Senator Cramer’s Weekly Update December 18 - January 7

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, North Dakota! In 2023, I helped introduce several vital pieces of legislation to return energy dominance in the United States, hold federal bureaucrats accountable, address healthcare workforce shortages, and advance our national defense strategy.

In February, I introduced the Fair Access to Banking Act, which protects fair access to financial services and ensures banks operate in a sound manner, basing their lending on impartial, analysis rather than woke political agendas.

In June, Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) and I introduced the Providing Reliable, Objective, Verifiable Emissions Intensity and Transparency (PROVE IT) Act. This bipartisan legislation would direct the Department of Energy to conduct a comprehensive study comparing the emissions intensity of certain goods produced in the United States to the emissions of those same goods produced in other countries. Americans know and appreciate the stewardship that goes into the energy we produce and the goods we manufacture. Quantifying global data will prove our emissions-intensive goods are cleaner here at home while highlighting the countries who monetize their lax or nonexistent standards.

To address critical healthcare workforce shortages in North Dakota and across the country, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and I introduced the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act. This legislation allows the “recapture” of green cards already authorized by Congress but unused in previous years, allotting up to 25,000 immigrant visas for nurses and up to 15,000 immigrant visas for physicians. This bill does not authorize any new visas.

We also passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024 with a vote of 87 to 13, securing major wins for Minot, Grand Forks, Fargo, and Dickinson. This year’s bill fully funds nuclear modernization, phases out Cold War-era Minuteman missiles for the new Sentinels, and provides a 5.2% pay raise for both military servicemembers and the Department of Defense civilian workforce, the largest increase since 2002. These are just a few of the many wins we secured this year.

We made progress in 2023, but we have a lot of work ahead of us in 2024. I look forward to working with my Senate and House colleagues to bring down inflation, secure our borders, and strengthen our national security policies.

North Dakotan Injured in Drone Attack at Erbil Air Base in Iraq

Kris and I pray for a full recovery for U.S. Army pilot and North Dakota native Garrett Illerbrunn who was one of the three servicemembers injured by a drone attack on the Erbil Air Base in Iraq. His valor and service to our country do not go unnoticed.

Capital Requirements for Mortgage Loans in Basel III Endgame Proposal Are Cause for Concern

I joined U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and several of our colleagues in writing a letter to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, Vice Chair Michael Barr, and Acting Comptroller of the Currency Michael Hsu. We expressed concerns over the impacts of proposed capital requirements for mortgage loans in the Basel III Endgame proposal. These requirements will increase borrowing costs and hinder families from achieving homeownership.

Regulators should adopt the Endgame mortgage capital requirements based on loan-to-value ratio, drop the 20% surcharge imposed by the proposal, restore appropriate credit for private mortgage insurance, and reconsider the impact of the operational risk component on mortgage securitization markets for agency and non-agency borrowers.

Senators Introduce Legislation to Address Lack of Accountability, Transparency Within ATF’s Classification Review Process

Following rising concerns over the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms’ (ATF) classification review process, I joined my Senate colleagues in introducing the ATF Accountability Act of 2023, which will establish an appeals process to classification reviews. This allows gun manufacturers to challenge classification decisions they believe will harm businesses or violate the Second Amendment.

The existing classification review determines whether a particular firearm is regulated by the National Firearms Act. This shapes the manufacturing, sale, and possession of various firearms and related items. However, the ATF's approach to this process lacks transparency, often issuing decisions and justifications to manufacturers through private correspondence with little options for recourse.

The Biden administration's use of crushing regulatory tactics, like the ATF's secretive classification process, has deprived citizens' constitutional right to bear arms and created uncertainty for manufacturers.

The Department of Labor Should Utilize Schedule A Shortage Occupation List, Address Workforce Shortages

For too long, unnecessary red tape has prevented skilled immigrants from helping us fill vacancies and maintain U.S. competitiveness in vital industries. I joined my colleagues in writing a letter to Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su, encouraging the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to use its Schedule A Shortage Occupation list as a tool to address the workforce shortages our country is facing.

The Schedule A Shortage Occupation List was created in 1965 to simplify the process of hiring international talent. However, the list has not been updated since 2005 and currently includes only two professions—professional nurses and physical therapists.

