Rounds Issues Statement Following Senate’s Passage of Third FY26 Appropriations Package

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued a statement following the Senate's passage of a package of five appropriations bills for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026.

The legislation included appropriations bills for Defense; Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS); Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies (T-HUD); Financial Services and General Government (FSGG); and National Security, Department of State and Related Programs. This legislation also includes a continuing resolution for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appropriations through February 13.

"The appropriations process is one way we work to deliver real results for South Dakota. After years of continuing resolutions that reflect a Biden budget under Democrat leadership, we've now passed 11 of the 12 appropriations bills that fund 96% of government programs with President Trump's priorities," said Rounds. "This batch of appropriations bills includes several million dollars for projects in South Dakota that aim to improve in our rural health care facilities, expand our regional airports and invest in affordable housing. The bill also provides partial funding for the construction of an elementary school in Box Elder to support the influx of families from the bed down of the B-21 Raider stealth bomber.

"I'm hopeful that we'll be able to pass the Homeland Security appropriations bill. DHS houses a number of agencies that are critical for operations in our nation, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). In addition, the men and women of Customs and Border Protection and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement continue to carry out the hard work of enforcing our immigration laws in this nation. I urge my colleagues to come to an agreement as soon as possible to prevent a lapse in funding for DHS operations."

Rounds has served on the Senate Committee on Appropriations since January 2025. He serves on six subcommittees, including LHHS. Read a list of Rounds' Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) wins in the appropriations bills below totaling over $147 million for South Dakota. While the Defense Appropriations Act does not allow CDS, the legislation includes $88.5 million for South Dakota equities secured by Rounds.

Defense:

• Includes $88.5 million for South Dakota defense companies and universities working with the Department of Defense. This work will be done in South Dakota for programs to build and develop:
• • Product improvement programs for weapons and munitions
  • Cold regions advanced materials and manufacturing
  • Advanced materials and manufacturing for hypersonic weapons
  • Enhancing high-altitude surveillance and communications capabilities
  • Additive manufacturing rapid maintenance capabilities
  • Critical hybrid advanced materials processing
  • Air Force Global Strike additive manufacturing rapid maintenance facilities
  • Upgrades for the Army's M109 Paladin self-propelled howitzers
  • Cold spray multi-effect munitions
  • Refurbishment of the Mk41 vertical launching system lines for the Aegis Combat System
  • APEX Accelerators to assist South Dakota small businesses working with the Department
  • Support for South Dakota Civil Air Patrol
  • STARBASE: STEM education funding for South Dakotan children
  • Defense Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DEPSCoR) to help fund universities doing research for the DOD outside of traditional large-market research hubs

LHHS:

• Includes seven of Rounds' CDS requests, totaling $20.21 million:
• • $10,175,000 for cancer care equipment for Avera Health
  • $2,953,000 for the South Dakota State University College of Nursing to expand nursing education in Rapid City and Sioux Falls
  • $2,551,000 for hospital expansion and renovation at Bennett County Hospital & Nursing Home
  • $2 million for Early Childhood Enrichment Collaborative at the Boys & Girls Club of the Northern Plains
  • $1,099,000 to replace and modernize the boiler and pump upgrade at the Coteau des Prairies Hospital in Sisseton
  • $750,000 for artificial intelligence integration at South Dakota State University
  • $683,000 to replace and modernize the chiller system at the Coteau des Prairies Hospital in Sisseton
• Increases discretionary funding for the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative
• Supports National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Library of Medicine
• Supports Impact Aid, Head Start and Special Olympics Health

T-HUD:

• Includes seven of Rounds' CDS requests, totaling $124.8 million:
• • $42 million for a new elementary school in the Douglas School District to support the bed-down of the B-21 bomber
  • $30 million for expansions at the Sioux Falls Regional Airport
  • $25 million for reconstruction of the Platte/Winner bridge on SD Highway 44
  • $20 million to upgrade security, ticketing and baggage at the Rapid City Regional Airport
  • $4 million for Box Elder Regional Transportation Improvement Project Planning and Design
  • $3 million for the Crow Creek Housing Authority Development to construct ten new affordable housing units
  • $840,000 for the Magdalene Dakota rehab facility for women exiting the women's prison in Pierre
• Includes $22.2 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) - including support for FAA efforts to hire 2500 more air traffic controllers.
• Supports Native American Housing programs at HUD

FSGG:

• Includes one of Rounds' CDS requests:
• • $750,000 for a sallyport at the Pierre Federal Building
• Includes $324,000,000 for the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, including $28 million for native initiatives.

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