News Releases
Hoeven Statement on the U.S. State Department's Extension of State Agency Comment Period for the Keystone XL Pipeline
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement in response to the State Department's announcement that it will delay indefinitely the period federal agencies have to comment on the Keystone XL pipeline project, and almost certainly postpone a decision on the Keystone XL pipeline project until after the November election. "President Obama's Keystone XL strategy is clearly defeat through delay. He claims adherence to process, but whenever he runs out of process, he finds … Continue Reading
04.17.14
Hoeven Announces $3 Million USDA Allocation for ND Specialty Crops
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has allocated over $3 million for the North Dakota Department of Agriculture through its Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP), a program that supports states' efforts to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops, such as fruits, vegetables, herbs and tree nuts. Through the SCBGP, state departments of agriculture can support specialty crop growers through research and projects that … Continue Reading
04.15.14
Hoeven Statement on the Surface Transportation Board Rail Service Decision
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement on the U.S. Surface Transportation Board's (STB) decision to order Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) and BNSF Railway to report to STB by April 18 their plans to ensure delivery of fertilizer shipments for the spring planting of crops. Further, the railroads are required to provide the board with weekly status reports, including delivery data and number of cars associated with agricultural deliveries. "STB's decision to require r… Continue Reading
04.15.14
Hoeven in Europe Working to Help Build European Energy Plan in Face of Russian Aggression
OSLO, NORWAY - Senator John Hoeven (R-N.D.) was in Norway Monday as part of a week-long Senate delegation to Europe to help build a long-term energy plan that will help reduce Ukraine's and the region's dependence on Russian natural gas. Also on the mission is Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.). Hoeven and the Senate delegation met in Norway Monday with high ranking Norwegian energy officials and senior executives of Statoil, a major multinational oil and gas Norwegian company with operations in t… Continue Reading
04.15.14
Hoeven: Farmers and Ranchers Can Sign-Up for Livestock Indemnity Program Beginning Today
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven announced that beginning today, April 15, North Dakota farmers and ranchers who suffered livestock losses can contact their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office to sign-ups for the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) today. The 2014 Farm Bill provides LIP for the life of the farm bill, including coverage for the current fiscal year, since the program expired in 2011. It covers 75 percent of the value of the animals lost with an aggregate limit of $125,000. To ex… Continue Reading
04.15.14
Hoeven Calls on USDA, DOE and EPA to Halt Regulations on Livestock Emissions
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven is calling on the Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to refrain from regulating livestock emissions as part of the President's proposed methane reduction plan. In a letter to the agency heads, Hoeven pressed them not to impose regulations on livestock emissions that if enacted could cost medium-sized dairy farms up to $22,000 and medium-sized cattle farms up to $27,000 annually. "We need com… Continue Reading
04.14.14
Hoeven, Cantwell Introduce the Farm and Small Business Expensing Tax Relief Act
WASHINGTON - Senators John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) have introduced the Farm and Small Business Expensing Tax Relief Act, legislation that eases the burden of unfair and onerous new repair expensing regulations for small businesses and family farms that became effective January 1st of this year. Hoeven's and Cantwell's legislation amends the IRS code to alleviate the negative impacts of the new Tangible Property Repair Regulations (TD 9636), which forces family farms and othe… Continue Reading
04.14.14
Hoeven: BNSF Says it will Devote Unit Trains, Necessary Crews to Help Catch Up on Fertilizer Deliveries
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven spoke to BNSF Railway Executive Chairman Matt Rose on the phone this weekend to urge the railroad to do everything it can to ensure timely delivery of fertilizer for spring planting. Hoeven pressed him on the importance of getting the product to farmers within the planting window and Rose told the senator that the company will take specific steps to reduce the delays and should be able to cut them considerably by reallocating resources. "Getting seed and fertil… Continue Reading
04.11.14
Hoeven, Vitter, Cochran to FEMA: Quit Stalling on Flood Insurance Policy Protection
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators John Hoeven (R-N.D.), David Vitter (R-La.) and Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) Thursday sent a letter to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate requesting a meeting to discuss a plan to implement the recently passed flood insurance reform law and reinstating rates as Congress intended. The Senators want Fugate to explain why property owners continue to be charged higher flood insurance rates, despite a bipartisan law passed in March to protect the… Continue Reading
04.10.14
Hoeven Announces Farmers and Ranchers Can Sign-Up for Livestock Indemnity Program Beginning April 15
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today announced North Dakota farmers and ranchers who suffered livestock losses can contact their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office beginning April 15 to sign up for the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP). The 2014 Farm Bill provides LIP for the life of the farm bill, including coverage for the current fiscal year, since the program expired in 2011. It covers 75 percent of the value of the animals lost with an aggregate limit of $125,000. To expedite applica… Continue Reading
