Press releases
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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586 rows where party = "Democrat", state = "ND" and year = 2017 sorted by date descending
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| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=CBBE033F-9C48-42B9-8B20-4DC43FFD4B3D | Heitkamp Announces Federal Economic Development Funds for Standing Rock | 2017-12-28 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today announced $51,000 in federal funding for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe that will establish tribal economic development planning and a strategy to support long-term investment and job creation on the reservation. On North Dakotas tribal lands, access to economic opportunity remains a critical challenge, especially for young people looking to start their careers and for those having difficulty finding steady work, said Heitkamp. We know that strong economic conditions grow existing tribal businesses, provide greater security to lower income families, and help build a roadmap to a better future. But too often tribes lack the support they need to plan for sustainable growth. Thats why this award is so important in helping to lay the groundwork for increased private investment and job creation on Standing Rock. These federal funds are made available through the Economic Development Administration (EDA) a bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce. This EDA funding helps communities establish economic development strategies that aid North Dakota economic development councils across the state in bringing together both public and private resources that will help small businesses, create jobs, and stimulate long-term growth. Heitkamp has long advocated for entrepreneurship and economic development on Standing Rock. In 2015, Heitkamp brought then-U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet to the reservation, where they spoke with tribal leaders and business students at Sitting Bull College about opportunities for training, technical assistance, and programs to spur job growth on the reservation. Heitkamp received the Spirit of Enterprise Award from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for her work in the U.S. Senate to support startups in rural areas and small cities to help them get off the ground, and her support of small businesses through commonsense regulatory reform, making sure small businesses have a seat at the table when rules are made. Th… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/featured-items?ContentRecord_id=954F4EA8-406E-48C8-B4ED-3B1FFB56C0ED | Heitkamp, Carper Urge Administration to Fill Census Bureau Leadership Vacancies | 2017-12-27 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Senator Heidi Heitkamp Home Meet Heidi Constituent Services Issues North Dakota News Contact Featured Items Home / News / Featured Items Contact Senator Heitkamp Washington Office SH-516 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Phone: (202) 224-2043 Fax: (202) 224-7776 Bismarck Office 228 Federal Building 220 East Rosser Avenue Bismarck, ND 58501 Phone: (701) 258-4648 Fax: (701) 258-1254 Fargo Office 306 Federal Building 657 Second Avenue North Fargo, ND 58102 Phone: (701) 232-8030 … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=78143605-F2D8-4D60-AEC6-0EB915784021 | Heitkamp Votes to Avoid Government Shutdown | 2017-12-21 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today released the following statement after voting for a short-term agreement to avoid a government shutdown. Lurching from deadline to deadline is no way to govern, and its unfortunate that Congress is once again kicking the can down the road for another few weeks. North Dakota families and small businesses understand the importance of budgeting and planning for their year ahead because they need to make sure they can put food on the table and support their kids, so theres no excuse for Congresss failure to do the same. Im disappointed that the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) was only extended for three months. Thats little consolation to families with sick children who rely on the program for their health care needs. This program is about life and death, and the families who rely on it need long-term certainty to know that their kids will be protected. This bill waived the PAYGO law, meaning that vital programs like Medicare and agricultural assistance are not cut which is good, but it means Congress is still adding a $1.5 trillion tax bill to our nations credit card, to be paid for by our children and grandchildren. And experts and academics have said the Republican tax bill wont pay for itself. Unfortunately, the options arent good either cut critical programs families rely on or push huge costs onto future generations. North Dakotans expect and deserve more fiscal responsibility than that. Since before joining the U.S. Senate, Ive called for Congress to pass a balanced budget amendment, and I cosponsored a bill to do just that because the federal government needs to gets its fiscal house in order. While Congress avoided a government shutdown, which would be damaging to our economy and disruptive to many North Dakotans, it must end this cycle of short-term spending bills that just kick the can down the road, and instead give our economy the certainty it needs to grow. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=7F7DCA12-B483-46E8-A487-33A28B1B2B01 | New Heitkamp Podcast: On Tax Reform, Bipartisanship Would Make Better Policy | 2017-12-21 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today released the latest episode of her podcast, The Hotdish, interviewing former U.S. Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND) and Phillip Swagel, a Republican economist and former economic advisor in the Bush administration. North Dakotans want to know that people from different political parties can sit down and have an honest discussion about the best way forward for our economy, said Heitkamp, North Dakotas former tax commissioner. Unfortunately, that didnt happen as the Republican tax bill was crafted even though I, and many others, tried to be at the table. As a result, it created policies that wont support North Dakotas workers, families, and retirees in the long-term. But from my conversations with a bipartisan pair of guests in this edition of The Hotdish, its clear that theres plenty of common ground to be found we just have to be willing to talk to each other, just as I try to do every day in the Senate. The Hotdish is available on iTunes and SoundCloud. Click here to subscribe to The Hotdish on iTunes. Like Heitkamp, Conrad is a former North Dakota Tax Commissioner, and in his 26 years in the U.S. Senate he played a vital role in shaping our nations fiscal policies and worked on a bipartisan basis on solutions to deal with our deficits and debt, including as the former chairman of the U.S. Senate Budget Committee. He is now a senior fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center and co-chair of its Commission on Retirement Security and Personal Savings. Heitkamp and Conrad discussed the nearly $1.5 trillion cost of the tax reform bill and the impact of mounting debt on future generations. Heitkamp recalled a recent conversation with a Vietnam veteran in North Dakota who told her he wanted a tax cut but not if his grandkids were going to have to pay for it. Heres a veteran who put on a uniform and served his country, and he was still thinking about whats really good for his country, and not just good for him, Heitkamp said. And you know, I thought, thats a North Dakota a… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=35A6A3FE-57C6-46D6-8126-56373F0DE397 | Heitkamp Announces More Affordable Housing Options are Coming to Minot | 2017-12-20 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp announced today that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) approved the Minot Housing Authoritys waiver request to adjust their fair market rent (FMR) payment standards, which will give more Minot residents access to affordable housing programs. In September, Heitkamp pressed HUD Secretary Ben Carson to support the waiver to help those in need of affordable housing. Heitkamp has been working closely with HUD to see this process through and to advocate for Minot Housing Authoritys request. FMRs are a measurement which help low-income families afford decent housing in certain areas. In October 2013, HUD increased FMRs in Ward, Mountrail, and Williams counties in response to the housing crisis in the region. As the oil boom in western North Dakota slowed, rent prices rapidly decreased in these countiesyet due to a rule published by HUD last fall, FMRs cannot be less than 90 percent of the FMR amounts from the previous year. As a result, an estimated 100 to 150 fewer low-income families are able to find affordable housing in the Minot area. Rents in the Minot area have decreased somewhat from record highs yet HUDs funding formula to help families afford homes is far too slow to reflect conditions on the ground. The agencys one-size-fits-all approach has left many North Dakota families who urgently need support to afford homes without any assistance putting them and their families at risk, Heitkamp said. Todays decision means that more families in the Minot area will have the resources needed to find adequate housing, and Im proud to have helped push for this waiver. All families should have a safe place to call home, and seeking out ways to make housing more affordable across our state must be a priority. Heitkamp has advocated for affordable housing throughout North Dakota, and in 2015, she pushed back on proposals from the previous administration that would negatively impact the ability of families to obtain decent, safe housing at a reasonable… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=99D99DBD-51E2-46E3-AA81-2DF2F945448D | Heitkamp: Republican Tax Bill is Full of Broken Promises | 2017-12-20 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today voted against the House-Senate Republican tax bill because it will impact North Dakotans by increasing the debt by nearly $1.5 trillion, raising costs for most middle income families in the long-term, and not growing the economy or creating jobs in the way Republicans say it will. Yesterday, Heitkamp joined a local tax attorney, small business owner, senior citizen, farmer, and the president of the North Dakota Building and Construction Trades Council in Fargo to explain how the bill will hurt North Dakotans in the long-term. As North Dakotas former tax commissioner, I know taxes are complicated, and Ive wanted to work on a bill that cuts taxes for working men and women who need a break, said Heitkamp. In fact, Ive been almost begging Republicans to work with me on a bipartisan bill that could serve North Dakota. I held meetings in North Dakota on tax reform, and met with top White House officials, including the president, on the issue. Unfortunately, I never got a seat at the table, nor did many others. As a result, it produced a partisan tax bill that hurts North Dakota and is full of broken promises to the American people. We were promised middle income tax cuts without cuts for the wealthy. But this bill gives huge, permanent tax cuts to corporations and millionaires while middle income families will see relatively modest cuts in the short-term and their costs go up in the long run. We were promised a fiscally responsible bill. But this bill charges nearly $1.5 trillion on a credit card account to our children and grandchildren without a plan to pay for it. We were promised a simpler tax code so we could file taxes on a postcard. But this bill makes the tax code even more confusing and more difficult for families to understand their tax liability. We were promised no loopholes. But this bill is full of loopholes for real estate moguls, private jet companies, and others, enabling large corporations and the wealthy to pay lower taxes. And we were promised a… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=18F298AD-D62E-4462-93F5-76F8112C161D | With Heitkamp Support, Four Export-Import Bank Board Nominees Advance in Senate who would Enable Bank to Fully Operate | 2017-12-19 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Congress Passed Heitkamps Bipartisan Bill to Reauthorize the Bank in 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today helped pass out of the Senate Banking Committee four nominees to serve on the Export-Import Banks Board of Directors, getting the Banks board one step closer to having the quorum it needs to fully operate and support American jobs and businesses, including many in North Dakota. Heitkamp also joined Republicans and Democrats in blocking the nomination of Scott Garrett to lead the board. As a Congressman, Garrett voted to kill the Bank, making him unqualified to lead it. Heitkamp spoke out against Garretts nomination at a hearing last month. Today we took a long-awaited step toward helping manufacturers and small business owners across the country including many in North Dakota get the support they need to compete on a global scale, Heitkamp said. The Export-Import Bank provides capital for American businesses to invest and create jobs, and has turned a profit for taxpayers since its inception more than 80 years ago. But for years, it has been crippled by congressional inaction, which has forced some businesses to move American jobs abroad. Congress needs to support American workers and businesses, and thats why getting the Bank fully functioning is so important. The full Senate must now vote to confirm these nominees so that the Bank can fully operate and help our businesses compete in the global economy. In North Dakota alone, businesses have $50 million of authorizations from the Bank that could be put at risk in the future if it doesnt have a full board seated. Across the country, hundreds of thousands of jobs have been put in jeopardy because of the uncertainty surrounding the Bank, as over $37.5 billion of deals wait in limbo to be approved by the Board. Heitkamp pressed President-elect Trump to get the bank fully functioning in a meeting at Trump Tower in December 2016, and she secured a commitment from him to get the Bank up and running in a meeting shortly a… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=AE068F80-8BC2-461C-A06F-B22069B5BAA6 | Heitkamp Announces Federal Funding to Further Economic Growth Strategies | 2017-12-19 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp, a member of the Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship, announced three federal grants totaling $210,000 to the Lewis & Clark Regional Development Council, Roosevelt-Custer Regional Council for Development, and the Souris Basin Planning Council to help them establish comprehensive plans to grow and diversify their local economies. Having the right economic strategy in place is key to taking on opportunities and mitigating challenges to keep local communities thriving, said Heitkamp. These federal funds will assist the regional economic development councils in central and western North Dakota so they can put together comprehensive plans that work with both the public and private sectors to leverage each communitys assets to grow their economies. These federal funds will be distributed as follows: Lewis & Clark Regional Development Council: $70,000 in federal funds to put together an economic development strategy that works with both the public and private sectors that will assist in the counties of Burleigh, Emmons, Grant, Kidder, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Oliver, Sheridan, and Sioux. Roosevelt-Custer Regional Council for Development: $70,000 in federal funds to put together an economic development strategy that works with both the public and private sectors that will assist in the counties of Adams, Billings, Bowman, Dunn, Golden Valley, Hettinger, Slope, and Stark. Souris Basin Planning Council: $70,000 in federal fund to put together an economic development strategy that works with both the public and private sectors that will assist in the counties of Bottineau, Burke, McHenry, Mountrail, Pierce, Renville, and Ward. The federal funds are made available through the Economic Development Administration (EDA) a bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce. This EDA funding helps communities establish economic development strategies that aid North Dakota economic development councils across the state in bringing together bo… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=5DF6DE3F-D7AC-4729-B3D7-89017E52BEE0 | Heitkamp Explains how Republican Tax Reform Bill will Hurt North Dakotans | 2017-12-18 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today explained how the House-Senate Republican tax reform bill will impact North Dakotans by increasing the debt by nearly $1.5 trillion, raising costs for most middle income families in the long-term, and not growing the economy or creating jobs in the way Republicans say it will. Joining Heitkamp were a local tax attorney, small business owner, senior citizen, farmer, and the president of the North Dakota Building and Construction Trades Council. Each explained how the final bill will make the tax code more complex, disadvantage local small businesses and workers, hurt seniors and middle income families, and put at risk farm programs that producers rely on. Its Congress job to put our country on a strong path forward, said Heitkamp, North Dakotas former tax commissioner. Unfortunately, this bill does the opposite. It will put nearly $1.5 trillion on the countrys credit card, passing those costs on to our children and grandchildren. And it will increase costs for most North Dakotans in the long-term, while corporations and the wealthy reap permanent benefits. Ive long said I wanted to work on tax reform that supports workers, families, and retirees across North Dakota, but this bill was hastily crafted and pushed through by one party. That produced bad results that dont serve North Dakota or rural America. Heitkamp discussed how the final bill, released last Friday evening, will explode the countrys debt, adding nearly $1.5 trillion on the nations credit card and thats before accounting for various budget gimmicks forcing those huge costs onto future generations. On top of that, academics and conservative experts have concluded that under the bill, the countrys debt will grow much faster than the economy. And, the Republican tax reform bill wont grow the economy or create jobs in the way Republicans say it will, as many large companies have said they will pass most tax savings on to shareholders, and not use the majority of the t… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=B1B7D3C0-04D2-4C2B-B28B-8CDC4660C3B7 | Heitkamp Announces Federal Funds to Support Students Entering STEM Fields | 2017-12-18 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp announced $999,519 in federal funds for the University of North Dakota to support scholarships for lower-income, first generation, and unrepresented students so they can pursue an education in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM). Encouraging students to enter STEM education programs and supporting them throughout their college years will help increase the number of students ready to tackle the jobs of the 21st century, said Heitkamp. These federal funds will support lower income and minority students, including underrepresented students from rural areas, enabling them to pursue and further their careers in STEM. These federal funds are made available through the National Science Foundations Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program and the Undergraduate Scholarships with Mathematics and Science Training, Exploration and Research project. These funds will support at least 36 scholarships over a five year period for students in need of financial assistance as well as to support under represented students to increase diversity in these fields. Students must be working towards a degree in Biology, Chemistry, Geography & Geographic Information Science, Mathematics, and Physics & Astrophysics. