Senator Cramer’s Weekly Update APRIL 7 - 11

President Donald Trump Honors NDSU Bison Football Team at White House

The team visited the U.S. Capitol for lunch and a tour before the White House event

The North Dakota State University (NDSU) Bison returned to Washington, D.C., to celebrate their National Collegiate Athletics Association Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) national title. The Bison beat the Montana State Bobcats 35-32 in January, securing the team’s 10th FCS Championship within 14 years, and the 18th championship in program history.

I joined U.S. Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) and North Dakota Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak in welcoming the team to the U.S. Capitol for lunch and a tour before visiting the White House.

Watching the Bison football championship game was like nothing I’ve ever seen, except those nine other times. It never gets old! Great to celebrate them at the Capitol today!

At the White House, the team met with President Trump in the East Room. NDSU Head Coach Tim Polasek presented the President with a custom “Trump 47” jersey. North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong, Secretary of the Interior and Former North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Former North Dakota First Lady Kathryn Burgum, and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem were also in attendance. President Trump also welcomed players into the Oval Office, where he gifted a coin and pen to each member of the team.

Winning a national championship gets the NDSU football team invited to D.C. Being outstanding student athletes and men gets them invited to the White House. Thank you to NDSU for raising American leaders and the honor of hosting them today with President Trump.

President Trump Signs Executive Orders Reinvigorating America's Coal Industry

Last week, President Donald Trump signed several executive orders to reinvigorate our nation's coal industry, provide regulatory relief to promote American energy, and protect American energy from federal overreach. These executive orders reflect not just a temporary reprieve in the war against coal, but really a revolutionary break from the Biden administration’s pessimistic philosophy of scarcity.

Senate Confirms Gen. Dan "Razin" Caine as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

The United States Senate confirmed Gen. Dan "Razin" Caine as the 22nd Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by a vote of 60 to 25.

Gen. Caine has played a key role in overseeing classified military programs. He served as Director of Special Programs in the U.S. Department of Defense Special Access Program Central Office, where he advised the Secretary of Defense on highly sensitive projects. Gen. Caine also served as Associate Director for Military Affairs at the Central Intelligence Agency, acting as the principal military advisor to the agency.

On September 11, 2001, Gen. Caine was the mission commander over Washington, D.C., and was responsible for protecting the skies over our nation's capital as an F-16 pilot. From 2009 to 2016, Gen. Caine was a part-time member of the National Guard. He is the first guard member to lead the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The diversity of Gen. Dan "Razin" Caine's national security experience is remarkable. His service as a National Guardsman and his demeanor, knowledge, and eloquence make him the leader we need to meet the moment. Thank you, Gen. Caine, for your willingness to step back into service.

Minot Recognized as a 2025 Great American Defense Community

The Association of Defense Communities (ADC) announced Minot as one of three communities recognized as a 2025 Great American Defense Community. The city is home to Minot Air Force Base, the only installation within the U.S. Department of Defense with two legs of the nuclear triad.

Minot has been recognized before for its support of the Air Force Base. According to ADC, Minot was awarded the Barksdale trophy in 2023 for providing the highest level of community support to an Air Force Base in Air Force Global Strike Command, the second time it has received the award. The organization noted Minot remains one of only two communities to ever receive the prestigious award twice.

The Minot community’s support for the Airmen at Minot Air Force Base is unparalleled. Congratulations to everyone on your recognition as a 2025 Class of Great American Defense Community!

Bipartisan Legislation Introduced to Make Adoption Tax Credit Refundable

To support families choosing adoption, the existing Adoption Tax Credit allows adoptive families to deduct up to $16,810 in qualified expenses. The tax credit eases the financial cost of adoption and supports prospective and adoptive families.

I introduced the Adoption Tax Credit Refundability Act, along with my Congressional Coalition on Adoption co-chair U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM). The bill would restore the refundable portion of the Adoption Tax Credit.

Adoption is a true joy for families, but it is not without significant financial cost. Our bill will make the credit refundable to help all adoptive families access the full amount of the adoption tax credit, regardless of their tax burden. Support for adoptive families is essential to ensure more children find the stable, loving home they deserve.

This legislation is endorsed by the Adoption Tax Credit Working Group Executive Committee and 100 national, state, and local groups. Senate cosponsors include U.S. Senators Tim Scott (R-SC), Mark Warner (D-VA), James Lankford (R-OK), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Angus King (I-ME), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), John Fetterman (D-PA), and Mark Kelly (D-AZ). The legislation was also introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Representatives Danny K. Davis (D-IL-07), Blake Moore (R-UT-01), Gwen Moore (D-WI-04), Randy Feenstra (R-IA-04), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA-37), Don Bacon (R-NE-02), Don Beyer (D-VA-08), and Robert Aderholt (R-AL-04).

Executive Order Modernizes Defense Acquisitions and Spurs Innovation in the Defense Industrial Base

President Donald Trump signed an executive order modernizing defense acquisitions and spurring innovation in the defense industrial base. According to the White House, the executive order will overhaul the acquisition system to strengthen and rebuild our military.

Thank you, President Trump! Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is the right person to lead this! Let me know what legislation is needed.

U.S. Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and I launched the Senate Defense Modernization Caucus in September 2024 to foster defense investments and innovative capabilities to deter and counter foreign adversaries. One key focus of this caucus is reducing unnecessary bureaucratic layers in the Department of Defense acquisition system.

