Senator Cramer’s Weekly Update FEBRUARY 9-20

U.S. Women's Hockey Team Wins Olympic Gold Medal

The U.S. women's hockey team prevailed over Canada in the Olympics, winning the gold medal in overtime. This was our first Olympic gold medal in women's hockey since 2018. Bismarck's Britta Curl-Salemme made North Dakota proud!

U.S. Men's Hockey Team Wins First Olympic Gold Medal Since 1980 Miracle on Ice

46 years after the Miracle on Ice game, the U.S. men’s hockey team reminded the world of our hockey excellence with a gold medal win over Canada! Congratulations to former University of North Dakota men's hockey players Jake Sanderson and Brock Nelson and everyone on Team USA!

SAVE America Act Introduced to Ensure Election Security

Under the Biden administration, at least 10 million illegal immigrants poured into communities across the nation. In many states, these illegal immigrants are eligible for driver’s licenses and other benefits, providing ample opportunities to illegally register to vote in federal elections. While only U.S. citizens can legally vote in federal elections, federal law has generally preempted and undermined state laws requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote in such elections. I cosponsored the SAVE America Act, introduced by U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) and U.S. Congressman Chip Roy (R-TX-21) which would require individuals to present proof of citizenship when registering to vote as well as photo identification before voting in a federal election. The legislation would also ensure states appropriately maintain voter rolls by removing non-citizens from existing voter rolls.

Free and fair elections are the foundation of American democracy. While I generally oppose federalizing state functions, I cosponsored the SAVE America Act because it balances and reinforces existing laws to ensure elections are beyond reproach. Elections must be decided by citizens, and citizens alone.

Democrats Vote to Partially Shut Down Government on Feb. 12

Democrats voted against funding the Department of Homeland Security, ushering in a partial government shutdown. This shutdown will impact critical agencies located within DHS including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Coast Guard, Transportation Security Administration, and Secret Service.

Legislation Introduced to Ensure Parity in Veterans' Education Benefits

Bill Protects Job Training Benefits for Disabled Veterans

American veterans have been shortchanged by bureaucratic red tape, often losing out on the full education benefits they earned through honorable service. At the heart of the problem is the “48-month rule,” which caps the total amount of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) education benefits veterans can receive even if they qualify for multiple programs. The VA also administers Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) benefits to help veterans with service-connected disabilities get job training, education, and support to reenter the workforce. However, veterans who use their GI Bill before enrolling in VR&E may have their VR&E education benefits reduced or delayed, because the total months of entitlement under the VA’s 48-month limit are counted across both programs. Veterans who use VR&E first face no such penalty. The result is an unfair, two-tiered system which hits disabled veterans the hardest and creates barriers to the support they earned. To fix this, I joined U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) in introducing the Ensuring Benefits for Disabled Veterans Act, which would let veterans access their full education benefits regardless of the order in which they use them. The bill also reduces administrative costs by eliminating the need for exemptions, making it a win for veterans and taxpayers alike.

Specifically, the Ensuring Benefits for Disabled Veterans Act amends Title 38 of the U.S. Code to remove VR&E from the combined benefit limitation, while preserving VR&E’s existing 48-month cap and the VA’s authority to grant extensions when medically or vocationally necessary.

Resolution Denounces Iranian Regime

I joined 22 of my colleagues in introducing a resolution led by U.S. Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) to denounce the Iranian regime’s crackdown on its own citizens. This resolution is a response to the Iranian government's attempts to suppress protestors and eliminate internet access. Reports indicate up to 30,000 extra-judicial killings by the government and over 41,800 arrests.

Endangerment Finding Repealed

President Trump and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the repeal of the 2009 Obama-era endangerment finding.  The endangerment finding formed the basis of many environmental regulations by asserting greenhouse gases (GHG) endangered human health. 

The announcement by President Trump and Administrator Zeldin eliminated both the Obama-era 2009 GHG Endangerment Finding and subsequent federal GHG emission standards for all vehicles and engines of model years 2012 to 2027 and beyond.

MATS Amendments Repealed, Lignite Subcategory Reinstated

Following through on a promise made in the opening months of President Donald Trump’s second term, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the repeal of the Biden-era 2024 Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) amendments. These amendments dramatically increased restrictions on emissions limits, which was especially impactful on North Dakota’s lignite coal power plants.

North Dakota lignite coal is a significant driver of the state’s low consumer energy prices, and the state enjoys the lowest-cost energy in the nation. The EPA’s final rule repeals the 2024 amendments to MATS and reverts to standards set by the Obama administration in 2012. The Biden administration admitted the 2012 standards protected public health. Yet it then issued new amendments to require installation and adoption of continuous monitoring technology, which was initially used for detection of particulate matter rather than mercury. The Biden amendments required costly mitigation methods unproven at the scale needed for lignite plants like those in North Dakota. Cramer and then-Congressman Kelly Armstrong expressed these concerns in a letter to the Biden EPA, and requested the reversal of the amendments. This final rule also restores the regulatory subcategory for lignite coal. Once again ignoring the EPA’s findings, the Biden rule eliminated the subcategory previously created to align its regulatory approach with the physical and chemical characteristics of lignite coal. North Dakota’s Lignite Research Program meticulously researched the characteristics of lignite coal to lay the foundation for the reimplementation of the subcategory, which EPA had originally adopted in 2012.