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=C6AD4AB0-373E-44F2-B0B2-5B4C1D4F4445 | Heitkamp Congratulates City of Fargo on Winning National Energy Efficiency Competition | 2017-12-18 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today congratulated the City of Fargo on winning a two-year national competition to promote energy efficiency in small- to medium-size cities. Today, the Georgetown University Energy Prize competition announced that Fargos energy efficiency initiative, eFargo, has been selected as the winner of the competitions $5 million prize. The 50 U.S. communities competing for the prize were judged based on reductions in energy use and sustainability over a two-year period, creativity, and quality of community outreach and replicability. An important piece of our nations all-of-the-above energy strategy should be implementing local and state-wide energy-saving initiatives that fit our unique weather challenges and helping residents understand the tangible benefits of reduced and efficient energy use, said Heitkamp. Fargos success shows that even under extreme North Dakota weather conditions, we can promote long-term sustainability while also lowering energy bills. Todays announcement is the culmination of two years of collaboration and innovation from many dedicated folks in the Fargo community. Congratulations to the City of Fargo and the leaders of the eFargo initiative on winning this prestigious award through truly innovative ideas and community-wide participation achieving greater energy efficiency that I hope will lead to long-term planning goals for the Fargo metropolitan region. As part of its initiative, the City of Fargo has brought together government officials, residents, and utility companies to significantly improve energy efficiency in the Fargo community, as well as increase renewable energy use. Among other things, the city has been working to incorporate biodiesel buses into its bus system, replace traffic lights to LED, and provide energy conservation tips to local residents. Click here to learn more about the eFargo project. Heitkamp has long been a supporter of Fargos efforts to advance sustained energy efficiency. Heitkamp has been in contact with the e… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=E57B8866-F46B-4B8F-AE43-116727E6325F | Heitkamp Announces Federal Economic Development Funds for North Dakota | 2017-12-18 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp, a member of the Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship, announced two federal grants totaling $140,000 to the Lake Agassiz Regional Council and the North Central Planning Council that will support efforts to develop and implement economic growth strategies in North Dakota. Laying the groundwork to grow our local economies will help North Dakota succeed well into the future, said Heitkamp. Strong economies support families, grow small businesses, and make sure that folks are able to show up to good-paying jobs each morning, and these federal funds will help counties in northeastern North Dakota develop a game plan to boost their local economies. These federal funds will be distributed as follows: Lake Agassiz Regional Council: $70,000 in federal funds to put together an economic development strategy that will assist the counties of Cass, Ransom, Richland, Sargent, Steele, and Traill. North Central Planning Council: $70,000 in federal funds to put together an economic development strategy that will assist the counties of Benson, Cavalier, Eddy, Ramsey, Rolette, and Towner as well as Spirit Lake Nation and the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indian Reservation. The federal funds are made available through the Economic Development Administration (EDA) a bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce. This EDA funding helps communities establish economic development strategies that aid North Dakota economic development councils across the state in bringing together both public and private resources that will help small businesses, create jobs, and long-term growth. Heitkamp received the Spirit of Enterprise Award from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for her work in the U.S. Senate to support small businesses through commonsense regulatory reform, making sure small businesses have a seat at the table when rules are made, and pushing for investments to support startups in rural areas and small cities to help them get off the ground. The Chamber… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/op-eds?ContentRecord_id=25181411-4E57-4C68-9037-E83649485998 | Bipartisanship Makes Better Policy | 2017-12-15 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | These days, Congress is far too often a place of partisanship and grandstanding. Its apparent with the hastily written tax reform bill that is being pushed through Congress which would explode our countrys debt. But during my time in the U.S. Senate, Ive found that if I seek out Republicans and Democrats who really want to work together to find solutions, we can reach results that support North Dakota and the country. In rural America, you can buy a $60,000 pickup truck with a piece of paper, but you have to jump through hoops to buy a $40,000 house. Thats in part because mortgage regulations designed for big banks are harming small community lenders, which most North Dakotans rely on for their banking. This is just one example of how one-size-fits-all regulation hurts rural states like North Dakota. In fact, over the past several years, the number of small community lenders has declined across the country especially in rural areas as they struggle to keep up with new onerous regulations that dont make sense for their business models. By trying to fix too big to fail, weve in many ways created too small to succeed. Thats why Ive been working with Republicans and Democrats to find commonsense solutions to help rural communities like those across North Dakota get ahead. Specifically, over the past several years Ive worked with a small bipartisan group of lawmakers to construct a regulatory relief proposal for community banks and credit unions so they can better serve farmers, small businesses, and families across our state. It was crafted with input from outside experts and after more than two dozen hearings in the Senate Banking Committee. The result is a bill that already has strong bipartisan support from 11 Democrats, 11 Republicans and one Independent, which means it has a good chance to pass and a good chance to make lasting, needed change. It would enable small businesses to get financing to operate, help farmers get loans to support their farms, and help families get loans or mortgages to buy homes. I… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=2846CF42-EEBD-4EF8-AE1E-93B0E6F92765 | Heitkamp, Capito, Whitehouse, Barrasso Push for Passage of Bipartisan Carbon Capture Technology Bill | 2017-12-15 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senators Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and John Barrasso (R-WY) are pushing Senate leadership to include the FUTURE Act, their bipartisan bill to encourage technological innovation in carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) while also reducing carbon emissions, in any year-end legislation to extend expiring tax provisions. Theirbipartisan legislationwould support maintaining a place in our energy mix for existing resources like coal and natural gas by encouraging development and use of carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies and processeswhile also spurring adoption of low-carbon technologies to transform carbon pollution into useable products. Heitkamp and Whitehouse firstintroduced the bill in July 2016. Since then, they have worked with Capito and Barrasso, and others, to build out bipartisan support among more progressive Democratic senators and more conservative Republican senators. Awide cross-sectionof coal companies, utilities, environmental groups, and labor organizationsalso support the bill, reinforcing a willingness from all sides to come together and seek bipartisan solutions. We need more bipartisanship in this town, and this bill is proof that good ideas bridge political divides, Heitkamp said. Encouraging innovation in energy is critical to North Dakota jobs, and this bill will jump-start the innovation needed to give our nation a strong, affordable, and diverse energy mix that includes North Dakota coal. Including the FUTURE Act in a tax extenders package and ultimately in a must-pass bill in the near future would be a win for an all-of-the-above energy strategy and an investment in American energy jobs. Capito said, America is poised to lead the world in developing low-carbon technologies that will drive economic growth. Along with the broad coalition that supports this bill, it is my hope that the FUTURE Act will be included in any end-of-year legislation to extend expiring tax provisions. Tu… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=15B6F8E6-8A15-4CF8-A709-884106C2EA2A | Heitkamp Raises Concerns over FCC Decision to Roll Back Net Neutrality Protections | 2017-12-14 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi expressed her disappointment with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decision to roll back net neutrality rules that makes sure that internet service providers (ISP) maintain fair, open, and equal access to the internet. “The decision by the FCC to roll back net neutrality protections is extremely disappointing,” said Heitkamp. “Having high-speed internet is no longer a luxury, today it’s a necessity. Each of us uses the internet daily to pay our bills, take online classes, and make routine purchases. Having strong net neutrality protections would have kept the internet on a level playing field to help allow start-up businesses to compete with large corporations and rural communities to access affordable internet service. It’s an issue of fairness. The FCC’s actions will ultimately undermine these safeguards. Going forward, I will monitor how internet service providers alter the way the internet is offered and work to find realistic solutions so that the internet can continue to thrive as an open and free platform for everyone.” Earlier this week, Heitkamp expressed to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai her strong concerns about the changes to net neutrality rules. In the letter, Heitkamp requested that the Commission provide her office with a briefing on how these changes will impact small business that rely on the internet to reach consumers and folks in rural America who often have only one option to purchase internet service from. Heitkamp has also raised concerns over how the public comment period was administered. This process allows individuals to provide their thoughts and opinions prior to preparation of the final rule. In a recent analysis, of the almost 22 million comments provided, the Pew Research Center found that 57 percent were submitted using temporary or duplicate e-mail addresses. This duplication raises serious concerns regarding the authenticity of the comments, a benchmark to measure the opinions and thoughts of the American public. Heitkamp is urging the… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=C0AEAF5A-5459-4B98-B61D-EA00D08889D7 | Heitkamp, Cornyn Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Prioritize Transitional Housing for Domestic Violence Victims | 2017-12-14 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | 51.5 Percent of Victims Nationwide who need Emergency Housing do not Receive it WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) and John Cornyn (R-TX) today introduced a bipartisan bill that would direct the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to increase transitional housing support for victims of domestic violence. According to North Dakota Council on Abused Women’s Services (CAWS North Dakota) Executive Director Janelle Moos, federal funds urgently needed for transitional housing have been shifted to other HUD housing programs in recent years, which has limited the scope of survivor-focused transitional housing and has endangered the safety of victims who face economic barriers in finding alternative housing. In one survey, 51.5 percent of U.S. domestic violence victims who sought housing services did not receive them, meaning they may have been forced to stay in or return to an abusive environment. Heitkamp and Cornyn’s bipartisan Help End Abusive Living Situations (HEALS) Act would prioritize funding for domestic violence victims’ transitional housing, increase flexibility in transitional housing programs in communities so that victims can get back on their feet, direct HUD to research more housing options to support victims of domestic violence, and bring attention to the ways transitional housing can provide safety for at-risk families and meet the trauma needs of victims. “When I talk with the folks who provide critical intervention services to victims of domestic violence, the most important issue is often victims’ need for immediate, safe refuge and supportive services that recognize the trauma they have experienced,” said Heitkamp. “By diverting funding away from transitional housing, the federal government has been inadvertently forcing communities to shutter transitional housing facilities, sometimes leaving victims of domestic violence without a safe alternative. Our bipartisan bill would fix this problem by helping to level the field for transitional housing a… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=5CCD64D3-379A-4355-A5E0-DE975D6A5B0F | Heitkamp Announces Federal Funds to Help Families Facing Tough Times Get Back on their Feet | 2017-12-12 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp, a member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, announced two federal grants totaling over $215,000 to help families in public housing find ways to support themselves so they are able to live independent lives. “At the end of the day, all families want a safe and secure home that they are able to afford for themselves and their children,” said Heitkamp. “These federal funds will help give those in need a helping hand to get back on their feet.” The federal grants are distributed as follows: Fargo Housing and Redevelopment Authority: $110,836 The Housing Authority of the City of Grand Forks: $104,899 These federal funds are made available through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Family Self-Sufficiency Program. This program assists families living in public housing to increase their own income through a coordinated effort that addresses the need of childcare, financial literacy, home ownership, and employment assistance. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=78C8B4EF-F52D-4FE7-A646-794B32D3E26B | President Signs Bipartisan Defense Bill Heitkamp Helped Pass | 2017-12-12 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp released the following statement after President Trump signed bipartisan defense legislation Heitkamp helped pass to authorize U.S. Department of Defense funding levels and set our nation’s defense policy, which includes several key provisions Heitkamp pushed for to support North Dakota’s defense installations and jobs. “Today is a win for North Dakota’s military installations, as well as our government’s ability to consistently support our nation’s servicemembers and defense operations,” said Heitkamp. “The military plays such a vital role in our state, whether it’s in keeping us safe or boosting our economy. This strong, bipartisan defense bill provides our military with the resources, technology, and training it needs to protect American families, and it provides North Dakota reservists with the health care they earned through their service. In the face of North Korean aggression, it was also encouraging that my provision to reinforce our nation’s commitment to our Pacific allies was signed into law. To address emerging global threats, this legislation recognizes that many of North Dakota’s key defense capabilities require upgrades, such as the B-52 bombers, ICBMs, and UH-1N helicopters. I’ll continue pushing for these modernization efforts, and I will not stop fighting for North Dakota’s service men and women and defense communities.” Heitkamp helped pass an earlier version of the bill in September, and she successfully pushed for several provisions to support North Dakota by: Defending against the North Korea threat: Heitkamp’s amendment reassures our allies of America’s steadfast commitment to protecting against the North Korea nuclear threat. As North Korea continues to threaten regional stability and peace with its missile and nuclear weapons tests, Heitkamp’s amendment makes clear that the United States stands ready to provide its full range of capabilities in the defense of our allies. Helping veterans join the workforce: The legislation encourages th… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=2A005F2E-6D65-49D0-8C4D-2503CAC86FA1 | Heitkamp Successfully Presses USGS to Conduct New Study of Oil & Gas in Bakken Region | 2017-12-11 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today said that a decision by U.S. Geologic Survey (USGS) to conduct an updated assessment of oil and gas resources in the Bakken Formation and Three Forks Formation is a needed step, which comes after she pressed USGS to take such action. Last week, Heitkamp called on USGS Acting Director William Werkheiser to conduct a more updated assessment of the region as the last assessment was completed in 2013. Until the decision by USGS today, the next assessment wasn’t supposed to take place until 2020. Heitkamp made the case that USGS should conduct an assessment sooner than 2020 because past assessments reinforced that dramatically more oil and natural gas were available at the time because of updated technologies. “After pressing USGS to move up its timeline, it’s encouraging the agency is going to conduct a new assessment of oil and natural gas in the western part of the state sooner than it had planned,” said Heitkamp. “The most recent USGS survey of the Bakken region in 2013 more than doubled the estimated mean resources for technically recoverable oil and natural gas. And just in the past four years since then, our state has continued to be at the forefront of the development of innovative energy technologies, and it’s likely such a survey will show even more recoverable oil and natural gas is available in the region. A new USGS survey will help provide more updated data so our state can continue to lead in energy development, investment, and innovation.” The most recent USGS survey of the Bakken region in 2013 more than doubled the estimated mean resources for technically recoverable oil to 7.38 billion barrels, which included an estimated 6.7 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas. Since mid-2014, in part because of the drop in the price of oil, the industry has been particularly innovative with its development and production to stay competitive, which has led to lower costs and more extraction. Click here to read the letter Heitkamp sent to USGS on De… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=906E8BA7-F725-46F8-A787-E9998AE49D45 | Heitkamp Voices Strong Concerns, Requests Briefing on Net Neutrality Rollback Proposal | 2017-12-11 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi today expressed her strong concerns about a proposal to roll back net neutrality rules that protect basic fairness on the internet and the impact it will have on rural communities. In a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai, Heitkamp requested a briefing on the Restoring Internet Freedom Order, a proposal under consideration by the FCC to allow internet service providers to block, throttle, or prioritize certain content, which could hurt consumers and small businesses in rural America. “Strong net neutrality rules protect consumers – especially in rural areas – and I’m very concerned about the FCC’s plan to repeal protections that ensure basic fairness on the internet,” Heitkamp said. “North Dakotans and small businesses lose out if their internet provider is allowed to infringe upon these basic principles – particularly if there is only one internet provider in a given area. I’ve heard from many North Dakota startup companies worried that repeal of net neutrality could lead them to pay higher costs to do business on the internet, and I share their concerns. Repealing net neutrality could leave North Dakota’s rural communities more vulnerable, and the FCC needs to fully explain the impact of these changes.” Click here to read the letter. As a founding member of the U.S. Senate Broadband Caucus, Heitkamp has been pushing for bipartisan solutions that will connect every North Dakota family, business, and school to high-speed internet. Last year, she brought then-FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel to North Dakota to see firsthand how rural areas are impacted by lack of access to high-speed internet, and she has discussed the issue in multiple meetings with the president. