{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.hoeven.senate.gov/news/news-releases/hoeven-addresses-nd-student-councils-conference-holds-qanda-and-encourages-student-leaders", "Hoeven Addresses ND Student Councils Conference, Holds Q&A and Encourages Student Leaders", "2023-12-10", "2023", "2023-12", "Republican", "Senate", "ND", "John Hoeven", "H001061", "www.hoeven.senate.gov", "hoeven", "https://www.hoeven.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "Hoeven Addresses ND Student Councils Conference, Holds Q&A and Encourages Student Leaders\n\nBISMARCK, N.D. \u2013 Senator John Hoeven today addressed the North Dakota Association of Student Councils state conference, where he thanked the students for taking on leadership roles in their schools and encouraged them to continue embracing the challenges facing their generation to help build a better future for their communities, state and nation. Hoeven also held a question and answer session with the student leaders, discussing a wide range of priorities important to North Dakota and the U.S.\n\n\u201cNorth Dakota\u2019s students are the future of our state and nation. It takes drive and determination for young people to pursue leadership roles, and we appreciate the contributions they already make to their communities,\u201d said Hoeven. \u201cWe had a great discussion with our state\u2019s student leaders today, including on ensuring they have the opportunity to pursue their passions and build a prosperous life. This includes our efforts to expand STEM education, support our entrepreneurs and improve college affordability, especially for those students who most need financial assistance.\u201d\n\nAmong other efforts, Hoeven discussed efforts to expand opportunities for students to gain training in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and pursue careers in the critical industries of the future. To this end, the senator is:\n\nWorking to empower schools to expand access to STEM education, while supporting STEM education initiatives for young children.\n\nSupporting greater college affordability, including through measures such as:\n\nThe Employer Participation in Repayment Act, which was signed into law and allows employers to provide tax-free student loan repayment up to $5,250 per year.\n\nThe Jumpstart Our Businesses by Supporting Students (JOBS) Act, a bill to make Pell grants more flexible by extending eligibility to high-quality, shorter-term job training programs that meet regional workforce needs.\n\nWorking as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee to ensure strong support for Pell grants to get assistance to students who need it most.\n\nSupporting the success of the state\u2019s tech entrepreneurs by helping introduce bipartisan legislation like:\n\nThe Support Our Start-Ups Act to enable entrepreneurs to deduct more of their start-up costs and invest more into their operations sooner.\n\nThe Portable Benefits for Independent Workers Pilot Program Act, which would make portable benefits more accessible for entrepreneurs and provide greater certainty for them and their families.\n\n-###-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:56:20Z"]], "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.hoeven.senate.gov/news/news-releases/hoeven-addresses-nd-student-councils-conference-holds-qanda-and-encourages-student-leaders"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.2969692945480347, "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"}