Senator Cramer’s Weekly Update October 16-22

Senate Passes Resolution Supporting Israel, Condemning Hamas

The Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution, which I cosponsored, to reaffirm the United States’ support of Israel and its right to self-defense. Additionally, the resolution condemns Hamas’ war on Israel and Iran’s support of global terrorism.

The resolution states the U.S. will make every effort to prevent Iran, Hezbollah, and others from entering the conflict against Israel, including increasing credible regional deterrence through the deployment of naval and air assets to the Middle East.

As the leader of the free world, the U.S. must make it abundantly clear we unequivocally support our friend and ally, Israel. No other country in the world is forced to justify its very existence every day, while fending off attacks on its right to exist.

Terror, hate, and aggression do not stop unless confronted. This is an important moment to reaffirm our support for Israel and condemn the terrorism perpetrated by Iran and Hamas.

Senators Join Fox Business to Discuss Reimposing Sanctions on Iran, Supporting Domestic Oil

U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and I joined Larry Kudlow on Fox Business to discuss the need for a bipartisan bill reimposing sanctions on Iran.

I condemn these terrorist attacks and stand with the Israeli people in the face of this naked aggression by Iran and its pawn, Hamas.

The Evening Edit Covers Sanctions on Iran

I joined Elizabeth MacDonald on Fox Business’ The Evening Edit to discuss Hamas terrorists blocking civilians from escaping, the Robert Malley investigation, and inflicting more sanctions on Iran - the lead sponsor of terrorism.

This is an administration that hates American oil production so much it's actually sought oil from our enemies.

The administration unleashed Venezuela, for crying out loud. It has relieved sanctions on Iran, allowing the Iranians to sell around the world. Then it just looks the other way when it comes to things like China buying a lot of this oil from Iran, under the table shipping with this ghost armada.

The president must show the leadership to amass the G7 nations and other allies and make sure we know who our friends are and who our adversaries are. We need to get the collective economic might of G7 and other allies, so we aren't going at this alone and our adversaries know there are serious consequences.

Fox Business Covers President Biden’s Oval Office Address, Lack of Plan to Counter Iran on Fox Business

I joined Larry Kudlow on Fox Business to discuss President Biden’s address to the nation and the administration’s lack of a plan to counter Iran.

Senators Introduce Bill to Freeze $6 Billion to Iran, Investigate Additional Iranian Assets

I joined Senate Banking Committee Ranking Member Tim Scott (R-SC) in introducing the Revoke Iranian Funding Act. This legislation will rescind the general licenses which enabled the release of the $6 billion to Iran and prevent the regime from accessing and using the funds held in Qatar to finance terrorist attacks against Israel or any other nation.

In addition, the bill directs the Treasury Secretary to study all high-value Iranian assets around the world which are currently blocked by U.S. sanctions and provide the information to Congress. This provision gives Congress the information needed to enact further targeted legislation, if necessary.

As Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists wage an unprovoked attack against our ally Israel, the last thing the Biden administration should be doing is transferring billions to Iran.

Instead of capitulating to terrorists, Congress needs to start by getting an accurate accounting of Iranian assets to target any future sanctions and ensure the $6 billion held in Qatar remains frozen.

Senators Call on Biden Administration to Revoke Visas of Hamas Sympathizers

I joined my colleagues in cosponsoring U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) resolution calling on President Biden to enforce existing law and revoke the visas of foreign nationals who endorse or espouse activity in support of Hamas or other Foreign Terrorist Organizations.

President Biden must fully follow through on his commitment to Israel by repudiating terrorist supporters at home just as we do abroad. Instead of turning a blind eye, the administration needs to remove foreign nationals who sympathize with Hamas terrorists. It’s consistent with existing law and common sense.

Senators Introduce Legislation to Ban Oil and Natural Gas Imports from Iran and Venezuela

I joined my colleagues in reintroducing the Preempting Misguided Appeasement and Financing of Destabilizing Regimes Act of 2023, which will prohibit the importation of crude oil, petroleum, petroleum products, and liquified natural gas from Iran and Venezuela.

