Senator Cramer’s Weekly Update February 27 - march 5

2023 Farm Bill Discussions

Last week, I met with several North Dakota and national agriculture groups. As Congress prepares for this year’s Farm Bill, I appreciated the opportunity to sit down with each of them.

The 2023 Farm Bill will be a fight to ensure production agriculture maintains its place at the table.

I look forward to amplifying priorities to protect federal crop insurance, raise reference prices to account for inflation, and expand market access. These policies should help ensure farms stay in families for generations to come.

North Dakota Farmers Union

North Dakota Grain Growers Association

Northland Potato Growers Association

North Dakota Soybean Growers

National Onion Association

Op-Ed: Discrimination Has No Place in Our Society, and Big Banks Are No Exception

I penned an op-ed in the National Review on how my Fair Access to Banking Act is the commonsense solution to preventing America's largest retail banks from categorically excluding legal commerce from accessing their financial services.

In recent years, the “woke” Left has exerted immense pressure on financial institutions to wade into social and political issues, such as gun control, energy policy, and abortion advocacy. Activists have taken these ancillary issues and inserted them into the daily business of many firms under the guise of environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG).

Banks were not created to be arbiters of public policy. They receive deposits, make loans, and process payments. This has been the backbone of American free enterprise for decades, but now far-left activists are upsetting the system by inserting their political preferences into the equation.

Family Research Council "True Blue" Award Recognizes Perfect Voting Record

I’m grateful to receive Family Research Council’s "True Blue" award for my consistent voting record protecting the sanctity of life, families, marriage, and religious liberty. These are North Dakota values, and they will always have my support.

EPW Hearing Spotlights EPA Nominee’s Failed Commitment to Coordinate with North Dakota Officials

In last week’s Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing, I questioned Joe Goffman, President Biden’s nominee to be Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Air and Radiation.

Nine months ago, Mr. Goffman committed to coordinating with North Dakota officials, yet they were never contacted. When I was a utility regulator, we had cooperative federalism between federal agencies, state agencies, and stakeholders – we worked together to benefit the people we served. That’s not what I see today.

I also contrasted North Dakota’s effective methane regulations with those of the federal government. In North Dakota, we capture 95% of methane on state and private land, compared to only 59% on some federal and tribal land. We should not yield to the federal government’s mediocrity.

Banking Hearing Highlights Importance of Food Supply Chain Security

In a Senate Banking hearing, I addressed the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States’ shortcomings in its review of Fufeng in Grand Forks, proposed adding the Department of Agriculture as a permanent member of the Committee, and emphasized the importance of food supply chain security.

I also discussed my approach to developing a pollution fee on products we import from nations with poor environmental records. The U.S. already holds our carbon-intensive industries to high environmental, labor, and workplace standards. We should join forces with allies of similar values and standards, and rather than punish ourselves, punish polluters who happen to be our adversaries in most cases.

Mornings with Maria Interview Highlights Energy, Inflation, and Fair Access to Banking Act

On Tuesday, I joined Fox Business’ Mornings with Maria to discuss how the Administration’s backwards energy policies drive inflation. Energy is tied to everything in the supply chain – everything we produce, manufacture, grow, and ship. When energy prices are high, inflation is high, too.

I also talked about my Fair Access to Banking Act. This bill does not require banks to do anything, but rather prohibits them from discriminating against legal commerce.

These are FDIC-insured, taxpayer-backed institutions, which means they have an obligation to review every loan and application, not just kick an entire category out because they’re disfavored among liberals.

Letter Urges President Biden to Permit Year-Round Sale of E15 Fuel

I joined Senators John Thune (R-SD) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) in urging President Biden to permit the year-round sale of E15 fuel, which would provide consumers and petroleum marketers greater regulatory certainty.

Regional biofuel, oil and gas, agriculture, and transportation stakeholders have voiced their support for a legislative solution to enable permanent and consistent access to E15.

Letter Urges Department of Defense to Rescind Policy Facilitating Abortions

I joined all of my Senate Armed Services Committee Republican colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin urging him to rescind a new agency policy facilitating abortions. Specifically, the Department will cover travel expenses, including transportation, lodging, and meal costs, for military personnel seeking abortions within the first 20 weeks of pregnancy.

The Department of Defense’s actions tell our service members pregnancy is a liability to the force. They also imply our military’s success hinges on access to abortion. The former is a mistake; the latter is false.

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.

Elk Ridge Elementary School

I had a lot of fun visiting with 4th graders from Elk Ridge Elementary and sharing with them what it’s like to be a U.S. Senator.

We talked about the different branches of government, the best parts of representing North Dakota in Congress, and the importance of working together. I’ve been interviewed many times, but their questions were some of the toughest!

North Dakota Credit Unions

I always enjoy meeting with the Dakota Credit Union Association. I look forward to working together to ensure credit unions are not overly burdened by federal rules and regulations. This way, they can best serve their members and communities.

University of North Dakota

It was great to speak with University of North Dakota Research and National Security Vice Presidents about the many opportunities the university offers. Their partnership with U.S. Space Force, the Space Development Agency, and the Grand Forks community is invaluable.

Missouri River Energy Services

Thank you to Valley City’s Mayor and City Administrator for visiting with me about Missouri River Energy Services, the importance of a reliable grid, and the benefits of clean and consistent hydropower.

BWXT Technologies

It was great to meet with Admiral McCoy (USN, Ret.) and Nate Foote with BWXT to discuss workforce challenges, shipbuilding needs, and nuclear modernization. I’m thankful for their contributions to our national security.

Grants for North Dakota

National Park Service Awards Over $1.2 Million to North Dakota and Tribes

The National Park Service awarded a total of $1,279,524 in historic preservation to the following:

• $869,584 to the State of North Dakota
• $149,610 to Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
• $137,779 to the Three Affiliated Tribes of Fort Berthold Reservation (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation)
• $122,551 to the Spirit Lake Tribe of Fort Totten

Department of Health and Human Services Awards North Dakota $3,347,586 for Children and Family Programs

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded a total of $3,347,586 for children and family programs in North Dakota.

• $1,902,036 to Southeastern North Dakota Community Action Agency Head Start
• $1,254,900 to Devils Lake Head Start
• $190,650 to the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services