S Amdt 1959)  Cloture Motion Rejected (54-45, 3/5 majority required) on February 15, 2018 Proposed withholding funding from sanctuary jurisdictions for not cooperating with federal immigration officials. Voted Nay on: Coons-McCain immigration plan (S Amdt 1955 to S Amdt 1958)  Cloture Motion Rejected (52-47, 3/5 majority required) on February 15, 2018 Proposed providing a path to citizenship for individuals brought into the U.S. without legal permission as children and conducting a study to determine what border security measures were needed. It also proposed requiring the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to secure the U.S.-Mexico border by 2021. Voted Yea on: Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (S 2311)  Cloture on the Motion to Proceed Rejected (51-46, 3/5 majority required) on January 29, 2018 Proposed amending the federal criminal code to make it a crime for any person to perform or attempt to perform an abortion if the probable post-fertilization age of the fetus was 20 weeks or more. The bill proposed providing exceptions for an abortion: (1) that was necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman, or (2) when the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest. Voted Yea on: An amendment to repeal the requirements for individuals to enroll in health insurance and for employers to offer it—"Skinny bill" (S Amdt 667 to S Amdt 267 to HR 1628 the American Health Care Act of 2017)  Amendment Rejected (49-51) on July 28, 2017 The amendment proposed repealing the requirements for individuals to enroll in health insurance and for employers to offer it. Voted Yea on: An amendment to repeal the ACA, including Paul amendment (No. 271) (S Amdt 271 to S Amdt 267 to HR 1628)  Amendment Rejected (45-55) on July 26, 2017 An amendment to repeal the ACA, including Paul amendment (No. 271) Voted Yea on: Motion to advance the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017, including Cruz and Portman amendments (S Amdt 270 to S Amdt 267 to HR 1628)  Motion Rejected (43-57, 3/5 majority required) on July 25, 2017 A procedural vote to advance the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 (BCRA), including the Cruz and Portman amendments. Voted Yea on: Motion to begin debate on the American Health Care Act of 2017 (HR 1628)  Motion to Proceed Agreed to (50-50, Vice President voted Yea) on July 25, 2017 Proposed providing for reconciliation pursuant to title II of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2017. Voted Yea on: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (PN55(4)—confirmation vote)  Nomination Confirmed (54-45) on April 7, 2017 Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States—confirmation vote. Voted Yea on: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (PN55(3))  Cloture Motion Agreed to (55-45) on April 6, 2017 Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States—second vote to end debate and move to a vote on Gorsuch's nomination under the new precedent requiring only a simple majority to pass. Voted Nay on: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (PN55(2))  Decision of Chair Not Sustained (48-52) on April 6, 2017 Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States—a vote to keep the Senate precedent of requiring 60 votes to close debate on Supreme Court nominations. Voted Yea on: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (PN55)  Cloture Motion Rejected (55-45, 3/5 majority required) on April 6, 2017 Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States—initial vote to end debate and move to a vote on Gorsuch's nomination. Votes on economic affairs and regulations (click to expand) Voted Yea on: "Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019" (HR 6157)  Conference Report Agreed to (93-7) on September 18, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education. Voted Yea on: "Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019" (HR 5895)  Conference Report Agreed to (92-5) on September 12, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Department of Energy, water resources, the legislative branch, military construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among other programs. Voted Yea on: "Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019" (HR 6157)  Bill Passed (85-7) on August 23, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education. Voted Yea on: "Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019" (HR 5895)  Bill Passed (86-5) on June 25, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Department of Energy, water resources, the legislative branch, military construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among other programs. Voted Yea on: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1625)  Motion Agreed to (65-32) on March 23, 2018 Proposed providing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes. Voted Yea on: The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (HR 1892)  Motion Agreed to (71-28) on February 9, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through March 23, 2018 Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 695)  Cloture Motion Rejected (55-44, 3/5 majority required) on February 8, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through March 23, 2018. Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 195)  Motion Agreed to (81-18) on January 22, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through February 8, 2018. Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 195)  Cloture Motion Agreed to (81-18, 3/5 majority required) on January 22, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through February 8, 2018. Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 195)  Cloture Motion Rejected (50-49, 3/5 majority required) on January 19, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through January 19, 2018. Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1370)  Motion Agreed to (66-32, 3/5 majority required) on December 21, 2017 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through January 19, 2018. Voted Yea on: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1)  Motion Agreed to (51-48) on December 20, 2017 Proposed providing for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018 and proposed changes to the tax code. Voted Yea on: "A joint resolution making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes." (HJ Res 123)  Joint Resolution Passed (81-14) on December 7, 2017 Proposed funding the government until December 22, 2017. Voted Yea on: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1)  Bill Passed (51-49) on December 2, 2017 Proposed amending the Internal Revenue Code to reduce tax rates and modify policies, credits, and deductions for individuals and businesses. Voted Yea on: A concurrent resolution establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027. (H Con Res 71)  Concurrent Resolution Agreed to (51-49) on October 19, 2017 Proposed establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027. Voted Yea on: Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2017 (Included amendments to suspend the debt ceiling and fund the government) (HR 601)  Motion Agreed to (80-17) on September 7, 2017 Proposed suspending the debt ceiling and funding the government until December 8, 2017, and providing funding for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma relief efforts. Voted Yea on: Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017 (HR 244)  Motion Agreed to (79-18) on May 4, 2017 The $1.2 trillion budget bill proposed funding the government through the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2017. Votes on foreign policy and national security issues (click to expand) Voted Nay on: "A joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that have not been authorized by Congress." (SJ Res 54)  Joint Resolution Passed (56-41) on December 13, 2018 Proposed removing United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that were not authorized by Congress. Voted Yea on: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (HR 2810)  Bill Passed (89-8) on September 18, 2017 Proposed authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, and to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes. On November 15, 2017, the Senate passed the defense policy bill by voice vote. This bill was the result of compromises made in the conference report. For more information on the compromise bill, click here. Voted Yea on: Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (HR 3364)  Bill Passed (98-2) on July 27, 2017 Proposed providing congressional review and proposed countering aggression by the governments of Iran, the Russian Federation, and North Korea, and for other purposes. Voted Yea on: Countering Iran's Destabilizing Activities Act of 2017 (S 722)  Bill Passed (98-2) on June 15, 2017 Proposed providing congressional review and proposed countering aggression by the governments of Iran, the Russian Federation, and North Korea, and for other purposes. 114th Congress The first session of the 114th Congress enacted into law six out of the 2,616 introduced bills (0.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 1.3 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the first session. In the second session, the 114th Congress enacted 133 out of 3,159 introduced bills (4.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 7.0 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session. The Senate confirmed 18,117 out of 21,815 executive nominations received (83 percent). For more information pertaining to Thune's voting record in the 114th Congress, please see the below sections. Economic and fiscal Trade Act of 2015 See also: The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, 2015 On May 22, 2015, the Senate passed HR 1314, which was used as a legislative vehicle for trade legislation with the titles "Trade Act of 2015" and the "Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015," by a vote of 62-37. The bill proposed giving the president trade promotion authority (TPA). TPA, also known as fast track authority, allows the president to negotiate trade deals that cannot be amended by Congress. Congress casts a simple up or down vote on a trade agreement, and the legislation only requires a simple majority for approval. The bill also included a statement of trade priorities and provisions for trade adjustment assistance. Thune voted with 47 other Republican senators to approve the bill. Trade promotion authority On June 24, 2015, by a vote of 60-38, the Senate approved trade promotion authority (TPA) as part of HR 2146 - Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act. Thune was one of 47 Republicans to vote in favor of the bill. After, Senate Republican leadership honored a pledge to support trade adjustment assistance (TAA) by passing the measure as part of HR 1295 - Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015 by voice vote. The House passed HR 1295 the following day, on June 25, 2015, and both TPA and TAA were signed into law on June 29, 2015. 