{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=BB1987FC-589A-422F-AE8C-04D33FF92A69", "Heitkamp Helps Senate Pass Defense Authorization Bill to Support North Dakota Priorities", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "ND", "Heidi Heitkamp", "H001069", "www.heitkamp.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today voted with a bipartisan majority of the U.S. Senate to pass the National Defense Authorization Act, which authorizes U.S. Department of Defense funding levels and helps set defense policy \u2013 including several key provisions Heitkamp pushed for to support North Dakota defense priorities.\u00a0\r\nThe legislation is a bipartisan compromise negotiated between the Senate and the House, and passed last week in the House. Heitkamp helped pass an earlier version of the bill in the Senate in June.\r\n\u201cPassing a strong, bipartisan defense bill will help keep our country safe, while also bolstering North Dakota\u2019s defense priorities at our Air Force bases and beyond,\u201d said Heitkamp. \u201cThis bill authorizes funding for the Global Hawk mission at Grand Forks Air Force Base and the nuclear missions at Minot Air Force Base, and underscores the importance of all of these missions to supporting strong national security strategies. To boost our state\u2019s leadership in the use of remotely piloted aircraft, the bill also includes a provision I backed bolstering support for these aircraft as well as provisions I fought for to help servicemembers with post-traumatic stress, encourage the quick replacement of Minot\u2019s UH-1N helicopters, and more.\u201d\r\nThe National Defense Authorization Act includes several provisions that Heitkamp pushed for to benefit North Dakota, including:\r\n \r\nProtecting the nuclear mission at Minot Air Force Base: The bill includes a provision Heitkamp pushed for to keep development of the next generation of long-range strike bombers \u2013 like those at Minot Air Force Base \u2013 on track. Last year\u2019s defense bill included elements of Heitkamp\u2019s bipartisan Long Range Bomber Sustainment Act to make sure long-range bomber aircraft such as Minot Air Force Base B-52 bombers stay in service as long as they are needed, by restricting circumstances in which bombers may be retired. \u00a0\r\n \r\n \r\nStrengthening border security by boosting the use of remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) technologies: Long a champion of improving national security through innovative RPA solutions, Heitkamp successfully included a provision in the bill to track the success rate of those technologies in border security missions along our northern, southern, and coastal borders. Heitkamp also helped support strong funding for Global Hawks flown by the 69th Reconnaissance Group at Grand Forks Air Force Base, as well as MQ-9 Reapers operated by the North Dakota Air National Guard.\r\n \r\n \r\nSupporting servicemembers who suffer from post-traumatic stress: The bill includes provisions from a bipartisan bill Heitkamp supported to make sure benefits aren\u2019t denied to servicemembers who served honorably, but were discharged from the military under less than honorable circumstances due to the effects of post-traumatic stress. \r\n \r\n \r\nImproving security at Minot Air Force Base: Heitkamp backed a provision to encourage the Department of Defense (DOD) to expedite long-overdue upgrades to Vietnam-era UH-1N helicopters used at Minot Air Force Base to guard nuclear weapons. As a member of the bipartisan ICBM coalition, Heitkamp has consistently urged DOD to replace the Vietnam-era UH-1N helicopters.\r\n \r\n \r\nReducing waste and promoting better management of federal programs: Today\u2019s bill includes Heitkamp\u2019s bipartisan Program Management Improvement Accountability Act to implement the oversight, training, and standards federal managers need to reduce waste and improve the performance of the programs North Dakota businesses and workers rely on. \r\n \r\n ###", 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=BB1987FC-589A-422F-AE8C-04D33FF92A69"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9761638939380646, "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"}