John Thune

John Thune (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. Senate from South Dakota. He assumed office on January 3, 2005. His current term ends on January 3, 2029.

Thune (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. Senate to represent South Dakota. He won in the general election on November 8, 2022.

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.^[1]

Thune won re-election in 2016 with more than 71% of the vote.^[2] 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.^[3]

As of a 2014 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.

Biography

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In 1983, Thune received his bachelor's degree from Biola University in La Mirada, California. He earned his M.B.A. from the University of South Dakota at Vermillion in 1984.^[4] Prior to his election to the U.S. Senate, Thune served in the U.S. House of Representatives.^[4]

Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Thune's academic, professional, and political career:^[4]

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

2023-2024

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

2021-2022

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

2019-2020

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

2017-2018

At the beginning of the 115th Congress, Thune was assigned to the following committees:^[5]

2015-2016

Thune served on the following committees:^[6]

2013-2014

Thune served on the following Senate committees:^[7]

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:^[8]

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: 118th Congress, 2023

The 118th United States Congress began on January 3, 2023, at which point Republicans held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (222-212), and Democrats held the majority in the U.S. Senate (51-49). Joe Biden (D) was the president and Kamala Harris (D) was the vice president. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia.

Key votes: 118th Congress, 2023

Vote

Bill and description

Status

Yea

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (H.R. 2670) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 22, 2023, authorizing Department of Defense activities and programs for fiscal year 2024. The bill required a simple majority vote in the Senate to pass the bill as amended by a Senate and House conference report.^[9]

Passed (87-13)

Yea

Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024

The Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024 (H.R. 6363) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on November 17, 2023, providing for the funding of federal agencies through January 19, 2024. The bill prevented a government shutdown that would have taken place if funding was not approved by November 17, 2023. The bill required a three-fifths majority vote in the Senate.^[10]

Passed (87-11)

Yea

Continuing Appropriations Act, 2024 and Other Extensions Act

The Continuing Appropriations Act, 2024 and Other Extensions Act (H.R. 5860) was a bill approved by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on September 30, 2023, providing for the funding of federal agencies through November 17, 2023. The bill prevented a government shutdown that would have taken place if funding was not approved by October 1, 2023. The bill required a three-fifths majority vote in the Senate.^[11]

Passed (88-9)

Yea

Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023

The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (H.R. 3746) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on June 3, 2023. The bill raised the federal debt limit until January 2025. The bill also capped non-defense spending in fiscal year 2024, rescinded unspent coronavirus relief funding, rescinded some Internal Revenue Service (IRS) funding, enhanced work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program (TANF), simplified environmental reviews for energy projects, and ended the student loan debt repayment pause in August 2023. The bill required a three-fifths majority vote in the Senate.^[12] Click here to read more.

Passed (63-36)

Yea

Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020.

H.J.Res. 7 (Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020.) was a joint resolution of disapproval under the terms of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on April 10, 2023. The resolution ended the national coronavirus state of emergency, which began on March 13, 2020. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the Senate.^[13] Click here to read more.

Passed (68-23)

Yea

Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives relating to "Factoring Criteria for Firearms with Attached 'Stabilizing Braces'".

H.J.Res. 44 (Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives relating to "Factoring Criteria for Firearms with Attached 'Stabilizing Braces'".) was a joint resolution of disapproval under the terms of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) passed by the House of Representatives and voted down by the Senate. The bill sought to nullify a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) rule establishing criteria to determine whether firearms equipped with stabilizing braces that facilitate shoulder fire were subject to regulation under the National Firearms Act. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the Senate.^[14]

Failed (50-49)

Yea

Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to "Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights".

H.J.Res. 30 (Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to "Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights".) was a joint resolution of disapproval under the terms of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) passed by the 118th Congress and vetoed by President Joe Biden (D) on March 20, 2023. This was Biden's first veto of his presidency. The resolution sought to nullify a Department of Labor rule that amended the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to allow retirement plans to consider certain environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) factors in investment-related decisions. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the Senate.^[15] Click here to read more.

