Press Releases

BISMARCK – Effective January 1, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a new annual adjustment to the Farm Labor Survey (FLS) Adverse Effect Wage Rates (AEWR) for the employment of temporary or seasonal nonimmigrant foreign workers (H–2A workers). According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, the national average AEWR will be $17.55 this year, an 5.6% increase from last year. This marks the third year in a row the AEWR has increased more than 5%. For 2024, North Dakota’s AEWR is set... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – Throughout the last four weeks of trial in North Dakota v. United States, more than a dozen witnesses have appeared before the court on behalf of the state, providing testimony and evidence demonstrating the federal government neglected the state of North Dakota during the eight-month long Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) protests. The demonstrations, which caused North Dakota more than $38 million in damages, created a public safety crisis when activists unlawfully occupied federal... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – On Friday, the United States Senate passed H.R. 4366, a package of six Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations bills, by a vote of 75 to 22. The legislation, which previously passed the House of Representatives with broad support and a vote of 339 to 85, will continue funding for several government agencies, avoiding a partial government shutdown.  “Once again, we find ourselves dealing with the consequences of dysfunction. While the bills in this minibus should have been passed... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – Founded in 1965, the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) was established to help create and retain jobs, and stimulate growth in economically-distressed communities throughout the country. Since its creation, EDA’s programs and initiatives have supported a wide range of economic development activities to improve local economies, including workforce training and infrastructure development.  While EDA receives annual funding through the appropriations process, it has not... CONTINUE READING

***Click here for audio.*** WASHINGTON –U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement after President Biden delivered his 2024 State of the Union address. “I thought it was the worst State of the Union address I have ever listened to or sat through. We listened to an unhinged, angry, bitter old man screaming and pointing his finger at all his naughty children instead of taking responsibility for the messes he caused. He is pretending the economy is okay after he drove inflation... CONTINUE READING

***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.*** WASHINGTON – On Thursday, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell testified before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, where he discussed the semiannual Monetary Policy Report. As required by the Federal Reserve Act, the report is submitted to Congress every six months, in addition to providing testimony from the Federal Reserve Board Chair before the Senate Banking Committee. On October 24, 2023, federal bank... CONTINUE READING

***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.*** WASHINGTON – During a Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) hearing on Thursday, General Michael E. Kurilla, Commander of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), and General Michael E. Langley, Commander of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), testified before members about National Defense Authorization Act requests for Fiscal Year 2025 and the Future Years Defense Program (FYDP). These combatant commands are vital to the nation’s national... CONTINUE READING

***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.*** WASHINGTON – On Thursday, U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined Fox Business’ “Mornings with Maria” to preview the day’s Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs hearing, which will feature testimony from Jerome Powell, Chair of the Federal Reserve. He also discussed the 2024 presidential election, inflation, southern border, and the appropriations package. On the Banking Committee Hearing: “One of the interesting... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation announced a FY24 Aviation Workforce Development (AWD) Maintenance grant of $307,608 to the North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS). This award will go towards NDSCS’ North Dakota Fly High Career Pathway Program, which offers students education and networking opportunities with the corporate culture of a specific airline before seeking employment with the airline. CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, issued the following statement after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) finalized a climate disclosure rule, which would require publicly traded companies to categorize and disclose their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions data. “The SEC’s final climate disclosure rule is the definition of federal overreach. Congress didn’t give the SEC any authority for this mandate, nor... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON - The Federal Assets Sale and Transfer Act (FASTA), passed by Congress and signed into law in 2016, was enacted to address long-standing, federal deficiencies in managing its real property portfolio. It aimed to streamline the disposal of unneeded federal buildings, land, and structures, ultimately saving millions of dollars in taxpayer money. FASTA established a six-year pilot program overseen by the Public Buildings Reform Board (PBRB) to recommend the disposal of properties in... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – The Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) provided language authorizing special duty pay to servicemembers assigned to cold weather locations to address the mental health crisis among members serving in northern locations. According to the FY 2024 NDAA, cold weather locations are defined as any location where the temperature reaches -20 degrees Fahrenheit or below. Qualifying military stations in North Dakota include Minot Air Force Base, Cavalier Space Force... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – For 25 years, the United States has blocked the importation of fresh beef from Paraguay as a result of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) determining foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is prevalent within the country. According to the USDA, FMD is a “worldwide concern” due to its ability to rapidly spread and cause substantial economic losses. While the disease is still present in several other countries, the agency reported the United States eradicated FMD in... CONTINUE READING

***Click here for audio.*** BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) released the following statement after the Supreme Court of the United States unanimously allowed Donald Trump to remain on Colorado’s presidential ballot, rejecting partisan attempts to sway the 2024 election. “The Supreme Court did its job, unanimously disagreeing with decisions by Colorado and other hyper-partisan states to remove Donald Trump from the presidential ballot because they don’t like him. Hopefully, this is a... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – The third week of trial in North Dakota v. United States has officially concluded, marking the halfway point in the state’s lawsuit to recover $38 million in damages the state was forced to front due to the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) protests seven years ago. North Dakota’s lawsuit centers around claims the federal government allowed the illegal occupation of thousands of protestors on federal land, serving as a home base to engage in combative protests and soiling the environment... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded $1,375,158 to the Coal Country Community Health Center in Beulah, North Dakota. This grant is funded through the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Health Center Cluster grant program, which provides funding to community health centers across the United States. CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – On September 1, 2023, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule which mandated new minimum staffing standards for long-term care (LTC) facilities in order to provide “safe and high-quality care for the over 1.2 million residents receiving care in Medicare and Medicaid-certified LTC facilities each day.” According to estimations published by CMS, this proposed rule would force approximately 75% of nursing homes to increase the number of staff within... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) issued a contract announcement of $13,208,257.50 to HSG Park Joint Venture 2, LLC to complete the Southern Embankment Reach SE-1B segment of the Fargo-Moorhead Area Flood Diversion Project. Construction on the diversion project is estimated to be completed in 2027. These funds were provided by the fully paid-for Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which Senator Cramer helped shepherd through Congress. The USACE received $437... CONTINUE READING

***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.*** WASHINGTON – During a Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) hearing on Thursday, members heard testimony from General Anthony Cotton, Commander of U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) and General Stephen Whiting, Commander of U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM). U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) first questioned General Cotton about whether he believes the U.S. has adequate standoff capability, the ability to engage the enemy from far enough... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – In less than a month, the Supreme Court of the United States is expected to hear arguments in Food and Drug Administration v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, a case challenging the agency’s deregulation of chemical abortion drugs in 2016 and 2021. According to the Guttmacher Institute, abortion medication accounted for 53% of all facility-based abortions in the United States in 2020. Preliminary data published in 2022 indicated it accounted for 54% of all abortions.   In 2016,... CONTINUE READING