In North Dakota, we rely on thousands of highly-skilled immigrants, especially for our rural health care, yet we are failing to meet evolving workforce needs. It’s time we address these shortages and make it easier for highly skilled immigrants to live, raise their families, and work in our country.

Senators Condemn Inaction of UN Regarding Hamas’ Sexual Violence Against Women

Hamas’ widespread sexual violence against women in Israel following the barbaric invasion and kidnappings on October 7 should be condemned on every count. I joined Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) in writing a bipartisan letter to Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), calling for the immediate launch of an independent investigation into sexual violence committed by Hamas. This is a necessary step to hold perpetrators accountable, support survivors, and provide justice for victims.

In our letter, we wrote, “The UN’s delay in denouncing Hamas’s sexual violence and rape on October 7 is a moral failure. Tasking the one-sided Commission of Inquiry to investigate these atrocities undermines the effort’s credibility, creates the strong potential for biased outcomes, and provides no measure of justice for the victims and survivors."

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Receives $1.5 Million for Early Childhood, Family Services

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded Standing Rock Sioux Tribe $1,564,410 for Head Start and Early Head Start Programs. These resources aim to promote early childhood learning, health, and development initiatives, as well as family and community support services.

HHS Awards More Than $1.5 Million for Health Care Services

The U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded a total of $1,501,596 to the Northland Health Partners Community in Turtle Lake. This grant is funded through the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Health Center Cluster grant program, which provides funding to community health centers across the United States.

FAA Awards $890,535 to Minot International Airport for Drainage Improvements

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced an award of $890,535 to the Minot International Airport to complete the final phase of 9,000 feet of drainage improvements. This project installs 17,000 feet of drainage upgrades as recommended by a Wildlife Hazard Management Plan to reduce wildlife attractants.

These funds will be administered through the FAA’s Airport Infrastructure Grant (AIG) Program, which was established by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The AIG program provides funding to airports for modernization and safety projects.

USDA Rural Development Awards More Than $300,000 for Projects in North Dakota

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development awarded a total of $307,665 to the following programs and initiatives:

• $31,300 to Kidder County for the purchase of a law enforcement vehicle
• $41,000 to the City of Cooperstown to purchase maintenance equipment and a utility vehicle
• $43,400 to the City of Linton for the replacement of 23 street poles and street lamps
• $63,200 to Maddock Community Historical Society to construct a cold storage facility
• $63,300 to the Jamestown Regional Entrepreneur Center to provide training and technical assistance to entrepreneurs and innovators in the South Central region of North Dakota
• $65,465 to the Kulm Community Development Corporation to purchase and lease equipment for a locally owned and operated coffee shop

NIFA Awards $262,500 to NDSU to Empower Women Leaders in Agribusiness Education

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) awarded $262,500 to North Dakota State University (NDSU) to address the shortage of experts in agricultural management and economics. It will also empower women and underrepresented groups in the agriculture and food production sector.

These funds are part of a larger investment of $3.2 million in Food and Ag Sciences National Needs Graduate and Post-grad Fellowship Grants. NIFA’s National Needs Fellowship program trains students pursuing masters and doctoral degrees and provides additional education for the next generation of policy makers, researchers, and educators in the food and agricultural sciences.

NIFA Awards $200,000 to Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced the award of $200,000 to Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish (NHS) College, a tribal community college in New Town.

The award will go towards the advancement of NHS College’s existing extension program objectives by creating capacity to extend services in remote and underserved tribal segments on the Fort Berthold Reservation. This includes offering informal equine education, community equine activities, therapeutic riding, and expanding the capacity and reach of NHS College’s Agriculture Department recruitment efforts for equine education.

EPA Awards Nearly $100,000 to SafetySpect, Inc. in Grand Forks

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an award of $99,093 through its Small Business Innovation Research program to SafetySpect, Inc., a biotechnology company located in Grand Forks. This funding will go towards the development of a device which will establish shelf-life for red meat, allowing management of storage, transportation, and dynamic pricing of food close to expiration.

USDA Rural Development Awards $88,900 to Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development announced an award of $88,900 to the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians. This grant will allow the tribe to purchase emergency response equipment such as a cardiac monitor, CPR assistance machine, and trauma response bags.