Passed (50-46)

Key votes: Previous sessions of Congress

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

Key votes: 117th Congress, 2021-2023

The 117th United States Congress began on January 3, 2021 and ended on January 3, 2023. At the start of the session, Democrats held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (222-213), and the U.S. Senate had a 50-50 makeup. Democrats assumed control of the Senate on January 20, 2021, when President Joe Biden (D) and Vice President Kamala Harris (D), who acted as a tie-breaking vote in the chamber, assumed office. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia.

Key votes: 117th Congress, 2021-2023

Vote

Bill and description

Status

Nay

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684) was a federal infrastructure bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on November 15, 2021. Among other provisions, the bill provided funding for new infrastructure projects and reauthorizations, Amtrak maintenance and development, bridge repair, replacement, and rehabilitation, clean drinking water, high-speed internet, and clean energy transmission and power infrastructure upgrades. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage.^[16] Click here to read more.

Passed (69-30)

Nay

American Rescue Plan Act of 2021

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on March 11, 2021, to provide economic relief in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Key features of the bill included funding for a national vaccination program and response, funding to safely reopen schools, distribution of $1,400 per person in relief payments, and extended unemployment benefits. The bill required a 1/2 majority vote in the Senate.^[17] Click here to read more.

Passed (50-49)

Nay

Inflation Reduction Act of 2022

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (H.R. 5376) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on August 16, 2022, to address climate change, healthcare costs, and tax enforcement. Key features of the bill included a $369 billion investment to address energy security and climate change, an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies, allowing Medicare to negotiate certain drug prices, a 15% corporate minimum tax, a 1% stock buyback fee, and enhanced Internal Revenue Service (IRS) enforcement, and an estimated $300 billion deficit reduction from 2022-2031. The bill required a 1/2 majority vote in the Senate.^[18] Click here to read more.

Passed (51-50)

Yea

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (S. 1605) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 27, 2021, authorizing Department of Defense acitivities and programs for fiscal year 2022. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage.^[19]

Passed (88-11)

Yea

James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023

The James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (H.R. 7776) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 23, 2022, authorizing Department of Defense activities and programs for fiscal year 2023. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage.^[20]

Passed (83-11)

Yea

Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022

The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 (S. 3373) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on August 10, 2022, that sought to address healthcare access, the presumption of service-connection, and research, resources, and other matters related to veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during military service. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage.^[21]

Passed (86-11)

Nay

Chips and Science Act

The Chips and Science Act (H.R. 4346) was a bill approved by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on August 9, 2022, which sought to fund domestic production of semiconductors and authorized various federal science agency programs and activities. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage.^[22]

Passed (64-33)

Nay

Women’s Health Protection Act of 2021

The Women's Health Protection Act of 2021 (H.R. 3755) was a bill passed by the House of Representatives. The bill proposed prohibiting governmental restrictions on the provision of and access to abortion services and prohibiting governments from issuing some other abortion-related restrictions. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage.^[23]

Failed (46-48)

Yea

Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (H.R. 2471) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on March 15, 2022, providing for the funding of federal agencies for the remainder of 2022, providing funding for activities related to Ukraine, and modifying or establishing various programs. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage.^[24]

Passed (68-31)

Nay

Respect for Marriage Act

The Respect for Marriage Act (H.R. 8404) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 13, 2022. The bill codified the recognition of marriages between individuals of the same sex and of different races, ethnicities, or national origins, and provided that the law would not impact religious liberty or conscience protections, or provide grounds to compel nonprofit religious organizations to recognize same-sex marriages. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage.^[25] Click here to read more.

