Press Releases

BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, participated in Dakota Digital’s Fall Discussion moderated by Mark Hagerott, PhD, Chancellor of the North Dakota University System. The webinar focused on his recent op-ed, “North Dakota’s Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Ecosystem is Critical to Keeping Up With Our Adversaries.” Excerpts and the full video are below. On North Dakota’s UAS Ecosystem: “The UAS... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Ranking Member of the Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, announced North Dakota received a $516,380 grant from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for state broadband planning. The state will use this funding to map out areas needing broadband development, which will be followed by implementation grants.   The program aims to ensure that all people and communities have the... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Budget and Senate Banking Committees, joined Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) in sending a letter to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) demanding a swift and thorough assessment of the short and long term effects of the Democrats’ reckless spending and inflationary policies on the nation’s fiscal future. “We write to obtain CBO’s assessment of the effects of rapid acceleration of... CONTINUE READING

***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.*** WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, joined Larry Kudlow on Fox Business to discuss Democrats’ hypocritical climate and energy policies. Excerpts and full video are below. On Democrats’ Environmental Hypocrisy:  “John Kerry ignores [fossil fuels] because he worships at the altar of climatology. One of the greatest stories of hypocrisy in... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of Rural Development has awarded a total of $55,243,000 to replace the Heart of America Medical Center (HAMC) in Rugby, North Dakota: $50,243,000 Community Facilities Loan; and $5,000,000 Community Facilities Guaranteed Loan. This investment will be used to replace the Heart of America Medical Center in Rugby, North Dakota. The new facility will include a critical access hospital,... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Senator Jim Risch (R-ID), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement on the sham trial and conviction of Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong: “Jimmy Lai is a man of integrity and character – a strong advocate for press freedom and democracy, a man of faith, a devoted husband and father, and a hardworking entrepreneur. The Chinese Communist Party is using bogus fraud charges to smear Mr.... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement: “We can confirm Kurt is safely in North Dakota with his family and friends. Like us, we hope others respect Kurt’s privacy at this time. We welcome Kurt home and are grateful for his safe return.” Background: In January 2022, Senator Cramer traveled to Kyiv in to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. During this trip, Senator Cramer was able to meet with Kurt in the pre-trial detention... 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

***Click here for photos.*** Devils Lake, N.D. – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) celebrated the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) between Essentia Health, Altru Health System, the City of Devils Lake, and Spirit Lake Nation to collaborate on health care initiatives, including the development of a new health care campus. He kicked off the ceremony by congratulating local and health care leaders.  “Local health care leaders, Spirit Lake Nation, and the City of Devils Lake are... CONTINUE READING

***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.*** WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, joined Greta Van Susteren on Newsmax to discuss the Fufeng Group’s purchase of farmland in Grand Forks and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Excerpts and full video are below.  On the Influence of the Chinese Communist Party: “I’ve long been in the camp that thinks we should have a strategic decoupling from China so... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement on the passing of former North Dakota House Majority Leader Earl Strinden (R-Grand Forks): “Earl Strinden was a North Dakota political legend. He was a born leader who always sought the most pragmatic solution to an issue or problem. He earned the respect of his colleagues with his wry humor, skill at consensus building, and sincere interest in their lives. He influenced the political and public service... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Banking Committee, joined Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) in seeking answers over PayPal’s recent announcement of a policy intended to financially punish its own customers for expressing views which PayPal arbitrarily classifies as “misinformation.” Though PayPal ultimately rescinded the policy before it could go into effect, the Senators “remain concerned about the processes and values in place at... CONTINUE READING

***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.*** WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, joined Larry Kudlow on Fox Business to discuss reports President Biden plans to release more oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) ahead of midterm elections. Excerpts and full video are below. On Strategic Petroleum Reserve Releases: “It will backfire. First of all, it’s going to have a minimal effect on the... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee (SVAC), and Senator Tommy Tuberville’s (R-AL) bill to increase service members’ life insurance benefit coverage was signed into law yesterday. The Supporting Families of the Fallen Act increases the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) and Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI) coverage... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, announced his bipartisan legislation with Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) to strengthen the Solid Start program was signed into law. The Solid Start program was created by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) during the Trump Administration to contact every veteran three times by phone in the first year after they leave active duty service to check in and help connect... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), announced he secured the following amendments in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA): To allow the Department of Defense (DoD) to modify contracts to address rising costs due to record-high inflation and supply chain issues. To retain leadership positions at the Space Development Agency (SDA) to ensure continued, high-level management of the agency by... CONTINUE READING

Mandan, N.D. – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, celebrated the grand opening of the Lineworker Training Center and North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives (NDAREC) headquarters facility.  “This is a special moment. My father was a lineworker and I spent three summers at Cass County Electric working with lineworkers; they are some of the most dedicated and skilled tradesmen. Lineworkers brave the freezing... 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

FHWA cannot create of its own choosing the authority that Congress debated, considered, and rejected WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Ranking Member of the Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, joined Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) in sending a letter to Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Deputy Administrator Stephanie Pollack voicing strong opposition to the agency’s proposal to implement a greenhouse gas (GHG)... 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 and Banking Committees, joined Larry Kudlow on Fox Business to discuss JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon’s CNBC interview blasting Joe Biden’s energy policies. He also emphasized the importance of American leadership in energy production, development, and innovation. Excerpts and full video are below. On Jamie Dimon Blasting Joe... CONTINUE READING