2016 Budget proposal On May 5, 2015, the Senate voted to approve SConRes11, a congressional budget proposal for fiscal year 2016, by a vote of 51-48. The non-binding resolution will be used to create 12 appropriations bills to fund the government. The vote marked the first time since 2009 that Congress approved a joint budget resolution. All 44 Democrats voted against the resolution. Thune voted with 50 other Republican senators to approve the bill. Defense spending authorization On November 10, 2015, the Senate passed S 1356 - the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 by a vote of 91-3. The second version of the $607 billion national defense bill included "$5 billion in cuts to match what was approved in the budget" and language preventing the closure of the Guantanamo Bay military prison. Thune voted with 47 Republicans, 42 Democrats and one independent to approve the bill. On November 5, 2015, the House passed the bill by a vote of 370-58, and President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 25, 2015. On June 18, 2015, the Senate passed HR 1735 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 by a vote of 71-25. The bill "authorizes FY2016 appropriations and sets forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. It does not provide budget authority, which is provided in subsequent appropriations legislation." Thune voted with 48 Republicans, 21 Democrats and one Independent to approve the bill. The House passed the bill on May 15, 2015. President Barack Obama vetoed the bill on October 22, 2015. 2015 budget On October 30, 2015, the Senate passed HR 1314 - Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 by a vote of 64-35. The bill increased military and domestic spending levels and suspended the debt ceiling until March 2017. Thune voted with 17 Republicans, 44 Democrats and two independents in favor of the bill. It passed the House on October 28, 2015. President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 2, 2015. Foreign Affairs Iran nuclear deal See also: Iran nuclear agreement, 2015 On May 7, 2015, the Senate voted to approve HR 1191 - A bill to provide for congressional review and oversight of agreements relating to Iran's nuclear program, and for other purposes, by a vote of 98-1. The bill required President Barack Obama to submit the details of the nuclear deal with Iran for congressional review. Congress had 60 days to review the deal and vote to approve, disapprove or take no action on the deal. During the review period, sanctions on Iran could not be lifted. Thune voted with 52 other Republican senators to approve the bill. Senator Tom Cotton (Ark.) was the only Republican who voted against the bill. Hire More Heroes Act of 2015 On September 10, 2015, the Senate voted to filibuster the measure to disapprove of the Iran nuclear deal by a vote of 58-42. Sixty votes were needed to proceed to HJ Res 61 - the Hire More Heroes Act of 2015, the legislative vehicle the Senate was expected to use to disapprove of the Iran nuclear deal. Thune voted with 53 other Republicans and four Democrats to proceed to the measure of disapproval. Hire More Heroes Act of 2015 follow up votes On September 15, 2015, the Senate voted for a second time to filibuster the measure to disapprove of the Iran nuclear deal by a vote of 56-42. Sixty votes were needed to proceed to HJ Res 61 - the Hire More Heroes Act of 2015, the legislative vehicle the Senate was expected to use to disapprove of the Iran nuclear deal. Thune voted with 51 Republicans and four Democrats to proceed to the measure of disapproval. The legislation was voted on for a third time on September 17, and it failed for a third time by a vote of 56-42. Hire More Heroes Act of 2015 fourth vote On September 17, 2015, the Senate voted to filibuster a vote on S.Amdt.2656 to S.Amdt.2640 by a vote of 53-45. The amendment proposed prohibiting "the President from waiving, suspending, reducing, providing relief from, or otherwise limiting the application of sanctions pursuant to an agreement related to the nuclear program of Iran." Thune voted with 51 Republicans and one Democrat to proceed to the amendment. Domestic USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 On June 2, 2015, the Senate passed HR 2048 - the Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring Act of 2015 or the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 by a vote of 67-32. The legislation revised HR 3199 - the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 by terminating the bulk collection of metadata under Sec. 215 of the act, requiring increased reporting from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and requiring the use of "a specific selection term as the basis for national security letters that request information from wire or electronic communication service providers, financial institutions, or consumer reporting agencies." Thune voted with 29 Republicans, one Democrat and one independent against the legislation. It became law on June 2, 2015. Loretta Lynch AG nomination On April 23, 2015, the Senate voted to confirm Loretta Lynch as United States Attorney General by a vote of 56-43. All 44 Democratic senators voted to confirm Lynch. Thune voted with 42 other Republican senators against Lynch's confirmation. Cyber security On October 27, 2015, the Senate passed S 754 - the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 by a vote of 74-21. The bill proposed procedures