Press Releases

WASHINGTON – On July 28, 2023, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced new regulations and standards which would negatively affect vehicle manufacturers and pass higher costs along to American consumers. The proposed Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for passenger cars and light-duty trucks would impose burdensome and costly regulations requiring automakers to double the average fleet-wide fuel economy in under 10 years. These standards effectively... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced an award of two grants, totaling $5,677,883 to the North Dakota Department of Transportation through the Fiscal Year 2024 Federal Highway Administration Emergency Relief Program. The funds will go towards the following initiatives: $4,777,883 to address the severe flooding in Eastern North Dakota which occurred on April 12, 2022. The flooding resulted in widespread damage to culverts and roadway erosion on state and county... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – In response to the financial crisis from 2007 to 2009, Basel III Endgame was created to set the standards for capital reserves, liquidity, and leverage at financial institutions. As proposed, the increased capital requirements in Basel III Endgame will restrict billions of dollars in capital from financial institutions and hinder access to credit for consumers. This month, U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined two letters citing concerns over the Basel III Endgame proposal’s... CONTINUE READING

***Click here to download video. Click here to download audio.*** WASHINGTON — During a Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) hearing on Tuesday, members heard testimony from Melissa G. Dalton, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs, regarding her nomination to be the Under Secretary of the Air Force. If confirmed, Dalton would be the second-highest ranking civilian official in the United States Air Force and would serve directly under the Secretary of the... CONTINUE READING

**Click here for audio.**  BISMARCK — U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement after North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum announced he will not seek a third term as governor.  “No one could ever say Doug Burgum isn’t his own person. He has served North Dakota very well. I’ve been honored to work with him these last several years, and I look forward to working with him a lot more. He has earned the right to take a short or long break or seek a promotion. Whatever it is, he... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – Last month, the Colorado Supreme Court issued a ruling which disqualified former President Donald Trump from holding office pursuant to Section Three of the 14thAmendment, which makes it a crime to assist or engage in rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States. The ruling directed the Colorado Secretary of State to remove Trump’s name from the state’s presidential primary ballot. This controversial decision disrespects the rights of voters and dilutes the... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement after voting against a continuing resolution (CR), a short-term funding measure which would continue Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations for federal agencies through the beginning of March. This measure, which passed the Senate by a vote of 77 to 18, will now head to the U.S. House of Representatives. “Today’s vote averts a partial shutdown, but we shouldn’t pat ourselves on the back for doing the bare minimum. The American... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – Nearly a year and a half after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned both Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the number of children born annually has increased by approximately 32,000 based on the first six months of 2023. The number of births also increased by 2.3% in states where abortion was banned. To support expecting mothers and their unborn children, U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and U.S.... CONTINUE READING

***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.*** WASHINGTON – On Thursday, the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee marked up several bills, including U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer’s (R-ND) Providing Reliable, Objective, Verifiable Emissions Intensity and Transparency (PROVE IT) Act. The legislation passed the Senate EPW Committee by a vote of 14 to 5. The bipartisan PROVE IT Act, introduced in June by Cramer and U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), would require the U.S.... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – Several media outlets recently reported pro-Palestinian protestors defaced Los Angeles National Cemetery, where more than 80,000 veterans are buried. The protestors spray-painted “INTIFADA” and “FREE GAZA” on the grounds of the cemetery, in addition to a red, upside-down triangle. U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, requesting the Department of Justice (DOJ) immediately investigate the defacement of the... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – In 2018, the former superintendent of New York State’s Financial Services Department, Maria Vullo, called upon local banks and insurers to sever connections with gun rights advocacy groups such as the National Rifle Association (NRA), subjectively citing "reputational risks" as justification. Fearing the revocation of their New York licenses, several organizations terminated partnerships with the NRA. In response, the NRA sued Vullo and claimed she used her status to “financially... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK — Today, U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) released the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its proposal for the implementation of the Methane Emissions Reduction Program included in the Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act. Specifically, this program levies a burdensome fee on production and transportation of methane emissions from oil and gas operations. “Democrats in Washington and their climate-zealous allies jammed the partisan Inflation... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a total of $304,842 to North Dakota State University (NDSU) to establish an extensive experimental database for pulsatile helical flow, focusing on its scaling laws, stability, and helicity control. This project will advance knowledge in the fields of general fluid dynamics, biological flow, and physiology. According to the NSF, the impact objectives of the project include implementing research-based educational programs to involve at... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced members of his staff will hold mobile office hours in Hazelton and Steele on Thursday, January 25. “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 Hazelton and Steele will give North Dakotans more chances to explore solutions to the problems they face... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – Since President Biden took office in 2021, there have been at least eight million illegal border crossings into the United States and more than 5 million apprehensions at the southern border. Along the southern border, Texas and Arizona have constructed temporary barriers made out of shipping containers in order to fill gaps in the unfinished border wall. After the U.S. Department of Justice sued Arizona, claiming the containers along the southern border violated federal law, the... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – To condemn the ongoing attacks by Iranian military proxies on the armed forces of the United States serving in Iraq and Syria, U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced S. Res 515. This resolution emphasizes the urgency of responding to and deterring future attacks. Two weeks ago, a drone attack by an Iran-affiliated militant group on the Erbil Air Base in northern Iraq left three service members wounded, including U.S. Army pilot and... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – Last week, the Department of Defense (DOD) failed to inform the White House’s National Security Council and members of Congress of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s recent hospitalization, where he spent four days in the intensive care unit at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Secretary Austin was admitted to the hospital on Monday, January 1, 2024, for complications from a December surgery to treat prostate cancer and has yet to be released from Walter Reed. U.S. Senator... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – Under the Combat Veterans Pre-Enrollment Act of 2023, veterans currently serving in a theater of combat operations will be eligible to pre-enroll into the Veterans Healthcare Administration (VHA) system six months prior to their discharge. This way, they can use VHA medical care immediately upon separation instead of waiting to enroll one day post separation. Each year, more than 200,000 servicemembers transition from military to civilian life. Under existing law, transitioning... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – On Tuesday, U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) wrote a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler regarding its proposed rule on climate-related disclosures for publicly-traded companies to disclose their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and other climate change-related information. In the letter, the senators state the proposed rule pushes the Biden administration’s anti-American energy rhetoric, arguing the adoption of... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, issued the following statement after the state of North Dakota’s motion to intervene in litigation filed by the Sierra Club against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was granted. Of the 37 states involved in the litigation, North Dakota is the only one to intervene. “We’ve seen sweetheart sue-and-settle deals between the EPA and environmental groups too often. I’m glad to see... CONTINUE READING