News Releases
The Senate Should Give the People a Voice on the Next Supreme Court Appointment
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today said the people should have a voice in who will replace Justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court. Under the U.S. Constitution, the president has the right to appoint, but the Senate has the right to consent or not. In fact, presidents have made 160 nominations for the Supreme Court. The Senate confirmed only 124 of them. And of the 36 failed nominations, the majority of them, 25, received no up-or-down vote. "The American people need to have an opportu… Continue Reading
03.16.16
Hoeven Statement on the Passing of Sheila Schafer
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven extended his condolences today to the family and friends of Sheila Schafer, who spent a lifetime promoting North Dakota, notably the historic western city of Medora. "Mikey and I extend our sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Sheila Schafer during this difficult time. For years, Sheila worked tirelessly to promote North Dakota, especially the city of Medora. She and her husband, Harold, rebuilt many parts of the historic city, … Continue Reading
03.15.16
Hoeven Statement on National Agriculture Day 2016
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today delivered the following statement on the floor of the U.S. Senate to recognize and thank the nation's farmers and ranchers on National Agriculture Day. The entire week of March 14 is National Agriculture Week: "Today, on National Agriculture Day, I want to celebrate and thank America's agriculture producers. That includes those in my home state of North Dakota, who provide us with the lowest cost, highest quality food supply - not just in the world, but in… Continue Reading
03.15.16
Hoeven Announces $1.5 Million FEMA Grant to Fund Flood Protection for Fargo Wastewater Treatment Plant
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today announced that the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded $1.5 million to the City of Fargo from its Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). As Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Homeland Security, Hoeven oversees the department's annual budget and has worked to secure funding to protect the region from flooding. Today's grant will support flood protection for the City of Fargo's waste … Continue Reading
03.14.16
Hoeven Presses VA Secretary to Support Veterans Choice Improvement Bill, Resolve Issues With Third Party Administrators
WASHINGTON - At a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Veterans Affairs Subcommittee, Senator John Hoeven pressed U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert A. McDonald to improve the Veterans Choice Program and resolve scheduling issues with the third party administrators. Hoeven thanked the secretary for agreeing to send a top VA official to meet with representatives from the Fargo VA to see firsthand issues veterans face when scheduling non-VA care appointments through the Choi… Continue Reading
03.11.16
Hoeven: HHS Awards More Than $1 Million to Cankdeska Cikana Community College
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven, who serves on the U.S. Senate Appropriations and Indian Affairs Committees, today announced that the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Administration for Children and Families/Office of Head Start has awarded $1,090,300 to Cankdeska Cikana Community College. The funds will go towards supporting the college's American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) Head Start and Early Head Start programs. "It's important to make sure that children have access to t… Continue Reading
03.11.16
Hoeven Asks USDA Secretary Vilsack to Help With ARC Payments
WASHINGTON - During a hearing of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee this week, Senator John Hoeven pressed U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack to make sure that the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) program is meeting producers' needs. Since November, Hoeven has been pressing USDA to use yield estimates from the North Dakota state FSA office to determine county ARC payments when National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) data is unavailable or incompl… Continue Reading
03.11.16
Hoeven Working to Improve Access to Health Services for Native Americans
WASHINGTON - At a Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing this week, Senator John Hoeven pressed Mary Smith, Principle Deputy Director for the Indian Health Service (IHS), to address issues that reduce Native Americans' access to quality health services. Hoeven stressed the need to reform various practices and standards at IHS to improve both the availability and quality of health care for tribal members. "Our Native American tribes face a wide variety of issues that prevent their members from … Continue Reading
03.10.16
Hoeven: Senate Passes Bill to Prevent Drug Addiction, Help Law Enforcement Combat Drug Crime
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today announced that the Senate has passed the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), bipartisan legislation to help combat the prescription opioid and heroin epidemic plaguing communities across the nation. "The Senate passed important legislation today to fight the prescription opioid and heroin epidemic that has infiltrated communities across the nation, including in North Dakota. The bill will help prevent and treat addiction and provide our commun… Continue Reading
03.09.16
Hoeven Announces Availability of $62 Million to Support Competitiveness of Special Crops
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 is making $62 million in competitive grants available to support states' efforts to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops, such as fruits, vegetables, which include dry, edible beans, and horticulture products, including honey. The funds are provided through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program and ma… Continue Reading
03.08.16
Hoeven Secures Commitment from Bureau of Reclamation to Work on Solutions to Lake Tschida Trailer Issue