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=A49824B9-5C07-44BE-B27B-0929CB4ED4EE | Heitkamp Meets with Army Assistant Secretary Nominee, Presses for Lasting Flood Protections | 2017-12-07 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Senator Secures Commitment from James to Visit North Dakota to Observe Challenges Facing Flood-Prone Communities WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today met with R.D. James, the nominee to serve as the Assistant Secretary of the Army - Civil Works—the top civilian official overseeing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In her meeting with Mr. James, Heitkamp discussed North Dakota’s flood protection priorities, reinforced the critical need to maintain federal support for ongoing Army Corps projects in North Dakota, such as permanent flood protections in Minot and Fargo, and highlighted the need for the administration to include water projects in its infrastructure proposal. Heitkamp also secured a commitment from James to, if confirmed, visit North Dakota to see firsthand the challenges facing flood-prone communities. “The memories of sandbagging never really go away, and for too many families, they’re still struggling to recover from the devastating floods they’ve experienced,” said Heitkamp. “Today, I sat down with the nominee to head the Army Corps of Engineers to talk about our state’s priorities for protecting our cities, residents, and businesses. I updated him on the progress we’ve made in securing support for critical projects like the Fargo-Moorhead diversion, but I warned Mr. James that the federal government can’t neglect its responsibility to fully protect communities in the Souris River Basin and the Red River Valley. I also invited Mr. James to travel to North Dakota to see firsthand the flooding challenges facing our residents, and he expressed his commitment to visit so that he can fully understand the flood risks and work with us on strategies to prevent future disasters.” Heitkamp has long been a champion for strong, permanent flood protections to protect North Dakota communities. In Minot, the Army Corps of Engineers has been tasked with evaluating a proposed flood control project in partnership with the city. In May, Heitkamp helped secure $900,000 in the Army Corp… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=CF78F8E3-D4FC-4FEC-A933-C45B8310E869 | Heitkamp Helps Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Prevent Sexual Harassment in the Workplace | 2017-12-07 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp helped introduce bipartisan legislation to provide increased protections for victims of sexual harassment in the workplace. The Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Harassment Act of 2017 would void forced arbitration agreements that prevent sexual harassment survivors from getting the justice they deserve. Heitkamp joined Senators Lindsay Graham (R-SC), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and others to introduce the bill. “For too long, victims of sexual harassment and assault in some workplaces have been forced into an arbitration process that sweeps systemic issues of abuse under the rug and denies victims the justice they deserve,” Heitkamp said. “Forced arbitration gives employees no choice in how to legally address mistreatment in the workplace that causes lasting personal and mental pain and damage to their careers. We must end this unfair practice and give all workers full access to justice in the face of sexual harassment and abuse.” If an employee’s contract or employee handbook includes a forced arbitration clause, the employee is likely to have signed away his or her right to a jury trial whether or not they are aware of the clause. Forced arbitration clauses typically prevent victims of sexual harassment from discussing the nature or basis of their complaint – which can keep other employees in the dark about a workplace culture that allows sexual harassment and abuse to continue unabated. Employees are far more likely to win cases that go to trial than cases that go through the arbitration process. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=F2840A00-E026-4443-95E7-949C16A59FC6 | Heitkamp Helps Introduce Bill to Help Recruit More Volunteer Firefighters & EMS Personnel by Expanding Education Incentives | 2017-12-07 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | ND Fire Chiefs Have Looked for Ways to Increase First Responder Recruitment and Retainment; 96 Percent of ND’s Firefighting Forces are Volunteer WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today helped introduce a bill that would incentivize more young men and women in rural America to become volunteer firefighters and emergency medical responders by giving them access to a student loan forgiveness program for public servants. Across North Dakota, 96 percent of firefighting forces are volunteer. But according to North Dakota Firefighter’s Association Training Director Robert Knuth, those numbers are dwindling as the average age of a volunteer increases and the average number of years each volunteer serves decreases. The bill would help encourage more men and women in rural America to volunteer as firefighters by expanding student loan forgiveness to eligible volunteer first responders by allowing them to qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program through the U.S. Department of Education. PSLF provides loan forgiveness for the balance of any principal and interest that remains due after 120 full payments on federal loans. Under this bill, individuals would need to be both certified as a first responder as well as a volunteer in a community public safety organization to qualify for the PSLF program. “Volunteer first responders sacrifice a great deal to protect our communities. They have our back, so we should have theirs,” Heitkamp said. “This legislation will help make sure our fire departments and EMS teams are adequately staffed by encouraging more men and women to volunteer for these needed roles across our state. A program already exists to help public servants pay off their student loans, so it’s just common sense that firefighters and first responders should qualify as well. By making it easier for departments to recruit and retain volunteers, we can help our first responders focus on keeping our communities strong and safe.” Heitkamp has repeatedly heard North D… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=60F60759-A85D-4498-88D5-8908383EBEB7 | Heitkamp Leads Bipartisan Effort to Delay New Regulations for Livestock & Insect Transporters | 2017-12-06 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp led a bipartisan effort to delay implementation of electronic logging devices (ELDs) for commercial vehicles transporting livestock or insects. The regulations are due to go into effect early next year, but the unique safety and animal welfare challenges of livestock hauling still need to be addressed. Heitkamp joined U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) in leading a bipartisan group of colleagues in sending a letter to Senate leadership supporting a provision in the U.S. House-passed Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations bill delaying implementation of ELDs and providing the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) time to make the necessary adjustments to hours of service rules. “Transporting livestock in a humane and timely manner is critical to jobs in rural communities across North Dakota, so we must make sure livestock haulers have the ability to get their goods to their destinations quickly and safely,” Heitkamp said. “We must look critically at any new regulation that could harm rural jobs, so it’s encouraging that a bipartisan group has joined me in calling for a reasonable delay in ELD implementation so that we can better protect livestock, motorists, and the jobs livestock production supports.” Full text of the letter is below and available here. Senator Heitkamp has been fighting for livestock and honey bee producers, especially as they continue to face the effects of a severe drought. This week, she introduced legislation to expand assistance available to livestock and honey bee producers as they recover from drought. In August, Heitkamp conducted a two-day drought and Farm Bill tour across western North Dakota to hear directly from farmers, ranchers, researchers, and FSA workers about the solutions they need now to weather the drought, and the critical programs that need to be protected and strengthened in the 2018 Farm Bill. The tour built on a listening session Heitkamp convened in July with ranchers, local lea… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=8DB38284-E1FA-4164-B594-DF084BE0C2B0 | Heitkamp Bipartisan Bill to Protect Consumers & Boost Economic Growth in Rural Communities Passes Senate Committee | 2017-12-06 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp helped pass bipartisan legislation she wrote and negotiated with Republican Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) and a bipartisan group of senators out of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. The bill comes after three years of bipartisan negotiations that Heitkamp helped lead that would give community banks and credit unions the relief they need to better serve consumers across North Dakota, while also strengthening consumer protections. In the past 30 years, the number of community banks and credit unions has dropped by about two-thirds, yet more than 80 percent of North Dakota deposits still go to community banks, reinforcing that small financial institutions remain a key resource for North Dakota families. Heitkamp announced the agreement last month after several years of work with Crapo, the Chairman of the Banking Committee, and Banking Committee members Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Jon Tester (D-MT) and Mark Warner (D-VA). The bill so far has support from 12 Republican senators, 11 Democrat senators, and one Independent senator. “When Congress puts partisanship aside and works across party lines, we can forge ahead with real solutions that help our economy and rural communities – that’s how I try to work every day in the U.S. Senate,” Heitkamp said. “Unlike tax reform, which was written behind closed doors with zero input allowed from Democrats, this regulatory relief bill was written in good faith by members from across the political spectrum and it shows. For years, I’ve been working with my Republican colleagues on a plan to reduce red tape and give community banks and credit unions the freedom to focus on their customers, especially in rural areas where their services are needed the most. It’s a significant step forward that our bill passed in committee, and I’m proud to lead this bipartisan coalition fighting for families, farmers, and small businesses.” “Community banks like Cornerstone Bank support small businesses, families, and farmers… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=07EF2937-F7B5-4656-9F80-62E0C2D498B6 | Heitkamp Votes to Confirm New Secretary to U.S. Department of Homeland Security | 2017-12-05 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp voted with a bipartisan majority of the U.S. Senate to confirm Kirstjen Nielsen as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). “During Kirstjen Nielsen’s nomination process, she committed to me that she would prioritize security improvements along our Northern Border – including quickly implementing the new Northern Border Strategy that came as a result of my bipartisan bill being signed into law,”said Heitkamp. “Nielsen also brings important expertise on cybersecurity to her new position. Our nation needs to take additional steps to make our systems and networks more secure and resilient, and I hope Nielsen can be a key part of that effort. The United States must have a strong Homeland Security Secretary that will act as an independent voice and not be swayed by political pressure. I pressed Nielsen on this at her confirmation hearing – and I plan to hold her to those commitments as Secretary, as well as her promises to prioritize the Northern Border and address some of the long-term challenges there, so we can keep North Dakota and our nation safe.” As a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs, Heitkamp questioned Nielsen during her confirmation hearing in November. Heitkamp underscored the need to recognize the security and personnel challenges along the nation’s 5,500 mile Northern Border and secured a commitment from Nielsen that she would quickly review and implement the new Northern Border security strategy. This new strategy was recommended by DHS’s recently completed Northern Border Threat Assessment – an analysis that was a result of Heitkamp’s Northern Border Security Review Act that was signed into law last year. As part of Nielsen’s commitment to the Northern Border, Heitkamp encouraged her to visit North Dakota’s border to see firsthand the unique challenges that a border in remote and rural areas face to keep our nation safe. In October, Heitkamp first met with Nielsen to discuss her nomina… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=3164D537-0420-4639-B6B2-2ADBB29FBAEF | Heitkamp: New Crackdown on Unfairly Subsidized Biodiesel Imports will Boost ND Jobs | 2017-12-05 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today released the following statement on the U.S. International Trade Commission’s (ITC) approval of import duties on biodiesel from Argentina and Indonesia, following Heitkamp’s testimony at a recent ITC hearing where she made the case that imports from those countries were unfairly subsidized and threatening jobs in North Dakota. “This decision is a win for North Dakota farm and biodiesel production jobs, and a powerful signal that we won’t tolerate unfair trade practices that hurt American jobs,” Heitkamp said. “Our farmers and those employed by the biodiesel industry work hard every day to grow this important part of our domestic energy strategy. Producers like ADM based out of Velva – which produces 75 million gallons of biodiesel a year – are at the forefront of innovation in the renewable fuel industry, and we must continue to support this home-grown source of energy and jobs.” In addition to her testimony at the ITC hearing last month, Heitkamp sent a letter to U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in September, urging him to take action to protect U.S. producers from these unfairly subsidized imports. Click here to read her letter to Secretary Ross. According to a study conducted last year by LMC International and released by the National Biodiesel Board, the 2.1 billion gallons of biodiesel and renewable diesel used by Americans in 2015 supported 47,400 jobs and $1.9 billion in wages, and had an $8.4 billion economic impact. In North Dakota, about 50 percent of corn is turned into ethanol, according to the North Dakota Corn Growers Association, reinforcing how important it is that we maintain a robust biofuels market through the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). In October, Heitkamp successfully fought to protect biofuel production targets in the RFS, leading a bipartisan letter to the administration opposing proposed cuts to production levels in 2018. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had proposed holding the biomass-based diesel volume s… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=FE875240-90CD-4024-84DC-18696BE711FA | Heitkamp Introduces Bill to Help Farmers, Ranchers, Beekeepers Recover from Drought | 2017-12-05 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today introduced legislation to expand assistance available to farmers, ranchers, and honey bee producers who have been impacted by the drought. Heitkamp’s legislation, the Livestock and Honey Bee Disaster Assistance Act, would permanently remove the funding cap for the Emergency Livestock Assistance Program (ELAP), which provides financial assistance to producers of livestock and honeybees for losses due to weather events and disease. The program is currently capped at $20 million, but demand has been nearly $40 million and is expected to grow. The bill would also allow the Secretary of Agriculture to temporarily raise the cost-share assistance provided by the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) from 75 percent to 90 percent in counties that receive an extreme drought designation by the U.S. Drought Monitor Index. ECP is used by farmers and ranchers to recover from disasters like drought, which can lead to wildfires that destroy fences and require expensive installation of watering systems for livestock. “North Dakota’s severe drought has been a real challenge for farmers and ranchers, and it has strained programs that provide much-needed assistance to support our agriculture community,” Heitkamp said. “As I’ve talked to farmers and ranchers across the state, it’s clear that Congress can improve the way it provides assistance in times of drought and other hardship. That’s why I’ve put forward some common sense reforms to make sure our disaster relief programs work when they’re needed the most.” Heitkamp has been working to address challenges farmers and ranchers face from low commodity prices and drought, and make sure the next Farm Bill focuses on these issues as well. She recently introduced bipartisan legislation with Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) to strengthen and improve the Agriculture Risk Coverage-County Level program (ARC-CO), which helps farmers when commodity prices fall to damaging levels. In August, Heitkamp conducted a two-day drought and Farm Bill … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=267DAC98-7CB3-4671-A9E0-282379853F3C | The Truth about the Senate Republican Tax Reform Bill | 2017-12-04 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today released the following information explaining the truth about the Senate Republican tax reform bill. Click here to read Heitkamp’s statement about her vote against the bill. THE TRUTH ABOUT THE SENATE REPUBLICAN TAX REFORM BILL FACT: The Senate Republican tax reform bill will explode our country’s debt, adding nearly $1.5 trillion on the nation’s credit card – and that’s in the best-case scenario. WHAT THIS MEANS: The bill will put our kids on the hook to pay for its exorbitant cost without substantially growing the economy. We need to have an honest conversation about what American families are getting for that $1.5 trillion, because that’s a really big bill to put on our kids’ shoulders. And it will have a huge impact on their futures. [CBO, 12/2/17] With $1.5 trillion, there are so many better, smarter ways the Senate could invest that money that would actually support working families and stand up for our kids’ futures. With this same amount of money, the Senate could give every taxpayer making less than $200,000 per year a $9,000 tax cut, rather than disproportionately helping the wealthy as this bill does. Or the Senate could invest that money, in priorities such as finding a cure for Alzheimer’s and cancer, rebuilding our country’s degraded infrastructure, expanding opioid abuse prevention and treatment programs, or fixing the country’s pension crisis. All of these priorities will be crowded out by the Senate’s deficit financed tax bill. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget concludes that the real cost of the Senate bill could be $2.2 trillion, and debt would exceed the size of the economy in just over a decade. [CRFB, 11/15/17] The drastic increase in the federal debt will likely require Congress to pay for it by reducing spending elsewhere. As a result, there could be to severe cuts to and the elimination of critical programs that middle income families rely on. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, Republic… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=9618D0C0-E7B7-48D2-81E0-4D31E0205BAB | Heitkamp Statement on Vote Against Senate Republican Tax Reform Bill | 2017-12-02 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Senator: “With this bill, Congress is handing our children a credit card bill with nearly $1.5 trillion of debt – and that’s in the best-case scenario” North Dakotans will see an Average Tax Increase of almost $10,000 in 2027 WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today issued the following statement explaining her vote against the Senate Republican tax reform bill that would add nearly $1.5 trillion to the country’s debt. “As North Dakota’s former tax commissioner, I’ve been eager to work with Republicans and Democrats on tax reform to give hard working men and women a needed tax break,” said Heitkamp. “Tax issues are important and complicated, and that’s why Congress needed to work together, Republicans and Democrats, on tax reform. After holding listening sessions across North Dakota, having many discussions about tax reform with top White House officials including the president, and trying to change this bill so it supports working families, it’s discouraging that Senate Republicans weren’t willing to work with us on it. Instead, this bill was crafted at the last minute behind closed doors. And it shows – this bill is bad for North Dakota. “With this legislation, Congress is handing our children a credit card bill with nearly $1.5 trillion of debt – and that’s in the best-case scenario. We need to have an honest conversation about what that means for us long-term. Now, we won’t be able to spend that money on finding a cure for Alzheimer’s and cancer, addressing the opioid epidemic, fixing the country’s pension crisis, boosting national security, rebuilding degraded infrastructure, supporting agriculture research, or providing disaster assistance. All that money will have been spent on tax reform. “Additionally, this bill tries to buy off middle income families for almost nothing, while the wealthy get richer at their expense. In North Dakota, the top one percent – those making over $604,800 – will see an average tax cut of $46,870. The president and most members of Congress will benefit from thi… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/heidi-in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=84D83486-26C1-42F9-9B78-27E6FEDE06E8 | Bismarck Tribune: Senate approves bill to expand AMBER Alerts to Indian Country | 2017-12-01 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Bismarck Tribune Staff A bill to expand AMBER Alerts in Indian Country has passed the U.S. Senate. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., who introduced the bill with Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said Thursday she hopes the House will approve the bill as soon as possible so the president can sign it into law. “Native American children are some of the most vulnerable children in the country, yet there isn’t an AMBER Alert system in much of Indian Country, and that makes it very difficult to recover children who have been abducted or who have run away,” Heitkamp said. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=67230C10-C980-4314-8FFF-928852270CBB | Heitkamp Announces Federal Funds for Family Healthcare Center in Fargo | 2017-12-01 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today announced $431,077 in federal funds to support the Family Healthcare Center in Fargo to help deliver primary care services for North Dakotans. “Every North Dakota family deserves to stay healthy and safe,” said Heitkamp. “These federal funds will help the Family Healthcare Center in Fargo provide needed primary care services so families in Fargo can stay healthy by accessing needed health care services.” These federal funds are authorized through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/heidi-in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=8A72D79A-77E7-4A2B-84E8-7F02488B562E | KFYR: US House introduces version of 'Savanna's Act' | 2017-11-30 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Joe Skurzewski WASHINGTON, D.C. - A bipartisan bill named in honor of a slain Native American woman from North Dakota is now making its way through the US House of Representatives, aimed at addressing the increase in murders and disappearances of Native American women. The bill, introduced by Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-CA) and Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), is named "Savanna’s Act" in honor of the late Savanna Greywind. The bill is intended to accompany a similar one introduced in the US Senate by Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND). The bills would work to close the gaps between tribal, local, and federal law enforcement agencies. Heitkamp’s bill is currently before the Senate’s Committee on Indian Affairs, and Torres is a ranking member of a House subcommittee on Native American affairs. Greywind’s body was found along the Red River in August, more than a week after she disappeared. Greywind was pregnant at the time of her disappearance, though authorities found the child in a Fargo apartment. The child is said to be in good health and living with Greywind’s boyfriend. Two people face charges of conspiracy to commit murder and kidnapping in Greywind’s disappearance and death. Thirty-eight-year-old Brooke Crews intends to change her plea, while 32-year-old William Hoehn awaits another court appearance. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/heidi-in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=E4E816C3-6C6C-416D-B03E-0BC2F533C06F | Opinion Editorial: The Hill: Congress, here's a CO2-smart tax fix to protect, create jobs | 2017-11-30 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Bob Perciasepe, D. Michael Langford, John Risch As the Senate approaches a vote this week on tax reform legislation, there’s a proposal with bipartisan support that unions, environmental groups, and industry are all backing. Incentives to support more investment in carbon capture use and storage technology would spur new job growth, but they will also mean that manufacturers and energy producers have the ability to preserve jobs at existing facilities, while reducing carbon emissions at the same time. The NRG Energy Petra Nova carbon capture project at the W.A. Parish coal-fired power plant about 25 miles southwest of Houston is an example of the potential to both cut emissions and protect workers. That’s because the retrofit adopting post-combustion carbon capture technology will annually extract more than 1.6 million tons of carbon dioxide that would otherwise be exhaled into the Texas sky. The project, which is the largest of its kind in the world, was also completed with more than 1,000 workers contributing to the project. But successes like this in the private sector can — and must — be bolstered by partners on Capitol Hill. Leaders of both parties agree that the investments will create and preserve high-paying jobs while helping to reduce carbon emissions over the long term. Legislation to do just that has been cosponsored by a bipartisan group of 25 senators. The FUTURE Act, as introduced by Senators Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) would encourage investment in carbon capture projects, direct air capture projects, and the development of technology to convert carbon into useful products. We already know this practical technology works. In Decatur, Illinois, the Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) Illinois Industrial Carbon Capture and Storage Project became the world’s first commercial-scale ethanol plant retrofitted with carbon capture. Retrofitting facilities with carbon capture technology, like those projects i… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=225DEC6B-C871-4978-AB7C-9E5B8E269C90 | Heitkamp-McCain Bill to Expand AMBER Alerts in Indian Country Passes U.S. Senate | 2017-11-30 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) and John McCain (R-AZ) today announced that her bipartisan bill to expand AMBER Alerts in Indian Country has passed the U.S. Senate. Heitkamp and McCain introduced the AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act of 2017 earlier this year to expand the child abduction warnings in Indian Country. Such alerts are critical for law enforcement efforts to quickly disseminate information to the public about abducted children to generate leads as quickly as possible, but currently such alerts in many parts of Indian Country are limited to tribal lands – if they exist at all. By making tribes eligible for AMBER Alert system resources, law enforcement in state, local, and tribal governments will better be able to coordinate to find and rescue missing or abducted children, particularly if they have been taken off of their reservation. “Native American children are some of the most vulnerable children in the country, yet there isn’t an AMBER Alert system in much of Indian Country, and that makes it very difficult to recover children who have been abducted or who have run away,” Heitkamp said. “That must change, and that’s why I introduced this bipartisan bill with Senator John McCain to expand this lifesaving system to some of the most vulnerable children in our country – those in Indian Country. The Senate passing this bill is an important step forward, and I encourage the House of Representatives to pass it as soon as possible so the president can sign it in to law. This is part of a broader effort raise awareness and bring better systems of justice to Indian Country, and to give law enforcement agencies at all levels the tools they need to prevent crime and bring criminals to justice so we can keep all our communities strong and safe. Both this bill and Savanna’s Act which I introduced to help address the crisis of missing and murdered native women and girls would make important strides.” “Last year, Navajo Nation was devastated by the abduction and murder of 11-year old Ash… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=C9411CBF-EE71-4F51-B178-D4D0851EC03F | Heitkamp Statement on Final Renewable Fuel Standard | 2017-11-30 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today issued the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its final renewable volume obligations (RVOs) for biofuels under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). “The EPA’s final RFS rule is an improvement from the original proposal in July, supporting strong ethanol production, but I’m disappointed that biodiesel targets were not raised,” Heitkamp said. “The failure to raise biodiesel targets is discouraging to private investment in the industry and to jobs in rural America. The EPA should make sure the RFS remains a forward looking program that encourages growth and drives new investment in the industry while supporting good jobs.” The EPA had proposed holding the biomass-based diesel volume stagnant for 2019 and reducing the advanced biofuel volume for 2018, leaving potential growth in the industry on the table and threatening near-term job losses in rural America. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt had previously pledged to support the Renewable Fuel Standard, and Heitkamp reinforced the need to protect it in a meeting with Pruitt prior to his confirmation. According to a study conducted last year by LMC International and released by the National Biodiesel Board, the 2.1 billion gallons of biodiesel and renewable diesel used by Americans in 2015 supported 47,400 jobs and $1.9 billion in wages, and had an $8.4 billion economic impact. In North Dakota, about 50 percent of corn is turned into ethanol, according to the North Dakota Corn Growers Association, reinforcing how important it is that we maintain a robust biofuels market through the Renewable Fuel Standard. A member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Heitkamp has been a vocal advocate for biodiesel and ethanol – industries that support over 400,000 American jobs, including many in North Dakota. Heitkamp has fought for the EPA to provide certainty to farmers and biofuels workers, and has continually pressed the agency to issue a strong Renewable Fuel Standa… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=DA81E26D-AC4F-4EC8-95D3-878FAEDE7A70 | Heitkamp, Ernst Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Improve Government Efficiency and Accountability | 2017-11-30 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Legislation would Strengthen Congressional Oversight and the Public’s Ability to Evaluate How Federal Agencies are Tackling Problems WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) today introduced a bipartisan bill to hold federal agencies accountable to act on recommendations that save taxpayer money and make government more efficient. The legislation requires that all open recommendations from inspectors general (IG) at federal agencies that have remained unimplemented for more than a year be posted to a single, searchable website. This legislation would allow Congress and the public to keep better tabs on the problems that have been identified at the federal agencies where IGs conduct audits to combat waste, fraud, and abuse – and keep track of whether or not steps have been taken to resolve those problems. IGs serve as federal watchdogs within government agencies by investigating agencies and recommending how to improve operations and transparency on issues ranging from cybersecurity to federal hiring practices. For the third consecutive year, the IGs identified in their recommendations over $20 billion in potential taxpayer savings. However, there is currently no standard requirement for how IGs organize and maintain open recommendations on their websites, and the quality of publicly available information varies from agency to agency. “Each year, our government invests in the important work of inspectors general. Unfortunately, it’s often difficult for taxpayers to assess whether a federal agency is listening to inspector general recommendations and making good-faith efforts to correct major issues that could help the federal government work better,” said Heitkamp. “Our bipartisan bill would allow the public to better hold government agencies and their leadership accountable by making sure the work of inspectors general gets the full and public analysis it deserves. That way recommendations are put to good use and tax dollars are used efficiently.” “Inspectors General pla… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/heidi-in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=07BB38BB-0B49-46D5-A8E7-E22B2A119039 | KVRR: Senator Heitkamp Raises Awareness About Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women | 2017-11-29 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | TJ Nelson WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Heidi Heitkamp is recognizing Native American Heritage Month by launching a social media campaign about missing and murdered indigenous women. Heitkamp said, “It can only end when we raise awareness. That’s why I’m asking you today to join me in making sure these women are not invisible. That we are not going to let this happen in our communities and in our country.” Across the country, 84 percent of Native American women experience some kind of violence in their lifetime. On some reservations, Native American women are murdered at 10 times the national average. In 2016, North Dakota had 125 reported cases of missing Native women according to the National Crime Information Center, but numbers are likely much higher as cases are often under reported and data isn’t officially collected. Heitkamp has introduced “Savanna’s Act”, named after slain Fargo woman Savanna Greywind, to keep Native women and girls safe. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/heidi-in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=A1E1E23E-0718-424F-889B-B23A58B3A6BB | Fargo Forum: Savanna's Act introduced in U.S. House | 2017-11-29 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Heitkamp, D-N.D., introduced "Savanna's Act" to the Senate in October. It received a hearing in the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs later that month, but has not progressed beyond that. California Rep. Norma Torres and Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole introduced Savanna Act's into the House on Wednesday, Nov. 29. Heitkamp introduced the bill in response to what she has called an "epidemic" of missing and murdered native women. The bill is named for Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, the 22-year-old Fargo woman who was killed in August. She was a member of the Spirit Lake Nation. The bill would create standard protocols for responding to cases of missing and murdered American Indians, improve the collection and dissemination of statistics about missing and murdered natives, and enhance tribal access to federal crime databases. Heitkamp on Wednesday also launched a social media campaign to raise awareness about the issue of missing and murdered native women. She asked native women, their families, advocates and others to post photos of themselves on Facebook and Twitter holding a sheet of paper saying #NotInvisible. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/op-eds?ContentRecord_id=6DC01F16-7BE1-498E-A094-9F48E8EB7EC5 | Choose Your Health Care Plan Now, Open Enrollment is Almost Over | 2017-11-29 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | As we approach the holidays and a new year, it’s important to count our blessings and focus on the health and well-being of ourselves and those we care about. And perhaps the single most important thing you can do for your health and financial security is to make sure you have adequate health insurance. Health care open enrollment is going on right now and North Dakotans can sign up for or change their health care plans to make sure they’re getting a plan that works best for them and their families. But this year, you have much less time to research and choose a plan through healthcare.gov, known as the health insurance marketplace, than in past years. Open enrollment ends on December 15 – a month and a half earlier than last year – so time is running out to choose a plan for those who don’t get coverage through your job, Medicare, Medicaid, or Tricare. That’s why it’s so important that you act quickly to secure coverage – and remind your friends and family to do the same. The administration drastically cut the length of the open enrollment period this year, and also slashed federal funding for in-person assistance known as navigators who help you select a plan and sign up for coverage. We’re seeing the direct impacts in North Dakota. Minot State University, for example, saw its federal funds to help North Dakotans find care slashed by 96 percent. And Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board doesn’t have enough funds to help North Dakotans sign up for coverage as it has done in previous years. Since 2013, the uninsured rate in North Dakota has been reduced from 11 percent to 8 percent, in large part due to the work of organizations like these that helped families sign up for coverage. Because of the shorter enrollment period and reduced resources, I created a new webpage to help folks explore their health care options and choose the best plan for their individual needs. Please visit it to find resources at www.heitkamp.senate.gov. North Dakotans can shop for plans, determine financial assistance eligibi… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=B80A2612-BA2E-4B76-91A2-BFD1F6111AD9 | Heitkamp Shines Light on Crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women with #NotInvisible during Native American Heritage Month | 2017-11-29 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today recognized Native American Heritage Month and launched a social media campaign to raise awareness about the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women and bring it out of the shadows. Heitkamp is encouraging Native women, their families, advocates, and others to show their support and help raise awareness about this epidemic by posting a photo holding a sheet of paper with #NotInvisible. Click here for video of Heitkamp discussing the initiative. Across the country, 84 percent of Native American women experience some kind of violence in their lifetime, and on some reservations, Native American women are murdered at 10 times the national average. In 2016, North Dakota had 125 reported cases of missing Native women according to the National Crime Information Center, but numbers are likely much higher as cases are often under reported and data isn’t officially collected. “Native American Heritage Month is a time to reflect on the history and traditions of Native Americans, and it’s also a reminder that indigenous populations face many challenges that urgently require awareness and solutions,” Heitkamp said. “Folks in Indian Country across our nation know all too well about the epidemic of missing and murdered Native women as so many of them are directly impacted by it every day. But outside those communities and reservations, the issue lacks the awareness it deserves. With this effort, we’re standing with Native women, their families, advocates, and supporters to bring this crisis out of the shadows and say that Native women are not invisible. Only once we raise awareness about this epidemic can we then help implement solutions to stop these tragedies from occurring. This is a crisis that requires more federal resources and attention, which is why I’ve introduced Savanna’s Act