Press Releases

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

When the federal government determines a property is surplus, state and local governments can apply to acquire it at below market value if it’s for public use. U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined his colleagues in introducing the GSA Disposal Process Tribal Parity Act of 2024, legislation amending the General Service Administration’s (GSA) disposal process for surplus federal property.  Specifically, this legislation will incorporate tribal governments into the disposal process, providing... CONTINUE READING

***Click here for audio.*** WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement on the passing of former state Senator Dwight Cook of Mandan.  “I was very sad to learn of Dwight’s passing. I’ve known Dwight for a long time, since I was in high school in Kindred when Dwight sponsored and coached a softball team, and they were desperate enough a couple of times to even have me play for them. Dwight was a softball aficionado, kind of like he was a tax expert. He was... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe $1,564,410 for Head Start and Early Head Start Programs. These resources aim to promote early childhood learning, health, and development initiatives, as well as family and community support services. CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development awarded a total of $307,665 to the following programs and initiatives:  $31,300 to Kidder County for the purchase of a law enforcement vehicle $41,000 to the City of Cooperstown to purchase maintenance equipment and a utility vehicle $43,400 to the City of Linton for the replacement of 23 street poles and street lamps $63,200 to Maddock Community Historical Society to construct a cold storage facility $63,300 to the Jamestown... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development announced an award of $88,900 to the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians. This grant will allow the tribe to purchase emergency response equipment such as a cardiac monitor, CPR assistance machine, and trauma response bags. CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) awarded $262,500 to North Dakota State University to address the shortage of experts in agricultural management and economics. It will also empower women and underrepresented groups in the agriculture and food production sector. These funds are part of a larger investment of $3.2 million in Food and Ag Sciences National Needs Graduate and Post-grad Fellowship Grants. NIFA’s National Needs Fellowship... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced the award of $200,000 to Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College, a tribal community college in New Town, North Dakota. The award will go towards the advancement of NHS College’s existing extension program objectives by creating capacity to extend services in remote and underserved tribal segments on the Fort Berthold Reservation. This includes offering informal equine education, community equine... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced an award of $890,535 to the Minot International Airport to complete the final phase of 9,000 feet of drainage improvements. This project installs 17,000 feet of drainage upgrades as recommended by a Wildlife Hazard Management Plan to reduce wildlife attractants. These funds will be administered through the FAA’s Airport Infrastructure Grant (AIG) Program, which was established by the Infrastructure... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an award of $99,093 through its Small Business Innovation Research program to SafetySpect, Inc., a biotechnology company located in Grand Forks, North Dakota. This funding will go towards the development of a device which will establish shelf-life for red meat, allowing management of storage, transportation, and dynamic pricing of food close to expiration. CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – The U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded a total of $1,501,596 to the Northland Health Partners Community in Turtle Lake, North Dakota. This grant is funded through the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Health Center Cluster grant program, which provides funding to community health centers across the United States. CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined a bipartisan letter led by U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) to Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), condemning the response to Hamas’ widespread sexual violence against women in Israel on October 7, 2023. The senators also called for the immediate launch of an independent investigation into sexual violence committed by Hamas. “As multiple UN Security Council Resolutions affirm, the use... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined his colleagues in a letter to Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su, encouraging the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to use its Schedule A Shortage Occupation list as a tool to address the workforce shortages our country is facing in critical high-skill industries, including Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math occupations (STEM) and professional healthcare occupations. Established in 1965, the Schedule A Shortage Occupation List was created... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – Following rising concerns over the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms’ (ATF) classification review process, U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined his colleagues in introducing the ATF Accountability Act of 2023. Among other provisions, the legislation will establish an appeals process to classification reviews, allowing gun manufacturers to challenge classification decisions they believe to harm businesses or violate the Second Amendment. The existing classification review... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined his colleagues in a letter to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, Vice Chair Michael Barr, and Acting Comptroller of the Currency Michael Hsu, expressing concerns over the impacts of proposed capital requirements for mortgage loans. The mortgage capital requirements in the Basel III Endgame proposal would increase borrowing costs and hinder families from achieving homeownership. The senators called on regulators to adopt the Endgame mortgage... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – This week, U.S. District Judge Daniel M. Traynor issued an order stating the federal government will have to face North Dakota's claims at trial for $38 million in emergency response costs after protestors attempted to block the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) project in 2016 and 2017. Judge Traynor again ruled the federal government owed a “duty of care” to North Dakota. North Dakota filed a lawsuit in 2019 against the federal government, seeking damages for... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) awarded a total of $15,888,022.70 in federal funding to Mountrail - Williams Electric Cooperative for electric distribution repairs as a result of a severe winter storm and flooding which caused ice accumulation between April 22 and May 25, 2022. Damages from the storm and flood include utility poles, transformers, crossarms, assemblies, conductors, and associated components. “Last year’s... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development awarded a total of $8,470,000 to the following programs and initiatives:  $6,560,000 to the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians to replace and repair the existing wastewater collection system serving a portion of the city of Belcourt, North Dakota $352,000 to remove and replace concrete at Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College $352,000 to Turtle Mountain Community College to remove and... CONTINUE READING