Senator Cramer’s Weekly Update may 13-19

National Police Week Floor Speech Honors Fargo Police Officer Zachary Robinson

I delivered remarks on the Senate floor on Tuesday to commemorate National Police Week and honor TOP COP award recipient Fargo Police Officer Zachary Robinson. Officer Robinson received this award in recognition of his heroism and bravery last summer when officers with the Fargo Police Department were ambushed while investigating a traffic crash.

Officer Robinson is the first member of North Dakota’s law enforcement community to receive the prestigious recognition. It was particularly special to have Officer Robinson and his wife in the Senate Gallery during my speech.

On July 14, 2023, nearly a year ago, Officer Robinson was one of four officers to respond to a routine fender bender. As the officers were wrapping up their handling of the accident, Officer Robinson moved his police vehicle out of the street. A shooter, who was not involved in the initial accident, ambushed the officers, firing on them and bystanders. The shooter hit Zach’s three fellow officers, killing Officer Jake Wallin, and gravely injuring Officers Andrew Dotas and Tyler Hawes. Zach radioed to "send everybody" as he engaged in a shootout with the assailant.

“Officer Robinson was literally the last man standing, but he did not hesitate as he moved toward – not away from – but toward gunfire, putting himself between the shooter and the innocent, finally fatally wounding the assailant.

This senseless, premeditated attack targeted police officers who were simply doing what they do, their jobs, protecting and taking care of citizens in need. Evidence collected in the investigation revealed the shooter’s fixation on mass shooting events, and his likely intent to perpetrate an attack at a large event like the Downtown Fargo Street Fair that was going on just a few blocks away or in the next community over, the Red River Valley Fair.

We will likely never know how many lives he saved that day, that his heroism protected that day, but his actions will never be forgotten by the Fargo community or the state of North Dakota.

Officer Robinson’s story, his refusal to yield, his swift action in the face of grave danger, captured the essence of why we must "back the blue." Always supporting our officers, not just in words, but in actions and deeds, ensuring they have all they need to carry out their duties safely and effectively. During National Police Week, we honor Zach and his brothers and sisters in blue across the country who go to work every day to protect our communities, despite the dangers around the corner or across the street.

National Police Week is also a chance to remember the men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf. At a time when police officers are all-too-often scoffed or defunded by the very people relying on them for public safety, we need to constantly remember the real-world impacts of their service.

Every officer who is lost is a mother, father, sister, brother, a son or daughter, taken too soon from a loving family who will miss them. Our officers, and their families, deserve to know we always have their backs.

It was the honor of a lifetime to be at the National Fraternal Order of Police TOP COP Awards Banquet on Sunday, to pay tribute to Officer Robinson's bravery. Congratulations to him on receiving the TOP COP award, to Chief Dave Zibolski and the entire Fargo Police Department, and thank you to all law enforcement officers for their everyday heroism. We love you and pray for you, always!

U.S. Navy Leadership Answer Questions on Department’s Misplaced Priorities, Flat Budget

The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) held a hearing on Thursday on the posture of the Department of the Navy in review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2025 and the Future Years Defense Program. During the hearing, members heard testimony from Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti, and Commandant of the Marine Corps General Eric Smith.

I began by asking Secretary Del Toro about the Navy’s focus on climate change as a top priority. I highlighted how adversaries like China are more focused on winning a potential future conflict than the United States.

I also raised concern with Secretary Del Toro’s holistic focus on climate change and how it detracts from focus on the Navy mission of deterring our adversaries.

I asked the witnesses, “So while our military is sitting around being focused on climate change, and the Chinese military is not, somehow we win because we have the moral high ground? When I look at [the much higher pace of China’s shipbuilding compared to ours], I see a really big problem that’s not being addressed nearly as enthusiastically as climate change is."

I continued my questioning by requesting assessments from each of the witnesses on the areas they believe President Biden's flat budget assumes the most risk.

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Votes to Further Socialize Cost of Transmission Projects

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) voted on Monday on its transmission planning cost allocation rule. In a 2-1 decision, the Commission adopted Order 1920 with Commissioner Mark Christie dissenting.

The rule issued by FERC on transmission planning is an assault on the sovereignty of the states and the two most basic mandates of the Commission: affordability and reliability.

At the behest of radical environmentalists, FERC is diluting the principle of “just and reasonable rates” by socializing the cost of massive transmission projects on ratepayers even if they may not directly benefit. Expanded benefits inevitably means more ratepayers foot the bill, not less.

North Dakotans are used to being the backbone of an affordable and reliable grid, but this rulemaking will force my constituents into the unaffordable and unreliable grid Democrats dream about.

This will require three times more miles of high voltage overhead power lines than we already have and vast landscapes of wind turbines and solar panels – all at the mercy of the intermittent weather and imported batteries from China.

Commissioner Christie and I, along with others have built a long record, warning FERC of the folly of building transmission policy around unrealistic environmental public policy objectives rather than sound engineering.

Prior to FERC voting to adopt the rule, I sent a letter in September 2023, requesting the Commission prioritize reliability over the Democrats’ transmission wishlist. In May 2023, I also penned an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal on the principles needed to reach a commonsense agreement on transmission.

Senate Judiciary Committee Passes Senators Cramer and Klobuchar’s Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act

The Senate Judiciary Committee passed the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act on Thursday. The bill expands access to benefits for the families of first responders who pass away from cancer caused by carcinogen exposure throughout their service. This bipartisan legislation, which I first introduced with U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) last year, would also extend disability benefits in cases where these first responders become permanently and totally disabled due to cancer.

Firefighters and first responders put their lives and health on the line every day and have an increased risk of receiving devastating diagnoses many years after exposure to carcinogens.

