Senator Cramer’s Weekly Update October 23-29

Senators Introduce Resolution in Opposition to a Carbon Tax

I joined U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and my colleagues in introducing a resolution opposing a carbon tax. The resolution urges Congress and the president to focus on pro-growth solutions to encourage increased development of domestic resources.

American businesses already pay a de facto carbon tax in the form of environmental stewardship. Piling on a new regressive domestic tax would disadvantage American workers by encouraging more investment overseas in places with lax environmental standards and more pollution.

The last thing we need to do is undercut the American producers who continue to make significant strides in reducing emissions.

Orphan Oil Well Sites Plugged, Reclaimed From REGROW Act

In August, I traveled to orphan oil well sites near Minot to see firsthand the direct result of my legislation to plug these wells and reclaim the land to take on a new purpose.

When Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and I introduced the REGROW Act, we took a really good idea created by the state of North Dakota, and we ran with it. This idea used federal pandemic assistance dollars to keep oilfield workers employed during an economic downturn using their skills learned from producing oil into reclaiming old abandoned oil wells.

This is a win-win-win for workers, the environment, and North Dakotans. This land can take on a new purpose, and grow food all over again like it did before an oil well ever existed there.

Senators Call on Administration to Confront CCP Dominance in Global Payments Market

I joined my colleagues in a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai, requesting the Biden administration confront the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) growing footprint in the U.S. financial system and global payments market.

We called on the administration to closely examine the infiltration of Chinese payments networks into the country, ensure payment providers are not disadvantaged by China’s reckless disregard for international agreements, and conduct a review of any potential gaps in U.S. sanction authority created by the CCP’s expansion of its Cross-Border Interbank Payment System.

The measures the CCP is taking undermine U.S. foreign policy, threaten Americans’ sensitive financial and consumer data privacy, and violate international trade practices.

It is no secret the CCP seeks to secure a global leadership role in the setting of financial standards and reduce the world’s reliance on the U.S. dollar. Therefore, efforts by the CCP to infiltrate the U.S. financial system must be met with extreme scrutiny.

Federal Regulators Prod Banks into Climate Activism

Last week, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency jointly finalized principles to prod banks into defunding fossil fuels in the name of climate change.

Banks were not created to be arbiters of public policy, but now environmental activists have seized our nation’s financial regulators and are inserting their political preferences into the equation.

North Dakota is successfully showing off its innovative clean-energy solutions and has challenged the narrative of most climate activists, without cowering to D.C. bureaucrats.

We need to support the innovators, not de-bank them. This guidance sets us backwards and continues to push our banking industry further down the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) rabbit hole. Energy demand is increasing across the globe.

It’s nonsensical and idiotic to tell our financial institutions it would be better for dirty competitors and adversaries to produce what the world needs when we have the cleanest energy here at home.

Earlier this year, I introduced the Fair Access to Banking Act, which bars financial institutions from refusing or limiting services to constitutionally-protected industries.

In May, I questioned Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell at a Senate Banking Committee hearing where I stressed the dangers of regulatory authority and the adverse effects of steering stakeholders toward the adoption of unreliable energy sources. Powell testified to the committee the agency is not looking to be climate policymakers.

In addition, I penned an op-ed in Fox News last year advising the financial services industry to resist the urge to weigh in on social and cultural issues. I also joined my colleagues in calling out the Biden administration forcing its radical ESG policies onto the American economy in pursuit of its unrealistic environmental agenda.

Senators Express Concerns Regarding Critical Minerals Trade Agreement with Indonesia

I co-led a bipartisan letter expressing several concerns regarding a potential critical mineral free trade agreement between the United States and Indonesia. The letter follows reports the Biden administration is in negotiations with Indonesia on a limited free trade agreement for critical minerals, primarily nickel.

Nickel is a key component of electric vehicles (EVs). To qualify for federal subsidies under Section 30D of tax code, it must be domestically sourced or through a free trade agreement. Such an agreement would undermine nickel development in the United States while incentivizing production in Indonesia, which operates under weak environmental and labor protections and substantial Chinese influence.

This policy is being pursued despite no full accounting of the domestic sourcing opportunities, or sourcing opportunities from countries that have a free trade agreement with the United States.

Recognizing the substantial scale of mineral supply necessary to achieve its policy ends, Congress included countries with free trade agreements in the Section 30D eligibility requirement for battery raw materials.

As we wrote in our letter, “While additional free trade agreements were contemplated, pursuing additional critical mineral ‘free trade agreements’ without the involvement of Congress, before the development of domestic mineral resources, and without achieving meaningful and enforceable standards for labor and environmental protections would undermine the intent of Congress and undermine the jobs and futures of our workers.”

Legislation Addresses Generic Drug Shortages, U.S. Medical Supply Chain Dependence on China

I joined U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) in introducing the Further Strengthening America’s Supply Chains and National Security Act. This bill seeks to address the growing impacts of generic drug shortages and strengthen the supply chain of high-quality, domestically produced pharmaceuticals.

