Ensure that an additional billion dollars in investment for the Sanford Underground Research Facility is secured.

The Senator says he also wants to make sure a likely billion dollars of additional investment for the Sanford Underground Research Facility goes through.

Rounds committed to securing likely billion dollars of further investment for the Sanford Underground Research Facility.

“The work is not done yet,” Senator Mike Rounds announces bid for reelection
secondary · news_report · model gpt-4.1

Rounds said the FY2026 appropriations package "includes robust funding requested by Rounds through the Department of Energy for projects and infrastructure at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) outside of Lead," including "$260 million for the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility/Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (LBNF/DUNE)," "$114 million for the Proton Improvement Project-II," and "$44 million for SURF operations and infrastructure upgrades."

Rounds helped secure substantial FY2026 federal funding tied to SURF, but the record shows hundreds of millions rather than an additional billion dollars and does not establish full delivery of the larger pledge.

partial same_term A for effort

Rounds Issues Statement Following Senate... | U.S. Senator Mike Rounds
primary · model gpt-5.4-mini · confidence 90%

DOE's FY2027 Office of Science budget request states that "The SDSTA cooperative agreement funds basic services and critical infrastructure upgrades at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in South Dakota" and that the request will support the Long Baseline Neutrino Facility/Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, a "multi-billion-dollar international science facility hosted by the United States."

The federal budget process continued to fund and describe SURF as part of a multi-billion-dollar effort, but this is still a request and does not prove that Rounds secured an additional billion dollars.

unresolved same_term A for effort

fy-2027-office-science-budget-request
secondary · model gpt-5.4-mini · confidence 83%

Rounds said the FY2026 appropriations package included robust Department of Energy funding for projects and infrastructure at SURF, including $260 million for LBNF/DUNE, $114 million for PIP-II, and $44 million for SURF operations and infrastructure upgrades.

Official Senate statement confirms substantial same-term SURF-related funding, but the identified amounts are hundreds of millions, not the additional $1 billion promised.

partial same_term A for effort

Rounds Issues Statement Following Senate... | U.S. Senator Mike Rounds
primary · model gpt-5.4-mini · confidence 95%

DOE’s FY2027 budget justification says the SDSTA cooperative agreement funds basic services and critical infrastructure upgrades at SURF in South Dakota, and that SURF will be the future home of the DUNE far site detectors.

The newest official DOE budget material shows continued federal support for SURF, but it is still a budget request and does not show that the additional $1 billion was actually secured.

unresolved same_term A for effort

DOE FY 2027 Volume 4
secondary · model gpt-5.4-mini · confidence 87%

Rounds' office said the FY2026 package included DOE funding he requested for SURF-related work: $260 million for LBNF/DUNE, $114 million for PIP-II, and $44 million for SURF operations and infrastructure upgrades.

This is direct evidence of substantial same-term federal funding Rounds claims to have secured for SURF-related projects, totaling about $418 million, but it does not show the promised additional $1 billion was fully secured.

partial same_term A for effort

Rounds Issues Statement Following Senate... | U.S. Senator Mike Rounds
primary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 95%

Public Law 119-74 enacted H.R. 6938 for FY2026 and appropriated $8.4 billion for Department of Energy Science activities, with DOE program amounts governed by the explanatory statement.

The enacted law confirms the FY2026 appropriations package became law in Rounds' Senate term, but the statutory text itself does not identify an additional $1 billion for SURF.

partial same_term A for effort

Public Law 119-74, Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act, 2026
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 90%

The Senate passed H.R. 6938 on January 15, 2026, by 82-15; Rounds voted yea on passage.

Rounds voted for the enacted FY2026 appropriations package that included the documented SURF-related funding, showing concrete legislative effort during the relevant term.

partial same_term A for effort

U.S. Senate Roll Call Vote 119th Congress, 2nd Session, Vote 11
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 96%

DOE's FY2027 budget justification lists LBNF/DUNE total project cost at $3.277 billion, with FY2026 budget authority of $260 million, FY2027 request of $305 million, and $948.594 million in outyear budget authority.

The DOE record confirms the SURF-linked LBNF/DUNE project is multi-billion-dollar, but only the FY2026 amount is enacted; the FY2027 and outyear figures are requests or estimates, not secured funding.

partial same_term A for effort

DOE FY 2027 Volume 4
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 92%

DOE states the SDSTA cooperative agreement funds basic services and critical infrastructure upgrades at SURF, and that SURF will host DUNE far-site detectors under construction.

This confirms continued federal support for SURF operations and infrastructure, but it does not prove that the additional $1 billion investment was actually secured.

partial same_term A for effort

DOE FY 2027 Volume 4
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 88%

DOE describes LBNF/DUNE-US as a multi-billion-dollar international science facility with neutrino detector infrastructure at SURF in South Dakota.

The project scale is consistent with the campaign goal, but DOE's description of total project cost and future plans is not proof that Rounds secured an additional $1 billion during the term.

unresolved same_term A for effort

DOE FY 2027 Volume 4
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 84%