to keep our Native women and girls – and all of our communities – strong and safe.” Heitkamp introduced Savanna’s Act in October. It has received bipartisan support in the U.S. Sen… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/heidi-in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=0F633CCA-2D12-49DB-831C-15203166AB05 | Bismarck Tribune: ND could be one of the most affected states if US withdraws from NAFTA | 2017-11-27 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Jenny Schlecht FARGO — The U.S. Chamber of Commerce released a list of the states most likely to be negatively affected if the U.S. withdraws from the North American Free Trade Agreement, placing North Dakota at third, behind only Michigan and Wisconsin. Rounding out the list were Texas, Missouri, Ohio, Iowa, Indiana, Arizona, Nebraska, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. North Dakota’s position on the list sounds about right to officials in the North Dakota Trade Office. “Absolutely,” says Lindsey Warner, director of marketing and events at NDTO. “The unfortunate thing is, if NAFTA goes away, no matter how you look at it, it’s going to hurt a lot of our exporters.” NAFTA, implemented in 1994, over time eliminated almost all agricultural tariffs and quota restrictions among the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The three countries have undergone several rounds of negotiations in an effort to produce a modernized version of the agreement. The chamber report explains North Dakota leads the nation in terms of the share of its exports going to Canada and Mexico, at 84 percent, with $3.5 billion in exports sent to the two countries. It estimates withdrawing from NAFTA would put 33,000 jobs at risk in the state. While the report specifically mentions North Dakota as being a big provider of soybeans to Mexico, Nancy Johnson, executive director of the North Dakota Soybean Growers Association, says that’s not exactly the case. North Dakota sends 66 percent of its soybeans whole to the Pacific Northwest, where they are shipped to Asian countries, primarily China, Thailand, the Philippines and Taiwan, according to North Dakota Soybean Council statistics. However, Johnson says, Mexico is a major importer of soybean meal, which is used as swine and poultry feed. So while North Dakota itself crushes a very small amount of soybeans at this time, the soybean industry as a whole does send a substantial amount of meal to Mexico. The location for a soybean crushing plant in Spiritwood, N.D., being… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/heidi-in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=5EAEB05A-A251-497A-AE26-F1C7093A5D1B | Editorial: It's time to level the retail playing field | 2017-11-23 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | We should all agree that competition should be fair, and that government policies should not skew the marketplace strongly in favor of one type of business. Yet that's exactly what's happening in retail, thanks to a 1992 U.S. Supreme Court decision, Quill Corp. vs. North Dakota. The justices held that a business must have a physical presence in a state before it can be required to collect state sales and use taxes. It's one of the reasons online sales have skyrocketed in recent years, as many consumers have developed the habit of avoiding sales taxes by ordering over the internet. That helped Amazon become a retail behemoth, though it now pays sales taxes in all states. Amazon, founded in Seattle in 1994, now accounts for almost 4 percent of retail sales in the United States. E-commerce sales grew 15.1 percent in 2016 and represented 8.1 percent of total retail sales for the year, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. By one estimate, online sales represented almost 42 percent of the growth in retail sales last year. The trend will undoubtedly continue. Online sales are expected to reach 12 percent of retail sales by 2020. So retail players who have an unfair competitive advantage due to an uneven playing field are racking up the score—at the expense of traditional retail stores, many of which have strong roots in the community. Traditional retailers are a source of jobs in their communities. They pay taxes and are often involved in the civic life of their communities, becoming a vital part of the social fabric. But out-of-state e-commerce giants contribute essentially nothing to support local communities, even as they hollow out the local retail sector. This is a problem that requires a federal solution. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., has been an advocate of leveling the retail playing field. She is a co-sponsor of the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2017, which would enable states to require out-of-state businesses or online retailers to collect the sales and use taxes already owed under current law. A… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/heidi-in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=DFEF1F27-A01C-4203-9D18-3AE784215AB0 | Forum News Service:Costs of opioid abuse much higher than previously believed | 2017-11-23 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Sydney Mook The opioid crisis which has been affecting families across North Dakota and the region for the past few years has also hit homes across the country. According to new data compiled by President Donald Trump’s Council of Economic Advisers, the costs of opioid abuse are much higher than previously thought. The data states that opioid-involved overdose deaths have doubled in the past 10 years and quadrupled in the past 16 years. The number of opioid-involved overdose deaths has risen by nearly one-third since 2013. Illegally imported fentanyl, a highly potent synthetic opioid, and fentanyl analogs, are thought to be main culprits in the rise of overdose deaths. Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of injury death in the United States, outnumbering traffic crashes or gun-related deaths. The council said evidence suggests that up to 24 percent of drug overdoses related to opioids are not reported, which could raise the estimated 2015 opioid overdose death toll to over 40,000. Preliminary analysis shows that more than 64,000 lives were lost to drug overdoses in 2016, a rate of 175 deaths a day in 2016, according to the council The CEA estimates the cost of the opioid crisis in 2015 to be $504 billion, when the number of lives lost in the crisis are accounted for. The CEA’s high estimate puts the cost of opioid misuse at $622.1 billion while the most conservative estimate suggests the cost is $293.9 billion. On Oct. 26, President Trump directed the acting Secretary of Health and Human Services to declare a nationwide public health emergency to bring the full war chest of the U.S. government to fight the opioid crisis. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., said although North Dakota does not have the overdose and use rates like West Virginia, opioid use in the state is an “escalating problem.” While Heitkamp was pleased that Trump declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency, she said she wished the declaration came with more resources attached. “Saying it’s an emer… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/heidi-in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=2BAA1403-EAC7-490B-B636-5C8D1B6A1C96 | Bismarck Tribune: Teamsters pin hopes on legislation to save pension | 2017-11-22 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Jessica Holdman Members of North Dakota Teamsters are rallying around legislation meant to stabilize their pension fund, which is approaching insolvency within the decade. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., visited Bismarck Tuesday to drum up grassroots support for the Butch Lewis Act, of which she is a co-sponsor. The Central States Pension Fund, which benefits about 2,000 Teamsters in North Dakota, as well as other states, took a hit as a result of the 2008 recession, along with having more retired than active members. Heitkamp called the potential 20 percent to as much as 80 percent declines in pensions an “injustice.” “This has to get fixed,” she said. A Mandan story Tony Goetzfried, 70, of Mandan, started driving trucks and served as the local Teamsters business agent for 20 years. He said he and his fellow workers gave up pay raises to pay into the fund. As a result, it was lucrative and had a lot of money for years. “You did the smart thing,” Heitkamp said. But things changed, and despite the bailout of Wall Street’s financial institutions, which the union says squandered their pensions, nothing was paid back into the fund. Driving in Fargo Donna Mattson, of Fargo, said her husband worked as a UPS driver for 30 years. “He worked hard and earned his pension. He also gave up a great deal to be able to do his job. He missed out on many of our kids’ basketball and soccer games because he worked so much,” she said. Then, in 2013, Mattson’s husband was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy, requiring physical, speech and occupational therapies, as well as in-home nursing, which Mattson said can cost $26 per hour once Medicare benefits run out. She said, without the pension, there is a chance they may not be able to afford to stay in their home. Retirement in Rugby Before his 30-year career as a UPS driver, Wayne Odegaard, of Rugby, was a science teacher. But UPS offered to double his salary and give him the best retirement … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/heidi-in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=37CB72D8-396A-478D-B021-2ABDA60B3671 | Editorial: Our view: Keep up the efforts to curb sex trafficking | 2017-11-22 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | For example, ads openly tout women who are in town for a few days and looking for company. These ads exist in cities throughout the nation — again, including Grand Forks. Under pressure from the government, Backpage.com took down its adult section earlier this year, but many of the ads simply migrated to the website's dating section. In a CBS News report last week, a young woman who says she was coerced into sex trafficking said Backpage.com "is letting all this happen on their website." And her mother told CBS that "Backpage has a primary purpose — to sell sex." Ads currently exist on Backpage.com's Grand Forks dating section, including one that proclaims "Ayisia is back. ... Let me be your everything and more. I can make all your fantasies come true." The ad includes a phone number. That doesn't sound like a "date" to us. However, it's also possible that "Ayisia" is simply a police sting in process. The CBS report last week noted that police often set up fake accounts to nab, and arrest, the men who respond in person to the ads. CBS noted that some police departments conduct stings often through Backpage.com, and they say the website accommodates them. Still, the company is earning money off what appear to be prostitution ads, child slavery and sex trafficking, and it's not right. During a Senate committee hearing in January, Backpage.com officials invoked their Fifth Amendment rights and refused to testify. The company says federal law protects websites from liability for publishing content from third-party users. New legislation, called the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act, may help. A Senate subcommittee earlier this month approved a proposal that would revise the Communications Decency Act to specify that it does not provide protection for sex trafficking and that websites can be held liable. Some fear it will make it more difficult to catch dangerous criminals. We suppose that may be true, since police use Backpage.com for stings; but Backpage's existence contributes much more to the problem tha… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/heidi-in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=3E54463C-CB9A-4307-A4E3-9881FB5490FF | Prairie Public: Heitkamp holds Bismarck rally for pension protection | 2017-11-22 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Dave Thompson Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) held a "pension rally" at the North Dakota Teamsters' Union headquarters in Bismarck Tuesday (11-21). Heitkamp said she’s helped to write a bill that would protect retirees -- mainly UPS drivers, other truckers and grocery workers -- who depend on the Central States Pension Fund for their pensions. The fund became insolvent, and the federal government had to take it over. Pensioners may face benefit cuts. The federal Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation will also become insolvent, if the Central States Fund and other pension plans fail. Heitkamp said the workers want what they were promised. She said the bill – called the “Butch Lewis Act” – would provide government financing to put the plans back on solid financial ground, prevent benefit cuts, and put safeguards in place. "How inequitable it is to basically take away someone's pension, or dramatically cut someone's pension, when those people have done nothing wrong themselves," Heitkamp said. "Why is it that you can bail out the big banks, but when it comes to solving this problem, there can't be any government resources?" Tony Goetzfried of Bismarck is a retired truck driver, and former North Dakota Teamsters president. He said employers have been putting money into that pension fund since the 1960s, and the employees gave up raises to put money into that fund. "If it (Central States) goes broke, it's going to cost the taxpayers money," Goetzfried said. "We're going to have people filing for heating assistance, food stamps." Goetzfried said this was never a gift to the workers. "We all earned it," Goetzfried said. "We worked hard to put the money in there. Now we want to retire." Heitkamp is hoping Congress will pass the Butch Lewis act before year’s end. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/heidi-in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=5825C64E-B3DD-4BDE-8BD6-E380FEF0D55D | Minot Daily News: Retirees rally for bill to save pensions | 2017-11-22 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | BISMARCK — Former UPS driver Wayne Odegaard of Rugby spent 30 years making deliveries in the familiar brown truck. The wear and tear on his body had consequences, and now the looming loss of his pension has added new worries in his retirement years. “We knew our retirement income would be modest but we would be able to make ends meet,” said Odegaard, 72, who retired in 2007. “I worked long, hard hours and I counted on my pension in retirement.” Odegaard, spoke in a Bismarck Teamsters union hall Tuesday at a rally attended by Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-ND, and more than 100 workers and retirees from around the state who are impacted by pension cuts from the Central States Pension Fund. The fund is a multi-employer pension that covers a range of fields, including thousands of North Dakota workers and retirees in the trucking, UPS package delivery and grocery supply industries. About 2,000 retired North Dakotans and 40,000 retired workers around the country receive payments from the fund. Heitkamp helped write the Butch Lewis Act, which would allow the Treasury Department to loan money, leveraged by safe investments, to pension plans to ensure that retirees and their families are guaranteed their promised benefits. “If we lose that pension, we will be forced to sell our home. We would end up having to rely on government assistance,” Odegaard said. “How I ever would find a job at my age with my health conditions, I don’t know. We need this bill to pass to secure our retirement for the rest of our years and to live with our dignity.” If the Central States Teamsters Pension Plan and other pension plans are allowed to fail, taxpayers would be at risk of having to pay billions when the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation, the government-sponsored insurance company for multi-employer pensions, reaches an exposure of $59 billion and is projected to become insolvent by 2025, according to information from Heitkamp’s office. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that the cost of backstopping the PBGC, shoul… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/heidi-in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=19BC8794-5C8B-4D14-9DE0-6D6A0F605512 | KXMB: Rally held to protect North Dakota pensions | 2017-11-21 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Shelby Rose Cuts to a government pension plan are threatening retirement security for thousands of North Dakotans. But Senator Heidi Heitkamp is fighting against it, and has brought forth a new bill to try and fix the problem. "This is just plain wrong," said pension advocate Dennis Kooren. Emotions ran high as over a hundred union teamsters rallied to keep their pensions. It's something that's being threatened to dissolve due to budget cuts and underfunding. Fargo resident Donna Mattson said, "It's just unheard of that this could possibly happen." Mattson is talking about the possibility losing her husband Mike's pension. He was a UPS worker for 30 years and is currently facing serious medical problems that have confined him to a wheelchair. Without the pension, they could lose their home. "It would be devastating to us if we lose that pension," said Mattson. 2,000 North Dakotans have paid into the Central States Pension Plan for over 30 years to secure their retirement. To make sure they see that money, Senator Heidi Heitkamp along with other congressmen have created the Butch Lewis Act. "The plan would be basically to try and provide an influx of cash into the Central States Pension Fund by selling bonds that then would have to be repaid by the pension plan itself," said Senator Heitkamp. She's still in the process of seeking support from fellow congressmen, especially Republicans. Senator Heitkamp added, "When they say, 'Well,you know, it's not our problem.' It definitely is their problem. The government took over this fund. The government promised that they were going to maintain and do a good job with this fund and that didn't happen." She urges all teamsters to attend rallies and contact their congressmen like Dennis Kooren has done. He has been fighting this battle for the last three years, and won't give up. "This will literally save the country by doing this. It's not going to cost the country, it's going to save the country for nothing. Nothing," said Kooren. The bill is named af… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/heidi-in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=2BBB478A-C9A4-4D79-8D6A-64F11276F27C | KFYR: Heitkamp introduces bill to fix Central States Pension Fund | 2017-11-21 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Andrew Horn BISMARCK, N.D. - Thousands of North Dakotans with pension plans through Central States Pension Plan might lose their benefits after paying into the plan while they worked. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., announced a bill Tuesday that would make that fund solvent again. More than 70 people came to the Teamsters Union Hall in Bismarck, some of them giving emotional speeches about how they rely on the pension. The bill would give the fund cash by selling bonds backed by the treasury department and prevent any cut in benefits. Heitkamp says she wants to give retirees stability. “If the pension fund goes insolvent, and we tap into the guaranteed fund and that doesn't cover it. It means people won't have pension,” said Heitkamp. Central States Pension Plan has about 400,000 retirees that could be affected. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/heidi-in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=BBB1321E-0D60-4A7B-AE19-57D671422E20 | Fargo Forum: Heitkamp unveils bill to support pension plans | 2017-11-21 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Heitkamp, D-N.D., announced the bill that she helped write at the Bismarck Teamsters Union hall. Her office noted the government-sponsored insurance company for multiemployer pensions, the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corp., is projected to become insolvent by 2025. "These workers and retirees followed the rules and did everything right. They worked for years, if not decades, in jobs that took tolls on their bodies, saving for retirement the whole way and expecting those savings to be there for them," Heitkamp said in a statement. "Now, through no fault of their own, the rug will be pulled out from under them." The Central States Pension Fund covers workers and retirees in the trucking, UPS package delivery and grocery supply industries, according to Heitkamp's office. Across the country, 400,000 retirees have paid into the plan. The Butch Lewis Act would prevent cuts to retiree benefits and put in place safeguards "so pension plans remain strong so they will be there for today's workers when they retire," the senator's office said. It would allow the Treasury Department to loan money to pension plans. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/heidi-in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=D0D4A62B-953E-459D-BAE2-8EB4FE00EA61 | Fargo Forum: North Dakota senators nominate 11 to service academies | 2017-11-21 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Heitkamp's nominations include: • Morgan Adams, Wahpeton, to the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. She is a graduate of Richland 44 High School, a North Dakota National Guard member and a first responder with Abercrombie Fire and Rescue. • Daniel Carroll, Dickinson, to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y. He attends Dickinson High School and is a member of the Civil Air Patrol. • Tony Heidelberg of Underwood to the Air Force Academy. He serves in the Air Force at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. He graduated from Underwood High School. • Jarek Hogue of Watford City to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. He attends Watford City High School. • Olivia Nellermoe of West Fargo to the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y. She is attending the U.S. Air Force Preparatory School in Colorado. • Rowyn Schollmeyer of Bismarck to the U.S. Military Academy. She is a senior at Bismarck Century High School. • Adrianna Wilder of Minot to the Air Force Academy. She is a senior at Minot High School. • John Lynch to the Merchant Marine Academy. He is a member of a North Dakota military family. He attends Point Pleasant Beach High School in New Jersey. Hoeven's nominations include: • Elijah Stewart of Minot to the Naval Academy. Steward is a freshman at Minot State University and a graduate of Minot's Bishop Ryan High School. • Seth Hanson of Grand Forks to the Military Academy at West Point. He is a senior at Grand Forks' Red River High School. • Emily Robinson of Burke, Va., to the Air Force Academy. She is a senior at Lake Braddock High School in Virginia and attended Minot High School while her father served at Minot Air Force Base. North Dakota students interested in applying to a service academy for the 2018-2019 school year can learn more online at www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/service-academies or www.hoeven.senate.gov/serving-you/academy-nominations. Individuals interested in applying for a military academy nomination for the 2018-19 academic year sh… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=3D2078E5-E1FB-411C-8BD6-C83ABEB3D640 | Heitkamp Announces Bill to Protect ND Pensions; Keep Promise to ND Workers & Retirees of Secure Retirement | 2017-11-21 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | BISMARCK, N.D. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today joined more than 100 North Dakota Teamsters -- workers, retirees, and their families -- at the Bismarck Teamsters Union hall to announce a bill she helped write that would ensure the 2,000 North Dakotans and 400,000 retirees across the country that have paid into Central States Pension Plan can keep the pensions they earned. Workers and retirees also shared personal stories to explain that if Congress doesn’t pass this bill, deep cuts to their hard-earned retirement savings would severely hurt them and their families. The bill would put the pension plans back on solid footing so current workers, retirees, and employers have the security of knowing their pensions will be available for decades to come, without cuts. Heitkamp is pushing Congress to include the bill in any year end legislative priorities. For years, Heitkamp has stood with North Dakota’s workers and retirees and fought to safeguard their retirement savings, and she has specifically fought to protect those part of the Central States Pension Fund. “These workers and retirees followed the rules and did everything right. They worked for years, if not decades, in jobs that took tolls on their bodies, saving for retirement the whole way and expecting those savings to be there for them. Now, through no fault of their own, the rug will be pulled out from under them,” said Heitkamp. “If Congress doesn’t act, the impacts on workers and families will be devastating. As a country, we must value work and keep our promises to workers and retirees. That’s what our bill would do, and I’m proud to have helped write it. Now Congress needs to pass our bill and avoid needlessly putting workers and retirees across the country in jeopardy. I refuse to allow that to happen on my watch.” “My husband, Mike, worked as a UPS driver for 30 years. He worked hard and earned his pension. He also gave up a great deal to be able to do his job. He missed out on many of our kids’ basketball and soccer games because he worked so mu… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=59EE5AFA-5857-438D-8025-E339A8731665 | Heitkamp Announces Federal Funds to Support Law Enforcement in Fargo & West Fargo | 2017-11-21 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp announced two federal grants totaling $500,000 that will help the Fargo and West Fargo Police Departments hire additional police officers to support community policing efforts. “The men and women who put on a uniform every day to protect North Dakota’s communities have one of the toughest jobs,” said Heitkamp. “Yet, they go out into their local communities to protect and serve our family, friends, and neighbors and build the relationships that are critical to maintaining the safety and security that we have come to rely on. As the former Attorney General for North Dakota, I saw firsthand the dedication and hard work these law enforcement officers put into their jobs and I have worked to make sure that they have the resources they need to come home safe to their families each night and I’m continuing that work in the U.S. Senate. These federal funds will help support the hiring of additional police officers in Fargo and West Fargo with the goal of increasing community policing efforts – putting cops on the street is the best way to continue to build trust with local communities while being on the frontline of crime prevention and intervention.” These federal funds are made available through the U.S Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program Awards that assist state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies in hiring law enforcement officers to prevent crime and keep communities safe through new or continuing community policing initiatives. The federal funds are distributed as follows: West Fargo: $375,000 in federal funding to hire three law enforcement officers. Fargo: $125,000 in federal funding to hire one law enforcement officer. Heitkamp, as a former North Dakota Attorney General, has a unique understanding of the COPS program’s role in supporting North Dakota’s law enforcement agencies and as a U.S. Senator has pushed the DOJ to appropriately fund North Dakota law enforcement agencies. In… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=AAD97D22-0F07-49D5-B715-2AB8A34CB06C | Heitkamp Details Farm Bill Priorities at ND Association of Soil Conservation Districts Meeting | 2017-11-21 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today spoke at the North Dakota Association of Soil Conservation Districts’ annual meeting, where she discussed the importance of soil health and her priorities for the 2018 Farm Bill. “As I talk to farmers and ranchers across the state, it’s clear that we need to invest more in research and conservation as we’re also improving the safety net programs farmers rely on in times of drought or low commodity prices,” Heitkamp said. “After a historic drought impacted the state this summer, farmers and ranchers are keenly aware that good soil health practices can make all the difference for moisture retention and grass production. As we write and negotiate the 2018 Farm Bill, I will continue to fight for programs and policies that will ensure the enrichment and protection of our invaluable soil.” A member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Heitkamp helped write, negotiate, and pass the 2014 Farm Bill and has worked to implement and protect the Farm Bill for producers across North Dakota. She is looking ahead to making sure the 2018 Farm Bill works for North Dakota. In August, Heitkmap conducted a two-day drought and farm bill tour of western North Dakota to hear more about how the drought has impacted farmers, ranchers, and businesses in western North Dakota and how she can work to strengthen the 2018 Farm Bill to protect farmers and ranchers, particularly during trying times. Heitkamp recently introduced legislation to strengthen and improve the Agriculture Risk Coverage-County Level program (ARC-CO), which helps farmers when commodity prices fall to damaging levels. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=9B922F47-6EBF-452E-A8A4-1AA2994A6A0D | Heitkamp Fights for Agriculture Exports Amid NAFTA Renegotiation & New Tariffs from India | 2017-11-20 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp made a bipartisan push to protect agriculture exports and rural communities, leading an effort with U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) to warn of the potential impacts of a renegotiation or withdrawal from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and joining U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) to protect North Dakota dry pea producers from India’s unfair trade practices. Heitkamp and Boozman requested U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross do an economic analysis of the impacts to the crop and livestock sectors as a result of any changes to NAFTA. Almost 90 percent of North Dakota’s exports are to Canada and Mexico. Heitkamp and Daines raised alarm about India imposing a sudden 50 percent tariff on dry pea imports, and called on U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue and United States Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer to take action to protect farmers. “North Dakota’s farmers and ranchers need to export to survive, and it’s critical that foreign markets are available and fair, especially when 95 percent of consumers live outside the U.S. Renegotiating or withdrawing from NAFTA threatens their ability to sell their goods to Canada and Mexico,” Heitkamp said. “That would be a devastating loss for our farm families and rural economies, so we must fight to protect agriculture in the renegotiation of NAFTA and warn against the disastrous consequences of withdrawal. We can and must support American workers and level the playing field for manufacturing jobs, but not at the expense of farm jobs. Additionally, we also need fair trade practices to support American farmers and ranchers. India’s sudden decision to enact a drastic 50 percent tax on dry pea imports will hurt North Dakota farmers, which is why we’re asking Secretary Perdue and USTR Lighthizer to pressure India to reverse course and take action to support farmers who may be impacted.” Click here to read Heitkamp and Boozman’s letter to Secretary Ross about protecting agriculture… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/heidi-in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=8F164F98-8F0B-4D4E-8EE2-DDA256036708 | Associated Press: North Dakota ready to change online sales tax collection | 2017-11-19 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Associated Press BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota could level the playing field between online retailers and brick and mortar businesses should any federal changes to sales tax collection be made. North Dakota is among several states to have joined South Dakota in pushing for the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider if retailers should be required to collect sales taxes in a state where they're not physically located. The Legislature passed a measure in its latest session that would permit the tax department to immediately require online retailers to collect sales tax, should federal law change. Mike Rud, president of the North Dakota Retail Association, said the law is critical. "Now we're ready as soon as the case is heard by the Supreme Court," Rud said. "This is a pretty serious issue and everyone is becoming quite aware something needs to be done here," said Rud. U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp is one of many lawmakers that wrote to the Supreme Court to ask for the issue to be considered. According to Heitkamp, retailers without a physical presence have a price advantage of up to 8.5 percent over brick and mortar stores. "When these retailers can charge lower prices, our small businesses and jobs are at risk," the North Dakota Democrat wrote with other lawmakers. The state tax commissioner's office estimates up to $30 million wasn't collected in 2012 because online retailers weren't required to collect. Considering that online sales have grown by up to 50 percent since then, Rud said the recent losses are likely between $30 million to $40 million. Jeff Hinz, who owns Ace Hardware in Bismarck, said it doesn't seem fair because online retailers still use North Dakota's roads to ship their items but they don't help cover the tax burden associated with maintaining them. "UPS, the Postal Service and Fedex are their brick and mortar," Hinz said. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/heidi-in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=6EBCCE62-E8D0-4D25-90C4-51C61E23C095 | Wall Street Journal: Two Weeks of Frenzied Negotiations Led to Bank-Relief Deal | 2017-11-17 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Andrew Ackerman WASHINGTON—On Halloween, Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio huddled with fellow Democrats in his Senate offices to make an announcement: Months of talks between Mr. Brown and Senate Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo to roll back post-financial crisis rules had ended in failure. Unfazed, Sens. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Jon Tester of Montana and Joe Donnelly of Indiana—all moderate Democrats facing re-election next year—said they would press for their own agreement with Mr. Crapo. What followed were nearly two weeks of frenzied behind-the-scenes talks, according to people familiar with the deliberations, as lawmakers worked to cut a deal before they left town on Thanksgiving break. “It was around the clock negotiations for a couple of weeks between us and our staffs, at the lunch counter, on the Senate floor, in offices, in cloakrooms,” Mr. Donnelly said in an interview. The deal, announced Monday, marked the first significant bipartisan agreement to relieve small and regional lenders from a number of restrictions of the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial-overhaul law. A similar effort in the prior Congress, led by Sen. Richard Shelby (R., Ala.), the then-chairman of the banking panel, ended in a bill no Democrats backed, dooming its chances to advance through the Senate. Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, another moderate Democrat, also took part in the talks, the details of which weren’t shared with other Senate lawmakers until just before Mr. Crapo announced a deal Monday afternoon. The deal includes provisions that could drastically cut the number of banks subject to heightened Federal Reserve oversight by raising a key regulatory threshold to $250 billion in assets from $50 billion. Lawmakers at one point considered raising the $50 billion asset threshold to as high as $350 billion, the people said, before eventually settling on $250 billion. Though Republicans and some Democrats increasingly favor abandoning an arbitrary asset threshold in favor of giving the Fed more discretion to decide … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/heidi-in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=C6ECBF43-32C8-4D62-B875-E9347C355E7F | Valley News Live: NDDOT getting $200K in federal funds to help with road repairs | 2017-11-17 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Valley News Live WASHINGTON (Valley News Live) The North Dakota Department of Transportation is getting $226,000 in federal grants to support the reconstruction of transportation infrastructure that was damaged due to natural disasters. U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today said, “If we want to get anywhere in North Dakota, it usually means we’re driving there.That’s why it’s so important that our roads, highways, and bridges are repaired and safe to travel on. These federal funds will help to support the rebuilding of roads and other transportation infrastructure damaged on federal lands due to rain and snow.” Senator John Hoeven is also a member of the Senate Transportation Appropriations Committee. He says, “Today’s funds will help ensure that roads and transportation facilities in our state can continue to be used safely. These federal funds are distributed as follows: • North Dakota Department of Transportation: $100,000 in federal funding to help rebuild washout roads, bridges, culverts, and embankments in the Sheyenne and James River Basin that were damaged due to heavy rains. • North Dakota Department of Transportation: $100,000 in federal funding to support various road sites in Divide County that were damaged due to heavy rain fall. • National Park Service, McKinzie & Billings Counties: $26,474 in federal funds to help rebuild damaged federal land transportation facilities. The federal funds are made available through the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Program. The program helps to provide additional federal funds to support the reconstruction of transportation infrastructure, like roads and bridges, on federal lands that were damaged as a result of a natural disaster. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/heidi-in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=CECD7DA1-27C3-4B6D-BF54-74516255A327 | Bismarck Tribune: Teamsters Union to rally in protection of pensions | 2017-11-17 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Bismarck Tribune Staff Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, N.D.-D, will rally with more than 40 local Teamsters Union members from across North Dakota to unveil a new bill she is helping to introduce that would protect the retirement savings of workers and retirees in the Central States Pension Plan. About 2,000 North Dakota workers and retirees have paid into the Central States Pension Plan, which is facing drastic cuts as it is no longer solvent. The local Teamsters at the rally, scheduled for 12:45 p.m. Tuesday at Teamsters Union, Local 638, 1100 Basin Ave. in Bismarck, will tell their personal stories of how they worked their entire lives for a decent retirement and are now at risk of having their financial security ripped away from them. