Senator Cramer’s Weekly Update december 8 - 12

First Listening Session on WOTUS Held in Bismarck

Not even a Midwest winter storm could keep concerned landowners, developers, farmers, and ranchers from making their voices heard as I hosted key Trump administration officials at the first national Waters of the United States (WOTUS) listening session.

I welcomed state, local, and federal officials to North Dakota’s Capital City for the event. Held in Bismarck State College’s light-filled Frank Bavendick Stateroom overlooking the scenic Missouri River, the listening session provided an opportunity for stakeholders to provide input on the new rule to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials. The WOTUS rule was announced last month and the EPA and the Army Corps described it as “a clear, durable, common-sense definition of WOTUS.”

The proposed rule makes important clarifications to align WOTUS with the landmark Supreme Court ruling in Sackett v. EPA, rightsizing federal jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act (CWA). Specifically, it defines critical terms like “relatively permanent,” “continuous surface connection” and “tributary” to prevent future administrations from implementing expansive definitions. Prior WOTUS rules assumed authority outside the intent of the CWA, unnecessarily complicating the process of determining whether a water qualified as a WOTUS. The Trump administration’s proposed WOTUS rule would provide needed clarity, reinforce state’s rights, and adhere to the Sackett decision while still protecting water quality. 

The listening session is part of the EPA and Army Corps’ public outreach as the administration gathers input from stakeholders across the country ahead of the rule’s finalization. EPA, the Army Corps, and I encourage the public to make their voices heard by participating in listening sessions and submitting public comments. The WOTUS rulemaking public comment page can be found here; the public comment period ends on Jan. 5.

President Trump Signs Bill to Repeal Disastrous, Biden-Era North Dakota RMP

During a ceremony at the White House, President Donald Trump signed a historic resolution to unwind the awful Biden-era Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Resource Management Plan (RMP) for North Dakota. I introduced the resolution in the Senate, and U.S. Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak (R-ND) introduced it in the House of Representatives. This bill initiates the process for BLM to replace the RMP while preventing the bureaucracy from issuing a substantially similar plan in the future.

The Federal Land Policy and Management Act creates the BLM’s management framework of public lands. Resource Management Plans outline the agency’s management of its acreage within individual areas. In North Dakota, the BLM is the landlord of 58,500 surface acres and 4.1 million acres of mineral estate. BLM lands are supposed to be managed under a “multiple use” framework, meaning oil, gas, and coal producers, grazers, and recreationists alike can use the land in a sustainable manner. The Biden administration released its final RMP for North Dakota in August 2024, and adopted it in January without incorporating changes the State of North Dakota and its Congressional delegation requested. Instead, the RMP prohibited coal leasing on over four million acres, or nearly 99% of federal coal acreage in the state. It also blocked 213,000 acres, or 44%, of federally owned fluid mineral acreage, reducing state revenues and weakening American energy dominance. Economic data provided by the state of North Dakota estimates the state would have been deprived of $34 million annually in oil and gas royalties and tax revenue if the Biden RMP would have been implemented. I led the delegation in securing an opinion from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) affirming the RMP qualified as a rule for purposes of CRA repeal. Fedorchak and I then introduced the joint resolution of disapproval with U.S. Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) to overturn the RMP. The Resolution passed the House in September followed by Senate passage in October.

UND, Voyager Technologies Sign Agreement to Drive Innovation

The University of North Dakota (UND) and Voyager Technologies [NYSE: VOYG], a defense and space technology company, signed a joint investment agreement during a ceremony in Washington, D.C. UND is a leading institution for national security and aerospace education, and its Space Studies Department is the oldest and largest in the nation. The university is the first school to join the U.S. Space Force’s University Partnership Program and is the only university to house a NASA-funded lab for designing and constructing space and planetary surface exploration suits.

I hosted UND President Andrew Armacost, Vice President Scott Snyder, and Voyager President Matt Kuta at the event to celebrate the partnership between UND and Voyager. The agreement follows the introduction I made between Voyager and UND to identify joint research and development opportunities.

The joint investment agreement formalizes the partnership and builds a foundation for breakthroughs in pursuit of space dominance by establishing a framework for accelerating end-product deployment in targeted areas such as human spaceflight, planetary habitats, and orbital operations research. The partnership streamlines the use of innovative rapid prototyping and leverages shared access to UND facilities. Additional partnership work includes improving space policy and governance issues. The collaboration enables the integration of early-stage technologies into Starlab, the next-generation space station, supports Golden Dome initiatives, and advances commercial space infrastructure through Voyager’s science park.

