Press Releases

BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC), joined Ranking Member Jerry Moran (R-KS) in introducing the Department of Veterans Affairs EHRM Standardization and Accountability Act, legislation to prevent VA facilities from further implementing the Oracle Cerner electronic health record (EHR) system until it undergoes significant improvements. “It’s time for the VA to enter the 21st century by... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, issued the following statement on the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) proposed Public Lands Rule: “As we have seen in North Dakota, the Biden administration has a bad habit of violating the law and blatantly asserting power it does not have. Congress did not grant additional statutory authority to the Executive Branch, yet it is proposing a totally... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) cosponsored Senator Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act. The legislation would ensure local law enforcement units are able to coordinate with federal immigration authorities, while restricting sanctuary cities’ eligibility for federal grants. A bipartisan majority of senators voted for this bill in 2018, but Senate Democrats filibustered its passage. “Sanctuary... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS) introduced the Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Recoupment Act to hold accountable individuals who improperly obtained federal COVID-19 unemployment insurance (UI). The legislation would extend the statute of limitations for overpayments to allow the government additional time to prosecute fraud cases. “In response to the economic impacts of COVID-19, the federal government authorized extraordinary... 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) issued the following statement after it was announced former President Donald Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury:  “An indictment is a far cry from a conviction. Considering several prosecutors at both the federal and state level have passed on this case, it seems to be a bit of a stretch, to say the least. Let justice take its course and see how this turns out.” CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined Senator John Thune (R-SD) in introducing the Death Tax Repeal Act, legislation to eliminate the federal estate tax, otherwise known as the “death tax.”  “The last thing anyone needs after a loved one passes is a mammoth tax bill from Washington,” said Senator Cramer. “Getting rid of the death tax would give people peace of mind, protect small... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and JD Vance (R-OH) introduced the English Language Unity Act to establish English as the official language of the United States. “Our Founding Fathers used English to create the most precious and fundamental document of all time,” said Senator Cramer. “Whether we are writing our nation’s laws, government documents, or other programs and policies, English has always been... 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 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) awarded North Dakota airports $2,859,925 from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). These funds will be administered through the FAA Airport Infrastructure Grant (AIG) Program as follows: $2,030,725 for the Dickinson Municipal Airport Authority to expand its runways... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement after voting to end the COVID-19 national emergency declaration: "The Biden administration is hiding behind a so-called national emergency, which it still hasn’t terminated, to ram through unrelated, illegal policies like student loan forgiveness. It’s time to stop pretending our country is in the same place it was three years ago. The Senate’s passage of this resolution makes clear what should... 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 below statement after voting for the Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution he and his Republican colleagues introduced to overturn the Biden administration’s Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule. It passed the Senate and the House of Representatives with bipartisan support. “The Biden... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Seapower Subcommittee, hammered the Biden administration for its slim Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) defense spending request, highlighted the importance of advancing American naval capabilities, and underscored the evolving threat of China. Opening Statement: An excerpt of the Senator's opening statement is below and the full transcript may be found here. For audio and video, click the corresponding... CONTINUE READING

***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.*** WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined Fox Business’ Mornings with Maria to discuss the court decision ordering the Biden administration to resume oil and gas leasing in North Dakota, the Department of Defense’s (DOD) approach to China-owned entities purchasing U.S. land, and recent bank collapses. Excerpts and full video are below. On Court Decision Requiring Oil, Gas... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement after voting to repeal the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMF). “Congress has the ability to respond militarily to America’s threats, but each AUMF should be related to today’s threats. Repealing the 1991 and 2002 AUMFs rescinds the President’s blank check to bypass Congress. It’s time we take back our... 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 U.S. District Judge Daniel Traynor ordered the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to resume quarterly oil and gas lease sales in North Dakota. “Judge Traynor’s decision restores the rule of law and appropriately admonishes the federal government for its ‘multiple unfruitful assurances’ – or lies – to North... CONTINUE READING

***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.*** WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) questioned Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley at a Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) hearing about the threat of China-owned companies purchasing land near U.S. military facilities. The City of Grand Forks became a flashpoint on this issue when the Fufeng Group, a Chinese manufacturing company, moved to construct... CONTINUE READING

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee (SVAC), earlier this month announced a $1,860,775 grant to expand the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery in Mandan. Today, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) acknowledged the award’s significance, as it represents the billionth dollar the National Cemetery Administration has disbursed through its Veterans Cemetery Grant Program.  “Improving access to burial and... CONTINUE READING

BISMARCK – U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer and John Hoeven and Congressman Kelly Armstrong urged President Biden to approve Governor Burgum’s major disaster declaration request for the January 16-20 severe winter storms. This request for federal natural disaster recovery and mitigation resources was on behalf of Burke, Divide, McLean, Nelson, Renville, Sheridan, and Walsh counties. “North Dakota experienced power outages and significant impacts to electrical infrastructure due to... 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. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act, which would ensure Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) Program eligibility for first responders who develop permanent disabilities or pass away from line-of-duty carcinogen exposure. This issue is particularly pertinent among firefighters, who may be at higher risk of coming into contact with cancer-causing toxins and chemicals. “Firefighters and first... CONTINUE READING