News Releases
Hoeven: USDA Awards Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians More than $1.3 Million in Federal Funding
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven, who serves on the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee and Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Development has awarded a grant of $1,378,003 to the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians. The funds will be used to construct a functional waste transfer facility, which includes a maintenance building, performing paving improvements and implementing a basic recycling program. "One of the mo… Continue Reading
04.20.16
Hoeven Legislation Included in Senate Energy Legislation Passed Today
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven, a member of the Energy Committee, today announced that the U.S. Senate has passed the Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2016. The bill includes legislation authored and introduced by the senator to help streamline energy regulations and address common problems faced by energy producers and consumers. The bipartisan vote was 85 to 12. "All of our measures are straightforward, commonsense solutions for energy producers and consumers," Hoeven said. "North Dakota … Continue Reading
04.19.16
Hoeven: Senate Passes New $33 Billion FAA Reauthorization Bill, Measure Includes Hoeven Legislation
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today announced that the Senate has passed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization, which includes Hoeven legislation that will extend congressional authorization for the nation's six unmanned aerial systems (UAS) test sites, including the Northern Plains UAS Test Site in Grand Forks, for five years. A second Hoeven measure will strengthen UAS Research and Development at the University of North Dakota. The legislation authorizes $33.1 billion i… Continue Reading
04.18.16
Hoeven Announces Nearly $12 Million in Available Funding for Rural Broadband Projects
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven, who serves on the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee and Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is making $11.7 million in funding available to establish broadband in unserved rural communities. The funds are made available through USDA's Community Connect grant program, which provides funds to state, tribal and local governments, non-profit organizations and private industry to support the developm… Continue Reading
04.18.16
Hoeven Statement on First Export of North Dakota Bakken Crude
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven, a member of the Senate Energy Committee, today issued the following statement after Hess Corp's sale of Bakken crude for export out of the U.S. Gulf Coast to Europe. It is the first foreign export of North Dakota oil since Congress lifted the ban on exporting crude last December. "For over a decade we worked to build North Dakota's oil and gas industry by building a strong business climate in our state, and today we're the second largest oil- producing state in… Continue Reading
04.18.16
Hoeven Continues Work to Improve Veterans Access to Care in Local Communities
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven, a member of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs (VA) Appropriations Committee, today announced that the Fiscal Year 2017 Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bill provides strong funding to provide the nation's veterans with the services and care they earned serving our nation. The funding legislation, which was recently passed by the Senate Appropriations Committee, is part of the senator's continuing efforts to improve health and long-term care options f… Continue Reading
04.18.16
Hoeven Presses BLM to Let States Lead in Regulating Flaring, Expedite Gas-Gathering Infrastructure Permits
WASHINGTON - At a hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee last week, Senator John Hoeven pressed officials from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to work with states and industry to reduce natural gas flaring by developing workable regulations, allowing states to take the lead in the regulatory process and addressing BLM's backlog of permit applications for gas gathering infrastructure. Hoeven stressed that states are already making tremendous progress in reducing flaring … Continue Reading
04.15.16
Hoeven Working to Advance Permanent Flood Protection for Red River Valley and Minot
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today announced that the Senate's Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill, which the full Senate Appropriations Committee approved this week, contains important provisions and funding that support permanent flood protection projects in Fargo and Minot. The bill provides $6 billion for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, nearly $1.4 billion more than the Corps' FY17 budget request, which will help ensure continued progress on flood control project… Continue Reading
04.15.16
Hoeven: Energy Appropriations Bill Supports Updates to Cruise Missiles at Minot Air Force Base
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today announced that the Senate's Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill, which the full Senate Appropriations Committee approved this week, includes funding to refurbish the W80 warheads for the Air Force's nuclear cruise missiles, which are carried on the B-52s at Minot Air Force Base (AFB). As a member of the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, Hoeven pressed his fellow appropriators to ensure the W80 life extension program… Continue Reading
04.15.16
Hoeven: Delegation to Sponsor Informational Service Academy Evening in Fargo on April 20
WASHINGTON - The offices of Senator John Hoeven, Senator Heidi Heitkamp and Congressman Kevin Cramer will be hosting an informational Service Academy Evening at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Fargo. The event will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and will feature representatives from the Air Force Academy, the Naval Academy and Military Academy-West Point. "Members of Congress take great pride in the opportunity to nominate the finest students to our nation's esteemed Service Academi… Continue Reading
04.15.16
