[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 130 (Wednesday, July 31, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5214-S5215]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                              South Dakota

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I love the month of August, and I think I 
have always loved the month of August going back to the time when I was 
a kid because, obviously, growing up in South Dakota, August is a great 
month of the year. It is hot. There are a lot of activities. Of course, 
it is the month before or, in some cases, it is the month of returning 
to school, but it is a time in which there are lots of things going on 
in my home State of South Dakota, and especially since becoming a 
Member of Congress, I really love August.
  I head back home to South Dakota almost every weekend to meet with 
South Dakotans, but August is wonderful and different for two reasons. 
One reason is, August gives us an extended work period, a time when we 
get a chance to visit the farthest corners of our State, places that 
might be hard to visit on just a weekend--places such as Bison, 
Milbank, Clear Lake, Huron, and Mobridge. I get to talk to people who 
make their living in production agriculture in some of the most rural 
parts of South Dakota. There is nothing more valuable than getting to 
talk to these South Dakotans firsthand and to hear the challenges they 
face and what we can do here in Washington to help out--not to mention 
how wonderful it is to spend time in these beautiful parts of our 
State. If you haven't taken in the rugged beauty of the Badlands or the 
rivers and prairies of Central South Dakota, then you are missing out.
  The other thing I like about heading back to South Dakota in August 
is

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that it is fair season--the Sioux Empire Fair, the Turner County Fair, 
the Brown County Fair, Central States Fair, Yankton Riverboat Days, and 
powwows in Tribal communities around the State. The list literally goes 
on. You would be hard-pressed to find better events, better people, or 
better food. I often joke that in the month of August, I am basically 
eating my way across South Dakota: ice cream at the fair in Parker, 
pork sandwiches with the pork producers, milkshakes at Dakotafest, 
cheese curds at the State fair, and I can go on.
  I vividly remember the year I had a Tubby Burger plus a big fries, 
plus to go with it a malt at the Brown County Fair, and got up early 
the next morning to run the 5K at Riverboat Days in Yankton. Needless 
to say, it was not my best run time, but it was worth it for the Tubby 
Burger.
  There is really nothing better than a South Dakota road trip. Our 
State has so much to offer, an incredible range of scenery, from 
rolling prairies to the heights of Black Elk Peak, and hundreds of 
miles of wide-open country. There is nothing better than a summer 
afternoon driving down a South Dakota highway. You feel like you can 
see, literally, forever.
  We have an incredible number of outdoor opportunities, from fishing 
and hunting to hiking, biking, rock climbing, water sports. You name 
it; in South Dakota, we have it.
  South Dakota is an affordable place for families to visit as well. 
You are not going to break the bank on meals or lodging. Of course, we 
have unforgettable road trip stops like the Corn Palace in Mitchell or 
Wall Drug. Make sure, if you get to Wall Drug, that you grab a homemade 
doughnut or a glass of free ice water and take a picture on Instagram 
with the giant jackalope outside.
  As for South Dakotans, well, they are the nicest people you are ever 
going to meet. A South Dakota road trip is worth it for the people 
alone. In addition to the wonderful memories I made traveling across 
the State as an adult, I cherish my memories of the trips to the Black 
Hills as a child with my parents and siblings. We used to go out there 
for Labor Day, stay in this little non-air-conditioned cabin, and enjoy 
the outdoors. We would hike and visit the caves, go to Mount Rushmore, 
or visit the lake.
  I still love visiting Sylvan Lake in the Black Hills. I loved being 
there with my parents and siblings, and I love taking my daughters 
there on trips like the ones I took growing up. Nobody who visits South 
Dakota should miss the Black Hills. I am not sure there is a more 
beautiful place on Earth--the interplay of light, shadow on the trees 
and rocks late on a summer afternoon, the endless South Dakota sky 
reflected in the clear blue of Sylvan Lake. People in Washington, DC, 
don't know what the Milky Way looks like on a clear night in the Black 
Hills or on the prairies of South Dakota. It is as if the sky had been 
carpeted with millions of diamonds.
  I am lucky to be a son of South Dakota. I am looking forward to 
getting out of Washington, DC, this week and heading back to my home 
State of South Dakota for some of the best weeks of the year.
  Brown County, if you are listening to this, please save me a Tubby 
Burger.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.