Senator Cramer’s Weekly Update August 29-september 11

Recess Recap Video

It was truly an honor and a privilege to be back home in North Dakota for the month of August witnessing firsthand the amazing things happening in our state!

Vital energy projects took huge steps forward with the commissioning of a new coal dragline in Center and the groundbreaking of a new soybean processing plant in Casselton. Our heroic veterans were honored at a 30 Year Commemoration Ceremony at the State Veterans Cemetery in Mandan and a military appreciation event featuring the U.S. Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon in New Town. I also presented a flag to WWII Veteran Vern Otterson in Fargo.

It was great to receive a tour of Dickinson’s Killdeer Mountain Manufacturing with EXIM Bank Director and former Congressman Spencer Bachus (R-AL), the Blue Flint Ethanol Plant in Underwood, the Northwood Deaconess Hospital, SpaceAge Synthetics in Fargo, and the State Penitentiary.

It was a pleasure visiting so many North Dakotans and attending meaningful events throughout every corner of our great state. I’m headed back to Washington, D.C. inspired by North Dakotans' willingness to work hard and their acknowledgment that freedom isn’t free.

MHA Nation Honors Military Service with U.S. Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon

It was a privilege to join the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation at the invitation of Chairman Mark Fox, a United States Marine Corps veteran, for a beautiful celebration of military appreciation where veterans were honored and the United States Marine Corps (USMC) Silent Drill Platoon performed in New Town.

Native Americans serve in the armed forces at higher rates than any other demographic and have a proud history of service. Our U.S. military's brave men and women selflessly serve to advance the cause of liberty and protect our freedom. We are forever grateful for their service and dedication.

In addition to the USMC Silent Drill Platoon, there was an opening prayer, presentation of colors led by MHA Post 253, USMC Color Guard, and the presentation of gifts.

Tour and Meeting Highlights Rural Health Issues

I had a good day in Northwood, North Dakota touring the Deaconess Hospital. I appreciate the hospitality and leadership provided by CEO Pete Antonson and his team.

We had an informative and instructive meeting with North Dakota rural health to discuss workforce challenges, behavioral health, telehealth, and day-to-day operations. We have a lot of work to do to ensure all rural communities in North Dakota have access to quality health care and the solutions are far more likely to come from Northwood than D.C.

North Dakota Veterans Cemetery Celebrates 30 Year Commemoration with Ceremony

As a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs and Armed Services Committees, I was honored to participate in the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery’s 30 Year Commemoration ceremony with Major General Alan S. Dohrmann, North Dakota National Guard Adjutant General, Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), and Under Secretary for Military Affairs Matt Quinn.

North Dakota has the best National Guard in the country and its excellence was fully on display at this event.

Every single veteran was willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice—this is the fundamental difference between us and them—and they deserve all our honor and appreciation.

On this sacred ground, we remember freedom isn’t free and it is only possible because of our brave men and women in the armed services. We thank them every day for their incredible sacrifice and service to the United States of America.

While in Mandan, I had a productive conversation with Under Secretary Quinn. I was pleased to hear the VA will build a wind wall, storage facility, and a restroom with heat and water at the Fargo National Cemetery.

Senate Unanimously Passes Bipartisan Legislation to Support Veterans During Their Transition to Civilian Life

On Thursday, the Senate unanimously passed bipartisan legislation I introduced with Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) to strengthen the Solid Start program.

The Solid Start program was created by the Department of Veterans Affairs during the Trump Administration to contact every veteran three times by phone in the first year after they leave active duty service to check in and help connect them to VA programs and benefits.

Making sure the brave servicemen and women have access to the benefits, healthcare, and other resources they earned is a crucial part of my role on the Veterans Affairs Committee. The Solid Start program was created by the Trump Administration to help veterans transition to civilian life.

Our bill codifies this successful program to ensure veterans will have access to the support services they need. I applaud the Senate’s unanimous support and urge its final passage.

Cavuto: Coast to Coast Interview Discusses Student Loan Debt Forgiveness

I discussed student loan forgiveness with Neil Cavuto on Fox Business.

While I was home over August recess, I was at a veteran’s appreciation event at the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation and a Native American veteran came up to me and said “you tell the President there’s a Native American veteran in North Dakota who wants his money back. I want my GI Bill benefits back. If you’re going to forgive student loans, then what about me? I paid a price as well for my education.”

I think this veteran represents millions of other people who didn’t accrue any debt, paid off their debt, or had to make choices that led them a different direction—maybe to serve in the military so they could go to college. Then you have people who accumulated debt, but they didn’t do it through the federal system so they’re not eligible. It’s unfair all the way around.

Fox Business Interview Discusses Biden’s Partisan Campaign Address in Philadelphia

I joined Jackie DeAngelis on Fox Business’s Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street to discuss President Joe Biden’s partisan campaign address.

It was a very unpresidential speech. If they’re as desperate as I think they are, they probably felt they needed to do something big. They’re in a position where they have to throw out Hail Marys in hopes of surviving this next midterm election in a couple of months and they’re trying whatever they can.

I think they’re hoping they can somehow change the narrative, but they can’t change what’s going on in people’s lives. You cannot convince the American people with all the marketing in the world they’re not hurting. They know they’re hurting every time they fill their gas tank or buy groceries or try to buy a home. We’ve yet to see, I think, the worst of the inflation.

