Senator Cramer’s Weekly Update APRIL 14 - 25

Space Force Vice Chief of Space Operations General Michael Guetlein and SDA Director Derek Tournear Tour University of North Dakota

United States Space Force Vice Chief of Space Operations General Michael Guetlein and Space Development Agency Director Derek Tournear joined me for a tour of North Dakota's defense assets in the Grand Forks area, including the University of North Dakota (UND), Grand Forks Air Force Base, and Cavalier Space Force Station.

Every time I host another Space Force leader at UND, the school exceeds even my high expectations. Thank you to SDA Director Derek Tournear, General Michael Guetlein, UND President Armacost, the UND Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, and the UND College of Engineering & Mines!

Partnerships with the Space Force and the Air Force contribute to improving our national security. General Guetlein, SDA Director Derek Tournear and I toured the UND Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences and discussed solving problems and making our military great again.

The National Security Corridor at UND's College of Engineering and Mines is one of the many assets General Guetlein and Director Tournear saw on their trip to Grand Forks and UND. The work done there leads to safety and security for our country!

Space Force Vice Chief of Space Operations General Michael Guetlein and SDA Director Derek Tournear Tour Cavalier Space Force Station, Grand Forks Air Force Base

U.S. Space Force Vice Chief of Space Operations General Michael Guetlein joined me for a visit to Cavalier Space Force Station which continues to modernize and is as relevant against today's threats as ever.

After visiting the Cavalier Space Force Station, SDA Director Derek Tournear joined us for a tour of the SDA Ops Center North at Grand Forks Air Force Base (GFAFB). The SDA Ops Center North is rockin and expanding at GFAFB!

I cannot wait to see what's next as the Space Force and SDA add more capabilities for the warfighter at GFAFB.

North Dakota Victorious Against Federal Government in DAPL Case

North Dakota decisively won its Federal Tort Claims Act case against the federal government in a landmark $27.8 million dollar ruling, the first time in history in which a state has prevailed against the federal government in trial.

This ruling is a colossal win for the North Dakota taxpayers who were forced to bear the cost of our federal government’s abdication of its duties during the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. Even before neglecting their responsibilities, our government literally facilitated the violence.

This $27.8 million judgment is a win for the rule of law, for sure, and it’s a win for the Constitution of the United States. It’s the result of nearly a decade of hard work from North Dakota’s Attorney General’s office and I really thank them for their efforts.

Heartland Media Conference and ND Broadcasters Association Champion Award

I enjoyed reminiscing with Scott Hennen about my love of talk radio town halls during the Heartland Media Conference. Thank you to the North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota Broadcasters Associations for recognizing my long history of utilizing radio to connect with thousands of North Dakotans each week. I am lucky to have you as partners.

Legislation Introduced to Expand Interstate Sales of State-Inspected Meat and Poultry

Meat and poultry products inspected by state programs are limited to markets within their particular state, even when inspection at a state facility meets or exceeds federal inspection standards.

I joined U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) in introducing the New Markets for State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Act to allow meat and poultry products inspected by state Meat and Poultry Inspection (MPI) programs to be sold across state lines.

This bill does not eliminate or phase out the Cooperative Interstate Shipment (CIS) program and does not explicitly allow for products inspected by state MPI programs to be exported. The CIS program supports the “expansion of business opportunities for state-inspected meat and poultry establishments,” and helps North Dakota access additional markets in neighboring states. The New Markets for State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Act builds on this success by opening even more options without repealing the program.

Despite meat and poultry products passing rigorous inspection standards across the nation, high-quality, state-inspected meats cannot be sold across state lines. This puts our producers and consumers at a disadvantage. Our bill removes this unnecessary barrier by expanding market opportunities for North Dakota ranchers and provides out-of-state consumers with more choices at the grocery store.

This legislation is cosponsored by Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME), John Barrasso (R-WY), Steve Daines (R-MT), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), John Hoeven (R-ND), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Tina Smith (D-MN).

Legislation Introduced to Grant American Terrorism Victims Ability to Sue Sympathetic Organizations

I joined U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and my colleagues in introducing the Limiting Immunity for Assisting Backers of Lethal Extremism (LIABLE) Act. This bill reinforces accountability in international organizations by ensuring they can be held legally responsible for supporting terrorism. The LIABLE Act allows U.S. courts to hear claims against international organizations that knowingly conspire with, materially support, or aid foreign terrorist organizations in acts of terrorism.

The fact of the matter is international organizations who knowingly support foreign terrorist organizations ought to be held legally responsible for their complicity in terrorism. This bill, the LIABLE Act, ensures those who provide material support to terrorism—whether through direct involvement or by aiding and abetting—can no longer hide behind legal immunity.

Members who cosponsored the bill include U.S. Senators Ted Budd (R-NC), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Steve Daines (R-MT), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), John Barrasso (R-WY), Rick Scott (R-FL), and Eric Schmitt (R-MO).

Vatican Announces the Death of Pope Francis

The Vatican announced the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday, April 21, at the age of 88. He followed in Christ’s footsteps, promoting compassion and dignity for all. 

Tour of Missouri Slope Lutheran Care Center

Enjoyed a productive conversation with residents and staff from Missouri Slope in Bismarck and staff from the ND Long Term Care Association about issues impacting long-term care in the state. We discussed workforce challenges, Medicaid funding, regulatory burdens, aggressive CMS penalties and fines, and outdated Covid reporting and isolation practices. My work continues on these important issues!

Mornings with Maria

Jackie DeAngelis and I had a good discussion on Mornings with Maria. We covered the Trump tax cuts, the war in Ukraine, and more.