Senator Cramer’s Weekly Update January 26-30

Senate Passes Appropriations Package, Short-Term Homeland Security Funding

By a vote of 71 to 29, the U.S. Senate passed a package of bipartisan Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 appropriations bills, completing nearly 92% of the appropriations process. Friday's vote delivers on President Donald Trump’s America First agenda and secures full-year funding for the departments of Defense, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Labor, Education, and other related agencies. The package also includes a continuing resolution to fund Department of Homeland Security operations for two weeks while lawmakers finalize the appropriations bill.    The package strengthens America’s military and funds a 3.8% pay raise for all service members and a 10% additional pay raise for junior enlisted service members. It strengthens the nation’s workforce, promotes national security, supports tribal nations, and combats violent crime. The measure prioritizes funding to help make Americans healthier, modernize the country’s transportation infrastructure, reinforce the nation’s education system, and enhance emergency preparedness.   

Bipartisan Emissions Intensity Study Signed Into Law

The Senate passed three appropriations bills on Jan. 15 and President Trump signed them into law. Imbedded in the bill is language directing the Department of Energy (DOE) in consultation with the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) 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. Last Congress, as a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, I joined U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) in introducing the Providing Reliable Objective Verifiable Emissions Intensity and Transparency (PROVE IT) Act to highlight America’s carbon advantage and push back against discriminatory foreign tariffs on American products. The PROVE IT Act passed the Senate EPW Committee with strong bipartisan support in January 2024.

The report mandated by the language sets the groundwork for successfully leveling the playing field for domestic producers and manufacturers who have lower emissions than dirtier products from foreign producers. The PROVE IT Act is the “low-hanging fruit” of promoting American standards.

Strategic Role of Minot Air Force Base Emphasized at Annual Nuclear Deterrence Summit

Hundreds of leaders and industry stakeholders from around the world attend the Nuclear Deterrence Summit each year to discuss issues facing the defense sector and the evolution of nuclear deterrence strategies and capabilities. This year’s summit focuses on removing barriers to production, accelerating capability development, and sustaining the resilience and readiness of America’s nuclear deterrent.

I emphasized the strength of the nation’s nuclear triad is greater than the sum of its parts and stressed the need for tighter alignment among industry, government, and military leaders to deliver deterrence on pace with national security demand. Deterrence isn't just a weapon system—it’s also an attitude. We're learning a tough lesson, that it's more efficient, more effective—and a greater deterrent—to maintain the best military in the world, than it is to have to rebuild it every 40 or 50 years. The one constant has been nuclear deterrence is still the top priority.

Senate EPW Committee Holds Permitting Reform Hearing

The Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee held a hearing to review the federal permitting process and identify opportunities for reform. I began by highlighting how not every transaction in this town requires a loser, we can have winners all around. I also stressed the federal government’s misalignment of incentives. In the case of permitting reform, we have an opportunity to line up all the incentives. I asked witnesses about the Clean Water Act Section 401 permits and the Trump administration’s new Waters of the United States (WOTUS) proposed rule. While these permits are intended to protect water quality, activist states have weaponized the statute to block energy infrastructure. The Trump administration recently proposed a rule to narrow this regulation and bring it back in line with its statutory intent. Similarly, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rewrote the WOTUS rule to reflect the Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett v. EPA, providing much-needed clarity for infrastructure projects.

“It's definitely a step in the right direction and something that we're very supportive of,” responded Dustin Meyer, Senior Vice President of Policy at the American Petroleum Institute. “But ultimately, it falls short of what we really need, which is a legislative fix to the way that Section 401 under the Clean Water Act has historically been weaponized, especially against interstate natural gas pipelines. So [we’re] very supportive of it. It's a step in the right direction, but we need a lot more, and that's why it's such a high priority for us in comprehensive permitting reform.” “The reason [Business Roundtable] has been so focused for over a decade on bipartisan permitting reform legislation is because that's what's required for the results to be durable,” said Brendan Bechtel, Chair of the Business Roundtable Smart Regulation Committee. “Executive actions are great, they're helpful, but of course, they could be unwound by the next administration.” I highlighted experiences from my time serving as a North Dakota Public Service Commissioner and how early, frequent community involvement throughout the permitting process led to great ideas from normal people. Similarly, I explained how the issue of transmission cost allocation policy is going to be a stumbling block unless some common ground is found between utilities, rate payers, and state regulators, and asked witnesses how they would navigate this challenge. “The cost allocation issue, I think there clearly needs to be some more flexibility provided to FERC, while respecting state jurisdiction and state roles,” said David Terry, President of the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO). “One of the things that we have recommended at NASEO, to both our state members and the Department of Energy on this topic, is to make sure we have economic analyses that show the benefit to the states' consumers, not just from a rate perspective, the overall economic benefit. We think that there is something in that process to help inform the decisions, both the state regulators are making and federal regulators are making that go beyond rates to additional value that we see.”

VA Secretary Collins Commended on Reducing Backlog, Expanding Veterans’ Access to Care

The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee heard testimony from U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) leadership about how proposed changes to the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) would affect veterans in North Dakota and the rest of the nation. The VA recently announced the Restructure for Impact and Sustainability Effort (RISE) initiative to reorganize the VHA over the next 18-24 months, aiming to reduce bureaucracy and deliver better outcomes for veterans.