President Trump Signs Bill Honoring 1980 Miracle on Ice Hockey Team

During a ceremony at the White House, President Donald Trump signed a bill I introduced, the bipartisan, bicameral Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act into law. The legislation, supported by more than 70 senators, honors the 1980 U.S. Men’s Olympic Hockey Team and its victory over the four-time reigning champion Russian Olympic Hockey Team in the Lake Placid Olympic Games. It awards the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest honor Congress can bestow on civilians, to recognize their extraordinary achievement. U.S. Representative Pete Stauber (R-MN-08) introduced the Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act in the U.S. House of Representatives.  

The game took place against the backdrop of political division, economic shifts, and global conflict. The Cold War loomed large, American hostages were being held in Iran, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan had stoked international anxiety, and the United States was in the midst of a painful recession at home. Reviving American patriotism and unity, the Miracle on Ice transcended the rink where the 20 amateur hockey players battled for victory.   The 1980 American team was the youngest in the Olympics and consisted of amateur collegiate hockey players, including former University of North Dakota hockey player Dave Christian. Meanwhile, the juggernaut Russian team was an international force, favored to easily win gold after not having lost an Olympic hockey game since 1968. Despite being the underdog in the semifinal game, the Americans achieved the impossible and mounted a comeback in the third period to beat the Russians 4-3.   Counting down the seconds at the end of the game, ABC sportscaster Al Michaels exclaimed, “Do you believe in miracles? YES!” Team USA advanced to clinch the gold medal against Finland, and their improbable, miraculous win over the Soviet Union team forever became known as the Miracle on Ice, with this year marking the 45th anniversary.   Members of the team gathered at the U.S. Capitol before heading to the White House where President Trump signed the Congressional Gold Medal Act into law. Medals will be awarded to the Lake Placid Olympic Center in New York, the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in Minnesota, and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado.  

Two U.S. Soldiers, One Civilian Killed in Attack in Syria

United States Central Command (CENTCOM) reported two U.S. service members and one U.S. civilian were killed, and three service members were injured, as a result of an ambush by a lone ISIS gunman in Syria. According to CENTCOM, the gunman was engaged and killed.

President Donald Trump said this was an ISIS attack against the U.S. and Syria and the "President of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is extremely angry and disturbed by this attack. There will be very serious retaliation. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Senate Democrats Block Bill to Make Health Care Affordable Again for Patients

Senate Democrats blocked passage of the Health Care Freedom for Patients Act, a fully-funded Republican health care plan which would have saved taxpayer dollars and lowered insurance premiums and medical costs for patients. Democrats have no real plan to lower health care costs. They want to safeguard the same old policies which got us into this mess.

Obamacare has become the disaster Republicans predicted. What’s Democrats’ response to the mess they created? Tripling down with three more years of this unmitigated disaster. We can and must do better.

Remains of North Dakota World War II Veteran Officially Identified

The Pentagon announced it identified the remains of North Dakotan U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Irvin C. Ellingson, 80 years after his aircraft was shot down during a combat mission to Tokyo, Japan. While Ellingson survived the crash, he was held as a prisoner of war and perished in the Tokyo Military Prison during a fire.    Near the end of World War II, 62 American service members were held captive in Tokyo. Ellingson served as a radar observer aboard a Boeing B-29 "Superfortress" bomber assigned to 878th Bombardment Squadron, 499th Bombardment Group.     Ellingson will be buried in his hometown, Dahlen, N.D., on June 20.

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) said Ellingson’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the National Cemetery of the Pacific, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Honolulu. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he is now accounted for.     In 2021, Cramer and his Senate colleagues sent a letter requesting then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin allow the DPAA to proceed with disinterment of American service members who died in the 1945 Tokyo military prison fire and were buried as Unknowns at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines.

National Guard Celebrates 389th Birthday

We salute the National Guard for 389 years of unwavering service to our country. The North Dakota National Guard is the best in the nation, and our Guardsmen outperform every time. They’re always there, always ready to defend our freedoms at home and around the world. Happy birthday!

Op-Ed: Delivering Critical Access to Care for Rural Veterans

The promise to our veterans was quality care, not government-rationed care, and reforms are needed to deliver on this promise.

