Press Releases

BISMARCK — U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined his colleagues today in advocating for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to increase telephone-based, or audio-only, telehealth reimbursements to equal other audio-visual telehealth and in-person visitation reimbursements.  Read more here.  CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), a Senate Banking Committee member, led a group of 19 senators urging Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, and the Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Jovita Carranza to protect Second Amendment-related industries from discrimination by financial institutions. “Several of the nation’s systemically important financial institutions use their market dominance to financially discriminate against legal... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – Today, U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer and Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Dan Brouillette held a teleconference with members of the North Dakota Petroleum Council (NDPC). NDPC members received an update on the efforts of Congress and DOE to address the issues facing the oil industry during this time of low prices and the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more here. CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement after President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to keep meat and poultry processing facilities open during the COVID-19 pandemic: “The United States must maintain a robust food supply chain, without sacrificing the safety and health of workers or consumers, if we are going to make it through COVID-19. I applaud President Trump for taking further action to support this critical part of our nation’s... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and John Hoeven (R-ND) and Representative Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) issued the following statement on the Department of Energy (DOE) submitting its report on the Sandia National Laboratories Crude Oil Characterization Research Study to Congress today: “As the Sandia study proves, Bakken crude is no different from Permian Basin oil or the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. There is no scientific basis for Washington... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement on U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer notifying Congress that Canada and Mexico have taken necessary measures to comply with their commitments under the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA), meaning it will enter into force on July 1, 2020: “With our manufacturers and producers having to overcome the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, I am pleased to see some positive news for... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced today the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded $14,108,992 to 40 providers and health systems in North Dakota through the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund as allocated by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. This is the first part of the second tranche of COVID-19 relief funds awarded by HHS. Health care providers in North Dakota have now received $105,173,571 through the CARES... CONTINUE READING

***Click here for audio.*** BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement today on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) releasing interim guidance for meat and poultry processing facilities during COVID-19: “I am grateful the CDC struck the right balance with this guidance. When stringent regulations were rightfully issued for the Smithfield processing plant, my colleagues and I reached out to Secretary Perdue to make sure the Administration... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and his colleagues sent a letter to Senate Appropriations Committee leadership requesting that any funding for the World Health Organization (WHO) be withheld pending a Congressional hearing to investigate the WHO’s role in helping Communist China cover up information regarding the threat of the Coronavirus. CONTINUE READING

***Click here for video. Click here for audio.*** BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), a Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee member, issued the following statement on the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announcing $17 million in funding for the University of North Dakota’s (UND) Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC) for Project Tundra today: “The Energy Department is continuing the Trump Administration’s work to bolster American energy dominance and... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced today the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) awarded$5,075,000 to the North Dakota Department of Health. This grant was awarded through the CDC National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne, And Enteric Diseases office and will be used to finance the department’s Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity (ELC) for Preve program. CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined a bipartisan group of senators in calling on House and Senate leadership to make sure the next coronavirus relief package includes their Cancer Drug Parity Act, which would make sure oral cancer drugs are covered in the same way as traditional intravenous (IV) chemotherapy. You can access the letter here. CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) led a letter to Senate Majority Mitch McConnell (R-KY) urging him to continue resisting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) efforts to advance renewable energy tax credit extensions in any COVID-19 response efforts. “As Congress and the Trump Administration discuss further efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic, our Democratic colleagues continue to puppet renewable energy tax credit... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), a member on the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, announced today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded $140,000 to Valley Bus, LLC located in Fargo to replace older diesel school buses. These funds are awarded as a part of $11.5 million investment to replace 580 older diesel school buses within 157 school bus fleets across the nation. Each recipient will receive rebates through EPA's Diesel Emissions Reduction Act... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined his colleagues today in sending a letter to President Trump urging him to eliminate payment limits for livestock, dairy and specialty crop producers in the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP).   The COVID-19 crisis has caused significant damage to agriculture operations across the country. The CARES Act provided $23.5 billion to support farmers and ranchers, including $9.5 billion for livestock, dairy and specialty crop... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Representatives Peter Welch (D-VT-AL) and Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS-01) wrote a letter to the President urging the Administration to support dedicated funding for small broadband providers to keep students and low-income families in their communities connected to the internet during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. “Many small broadband providers have committed to sustaining critical broadband services and... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced today the U.S. Department of Education (ED) awarded a combined $33,297,699 to the state of North Dakota through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund as allocated by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to support continued learning for K-12 students whose educations have been disrupted by the impacts of COVID-19. Local education leaders are empowered with the flexibility... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON— Senator Kevin Cramer joined a letter today “in support of Attorney General William Barr’s efforts to prioritize public safety as the Department of Justice seeks to address the consequences of the coronavirus in federal prisons.” Read the full letter here.  CONTINUE READING

***Click here for audio.*** BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement on the U.S. Department of Treasury releasing guidance allowing states to use COVID-19 relief funds for unemployment insurance: “Thanks to Treasury Secretary Mnuchin for listening to the input of Governor Burgum and others who are working at the state and local level to get our workers help. Treasury’s guidance gives states like North Dakota the flexibility they need to ensure their... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), a member on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, announced today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded two grants totaling $237,181 to the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality and the North Dakota Industrial Commission. The North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality received $133,181 authorized under the Clean Water Act to fund North Dakota’s Water Quality Management Planning program. This... CONTINUE READING