I commended VA Secretary Doug Collins about the massive decrease in the VA’s benefits backlog and discussed expanding access to care for veterans, including my legislation with U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy (R-MT), the Critical Access for Veterans Care Act.

I presented a poster showcasing the VA’s benefits backlog between the Biden administration and the Trump administration. I noted how when Secretary Collins came into office, he immediately began working through the massive mess he inherited from President Biden and has decreased the backlog by 60%, a drop from 264,000 claims to 105,000 in just one year. 

I asked Secretary Collins how the department was able to achieve this rapid reduction in the backlog. “It was put forth by our [Veterans Benefit Administration], who actually came to us and said, ‘We can do better than this,’” said Secretary Collins. “125 days is our standard for a backlog claim. In other words, it has to be 125 days before it even goes on the backlog. So, think about that for a minute. This had grown up exponentially over time, and also, by the way, when I first came in last year at 264,000, there was also over a million claims in the pipeline. That now number is closer to 600,000 to 550,000 in the pipeline.” Secretary Collins said the agency has not only been able to reduce the backlog, but it has reduced the total claims number as well while also providing transparency and accuracy in the claim’s appeals process. He added how “That’s just a win for veterans.” My second poster highlighted the 25 new VA clinics which have opened across the country over the past year, providing more options for veterans seeking care. Twenty-five VA clinics have opened since Jan. 20 of last year. So once again, backlogs are down, employee numbers evidently are down, and yet there's 25 more VA clinics. Secretary Collins agreed, saying he wants to see more of this because VA is expanding access and improving the experience for veterans.

I pointed out the relationship between the two new clinics in North Dakota, located in Williston and Grand Forks, which are 333 miles apart, and my bill with Senator Sheehy, the Critical Access for Veterans Care Act. The bill would allow veterans living in rural America to seek health care services at local Critical Access Hospitals or Rural Health Clinics. The North Dakota Rural Health Association and a coalition of 22 rural healthcare providers across North Dakota submitted letters of support for my legislation. The bill is also supported by the American Hospital Association, America’s Warrior Partnership, and the National Rural Health Association. There are 37 Critical Access Hospitals in towns across North Dakota, but only five of those communities also have a VA Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs). Many North Dakota communities far from a CBOC or a hospital could be utilized in our legislation in a more efficient way that makes them better and provides better care to our local veterans. Secretary Collins said he completely agreed, and VA Under Secretary of Health John Bartrum said he’s asked the team to look at what, if any, restrictions are there for them to do some of our leases with the Community Access Hospitals. Bartrum said he believes “it is a double win because it helps support the facility itself, and then it supports our veterans where they are and partnering with them to be part of our TPA network or our clinical care network.”

National School Choice Week

Across North Dakota and the nation, we celebrate National School Choice Week. We are blessed in North Dakota to have more options for students and families than ever before!

Holocaust Remembrance Day

On Holocaust Remembrance Day, we honor the millions of Jewish lives stolen by hatred and remember the families forever changed by unspeakable evil. We must confront antisemitism, defend human dignity, and ensure the darkest chapters of history are never repeated.

Trump Accounts Launched

President Trump rolled out Trump Accounts, which are tax-advantaged savings accounts for children. The Working Families Tax Cuts created Trump Accounts to give parents and kids a stake—and an investment—in the future of America. Parents can open accounts for their children by filing IRS Form 4547 with their taxes and can learn more at trumpaccounts.gov.

Energy & Environmental Research Center

No one knows the energy industry and how critical it is for North Dakota’s future as well as the folks at the Energy & Environmental Research Center. It was great to catch up with John Harju and Charlie Gorecki to discuss what’s next in the path to American energy dominance.

Brigadier General Matt Ross, Director of Joint Interagency Task Force 401 and George Rumford, Director of Test Resource Management Center

The Secretary of War created the Joint Interagency Task Force (JIATF) 401 to quickly deliver Counter-UAS capabilities to America’s warfighters. Grand Forks Air Force Base is at the forefront and was selected as Air Combat Command’s Point Defense Battle Lab, which will play a major part in defending military installations from threats of UAS. I enjoyed meeting with JIATF 401 Director Brig. Gen. Matt Ross and Director of the Test Resource Management Center George Rumford about the importance of interagency collaboration and defending the homeland.

Republic of Rwanda Ambassador Mathilde Mukantabana

The U.S.–Rwanda partnership is grounded in shared priorities: economic growth, infrastructure, and regional stability. Thank you, Ambassador Mathilde Mukantabana, for your insight on how the U.S. can help advance these initiatives.

North Dakota Secretary of State Michael Howe

Thanks to North Dakota Secretary of State Michael Howe for stopping by to talk about election integrity efforts in our state and the importance of protecting the state’s constitutional role in administering elections.

Moldovan Ambassador Vlad Kulminski

Grateful for the strong partnership between the U.S. and Moldova. I had a productive conversation with Moldova’s Ambassador Vlad Kulminski on bolstering democratic resilience and ways U.S. energy cooperation is helping Moldova stay independent from Russia.

Representative Mike Collins

Thanks to Representative Mike Collins (R-GA-10) for meeting with me on his PERMIT Act. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is ready to get to work on permitting certainty to make the United States energy, mineral, and AI dominant.