Senator Cramer’s Weekly Update July 25-31

Senate Passes the Water Resources Development Act

On Thursday, the Senate passed the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2022 with overwhelming bipartisan support.

Every two years, WRDA offers an opportunity for Congress to provide the Army Corps of Engineers direction to set up our nation’s water resources for long-term success.

Receiving overwhelming bipartisan support, this bill embraces states’ water rights, improves recreational access, supports flood mitigation initiatives, and establishes policies to better utilize Corps projects while creating jobs and improving our economy.

I appreciate the leadership and cooperation from Senators Carper, Capito, and Cardin throughout this process. There are a lot of wins for North Dakota in this year’s WRDA bill and I look forward to working with the House of Representatives to get it signed into law.

Environment and Public Works Committee Hearing Discusses Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage

University of North Dakota Energy and Environmental Research Center’s John Harju Testifies at Hearing

I was honored to introduce John Harju, Vice President for Strategic Partnerships at the University of North Dakota’s Energy and Environmental Research Center, as a witness at a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing on carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) projects and policies to implement them.

EERC does premier research on all fossil fuels, as well as renewable and alternative fuels, and has become a world leader in the field of CCUS consulting on projects, not only in North Dakota, but throughout the country.

John and his team are not just consultants – they are engineers who build and test components, analyze core samples, perform modeling, advocate for public policy at the local, state, and federal level, and help projects navigate bureaucracies. They do it all and I’m grateful for his willingness to testify.

Hearing Highlights North Dakota Class VI Primacy

At the hearing, Mr. Harju and I discussed North Dakota’s Class VI well primacy, the effectiveness of current and proposed tax credits to reduce carbon emissions, permitting timelines, and net-negative carbon oil production through enhanced oil recovery.

I asked specifically about primacy over Class VI, wells used for geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide, highlighting North Dakota’s first-in-the-nation status and current projects. Mr. Harju pointed out that North Dakota has issued multiple CCUS permits with several pending in the pipeline since primacy was granted in 2018, while the federal government has only issued one permit and it took five or six years to secure.

John Harju brought a wealth of knowledge and experience on carbon capture, innovative research, and energy solutions to the hearing. I’m grateful for his willingness to testify and we’re fortunate that he calls North Dakota home.

Delegation Letter Calls for Return of Northern Ports of Entry Pre-Pandemic Operating Hours

The U.S.-Canada border ports of entry in North Dakota still operate on reduced pandemic hours put in place over two years ago. The North Dakota Delegation sent a letter calling on U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Chris Magnus to return northern ports of entry to pre-pandemic operating hours.

It is essential to have open ports to accommodate lawful travel and trade with Canada, our close ally and largest trading partner. As our economy suffers from record high inflation, it is critical we remove obstacles to the legitimate flow of goods and services in order to alleviate mounting strain on the supply chain.

North Dakotans’ ability to conduct cross-border activity remains unnecessarily restricted as a result of CBP’s refusal to return to pre-pandemic hours at our ports of entry. CBP must take into account the economic impact reduced hours continue to have on both the U.S. and Canada. We urge CBP to extend hours of operation at North Dakota’s ports of entry.

Op-Ed Calls on Congress to Quit Governing by Gang

I wrote an op-ed in The Hill on the importance of creating and passing legislation the way our Founding Fathers intended by calling for an end of legislating by gang. It’s time to get back to following regular order by writing bills, holding hearings, marking up in committee, amending on the Senate floor, and reconciling in a conference committee which inherently leads to better products.

Legislating can be messy and it can be hard, but it is by design, and I for one did not ask North Dakotans for this job to shirk the work they hired me to do. This governance by gang flies in the face of what constituents expect and what our Founding Fathers envisioned when they established Congress.

In the piece, I remember former House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-TX) for the way he ran the House of Representatives when in leadership and highlighted his message on the importance of excellency over congressional expedience.