Veterans live in every community across the country. Yet unlike most Americans, they can’t simply use the closest health care providers. A backwards Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) requirement prevents veterans from seamlessly accessing certain health care providers in their communities. These men and women honorably served our country but must jump through bureaucratic hoops to receive the VA health care they earned. Over three million veterans received health care outside of the VA last year while still using their VA benefits, a testament to how far the system has come since its early crises. Yet today, the VA’s implementation of the Community Care Program still falls short of its original intent, largely because of the pre-approval requirement. In some cases, this burden requires multiple phone calls and authorizations before patients ever step foot into a clinic. The VA’s power to approve care comes with the power to disapprove. Whether through a finding of disapproval or use of bureaucratic delay, the outcome is too often the same: Tragedy for a hero. I penned an op-ed in The Washington Times promoting my Critical Access for Veterans Care Act which would allow all veterans living within 35 miles of a Critical Access Hospital to receive care locally without pre-approval.

USDA Signs Waivers to Make America Healthy Again, Remove Unhealthy Foods from SNAP in North Dakota

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., announced the approval of six new state Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food-choice waivers under the Make America Healthy Again initiative. The waivers, one of which was submitted by North Dakota, amends the statutory definition of “food for purchase” under SNAP beginning in 2026.

North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong said by investing in healthier food purchases with SNAP, we are taking a proactive step toward becoming the healthiest state in the nation. He noted how the waiver will lead to better health outcomes and quality of life for North Dakotans who participate in SNAP.

Canada’s Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman Resigns

After serving as Canada’s Ambassador to the Untied States for six years, Kirsten Hillman announced she will be stepping down in the new year.  As chair of the Canada-United States Interparliamentary Group and co-chair of the Senate American Canadian Economy and Security (ACES) Caucus, I look forward to partnering with her successor.

Matt Gast Elected Vice Chair of the United Soybean Board

North Dakota soybean farmer Matt Gast was elected Vice Chair of the United Soybean Board (USB). Matt, who farms near Valley City, has served as a USB director since December 2019 and on the executive committee since 2021. Prior to his USB service, he was a director of the ND Soybean Council from 2016 to 2019.

Congratulations to North Dakota soybean farmer Matt Gast on his election to serve as Vice Chair of United Soybean Board.

"Kudlow" on Fox Business

Nothing like putting North Dakota front-and-center on FoxBusiness. U.S. Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) and I spoke about President Trump signing our Congressional Review Act resolution of disapproval, which rolls back the Biden-era Bureau of Land Management North Dakota Resource Management Plan. A big win for our producers and the American people!

We also discussed the Trump administration embracing an energy dominance agenda and more.

CEO of Ursa Major Dan Jablonsky

Aerospace company Ursa Major understands the urgency of the moment and is helping to bolster America's technological dominance throughout the world. I had a productive conversation with Ursa Major CEO and fellow North Dakotan Dan Jablonsky about opportunities for the company to demonstrate its innovative capabilities.

Rachel Daniels, Theodore Roosevelt National Park Superintendent

Thanks to Theodore Roosevelt National Park’s new superintendent Rachel Daniels for stopping by. I enjoyed hearing about her plans for future park maintenance projects and ways to expand outdoor recreation opportunities.

2025 ABC Eagle Award Presentation

I'm honored to be the recipient of the 2025 Eagle Award on behalf of the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Minnesota and North Dakota. The construction industry is the heart of the American workforce and economy. I look forward to continue working with my colleagues in Congress and the administration to repeal burdensome regulations that inhibit the great work they do.

Yehuda Neuberger, AIPAC

I'm grateful for the opportunity to meet with my friend Yehuda Neuberger of AIPAC. We discussed the importance of confronting antisemitism at home and abroad, holding Iran accountable, and reinforcing America’s unwavering support for Israel.

USDA Rural Development Director for North Dakota Tom Campbell

It was good to catch up with potato farmer and U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development state director Tom Campbell. I enjoyed hearing about his first few months on the job as North Dakota’s Rural Development Director and his efforts to work with communities across North Dakota.

U.S. Department of Transportation Awards Over $200,000 to North Dakota Airports

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced an award of $202,000 through the Airport Infrastructure Grant (AIG) program for projects at two North Dakota airports. The funding will be distributed as follows:

• $137,001 to the Grafton Municipal Airport for a 4,828 square foot hangar.
• $64,999 to the Harvey Municipal Airport for a 5,625 square foot hangar.

The AIG Program was established by the fully-paid-for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to provide airports with funding for modernization and safety projects. Since its creation, airports in North Dakota have received over $50 million in program funding.