Senator Cramer’s Weekly Update November 13-19

NDAA Conference Committee Appointed, Unanimously Passed Motion to Instruct in Support of ISR

As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), I was appointed to be a conferee to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Conference Committee. The NDAA Conference Committee is tasked with reconciling the differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill authorizing the nation’s defense priorities for Fiscal Year 2024 before final passage.

I was able to get several North Dakota priorities in the Senate’s bill which passed on July 27, 2023. Last week, I succeeded in passing a strong Motion to Instruct (MTI), in support of development and funding for future airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities in the Air Force. The passage of this MTI is an instruction to my fellow Senate Conferees: ISR must remain a high priority in the final bill. My motion passed the Senate unanimously.

I authored the MTI out of concern the Air Force is quick to divest ISR platforms even in the face of long timelines to develop replacement capabilities, and there is risk future airborne ISR programs will not be fully funded. For years, the Air Force has pushed to divest older airborne ISR platforms such as the MC-12, MQ-1, RQ-4, MQ-9, and U-2, while not investing in anything to replace them. The Happy Hooligans in Fargo and the 319th Reconnaissance Wing in Grand Forks provide much-needed ISR to the military. Both the House and Senate versions of the NDAA include critical language in support of the Air Force’s ISR mission. The MTI reemphasizes the need to maintain these investments throughout the negotiation.

In my role on SASC, I have asked almost every Combatant Commander during their posture hearings, and they have all testified they do not receive the amount of ISR needed. In July, I questioned Lt. General Whiting on the U.S. Air Force successfully shedding its airborne, legacy ISR missions and equipment. The same month, I questioned General Charles Q. Brown Jr., on the continual need for ISR capabilities across the combatant commands.

Senate Passes Funding Bill to Avert a Government Shutdown, Extend Farm Bill

I voted for the Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, which passed the Senate by a vote of 87 to 11. This continuing resolution (CR) extends funding in the Agriculture, Energy and Water, Military-Construction/Veterans, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriation bills until January 19, 2024, and extends the remaining funding through February 4, 2024.

Additionally, the continuing resolution extends the 2018-passed Farm Bill through September 30, 2024. This extension maintains existing policy and prevents a reversion to permanent law under the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 and the Agricultural Act of 1949.

By preventing a reversion to permanent law, Congress protected critical commodity programs which provide financial support to producers in the event of price or revenue declines, extended trade facilitation programs designed to expand markets for American crops, and continued providing specialty crop block grants to state departments of agriculture.

Fox Business Interview Highlights China Climate Deal, $10 Billion Iran Sanctions Waiver

I joined David Asman on Fox Business to discuss the climate agreement between the U.S. and China to reduce emissions of methane and other greenhouse gases. The agreement was announced following a meeting last week between Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping.

Additionally, we discussed the administration’s recent move to reissue a sanctions waiver, giving Iran access to more than $10 billion.

Senate Votes on Resolution in Disapproval of Unlawful Loan Repayment Plan

I voted in favor of a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval of the U.S. Department of Education’s final rule, which overhauled Income Driven Repayment plans for student loan borrowers. Upon implementation, this rule will be the administration’s most expensive student loan repayment plan to date.

On July 3, 2023, the U.S. Department of Education published this rule, which has already led to nearly $50 billion in loan forgiveness. The Department estimates this rule will cost $156 billion over the next 10 years, an increase from their $137 billion estimate in the proposed rule. The plan significantly reduces the amount students have to repay the federal government by 40%.

In September, I joined Senator Cassidy as a cosponsor of this CRA. Additionally, I issued a statement after voting for a CRA resolution to overturn the Biden administration’s unconstitutional loan forgiveness plan.

My Questioning During EPW Committee Hearing Highlights Bipartisan PROVE IT Act

During a Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee hearing, I questioned Dr. Abigail Regitsky, Senior Manager of U.S. Policy and Advocacy at Breakthrough Energy, Dr. Leah Ellis, CEO and Co-founder of Sublime Systems, Inc., and Shannon Angielski, President of the Clean Hydrogen Future Coalition, on my bipartisan Providing Reliable, Objective, Verifiable Emissions Intensity and Transparency (PROVE IT) Act.