WASHINGTON - At a Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Committee hearing this week, Senator John Hoeven secured a commitment from Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Estevan Lopez to work with him on legislation to address concerns about changes to Lake Tschida leases that require trailers to be removed by 2021. "North Dakotans have raised concerns about changes the Bureau of Reclamation is making to leasing agreements at Lake Tschida," said Hoeven. "Many have invested in their trailer homes a… Continue Reading
03.08.16
Hoeven: HHS Awards More Than $540K to Spirit Lake Tribe
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven, who serves on the U.S. Senate Appropriations and Indian Affairs Committees, today announced that the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Indian Health Services Office has awarded $542,416 to the Spirit Lake Tribe. The funds, made available through HHS' Special Diabetes Programs for Indians, will go towards supporting diabetes treatment and prevention programs. "It's important for us to invest in programs that help North Dakotans have the tools they … Continue Reading
03.08.16
Hoeven Presses Energy Secretary to Support Programs to Develop Carbon Capture Technology, Drive Down Costs
WASHINGTON - During a hearing of the Senate Energy Committee last week, Senator John Hoeven urged Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz to support programs that help develop commercially viable technologies that reduce CO2 emissions. Hoeven highlighted innovative projects moving forward in North Dakota, such as the Allam cycle and using CO2 in enhanced oil recovery, but stressed how high costs can prevent energy companies from deploying such technology on a larger scale. The senator urged Moniz to pursu… Continue Reading
03.07.16
Hoeven, Burr, Ayotte and Tillis Introduce Veterans Choice Improvement Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators John Hoeven (R-ND), Richard Burr (R-NC), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), and Thom Tillis (R-NC) today introduced the Veterans Choice Improvement Act of 2016. This legislation makes the Veterans Choice Program, which was created in 2014 to allow veterans to get needed health care outside of the VA system, a permanent program with advance funding. This includes avoiding scheduling issues by allowing the VA to enter into provider agreements directly with local providers to fa… Continue Reading
03.07.16
Hoeven Pushes for TSA Improvements
WASHINGTON - As head of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations Committee, Senator John Hoeven this week chaired an appropriations hearing on the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) budget and steps the agency is taking to improve safety and remedy checkpoint security issues uncovered last June in an inspector general's report. TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger, a retired admiral and vice commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard who was confirmed to the post following th… Continue Reading
03.07.16
Hoeven Works to Secure Additional Corps Funding for Permanent Flood Protection in Minot
WASHINGTON - At an appropriations hearing on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' 2017 budget, Senator John Hoeven worked to secure additional funding to advance permanent flood protection for the Minot region. Hoeven secured $200,000 in Fiscal 2016 funds to begin a flood protection study this year and is working to secure an additional $500,000 in Fiscal Year 2017 to advance the study. Hoeven thanked Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Jo-Ellen Darcy and Army Corps Chief of Engineers L… Continue Reading
03.07.16
Hoeven Working to Ensure Farm Bill Programs Address Challenges of Low Commodity Prices
WASHINGTON - During a hearing of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee last week, Senate John Hoeven drove home the importance of ensuring that farm bill programs are implemented in a way that actually works for farmers and ranchers, especially during times of low commodity prices. Hoeven was joined at the hearing by agriculture industry leaders, including representatives from the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, who he called on to he… Continue Reading
03.06.16
Hoeven Statement on the Passing of First Lady Nancy Reagan
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement on the passing of First Lady Nancy Reagan: "President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy were a team, and together, they left an indelible mark on American history. Mrs. Reagan's charm, loyalty and keen reading of others made her an indispensable friend, partner and advisor to the president, both personally and politically. Through triumph and trials, including her cancer, an assassination attempt and President Reagan's Alzhe… Continue Reading
03.06.16
Hoeven Honors Deploying Army Reserve Members, Families at Send-Off Ceremony
BISMARCK, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven today joined the community in honoring members of the Bismarck-based U.S. Army Reserve Unit 945th Engineer Platoon (Asphalt), who will deploy soon for a mission overseas. Hoeven spoke at a send-off ceremony and thanked the soldiers and their families for their service to the country. "We are grateful to these soldiers for their service to our nation," Hoeven said. "We honor this brave unit and their loved ones, who are making tremendous sacrifices on our b… Continue Reading
03.04.16
Hoeven Meets with North Dakota School Nutrition Professionals to Push Child Nutrition Reauthorization
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven, who serves on the Senate Agriculture Committee, met with the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction and school food service directors to plan strategies to pass the Improving Child Nutrition Integrity and Access Act of 2016. The legislation includes an agreement the senator worked for that will help to ease regulatory mandates on whole grains and sodium to alleviate unintended challenges facing school meal programs. The Senate Agriculture Committee appro… Continue Reading
