Press Releases

Calls for ESG corporate governance are a PR ploy focused on placating 'Twitter risk' WASHINGTON – Following a hearing with CEOs from America’s largest retail banks, U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Banking Committee, penned an op-ed in Fox News advising the financial services industry to resist the urge to weigh in on social and cultural issues. With the rise of environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) efforts, Senator Cramer highlights the danger... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Ranking Member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, issued the following statement after proposing changes to Senator Joe Manchin’s (D-WV) “permitting reform” legislation: “A pipeline for a pipeline. If Senator Manchin and his Democrat colleagues want to get to yes, it requires input from everyone, not a backroom take-it-or-leave-it proposal. The national significance of the Mountain Valley... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded two grants totaling $249,588 to the Mountain Plains Youth Services Inc. in Bismarck: $99,588 for Youthwork Basic Centers; and $150,000 for Youthwork Street Outreach Program. CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement calling on the Biden Administration to end COVID-19 border restrictions: “In the words of President Biden, the pandemic is over and now Canada has announced the end of COVID-19 border and quarantine restrictions. I urge the Biden Administration to follow suit of our close trade partner and ally. It’s high time to end restrictions on commercial truck drivers and expand hours of operations at U.S. ports... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Steve Daines (R-MT), and 21 colleagues introduced a bill to prohibit U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) from banning the use of traditional lead ammunition or tackle on public lands unless such action is supported by the best available science and state wildlife and fish agencies. “I will continue to fight against needless bureaucracy, which would... CONTINUE READING

NEW YORK CITY – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Banking Committee, joined Brian Moynihan, Chairman and CEO of Bank of America, for a Fireside Chat during the 2022 Sustainable Markets Initiative CEO Summit in New York City.  “It was a pleasure to host Brian Moynihan in Fargo, North Dakota, for the second installment of my ‘Bully Pulpit’ series and I was honored to join him in New York City to further our discussion on the future of energy. North... CONTINUE READING

U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Ranking Member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, announced the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded $15,910,790 to the Grand Forks International Airport. The multi-year funding will be used for runway extension and reconstruction. 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) highlighted issues with timely access to community care for veterans, including a veteran on his own staff, with Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Denis McDonough at a Senate Veterans Affairs Committee (SVAC) hearing this week. “I have a staff [member] who is stuck in one of these ruts between the VA and community care. Roughly four months ago, she was told that it would take five months to get an appointment for the particular specific... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) pressed CEOs of America’s largest retail banks to protect and process all transactions for legal goods and services in light of political pressure to legislate social policy issues through financial services and institutions at a Senate Banking Committee hearing today. Senator Cramer encouraged the panel of bank CEOs to stand up to the left’s radical economic policies.  “Please resist the impulse to respond to the very... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and John Hoeven (R-ND) and Congressman Kelly Armstrong today announced that the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation within the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded $2.9 million to the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT). This funding was made available through the Defense Community Infrastructure Pilot Program and will be used for road maintenance at the crossroad of US Highway 2 and US Highway 52, commonly... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Ranking Member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded three grants and one loan totaling $47,453,053 to provide high-speed internet access for rural communities and businesses in North Dakota. These investments will be used to deploy fiber-to-the-premises networks across the state. Grant Awards: $13,942,351 to BEK Communications Cooperative. This network will connect 1,496... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined Fox Business’ Mornings with Maria to preview the Senate Banking Committee’s hearing with the CEOs of America’s largest retail banks and his letter to push back on credit card companies’ efforts to track gun purchases. Excerpts and full video are below. On the New MCC to Track Gun Purchases: “One of the ways, Maria, that liberals have attacked legal, constitutionally protected gun ownership is by trying to... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – Ahead of today’s Senate Banking Hearing with the CEOs of America’s largest retail banks, U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) led his Senate Banking Republican colleagues in sending a letter to the Bank Policy Institute (BPI), urging the organization to resist political pressure to block legal transactions and insert financial institutions into controversial social issues. Last week, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express announced they will implement a new merchant... CONTINUE READING

***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.*** WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Ranking Member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, discussed the importance of One Federal Decision in expediting project approvals, flexibility provided to states through formula funding, and ideas to streamline the grant application processes at a Senate Environment and Public Works hearing on the state and local perspective... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded the following three grants totaling $4,725,000 for substance abuse programs in North Dakota: $4,000,000 to the North Dakota State Department of Human Service for mental health and substance abuse services; $475,000 to the Turtle Mountain Tribe for mental health and substance abuse services; and $250,000 to the Spirit Lake Tribe for mental health and substance abuse... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and John Hoeven (R-ND) and Congressman Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) Armstrong today announced that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agreed to temporarily expand operating hours at Maida, Northgate and Sherwood ports of entry (POE) in North Dakota. Pending agreement from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the hours of operation at these three POEs will be 9am to 7pm, 10 hours per day. “While it’s encouraging to see the... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Ranking Member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, announced the National Telecommunications & Information Administration awarded $8,637,951 to Standing Rock Telecommunications, Inc. through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP). “Funding from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act continues to benefit and improve life in North Dakota.... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK, N.D. – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) attended the Hamm School of Engineering Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the new state-of-the-art facility at the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota today. The new engineering school provides a rigorous and competitive curriculum across five disciplines. “It is an honor to attend today’s ribbon cutting ceremony at the University of Mary for the Hamm School of Engineering. Innovation, research, and creativity will be... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced Devils Lake Public School District has been awarded $199,806 for the Minnewaukan Native Youth Community Project. The project aims to increase student college and career readiness for Minnewaukan Middle and High School students. The funds were awarded by the Department of Education’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education from the Demonstration Grants for Indian children program. CONTINUE READING