that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. Thune voted with 42 Republicans, 30 Democrats and one independent in favor of the bill. Immigration On October 20, 2015, the Senate voted against proceeding to a vote on S 2146 - the Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act by a vote of 54-45. The bill proposed withholding federal funding from "sanctuary jurisdictions" that violate the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 and other federal immigration laws. In addition, the bill proposed increasing "penalties for individuals who illegally reenter the United States after being removed" and providing "liability protection for State and local law enforcement who cooperate with Federal law enforcement." Thune voted with 51 Republicans and two Democrats in favor of proceeding to the bill. 113th Congress The second session of the 113th Congress enacted into law 224 out of the 3215 introduced bills (7 percent). Comparatively, the 112th Congress had 4.2 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session. The Senate confirmed 13,949 out of 18,323 executive nominations received (76.1 percent). For more information pertaining to Thune's voting record in the 113th Congress, please see the below sections. National security John Brennan CIA nomination Thune voted against the confirmation of John Brennan as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The nomination was confirmed by the Senate on March 7, 2013, with a vote of 63 - 34. Most Democrats supported the nomination, while Republicans were somewhat divided with roughly one-third supporting the nomination. Economy Farm bill On February 4, 2014, the Democratic controlled Senate approved the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, H.R. 2642, also known as the Farm Bill. It passed the Senate with a vote of 68-32. The nearly 1,000-page bill reformed and continued various programs of the Department of Agriculture through 2018. The $1 trillion bill expanded crop insurance for farmers by $7 billion over the next decade and created new subsidies for rice and peanut growers that will kick in when prices drop; however, cuts to the food stamp program cut an average of $90 per month for 1.7 million people in 15 states. Thune joined with 19 other Republican senators in favor of the bill. 2014 Budget On January 16, 2014, the Democratic-controlled Senate approved H.R. 3547, a $1.1 trillion spending bill to fund the government through September 30, 2014. The Senate voted 72-26 for the 1,582 page bill, with 17 Republicans and 55 Democrats voting in favor of the bill. The omnibus package included 12 annual spending bills to fund federal operations. It increased the paychecks of federal workers and military personnel by 1 percent, increased Head Start funding for early childhood education by $1 billion, reduced funding to the Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency, and left the Affordable Care Act without any drastic cuts. Thune voted with 25 other Republican members against the bill. No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013 Thune voted for H.R.325 -- No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013. The bill passed the Senate on January 31, 2013, with a vote of 64 - 34. The purpose of the bill was to temporarily suspend the debt ceiling and withhold the pay of members of Congress until a budget could be passed. The vote largely followed party lines with Democrats overwhelmingly supporting it and many Republicans in opposition to the bill. Government shutdown See also: United States budget debate, 2013 During the shutdown in October 2013, the Senate rejected, down party lines, every House-originated bill that stripped the budget of funding for the Affordable Care Act. A deal was reached late on October 16, 2013, just hours before the debt ceiling deadline. The bill to reopen the government, H.R. 2775, lifted the $16.7 trillion debt limit and funded the government through January 15, 2014. Federal employees also received retroactive pay for the shutdown period. The only concession made by Senate Democrats was to require income verification for Obamacare subsidies. The final vote on H.R. 2775 was 81-18, with all 18 votes against the bill from Republican members. Thune voted with the Democratic Party for the bill. Immigration Mexico-U.S. border Thune voted for Senate Amendment 1197 -- Requires the Completion of the Fence Along the United States-Mexico Border. The amendment was rejected by the Senate on June 18, 2013, with a vote of 39 - 54. The purpose of the amendment was to require the completion of 350 miles of fence described in the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 before registered provisional immigrant status may be granted. It would also require 700 miles of fence be completed before the status of registered provisional immigrants may be changed to permanent resident status. The vote followed party lines. Social issues Violence Against Women (2013) Thune voted against S.47 -- Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013. The bill was passed by the Senate on February 12, 2013, with a vote of 78 - 22. The purpose of the bill was to combat violence against women, from domestic violence to international trafficking in persons. All 22 dissenting votes were cast by Republicans. Previous congressional sessions Fiscal Cliff Thune voted for the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003, while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. The bill was passed in the Senate by an 89 - 8 vote on January 1, 2013.