The idea of importing oil from our adversaries is a complete slap in the face to working Americans. We should be using and supporting American energy, and any reliance on our adversaries for something as critical as energy is an obvious threat to our national security. It is long overdue to formalize a policy of removing our enemies from our critical supply chains.

Senators Demand Answers for Violations of Iran’s Nuclear Program

I joined my colleagues in a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken requesting an update on the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) investigation into the Iranian regime’s nuclear program. The Obama administration’s Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action provided sanctions relief in exchange for restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program. Additionally, under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Iran previously agreed to forgo the development of nuclear weapons.

However, since 2018, the IAEA has been investigating Iran’s undeclared nuclear material and activities related to a secret 2003 effort to produce atomic weapons, called the Amad Plan. Despite the IAEA’s repeated requests to access several Iranian sites, it has not been able to determine whether Tehran retains covert nuclear weapons activities, nor has it investigated all sites, personnel, and documentation related to the Amad Plan and its successor entities.

Senators Ask CMS to Withhold Burdensome Staffing Mandate, Collaborate with Congress to Find Permanent Workforce Solutions to Support Veterans

U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) and I are fighting to keep many Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities open nationwide, by asking the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to find workable solutions for staffing shortages at long-term care facilities across the country. VA and long-term care facilities serve retired veterans and future demand is expected to grow.

In a letter to CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-Lasure, we asked CMS to withhold from establishing staffing mandates for long-term care facilities and instead work with Congress on flexible, commonsense solutions. Strict federal staffing proposals would be detrimental to many VA facilities across the country that would be unable to meet the minimum staffing requirements to remain open.

The CMS rule being considered would establish minimum staffing requirements for long-term care facilities as part of the Biden-Harris Administration's Nursing Home Reform initiative. According to the latest polling, 80% of nursing facilities across the country would be unable to meet the minimum requirements to remain open if the rule is enacted.

Environment and Public Works Committee Cross Examines Witnesses About New WOTUS Rule

During an Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee hearing, I questioned Susan Bodine, Partner at Earth and Water Law, on the implications of the Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decision on Waters of the United States (WOTUS) determinations under the Clean Water Act (CWA), which directly impacts landowners in North Dakota and across the United States.

Bodine is the former Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance under the Trump administration, where she was responsible for enforcing environmental statutes under the EPA’s jurisdiction.

In my opening remarks, I stated federalism is not an insignificant issue we should ignore when it comes to policy. Earlier this year before the EPW Committee, Lt. General Spellmon from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) stated they perform approximately 80,000 regulatory actions every year. I asked Bodine whether or not the Sackett decision would result in regulatory efficiencies.

I then stressed the need for comprehensive federal permitting reforms and emphasized how linear infrastructure like transmission lines, pipelines, and roads benefit from permitting reform.

As a former regulator, I shared how hard it is hard for me to imagine a multi-state, multi-jurisdictional linear infrastructure that does not have a federal nexus. I believe such minimal changes only muddy the waters when the regulated community needs distinct clarity. I then questioned Bodine on the Biden administration’s ambiguous and flawed WOTUS regulations.

SASC Holds Hearing on Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the U.S.

During a Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) hearing, I questioned Chair and Vice Chair of the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States Madelyn Creedon and former Senator Jon Kyl.

The Commission is responsible for conducting a review of the United States’ strategic posture. This includes a comprehensive worldwide threat assessment and detailed analysis of nuclear weapons policy, strategy, and force structure, as well as factors impacting the strategic capabilities of our adversaries.

The Commission’s key recommendations focus on going beyond the current program structure which will replace our aging nuclear arsenal with more capable systems. The current modernization program must be expanded to ensure U.S. nuclear strategy is effective enough to deter our two nuclear peers, Russia and China.

I thanked Ms. Creedon and Senator Kyl for the incredible work they have done on the Commission and then stated how non-nuclear deterrent options (i.e. conventional warfare) are an essential part of our nuclear deterrence by preventing further escalation. I expressed my concerns regarding our priorities and responsibilities to defend our nation and educate the American people about the emerging nuclear threats from our adversaries.