Bipartisan Legislation Introduced to Increase Veteran Access to Suicide Prevention Services

When Congress passed the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019, it authorized several new programs designed to improve veterans’ access to mental health care. Among the provisions, the bill established the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program (SSG Fox SPGP) to reduce veteran suicide through a community-based approach.

While the SSG Fox SPGP authorized $174 million to be appropriated for Fiscal Year 2021 through Fiscal Year 2025, neither North Dakota nor Delaware, or entities serving these states, have received any funding.

To address this shortcoming, I joined U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) to introduce the bipartisan Every State Counts for Veterans Mental Health Act to provide for priority consideration of SSG Fox SPGP applications to entities in states which have not previously received a grant.

Veterans across North Dakota and the nation bravely served our country and have been promised timely access to mental healthcare, no matter where they live. Our bipartisan bill provides a practical fix to ensure North Dakota veterans receive suicide prevention support if they need it.

The legislation is supported by several organizations, including the North Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs, American Legion Department of North Dakota, Disabled American Veterans Department of North Dakota, and Veterans of Foreign Wars Department of North Dakota.

Legislation Introduced to Expand Access to Credit for Hardworking Americans

Credit scores compiled from loan and payment data are a common indicator of overall consumer financial health. Credit data is typically sourced from car, home, and student loans as well as credit cards and other lines of credit. While most Americans have a variety of data streams, about 26 million Americans are “credit invisible” and lack credit records or repayment history. These scores are essential to securing further lines of credit and impact a consumer’s ability to access financial products like car loans or mortgages.

I joined Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs (Banking) Committee Chairman Tim Scott (R-SC) in introducing the Credit Access and Inclusion Act to include additional payments to be factored into credit history. This bill allows credit bureaus to collect payments data for services not traditionally factored into credit reporting, such as rent, internet, phone, electricity, and utility payments. Factoring these payments into credit reporting would expand credit histories and generate credit scores for consumers who were previously “unscoreable.” If enacted, people who pay their bills on time in cash will generate a credit score reflective of their fiscal responsibility.

Millions of Americans pay their utilities, their rent, and their phone bill and other things on time every month, but the narrow scope of credit reporting today doesn’t include these payments, so it doesn’t get calculated into their credit score. Our bill is really a simple fix to expand the credit reporting that will then allow these responsible Americans to build credit.

Senate Banking Committee cosponsors include U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-SD), Katie Britt (R-AL), and Bernie Moreno (R-OH).

NDSU President Dave Cook

North Dakota State University (NDSU) President Dave Cook stopped by ahead of the NDSU football championship celebration at the White House! It was great to catch up on NDSU’s critical role as a workforce talent engine for our state.

North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong

Good to sit down with my friend Governor Kelly Armstrong before heading to the White House with the North Dakota State University football team to celebrate their national championship victory! He’s off to a great start with an incredibly successful first legislative session as North Dakota’s Governor!

Harold Hamm

America’s return to energy dominance starts with producers like Harold Hamm. I enjoyed discussing with Harold how permitting reform and other federal policies are needed to sustain our nation’s growing energy demands and return it to manufacturing prominence.

Major General Connor and Brigadier General Rogers

Last week, I met with Director of Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Modernization Site Activation Task Force Maj. Gen. Colin Connor and Air Force Program Executive Officer for ICBMs Brig. Gen. William Rogers for a briefing on Sentinel program updates. The Sentinel ICBM program was initiated to modernize our nation's land-based nuclear deterrent by replacing the aging Minuteman III missiles, which have been in service since the 1970s.

In September 2020, the Air Force officially awarded Northrop Grumman a $13.3 billion contract to develop the Sentinel missile system. The program encompasses not only the production of new missiles but also the modernization of launch facilities, command and control systems, and related infrastructure.

The Sentinel Program is key to protecting the nation’s nuclear deterrent capabilities and maintaining the country’s Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent.

Minot Air Force Base is home to two major Air Force units and is the only base to house two out of three legs of the nuclear triad, the 5th Bomb Wing and the 91st Missile Wing. In February, I visited the 91st Missile Wing, which operates and maintains the Minuteman III missiles to defend the nation with a combat-ready nuclear force.

Close Up Students

I enjoyed meeting with Close Up students from Dickinson and Richland High Schools during their visit to our nation's capital. This group has a bright future ahead!

Minnkota Power Cooperative

Great to sit down with Mac McLennan, President and CEO of Minnkota Power Cooperative, before President Trump’s executive order on coal. From coal to oil and gas, North Dakota is an energy leader and coops like Minnkota are who keep the lights on!

UND Energy & Environmental Resource Center

Always good to see our friends from the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC), John Harju and Charlie Gorecki, and hear how their expertise is being put to use in implementing President Trump’s energy abundance agenda!

Stratolaunch

Innovation is at the heart of Stratolaunch. CEO Zack Krevor stopped by my office to discuss the latest advancements in reusable hypersonic test vehicles. We also spoke about growing America’s testing infrastructure with pioneering environments like SkyRange at GrandSky.

Jake Joraanstad, CEO of Bushel

Great to see my friend Jake Joraanstad, the CEO of Bushel, while he was in DC. Thanks for stopping by!