EPA and Army Corps Leaders Attend WOTUS Listening Session in Bismarck

WOTUS Listening Session

On Monday, I hosted Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox and Acting-Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Jaime Pinkham in Bismarck for a Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) listening session. EPA will be holding 10 virtual listening sessions as it works to craft a new WOTUS rule, and this is the only in-person listening session on the books thus far.

At the listening session, EPA Assistant Administrator Fox and Acting-Assistant Secretary Pinkham heard firsthand from farmers, landowners, and stakeholders who deal with WOTUS.

North Dakotans live and work in the heart of the Prairie Pothole Region and have long been subjected to the regulatory ping pong of Waters of the U.S. regulations. It was never the intent of the Clean Water Act to override states and North Dakota’s leadership against the 2015 rule proves the limits of the federal government. It shouldn’t be this hard to identify what is navigable water and what is not. I’m grateful the EPA upheld its commitment to hold an in-person listening session in North Dakota to hear from agriculture producers, landowners, and stakeholders.

Rural Water Supply Plant Tour

After the listening session, I toured South Central Regional Water, a rural water supply plant, with EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox and Senator John Hoeven. While there we met with the North Dakota Rural Water Systems Association and discussed EPA's drinking water and wastewater programs.

Bank of America CEO Moynihan Joins My Bully Pulpit Town Hall

On Tuesday, I hosted Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan in Fargo at North Dakota State University for a moderated discussion and town hall on climate solutions as the second installment of my speaker series, “The Bully Pulpit.”

We discussed North Dakota’s leadership in research and innovative climate solutions, as well as current Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) projects across the state.

Any opportunity to showcase the exceptionalism and commonsense of North Dakota to business leaders, is a win in my book. I’m grateful Mr. Moynihan took the time to come to Fargo to participate in my ‘Bully Pulpit’ series and learn more about the advancement of carbon capture technology and our innovative energy leadership.

In North Dakota, we know how to strike the right balance between energy development, environmental conservation, and the economy. We also know that these are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they support American innovation and investment and increased opportunities for our state.

Joe Biden Releases 50 Million Barrels of Oil from Strategic Petroleum Reserve

On Tuesday, President Biden directed the Department of Energy to release 50 million barrels of oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve. This move is lazy, intellectually and otherwise, desperate, and completely unnecessary.

Releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is not the solution to bringing down high gas prices. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is meant for supplying energy during national emergencies. The only national emergency is President Biden’s awful energy policy in which he has purposefully curtailed American production and then embarrassingly pleaded OPEC to make up the difference.

It’s clear to me the Biden Administration doesn’t know it needs to provide regulatory certainty and embrace domestic energy production if we want to see lower prices at the gas pump and then everything else in the value chain. But we all know this a non-starter for an administration hellbent on destroying North Dakota’s excellence and America’s energy dominance.

Jerome Powell Renominated for Federal Reserve Chair

This week President Biden announced his intention to renominate Chairman Jerome Powell for a second term and Lael Brainard as Vice Chair to the Federal Reserve.

In light of an economy hamstrung by COVID-19, and now supply chain issues and soaring inflation thanks to the Biden Administration’s debilitating policies, the Federal Reserve needs consistency. Powell’s appointment is a sign of consistency, which is so important at a time like this.

Despite concerns about the positions Governor Brainard has taken while on the Board of Governors, I look forward to meeting with her and discussing the approach she would take as Vice Chair.

Bipartisan Legislation Introduced to Bolster Outdoor Recreation and Promote Biking on Federal Lands

Senator Ben Lujan (D-NM) and I introduced the Biking On Long-Distance Trails (BOLT) Act to bolster outdoor recreation and promote biking on federal lands across the United States. The BOLT Act will make bike trails more accessible and direct the Department of the Interior (DOI) to develop or complete long-distance bike trails.

The longest continuous single track mountain bike trail in the U.S. is lucky to call North Dakota home. As the former North Dakota Tourism Director, I know the Maah Daah Hey and other bike trails provide enriching recreational experiences and economic opportunities for our communities.

Under the BOLT Act, DOI would publish and distribute maps, install signage, and issue promotional materials. It would also publish a report that lists the trails developed under this legislation.

Meeting with Army Corps

Last week, I met with Acting-Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Jaime Pinkham in Bismarck where we discussed Waters of the U.S., states’ rights, and the Dakota Access pipeline.

Grants for North Dakota

U.S. Department of Agriculture Awards Funds to North Dakota Meat Companies

I announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded the following two grants totaling $400,000 to North Dakota meat companies.

• $200,000 to Spruce Hill Meats, LLC, to meet the maximum capacity of its facility and expand its business to include retail and wholesale offerings as a federally-inspected facility.
• $200,000 to Lakeside Meats, LLC, to purchase a meat processing plant in Devils Lake to secure processing capacity for its own livestock production, creating market power by being able to establish the price for their processing and/or retail products.

Interior Department Awards Funds to Standing Rock Sioux Tribe

The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation awarded $370,015 to Standing Rock Sioux WTP Control Extension.

The funds will be used to provide technical assistance to develop, manage, and protect water and related resources.