I also highlighted General David Allvin’s recent visit to North Dakota for the UAS Summit and tour of Minot Air Force Base. General Allvin and I met with airmen and toured several sites on the base, which plays a historic and critical role in the defense of our nation, as it is the only base to house two out of three legs of the strategic triad.

ACES Caucus Celebrates Relationship Between Canada and the United States

I joined the three other co-chairs of the American-Canadian Economy and Security Caucus (ACES), U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), U.S. Representatives Mark Amodei (R-NV-02), and Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX-07), in attending an event in celebration of the relationship between Canada and the United States.

Additionally, the Embassy of Canada recognized congressional members of the Billion Dollar Club and Quarter Billion Dollar Club, which recognizes congressional districts exporting more than a quarter billion dollars and more than one billion dollars worth of exports to Canada each year. According to the Canadian Trade Commission, North Dakota exports nearly $4 billion in goods to Canada annually. The relationship between the U.S. and Canada is powered by approximately $2.5 billion in trade every single day, which supports over 7.5 million jobs in the United States.

Our neighbors to the North are our closest trade and defense partners, and the bipartisan, bicameral American Canadian Economy and Security Caucus reflects the close ties we share.

As a co-chair representing a Northern Border state, I am honored to bring North Dakota’s perspective to this caucus, and I appreciate the diverse perspective of my co-chairs from all over the country. This week, we celebrated the unique relationship and friendship between our two countries with a good old-fashioned neighborhood barbeque.

FERC Approves Natural Gas Expansion Project in Southeastern North Dakota

I released the following statement after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) announced its approval of WBI Energy’s Wahpeton Expansion Project, consisting of 60.5 miles of new pipeline which will deliver up to 20.6 million cubic feet of natural gas per day to communities in southeastern North Dakota.

In June 2022, I joined the rest of the North Dakota delegation in a letter to FERC in support of the Wahpeton Expansion Project. This project will bring new workforce opportunities and firm natural gas supply to the area which will serve residential, industrial, and commercial needs.

The Wahpeton Expansion of WBI Energy’s impressive pipeline network will deliver natural gas where demand already exists, and importantly, provide opportunities for more industrial and agricultural development in southeast North Dakota.

Senate Votes to Rescind Invasive CFPB Final Rule

I voted to pass S.J. Res. 32, a joint resolution of disapproval I cosponsored under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to overturn the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) final rule implementing Section 1071 of the Dodd-Frank Act.

Section 1071 of the Dodd-Frank Act allows covered financial institutions to collect and report data on small business loan applicants. The CFPB’s intrusive, cumbersome rule will reduce the availability and accessibility of small business credit by increasing the compliance costs of lenders and compromising borrower privacy, especially in rural communities.

Creditworthiness has nothing to do with the left’s obsession with ESG, despite the CFPB’s insistence otherwise. Government-mandated politicization of lending is wildly inappropriate and invasive, and North Dakota’s financial institutions deserve better than this federal overreach.

Senators Introduce Bill to Prevent Unrealistic Emissions Standards, Forced Adoption of EVs

I joined my colleagues in introducing the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales (CARS) Act, which would prevent the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) de facto mandate of electric vehicles.

The proposed rules, announced by the EPA in April, would set emissions standards at the strictest level ever for criteria pollutants and greenhouse gasses for light-duty and medium-duty vehicles. If implemented, the EPA projects electric vehicles could account for 67% of new light-duty vehicle sales and 46% of new medium-duty vehicle sales in FY 2032.

The Biden administration’s climate zealots are intent on forcing unrealistic, expensive regulations on Americans designed to change the most basic facets of life, even the type of car they can buy.

It’s absurd to think this somehow benefits middle-class Americans, who are already feeling the squeeze of “Bidenflation” on their wallets. Not to mention, EVs barely work in the cold and lack the range to traverse a large, rural state like North Dakota. We need to put a stop to this forced and dangerous agenda by prohibiting the EPA from any further attempts to mandate EVs.

