Press Releases

***Click here to download audio.***WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), a Senate Banking Committee member, issued the following statement on Congress passing legislation today to extend the deadline for businesses and nonprofits to apply for loans through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to May 31, 2021:“The Paycheck Protection Program has been wildly popular in North Dakota, giving a significant number of our small businesses and nonprofits the resources they need to get... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement on Great River Energy (GRE) entering exclusive negotiations to sell Coal Creek Station and GRE’s high-voltage, direct current transmission system:“I am glad to see progress is being made to find a buyer for Coal Creek Station who will keep it up and running. North Dakotans need Coal Creek, and the American people need coal. I hope the negotiations continue successfully and a deal is able to be struck soon.” CONTINUE READING

***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.***WASHINGTON – At a Senate Banking Committee hearing, U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) pressed U.S. Department of the Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on whether it is appropriate for the federal government to apply political pressure on financial institutions which invest in energy development. “You have made addressing climate change one of the central points of your time at Treasury, and it has been reported... CONTINUE READING

***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.***WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), a member of the Senate Banking and Senate Budget committees, joined Edward Lawrence on Fox Business last night to discuss infrastructure and Democrats’ plan to raise taxes.On Infrastructure:“There is no question one of the most bipartisan issues in Congress is transportation infrastructure. That includes of course highways and bridges, as you talked about, and it includes... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), issued the following statement after joining all 13 Republican members of the committee in voting to reject the confirmation of Colin Kahl to serve as Under Secretary of Defense for Policy: “Dr. Kahl has made several incorrect and polarizing statements on foreign policy that could limit his ability to effectively serve as the Defense Department’s policy chief and build the coalition... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced today the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) awarded the following 15 grants totaling $6,400,723 to airports in North Dakota:$3,575,842 to the Municipal Airport Authority of the City of Fargo;$1,689,084 to the City of Minot for Minot International Airport;$1,003,797 to the Jamestown Airport Authority;$13,000 to the Barnes County... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced today the National Science Foundation awarded $535,141 to North Dakota State University (NDSU).The funds come through the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) grant program and will support research to extend the applicability of reduced-scale physical models to quantify the failure behavior of full-scale structural steel castings under seismic loads. CONTINUE READING

***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.***WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) spoke to Jacqueline Alemany on Washington Post Live yesterday about the possibility of Congress considering gun legislation, the crisis at the southern border, a potential infrastructure package, and the future of the Republican party. Read the transcript of the interview here.Click Here to Watch CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced today he will vote against Janet McCabe’s nomination to be Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) when her nomination is considered in the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee this morning.“During her time in the Obama Administration, Janet McCabe promised to listen to states, yet she was the architect of the disastrous and overreaching Clean Power Plan. North Dakotans expect the federal government... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced today the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded $499,991 to North Dakota State University (NDSU).The funds will be used for research efforts focused on integrated farming systems coupled with livestock reproductive strategies to enhance profit margins for small and medium-sized producers. CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), a Senate Budget Committee member, issued the following statement after voting to confirm Shalanda Young as Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget today:“I had a productive conversation with Shalanda Young ahead of today’s vote, where she confirmed she will not try to use the regulatory process to undermine laws written to protect taxpayer funds from being used for abortion. As long as Congress continues Hyde Amendment protections,... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced today the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) awarded the following two grants totaling $19,509,731.52:$18,380,686.70 to the North Dakota Department of Health for COVID-19 test funding; and$1,129,044.82 to the McKenzie County Healthcare System to convert an abandoned medical clinic to an alternative care site for COVID-19. CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced today the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded $1,206,928 to TGU School District #60. The funds come through the Head Start and Early Head Start programs, which promote school readiness for young children and toddlers from low-income families by enhancing their cognitive, social, and emotional development as well as early learning, health, and family well-being. CONTINUE READING

***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.***WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business to discuss the crisis at the border and President Biden’s proposal to raise taxes. Excerpts and a link to the video are below.On the Border Crisis: “There's got to be a solution. It's got to come quickly. This is a crisis. It's a crisis on many layers … This is an economic crisis, it's a revenue crisis, a jobs crisis, law enforcement crisis,... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee member, joined a letter led by Senate Energy Committee Ranking Member John Barrasso (R-WY) to U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Deb Haaland regarding a virtual forum hosted by DOI this Thursday on President Joe Biden’s Executive Order imposing an indefinite moratorium on federal oil and gas lease sales.In the letter, the senators question the legal ramifications and procedural uncertainty... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement on voting to confirm Mayor Marty Walsh as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor today:“A properly trained workforce is key to America’s economy remaining competitive globally. By partnering with the Department of Labor under the Trump Administration, we were able to make great advancements in providing skills-based training and diversifying the opportunities available to America’s workforce through the... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), a Senate Budget Committee member, joined two bipartisan letters to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) urging the agency to abandon plans to change the current definition of a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). OMB has proposed doubling the minimum requirement for a MSA from 50,000 to 100,000 which would eliminate MSA status for nearly 150 cities across the country – including Minot, Bismarck, and Grand Forks – and could negatively impact... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) introduced the Safe Routes to All Schools Act, bipartisan legislation to prioritize pedestrian and bicycle safety projects for high school students who walk or bike to school. “Commonsense improvements can be made to protect the safety of our children as they make their way to school, and Congress can do more to assist in that effort,” said Senator Cramer. “Our bill empowers local communities to make... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced today the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded the following three grants totaling $5,474,241:$2,583,316 to Coal Country Community Health Center;$2,390,971 to Sanford Research North; and$499,954 to Three Affiliated Tribes for Community Opioid Intervention Pilot Projects. CONTINUE READING

***Click here to download audio.***WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs (VA) Committee, issued the following statement on the Senate unanimously passing the Strengthening and Amplifying Vaccination Efforts to Locally Immunize all Veterans and Every Spouse (SAVE LIVES) Act, bipartisan legislation to expand COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to veterans and their families under the Department of Veterans Affairs:“Our goal is... CONTINUE READING