Noteworthy events

Tested negative for coronavirus

See also: Government official, politician, and candidate deaths, diagnoses, and quarantines due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020-2021

On March 28, 2020, a spokesman for Thune announced he tested negative for COVID-19.

Coronavirus pandemic
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Issues

National security

Letter to Iran

On March 9, 2015, Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) wrote a letter to Iran's leadership, warning them that signing a nuclear deal with the Obama administration without congressional approval was merely an "executive agreement." The letter also stated that "The next president could revoke such an executive agreement with the stroke of a pen and future Congresses could modify the terms of the agreement at any time." The letter was signed by 47 Republican members of the Senate. Thune was one of the 47 who signed the letter. No Democrats signed it.

The letter caused backlash from both the Obama administration and members of Congress. Vice President Joe Biden said of the letter, "In thirty-six years in the United States Senate, I cannot recall another instance in which senators wrote directly to advise another country — much less a longtime foreign adversary — that the president does not have the constitutional authority to reach a meaningful understanding with them."

Drones filibuster

See also: Rand Paul filibuster of John Brennan's CIA Nomination in March 2013

On March 6, 2013, Senator Rand Paul (R) led a 13-hour filibuster of President Obama's CIA Director nominee, John Brennan. Paul started the filibuster in order to highlight his concerns about the administration's drone policies. In particular, Paul said he was concerned about whether a drone could be used to kill an American citizen within the United States border without any due process involved. Paul and other civil liberties activists were critical of President Obama for not offering a clear response to the question. A total of 14 senators joined Paul in the filibuster—13 Republicans and one Democrat.

Thune was one of the 13 Republican senators who joined Paul in his filibuster.

Thirty Republican senators did not support the filibuster.

The day after the filibuster, Attorney General Eric Holder sent a letter to Paul, responding to the filibuster. Holder wrote, "Does the president have the authority to use a weaponized drone to kill an American not engaged in combat on U.S. soil? The answer to that is no."

Possible 2016 Republican vice presidential candidate

See also: Possible vice presidential picks, 2016

Thune was mentioned in 2016 as a possible Republican vice presidential candidate. Click here for the full list of those who were floated by politicians and news outlets as possible running mates.

Presidential preference

2016

On October 8, 2016, after The Washington Post released a 2005 video of Donald Trump making comments about women that the Post described as "extremely lewd," Thune called on Trump to withdraw as the 2016 Republican nominee for president. On October 12, 2016, Thune said that despite his request for Trump to withdraw, he will support the Republican ticket.

See also: Republican reactions to 2005 Trump tape

2012

See also: Endorsements by state officials of presidential candidates in the 2012 election

John Thune endorsed Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election.

Elections

2016

See also: United States Senate election in South Dakota, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated South Dakota's U.S. Senate race as safely Republican. Incumbent John Thune (R) defeated Jay Williams (D) in the general election on November 8, 2016. No candidate faced a primary opponent in June.

U.S. Senate, South Dakota General Election, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	John Thune Incumbent	71.8%	265,516
	Democratic	Jay Williams	28.2%	104,140
Total Votes				369,656
Source: South Dakota Secretary of State

2010

On November 2, 2010, Thune won re-election to the United States Senate. He ran unopposed in the general election.

U.S. Senate, South Dakota General Election, 2010
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	John Thune Incumbent	100%	227,947
Total Votes				227,947

Full history

To view the full congressional electoral history for John Thune, click [show] to expand the section.

2004 On November 2, 2004, John Thune won election to the United States Senate. He defeated Tom Daschle (D) in the general election. U.S. Senate, South Dakota General Election, 2004 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican John Thune 50.6% 197,848      Democratic Tom Daschle 49.4% 193,340 Total Votes 391,188 2000 On November 7, 2000, John Thune won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Curt Hohn (D) and Brian Lerohl (L) in the general election. U.S. House, South Dakota District 1 General Election, 2000 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican John Thune incumbent 73.4% 231,083      Democratic Curt Hohn 24.9% 78,321      Libertarian Brian Lerohl 1.7% 5,357 Total Votes 314,761 1998 On November 3, 1998, John Thune won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Jeff Moser (D) in the general election. U.S. House, South Dakota District 1 General Election, 1998 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican John Thune incumbent 75.1% 194,157      Democratic Jeff Moser 24.9% 64,433 Total Votes 258,590 1996 On November 5, 1996, John Thune won election to the United States House. He defeated Rick Weiland (D), Stacey Nelson (I) and Kurt Evans (I) in the general election. U.S. House, South Dakota District 1 General Election, 1996 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican John Thune 57.7% 186,393      Democratic Rick Weiland 37% 119,547      Independent Stacey Nelson 3.2% 10,397      Independent Kurt Evans 2.1% 6,866 Total Votes 323,203