Senators Call on President Biden to Expand, Bolster Border Wall Construction

I joined my colleagues in sending a letter to President Biden requesting more border wall construction along the U.S.-Mexico border and to resubmit the administration’s emergency supplemental request to include border wall funding. The letter follows the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) announcement, walking back a notice of determination of border wall construction along the U.S. southern border.

In light of Secretary Mayorkas’ announcement, we requested the administration ensure more land mass is covered by the border wall. Under the current proposal, only approximately 20 miles of border wall will be established. However, much more must be done to deter unfettered illegal immigration, which is continuing at record-breaking pace.

Senators Ask Biden Administration to Deliver Submarine Industrial Base Study

I joined my Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) colleagues in sending a letter to President Biden, requesting an immediate update on the administration’s plans to implement the landmark Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) agreement.

We also stressed the need to receive the Submarine Industrial Base (SIB-25) report from the administration, including the cost estimates for what additional investment in the domestic submarine industrial base is required to advance the agreement in the most effective manner.

To realize the full potential of AUKUS, the American defense industrial base will require significant resources to improve submarine construction and maintenance rates.

DOE Awards More Than $600 Million for Electric Grid Investments in North Dakota

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Grid Deployment Office announced North Dakota will receive funding for three projects from the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program.

These awards will help North Dakota write another one of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act success stories. By investing in targeted, cost-effective transmission projects, and proactively upgrading and safeguarding lines from grassland fires, we can help improve grid resilience and affordability for ratepayers.

The GRIP Program, established through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, will be distributing a total of $3.46 billion for 58 projects across the country to strengthen electric grid resilience and reliability. These funds are distributed to North Dakota as follows:

• $464,000,000 for the Joint Targeted Interconnection Queue Transmission Study Process and Portfolio (JTIQ) – This project supports the planning, design, and construction of five transmission projects across seven Midwest states. The JTIQ Process replaces the traditional interconnection study approach with a coordinated, long-range, interregional assessment that studies multiple projects at once, rather than in sequential or uncoordinated timelines.

• $99,328,430 for the Wildfire Assessment and Resilience for Networks (WARN) Project – Holy Cross Energy, in conjunction with National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Research, is launching a wildfire mitigation project with a consortium of 39 small, rural, not-for-profit electric co-ops in high-threat areas. It will also enable members to harden their networks by deploying fire-resistant grid infrastructure, undergrounding lines, or upgrading overhead lines to reduce risk of catastrophic wildfires and to increase wildfire resilience.

• $50,000,000 for the Minnesota Power HVDC Terminal Expansion Capability Project – this will increase capacity to prepare the system for future expansion. The project will also provide enhanced grid operations support and flexibility.

Earlier this year, Senator Cramer joined the North Dakota delegation in sending a letter to DOE in support of the $464,000,000 JTIQ Project to meet our nation’s growing energy demands.

Rail Companies Issue Status Reports on Grain Car Backlog

BNSF Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway publicly filed weekly grain backlog status updates as required by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board. A summary of the reporting data specific to North Dakota from the last 10 weeks is below.

Dan Rosen

I met with Dan Rosen of AIPAC, my dear friend and a strong advocate for Israel, to discuss how the U.S. can support Israel in the face of the barbaric, unprovoked terrorist attacks by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The Real Estate Roundtable

I joined members of The Real Estate Roundtable for their 2023 Fall Meeting to discuss the latest happenings on Capitol Hill, as well as updates on the issues impacting financial markets and the real estate sector.

North Dakota Commissioner of Financial Institutions

I appreciated the chance to catch up with North Dakota Department of Financial Institutions Commissioner Lise Kruse during her time in D.C. last week. It was good to hear updates on her work as Chair of the Conference of State Bank Supervisors.

Dickey Rural Networks

I met with Kent Schimke, CEO and General Manager of Dickey Rural Networks, to speak about how they are working to bring broadband to rural communities.