The PROVE IT Act will protect and reward American workers for their contributions to our economic, environmental, and national security strengths by providing the data to show the United States’ carbon advantage.

From 2000 to 2016, the U.S. reduced emissions more than the next eight emissions-reducing countries combined. According to data compiled by the Climate Leadership Council, goods manufactured in the U.S. are 40 percent more carbon-efficient than the world average, but the U.S. imports 75 percent of its goods from less carbon-efficient countries. I reiterated our domestic energy policy is often punitive towards the U.S. and turns a blind eye to the worst global polluters.

American Highway Users Alliance Holds Annual Meeting

As Ranking Member of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, I delivered remarks at the American Highway Users Alliance’s annual meeting. I spoke about the EPW Committee’s work developing the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act, which later became the foundation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), emphasizing the importance of this investment for our nation’s economy.

One of the greatest aspects of being the Ranking Member of the Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee is the chance to work on supply side economics aimed at tamping down this administration’s terrible inflation.

It was a blessing to work on the bipartisan infrastructure law to promote projects to improve North Dakotans' lives and the movement of goods across the country.

Implementation of the bipartisan infrastructure law is now critical, reigning in bureaucrats’ wishes by keeping them within the confines of the law. The Department of Transportation must remember the absence of a prohibition is not a license. I appreciate the Highway Users Alliance's engagement, guidance, and persistence with me and my colleagues, advocating for supply side economics and the efficient delivery of goods to consumers.

I also spoke about the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Performance Measure rule and highlighted my recent efforts to prevent the administration from promulgating this illegal and disastrous policy mandate. I reiterated my commitment to introduce a Congressional Review Act (CRA) Joint Resolution of Disapproval if the Biden administration finalizes the rule and discussed spearheading an Amicus Brief should the rule be litigated in court.

Immigration Reform Promotes a Healthy Workforce

I penned an op-ed in the Forum emphasizing the need for merit-based immigration reform to better support rural states like North Dakota in hiring highly-skilled, foreign-trained doctors to help fill open positions in hospitals and clinics across the country after introducing the bipartisan Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act.

This legislation makes a limited number of green cards available to qualified immigrant doctors and nurses to address critical healthcare workforce shortages, allotting up to 25,000 immigrant visas for nurses and up to 15,000 immigrant visas for physicians.

It is no secret our immigration system is broken, but we should advance efforts to fix the system where bipartisan support exists. With its rapid economic growth and rural landscape, North Dakota relies heavily on legal immigrants to meet the high demand for healthcare providers in our communities. They are often the reason many of us have access to the high-quality medical care we expect.

It is time to do the right thing by making it easier for highly skilled immigrants to live, raise their families, and work in our country, allowing them to contribute in meaningful ways to states like North Dakota.

Senators Introduce Legislation Supporting Adoption

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and I, as Senate co-chairs of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, introduced the Supporting Adopted Children and Families Act and co-led a resolution recognizing November as National Adoption Month and November 18th as National Adoption Day.

As adoptive parents, my wife Kris and I are keenly aware of the many blessings of adoption. It is crucial to pass policies ensuring children receive the support and unconditional love of a permanent family.

Recognizing National Adoption Month and Day is an important opportunity to promote adoption, and these pieces of legislation will offer adoptive families and their children the resources and support before, during, and after the process.

The Supporting Adopted Children and Families Act

The Supporting Adopted Children and Families Act, which I co-led with Senator Klobuchar, aims to decrease failed adoptions by enhancing pre- and post- adoption support services and clarifying the definitions for eligible uses for federal adoption funding. The legislation also authorizes a program to award grants and cooperative agreements to states and tribes supporting mental health services for adoptees and their families.

National Adoption Month and Day Resolution

This resolution marks November as National Adoption Month and November 18 as National Adoption Day, promotes national awareness of adoption and the children awaiting families, while also celebrating children and families involved in adoption. Additionally, the resolution encourages the people of the United States to secure the safety, permanency, and welfare of all children. The Senate passed the resolution on November 16.