Hoeven: Energy and Water Appropriations Bill Includes $30 Million for Carbon Capture and Sequestration Projects
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven, a member of the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Committee, today announced that the Senate's Fiscal Year 2017 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill includes $30 million in funding to help develop commercially viable carbon capture and sequestration. Hoeven worked to support the funding, which was approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee this week, to advance projects for developing new technologies to reduce CO2 emissions. "We need to support innov… Continue Reading
04.14.16
Hoeven, Heitkamp: Senate Passes Resolution Commending UND Men's Hockey for Its Eighth National Championship Win
WASHINGTON - Senators John Hoeven and Heidi Heitkamp today announced that the U.S. Senate has passed a resolution they introduced honoring the University of North Dakota (UND) men's hockey team for winning its eighth national championship. The resolution congratulates the team and commends the UND players, coaches and staff for their hard work, especially Coach Brad Berry, who is in his first year as head coach. The resolution also recognizes UND's students, fans and alumni for their tremendous … Continue Reading
04.13.16
Senate Approves Hoeven Amendment to FAA Bill Extending UAS Test Sites Authorization for Five Years
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today announced that the FAA Reauthorization bill now under consideration in the Senate includes an amendment he authored and introduced that will extend for five years congressional authorization for the nation's six unmanned aerial systems (UAS) test sites tasked with integrating UAS into the National Airspace. Under current law, the test sites' authorization expires next year, on September 30, 2017. The Senate approved Hoeven's amendment Monday evening. The s… Continue Reading
04.12.16
Hoeven: Air Force Announces Plan to Stand Up New MQ-9 Reaper UAS Wing
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today announced that the Air Force is planning to stand up a new remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) MQ-9 Reaper wing. The new wing will be comprised of an operations group and a maintenance group, which could be collocated at one base or stood up at multiple bases. Under the initial criteria, North Dakota's Air Force bases in Grand Forks and Minot are both among 19 installations nationally that are eligible sites; however, the Air Force will narrow the list to final… Continue Reading
04.11.16
Hoeven Makes the Case with Air Force to Locate Remotely Piloted Aircraft Wing at Grand Forks
WASHINGTON - At a Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations hearing Thursday and a meeting earlier this week, Senator John Hoeven made the case with top Air Force officials to base a new remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) mission at Grand Forks Air Force Base. The senator has been working with Assistant Secretary of the Air Force Miranda Ballentine, and General Herbert J. "Hawk" Carlisle, commander of Air Combat Command, to highlight the advantages for basing a new RPA mission at G… Continue Reading
04.08.16
Hoeven Working to Expedite Replacement of Aging UH-1 Huey Helicopters and Hangars at Minot Air Force Base
WASHINGTON - During a hearing of Military Construction and Veterans Affairs committee meeting, Senator John Hoeven pressed Assistant Secretary of the Air Force Miranda Ballentine to accelerate plans to construct new facilities at Minot Air Force Base as the Air Force finalizes plans to upgrade its Vietnam-era UH-1N helicopter. "We need new helicopters at the Minot Air Force Base and we're making real progress on getting Black Hawks to replace the decades-old Hueys," Hoeven said. "So now we're … Continue Reading
04.08.16
Hoeven Honors Deploying Army Reserve Members, Families at Send-Off Ceremony
FARGO, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven today joined the community in honoring 156 members of the Fargo-based U.S. Army Reserve Unit 461st Vertical Engineering Company, who will deploy soon for a mission overseas. Hoeven spoke at the send-off to pay tribute to the soldiers and their families and thank them for their service. The unit is comprised of soldiers from communities in North Dakota, Montana, Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, with at least 30 of the soldiers having previously deployed. … Continue Reading
04.07.16
Hoeven: Forest Service Chief Agrees to Work With Senator, Ranchers to Carry Over Grazing Fees to Support Projects Important to Ranchers
WASHINGTON - During a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Environment this week, Senator John Hoeven secured an agreement from U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell to work toward allowing grazing associations to carry over grazing fee credits from year-to-year to help ranchers complete projects important to their operations, like fencing, water development and land exchanges. Currently, credits must be spent on approved projects in the year they are allocated, lim… Continue Reading
04.06.16
Hoeven: Dakota Turbines Good Example of Rural Economic Development
WASHINGTON - During a hearing of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Rural Development Subcommittee today, Senator John Hoeven cited the work of Dakota Turbines, a small-wind turbine company based in Cooperstown, as a good example of the rural entrepreneurship needed to grow the economy and create good jobs. Cris Somerville, President of Dakota Turbines, testified at the hearing about the work of the family-owned and operated company, which manufactures blades, alternator and power electronics for sing… Continue Reading
04.05.16
Hoeven: VA Agrees to Implement Pilot Project in Fargo to Address Veteran Scheduling, Private Care Issues
FARGO, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven today announced that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has agreed to develop and start to implement a pilot project over the next 30 days at the Fargo VA Medical Center to address scheduling and service with the Veterans Choice Program. The senator's announcement follows a roundtable he hosted on Friday with officials he invited to North Dakota from the VA and Health Net. The pilot program will serve as an administrative remedy to the bureaucratic del… Continue Reading
