Press Releases

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced the U.S. Department of Education awarded a total of $4,866,137 to North Dakota universities and K-12 schools: $2,320,788 to West Fargo Public Schools $1,200,000 to University of Mary $889,991 to Minot State University $455,358 to the Dickinson Public School District These grants are funded by two Department of Education programs. The Mental Health Service Professionals Demonstration Program (University of Mary, Minot State... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced the bipartisan Repealing Existing Substandard Provisions Encouraging Conciliation with Tribes (RESPECT) Act he co-sponsored with Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) was signed into law.  The RESPECT Act strikes 11 outdated federal laws that discriminated against Native Americans, including ones that stripped children from their families for the purpose of placing them in “Indian reform schools,” such as the... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – 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 Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, issued the following statement on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (Army Corps) new final Waters of the United States (WOTUS) definition: “The regulatory ping pong of WOTUS regulations will seemingly never end. Establishing a new WOTUS definition before the Supreme Court has ruled on Sackett v. EPA only adds to the... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined Senators John Hoeven (R-ND) and Jon Tester (D-MT) in sending a letter to U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Shalanda Young, urging her to include resources for properly staffing and securing the northern border with the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 President’s Budget Request for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The senators, who represent states along the U.S.-Canada border, highlighted priorities like... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, and Ranking Member Pat Toomey (R-PA) introduced the Federal Reserve Accountability Act to address left-leaning political activism and ensure greater geographic and professional diversity within the Federal Reserve System (Fed). “Although their dual mandate is clear cut, the Federal Reserve System has recently shifted its focus... CONTINUE READING

***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.*** BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) shared a Christmas video message: “I love Christmas. I love everything about it. I love being around my children and my grandchildren, especially when they’re opening their presents. I love putting up the tree and hanging the decorations and the lights on the house—both inside and outside. Even blowing snow invigorates me. And of course, there’s the food.... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, joined Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) in efforts to stop the Department of Defense (DoD) from imposing a new environmental rule on federal contractors, both large and small, that would drive up costs for our national defense. They were joined by all Republican senators in pressing for DoD to drop the newly proposed rule requiring burdensome greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reporting. Additionally, they... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – 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... 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 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded $7,555,000 to the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality (NDDEQ) for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) program. The DWSRF supports a number of North Dakota water initiatives, including projects to address emerging contaminants in drinking... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate passed bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chairman of the EPW Subcommittee on Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight, to establish a Western Water Cooperative Committee. The Western Water Cooperative Committee will ensure the U.S. Army Corps... CONTINUE READING

***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.*** WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Budget Committee, joined Larry Kudlow on Fox Business to discuss the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill. Excerpts and full video are below. On the $1.7 Trillion Omnibus Bill: “None of these things in a 4,155 page bill are on their own. They’re not siloed. It’s one giant bill. Thus the word omnibus. [It] is why the transparency of the process... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement on the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill: “I continue to oppose the utter dysfunction of Congress. Ramming through must-pass bills like this omnibus spending package with absolutely no transparency is disrespectful to Rank and File members and the American people we represent. While there’s some good in the bill including fully funding our military and defense needs, I refuse to facilitate this... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement after Lieutenant Governor Brent Sanford announced his resignation: “Kris and I thank Lieutenant Governor Sanford for his work for and dedication to our great state during the past six years. Brent’s long and decorated career in public service took him from beloved mayor of Watford City to a staple in Bismarck. His particular attention to the policies surrounding our energy and natural resources have... 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 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded $8,738,000 to the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) program.  The CWSRF provides low-interest financing for the development of water systems for communities, schools, parks and other projects.... 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, joined Larry Kudlow on Fox Business to discuss his Wall Street Journal op-ed on the European Union’s (EU) carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) agreement. Excerpts and full video are below. On the EU’s Carbon Border Tax: “Europe has been going down this unilateral path for some time. During the pandemic... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of Rural Development awarded a total of $1,392,068 in Tribal College Initiative Grants:  $348,017 for Sitting Bull College to construct an outdoor classroom/auditorium adjacent to the academic center. The facility will provide opportunities for faculty and students to expand the current academic offerings.  $348,017 for Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College to improve the... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – 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. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Ranking Member of the of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Tom Carper (D-DE), and Ben Cardin (D-MD) secured passage of the Water Resources Development Act of 2022 (WRDA 2022) as part of this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) by a vote of 83-11 in the Senate. WRDA 2022 is biennial legislation that authorizes flood control,... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), issued the following statement after the Senate passed the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. The FY 2023 NDAA was named in honor of Senator Inhofe (R-OK) to commemorate his 35 years of public service in the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. “While this bill should have been passed months ago, providing for the common... CONTINUE READING