Passed (61-36)

Nay

Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023

The Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023 (H.R. 6833) was a bill approved by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on September 30, 2022. It provided for some fiscal year 2023 appropriations, supplemental funds for Ukraine, and extended several other programs and authorities. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage.^[26]

Passed (72-25)

Yea

COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act

The COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act (S. 937) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on May 20, 2021, that included provisions to designate an officer or employee of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to facilitate expedited review of hate crimes, required the DOJ to issue guidance to law enforcement agencies aimed to establish online hate crime reporting processes and to raise awareness about hate crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic, and established state grants to create hate crime reporting hotlines, among other related provisions. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage.^[27]

Passed (94-1)

Yea

Postal Service Reform Act of 2022

The Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 (H.R. 3076) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on April 6, 2022, that sought to address healthcare and retirement benefits for postal workers, allow USPS to provide certain nonpostal products and services, and expand service performance and budgetary reporting. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage.^[28]

Passed (79-19)

Nay

Bipartisan Safer Communities Act

The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (S. 2938) was a firearm regulation and mental health bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on June 25, 2022. Provisions of the bill included expanding background checks for individuals under the age of 21, providing funding for mental health services, preventing individuals who had been convicted of a domestic violence misdemeanor or felony in dating relationships from purchasing firearms for five years, providing funding for state grants to implement crisis intervention order programs, and providing funding for community-based violence prevention initiatives. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage.^[29] Click here to read more.

Passed (65-33)

Nay

Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act

The Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (H.R. 5305) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on September 30, 2021, that provided for continuing fiscal year 2022 appropriations to federal agencies through December 3, 2021, in order to prevent a government shutdown that would have otherwise occurred if fiscal year 2022 appropriations bills had not been passed by October 1, 2021. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate.^[30]

Passed (65-35)

Not guilty

Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.

This was a resolution before the 117th Congress setting forth an article of impeachment saying that Donald Trump (R) incited an insurrection against the government of the United States on January 6, 2021. The House of Representatives approved the article of impeachment, and the Senate adjudged that Trump was not guilty of the charges. Conviction on the impeachment charges required a 2/3 majority vote in the Senate.^[31] Click here to read more.

Not guilty (57-43)

Nay

Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2022

The Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2022 (H.R. 350) was a bill passed by the House of Representatives and voted down by the Senate in a failed cloture vote that sought to expand the availability and reporting of information about domestic terrorism, enhance the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) ability to prosecute domestic terrorism, among other things. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage.^[32]

Failed (47-47)

Nay

A concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2022 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2023 through 2031.

This concurrent resolution (S.Con.Res. 14) was a budget resolution passed by the 117th Congress outlining the fiscal year 2022 federal government budget, setting forth budgetary levels for fiscal years 2023-2031, and providing reconciliation instructions for legislation that increased the deficit. It contained a proposed framework for the Build Back Better Act. The resolution required 1/2 majority vote in the Senate.^[33] Click here to read more.

Passed (50-49)

Nay

Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act

The Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act was a federal elections bill approved by the House of Representatives and voted down by the Senate in a failed cloture vote that sought to, among other provisions, make Election Day a public holiday, allow for same-day voter registration, establish minimum early voting periods, and allow absentee voting for any reason, restrict the removal of local election administrators in federal elections, regulate congressional redistricting, expand campaign finance disclosure rules for some organizations, and amend the Voting Rights Act to require some states to obtain clearance from the U.S. Department of Justice before implementing new election laws. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage.^[34] Click here to read more.

Failed (49-51)

Yea

Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022

The Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act was a bill passed by the 117th Congress in the form of an amendment to a year-end omnibus funding bill that was signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 23, 2022. The bill changed the procedure for counting electoral votes outlined in the Electoral Count Act of 1887. Elements of the bill included specifying that the vice president's role at the joint session of congress to count electoral votes is ministerial, raising the objection threshold at the joint session of congress to count electoral votes to one-fifth of the members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, identifying governors as the single official responsible for submitting the certificate of ascertainment identifying that state’s electors, and providing for expedited judicial review of certain claims about states' certificates identifying their electors. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to concur in the House's version of the bill.^[35] Click here to read more.

