News Releases
Hoeven: Defense Authorization Bill Passes U.S. Senate with Priorities Important to North Dakota and the Nation
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today said the U.S. Senate last night passed the FY 2012 Defense Authorization bill late, which includes several authorization measures to strengthen the nation's nuclear triad and unmanned aerial systems program. The authorizations will directly benefit both Minot and Grand Forks Air Force Bases. "The military project authorizations we passed last night will help to keep our military strong and our country safe," Hoeven said. "It's vital that our armed service… Continue Reading
12.02.11
Hoeven Meets With Air Force Secretary, Chief of Staff
WASHINGTON - Senator Hoeven today spoke on national defense issues important to the U.S. Air Force and North Dakota's bases with U.S. Air Force Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz during a meeting of the Air Force Academy Board of Visitors, of which Hoeven is a member. "I have a tremendous amount of respect for both Secretary Donley and General Schwartz, and I appreciated the opportunity to share with them what we are doing in Congress to support the w… Continue Reading
12.02.11
Hoeven Calls On Delta Air Lines Officials to Resolve Devils Lake Air Service Issue
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today contacted Delta Air Lines officials in an effort to resolve an air service issue that is interrupting daily service to Devils Lake. Company officials say aircraft destined for the city could be diverted due to weather and altered runway conditions. Delta Vice President for Government Relations Andrea Newman said a new elevated road has reduced the effective length of the runway, making larger Canadian Regional Jets (CRJ) unable to land when wind condition… Continue Reading
12.01.11
Hoeven: Nuclear Defenses, Global Hawk Systems Essential to America's National Security
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today urged his U.S. Senate colleagues to support two key amendments he introduced to the Defense Authorization bill that seek to ensure the nation's military strength. Hoeven authored S.Amdt. 1279, which reaffirms the importance of a robust nuclear defense through sustaining the "nuclear triad," which includes land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and nuclear-capable heavy bomber jets. He also authored S.Amdt. 13… Continue Reading
11.30.11
Hoeven Introduces Bill to Clear Way For Keystone Pipeline
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today introduced legislation that would clear the way to build the Keystone XL Pipeline, which will carry an additional 700,000 barrels a day of oil to U.S. refineries and create thousands of jobs for American workers. The bill would require the Secretary of State to issue a permit within 60 days to allow the Keystone XL project to move ahead unless the President determines that it is not in the national interest. "Keystone XL will help secure our nat… Continue Reading
11.29.11
Hoeven: Senate Passes Amendment Putting National Guard Head on Joint Chiefs of Staff
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven this evening said a measure he cosponsored to make the Chief of the National Guard Bureau a statutory member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has passed as an amendment to the Defense Reauthorization Bill, which is now on the floor of the U.S. Senate. The Senator was a cosponsor of the National Guard Empowerment and State-National Defense Integration Act, which more closely incorporates the nation's 450,000 National Guard members into the country's military force st… Continue Reading
11.29.11
Hoeven, Dalrymple, Saskatchewan Premier Wall Work to Enhance Downstream Flood Protection
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven and Governor Jack Dalrymple this morning spoke with Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall to discuss the management of three upstream Canadian dams in preparation for possible flooding in the Mouse River Basin during the spring of 2012. Canadian water authorities manage the operations of the Boundary, Rafferty and Alameda dams in the Province of Saskatchewan, upstream of Minot and other North Dakota communities. "We are working with Premier Wall and Canadian authoritie… Continue Reading
11.29.11
Hoeven: EPA Not Planning a Moratorium on Fracking in ND
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today said the Environmental Protection Agency has clarified that it is not planning a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in North Dakota. The agency will, however, provide guidelines that state regulators can use to draft rules governing the use of diesel fuel in fracking under the Safe Drinking Water Act. In a conference call arranged by Senator Hoeven, EPA officials Cynthia Dougherty, Director of the Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, an… Continue Reading
11.22.11
Hoeven: Fill the Dome Campaign Shows Leadership of Fargo-Area Youth, Generosity of Local Community
FARGO, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven today commended Fargo-area youth for their hard work and dedication to Fill the Dome, a youth-led initiative to collect enough food donations to cover the entire floor of the Fargodome. Hoeven joined local leaders and student organizers at a news conference this morning to highlight the campaign and the results of the fifth-annual food drive. "For the past five years, local students have led this effort to stock the shelves of our state's food pantries and prov… Continue Reading
11.21.11
Sen. John Hoeven Statement on the Announcement Today That the Joint Select Committee Was Unable to Reach Agreement
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement in response to today's announcement that the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction was unable to reach agreement on a deficit reduction plan: "The Joint Select Committee's announcement today that it was unable to reach agreement on a deficit reduction plan does not alter the fact that our nation continues to face serious financial challenges. That is a view shared by both Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. … Continue Reading