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=359F3E4A-79B0-49F4-8CA2-25E979F974C7 | Heitkamp Nominates Eight ND Students to Military Service Academies | 2017-11-17 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp announced that she nominated eight outstanding North Dakota students to the nation’s military service academies. Heitkamp nominated Morgan Adams of Wahpeton, Daniel Carroll of Dickinson, Tony Heidelberg of Underwood, Jarek Hogue of Watford City, Olivia Nellermoe of West Fargo, Rowyn Schollmeyer of Bismarck, Adrianna Wilder of Minot, and John Lynch from a North Dakota military family. “Our nation’s military leaders are some of the best and brightest this country has to offer,” said Heitkamp. “Many got their start at one of the military service academies and I’m privileged to announce eight incredibly talented and smart North Dakotans who I nominated to attend these military academies. Each of them have demonstrated they are hardworking, determined, and eager to serve, and I hope more young North Dakotan’s look to them as examples as they may consider careers in the military.” Members of Congress are able to nominate students to attend the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado; the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York; the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York; and the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Below are further details on the students Heitkamp has nominated: Morgan Adams – United States Air Force Academy Adams, from Wahpeton, is a graduate of Richland 44 High School and is currently enlisted in the North Dakota National Guard as well as being a first responder for the Ambercrombie Fire and Rescue in Richland County. In high school, she was actively involved in varsity softball, National Honor Society, student council, speech, academic team, band, and choir, and continues to be involved with FFA. Daniel Carroll – Merchant Marine Carroll, from Dickinson, is currently a senior at Dickinson High School where he participates in Math Club, FBLA, and Close-Up as well as plays varsity football and runs cross country. Carroll is also a Technical Sergeant in the Civi… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=48024283-79A6-4658-9F6D-F8F6A755F91A | Heitkamp Announces Federal Funding for Road Infrastructure Improvements | 2017-11-17 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp announced three federal grants totaling over $226,000 to support the reconstruction of transportation infrastructure that was damaged due to natural disasters. “If we want to get anywhere in North Dakota, it usually means we’re driving there,” said Heitkamp. “That’s why it’s so important that our roads, highways, and bridges are repaired and safe to travel on. These federal funds will help to support the rebuilding of roads and other transportation infrastructure damaged on federal lands due to rain and snow.” These federal funds are distributed as follows: North Dakota Department of Transportation: $100,000 in federal funding to help rebuild washout roads, bridges, culverts, and embankments in the Sheyenne and James River Basin that were damaged due to heavy rains. North Dakota Department of Transportation: $100,000 in federal funding to support various road sites in Divide County that were damaged due to heavy rain fall. National Park Service, McKinzie & Billings Counties: $26,474 in federal funds to help rebuild damaged federal land transportation facilities. These federal funds are made available through the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Program. This program helps to provide additional federal funds to support the reconstruction of transportation infrastructure, like roads and bridges, on federal lands that were damaged as a result of a natural disaster. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=09A6E255-0E1D-44D2-90F1-5F2C368031CD | Heitkamp Honored for Championing Better, Stronger Access to Health Care for Children with Special Needs | 2017-11-16 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp was honored for her work to help make sure families and children with special needs and disabilities can access the health care services they need to stay healthy and safe. During a meeting with leaders of Family Voices – a national organization that is celebrating its 25th year of working to build health care resources for children with special needs and disabilities – Heitkamp was presented with the Family Voices Champions of Children’s Health Award for her steadfast work in advocating for families and children with special needs. Long a champion of protecting and strengthening the ability of North Dakota children and families to access quality health services, Heitkamp has consistently fought back against efforts to deteriorate North Dakotans’ access to health care like the Republican health care repeal bills, and pushed for reforms to improve health care that those on both sides of the aisle can agree on. “In every town I visit across North Dakota, I hear from mothers, fathers, and family members whose love, care, and devotion to their children with special needs or disabilities is truly inspirational,” said Heitkamp. “When I get up every morning, I think about how I can fight for them. Especially in rural America, families who have the most limited options in terms of accessing or paying for the health services their children need – are too often last in line when it comes to health care priorities in Congress. I will always fight for them by working to protect their access to Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program services that often make the difference between life and death for many children, or prevent families from falling into financial ruin.” “Every child in North Dakota deserves the opportunity to live life to their full potential – including those with disabilities, like my daughter Allison who was born with a rare genetic condition called MPS,” said Jennifer Restemayer, a Family Voices North Dakota family consultant. “Even though Allison i… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=82E42E53-1771-4EB5-8B8D-06C90C21D941 | Heitkamp Helps Senate Pass Bipartisan Defense Authorization Bill to Support Security & Jobs in North Dakota | 2017-11-16 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – 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 – including several key provisions Heitkamp pushed for to support North Dakota defense priorities and jobs. Heitkamp helped pass an earlier version of the bill in September, and she successfully pushed for several provisions to support North Dakota by: Defending against the North Korea threat: Heitkamp’s amendment reassures our allies of America’s steadfast commitment to protecting against the North Korea nuclear threat. As North Korea continues to threaten regional stability and peace with its missile and nuclear weapons tests, Heitkamp’s amendment makes clear that the United States stands ready to provide its full range of capabilities in the defense of our allies. Helping veterans join the workforce: The legislation encourages the expansion of a Department of Defense program known as SkillBridge, a key provision of legislation Heitkamp introduced, to allow service members to participate in an internship at a federal agency during their final 180 days of service, giving them skills to help them succeed in the workforce. Boosting Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) research: The bill encourages the military to use facilities such as the Northern Plains UAS Test Site in Grand Forks to research and develop capabilities to defend against the threat that unmanned aircraft could pose to military installations like those in North Dakota. Heitkamp has long advocated to expand and strengthen Grand Forks’ UAS mission. “This strong, bipartisan defense bill includes many wins for North Dakota’s military installations, which support our national security and boost our economy,” Heitkamp said. “With the increased threat from North Korea, it’s more important than ever to make clear that the United States stands ready to respond to any attack against us or our allies. That’s why I fou… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=960C1ED8-D408-4504-8C0E-8AD0ED5D2370 | ND Business, National Groups Overwhelmingly Support Heitkamp Bill to Keep Health Care Coverage, Premiums Affordable for ND Families & Businesses | 2017-11-16 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – Since U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp introduced her bill last month to reduce the burden of the Health Insurance Tax, business groups, health care advocates, individuals, and families from across the country and the state have demonstrated an outpouring of support for her legislation. The Health Insurance Tax is a fee that directly impacts health care affordability for families and small businesses. By delaying the tax for two years, and making it tax deductible going forward should the fee go into effect – Heitkamp’s bill aims to mitigate the negative impact the tax would have on almost 71,000 small businesses and nearly 200,000 workers who would see their premiums increase and the certainty of access to affordable health services diminish. Across the country, 156 million consumers would be impacted by the tax – which has been delayed by Congress on a bipartisan basis. After Congress delayed the Health Insurance Tax in 2015, consumers nationwide benefited from an average reduction on their health care premiums of three percent. Heitkamp has long supported delaying the tax in favor of practical solutions that work better for North Dakota families and businesses. “North Dakotans are working hard to keep their businesses and their families healthy and strong – but when they can’t count on how they’re going to be taxed, their ability to do that becomes constrained,” said Heitkamp. “My bill would to delay and mitigate the impact of the Health Insurance Tax so we’re better supporting families and businesses. It’s encouraging that across the state and country, I’ve heard an outpouring of support for my bill from businesses, individuals, and families alike because they need stable premiums and health care costs they can rely on. For years, I’ve been offering proposals to make the health reform law work better for North Dakota families and businesses, and this bill builds on those efforts.” In North Dakota, Heitkamp has received support for her bill from the Bismarck-Mandan Chamber, North Dakota busine… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/heidi-in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=C8B0CE35-46D7-4E1D-AF6E-880BB4E112A8 | Minot Daily News: Bankers support bill to ease regulations, protect consumers | 2017-11-15 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Minot Daily News Area bankers are supporting a bipartisan Senate bill designed to provide regulatory relief for financial institutions and increase consumer protections. U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-ND, on Tuesday announced the bipartisan agreement coming out of the Senate Banking Committee. The legislation tailors regulations for banks to better reflect their business models, providing relief for small financial institutions. “Community banks like Cornerstone Bank support small businesses, families and farmers across North Dakota, but our efforts to grow and support our communities have been challenged by burdensome regulations,” said Gary Petersen, chairman of Cornerstone Bank, New Town. “The appraisal issue in rural areas has been a problem for a while and it needed fixing,” said Tyler Neether, vice president for business lending at Town & Country Credit Union, Minot. “We are in the relationship lending business and getting qualified appraisals in a timely matter was difficult. The process and delay was harming our members.” “This is a major victory for consumers not only across the United States, but especially in rural areas such as the Dakotas,” added Jeremiah Kossen, president of Town & Country Credit Union, Minot, who applauded provisions that would increase consumer access to mortgages and loans. Consumer protections in the legislation include: – Requires fraud alerts in consumers’ files for one year and provides a free credit freeze alert for parents to put on their children. – Protects veterans’ credit by prohibiting a credit reporting agency from including medical debt in reports. – Extends immunity from liability to certain people who disclose suspected exploitation of seniors. – Re-imposes protections for tenants that were repealed in 2014. – Requires the Treasury Department to submit a report to Congress on the risks of cyber threats to financial institutions and the U.S. capital markets. Last spring, the Senate Banking Committee issued a request for legislative pr… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=1AA18204-3C31-4867-A855-476CD35AE0D4 | Heitkamp Statement on Voting to Approve Homeland Security Secretary Nominee Kirstjen Nielsen | 2017-11-15 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today released the following statement after joining a bipartisan group of senators on the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs to advance Kirstjen Nielsen’s nomination to lead the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Her nomination now heads to the Senate floor for final approval. Last week, Heitkamp invited Nielsen to North Dakota and received commitments from her to prioritize enhancing and improving Northern Border security. “Securing our Northern Border is necessary to keep North Dakota – and our nation’s – communities safe, but for too long our hardworking security personnel have been chronically understaffed and under-resourced,” said Heitkamp. “Last week when I questioned Ms. Nielsen during a Senate hearing on her nomination, she committed to prioritizing security improvements along our Northern Border – including quickly implementing the new Northern Border strategy, which was recommended by DHS as a result of my bipartisan bill becoming law – and pushing for the budgetary resources to make that strategy a reality. Our nation needs a strong DHS Secretary who will act as an independent voice and will not be swayed by political pressure or other undue influences. I plan to hold Ms. Nielsen to her commitment to do just that, as well as her promises to secure the Northern Border and address some of the long-term challenges at so we can keep North Dakota and our nation strong and safe.” During the hearing on Nielsen's nomination last week, Heitkamp underscored to Nielsen the immediate need to recognize the security and personnel challenges that exist in effectively protecting the nation’s 5,500-mile Northern Border. Nielsen confirmed that she would work to quickly review and implement a new Northern Border security strategy as recommended by DHS’ recently completed Northern Border Threat Assessment – a report that was ordered as a result of Heitkamp’s Northern Border Security Review Act being signed into law last year. Add… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=6A2B67A2-0478-4BEF-9FFD-DB765B75FB99 | Heitkamp: New Report a Call to Action to Combat Youth Homelessness | 2017-11-15 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today called on Congress to pass the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act following the release of a new report from Voices of Youth Count, an initiative of Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, that sheds light on the extent of youth homelessness in America. The report found that 4.2 million young people experienced homelessness in America over a 12-month period, including young people who have slept on the streets or in shelters, as well as those who were kicked out of their homes, couch surfed, or had temporary accommodations with friends or family. Homelessness is just as much of a challenge in rural communities as it is in urban communities, the study found. In predominantly rural counties, 9.2 percent of young adults reported any homelessness while, in predominantly urban counties, the prevalence rate was 9.6 percent. “Every young person deserves the chance to reach their full potential, but it’s heartbreaking that so many children and young adults lack a stable home to keep them safe and support their growth and development,” Heitkamp said. “We must do more to combat the problem of youth homelessness, and we must pass the bipartisan Runaway and Homeless Youth Act as quickly as possible. We know all too well the consequences of youth homelessness – those children are more easily exploited and at greater risk to be trafficked, and they lack the support networks they need to succeed. Everyone should be on board to combat this problem, and I’ll continue to work in a bipartisan way to combat youth homelessness and ensure every community is strong and safe for our children.” The Runaway and Homeless Youth Act provides critical community-based care, housing and counseling to homeless youth and young adults. Heitkamp supported the bipartisan legislation when it was introduced in 2015. It is set to be introduced for reauthorization soon. Heitkamp has also supported the Homeless Children and Youth Act – which would expand the Department of Housing and Urban Developm… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/heidi-in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=7E0072EA-5471-4EE2-9ABF-661DE1EEC681 | Politico: Senators reach rare bipartisan deal to ease banking rules | 2017-11-14 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Zachary Warmbrodt A group of senators on Monday rolled out a rare, bipartisan agreement years in the making that would relax a number of banking regulations enacted after the 2008 financial crisis. The deal was driven by Senate Banking Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and a handful of red-state Democrats who have long argued that the rules were stifling lending for their rural constituents. The same Democrats are facing tough reelection campaigns next year. The compromise would ease regulations on small, community banks as well as several larger lenders that have been subject to stricter oversight because they have more than $50 billion in assets. The release of the deal immediately drove a wedge between moderate Democrats and others in the party who have resisted making significant changes to the post-financial crisis regulatory regime. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, the top Democrat on the Banking Committee, said he opposed the proposal because it went too far in rolling back regulations. But with nine Republicans, eight Democrats and one independent senator signing on, the package had a significant head start on the way to advancing through the Senate, where bipartisan agreement is essential to passing most laws. “Our bill is an example of how if Democrats and Republicans can put partisanship aside and work together, we can reach real compromises that support the country,” Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) said. The announcement was significant because bipartisan agreement on big changes to banking rules has been elusive in the Senate since Democrats enacted a sweeping overhaul of financial regulations in 2010. Democrats have spent years fending off attempts by Republicans to scrap major aspects of that law, known as Dodd-Frank. The deal unveiled Monday constituted the Senate's most significant attempt yet at rewriting the legislation. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he’s "very, very supportive” of the agreement, which he praised as “a bipartisan proposal, which I think is terrific.” … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=028600E9-C86C-466A-8896-5462ED8404A5 | Heitkamp & Bipartisan Group of Senators Announce Regulatory Reform Plan to Help Protect Consumers & Rural Communities in North Dakota, Support Economic Growth | 2017-11-14 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – After years of bipartisan work, U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today announced a bipartisan agreement on legislative proposals to improve our nation’s financial regulatory framework, promote economic growth, and protect consumers in North Dakota’s rural communities. Heitkamp announced the agreement that she worked on over several years with U.S. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Banking Committee members Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Jon Tester (D-MT) and Mark Warner (D-VA). The bill so far has support from nine Republican senators, nine Democrat senators, and one Independent senator. In the past 30 years, the number of community banks and credit unions have dropped by about two-thirds, yet more than 80 percent of North Dakota deposits still go to community banks, reinforcing that small financial institutions remain a key resource for North Dakota families. The bill comes after three years of negotiations that Heitkamp has been part of to help give community banks and credit unions the relief they need to better serve consumers across North Dakota, while also strengthening consumer protections. In 2015, Heitkamp and a bipartisan group of Senators came close to finalizing a deal, and she’s been working to find a path forward ever since. The bill comes after more than 20 Senate Banking Committee hearings on regulatory reform and economic growth since 2015 that Heitkamp has been part of, and more than 30 discussions she has had with top financial regulators about the issue. Heitkamp has also introduced individual bills over the years to help support community banks and credit unions. “Our bill is an example of how if Democrats and Republicans put partisanship aside and work together, we can reach real compromises that support the country,” said Heitkamp, a member of the Senate Banking Committee. “Every day I come to work in the U.S. Senate, I’m fighting for rural America – and that’s what our bipartisan bill is about. It would provide needed relief to community banks and credit unio… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=4A3F88B2-7708-4D75-8A67-CB93CE27641E | Heitkamp Announces Federal Funding for Early Childhood Education in Fargo | 2017-11-14 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp announced more than $1.5 million in federal funding to support Head Start and Early Head Start programs through the Southeastern North Dakota Community Action Agency that serves students in the Fargo area. “Head Start and Early Head Start programs have time and time again shown that they support the early education needs of children across the state,” said Heitkamp. “From rural to urban school districts every child deserves an opportunity to succeed and these federal funds will help young students in Fargo get off to the right start and succeed in school and beyond.” This federal funding is made available through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families’ Office of Head Start. Recently, Heitkamp announced that the TGU School District will receive over $1.1 million in federal funding for early childhood education for students in Towner and Granville. