Press Releases

***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.*** WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee held a hearing to discuss the National Cemetery Administration’s (NCA) mission to honor America’s veterans and their families at U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) cemeteries. While it is the smallest of the VA’s three administrations, the NCA’s important work includes managing 158 national cemeteries across the country and supporting state and tribal veterans’... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced he will not run for another term as leader. As the longest-serving Senate Republican leader in history, McConnell will step down from the position in November.   “I’ve known Mitch for over three decades, all the way back to my days as Chairman of the North Dakota Republican party, and I can confidently say there’s nobody quite like him. Mitch has ice in his... CONTINUE READING

***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.*** WASHINGTON – As Congress works to craft the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2024, members of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee gathered on Wednesday to discuss the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Civil Works Program with Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Michael Connor and USACE Commanding General and Chief of Engineers Lieutenant General Scott Spellmon. Senator Cramer first questioned... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced an award of $1,450,750 to the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services to help strengthen public health infrastructure and workforce capacity to meet the needs of the community and population it serves. This grant was administered through the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology and Laboratory Services. CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court of the United States is set to weigh in on Moyle v. United States of America and Idaho v. United States of America, a case questioning whether the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) preempts Idaho’s Defense of Life Act,  which prohibits most abortions in the state. The Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments in late April, with a decision to follow by early July. U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined U.S. Senator James Risch (R-ID) and a... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – The second week of the North Dakota v. United States trial officially concluded, further solidifying the state’s claims that the federal government aided in the evolution of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) protest activities and failed to assist local law enforcement. These protests spanned nearly eight months and inflicted more than $38 million in damages on North Dakota. “The whole reason for the trial is to allow North Dakota to recoup the costs of policing the DAPL protests when... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – The U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced in October the 90-day pause on the issuance of new export licenses for gun manufacturers attempting to export certain firearms, related components, and ammunition under its jurisdiction to a majority of foreign end-users. During this 90-day period, the department said it would “assess current firearm export control review policies to determine whether any changes are warranted to advance U.S. national... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – This year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a costly and burdensome proposed rule which would require 67% of new light-duty vehicles and 46% of medium-duty vehicles to be electric by 2032. Implementation of this proposal would effectively establish a de facto mandate for electric vehicles (EV), calling for the complete phase out of internal combustion engine vehicles and harm American consumers by dictating what automobiles they can buy.   U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, released the following statement after the Ninth Circuit U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals vacated a federal judge’s order for the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) to reevaluate a Trump administration’s elimination of Obama-era coal leasing restrictions. “Coal is an essential component of our nation’s energy security strategy, and this reinstatement is a major victory for North Dakota... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development announced an award of $30,000 to Carson, North Dakota to complete a study analyzing the city’s existing water and sewer systems. This funding, awarded through the Special Evaluation Assistance for Rural Communities and Households (SEARCH) program, will support the city as it determines deficiencies in the water and sewer systems and develops a plan. CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and John Hoeven (R-ND) and U.S. Representative Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) issued the following statement after President Joe Biden approved a major disaster declaration due to damages caused by a severe winter ice storm which affected 13 counties across North Dakota from December 25, 2023 to December 27, 2023. These funds will be distributed through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation Grant programs,... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded a total of $1,343,845 to the Three Affiliated Tribes. These funds are distributed through the Head Start Indian Grants program, which promotes early childhood learning, health, and development initiatives, as well as family and community support services. CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK — Thursday marked the first day of trial in North Dakota’s lawsuit against the federal government in which it seeks reimbursement for emergency costs the state was forced to front in response to the unlawful Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) protests. These illegal protests, which spanned nearly eight months in 2016 and 2017, inflicted more than $38 million in damages on North Dakota. “Rather than just accept federal wrongs as so many states have, North Dakota is exercising its... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – On February 6, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona issued a ruling which nullified the 2020 registrations of three dicamba herbicides: Bayer Xtendimax, BASF Engenia, and Syngenta Tavium. The Court found the agency violated notice and comment requirements for “new use” pesticide registrations for over-the-top (OTT) dicamba use on dicamba-tolerant (DT) crops under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The following week, the U.S.... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Angus King (I-ME), members of the Senate Veterans Affairs and Armed Services Committees, introduced the Supporting Rural Veterans Access to Healthcare Services Act. This legislation would provide travel assistance to veterans living in highly rural areas for VA-authorized health care appointments. Specifically, the bill would reauthorize the VA Highly Rural Transportation Grant (HRTG) Program for five years and add Tribal Organizations as entities... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – On Thursday, the U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and John Hoeven (R-ND) and U.S. Representative Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) announced the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Inspector General has agreed to expand its postal audit of the Minnesota-North Dakota District to include Dickinson, Grand Forkst. The full audit report is expected to be released in Late March or early April. The USPS IG informed the delegation it is conducting a review of the USPS’ nationwide effort to relocate mail... CONTINUE READING

States are always the underdog going against the federal behemoth WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, penned an op-ed in Fox News as North Dakota faces the federal government at trial today for a lawsuit seeking reimbursement for more than $38 million in damages and policing costs incurred from Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) protests in 2016 and 2017. For 233 days, protestors illegally occupied U.S. Army Corps of Engineers... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced members of his staff will hold mobile office hours in Kindred and Lisbon on Tuesday, February 27. “Since it’s not always possible for people to travel to my in-state offices, these mobile office opportunities help bring the services we offer closer to the constituents who need them,” said Senator Cramer. “Having members of my staff in Kindred and Lisbon will give North Dakotans more chances to explore solutions to the problems they face... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – Chairman Paul J. Thomas (R-Velva) and members of the North Dakota Legislature’s Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee invited U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) to testify about foreign investments in businesses, property, and agricultural lands and the need to expand the scope of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). Senator Cramer encouraged leadership at the state level rather than waiting on the cumbersome and secretive federal process. “When... CONTINUE READING

North Dakota seeks justice in lawsuit against the federal government, compensation for damages occurred during unlawful DAPL protests WASHINGTON – For five years, North Dakota has been involved in a legal battle with the United States regarding the federal government’s negligence associated with the unlawful Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) protests from August 2016 to March 2017. Throughout the protests, which spanned 233 days, activists illegally occupied federal lands and engaged in unlawful,... CONTINUE READING