Passed (68-29)

Key votes: 116th Congress, 2019-2020

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.^[36]^[37] 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.^[38]

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.^[39]^[40]
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.^[41]^[42]^[43]

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.^[44]^[45]^[46]

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.^[47]^[48] Thune voted with 47 Republicans, 42 Democrats and one independent to approve the bill.^[49] 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.^[50]

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.^[51] The House passed the bill on May 15, 2015.^[52] President Barack Obama vetoed the bill on October 22, 2015.^[53]

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.^[54] Thune voted with 17 Republicans, 44 Democrats and two independents in favor of the bill.^[55] It passed the House on October 28, 2015.^[56] 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.^[57]^[58]

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.^[59] 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.^[60]

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.^[61] 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.^[62] 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.^[63]

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."^[64] Thune voted with 51 Republicans and one Democrat to proceed to the amendment.^[65]

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.^[66]^[67]

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.^[68]

Cyber security

On October 27, 2015, the Senate passed S 754 - the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 by a vote of 74-21.^[69] 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.^[70]

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."^[71] Thune voted with 51 Republicans and two Democrats in favor of proceeding to the bill.^[72]

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.^[73] 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.^[74]

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.^[75]

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.^[76] 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.^[77] 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.^[78]^[79] The Senate voted 72-26 for the 1,582 page bill, with 17 Republicans and 55 Democrats voting in favor of the bill.^[79] The omnibus package included 12 annual spending bills to fund federal operations.^[80] 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.^[78]^[79]

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.^[81]

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.^[82] 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.^[83]

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.^[84]

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.^[85]

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.^[86]

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 constituted only 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.^[87]

Members of the Obama administration and of Congress reacted to the letter.^[88] 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."^[89]

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.^[90]^[91]^[92]

Thune was one of the 13 Republican senators who joined Paul in his filibuster.^[93]^[94]

Thirty Republican senators did not support the filibuster.^[95]^[96]^[97]

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."^[98]

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.

Elections

2022

General election

General election for U.S. Senate South Dakota

Incumbent John Thune defeated Brian Bengs and Tamara Lesnar in the general election for U.S. Senate South Dakota on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	John Thune (R)	69.6	242,316
	Brian Bengs (D)	26.1	91,007
	Tamara Lesnar (L)	4.2	14,697

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 348,020
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Clayton Walker (Independent)

Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Brian Bengs advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate South Dakota.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate South Dakota

Incumbent John Thune defeated Bruce Whalen and Mark Mowry in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate South Dakota on June 7, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	John Thune	72.2	85,613
	Bruce Whalen	20.3	24,071
	Mark Mowry	7.4	8,827

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 118,511
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Patrick Schubert Sr. (R)

Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for U.S. Senate South Dakota

Tamara Lesnar advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. Senate South Dakota on April 23, 2022.

		Candidate
✔		Tamara Lesnar (L)

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

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.^[2]

**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.^[99]

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.^[100]

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.^[101]

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.^[102]

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.^[103]

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 themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

John Thune did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Notable endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage and endorsements scopes.

Notable candidate endorsements by John Thune
Endorsee	Election	Stage	Outcome
Kari Lake ^source (R)	U.S. Senate Arizona (2024)	Primary	–
Donald Trump ^source (R)	President of the United States (2024)	Primary	–
Tim Sheehy ^source (R)	U.S. Senate Montana (2024)	Primary	Advanced in Primary
Tim Scott ^source (R)	President of the United States (2024)	Primary	Withdrew in Convention
Jim Banks ^source (R)	U.S. Senate Indiana (2024)	Primary	Advanced in Primary
Mitt Romney ^source (R)	President of the United States (2012)	Primary	Lost General

Noteworthy events

Selection as Senate minority whip

See also: U.S. Senate leadership elections, 2023

Thune was re-elected to be Senate minority whip in the 118th Congress when Senate Republicans held their leadership elections on November 16, 2022. He ran unopposed.^[104]

Campaign finance summary

Ballotpedia Logo 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.

John Thune campaign contribution history
Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2022	U.S. Senate South Dakota	Won general	$13,176,739	$6,877,438
2016	U.S. Senate, South Dakota	Won	$10,366,927	N/A**
2010	U.S. Senate (South Dakota)	Won	$12,518,942	N/A**
2004	U.S. Senate (South Dakota)	Won	$16,247,089	N/A**
2002	U.S. Senate (South Dakota)	Won	$5,514,226	N/A**
2000	U.S. House (South Dakota, At-large district)	Won	$1,221,843	N/A**
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only availabale data.

