{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=65BB72DF-B84C-4A64-A854-2A32E1884C9A", "Heitkamp Meets with Fargo Mayor, Continuing Fight for Permanent Flood Protections", "2016-10-31", "2016", "2016-10", "Democrat", "House", "ND", "Heidi Heitkamp", "H001069", "www.heitkamp.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "FARGO, N.D. \u2013 U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp, a staunch advocate for strong flood protections throughout North Dakota, met with Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney in her ongoing push to guarantee the Red River Valley gets the permanent flood protections the area needs.\r\nHeitkamp updated Mahoney on her continued work to forge a path forward that secures Fargo flood protections \u2013 including a conversation she had earlier this month with U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Shaun Donovan, pressing him on the need for continued federal support. Heitkamp is also working to include federal funds for the diversion in the spending bill Congress will debate later this year, as well as pushing for diversion support in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers\u2019 next work plan like she did last year.\r\n\u201cNorth Dakotans have always worked together to beat back rising waters, and I\u2019m continuing to work with Mayor Mahoney to make sure Fargo and the Red River Valley get lasting protection,\u201d said Heitkamp. \u201cEmergency levees and sandbags aren\u2019t long-term solutions, which is why I\u2019ve fought to secure critical federal flood protection funding \u2013 and why I successfully called on the Corps and Administration to provide a new Fargo construction start. We must make sure this support continues in the coming year so this project becomes a reality, and I\u2019ll push to make that happen. Despite the obstacles, Mayor Mahoney and I are committed to pushing forward and securing protections for the 230,000 folks who are counting on this project to keep our communities safe.\u201d\r\nIn July, the Army Corps and local leaders signed an agreement to initiate construction of the Fargo-Moorhead diversion \u2013 a project Heitkamp has fought to make happen. In the U.S. Senate, she pushed to secure federal resources in the year-end spending bill for the Army Corps to implement new construction starts. This year, Heitkamp successfully pressed Army Corps and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) leaders for flood protections and a new Fargo construction start in the Corps\u2019 2016 work plan.\r\nHeitkamp has consistently worked to secure federal support for lasting flood protections in the Red River Valley by:\r\n\r\n \r\nBringing local and federal officials together to support the Fargo-Moorhead diversion project.\u00a0In May 2015, Heitkamp\u00a0met with city officials from Fargo and Moorhead\u00a0to discuss mutual efforts to push top officials from the Army Corps and OMB on using public-private partnerships to advance the project. Soon after,\u00a0Heitkamp spoke with OMB Director Donovan\u00a0to urge him to take action so the diversion project could continue to move forward. In total, Heitkamp spoke with Donovan four times in the last year \u2013 each time pressing him about the critical importance of federal support for this project.\u00a0Last fall, Heitkamp and Lieutenant General Bostick met with the Fargo-Moorhead Diversion Authority to discuss permanent, comprehensive flood protections during his first-ever visit to Fargo. And this October, Heitkamp spoke with OMB Director Donovan again to press him on the need for continued federal support.\r\n \r\n \r\nPassing legislation securing flood protection infrastructure projects.\u00a0In June 2014, the President signed into law the bipartisan bill\u00a0Heitkamp pushed for\u00a0\u2013 the\u00a0Water Resources Reform and Development Act\u00a0(WRRDA)\u00a0\u2013 which supports water infrastructure projects in North Dakota including permanent flood protection for more than 200,000 residents in Fargo and surrounding area through the Fargo-Moorhead Diversion project.", 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?ID=65BB72DF-B84C-4A64-A854-2A32E1884C9A"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.4330662563443184, "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"}