Letter Calls on DOJ to Recoup Fraudulent Obamacare Subsidy Payments

I joined U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and 14 of my Senate Republican colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Division Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate. The letter calls on DOJ to investigate and pursue civil remedies to recover Obamacare subsidy payments made during the Biden administration to insurance companies due to fraudulent, unauthorized, or improper enrollment in insurance plans at the expense of American taxpayers.

In April, a Florida executive pled guilty to submitting fraudulent applications to enroll consumers in fully-subsidized Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance plans, costing the federal government at least $133.9 million in fraudulent subsidies paid to insurers. Then, in November, a president of a brokerage firm and a marketing company executive were convicted in a $233 million, years-long, ACA marketplace insurance fraudulent enrollment scheme. Under this scheme, the federal government paid at least $180 million in subsidy payments directly to insurers.

The Justice Department must investigate and recover Obamacare subsidy payments issued under the Biden administration stemming from fraudulent, unauthorized, or improper enrollments. Taxpayer dollars should never bankroll fraud. Americans deserve accountability and assurance their money isn’t funding bogus ACA marketplace schemes.

Minot Resident and WWII Veteran Ray Curtis Celebrated and Honored on 109th Birthday

On February 11, we celebrated a true American hero. Happy 109th birthday to Minot’s own Ray Curtis! Ray is the oldest known living World War II veteran in North Dakota and the 11th oldest living WWII veteran in the entire country.

While I couldn’t attend Ray’s birthday celebration in person, I was honored to send him a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol and honor him in a tribute I submitted to the Congressional Record. Thank you for your service, Ray, and happy birthday!

EPA Approves Dicamba for Use on Cotton and Soybeans

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved dicamba for over the top use on cotton and soybeans. This effort ensures producers in North Dakota and across the country have an additional tool for crop protection.

Department of Veterans Affairs Corrects Rule to Protect Veterans' Second Amendment Rights

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ended a long-standing practice which reported veterans who used a fiduciary to manage their benefits as a "prohibited person" to the FBI National Instant Criminal Background Check System. This practice prohibited veterans from accessing their second amendment rights without adequate determinations that they posed a danger to themselves or others.

Department of War Transports 5-Megawatt Next Generation Reactor on C-17 Aircraft

The Department of War successfully transported a 5-megawatt next-generation nuclear reactor aboard a C-17 aircraft. This type of reactor could provide reliable energy on base or in operations overseas. It could power roughly 5,000 homes.

New Laws Benefitting North Dakotans Ignored by Local Media

If the Fargo Forum is your main news source, you may not know about the many bills we've recently passed, so I'm stepping in to deliver the facts.

Sentinel ICBM Set to Achieve Milestones

The U.S. Air Force announced that the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program is set to complete its restructuring ahead of schedule and regain its Milestone B certification by the end of 2026. These milestones set up the Sentinel program to become operational within the next decade.

The Sentinel missile program replaces aging Minuteman IIIs and modernizes our ICBM force to meet the threats we face. This is huge for North Dakota, with Minot Air Force Base set to receive this next-generation mission. It’s why I was so committed to securing a $2.5 billion investment in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act for Sentinel. Hats off to the Air Force and the Airmen who sustain the mission every day.

Farewell Reception for Outgoing Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman

I’ve known a lot of Canadian Ambassadors, but none are equal to Kirsten Hillman. From your friends across the United States of America, and from our colleagues in the Senate: we’re grateful for you, we’ll miss you, and we celebrate the extraordinary work you’ve done alongside us.

General David Hodne, Commanding General of the U.S. Army Transformation and Training Command

The U.S. Army Transformation and Training Command (T2COM) is closing the gap between what’s taught in the schoolhouse and what’s needed in the field. I sat down with General David Hodne, Commanding General of T2COM, to talk about training, acquisition reform, and the need for the system to be agile, innovative, and adaptive.

Frannie Tunseth, North Dakota Teacher of the Year

I enjoyed hearing from Frannie Tunseth, a May-Port CG Public School interventionist and North Dakota’s Teacher of the Year, on her teacher retention research and supporting the next generation of educators. Students and future teachers are lucky to have Frannie in their corner.

EXIM Bank Chairman John Jovanovic

I had a productive meeting with U.S. Export-Import (EXIM) Bank Chairman John Jovanovic on how we can work together to make EXIM even better for American exporters. I’m partnering with U.S. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) and the Senate Banking Committee to get the bank’s reauthorization across the finish line!

One Hundred Percent Award

Faith, family, and freedom are enshrined in our Constitution and demand vigilant protection. It’s an honor to receive the 2025 One Hundred Percent Award and work with defenders of these values like the Family Research Council.

EPA Awards More Than $5 Million to North Dakota for Lead Service Line Replacements

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the award of $5,459,000 to the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality. This grant, provided through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, will support the replacement of lead service lines and related efforts, including their identification, planning, and design. Funding may also be used to create or update lead service line inventories and to deliver technical assistance to small water systems conducting inventory work or carrying out construction projects.