Bicameral Letter to EPA: Abide by Eighth Circuit Ruling, Allow Safe Use of Chlorpyrifos

I led a bicameral letter with U.S. Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) and U.S. Representative Mark Alford (R-MO-04) to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), regarding the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit’s recent ruling in Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association et al. v. Michael Regan. The Eighth Circuit’s ruling vacated the EPA’s August 2021 Final Rule which revoked all tolerances for chlorpyrifos.

The Eighth Circuit found EPA’s ban to be “arbitrary and capricious.” The ruling noted the use of chlorpyrifos has played a large role in American agriculture for more than half a century. Before the EPA’s 2021 ban, agricultural use of chlorpyrifos had passed multiple safety reviews.

As we wrote in our letter, "The court has spoken and, consistent with its decision, we believe farmers should have access to this critical tool for the 2024 growing season. EPA should follow the court’s ruling and immediately allow safe uses of chlorpyrifos."

“EPA should move expeditiously to follow the court’s direction that vacates the revocation rule. Protecting the use of critical crop protection tools, like chlorpyrifos, is of the utmost importance as our nation continues to make strides towards bolstering a strong domestic food supply, especially in the wake of a global pandemic and record inflation," we continued in the letter.

Senators Request Withdrawal of Basel III Endgame Proposal

I joined my colleagues in a letter regarding the recent Basel III Endgame proposal issued jointly by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

In response to the financial crisis from 2007 to 2009, Basel III Endgame was created to set the standards for capital reserves, liquidity, and leverage at financial institutions. As proposed, Basel III Endgame would restrict billions of dollars in capital from the institutions who need it most, resulting in more limited access to credit for millions of Americans.

As we wrote in our letter, “This would create severe, adverse impacts on the entire U.S. economy, from every day American consumers to the small businesses that are the backbone of our economy."

We continued in our letter, “Ultimately, these large increases in capital have not been shown to be evidentially based as the Federal Reserve, FDIC, and OCC have failed to provide proper analysis or data to justify their merits, particularly around the costs they will impose throughout all sectors of the economy. In fact, we have heard widespread concerns regarding the negative impacts that Basel III could have not only on affordable housing but on mortgage lending writ large, small business lending, and consumer lending.”

We concluded the letter by asking the Federal Reserve, the FDIC, and the OCC to withdraw the Basel III Endgame proposal and urged them to operate in a more transparent and justified manner.

Senators Introduce Legislation to Protect GI Educational Benefits

I joined U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) in co-leading the Safeguarding VA Dependent Education Benefits Act of 2023. This legislation protects the GI educational benefits of a spouse or dependent whose benefits would be terminated as a result of a servicemember being convicted or dishonorably discharged for domestic or sexual assault. Under current law, dependent victims may lose transferred education benefits if their servicemember perpetrator is discharged due to dishonorable service.

Families of servicemembers make many sacrifices in the service of supporting our country. These dependents rely on transferred GI educational benefits and stripping this benefit revictimizes them. Our support for servicemembers extends to their families, and this is a small step to support victims of domestic violence.

Under this legislation a spouse, former spouse, or a dependent child, who has been transferred benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 3319, will be eligible to have benefits reinstated if the servicemember from whom the benefits were transferred is convicted or dishonorably discharged for abuse of the spouse or dependent child. The benefit could be granted to a family member under either circumstance:

• The record for the administrative separation establishes, by a preponderance of evidence presented, that the covered individual perpetrated a dependent-abuse offense; or
• The covered individual is convicted of a dependent-abuse offense in criminal trial at the federal, state, local or Tribal level.

Motor Coach Industries Announces Decision to Continue Operations in Pembina

Last week, the NFI Group, which is the parent company of Motor Coach Industries (MCI), announced it will continue operations at its facility in Pembina, North Dakota.