Campaign donors

Comprehensive donor history

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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John Thune campaign contribution history
Year	Office	Result	Contributions
2016	U.S. Senate, South Dakota	✔	$10,366,927
2010	U.S. Senate (South Dakota)	✔	$12,518,942
2004	U.S. Senate (South Dakota)	✔	$16,247,089
2002	U.S. Senate (South Dakota)	✔	$5,514,226
2000	U.S. House (South Dakota, At-large district)	✔	$1,221,843
Grand total raised			$45,869,027
Source: Follow the Money

2016

Thune won re-election to the U.S. Senate in 2016. During that election cycle, Thune's campaign committee raised a total of $10,366,927 and spent $6,779,125. This is less than the average $10.08 million spent by U.S. Senate winners in 2016.

Cost per vote

Thune spent $25.53 per general election vote received in 2016.

U.S. Senate, South Dakota, 2016 - John Thune Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$10,366,927
Total Spent	$6,779,125
Total Raised by Election Runner-up	$70,500
Total Spent by Election Runner-up	$64,520
Top contributors to John Thune's campaign committee
Blackstone Group	$55,097
NextEra Energy	$52,000
Sanford Health	$40,246
Arizona Tile	$34,600
AT&T Inc	$33,000
Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee
Retired	$737,762
Securities & Investment	$422,688
Insurance	$390,868
Lobbyists	$367,198
Real Estate	$304,082
Source: Open Secrets

2010

Thune won re-election to the U.S. Senate in 2010. During that re-election cycle, Thune's campaign committee raised a total of $12,518,942 and spent $5,382,436.

U.S. Senate, South Dakota General Election, 2010 - John Thune Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$12,518,942
Total Spent	$5,382,436
Total Raised by General Election Opponent	$0
Total Spent by General Election Opponent	$0
Top contributors to John Thune's campaign committee
Blue Cross/Blue Shield	$31,500
Crow Holdings	$29,050
DM&E Railroad	$25,400
Sanford Health	$23,947
Xcel Energy	$23,650
Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee
Retired	$899,730
Securities & Investment	$354,874
Real Estate	$311,403
Insurance	$297,010
Lobbyists	$278,958

Personal Gain Index

See also: Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress)

The Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress) is a four-part measurement that illustrates the extent to which members of the U.S. Congress have prospered during their tenure as public servants.
It consists of four different metrics:

• Changes in Net Worth
• The Donation Concentration Metric
• The K-Street Metric
• The Stock Oversight and Trades Metric

PGI: Change in net worth

See also: Changes in Net Worth of U.S. Senators and Representatives (Personal Gain Index) and Net worth of United States Senators and Representatives

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Thune's net worth as of 2012 was estimated between $173,019 to $596,000. That averages to $384,509.50, which is lower than the average net worth of Republican Senate members in 2012 of $6,956,438.47. Thune ranked as the 87th most wealthy senator in 2012. Between 2004 and 2012, Thune‘s calculated net worth decreased by an average of 5 percent per year. Between 2004 and 2012, the average annual percentage increase for a member of Congress was 15.4 percent.

John Thune Yearly Net Worth
Year	Average Net Worth
2004	$625,350
2012	$384,509
Growth from 2004 to 2012:	-39%
Average annual growth:	-5%
Comparatively, the American citizen experienced a median yearly decline in net worth of -0.94%.

The data used to calculate changes in net worth may include changes resulting from assets gained through marriage, inheritance, changes in family estates and/or trusts, changes in family business ownership, and many other variables unrelated to a member's behavior in Congress.

