Senator Cramer's Weekly Update July 11-17

Letter Calls for National Security Review of Fufeng Farmland Purchase

Senators John Hoeven (R-ND), Marco Rubio (R-FL) and I sent a letter to U.S. Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and U.S. Treasury Department Secretary Janet Yellen requesting the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) conduct a review of the Chinese food manufacturer Fufeng Group’s recent purchase of land near Grand Forks.

This property is approximately 12 miles from Grand Forks Air Force Base, which has led to concern that Fufeng operations could provide cover for People’s Republic of China surveillance or interference with the missions located at that installation, given Fufeng Group’s reported ties to the Chinese Communist Party. The PRC investments in the United States demand scrutiny. We therefore urge you, through CFIUS, to determine whether this project has national security implications.

I have long been opposed to the project and advocated for a “strategic decoupling” from China.

Bill Allows Pregnant Mothers to Receive Child Support

I introduced bicameral legislation, the Unborn Child Support Act, with Representative Mike Johnson (R-LA-04) to give mothers the ability to receive child support payments while they are pregnant.

Caring for the well-being of our children begins long before a baby is born. It begins at the first moment of life – conception – and fathers have obligations, financial and otherwise, during pregnancy.

Mothers should be able to access child support payments as soon as she is supporting a child. Our bill makes this possible.

Kudlow Interview Discusses West Virginia v. EPA Supreme Court Ruling and Federal Agency Overreach

I joined Fox Business’s Kudlow to discuss the Supreme Court’s ruling on West Virginia v. EPA and the pattern of federal agency overreach.

Federal agencies have been doing extra-legal, extra-statutory, and even extra-constitutional rules and getting by with them until now. So, West Virginia v. EPA is a major victory and I think it’s just the beginning of the pushback against the administrative state.

This Supreme Court is sticking to the Constitution and statute. They also expect agencies to stick to what has been passed in law and the authorities that have been given by elected representatives – not to add these extra-statutory, extra-constitutional authorities.

Letter Calls on Department of Agriculture to Improve Disaster Assistance for Producers

I joined Senators John Thune (R-SD) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) in requesting U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack address implementation issues with the Emergency Relief Program, which helps producers offset the impacts of natural disasters which occurred in 2020 and 2021.

We write to bring to your attention issues which have come up with Emergency Relief Program implementation and to request USDA address these issues expeditiously.

USDA’s work in implementing the ERP to help farmers and ranchers who suffered disaster-related losses in 2020 and 2021 has been meaningful to producers around the country.

President Issues Disaster Declaration in North Dakota for Severe Spring Storms, Flooding, and Power Outages

I issued a statement with Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) and Congressman Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) after President Biden issued a major presidential disaster declaration for severe spring storms in North Dakota.

North Dakota saw unprecedented levels of precipitation this spring in the forms of heavy downpours, snowfall, sleet and freezing rain. These storms had significant and widespread impact, causing long-lasting flooding and power outages.

That’s why we worked with Governor Burgum to advance this disaster declaration, which will help cover the costs of recovery, while making resources available to improve resiliency in the long-term.

Last month, the North Dakota congressional delegation sent a letter to the president urging approval of the disaster declaration, stressing that repeated storms resulted in significant damages, power outages, and flooding, which impacted the state through April and May.

Letter Demands Answers on Biden Administration’s Failed Catch and Release Policy

I joined Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) in sending a letter to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Tae Johnson expressing concern over the dangers of President Biden’s continued implementation of catch and release policies in response to the border crisis. In particular, the concerns focus on how the Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program is failing to accomplish its stated goals.

Under the Alternatives to Detention program, ICE releases apprehended illegal immigrants into the United States with some type of temporary monitoring in the hopes that they will show up for their immigration court hearing and then depart if they are ordered to do so. In a recent report, the Government Accountability Office found that ATD is failing to keep track of illegal immigrants ICE is supposedly monitoring.

Instead of doing more to stop illegal immigration at our southern border, the Biden Administration has instead chosen to spread its failures to more cities.

Senate Armed Services Committee Republicans Ask Pentagon to Justify Claim Dobbs v. Jackson Would Significantly Affect Military Readiness

My Republican colleagues and I on the Senate Armed Services Committee sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin requesting justification for a recent assertion from a top Department of Defense official who said the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization would affect the “readiness of the Force.”

In a memorandum to the Force dated June 28, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Gilbert R. Cisneros, Jr., claimed the Supreme Court’s ruling in which there is no constitutional right to abortion “will have significant implications for…the readiness of the Force,” but provided no evidence to support this conclusion.

We’re requesting Secretary Austin describe the “significant implications” on readiness referenced in the memorandum, cite the data used to support Secretary Cisneros’ conclusion, and give any additional information about the Pentagon’s ongoing review of current policies and procedures related to abortion described in the June 28 memorandum.

Letter to Attorney General Opposes Sending Federal Funds to Partisan Organizations

On Monday, I joined Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and U.S. Representative Lance Gooden (R-TX) in sending a bicameral letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland stating our opposition to the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) return to the Obama-era practice of directing legal settlements to partisan, non-victim organizations.

Serious conflicts of interest arise and public trust is eroded when the DOJ requires defendants to donate to activist groups selected by the DOJ. What is even more alarming is the glaring lack of transparency. More than 11 years after the practice began, Congress and the American people still have no idea where or how the majority of funds directed to third parties, which amounted to hundreds of millions of dollars, was spent.

Rail Companies Issue Status Reports on Grain Car Backlog

I announced BNSF Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway publicly filed weekly grain backlog status updates as required by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board. A summary of the reporting data specific to North Dakota for the last 10 weeks is below.

Surface Transportation Board Vice Chair

I met with Surface Transportation Board Vice Chair Robert Primus to discuss rail service disruptions.

In May, I led a bipartisan letter urging constructive oversight from the Surface Transportation Board. It’s positive to see improvements across North Dakota and I appreciated his update.

North Dakota Corn Growers

During a time of global uncertainty, the American farmer remains a stabilizing force.

Thank you to the North Dakota Corn Growers for coming by to discuss private property rights, access to inputs, biofuels, and our shared goal of crafting policy to meet the demands of a hungry, growing world.

They also presented me with a framed copy of their photo contest winners, highlighting the beauty of our farmland across the state.

AgCountry

It was great to meet with friends from AgCountry to hear about their priorities for the 2023 Farm Bill and concerns with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s proposed rule regarding the collection of demographic data from small business loan applicants. Thank you for your work in rural America!

Red River Valley Fair

It was fun to attend the Red River Valley Fair this year and enjoy the 10 best days of summer! I also joined my weekly talk radio town hall on What’s On Your Mind with Scott Hennen live at the fair.

Grants for North Dakota

North Dakota State University Receives $650,000 for Animal Nutrition Research

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded $650,000 to North Dakota State University for animal nutrition, growth, and lactation research.

NDSU’s project will help develop strategies to improve feed efficiency and disease resilience in calves.

Department of Health and Human Services Awards $2 Million to North Dakota

The Department of Health and Human Services awarded the following two grants totaling $2,005,179:

• $435,000 to North Dakota State University for pharmacology, physiology, and biological chemistry research
• $1,570,179 to North Dakota Department of Health for epidemiology and laboratory capacity for prevention and control of emerging infectious diseases