Reversing the previously planned closure of the MCI plant is a significant win for the Pembina area. I am grateful the NFI Group recognized the value we provide in North Dakota and reconsidered its decision.

In September, I joined the rest of the North Dakota delegation in sending a letter to MCI expressing our disappointment in the decision to close the facility and urging them to reconsider.

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.

North Dakota National Guard and Congressional Reception

North Dakota always stands with our service members. The North Dakota National Guard and Congressional Reception was a special time to recognize and celebrate our National Guard members, their leadership, and the communities who support them.

Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo Chamber of Commerce

I enjoyed my conversation with members of the Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo Chamber of Commerce on a variety of topics, including my bipartisan PROVE IT Act and Congress extending the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act so North Dakotans aren’t hit with a tax increase.

Grand Forks Community Leaders

I met with Grand Forks community leaders to discuss the opportunities at Grand Forks Air Force Base, including future ISR capabilities, efforts to widen the runway on base, and fostering the city’s ecosystem of innovation.

North Dakota National Guard Adjutant General

My conversation with Major General Alan Dohrmann, Adjutant General of the North Dakota National Guard, focused on the resources needed to take care of our Guardsmen and their families, as well as new infrastructure projects to help train the Guard for future missions.

Enlisted Association of North Dakota National Guard

Senior Master Sergeant (Ret.) Charles Kasin of the Enlisted Association of North Dakota National Guard stopped by my office to update me on the needs of our Guardsmen and efforts to ensure they have access to medical benefits and employment security.

Cass County Officials

I caught up with Chad Peterson, Cass County Commission Chair, and Robert Wilson, Cass County Administrator. We discussed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act projects in the Fargo area that are supporting the region’s economic growth and competitiveness.

Northrop Grumman

I had a productive conversation with Kathy Warden, the CEO and President of Northrop Grumman. I appreciate all the critical work they do in Minot and Grand Forks!

Canada-U.S. Inter-Parliamentary Group

I spoke with Canadian Senators and Members of Parliament who are part of the Canada-U.S. Inter-Parliamentary Group. We discussed my role as Co-Chair of the Senate American-Canadian Economy and Security (ACES) Caucus, as well as bolstering U.S. trade, security and economic ties with our neighbors to the north.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota

While he was in town last week, Dan Conrad, the CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota, met with me to provide an update on the status of healthcare in our state and how we can ensure North Dakotans have the support they need to stay healthy.

EPA Awards $1.5 Million to Spirit Lake Tribe for Solid Waste Infrastructure, Recycling

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded a total of $1,500,000 to the Spirit Lake Reservation to reduce waste collection, increase recycling, and improve transportation and disposal programs.

This grant, funded under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, will support the hiring and training of transfer station staff, the acquisition of materials and equipment, and expand recycling opportunities.

Our lands and reservations must be preserved and protected, and this critical funding will help Spirit Lake with the resources it needs to have an efficient waste and recycling collection system.

Overall, EPA Region 8 has announced six selectees to receive more than $6.9 million through the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Program. This program provides funding to states for the solid waste infrastructure and outreach projects.

FEMA Awards More Than $1.3 Million to Dakota Valley Electric Cooperative

The Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded $1,378,043.21 to Dakota Valley Electric Cooperative. The award will go toward permanent repairs as a result of a severe winter storm, snowstorm, and straight-line winds from November 9, 2022, through November 11, 2022.

The Dakota Valley Electric Cooperative provides power service throughout parts of three counties in North Dakota. This severe weather caused damage to the power generation, transmission, and distribution system, leaving residents without power within their jurisdiction.

I joined U.S. Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) and U.S. Representative Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) in writing a letter to President Joe Biden in support of our state’s request for a presidential disaster declaration.

EPA Awards More Than $400,000 to Reduce Diesel Emissions in North Dakota

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded a total of $410,409 to the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality. This grant, through the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act Program seeks to reduce diesel emissions and exposure throughout North Dakota.

This project will support the replacement of highway vehicles and school buses with newer, cleaner vehicles to reduce emissions of diesel particulate matter and other pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbons.