Press Releases

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) making $1 billion in loan guarantees available for rural businesses and agricultural producers: “Secretary Perdue is providing additional avenues for the Trump Administration to help rural Americans receive assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. I encourage North Dakota’s businesses and agricultural community to familiarize themselves with these resources to see if they... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced today the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) awarded grants to three local airports in North Dakota. These funds are appropriated through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a bill crafted in the Senate which Senator Cramer helped pass.    Barnes County Municipal Airport- $30,000 Oakes Municipal Airport - $30,000 Lisbon Municipal Airport - $20,000   This funding is awarded through the Federal Aviation... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced today the Department of Justice (DOJ) awarded the City of Minot a total of $63,869 through the COVID-19 Emergency Supplemental Funding Program. According to the DOJ, these funds will allow states, local governments, and federally recognized tribes to support a broad range of activities to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19. This may include overtime pay, equipment, hiring, supplies, training, travel expenses, and addressing... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced today the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) approved a $498,615 Food Safety and Defense grant for North Dakota State University (NDSU). This investment is made through NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), which is a competitive grant program that provides research, education, and extension grants to improve rural economies, increase food production, and train the... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), a Senate Banking Committee member, issued the following statement on the Senate – by unanimous consent – passing S. 945, the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act: “Communist China routinely flouts congressionally established requirements for participating in US stock exchanges. Our Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act increases transparency, protects American investors, and prevents companies owned or controlled by foreign governments... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement on Planned Parenthood affiliates receiving $80 million in Paycheck Protection Program funds: “Paycheck Protection Program funds are for saving jobs, not killing babies. We established that Planned Parenthood would not be eligible to receive these funds when we passed the CARES Act, but apparently some of its affiliates missed that part of the law. Planned Parenthood reported over $1.6 billion in income and bragged last... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced today the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded a combined $2,621,455 to 53 health care providers in North Dakota to expand the capacity for coronavirus testing. These funds are awarded through the HHS Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and come as part of a $225 million investment into over 4,500 Rural Health Clinics throughout the nation to support COVID-19 testing efforts in rural... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced today the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDOH) received $52,621,819 from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). These funds are awarded through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne, and Enteric Diseases. They are authorized by the Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Prevention and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases (ELC) Cooperative Agreement,... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) releasing details of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP): “Today Secretary Perdue announced the specifics for USDA’s COVID-19 direct payment program, and I encourage North Dakota’s agricultural community to be ready to apply for the aid next week. I am glad to see many of our commodities are eligible for this assistance, and at a higher payment limit, as we... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced today the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) awarded grants to four local airports in North Dakota. These funds are appropriated through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a bill crafted in the Senate which Senator Cramer helped pass.    Watford City Municipal Airport - $30,000 Hillsboro Municipal Airport - $30,000 Ashley Municipal Airport - $20,000 Edgeley Municipal Airport - $20,000   This funding... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced today the National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a combined $1,325,104to North Dakota State University (NDSU) and the Tribal Nations Research Group. These funds are approved through the NSF Division of Engineering Education and Centers Directorate for Engineering. North Dakota State University Fargo received a total of $540,649 to finance their project entitled "Research Experiences for Teachers: Civil... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), a Senate Banking Committee member, joined Stuart Varney on Fox Business this morning to discuss North Dakota using COVID-19 funds response to keep oilfield workers on the job and today’s Senate Banking Committee CARES Act hearing.   Click Here to Watch CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined a bipartisan, bicameral letter requesting the proper authorities “encrypt phone calls between the [Capitol Hill] chambers to protect communications against foreign surveillance.” Please see the release from Senator Wyden’s office for more information. CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement on U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announcing last night the signup for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) will launch on Tuesday, May 26: “Secretary Perdue announced last night the long-awaited CFAP signup will be available the day after Memorial Day. I encourage North Dakota’s agricultural producers to be ready to apply for this assistance.” According to Secretary Perdue, CFAP funds will be... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement on Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma issuing guidance to ensure the safe reopening of nursing homes: “I am grateful to Administrator Verma for following President Trump’s reopening guidelines and creating a path forward for people to visit their loved ones in nursing homes. I trust Governor Burgum to implement this guidance in a way that works best for North Dakota, and I hope we... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) spoke to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma today urging her to update CMS guidance providing states with flexibility for nursing home visitations.  “As states like North Dakota reopen and testing continues to ramp up, the Trump Administration should update its recommendations on nursing home visitors accordingly. On our call I urged Administrator Verma to modify CMS guidance to provide flexibility for states like... CONTINUE READING

JAMESTOWN, ND – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Water, visited flooding damage in Stutsman County today. Following the visit, Senator Cramer - with members of the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services (NDDES) and Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) - participated in a town hall hosted by District 29 state legislators. Regional representatives of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) also attended... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced today the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) under the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) awarded a total of $18 million to the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT). These funds are appropriated under Section 5311 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a bill crafted in the Senate which Senator Cramer helped pass.   The funds come as a part of a $25 billion allocation through the CARES Act to... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced today the National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded $541,967 to the United Tribes Technical College to support its Community STEM Engagement Initiative. This investment is approved through the NSF Division of Human Resource Development and the Directorate for Education and Human Resources. The Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) will use the awarded funds to increase the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Chairman of the Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife Subcommittee on the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, announced today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded $7,780,000 to the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality (NDDEQ).  This funding agreement is authorized under the Clean Water Act and will be used to finance North Dakota’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund. This program provides low... CONTINUE READING