News Releases
Hoeven, Cramer & Armstrong Urge Expedited Environmental Review for Little Missouri River Bridge in Billings County
WASHINGTON - Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer and Congressman Kelly Armstrong this week sent a letter to U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Elaine Chao urging her to expedite completion of an environmental review for a proposed bridge to cross the Little Missouri River in Billings County. The bridge would be the only such crossing for nearly 70 miles, and local North Dakota first responders wrote the Federal Highway Administration in October to highlight the proposed bridge's… Continue Reading
01.28.19
Hoeven Helps Reintroduce Legislation to Repeal Death Tax
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today helped reintroduce legislation with Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) to permanently repeal the federal estate tax. Hoeven has supported efforts to repeal the death tax throughout his time in the Senate and worked to address the issue in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which doubled the individual estate tax exemption to $10 million and was passed by Congress in 2017. "Estate planning and ensuring the future operations of a farm or small business are difficult… Continue Reading
01.28.19
Hoeven Cosponsors Savanna’s Act
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven, chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, today released the following statement after Savanna's Act was reintroduced by Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.). Hoeven is an original cosponsor of the legislation. "Savanna's Act is legislation that will help the federal government better coordinate with tribal law enforcement in addressing the crisis of murdered and missing Native women and girls," Hoeven said. "One of m… Continue Reading
01.28.19
Chairman Hoeven Reintroduces Legislation to Improve Tribal Public Safety, Economic Development
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, reintroduced four pieces of legislation to help improve public safety and economic development in Indian Country. "These four pieces of legislation advance public safety and economic development in Indian Country, priorities which will serve as critical components of the Committee's work this Congress," said Hoeven. "For example, the SURVIVE Act provides tribal communities with critical funding to comba… Continue Reading
01.25.19
Hoeven Statement on President’s Deal to Reopen Government
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven issued the following statement after the President outlined an agreement to reopen government through February 15: "The deal the President announced today will fund the remaining 25 percent of government for the next three weeks. That will ensure that the government is fully open and operating for our citizens and that federal workers receive their pay. At the same time, we need to continue to work to get funding for border security. Democrats have indicated tha… Continue Reading
01.24.19
Hoeven Statement After Voting for President’s Plan to Strengthen Border Security, Reopen Government
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement after voting in favor of a compromise plan, offered by President Donald Trump, to strengthen border security and reopen the government. "I voted in favor of common-sense legislation to strengthen border security and reopen the government. This bill provides vital resources to secure the border, including funding for a steel wall, as well as technology and additional border patrol agents, law enforcement officials and immigra… Continue Reading
01.22.19
Hoeven: USDA to Ensure Producers Have Access to Essential FSA Services, Including FSA Loans and Market Facilitation Program During Partial Shutdown
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee and a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it will bring back Farm Service Agency (FSA) staff to process new FSA direct and guaranteed operating loans, Marketing Assistance Loans and to administer the Market Facilitation Payment program. FSA will also administer the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price… Continue Reading
01.19.19
Hoeven Statement on President's Plan to Strengthen Border Security, Reopen Government
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement after the President outlined a compromise proposal to strengthen border security and end the partial government shutdown: "The President outlined a common-sense proposal to strengthen border security and reopen the government. The President's plan provides vital resources to secure the border, including funding for the wall, as well as technology and additional border patrol agents and security professionals. At the same time… Continue Reading
01.18.19
Hoeven Reintroduces Legislation to Improve Permitting Process for Energy Development
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven this week reintroduced the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Mineral Spacing Act, legislation to streamline and improve the permitting process for energy development. Currently, if the federal government owns any subsurface parcel of a spacing unit, an energy producer is required to receive a federal BLM drilling permit in addition to receiving all the necessary permits from the state or other relevant authorities. The BLM Mineral Spacing Act lifts the requiremen… Continue Reading
01.18.19
Hoeven Introduces Bipartisan Resolution Supporting the Modernization & Maintenance of the U.S. ICBM Fleet
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven this week introduced a bipartisan resolution supporting the modernization and maintenance of the nation's Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) fleet. The resolution emphasizes the vital role of the U.S. nuclear forces in maintaining national security and stresses that weakening one leg of the nuclear triad undermines the credibility of the entire deterrent. As a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee and Senate ICBM Coalition, Hoeven is worki… Continue Reading
