Press Releases

BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced BNSF Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) publicly filed weekly grain backlog status updates as required by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB). A summary of the reporting data specific to North Dakota from the last 10 weeks is below. Following STB’s hearing on “Urgent Issues in Freight Rail Service” in April, BNSF Railway, CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern Railway, and Union Pacific submitted service... CONTINUE READING

***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.*** WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined Brian Brenberg, Jackie DeAngelis, and Taylor Riggs on Fox Business to discuss debt limit negotiations, energy and the economy, and the Air Force’s letter on the Fufeng Group’s land purchase 12 miles from the Grand Forks Air Force Base. Excerpts and full video are below. On Energy, Economy:  “Just this week, the Administration canceled two critical mining... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined Senators Mike Braun (R-IN) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) in introducing the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act. The bipartisan bill would expand Pell Grant eligibility to include students enrolled in credentialed skills and job training programs of at least eight weeks. “Our economy is only as strong as our workforce. By increasing access to job training programs and other in-demand career pathways, we are preparing the next... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), joined Ranking Member Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and all Senate Republicans in formally challenging the Biden Administration’s Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule through a Congressional Review Act (CRA) joint resolution of disapproval. The resolution comes after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, and Chris Coons (D-DE), member of the Appropriations Committee, reintroduced their Choice in Affordable Housing Act. The bipartisan, bicameral bill would improve the federal government’s largest rental assistance program and create the Herschel Lashkowitz Housing Partnership Fund, named after former state senator and Fargo Mayor, Herschel Lashkowitz. “Millions of... CONTINUE READING

***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.*** WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer and John Hoeven issued the following statement after receiving a letter from the U.S. Air Force asserting its official position on the Fufeng project in Grand Forks. Last year, Fufeng Group, a Chinese food manufacturer, purchased 370 acres of land to construct a wet corn milling plant 12 miles from the Grand Forks Air Force Base. “City leaders have asked for clarity from... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, announced the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) awarded North Dakota cities and counties a total of $4,778,595 in Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Program grants. SS4A was established in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).  “The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act... CONTINUE READING

MINOT, ND – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Committees on Veterans’ Affairs and Armed Services, delivered remarks at the North Dakota American Legion Annual Winter Conference. He highlighted federal policy priorities and expressed his appreciation for the American Legion and military service members. “The American Legion will always have in me a willing partner and advocate, one hundred percent. Its work – organizing community programs, making... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Computing and Communication Foundations (CCF) awarded $174,999 to North Dakota State University (NDSU). The grant will help support a university project to research the incorporation of emerging technology designs into certain computing systems. NDSU would look to include insights from the project into its undergraduate and graduate computer engineering curricula.  CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded $2,041,368 to the Community Action Partnership in Jamestown. The grant will support the organization’s Head Start projects. This discretionary funding is administered by the HHS Office of Head Start within the Administration for Children and Families. Head Start and Early Head Start programs provide services for low-income families with young children. They also... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Budget Committee, cosponsored the Full Faith and Credit Act. The bill, led by Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), would direct the U.S. Department of the Treasury (DOT), in the event of default, to fund certain programs based on the populations they serve should DOT refuse to exercise its existing authority to do so. “It’s past time the federal government enact responsible budget reforms,” said Senator Cramer.... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced BNSF Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) publicly filed weekly grain backlog status updates as required by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB). A summary of the reporting data specific to North Dakota from the last 10 weeks is below. Following STB’s hearing on “Urgent Issues in Freight Rail Service” in April, BNSF Railway, CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern Railway, and Union Pacific submitted service... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, cosponsored the Stop the Nosy Obsession with Online Payments (SNOOP) Act. The bill would repeal an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) tax provision requiring third-party payment platforms to report business transactions of over $600 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Instead, the SNOOP Act would establish a minimum yearly reporting threshold of $20,000 totaled across at... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, cosponsored the Protecting America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve from China Act. The bill, led by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), would prohibit the U.S. Secretary of Energy from exporting Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) oil to China or selling it to companies with ties to the Chinese Communist Party. It would also establish a condition barring any entity sold SPR oil, from... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined Senators Tim Scott (R-SC) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) in introducing a bipartisan resolution designating this week, January 22 – January 28, 2023, National School Choice Week. “Quality education is one of the most valuable tools we can provide our next generation. Families should be empowered to pursue the academic opportunities that fit their needs and help them achieve their aspirations,” said Senator... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, cosponsored the Focus on the Mission Act. This legislation, led by Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), would prevent the Department of Defense (DoD) from imposing on federal contractors a new environmental rule that would increase national defense costs.  “The proposed Department of Defense rule has nothing to do with national security and everything to do with advancing a green political... CONTINUE READING

***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.*** WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, cosponsored the Strategic Production Response (SPR) Act, legislation led by Senator John Barrasso (R-WY). The bill would prohibit the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) from tapping the SPR for reasons other than a severe energy supply interruption until the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) issues a plan to increase oil and... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) cosponsored the Foreign Adversary Risk Management (FARM) Act, bicameral, bipartisan legislation led by Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and Representative Ronny Jackson (R-TX). The bill would bolster the U.S. agriculture industry’s role on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), the government body responsible for overseeing the foreign investment and acquisition of American companies. “Food... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) cosponsored the Allowing Military Exemptions, Recognizing Individual Concerns About New Shots (AMERICANS) Act of 2023, bicameral legislation derived from a Fiscal Year 2023 (FY 23) National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) provision that directed the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to rescind its COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Among other things, the bill would prohibit DOD from issuing a replacement COVID-19 vaccine mandate without Congressional... CONTINUE READING

***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.*** WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined Ladies of Another View on BEK News to discuss his pro-life philosophy and the Fufeng Group’s purchase of Grand Forks land for a corn milling plant. Excerpts and full video are below. On the Unborn Child Support Act: “If you're a single mom, the father of your child has obligation. My bill simply makes those obligations [recognized] immediately upon... CONTINUE READING