Armey spoke exactly to the situation we find ourselves in time and again these days saying, “Now I look at the Congress today and I feel bad… I’ve seen Republican Speakers who have fallen by the wayside and I can say I believe it is for one simple reason only – they left the structure behind. They got ahead of the body. They failed to respect each and every Member and their right to participate. And then they would come to the floor with a product that had not been seen or worked on by members at large and try to bully it into passage. It’s a heartbreaking thing to watch.”

It’s time for Congress to return to regular order and quit governing by gang.

Department of Agriculture Extends Deadline and Makes Improvements to Emergency Relief Program

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a deadline extension for agricultural producers to return their pre-filled applications for Phase One of the Emergency Relief Program. A new deadline will be announced at least 30 days after the last Phase One application mailings have been sent.

ERP provides meaningful relief to farmers and ranchers who suffered major disaster-related losses in 2020 and 2021 across North Dakota. The deadline extension and program fixes will help producers apply and receive accurate relief for their losses.

USDA also announced multiple program fixes to account for issues North Dakota’s producers have experienced since the program was announced.

I look forward to continuing to work with the agricultural community to ensure producers are not excluded from increased relief due to the treatment of capital gains from equipment sales erroneously affecting adjusted gross income levels.

Kudlow Interview Discusses Semiconductor Legislation and China

I joined Fox Business’ Kudlow to discuss my opposition to the semiconductor legislation on the Senate floor last week. The goal of the legislation is noble, but trying to out-China China is not what we should be doing.

The way to do it is to reopen our free market system, eliminate the regulations and the taxes that get in the way of the innovators, and then we can attract our own businesses back here.

There are very loose definitions in the bill. We need to be more prescriptive at the legislative level and not turn over the details to the bureaucracy because they will only add to the burden, not make it better.

Package Introduced to Bolster Violent Crime Statutes As Crime Wave Sweeps the Nation

Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and I introduced a broad package last week to clarify and strengthen violent crime laws related to homicide, bank robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, and other offenses.

The Combating Violent and Dangerous Crime Act resolves discrepancies brought on by conflicting court decisions and clarifies congressional intent regarding crimes of violence and their respective penalties. Despite an ongoing crime wave, no Democrats have agreed to cosponsor the fixes.

It is imperative to have a forceful response to the rising crime across the United States. The Combating Violent and Dangerous Crime Act is necessary to hold criminals accountable, support our law enforcement, and ensure justice and safety for our communities affected by senseless crime.

Bill Sanctions Insurers of Ships Sending Oil from Russia to China

To further cut off Russia’s revenue and combat Beijing’s continued support for Vladimir Putin, I joined Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rick Scott (R-FL) in introducing legislation to impose mandatory sanctions on any entity which registers, provides insurance to, or facilitates registration of any vessel engaged in the shipment of Russian oil, petroleum products, or natural gas to the Peoples’ Republic of China. The sanctions would terminate when the President certifies to Congress the Russian Federation has withdrawn its forces from within the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine.

The peaceful tools of energy can easily become the weapons of war. Look no further than Vladimir Putin’s unwarranted and unprovoked war on Ukraine amidst record high oil prices and weak U.S. leadership.

The Countering Communist China’s Financing of Russia’s War on Ukraine Act imposes economic sanctions to stop the sale of Russian petroleum exports to China and further cripple the Russian war chest.

Bill Introduced to End Asylum Abuse and Punish Illegal Immigrants Who Fail to Show Up for Immigration Court

Last week, I helped introduce the Asylum Accountability Act, legislation which would significantly sharpen the penalty for those who fail to appear in immigration court by permanently barring absconding illegal immigrants from gaining a benefit under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Under the Biden Administration, there are absolutely no repercussions for illegally crossing the southern border. In addition to Biden’s open border policies, illegal immigrants are taking advantage of the asylum system and skipping their court hearings to permanently stay in the U.S.

The Asylum Accountability Act creates a deterrent to this situation by permanently barring immigrants who skip court hearings from asylum or citizenship.

