John Thune grew up in Murdo, South Dakota. His interest in politics was sparked at a young age after making five of six free throws during a freshman high school basketball game. He was later greeted by a spectator who said, “I noticed you missed one.” That spectator happened to be a well-known sports enthusiast and then-South Dakota U.S. Rep. Jim Abdnor. The introduction was the start of a friendship that ignited John’s career in public service.
John received his undergraduate degree at Biola University and his master’s degree in business administration from the University of South Dakota. Upon completion of his master’s degree in 1984, he married Kimberley Weems, a native of Doland, South Dakota.
Every American family must live within a budget, and the federal government should do the same. For too long, reckless government spending has been the norm in Washington. In particular, spending on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, among other programs, continues to grow at an unsustainable rate.
Hard-earned taxpayer dollars should be spent carefully and deliberately by the federal government. I stand ready to reduce spending, enact meaningful reforms to strengthen existing programs, and ultimately put our nation’s fiscal house back in order. It will take bipartisan cooperation to make these tough decisions, but the consequences of kicking the can down the road are too great for Congress not to take meaningful action.