04.10.14
Hoeven: Air Force Expects to Sign Final Enhanced Use Lease for Grand Sky in Early June
WASHINGTON - At a hearing of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee this week, Senator John Hoeven thanked Kathleen I. Ferguson, Acting Assistant Secretary for Air Force Installations, Environment and Logistics for the Air Force's support in creating Grand Sky, a new state-of-the-art aerospace business and technology park on Grand Forks Air Force Base and pressed for a timeline for finalizing the Air Force's enhanced use lease (EUL) with Grand Fork… Continue Reading
04.09.14
Hoeven Calls on Transportation Sec. Foxx to Keep Moving Forward on Comprehensive Plan to Improve Rail Safety
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today again pressed federal regulators to continue moving forward on a comprehensive plan to enhance safety measures for transporting petroleum products by rail. Testifying at a hearing of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development were Department of Transportation (DoT) Secretary Anthony Foxx and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairwoman Deborah Hersman. Hoeven serves on the Appropriations Committee. Hoeven sai… Continue Reading
04.09.14
Hoeven, Klobuchar Driver Privacy Act Moves Forward, Passes Committee
WASHINGTON - The Driver Privacy Act, introduced by Senators John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), moved a step closer to passage today when the Senate Commerce Committee voted unanimously to approve the legislation. The bipartisan bill, which protects a driver's personal privacy by making explicit that the owner of a vehicle also owns the information collected by the vehicle's Event Data Recorder (EDR), now has 23 cosponsors. An EDR has the ability to continuously collect at least 4… Continue Reading
04.08.14
Hoeven Presses for More Blender Pumps at Gas Stations
WASHINGTON - At a hearing of the Senate Agriculture Committee today, Senator John Hoeven pressed the importance of advancing biofuel use across the country using market-based solutions, specifically by increasing the number of blender pumps available at gas stations. Hoeven was joined by Richard Childress, a former NASCAR driver, who testified about the need to increase the number of blender pumps available to the public. "We have got to get more blender pumps at our gas stations," Hoeven sai… Continue Reading
04.08.14
Hoeven, Heitkamp: Administration Backs Off Missile Silo Reductions
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators John Hoeven and Heidi Heitkamp today announced that the Pentagon has decided to preserves all of the nation's missile silos in the military's new strategic force structure under the New START Treaty with Russia. The Pentagon had originally planned a study preparatory to demolishing some of the silos, even though such a move was not required under the treaty. As members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Hoeven and Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.) authored a provisi… Continue Reading
04.08.14
Hoeven to Corps: Be Prepared for Possible Spring Flooding
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today met with Col. Joel Cross, Omaha District Commander of the Army Corps of Engineers, and other Corps officials to review the spring weather forecast and flood preparations in North Dakota communities. "As spring advances, we again asked the Corps to closely monitor conditions and the forecast in the Upper Missouri River Basin to make sure they are doing all they can to prevent and prepare for potential flooding in the region," Hoeven said. "While the current… Continue Reading
04.07.14
Hoeven, Klobuchar Wager Home State Delicacies on Frozen Four
WASHINGTON - Senators John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) today announced that they have agreed to a friendly wager on the outcome of the April 10 NCAA Frozen Four semifinals faceoff between the University of North Dakota (UND) and the University of Minnesota. If North Dakota wins, Klobuchar has agreed to provide Hoeven with a homemade frozen hotdish. In the event that Minnesota wins, Hoeven will provide Klobuchar with a box of North Dakota's famous chocolate covered potato chips k… Continue Reading
04.03.14
Hoeven Calls on Fellow Appropriations Committee Members for More Rail Inspectors, Support for Rail Safety
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, called on fellow members of the committee to include funding for the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to enhance railroad safety. Hoeven made the request in a letter to Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Ranking Member Susan Collins (R-Me.). The complete text of the letter can b… Continue Reading
04.03.14
Hoeven Statement on Record Setting "Lady Hawk" Flight
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement on the 348th Reconnaissance Squadron at Grand Forks Air Force Base, which used an all-female crew to fly an RQ-4 Global Hawk for 34.3 hours on a mission dubbed "Flight of the Lady Hawk," the longest ever non-refueled flight by a military aircraft. "Grand Forks Air Force Base is home to some of the finest pilots in the nation, and this squadron has once again demonstrated its tremendous skill in setting a record for the longes… Continue Reading
04.02.14
Hoeven: Indian Affairs Committee Holds Hearing on Native American Children's Safety Act
WASHINGTON - At a hearing of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee today, Senator John Hoeven was joined by Spirit Lake Tribal Chairman Leander R. McDonald to testify in support of Hoeven's Native American Children's Safety Act, legislation to implement protections for Native American children placed by tribal courts into the tribal foster care system. "Children, both on and off the reservation, deserve a safe home environment," said Hoeven. "The Native American Children's Safety Act sets height… Continue Reading