News Releases
Hoeven Celebrates Manvel Elementary School's Designation as National Blue Ribbon School
MANVEL, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven today congratulated the students, educators and families of Manvel Elementary School on their designation as a 2014 National Blue Ribbon School Award Winner. "The designation as a National Blue Ribbon School is a high honor that is only given to the nation's best schools," said Hoeven. "The Manvel School community should be extremely proud of their work to receive this designation, which comes as a result of dedicated efforts from students, educators and fam… Continue Reading
11.25.14
Hoeven Honors Ward County Couple for Adoption Work
MINOT, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven today recognized Rod and Tracey Belzer as Angels in Adoption at a ceremony held in Minot to honor their outstanding commitment to adoption. Hoeven selected the Belzers to receive the national Angels in Adoption award after considering a pool of inspiring candidates. "Rod and Tracey Belzer exemplify the powerful and positive impact individuals can have on the lives of North Dakota foster children," said Hoeven. "During their 26-year marriage, the Belzer family… Continue Reading
11.25.14
Hoeven Calls on FAA to Expedite UAS Test Flight Approvals
BISMARCK, N.D. - In a letter sent last week to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) head Michael Huerta, Senator John Hoeven said the nation's six designated Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) test sites could be doing more to integrate UAS into the National Air Space. The senator called on the administrator to expedite approvals to test UAS flights in concurrent air space and take other steps to more fully utilize the sites' specialized capabilities. Hoeven also asked Huerta to meet with him to … Continue Reading
11.24.14
Hoeven Announces Additional SAFE Acres to Help ND Producers Optimize CRP Acreage
BISMARCK, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will allocate an additional 32,800 acres for the State Acres for Wildlife Program (SAFE) in North Dakota. As a member of the farm bill conference committee, the senator worked to include language in the final bill that encouraged the Secretary of Agriculture to allocate a greater number of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres to programs like SAFE, which allow producers to create habitat that … Continue Reading
11.24.14
Hoeven Announces More Than $344,000 in Grants to Enhance Highway Safety in North Dakota
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded $344,092 to the North Dakota Department of Transportation to enhance highway safety. The funding for 2015 announced today comes through three grant programs: State Traffic Safety Information System Improvement Grants, Occupant Protection Grants and Impaired Driving Countermeasure Grants programs. All were awarded by the DOT's National Highway Safety Administration. "North Dakota is a … Continue Reading
11.24.14
Hoeven Worked to Ensure CRP Works For Farmers, Ranchers, Sportsmen
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today told members of the N.D. Association of Soil Conservation Districts that he worked to ensure that the conservation measures like CRP, SAFE and EQIP in the 2014 farm bill work for North Dakota farmers, ranchers and sportsmen. The senator served on the joint Senate-House Conference Committee that crafted the final version of the five-year bill. "Conservation measures in the new farm bill will help to protect and… Continue Reading
11.24.14
Hoeven, Heitkamp: BNSF to Accelerate Steps to Improve Safety on Casselton Stretch of Rail
CASSELTON - Senators John Hoeven and Heidi Heitkamp today announced that BNSF Railway will accelerate steps to enhance rail safety in a stretch of track through Casselton, N.D. that has been the site of two derailments within the last year. The delegation, which has been pressing BNSF officials to take timely and substantive measures to mitigate the likelihood of accidents in the region, welcomed the railroad's actions. "We have been in regular contact with BNSF Executive Chairman Matt Rose, … Continue Reading
11.24.14
Hoeven Announces More Than $1 Million, Five-Year Head Start Grant for TGU School District
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded a five-year grant of more than $1 million to Early Explorers, a grantee of the Towner-Granville-Upham (TGU) School District, to support two early education programs: Head Start and Early Head Start. Early Explorers' Head Start program serves children ages three to five in the communities of Anamoose, Devils Lake, Harvey, Rugby, Towner, Turtle Lake and Velva while its Early Hea… Continue Reading
11.21.14
Hoeven Statement on President Obama's Unilateral Action on Immigration
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement regarding President Barack Obama's executive order on immigration: "In the recent election, the people of America spoke. They said clearly that they want President Obama to work with Congress in a bipartisan manner. He should not be circumventing the elected representatives of the American people with a unilateral executive order. "The right approach is to work with Congress on immigration reform that begins by making su… Continue Reading
11.21.14
Hoeven Celebrates Sweetwater Elementary's Education Achievements, Designation as National Blue Ribbon School
DEVILS LAKE, N.D. - At a ceremony today in Devils Lake, Senator John Hoeven congratulated the students, educators and families of Sweetwater Elementary School on their designation as a 2014 National Blue Ribbon School Award Winner. The senator presented the students with a U.S. flag flown over the Capitol in their honor to be displayed at the school along with their National Blue Ribbon School flag. National Blue Ribbon designees are presented with a special blue ribbon flag to fly as a symbol o… Continue Reading
11.20.14
Hoeven Announces New Support for Telemedicine, Commemorates Rural Health Care Day