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:

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.^[105] Between 2004 and 2012, Thune‘s calculated net worth^[106] 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.^[107]

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%^[108]
Comparatively, the American citizen experienced a median yearly decline in net worth of -0.94%.^[109]

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.^[110]

Donation Concentration Metric graphic.png

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.^[111]

Thune most often votes with:

Thune least often votes with:

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.^[112] Thune was listed as a "far-right Republican leader," in July 2013.^[113]

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.^[114]

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.^[115]

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.^[116]

2012

Thune ranked 21st in the conservative rankings in 2012.^[117]

2011

Thune ranked 24th in the conservative rankings in 2011.^[118]

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.^[119]

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.^[120]

Recent news

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

John Thune News Feed

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Candidate

U.S. Senate South Dakota

Officeholder

U.S. Senate South Dakota

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by -	U.S. Senate South Dakota 2005-Present	Succeeded by -
Preceded by -	Representative U. S. House of Representatives 1997-2003	Succeeded by -

[show]

South Dakota's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Mike Rounds (R)

John Thune (R)

Representatives

Dusty Johnson (R)

Republican Party (3)

[1] United States Senate, "Party Whips," accessed January 26, 2021

[list-2] 2.0 ^2.1 South Dakota Secretary of State, "2016 Primary Election Candidate List," accessed April 1, 2016

[3] US Senate Official Biography "John Thune," accessed January 28, 2019

[bio-4] 4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, "John Thune," accessed November 4, 2011

[5] United States Senate, "Committee Assignments of the 115th Congress," accessed January 19, 2017

[6] United States Senate, "Committee Assignments of the 114th Congress," accessed February 17, 2015

[7] Congressional Quarterly, "Senate Committee List," accessed January 22, 2013

[8] ABA.com, "Senate Republican Committee Assignments for the 112th Congress," accessed August 16, 2013

[9] Congress.gov, "H.R.2670 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024," accessed February 27, 2024

[10] Congress.gov, "H.R.6363 - Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024," accessed February 27, 2024

[11] Congress.gov, "H.R.5860 - Continuing Appropriations Act, 2024 and Other Extensions Act," accessed February 27, 2024

[12] Congress.gov, "H.R.3746 - Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023," accessed February 27, 2024

[13] Congress.gov, "H.J.Res.7 - Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020." accessed February 23, 2024

[14] Congress.gov, "H.J.Res.44 - Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives relating to "Factoring Criteria for Firearms with Attached 'Stabilizing Braces'"" accessed February 28, 2024

[15] Congress.gov, "H.J.Res.30 - Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to 'Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights'." accessed February 23, 2024

[16] Congress.gov, "H.R.3684 - Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act," accessed April 15, 2022

[17] Congress.gov, "H.R.1319 - American Rescue Plan Act of 2021," accessed April 15, 2022

[18] Congress.gov, "H.R.5376 - Inflation Reduction Act of 2022," accessed January 20, 2023

[19] Congress.gov, "S.1605 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022," accessed April 15, 2022

[20] Congress.gov, "H.R.7776 - James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023," accessed January 20, 2023

[21] Congress.gov, "S.3373 - Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022," accessed January 20, 2023

[22] Congress.gov, "H.R.4346 - Chips and Science Act," accessed January 20, 2023

[23] Congress.gov, "H.R.3755 - Women's Health Protection Act of 2021," accessed April 15, 2022

[24] Congress.gov, "H.R.2471 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022," accessed January 20, 2023

[25] Congress.gov, "H.R.8404 - Respect for Marriage Act," accessed January 20, 2023

[26] Congress.gov, "H.R.6833 - Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023," accessed January 20, 2023

[27] Congress.gov, "S.937 - COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act," accessed April 15, 2022

[28] Congress.gov, "H.R.3076 - Postal Service Reform Act of 2022," accessed January 23, 2023

[29] Congress.gov, "S.2938 - Bipartisan Safer Communities Act," accessed January 20, 2023

[30] Congress.gov, "H.R.5305 - Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act," accessed January 23, 2023

[31] Congress.gov, "H.Res.24 - Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.," accessed April 15, 2022