Bill Introduced to Increase Number of Aircraft Available to Fight Wildfires

I introduced the Emergency Aircraft Act with Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) to make states eligible to receive excess planes from the Department of Defense (DoD) to increase their wildfire suppression and emergency response capabilities. It would also remove the current cap on how many excess planes DoD can transfer to other federal agencies for wildfire suppression purposes.

The Emergency Aircraft Act of 2022 removes arbitrary caps on the transfer of excess military aircraft to the Forest Service, states, and those on the frontline fighting fires. This bill is a no-brainer to aid our wildfire fighting capabilities.

Intent to Vote in Opposition to Environmental Protection Agency Office of Air and Radiation Nominee Joseph Goffman

I announced my intent to vote against Joseph Goffman’s nomination to be Assistant Administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Air and Radiation.

As one of the key architects of the Clean Power Plan in the Obama Administration, Goffman’s bias against North Dakota energy is clear.

Despite recent direction from the Supreme Court on the importance of congressional intent, I have little confidence he will follow the letter of the law given his history of stretching the legal boundaries of the Clean Air Act. Voting no on his nomination is the only option and I encourage the Biden Administration to change course.

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.

British Conservative Member of Parliament

It was great to speak with British Member of Parliament Dr. Liam Fox and Conservative Friends of America about our shared values as conservatives and our mutual goals in trade, energy, and global leadership. I look forward to continuing to work together as allied nations!

American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers

I caught up with Chet Thompson with American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers to discuss high gas prices, U.S. refining capacity, and how to use cleanly-produced American energy to cut global emissions while rebuilding our energy security.

Canadian Pacific

It was great to talk with Canadian Pacific CEO Keith Creel for an update on its service capacity ahead of the upcoming harvest.

We are working to ensure smooth, reliable rail service for all North Dakota shippers, which move a vast majority of the grains and oilseeds North Dakota produces.

Grants for North Dakota

North Dakota Airports Receive $615,575 from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

This funding from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is another win for North Dakota. Small airports are important in our rural landscape and these dollars will improve and upgrade the airports throughout our great state.

The Federal Aviation Administration awarded the following grants totaling $615,575 from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act:

• $159,000 to the Stanley Airport Authority
• $126,575 to the City of Mohall
• $110,000 to the Lisbon Municipal Airport Authority
• $110,000 to the Washburn Municipal Airport
• $110,000 to the Golden Valley County Airport Authority

Army Awards $20 Million Army Contract to Four North Dakota Companies to Support North Dakota National Guard Facility Maintenance

The U.S. Department of Army awarded a $20 million multiple award contract to four North Dakota companies: Gast Construction Company in Fargo, Incorporated, MDM Construction, LLC in West Fargo, Smithco, Incorporated in Fargo, and T.F. Powers Construction Company in Fargo.

The contract supports maintenance, repair, and construction activities at the North Dakota National Guard facilities.

USDA Awards $18 Million to Improve Internet Access in Western, Central North Dakota

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Office of Rural Development awarded Reservation Telephone Cooperative a grant of $18,501,541 to provide access to high-speed internet.

The funds will be used to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network. This network will connect Dunn, McKenzie, and McLean counties in North Dakota as well as communities in Montana. This project will also serve the Fort Berthold Reservation Tribal Entity.

Department of Health and Human Services Awards $200,000 to the F-M Ambulance Service Inc.

The F-M Ambulance Service Inc. received a $200,000 grant for mental health and substance abuse service from the Department of Health and Human Services.

The funds will be used for the F-M Ambulance Service’s FM Ambulance Rural Emergency Medical Services.

Federal Aviation Administration Awards $1.4 Million to North Dakota Airports

The Federal Aviation Administration awarded the following grants totaling $1,403,313 to multiple airports within the state of North Dakota for runway installation, construction, rehabilitation, and assessments:

• $613,076 to Washburn Municipal Airport
• $319,537 to Barnes County Municipal Airport Authority
• $191,700 to Northwood Municipal Airport Authority
• $105,300 to Lakota Airport Authority
• $87,300 to Rugby Municipal Airport Authority
• $86,400 to Cando Municipal Airport Authority