C-Span2

Floor Speech

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Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, as we begin our proceedings this morning, I want to take a moment to recognize a milestone here in the Senate.

On this day 40 years ago, C-SPAN broadcast the U.S. Senate for the very first time. On June 2, 1986, the American people were able to turn on their televisions and see the Senate come to order and their Senators engage in debate until the gavel dropped later that day. Gavel-to-gavel coverage. That is the C-SPAN way.

And over the last 40 years, C-SPAN hasn't missed a beat. It has captured 43,830 hours of Senate proceedings, broadcast 169,000 speeches by hundreds of U.S. Senators who have served in these Halls, and captured the moments--large and small, historic and human--that make up the U.S. Senate.

On that first day 40 years ago, the Senate was considering an education bill, and what a fitting topic of discussion for C-SPAN's first day covering this Chamber. Education is C-SPAN's entire mission.

C-SPAN urges its viewers to ``make up your own mind.'' And for 40 years, C-SPAN has enabled the American people to make up their own minds about what we do here in the Senate.

It has helped countless American students see the legislative process in action, and it has ensured that what happens here is lost neither to the day's news cycle nor to history.

And I trust that C-SPAN will continue to offer the American people a front row seat to the Senate for many decades to come. South Dakota

Mr. President, C-SPAN captures a lot of our work here in Washington, but just as important is the work that Senators do back in our States.

Last week, the cameras were off here in the Chamber, and Senators were back at home hearing from the people that we all represent.

I spent last week back home in South Dakota traveling around my State and hearing directly from South Dakotans. I had a chance to catch up with mayors of Webster and Lennox.

Mayor Danny Fergen of Lennox took me around the city. He showed me new housing developments in Lennox. I saw that city's infrastructure needs, and we went down Main Street to a few businesses--including El Mariachi restaurant.

I also spent some time up in northeastern South Dakota. As I mentioned, I met with the mayor of Webster Mike Grosek, and I dropped by a few local businesses that are benefiting from the permanent tax relief Republicans delivered in the Working Families Tax Cut.

I went to the Three22 Kitchen & Cocktails in Aberdeen and saw the Main Street expansion that the owners had undertaken, including the first rooftop lounge in the city.

I visited ``Quite Possibly the Coolest Store Ever!''--the Hitch'n Post--a family-owned business that has been an icon in Aberdeen for over 50 years and was recently named one of America's best western retailers.

And then over at the Meathouse in Andover, I had a conversation about the local agricultural economy with the ranchers who run that business and who take pride in their home-raised beef.

I have always valued the opportunity I have had lately to spend some time hearing from South Dakota's young people. This past month, I have been in classrooms in Winner and Rapid City and Sioux Falls, and we have had a number of school groups visiting Washington, DC, as well.

I attended the Dakota Relays at the beginning of May and then the State track meet this past Friday.

And last week, I had the privilege of speaking at Boys State at Northern State University and then at Girls State at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion.

It is always a pleasure to get to talk with young people and to hear what is on their minds and what their dreams are for their futures. And I suppose that is because, on any given day here in the Senate, that is what our focus as Republicans boils down to: cultivating a brighter future for young people and for all Americans, a future that is secure with greater prosperity and more opportunities to get ahead.

That is our focus here in the Senate, and it is what we continue to work toward every day.

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