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement to mark National Rural Health Day, Thursday, November 20. Hoeven cosponsored a resolution introduced by Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) that recognizes the importance of hospitals, health care providers and quality health care services for America's rural communities: "Nearly half of all North Dakotans live in rural communities, and Rural Health Day offers all of us an opportunity to recognize and … Continue Reading
11.18.14
Hoeven Statement on Keystone XL Approval Legislation
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement ahead of the Senate's vote on S. 2280, the Hoeven-Landrieu bill to approve the Keystone XL pipeline. The vote is scheduled for approximately 5:30 p.m. ET today: "This evening the Senate will vote on my bill to approve the Keystone XL pipeline. I'm hopeful we can pass it. We already have all 45 Republicans, plus eleven Democrats, for a total of 56 cosponsors. In addition, three Democratic senators have committed to voting fo… Continue Reading
11.18.14
Hoeven Statement on Keystone XL Approval Vote
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement after the U.S. Senate fell short of passing his Keystone XL approval bill: "Today, we did not gain the 60 votes necessary in the Senate to pass my bill to approve the Keystone XL pipeline. Even had it passed, however, President Obama has indicated that he intends to veto the bill. I believe we will have the votes to pass the bill in January when a number of new Senators who support my legislation take office and the new Con… Continue Reading
11.17.14
Hoeven, Midcontinent Communications Announce New Gigabit Frontier Initative to Bring Ultra High-Speed Internet Access To North Dakota Communities the Company Serves
FARGO, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven today joined Midcontinent Communications to unveil the company's Gigabit Frontier Initiative, a new multi-year plan to bring ultra-high-speed Internet access to approximately 600,000 homes and businesses in the Upper Midwest. Midco's 7,600-mile, high-capacity fiber network will provide speeds five times faster than the company's current best and 35 times faster than the average high-speed Internet access in America. The Gigabit Frontier Initiative is another … Continue Reading
11.15.14
Hoeven Updates Farmers and Ranchers on Work to Stop Waters of US Regulation
BISMARCK, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven today spoke at the North Dakota Farm Bureau's Annual Meeting to update the state's farmers and ranchers on his work to stop the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) and Army Corps of Engineers' proposed Waters of the U.S regulation, which would have significant economic impacts for producers and other land owners. Yesterday, Hoeven again called on the EPA to withdraw the proposed rule in his official comments filed during the agency's rulemaking period. … Continue Reading
11.14.14
Hoeven Statement on Yesterday's Derailment Near Casselton, ND
"This morning, I contacted Cass County Sheriff Paul Laney to get the details on the derailment that occurred last night near Casselton. My office followed up by contacting officials at BNSF and I spoke directly to Executive Chairman Matt Rose. I emphasized to him that BNSF needs to review the Casselton segment of the rail and determine what action needs to be taken to prevent further accidents in the future. "He agreed, and said BNSF will analyze the rail conditions in this location and deter… Continue Reading
11.14.14
Hoeven Announces Permanent FBI Office in Williston
WILLISTON, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven was in Williston today to announce that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will establish a permanent field office in the city. Hoeven has been pushing for the new office to help local law enforcement better address increased crime rates as a result of the influx of new residents seeking jobs in the oil industry. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Hoeven was instrumental in securing approval for the field office, which required sig… Continue Reading
11.14.14
Hoeven Statement on House Passage of His Bill to Approve the Keystone XL Pipeline
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement in response to the U.S. House of Representatives' passage of his Keystone XL approval bill: "I'm pleased the House has passed our bill to approve the Keystone XL pipeline. Representative Cassidy took the lead on our bill in the House. Now the Senate will vote on it Tuesday. Of course, we need to get sixty votes. If we don't get 60 votes in the lame duck, then I will reintroduce the bill in the new Congress and I believe I hav… Continue Reading
11.14.14
Hoeven: Approval of Freeport LNG Exports a Good Step, Streamlined Approval Process Still Needed
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today said the Department of Energy's (DOE) announcement today that it has approved the Freeport LNG export terminal in Texas is a good step forward but streamlining the permitting process is still vitally necessary. Hoeven, a member of the U.S. Senate Energy Committee, has introduced the LNG Certainty Act, which would require the DOE to expedite permitting of liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities. This week, the Energy and Natural Resources Committee had pla… Continue Reading
11.14.14
Hoeven Working With Pentagon to Upgrade Nuclear Enterprise
MINOT, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven today said he will use his position on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee to help modernize and upgrade the nation's nuclear deterrent. Hoeven was at the Minot Air Force Base (MAFB) this afternoon to host Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James. Hagel and James visited the base today to announce a comprehensive plan to strengthen U.S. nuclear operations and to discuss the plans with servicemembers. "Our nation's… Continue Reading