PGI: Donation Concentration Metric

See also: The Donation Concentration Metric (U.S. Congress Personal Gain Index)

Filings required by the Federal Election Commission report on the industries that give to each candidate. Using campaign filings and information calculated by OpenSecrets.org, Ballotpedia calculated the percentage of donations by industry received by each incumbent over the course of his or her career (or 1989 and later, if elected prior to 1988). Thune received the most donations from individuals and PACs employed by the Retired industry.

From 1995-2014, 19.01 percent of Thune's career contributions came from the top five industries as listed below.

John Thune Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$40,443,506
Total Spent	$30,888,358
Top five industries that contributed to campaign committee
Retired	$3,058,865
Securities & Investment	$1,404,720
Real Estate	$1,131,220
Republican/Conservative	$1,078,198
Leadership PACs	$1,015,600
% total in top industry	7.56%
% total in top two industries	11.04%
% total in top five industries	19.01%

Analysis

Like-minded colleagues

The website OpenCongress tracks the voting records of each member to determine with whom he or she votes most and least often. The results include a member from each party.

Thune most often votes with:

• Deb Fischer
• Joe Manchin

Thune least often votes with:

• Susan Collins
• Elizabeth Warren

Ideology and leadership

See also: GovTrack's Political Spectrum & Legislative Leadership ranking

Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Thune was a "moderate Republican leader," as of August 2014. Thune was listed as a "far-right Republican leader," in July 2013.

Lifetime voting record

See also: Lifetime voting records of United States Senators and Representatives

According to the website GovTrack, Thune missed 43 of 3,419 roll call votes from January 2005 to September 2015. This amounts to 1.3 percent, which is better than the median of 1.6 percent among current senators as of September 2015.

Congressional staff salaries

See also: Staff salaries of United States Senators and Representatives

The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Thune paid his congressional staff a total of $2,484,199 in 2011. He ranked 28th on the list of the lowest paid Republican senatorial staff salaries and ranked 38th overall of the lowest paid senatorial staff salaries in 2011. Overall, South Dakota ranked 16th in average salary for senatorial staff. The average U.S. Senate congressional staff was paid $2,529,141.70 in fiscal year 2011.

National Journal vote ratings

See also: National Journal vote ratings

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted in the previous year. Click the link above for the full ratings of all members of Congress.

2013

Thune ranked 17th in the conservative rankings in 2013.

2012

Thune ranked 21st in the conservative rankings in 2012.

2011

Thune ranked 24th in the conservative rankings in 2011.

Voting with party

The website OpenCongress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus.

2014

John Thune voted with the Republican Party 93.2 percent of the time, which ranked 3rd among the 45 Senate Republican members as of August 2014.

2013

John Thune voted with the Republican Party 93.3 percent of the time, which ranked 3rd among the 46 Senate Republican members as of June 2013.

Recent news

This section links to a Google news search for the term John + Thune + South Dakota + Senate

John Thune News Feed

See also

• United States Senate
• United States Senate elections in South Dakota, 2014
• United States congressional delegations from South Dakota

External links

• Campaign website

• Social media:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
• Biographies:
  • U.S. Congress
  • NNDB
  • Wikipedia
• Political profiles:
  • GovTrack
  • CongressMerge
  • OpenCongress
  • Project Vote Smart
  • Roll Call
• Fact-checking:
  • PolitiFact
• Financial (federal level):
  • FEC contributions
  • OpenSecrets.org
  • LegiStorm.com
• Interest group ratings:
  • Project Vote Smart
• Issue positions:
  • On The Issues
  • Project Vote Smart
• Legislation:
  • Congress.gov
• Public statements:
  • Project Vote Smart
• Voting record:
  • Project Vote Smart
  • Washington Post
• Works by or about:
  • WorldCat
• Media appearances:
  • C-SPAN
  • IMDb
• Media coverage:
  • Bloomberg
  • New York Times
  • Washington Post

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Tom Daschle	U.S. Senate - South Dakota 2005-Present	Succeeded by '
Preceded by '	United States House of Representatives - South Dakota 1997-2003	Succeeded by William J. Janklow