01.16.19
Hoeven Statement on Nomination of Peter Welte as U.S. District Court Judge for North Dakota
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today released the following statement after the president nominated former Grand Forks County State Attorney Peter Welte to serve as the U.S. District Court Judge for North Dakota. "Peter has shown strong dedication to serving the public, both in his professional life and as a member of his community," Hoeven said. "He has shown a commitment to the rule of law, which will serve him well in this position. We appreciate his work over the years and look forward to… Continue Reading
01.16.19
Hoeven, Wyden Reintroduce Legislation to Spur Investment in Nation’s Infrastructure
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) today reintroduced the Move America Act, bipartisan legislation that will bring billions of dollars of investment to state and local governments to help grow and repair America's aging infrastructure. Move America expands tax-exempt private activity bonds and creates a new infrastructure tax credit, helping fund infrastructure projects through private-public partnerships. This would lower ove… Continue Reading
01.16.19
Hoeven: USDA to Bring Back FSA Staff Thursday, Friday and Tuesday
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee and a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it will bring back Farm Service Agency (FSA) staff Thursday and Friday, January 17-18, as well as Tuesday January 22, to provide essential services, including servicing existing direct loans, while negotiations continue to reach agreement on funding the government … Continue Reading
01.16.19
Hoeven, Cramer & Armstrong Honor NDSU Bison Football Team’s Seventh FCS Championship with Senate Resolution, House Floor Speech
WASHINGTON - Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer and Congressman Kelly Armstrong this week honored the North Dakota State University (NDSU) Bison football team for winning its seventh NCAA Division I FCS National Championship. The U.S. Senate passed by unanimous consent a resolution introduced by Senators Hoeven and Cramer, while Congressman Armstrong honored the team by giving a congratulatory speech on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. Hoeven and Cramer's resolution congratulat… Continue Reading
01.15.19
Hoeven: USTR Commits to Provide Exclusion Process Should Chinese Tariffs Increase
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today announced that U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer has committed to establish an exclusion process should round 3 of the Section 301 tariffs on Chinese goods increase on March 2. While the Senator is hopeful the Administration can reach a trade deal with China and prevent any escalation of tariffs, he pressed USTR to provide businesses with the opportunity to request the exclusion of a specific product from the increased duties, especially wh… Continue Reading
01.15.19
Hoeven: Northern Plains UAS Test Site Selected to Help Develop Unmanned Traffic Management System
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement after Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has selected the Northern Plains Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Test Site to serve in its unmanned traffic management (UTM) pilot program (UPP). The pilot program seeks to integrate small UAS into the nation's airspace at lower altitudes. Under this program, North Dakota's test site will serve as one of three entities responsible… Continue Reading
01.14.19
Hoeven Advocating for Red River Valley Flood Protection to Be Included in President’s FY2020 Budget Request
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven recently spoke with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Deputy Director Russ Vought, urging for the inclusion of the Red River Valley's flood protection project in the President's Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 budget request. The senator stressed the significance of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) issuing a permit for the project last month, a vital step in addressing the injunction on the project and making it eligible to be included in the adminis… Continue Reading
01.12.19
Hoeven Outlines Ongoing Efforts to Strengthen Veteran Benefits, Improve Access to Health Care & Long-Term Care Closer to Home
BISMARCK, N.D. - At the North Dakota Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Mid-Winter Conference today, Senator John Hoeven outlined veterans legislation he worked to pass last year and his priorities in the new Congress to provide better health care and benefits for veterans in North Dakota and across the nation, including improving access to alternative treatments for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) to bolster suicide prevention efforts. … Continue Reading
01.10.19
Hoeven Cosponsors Concealed-Carry Bill
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven this week helped introduce the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act (S. 69). The legislation is sponsored by Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) and allows individuals with concealed carry privileges in their home state to exercise those rights in any other state with concealed carry laws, while abiding by that state's laws. "This legislation is all about protecting individuals' Second Amendment rights while also respecting state sovereignty," Hoeven said. "… Continue Reading
01.10.19
Hoeven to Perdue: Deem USDA Loan Programs Essential to Provide Producers with Access to Credit
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee and a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, this week spoke with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue to outline the importance of continuing essential USDA loan programs while negotiations continue to reach agreement on funding the government and border security. The senator also met with North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring to discuss the issue and work t… Continue Reading
