Press Releases

***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.*** WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC) held a hearing today to discuss the importance of enhancing outreach to better support the mental health of veterans across the nation. During the hearing, U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) questioned Dr. Thomas O’Toole, Acting Assistant Under Secretary of Health for Clinical Services at the Veterans Health Administration, about the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)... CONTINUE READING

***Click here for audio.*** BISMARCK, N.D. – North Dakota decisively won its Federal Tort Claims Act case against the federal government in a landmark $27.8 million dollar ruling, the first time in history in which a state has prevailed against the federal government in trial. U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) released a statement following the ruling: “This ruling is a colossal win for the North Dakota taxpayers who were forced to bear the cost of our federal government’s abdication of its... CONTINUE READING

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Meat and poultry products inspected by state programs are limited to markets within their particular state, even when inspection at a state facility meets or exceeds federal inspection standards. U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) in introducing the New Markets for State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Act to allow meat and poultry products inspected by state Meat and Poultry Inspection (MPI) programs to be sold across state lines. This bill... CONTINUE READING

***Click here to download audio.*** BISMARCK, N.D. – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced Space Development Agency (SDA) Director Derek Tournear and General Michael Guetlein, Vice Chief of Space Operations for the United States Space Force, will join him in visiting the University of North Dakota (UND), Grand Forks Air Force Base, and Cavalier Space Force Station. “The buildup of ground-based capabilities at Grand Forks Air Force Base and the warfighting support offered by Cavalier Space... CONTINUE READING

***Click here for audio*** BISMARCK, N.D.  – Credit scores compiled from loan and payment data are a common indicator of overall consumer financial health. Credit data is typically sourced from car, home, and student loans as well as credit cards and other lines of credit. While most Americans have a variety of data streams, about 26 million Americans are “credit invisible” and lack credit records or repayment history. These scores are essential to securing further lines of credit and impact a... CONTINUE READING

***Click here for media resources*** WASHINGTON, D.C. – The North Dakota State University (NDSU) Bison returned to Washington, D.C., to celebrate their National Collegiate Athletics Association Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) national title. The Bison beat the Montana State Bobcats 35-32 in January, securing the team’s 10th FCS Championship within 14 years, and the 18th championship in program history. Following the Bison’s win, U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON, D.C. - To support families choosing adoption, the existing Adoption Tax Credit allows adoptive families to deduct up to $16,810 in qualified expenses. The tax credit eases the financial cost of adoption and supports prospective and adoptive families. U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), co-chairs of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, with U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM),  introduced the Adoption Tax Credit Refundability... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON, D.C. – When Congress passed the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019, it authorized several new programs designed to improve veterans’ access to mental health care. Among the provisions, the bill established the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program (SSG Fox SPGP) to reduce veteran suicide through a community-based approach.  While the SSG Fox SPGP authorized $174 million to be appropriated for Fiscal Year 2021... CONTINUE READING

***Click here for audio.*** WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement following President Trump signing executive orders relating to coal mining and coal powered electricity production: “It was a really good day for American energy. These executive orders that President Trump signed today reflect not just a temporary reprieve in the war against coal, but really a revolutionary break from the Biden administration’s pessimistic philosophy of scarcity. This... CONTINUE READING

Sets the Stage to Rebuild Military, Secure the Border, and Prevent $4 Trillion Tax Hike WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States Senate passed its amendment to the budget resolution from the House of Representatives by a vote of 51 to 48. The amended resolution is a step toward making President Trump’s 2017 tax cuts permanent, strengthening national defense, enhancing border and energy security, and reducing spending. The budget resolution will now head back to the House of Representatives for... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) awarded a total of $1,166,291 in federal funding to Richland County to replace the Helendale Bridge, an 82-foot, single-span steel truss bridge which was damaged from a severe winter storm and flooding event between April 22 - May 25, 2022. The structure will be replaced with a 142-foot, three-span concrete bridge using contract services which follow consensus-based codes and construction... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined a bipartisan group of Senate colleagues, led by U.S. Senators John Thune (R-SD) and Dick Durbin (D-IL), in sending a letter to President Donald Trump requesting the year-round sale of E15 fuel. Specifically, the letter asked President Trump to use the nationwide temporary waivers provided under the Clean Air Act to extend the Reid vapor pressure waiver through the 2025 summer driving season. Supported by Cramer, the U.S. Environmental... CONTINUE READING

***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.*** WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee held a hearing today, officially kicking off the process for development of the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill. U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy testified before the committee, providing input on the Trump Administration’s priorities. Prior to his service as Secretary of Transportation, Duffy represented Wisconsin’s... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer today announced that Heather Ranck is being reinstated as the Director of the National Rural Export Center. The senators have worked with the new administration at the Department of Commerce to accelerate the important work of the National Rural Export Center by bringing back Ranck to the position, citing her experience and leadership in founding the center, which specializes in conducting customized market research designed to guide rural U.S.... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Since taking office, President Donald Trump and his administration have prioritized negotiating a ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine. While Ukraine announced its willingness to support a 30-day ceasefire proposal, Russia has not.  U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and 50 of their colleagues, to introduce the bipartisan Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025. This bill would impose primary and... CONTINUE READING

***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.***  WASHINGTON, D.C. – Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) held a hearing today to consider the nomination of Lieutenant General Dan “Razin” Caine to be the 22nd Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.  Lt. Gen. Caine has played a key role in overseeing classified military programs. He served as Director of Special Programs in the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Special Access Program Central Office, where he advised the... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK, N.D. - Judge James Boasberg of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia granted North Dakota’s motion to dismiss the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s latest lawsuit to shut down the Dakota Access Pipeline.  U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement after the dismissal: “Even Judge Boasberg could barely make sense of the latest spaghetti against the wall lawsuit seeking a shutdown of a vital part of our nation’s energy backbone. Today’s dismissal is... CONTINUE READING

***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.*** WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) held a hearing today to consider four nominations for key positions within the U.S. Department of Defense. During the hearing, members heard testimony from Secretary of the U.S. Air Force nominee Troy Meink, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment nominee Michael Duffey, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering nominee Emil Michael, and... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Under current law, state departments of transportation (DOTs) submit a Transportation Asset Management Plan (TAMP) every four years to the Federal Highway Administration. State TAMPs are planning and budget documents, intended to ensure effective management and long-term functionality of infrastructure like roads, bridges, and the National Highway System. In addition to the TAMPs, State DOTs are required to file separate annual reports with information about the implementation... CONTINUE READING

***Click here for audio. Click here for video.*** WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee held a hearing to discuss nominees to serve in the Trump administration. The hearing featured testimony from Brian Nesvik, nominee for Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Jessica Kramer, nominee for Assistant Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Water. U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) questioned Kramer on the EPA’s... CONTINUE READING