Just like energy and critical minerals, we have shifted too much of our medical supply chains to China and India. Instead, we should prioritize pharmaceutical and ingredient production here at home. This bill supports patient access to the drugs they need from American manufacturers.

Senators Introduce Legislation to Reauthorize National Dam Safety Program

I introduced legislation to reauthorize the National Dam Safety Program (NDSP), the primary source of federal support for dam safety programs managed at the state level.

The NDSP, led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, provides critical grants to state dam safety agencies. These grants support state programs with resources for training, emergency planning, and inspection and monitoring activities for the nation’s 92,000 dams. Through NDSP, the North Dakota State Dam Safety Program has received an average annual grant of $120,000 over the past four years to help carry out its activities.

Dams are an essential component of our nation’s infrastructure and states need adequate support to oversee their management. North Dakota is responsible for over 3,000 dams, and reauthorizing this program will provide critical resources to our state for dam safety inspections, monitoring, and emergency planning efforts.

Senators Reintroduce Legislation to Improve Water Quality Certifications

I joined my colleagues in reintroducing the Water Quality Certification Improvement Act of 2023. This legislation amends section 401 of the Clean Water Act and makes several key clarifications to existing law about the appropriate scope of review for a water quality certification. Additionally, it places procedural guardrails and requirements on states as they process requests for certification to prevent future abuses.

Section 401 of the Clean Water Act has been repetitively used by activist states like New York and Washington to block energy infrastructure under the guise of water quality.

By expanding Section 401 beyond direct water quality effects, some states have obstructed interstate commerce for energy producing states like North Dakota. This legislation places common sense procedural guardrails and requirements on states to prevent abuse without removing any water quality protections.

Abraham Lincoln’s Words Provide Inspiration for our Nation Today

Throughout my life, I have had an intense interest in President Abraham Lincoln and the significance of his life story and the great political legacy he left our nation. I have read many books and articles about him and never fail to be inspired by his remarkable speeches.

Our 16th President has been on my mind during these recent weeks of upheaval in our nation, especially Washington. In particular, I have found myself drawn to one of the first public speeches he gave in his political career, more than 20 years before being elected President. It’s known as the Lyceum Speech, and Abraham Lincoln delivered it in 1838 before the Young Men’s Lyceum Group of Springfield, Illinois. He was 28 years old, a young lawyer and a member of the Illinois House of Representatives. Even at that young age, his views about our democracy, representative government and the rule of law reveal the shrewd political insight that guided him throughout the rest of his life.

He emphasized that an overriding foundation of our representative government is respecting those in elective office, even if we disagree with them. He had a concern that a rise in mob violence might threaten the survival of our government and undermine the truly revolutionary risk our Founding Fathers took to create the United States of America, and he declared that the U.S. Constitution and our nation’s rule of law must remain as our “political religion.”

Lincoln’s wisdom in this speech has resonated with me as I consider the division our nation is facing today. I encourage you to read this speech and join me in prayers for our country.

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.

Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall

I met with Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall last week at the Pentagon to discuss the latest updates on Grand Forks Air Force Base and Minot Air Force Base, as well as the future of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities.

Prime Minister of Australia

I was honored to speak with Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese during his visit to Capitol Hill. The trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States (AUKUS) is critical to global security and prosperity. I appreciate Prime Minister Albanese’s commitment to strengthening these ties.

Yehuda Neuberger and Sarit Catz

I was grateful for the opportunity to meet with Yehuda Neuberger and Sarit Catz from American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) to discuss the importance of supporting Israel – America’s strongest friend and ally in the Middle East. America’s strength and its role in the world matters, no matter what some on either side of the aisle may think. Terror, hate, and aggression do not stop unless confronted.

Tanya Otsuka

I met with Tanya Otsuka, nominee to serve on the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) Board, to discuss her qualifications prior to her Senate confirmation.

Hugo's Family Marketplace

I met with North Dakota’s very own Hugo's Family Marketplace CEO and Owner, Kristi Magnuson Nelson. As family-owned supermarket grocery store chain headquartered in Grand Forks, with seven locations across our state, Hugo's is a North Dakota staple.

American Crystal Sugar

I met with Tom Astrup, President and CEO of American Crystal Sugar, based in Moorhead, Minnesota, to discuss the Farm Bill reauthorization, U.S. sugar program, and updates on fall harvest and processing.

Edgewood Healthcare

Thank you to Phil Gisi, founder and CEO of Edgewood Healthcare, based in Grand Forks, and co-chair of the University of North Dakota’s Center for Innovation Foundation, for meeting with me last week. I appreciated the discussion on healthcare innovation and the exciting work taking place in our state.

HHS Awards More Than $6 Million in Preschool Development Grants to North Dakota

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded a total of $6,756,103 to the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services through the Preschool Development Grant Birth Through Five Program (PDG B-5). This program, funded through the bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), provides competitive grants for states to improve early childhood education, quality, and access.