[32] Congress.gov, "H.R.350 - Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2022," accessed January 23, 2023

[33] Congress.gov, "S.Con.Res.14 - A concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2022 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2023 through 2031.," accessed April 15, 2022

[34] Congress.gov, "H.R.5746 - Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act," accessed January 20, 2023

[35] Congress.gov, "H.R.2617 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023," accessed January 20, 2023

[36] Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, First Session of the 113th Congress," accessed April 29, 2015

[37] Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, Second Session of the 114th Congress," accessed January 5, 2017

[38] Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, First Session of the One Hundred Fourteenth Congress," April 13, 2015

[39] Congress.gov, "HR 1314," accessed May 25, 2015

[40] Senate.gov, "H.R. 1314 (Ensuring Tax Exempt Organizations the Right to Appeal Act)," accessed May 25, 2015

[41] Senate.gov, "Roll Call for HR 2146," June 24, 2015

[42] The Hill, "Senate approves fast-track, sending trade bill to White House," June 24, 2015

[43] The Hill, "Obama signs trade bills," June 29, 2015

[44] Congress.gov, "S.Con.Res.11," accessed May 5, 2015

[45] Senate.gov, "On the Conference Report (Conference Report to Accompany S. Con. Res. 11)," accessed May 5, 2015

[46] The Hill, "Republicans pass a budget, flexing power of majority," accessed May 5, 2015

[47] The Hill, "Redone defense policy bill sails through House," accessed November 12, 2015

[48] Congress.gov, "S. 1356," accessed November 12, 2015

[49] Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to S. 1356)," accessed November 12, 2015

[50] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 618," accessed November 12, 2015

[51] Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture Re: Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 1735)," accessed October 6, 2015

[52] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 239," accessed May 27, 2015

[53] Congress.gov, "H.R. 1735," accessed May 27, 2015

[54] Congress.gov, "HR 1314 - Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015," accessed November 1, 2015

[55] Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1314)," accessed November 1, 2015

[56] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 579," accessed November 1, 2015

[57] Congress.gov, "HR 1191," accessed May 8, 2015

[58] Senate.gov, "H.R. 1191," accessed May 8, 2015

[59] Congress.gov, "S.Amdt.2640 to H.J.Res.61," accessed September 10, 2015

[60] Congress.gov, "HJ Res 61," accessed September 10, 2015

[61] Senates.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on McConnell Amdt. No. 2640 )," accessed September 16, 2015

[62] Congress.gov, "HJ Res 61," accessed September 10, 2015

[vote3-63] Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on McConnell Amdt. No. 2640 )," accessed September 17, 2015

[64] Congress.gov, "S.Amdt.2656 to S.Amdt.2640," accessed September 17, 2015

[samdt2656vote-65] Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on McConnell Amdt. No. 2656)," accessed September 17, 2015

[66] Congress.gov, "H.R.2048," accessed May 26, 2015

[67] Senate.gov, "On Passage of the Bill (H.R. 2048)," accessed June 2, 2015

[68] Senate.gov, "On the Nomination (Confirmation Loretta E. Lynch, of New York, to be Attorney General)," accessed April 29, 2015

[s754-69] Congress.gov, "S 754," accessed November 1, 2015

[70] Senate.gov, "On Passage of the Bill (S. 754, As Amended)," accessed November 1, 2015

[71] Congress.gov, "S 2146," accessed November 2, 2015

[72] Senate.gov, "On Cloture on the Motion to Proceed (Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to S. 2146)," accessed November 2, 2015

[73] Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, First Session of the 112th Congress," accessed September 5, 2013

[74] Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, Second Session of the 113th Congress," accessed March 4, 2014

[75] Project Vote Smart, "PN 48 - Nomination of John Brennan to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency - Voting Record," accessed September 25, 2013

[76] Senate.gov, "H.R. 2642 (Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013)," accessed February 12, 2014

[farm-77] New York Times, "Senate Passes Long-Stalled Farm Bill, With Clear Winners and Losers," accessed February 12, 2014

[polsenate-78] 78.0 ^78.1 Politico, "Senate approves $1.1 trillion spending bill," accessed January 20, 2014

