{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=5307383f-7a88-402e-abd4-ed970722d69d", "Heitkamp Brings Top Bank Regulator to State to Hear Firsthand from North Dakota Bankers", "2013-08-14", "2013", "2013-08", "Democrat", "House", "ND", "Heidi Heitkamp", "H001069", "www.heitkamp.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "BISMARCK, N.D. \u2013 U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp, a member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, today brought Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Chairman Martin Gruenberg to North Dakota to hear directly from bankers in the state about the importance of local and community banks to helping small businesses and communities thrive.\r\nWith a deep understanding of the vital role local banks play in North Dakota, Heitkamp is using her role on the powerful Senate committee to make sure they are given the opportunities to succeed without facing undue regulations. With 98 percent of North Dakota\u2019s businesses considered small businesses, community banks play a vital role in helping them grow, providing nearly half of small business loans and farm loans.\r\n\u201cLocal banks are lifelines for our communities, helping families buy homes and enabling small businesses get the financing they need to succeed. We need to make sure they are given the chance to help our businesses, towns, and state grow,\u201d said Heitkamp. \u201cToday, North Dakota\u2019s bankers had an incredible opportunity to help drive home that policies made in Washington shouldn\u2019t prevent our small lenders from thriving. I\u2019m fighting on the Senate Banking Committee to rein in the abuses of Wall Street, but we need to be careful that we aren\u2019t inadvertently harming North Dakota banks at the same time. Lenders in our state weren\u2019t responsible for the economic downturn, and they \u2013 as well as our families and businesses \u2013 shouldn\u2019t be punished for the irresponsible actions of bigger banks.\u201d\r\n\u201cI appreciate the invitation from Senator Heitkamp to visit North Dakota to meet with community bankers and hear their views first hand,\u201d said FDIC Chairman Martin J. Gruenberg. The FDIC is an independent federal regulator which oversees community banks and works to maintain stability and confidence in the nation\u2019s financial system.\r\nSince joining the Senate Banking Committee in January, Heitkamp\u2019s work on the panel has been praised. CQ Roll Call wrote that Heitkamp is \u201cquickly becoming a Senator to watch,\u201d on the Committee. Republican Senator Bob Corker, whom Heitkamp worked with on a major housing finance reform bill, said during a press conference about the legislation that Heitkamp is \u201cstronger than battery acid.\u201d \u00a0\r\nDuring two recent Senate Banking Committee hearings on community banks, Heitkamp reinforced the importance of making sure we maintain a strong role for community banks in our states and towns.\u00a0 Click here for video of her speaking during a June 23 hearing.\r\n\u00a0###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=5307383f-7a88-402e-abd4-ed970722d69d"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 3.3806031569838524, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}