Our bill expands benefits to include occupationally-connected cancers to care for those who protect our communities. I applaud the bill’s passage out of committee and implore Leader Schumer to take it up on the Senate floor.

Stakeholders who have endorsed the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act include: The International Association of Fire Fighters; Fraternal Order of Police; International Association of Fire Chiefs; National Association of Police Organizations; National Volunteer Fire Council; Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association; National Fallen Firefighters Foundation; Congressional Fire Services Institute; and Sergeants Benevolent Association of New York City.

Senators Introduce Resolution of Disapproval on ATF’s Oppressive Gun Control Rule

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) announced its final “Engaged in the Business” rule, establishing an unlawful reinterpretation of what classifies a firearms dealer under federal law. Upon implementation, this burdensome and costly rule would infringe upon the Second Amendment freedoms of lawful gun-owning Americans and firearms dealers.

I joined U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) in cosponsoring a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval on Thursday to nullify the Biden administration’s “Engaged in the Business Rule.” Among other provisions, the resolution maintains the traditional definition of who is considered a firearms dealer, protects Second Amendment rights of gun owners, and emphasizes the importance of lawful gun ownership without overreaching government regulations.

The Biden administration’s attempt to chip away at our Second Amendment liberties is unacceptable and illegal. This costly, complex rule stifles lawful gun ownership and legal firearm sales by categorizing occasional sellers the same as professional dealers. Standing against this rule isn’t just about protecting lawful commerce; it's about defending the very fabric of our constitutional freedoms.

Senators Introduce Legislation to Fulfill Promise of Housing Loan Eligibility for Members of the National Guard and Reserves

Enacted on January 5, 2021, the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 expanded eligibility for the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) home loan program to servicemembers in the National Guard and Reserves who perform “full-time National Guard duty” for at least 90 days.

Following the law’s enactment, reservists and members of the National Guard have encountered an unintended gap in the legislation, which fails to fully incorporate time spent in active-duty training, such as Special Forces or Aviation. As a result, certain National Guard and Reserves service members have been denied access to the VA home loan benefit.

U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and I introduced the Expanding Home Loans for Guard and Reservists Act to correct the eligibility standards for a VA Home Loan so certain individuals who performed active duty for training can receive the benefits they earned.

Our guard and reservists answer the call and drop everything to serve our country when needed most. While Congress intended each of them to access these benefits when we expanded the program, a technical error stands in the way. Our bill corrects the flaw within the program to ensure eligible servicemembers can actually utilize the VA Home Loan benefit they’ve earned.

Army Corps Work Plan Allocates $27 Million for Projects in North Dakota

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps) announced its Fiscal Year 2024 work plan, which allocates more than $27 million to support infrastructure projects, operations, and maintenance across the state of North Dakota.

The FY 24 work plan specifically includes $2,850,000 for the City of Mott’s Water and Sewer System Improvement Project under the Army Corps Section 594 Program.

The 594 program uniquely benefits local communities across our state, which is why I prioritized its reauthorization last Congress. I’m glad to see the Army Corps’ work plan for this year restores funding for North Dakota wastewater infrastructure projects. This program, along with other improvements and investments in the work plan, is a step in the right direction. I look forward to working with the Army Corps on its implementation.

Through my role as Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, I reauthorized the Section 594 Program in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2022. This program has been used by communities across the state to design and construct water and wastewater infrastructure. In the FY 2024 appropriations package, which passed the Senate in March, I helped secure $11 million for “multi-state environmental infrastructure programs,” including North Dakota’s Section 594 Program.

Additional FY 24 annual operation and maintenance funding is as follows:

• $19,810,000 for Garrison Dam, Lake Sakakawea, North Dakota
• $2,268,000 to Lake Ashtabula and Baldhill Dam, North Dakota
• $777,000 to Pipestem Lake, North Dakota
• $389,000 to Souris River, North Dakota
• $352,000 to Bowman Haley Lake, North Dakota
• $330,000 to Homme Lake, North Dakota
• $377,000 for the inspection of completed O&M works
• $285,000 for the surveillance of northern boundary waters
• $143,000 for scheduling reservoir operations

The allocations for Baldhill and Pipestem dams include funding to update their respective water control manuals. In WRDA 2022, at the request of the North Dakota Department of Water Resources, I directed the Army Corps to update these manuals to address new conditions and the Red River Valley Water Supply Project.

NEA Awards $933,513 to the North Dakota Council on the Arts

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced the award of $933,513 to the North Dakota Council on the Arts. This award will support art programs, services, and activities associated with carrying out the agency’s NEA-approved strategic plan.

National Public Radio CEO

I recently led a letter to NPR citing biased culture and slanted coverage. On Wednesday, I met with CEO Katherine Maher for a thoughtful discussion about the editorial direction under her leadership and the importance of providing impartial journalism. I’m skeptical but hope I’m proven wrong.

Microsoft

Microsoft stopped by to give an update on the Army’s Integrated Visual Augmentation System, IVAS 1.2. This platform is a critical tool for our soldiers and will bring next generation technology to the field.

America's Warrior Partnership

Thank you to America's Warrior Partnership for coming by to discuss the importance of accountability for the Department of Veterans Affairs and suicide prevention efforts for our veterans. It’s always a privilege seeing Clinton Romesha, a Medal of Honor recipient from North Dakota. I thank him for his work on behalf of America’s veterans.

NORPAC

I met with NORPAC members about combatting Jewish persecution in the U.S. and how critical it is for America to support the right of Israel to defend itself. The U.S. must have Israel’s back, and it has to be with more than just words.