11.21.11
Hoeven: Federal Flood Assistance For North Dakota to Exceed $1 Billion
MINOT - Senator John Hoeven today took the occasion of his Library of Congress book donation ceremony to update local leaders and the community on federal flood assistance funding for the state of North Dakota and the Minot region. Based on state estimates, North Dakota is expected to receive more than $1 billion in federal disaster assistance. The Minot area has received almost $400 million from all federal programs, and additional funding is pending. Hoeven provided North Dakotans with an up… Continue Reading
11.21.11
Hoeven Donates Books to Minot Public Schools
MINOT, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven today donated 285 books to Minot Public Schools in recognition of the school community's resilience throughout the flood event earlier this year. Hoeven's office selected the books through the Surplus Books Program of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. "Despite tremendous amounts of damage to Minot's public schools, the community has worked successfully to save its school libraries. These books are helping our schools and students take one more step to… Continue Reading
11.19.11
Hoeven: Adoptive Families Have Much To Be Thankful For
GRAND FORKS, ND - Senator John Hoeven and his wife Mikey congratulated five North Dakota families who finalized adoptions this morning at the Grand Forks County Courthouse during National Adoption Day, and said that the newly expanded families have much to be thankful for as they look ahead to Thanksgiving. The Hoevens attended the annual event, which was being held for the third year in Grand Forks. "A loving family is the greatest gift we can have, and today adoption has made that possible fo… Continue Reading
11.18.11
Hoeven Announces Fedorchak as New State Director
BISMARCK, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven today announced that he has named Julie Fedorchak as his new state director. Fedorchak has been the senator's deputy state director since January 2011 when he took office. She is replacing Shane Goettle, who left his position Tuesday to pursue other opportunities. A North Dakota native, Fedorchak was born in Williston, grew up in Fargo and graduated from high school in Bismarck. She completed a journalism degree from the University of North Dakota and has 21… Continue Reading
11.18.11
Hoeven: New 'Super 2' Lanes Will Increase Travel Ease, Safety in Western North Dakota
WATFORD CITY, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven today joined state and local officials for a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the completion of a project to "Super 2" a 40-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 85 between Watford City and Williston on U.S. Highway 85. As governor, Hoeven worked with the North Dakota Department of Transportation to develop a plan that would initially "Super 2" Highway 85 with the goal of eventually expanding it to a four-lane highway. The NDDOT project, which began in June, added… Continue Reading
11.17.11
Congressional Delegation Urges HUD Secretary to Target CDBG Funds to Minot
WASHINGTON - Senators Kent Conrad and John Hoeven and Congressman Rick Berg today urged the U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to direct disaster relief funding to Minot and other North Dakota communities impacted by spring flooding. Later today, Congress is expected to give final approval to $400 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding for states that have experienced severe natural disasters this year. Senators Conrad and Hoeven successfully pushed f… Continue Reading
11.17.11
Hoeven, Blunt Push Amendments to Strengthen Flood Protection
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Senator Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) late Wednesday spoke on the Senate floor to press for two amendments they're cosponsoring to strengthen flood protections. The first would redirect funding the Army Corps of Engineers uses for such purposes as building sandbars on the Missouri River to flood protection efforts instead this year. A second amendment would streamline the federal approval process involved in repairing and reconstructing levees and taking other f… Continue Reading
11.17.11
Hoeven Statement on Death of State Sen. Fischer
BISMARCK, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven and his wife Mikey extended their condolences today to the family and friends of North Dakota State Senator Tom Fischer, who died yesterday. "Tom was a good legislator, a good business owner, and, above all, a good man. He was a dedicated state leader on water issues and worked to find solutions to the Fargo region's annual flood fight. A true public servant, Tom strove to build consensus on issues important to him, especially when it came to flo… Continue Reading
11.17.11
Tesoro CEO Goff Meets with Hoeven to Discuss Company's Expansion Plans
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today met with Tesoro CEO Greg Goff to review the company's major expansion plans in North Dakota, including a $35 million, 10,000-barrel-per-day expansion of its Mandan refinery and a new rail project to ship North Dakota crude to its Anacortes, Washington facility. The refinery expansion will push refinery capacity to 68,000 barrels-a-day, which will be supplied by Bakken oil through its High Plains Pipeline system. Construction is expected to be completed … Continue Reading
11.16.11
Hoeven Presses Dept. of Energy to Build Partnerships Between Traditional and Renewable Energy Resources
WASHINGTON - Citing examples from North Dakota's energy industry, Senator John Hoeven said that the U.S. Department of Energy must do more to stimulate private investment in new technologies to get traditional and renewable energy sectors working together. Hoeven, speaking at a hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee yesterday, pressed U.S. Department of Energy Undersecretary for Science Dr. Steven Koonin for specific ways the agency's programs can encourage and develop tec… Continue Reading