Thune Rises To Third-Ranking Republican

US Senator John Thune is becoming one of the most powerful Republicans in the country and it's a position he says he will use to help South Dakota.

This weekend, the Senate approved his elevation to serve as the top senator in the Senate Commerce Science and Transportation Committee, ranking him third in Republican leadership. The committee oversees a variety of jurisdictions including highway safety, interstate commerce and communications.

"They are opportunities, hopefully, to put South Dakota's agenda on the national agenda and try to advance things that are important to people here in our state," Thune said.

Thune also spoke to the nation during the GOP's weekend radio address to talk about what he calls Washington's spending addiction.

"I think the thing that will help us get us out of some of the circumstances we find ourselves in is to get the economy growing again. The key to that, in my view, is reforming tax code. I think that will unleash a period of economic growth unlike anything we've seen in a long period of time," Thune said.

Thune also wants to put a multi-year farm bill, after it stalled last year.