[vote-79] 79.0 ^79.1 ^79.2 U.S. Senate, "January 16 Vote," accessed January 20, 2014

[80] Roll Call, "House Passes $1.1 Trillion Omnibus," accessed January 20, 2014

[81] Project Vote Smart, "HR 325 - To Ensure the Complete and Timely Payment of the Obligations of the United States Government Until May 19, 2013 - Voting Record," accessed September 25, 2013

[82] The Washington Post, "Reid, McConnell propose bipartisan Senate bill to end shutdown, extend borrowing," accessed October 16, 2013

[83] Senate.gov, "H.R. 2775 As Amended," accessed October 31, 2013

[84] Project Vote Smart, "S Amdt 1197 - Requires the Completion of the Fence Along the United States-Mexico Border - Voting Record," accessed September 25, 2013

[85] Project Vote Smart, "S 47 - Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 - Voting Record," accessed September 25, 2013

[86] U.S. Senate, "Roll Call Vote on the Fiscal Cliff," accessed January 4, 2013

[87] The Wall Street Journal, "Text of GOP Senators’ Letter to Iran’s Leaders on Nuclear Talks," March 9, 2015

[88] Politico, "Iran letter blowback startles GOP," March 12, 2015

[89] Fox News, "Firestorm erupts over GOP letter challenging Obama's power to approve Iran nuclear deal," March 10, 2015

[90] CNN, "Rand Paul says he's heard from White House after filibuster," March 7, 2013

[91] USA Today, "Rand Paul filibuster ranks among Senate's longest," March 7, 2013

[92] ABC News, "Rand Paul Wins Applause From GOP and Liberals," March 7, 2013

[93] The Blaze, "Here Are All the GOP Senators That Participated in Rand Paul’s 12+ Hour Filibuster… and the Ones Who Didn’t," March 7, 2013

[94] Los Angeles Times, "Sen. Rand Paul ends marathon filibuster of John Brennan," March 7, 2013

[95] Breitbart, "AWOL: Meet The GOP Senators Who Refused to Stand With Rand," March 7, 2013

[96] Politico, "Rand Paul filibuster blasted by Sens. John McCain, Lindsey Graham," March 7, 2013

[97] Politico, "Rand Paul pulls plug on nearly 13-hour filibuster," March 7, 2017

[98] Washington Post, "Eric Holder responds to Rand Paul with ‘no’," March 7, 2013

[99] U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010," accessed March 28, 2013

[100] U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2004," accessed March 28, 2013

[101] U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 2000," accessed March 28, 2013

[102] U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 3, 1998," accessed March 28, 2013

[103] U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 5, 1996," accessed March 28, 2013

[104] Axios, "McConnell re-elected as Senate GOP leader," November 16, 2022

[105] OpenSecrets, "Thune, 2012," accessed January 14, 2014

[106] This figure represents the total percentage growth from either 2004 (if the member entered office in 2004 or earlier) or the member's first year in office (as noted in the chart below).

[107] This number was found by dividing each member's total net worth growth percentage by the number of years included in the calculation.

[108] This figure represents the total percentage growth divided by the number of years for which there are net worth figures for each member.

[109] This figure was calculated using median asset data from the Census Bureau. Please see the Congressional Net Worth data for Ballotpedia spreadsheet for more information on this calculation.

[110] OpenSecrets.org, "Sen. John Thune," accessed October 2, 2014

[111] OpenCongress, "John Thune," archived March 4, 2016

[112] GovTrack, "John Thune," accessed September 2, 2014

[113] GovTrack, "John Thune," accessed July 2, 2013

[114] GovTrack, "John Thune," accessed October 15, 2015

[115] LegiStorm, "John Thune," accessed August 6, 2012

[116] National Journal, "2013 Congressional Vote Ratings," September 2, 2014

[117] National Journal, "2012 Congressional Vote Ratings," February 28, 2013

[118] National Journal, "Searchable Vote Ratings Tables: Senate," accessed February 23, 2012

[119] OpenCongress, "Voting With Party," accessed July 2014

[120] OpenCongress, "Voting With Party," accessed July 2014

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