Press Releases

***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.*** WASHINGTON, D.C. – Service members leaving the military are often told to prepare for civilian life long before their final day in uniform. But when it comes to filing for the benefits they earned, they must navigate a complicated system, which too often leads to delayed compensation and health care. For transitioning service members, timing matters. Delays in filing can mean months without disability payments, postponed medical... CONTINUE READING

Legislation Calls for Strengthening Constitutional Safeguards ***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.*** WASHINGTON, D.C. – Eighteen years after its creation in 2008 following the intelligence failures related to 9/11, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) is set to expire. The program gives the federal government authority to conduct warrantless surveillance of foreign terrorists and national security threats overseas, but has repeatedly been abused by... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded a $28,650,000 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) capitalization grant to the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality (NDDEQ). This award is funded through the fully-paid-for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will be used for DWSRF-eligible lead service line replacement projects and associated activities directly connected to the identification, planning, design, and replacement of lead service lines. CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Transit Administration awarded $5,070,000 to the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT). This award is funded through the Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities program and will be used to purchase replacement buses in various locations across North Dakota. CONTINUE READING

***Click here for audio. Click here for video. Click here for photos.*** WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee held a hearing to discuss the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Civil Works Program and policies under consideration for the Water Resources Development Act of 2026. The hearing featured testimony from Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam Telle and USACE Chief of Engineers and Commanding General Lieutenant General William H. Graham... CONTINUE READING

***Click here for audio.*** WASHINGTON, D.C. – In celebration of a successful year, President Donald Trump addressed members of Congress for his first State of the Union speech of his second term. U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement after the historic speech: “I just thought the president was fantastic tonight. He talks about so many things, it’s hard to boil it down to highlights. “But what I really appreciated was he reiterated in very plain language without... CONTINUE READING

***Click here to download audio.*** WASHINGTON, D.C. – North Dakota radio listeners tuning into the State of the Union may see a familiar face in the audience Tuesday night. Longtime radio host Scott Hennen, who founded the state’s first radio talk show nearly 40 years ago, will attend as U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer’s (R-ND) guest. Hennen hosts the statewide program, “What’s On Your Mind?,"  which airs on AM 1100 “The Flag” in Fargo, AM 1090 KTGO “The Flag” in Watford City and Williston, SuperTalk... CONTINUE READING

***Click here for audio.*** BISMARCK, N.D. – A key missile defense warning and tracking radar system based in North Dakota received a big boost this week, when the U.S. Department of War (DOW) increased its contract with InDyne Inc. by $11,847,426. The funding will support work at Cavalier Space Force Station’s Perimeter Acquisition Radar Attack Characterization System (PARCS), which tracks more than half of all objects orbiting Earth and serves as one of the first lines of defense against... CONTINUE READING

***Click here for audio.*** BISMARCK, N.D. – Following through on a promise made in the opening months of President Donald Trump’s second term, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the repeal of the Biden-era 2024 Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) amendments. These amendments dramatically increased restrictions on emissions limits, which was especially impactful on North Dakota’s lignite coal power plants. U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), a member of the Senate... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK, N.D. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the award of $5,459,000 to the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality. This grant, provided through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, will support the replacement of lead service lines and related efforts, including their identification, planning, and design. Funding may also be used to create or update lead service line inventories and to deliver technical assistance to small water systems conducting... CONTINUE READING

Legislation Protects Job Training Benefits for Disabled Veterans ***Click here for audio.*** WASHINGTON, D.C. – American veterans have been shortchanged by bureaucratic red tape, often losing out on the full education benefits they earned through honorable service. At the heart of the problem is the “48-month rule,” which caps the total amount of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) education benefits a veteran can receive even if they qualify for multiple programs. The VA also administers... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK, N.D. – Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent vigorously defended President Trump’s financial policies and promoted the administration’s pro-growth agenda when he appeared before the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee to deliver the Financial Stability Oversight Council’s Annual Report to Congress. U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), who focused on affordability and tax relief for adoptive families, asked Bessent to commit to examining the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS)... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK, N.D. – The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) awarded $100,000 to the Mercer County Regional Airport Authority. This award supports the removal of ground penetrations to the approach surface which were identified as obstructions by the FAA. The AIG Program was established by the fully-paid-for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to provide airports with funding for modernization and safety projects. Since its creation, airports in North Dakota have... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee heard from North Dakota cybersecurity specialist Matt Odermann during a hearing examining cybersecurity challenges impacting water infrastructure across the nation. U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), chairman of the EPW Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, introduced Odermann, an executive board member of the North Dakota Rural Water Systems Association and Cybersecurity Supervisor at Minnkota Power... CONTINUE READING

Legislation Provides Historic Reauthorization, Longer-term Certainty ***Click here for video and audio.*** WASHINGTON, D.C. – As of 2019, there were 115 Export Credit Agencies (ECA) globally, each competing to help industry within their country secure market access across the globe. China has two ECAs, both which support its Belt and Road Initiative, which facilitates Chinese global industrial development. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, “In 2022, it is estimated... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON, D.C. – With the last remaining guardrails on U.S.-Russian nuclear arms set to expire, Senate defense leaders warned this week the United States is entering an era of strategic competition with no formal limits on Russian deployed intercontinental-range nuclear weapons. The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) convened national security experts to confront a post–New START world, as the treaty, which was signed in 2010, nears its Feb. 5 expiration. Russia’s decision to halt U.S.... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Endowment for the Arts awarded $15,000 to The Study ND, formerly North Dakota Humanities Council, to support a statewide theater and humanities initiative in recognition of America’s 250thanniversary. This commemorative effort will bring historical events and figures like the Framers of the U.S. Constitution to life through virtual and live performances celebrating the nation’s history. Public readings, theatrical portrayals, and guided discussions will encourage... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK, N.D. – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded $3,154,839 to Cankdeska Cikana Community College in Fort Totten. These funds are distributed through Head Start Indian Grants. The funds support Head Start and Early Head Start programs. These programs promote early childhood learning, health and development initiatives, as well as family and community support services. CONTINUE READING

Measure Heads Back to the House for Final Consideration ***Click here to download audio.*** WASHINGTON, D.C. – By a vote of 71 to 29, the U.S. Senate passed a package of bipartisan Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 appropriations bills, completing nearly 92% of the appropriations process. Today’s vote delivers on President Donald Trump’s America First agenda and secures full-year funding for the departments of Defense, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Labor,... CONTINUE READING

***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.*** WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee heard testimony from U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) leadership about how proposed changes to the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) would affect veterans in North Dakota and the rest of the nation. The VA recently announced theRestructure for Impact and Sustainability Effort (RISE) initiative to reorganize the VHA over the next 18-24 months, aiming to reduce bureaucracy... CONTINUE READING