Newsmax’s American Agenda Interview Investigates Fufeng

I joined Newsmax’s American Agenda to discuss the economic and national security concerns of the Fufeng Group’s purchase of farmland near the Grand Forks Air Force Base.

There’s a new mission coming to the Grand Forks Air Force Base in the middle of this decade that would be next generation of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, so there’s a lot of concern about Chinese investment so close to such a sensitive base.

You’d have to be naïve not to believe the Chinese are up to something and we’ve seen a lot of that in recent years. The China of the past is very different than the China of today. We know how good they are at spying. We know how good they are at collecting data in both passive and aggressive ways and we know how often they do it.

Letter Demands Answers on U.S. Marshals Proposed Sanctuary Policies to Release Criminal Illegal Immigrants

I joined Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) in sending a letter to the Director of the U.S. Marshals Service Ronald Davis urging answers after reports the USMS is considering a new policy to permit the release of dangerous, criminal aliens before U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is able to apprehend these illegal immigrants.

The Biden Administration’s failed immigration policies continue to fuel the crisis on our southern border. Recent reports indicate over 500,000 illegal immigrants evaded capture so far in fiscal year 2022. These potentially dangerous, criminal aliens pose a significant risk to public safety.

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.

Nominee to Lead U.S. Strategic Command

It was good to speak with General Anthony Cotton, nominee to lead U.S. Strategic Command.

We discussed his priorities and vision regarding deterrence should he be confirmed for the role, the threat of Russia and China, nuclear modernization, and opportunities for Minot and Grand Forks Air Force Bases.

Nominee to be U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations

Met with Lieutenant General Chance Saltzman, nominee to be the next U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations!

Thankful for a great conversation on innovation, radar modernization at our Space Force Station in Cavalier, and his vision on future opportunities for the Space Force.

Grants for North Dakota

Mott and Glen Ullin Municipal Airports Receive $220,000

The Federal Aviation Administration awarded the following grants totaling $220,000 from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act:

• $110,000 to Mott Municipal Airport Authority
• $110,000 to Glen Ullin Municipal Airport Authority

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.

Bismarck and Devils Lake Airports Receive $16.4 Million

The Federal Aviation Administration awarded the following two grants totaling $16,359,076:

• $14,119,926 to the City of Bismarck
• $2,239,150 to Devils Lake Airport Authority

Federal Aviation Administration Awards $5.7 Million to North Dakota Regional Airports

The Federal Aviation Administration awarded the following grants totaling $5,721,702:

• $5,069,742 to Crosby Airport Authority
• $256,860 to Casselton Regional Airport Authority
• $202,500 to Hillsboro Municipal Airport Authority
• $102,600 to Park River Municipal Airport Authority
• $90,000 to Gwinner Municipal Airport Authority

The grants will be used to reconstruct and rehabilitate airport runways, conduct environmental assessments, improve airport drainage, replace taxiway lighting, and construct access roads.

North Dakota Department of Transportation Awards $1.3 Million in Emergency Relief for Recent Floods

The North Dakota Department of Transportation was awarded $1,250,947.87 in emergency relief from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration.

These funds will repair or reconstruct federal-aid highways and roads which suffered serious damage as a result of recent natural disasters. Eligible repair work includes emergency repairs needed to restore essential traffic, minimize the extent of damage, or protect the remaining facilities as well as permanent repairs necessary to restore the highway to its pre-disaster condition.

NDSU Receives $14 Million NSF Grant for Regional Entrepreneurial and Tech Research

The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded $14,000,000 to North Dakota State University through the NSF Division of Translational Impacts.

Through this grant, NDSU will help develop a regional network of university-based inventors and entrepreneurs within the framework of rural America to accelerate the translation of federally funded research into technology solutions which benefit society, enhance commercialization, and create economic growth. NDSU will be part of the Great Plains Region I-Corps Hub, which are consortia of institutions of higher education spanning distinct geographic regions with common goals and challenges to collaborate to provide entrepreneurial training to members of the scientific community.

University of North Dakota Receives $1 Million for Suicide Prevention

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded $955,014 to the University of North Dakota for suicide prevention.

The funding supports the North Dakota Healthcare, Opportunity, Prevention, and Education in Suicide prevention (ND HOPES) project.

Cankdeska Cikana Community College Receives $1 Million in Head Start Funds

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded $1,042,799 to Cankdeska Cikana Community College for Head Start Professional Development.

The funds come through the Head Start Partnerships with Tribal Controlled Land Grant Colleges and Universities program.

USDA Awards $588,000 to North Dakota State University for Alfalfa Yield Research

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded North Dakota State University a grant of $587,671 to support alfalfa yield research.

NDSU’s project is titled, “Establishing Alfalfa in Intercropping with Sunflower and Sorghum to Improve Alfalfa Yield and Profitability.” The overall goal is to determine the productivity, economics, and environmental benefits of establishing alfalfa by intercropping with sunflower or forage/grain sorghum in an effort to promote the inclusion of alfalfa in crop rotations.

The funding comes from the Alfalfa Seed and Alfalfa Forage System Program which supports the development of improved alfalfa forage and seed production systems.

Small Business Administration Awards $300,000 to North Dakota to Aid Small Business Exports

The Small Business Administration awarded a $300,000 grant to North Dakota through the State Trade Expansion Program.

STEP ND is a financial reimbursement program designed to assist small North Dakota businesses in growing their international exports.