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there are no gaps in federal law, I've been driving the End Sex Trafficking Act in Washington.  This legislation addresses sex trafficking from the demand side by strengthening the federal law when it comes to those who solicit, patronize or obtain the services of a trafficked victim.  As President George W. Bush stated during a Justice Department training on sex trafficking, "We cannot put [human traffickers] out of business until and unless we deal with the problem of demand."
• Additionally, this year, I'll be working to reform the level of influence the government can wield over our local school lunches.  Under current law, South Dakota schools face significant limitations when it comes to what they can serve our kids.  In fact, the law says that schools can only serve an average of 2 oz. of meat per meal.  That's just three chicken nuggets for a high school student.
• Yes, we all want our kids to be healthier, but we don't want them to go hungry either.  In mid-December, I introduced a new bill to lift the law's onerous meat and grain limitations, giving schools more flexibility to decide what they will feed our kids at lunchtime.  Simply put - bureaucrats in Washington shouldn't be able to dictate what goes on our kids' plates here in South Dakota.  This is an issue that is gaining momentum and will be a focus of my attention over the next year.
• Congress ended 2013 with a refreshing level of cooperation that I hope will be carried on throughout the next year.  And as I prepare to return to Congress, I am determined to again instill in Washington something that President Abraham Lincoln spoke about: a resolution to succeed.