Press Releases

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Banking Committee, joined Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and seven colleagues in sending Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Jerome Powell a letter to discourage further engagement in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues, as they are beyond the Fed’s statutory authority. The senators urged him to shift the focus of the central bank towards matters like the record inflation Americans are experiencing and recent bank... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined two of his Veterans’ Affairs Committee colleagues, Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Angus King (I-ME), in introducing a resolution designating June 10 “Vets Get Outside Day.” The legislation aims to encourage veterans experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury, depression, anxiety, or other mental health challenges to walk, run, hike, bike, and spend more time... CONTINUE READING

***Click here for photos.*** WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Banking Committee, spoke at the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) Capital Summit and participated in a Q&A session. In his remarks to hundreds of ICBA members from across the nation, he framed the federal policy landscape and discussed the critical role community banks play in preserving the stability and resilience of the financial system. Senator Cramer met with the Independent... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, announced the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awarded $38,148,520 to the University of North Dakota’s (UND) Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC). This funding will advance the implementation of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies at Rainbow Energy’s Coal Creek Station. Additionally, UND plans to complete site characterization and... CONTINUE READING

***Click here for photos.*** WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Ranking Member of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, held a hearing on the authorities available to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) for addressing water management issues. He invited and introduced two witnesses from North Dakota, Ms. Jennifer Verleger, Chair of the Western States Water Council and North Dakota assistant attorney general, and Dr.... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Ranking Member of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, penned an op-ed in the Washington Times on flood control and mitigation efforts in North Dakota and the mid- and long-term economic benefits of water infrastructure investments. “For over one hundred years, North Dakotans braced themselves in March and April while praying for a slow, rain-free melt. The memories of the... CONTINUE READING

***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.*** WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), during an Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee hearing, questioned Martha Williams, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and urged the agency to work with the local communities to expeditiously fix the dam at Lake Ilo, which the FWS recently drained again this spring. He also talked about the importance of providing satellite overlay maps of new... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Todd Young (R-IN) reintroduced the Mental Health Excellence in Schools Act, legislation to address the shortage of mental health providers in schools. Specifically, the bill would boost the pipeline of individuals training to become school psychologists, counselors, and social workers by authorizing the U.S. Department of Education to help cover students’ costs at certain graduate programs via partnerships... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) in submitting a comment letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona regarding his department’s proposed changes to Title IX. The rulemaking would force schools to allow biological males and females to compete against each other in sports, undoing critical, longstanding safeguards for women’s athletics. “This proposed rule is a monumental setback for the generations of... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced the Stopping Home Office Work’s Unproductive Problems (SHOW UP) Act, which would require all executive agencies to return to their pre-pandemic remote work policies. It would also direct the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to certify any expanded telework policies will positively affect the agency’s mission, productivity, and operational costs prior to implementation.“Executive... 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 April 2022 hearing on “Urgent Issues in Freight Rail Service,” 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 Veterans’ Affairs Committee, joined Senators Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) in introducing bipartisan, bicameral legislation to establish a congressional charter for the National American Indian Veterans (NAIV). Last Congress, the bill passed the Senate unanimously. “Serving in the armed forces at higher rates than any other demographic, Native American veterans have honorably answered the call... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and 38 Republican colleagues in reintroducing the Back the Blue Act. This legislation would increase penalties for criminals who intentionally target law enforcement officers and provide new resources for officers to protect themselves. “Liberal ‘Defund the Police’ policies have left too many law enforcement officers on the receiving end of deliberate, targeted violence while they risk their own... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Banking Committee, co-sponsored the Fentanyl Eradication and Narcotics Deterrence (FEND) Off Fentanyl Act. “The never-ending flow of illegal drugs coming into our country has reached an unprecedented level, and these deadly drugs are taking the lives of Americans every day. Enough is enough,” said Senator Cramer. “We must push back against this scourge by cutting off the profits... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Banking Committee, joined Ranking Member Tim Scott (R-SC) in sending a letter to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler regarding the agency’s aggressive rulemaking for small and emerging businesses. Specifically, they criticized the SEC’s regulatory agenda, as it risks undermining U.S. capital markets and makes it more difficult for Americans to launch, grow, and maintain their... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) applauded the National Science Foundation (NSF) for awarding $992,699 for two years to the University of North Dakota through the NSF Regional Innovation Engines program, the first of its kind. The funding was distributed to 43 other teams at universities, nonprofits, businesses, and other organizations across the United States. “Congratulations to UND for receiving this monumental award. This is another... CONTINUE READING

***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.*** WASHINGTON– U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Banking Committee, joined Joe Gumm on Trinity Broadcast Network’s “Centerpoint” to discuss U.S. economic outlook, debt ceiling negotiations, and fiscal responsibility. Excerpts and full video are below. Click Here to Watch On Bipartisan Debt Ceiling Negotiations: “I’m confident they’ll come to some sort of... 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 (EPW) Committee, issued the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed its most-restrictive climate rules for the power sector, which would require coal and many gas-fired plants to capture most of their emissions. “What the Democrats are either ignoring or do not... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, voted for two Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions he cosponsored to reverse restrictive Endangered Species Act (ESA) rulemakings by the Biden administration.  “The Biden administration’s over-regulation agenda completely disregards the real life impacts its onerous rules have on Americans across the country,” said Senator Cramer. “Agencies are... CONTINUE READING

***Click here for photos.*** WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) delivered remarks at the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) annual legislative conference. His comments focused on benefits of the Lake Access Keeping Economies Strong (LAKES) Act, a bipartisan bill he introduced to improve outdoor recreation facilities managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). “Many of us keep unique personal reasons for appreciating our country’s natural... CONTINUE READING