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=3A612A94-18D3-42F9-A101-504849C6E391 | Heitkamp Announces Federal Funding for Early Childhood Education at TGU School District | 2017-11-13 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp announced $1,105,520 in federal funding to support Head Start and Early Head Start programs for the TGU School District that educates the students of Towner and Granville. “Starting a child’s education early will set them on the right path to success later in life,” said Heitkamp. “Helping to support early childhood education programs makes sure that the next generation of North Dakotans have the education they need. This federal funding will support the TGU School District’s Head Start and Early Head Start programs for children in Towner and Granville.” This federal funding is made available through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families’ Office of Head Start. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=B2C44F56-0076-417E-91B6-952726B4DE0D | Heitkamp Announces Federal Funding For Crop Management Research at NDSU | 2017-11-13 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp announced a federal grant of $172,134 for North Dakota State University (NDSU) to support food security through better pest management strategies. “North Dakota’s agriculture industry contributes billions of dollars every year to economic activity that supports rural communities in every corner of the state,” said Heitkamp. “To make sure we continue to help farmers and ranchers succeed we must be continually adapting to new challenges like pests and disease that can decimate a crop. These federal funds will support NDSU, one of North Dakota’s top research universities, study new and innovative ways to protect crops that feed our state and the world.” This federal funding is made available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agricultures’ Crop Protection and Pest Management Program. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/heidi-in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=8B9A80C3-ECE0-495B-8732-4602D745C286 | KXMB: Honoring Veterans Not Just for the Holiday | 2017-11-11 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Kaley Schwab Bismarck - Veterans Day has been observed every year for nearly one hundred years. But for those who've worn the uniform, every day is veterans day and showing your support doesn't have to be reserved for a holiday. Decked out in red, white and blue , adorned in pins, and in uniform, all coming together to say, thank you. "If it not for the veteran, the sacrifices they've made, the ones that died as combatants in all the wars, our country would not be the country that we know today," Jim Nelson, commander AMVETS Post 9 Bismarck. But these veterans say this holiday shouldn't be the exception. "It's important that we remember why we're here as a country and we do that by honoring veterans all the time," Nelson says And no matter if they still wear the uniform, or years have passed since their service, their sacrifice should never be forgotten. "Most every family, every family in North Dakota, is probably affected and has a veteran in their family," Lt. Col. Davina French, U.S. Army says. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp says veterans of all ages still face challenges like access to healthcare, affordable housing, and finding jobs. But no matter their age, support from their community is vital. "This is a day when hopefully, collectively, all across the country, people express their gratitude, but also recommit to doing everything that we can to make sure the promises that we made to veterans are actually honored," Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, (D) North Dakota says. And you probably don't have to look far to find a veteran. "North Dakota is one of those states that veterans are the backbone of this state," Lt. Col. Davina French, U.S. Army says. Supporting a veteran can be as simple as reaching out to the ones you already know. "Just to say hi, to shake a hand, and to remember their service regardless if they're young or old," French says. "Every day should be veterans day," Nelson says. And always remember those who have served. North Dakota is home to more than 50,000 veterans. Lt. Col. Fren… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=4C5DB5A5-92FB-4FB0-B536-EE78CEF1662B | Heitkamp: Unfairly Subsidized Foreign Biodiesel a Threat to North Dakota Jobs | 2017-11-09 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today testified at an International Trade Commission (ITC) hearing on the impact of biodiesel imports from Argentina and Indonesia, which are heavily subsidized and threaten jobs in farming and biodiesel production in North Dakota. “Unfairly subsidized imports from Argentina and Indonesia put North Dakota jobs at risk,” Heitkamp said. “Our farmers and biodiesel companies are losing money because they cannot compete against the massive subsidies being provided by these foreign governments. The ITC must take action to level the playing field, so that producers like ADM based out of Velva – which produces 75 million gallons of biodiesel a year – are able to continue to compete and support our farmers and rural communities.” Heitkamp’s testimony comes after she sent a letter to U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in September, urging him to take action to protect U.S. producers from these unfairly subsidized imports. Click here to read her letter to Secretary Ross. According to a study conducted last year by LMC International and released by the National Biodiesel Board, the 2.1 billion gallons of biodiesel and renewable diesel used by Americans in 2015 supported 47,400 jobs and $1.9 billion in wages, and had an $8.4 billion economic impact. In North Dakota, about 50 percent of corn is turned into ethanol, according to the North Dakota Corn Growers Association, reinforcing how important it is that we maintain a robust biofuels market through the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Last month, Senator Heitkamp successfully fought to protect biofuel production targets in the RFS, leading a bipartisan letter to the administration opposing proposed cuts to production levels in 2018. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had proposed holding the biomass-based diesel volume stagnant for 2019 and reducing the advanced biofuel volume for 2018, leaving potential growth in the industry on the table and threatening near-term job losses in rural America. EPA Administrato… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=F8FF6341-A46F-4418-8332-D6EEBB6F11F5 | U.S. Senate Committee Passes Bipartisan Bill Heitkamp Helped Write & Introduce to Hold Websites like Backpage.com Accountable for their Role in Facilitating Sex Trafficking | 2017-11-09 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today announced that the legislation she helped draft and introduce with a group of Republican and Democratic senators to hold websites accountable for their role in knowingly facilitating sex trafficking online overwhelmingly passed in the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. In September, Heitkamp joined members of the Committee for a hearing to consider the legislation. At the hearing, Heitkamp sat alongside Cindy McCain, an international leader in the global fight against human trafficking, to underscore to her Senate colleagues that this legislation is necessary to immediately provide victims an avenue to seek justice for their exploitation – and make sure that companies will be held liable to the fullest extent of the law for profiting from this form of modern-day slavery. The Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act – which now has 44 bipartisan cosponsors – would make sure websites would no longer be able to exploit a loophole in the Communications Decency Act that has allowed them to serve as a platform for sex trafficking crimes. The legislation was crafted following a comprehensive investigation and report by the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations regarding ads placed on Backpage.com of victims of sex trafficking. As a member of the subcommittee, Heitkamp has played a key part in holding leadership of Backpage.com accountable for their role – detailed in the report – in deliberately facilitating human trafficking on its site, particularly of children. “When I heard the ugly details clearly laid out in the report we put together on how Backpage.com worked to facilitate the sale of young children for sex online – it truly made me sick to watch leaders of the site hide behind their First Amendment rights,” said Heitkamp. “We can stop websites from providing a platform for – and profiting from – this modern form of slavery by making sure victims of this hideous for… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/heidi-in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=308EDF54-2F72-420D-82B4-BF891EBF91DD | Bismarck Tribune: Events mark Veterans Day | 2017-11-08 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Bismarck Tribune Staff This year’s Bismarck AMVETS Veterans Day program will remember the service of North Dakota’s veterans during World War I to recognize the 100th anniversary of the United States entry into the Great War. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., and Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., will attend with speaker Darrell Dorgan. The program begins at 1 p.m. Friday at the Bimarck AMVETS Club, 2402 Railroad Ave., in Bismarck. On Saturday, Heitkamp will speak at the VFW’s All-Veteran Centennial Memorial to recognize the men and women who have served the country. She will highlight the issues that veterans face, such as accessing health services close to home or making sure they find good-paying jobs as they transition into civilian life. The event will begin at 9:45 a.m. in the Russell Reid Auditorium at the Heritage Center, 612 E. Boulevard Ave. in Bismarck. In addition, University of Mary students will utilize letters collected from WWI to perform a Reader’s Theater inside the North Dakota Heritage Center’s Russell Reid Auditorium at 1 p.m., called “Letters from the Great War,” that will also include a lecture by Joseph Stuart, who teaches a class on the Cultural History of the Great War. The group also will be performing at the AMVETS event. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/op-eds?ContentRecord_id=98871505-93AB-41BF-8D89-E94D54F1639A | Heroes On and Off the Battlefield | 2017-11-08 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Imagine being thousands of miles from home in a foreign country, huddled in a snow bank during a blizzard as bullets whiz past you. Private First Class Lynn Aas lived through this frozen hell for 45 days during the Battle of the Bulge in December and January of 1944-1945, when Allied troops held firm against a ferocious German offensive. And through it all, Lynn was motivated to survive by the desire to come home to North Dakota and make a difference in his community. This Veterans Day it is important to remember that heroes walk among us, and Lynn Aas is one of them. I had the privilege of being in Minot last month to attend a ceremony at which Lynn was presented with the Knight of the Legion of Honor medal, the highest honor that France can bestow, for his heroism during that critical World War II battle that saved France – and Europe – from the advance of Nazism. Lynn has received numerous other recognitions for his military service, including the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. But it’s Lynn’s work to build up his community and make North Dakota a better place for future generations that really inspires me. Lynn did not rest or retreat from service when he made it home. He served his community in a number of ways: as an active member of his church community, as a member of the North Dakota Legislature, as a supporter of Minot State University, as a member of the United Way Board of Directors, and in countless other ways. The stories of World War II veterans like Lynn – who made it home and dedicated themselves to building our nation – need to be told over and over again. These days, when it’s easy to take for granted the hardships endured by the Greatest Generation to make our country great, our next generations need role models like Lynn who have embodied self-sacrifice for the betterment of their communities. As a nation, we owe veterans like Lynn a deep debt of gratitude and respect – not just on Veterans Day, but every day by making sure they can access the resources they need and deserve. In the U… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=150B7B09-6C12-4FDF-AD0C-8C9F4E2DE74B | Heitkamp Invites Homeland Security Secretary Nominee Kirstjen Nielsen to ND, Receives Commitment to Prioritize Northern Border | 2017-11-08 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – During a hearing in the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp invited Kirstjen Nielsen, the nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to North Dakota. Heitkamp also received a commitment from Nielsen to prioritize enhancing and improving Northern Border security. During the hearing on Nielsen's nomination, Heitkamp underscored to Nielsen the immediate need to recognize the security and personnel challenges that exist in effectively protecting the nation’s 5,500-mile Northern Border. Nielsen confirmed that she would work to quickly review and implement a new Northern Border security strategy as recommended by DHS’ recently completed Northern Border Threat Assessment – a report that was ordered as a result of Heitkamp’s Northern Border Security Review Act being signed into law last year. Additionally, Nielsen committed to advocating for the resources in upcoming DHS budgets to execute the strategy. “When I visit North Dakota’s Northern Border, what’s immediately apparent is the dedicated, but understaffed, security personnel who are working to secure a vast border often with insufficient resources,” said Heitkamp. “Today I invited Homeland Security secretary nominee, Kirstjen Nielsen, to come to North Dakota’s Northern Border to see these challenges for herself, and she committed to making Northern Border security a top priority. Both in my meeting with Nielsen last month, and in the hearing today, I was encouraged to hear that she shares the view that implementing a new Northern Border strategy – a DHS initiative which came as a result of my bill becoming law – must be implemented as quickly as possible – and with the necessary resources dedicated to this mission. Our nation faces a series of growing and emerging threats, and we can’t gamble with an outdated strategy on our Northern Border. Going forward, I’ll hold Nielsen, if she is confirmed, accountable for the commitments she made today so that we can keep o… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=1845C628-5D08-4749-9CFF-F771B54009F1 | Heitkamp Raises Transparency Concerns in USDA Grant Making Process | 2017-11-08 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue raising transparency issues about its grant making process after concerns were raised by the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives (NDAREC). NDAREC has received a USDA Rural Cooperative Development Grant (RCDG) every year since 1994 to support its successful cooperative development center. Its application has consistently scored in the mid to high 90s, but this year it received a score of 79 by USDA’s voluntary committee. While the scoring is subjective and likely to change from year to year, the drastic reduction this year led NDAREC to request an informal review and for the public release of an awardee list, as has been standard practice for many years. USDA has refused to release a list of the 2017 RCDG Award recipients. “The decision not to make the 2017 RCDG Award recipients public, which is a significant departure from previous years, elevates my concerns,” Heitkamp wrote in her letter to Secretary Perdue. “Basic information on who received grants or loans, the amount and intended use of the federal funds is reasonable information a federal agency should disclose.” Heitkamp presented Secretary Perdue with a detailed list of questions about the RCDG grant process, and expressed the need to protect these programs against possible budget cuts. “As the USDA progresses forward with the reorganization of the Rural Development mission area and their programs continue to be targeted for cuts from the administration, I would like stress how important these programs are to rural communities across the country and especially to states like North Dakota,” she wrote. Click here for the full text of Heitkamp’s letter. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=5B48947C-E95D-49F7-8572-3A3B3965DBF2 | Heitkamp Announces Federal Support for Mercer Water Infrastructure | 2017-11-08 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp announced a federal grant of $1,255,000 and a federal loan of $429,000 to make needed water and waste water infrastructure improvements to help enable the city of Mercer to have reliable and safe drinking water. “Safe and reliable water infrastructure is critical to the success of rural communities all across North Dakota and to supporting healthy families,” said Heitkamp. “By making sure places like Mercer have access to safe drinking water and waste systems to keep the town clean, it allows for communities to grow and families to stay safe. These federal funds will assist Mercer as it makes needed water system upgrades that will support the community’s needs well into the future.” Specifically, these federal funds will support the city of Mercer to connect to rural water, renovate the water storage building, replace the water storage tank and meters, and update the water distribution system. These federal funds are made available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Water and Waste Water Disposal Loans and Grants program to give our state’s rural and agricultural communities the security they need. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=D5C2B295-960E-415C-AF48-62DACFE9E4AC | Heitkamp Announces Federal Funding to Support the Health of Mothers & Children | 2017-11-08 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp announced $324,938 in federal funding to the North Dakota Department of Health to support the health and wellness of mothers and children to improve access to care including prenatal care, preventive care, and care for children and families with special needs. “Healthy mothers mean healthy babies and it’s critical that both have access to quality health care,” said Heitkamp. “This federal funding will support the North Dakota Department Health as it works to make sure mothers and children in need have access to quality health care.” These federal funds are made available through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources & Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Services grant program. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/heidi-in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=42298960-4D53-4D24-B1DC-DC4458416955 | KFYR: North Dakota joins online sales tax fight | 2017-11-07 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Bo Evans North Dakota, along with 34 other states, joined South Dakota in a law suit that could force you to pay sales tax for purchases you make online. The nationwide fight to make online retailers pay sales tax has its origins in this state going back about 25 years ago. North Dakota is losing out on a lot of tax dollars due to online sales. "We estimate now maybe around $40 million a year that we're losing because online retailers are not required to collect and remit online sales tax," said North Dakota Tax Commissioner Ryan Rauschenberger. If they don't have a brick and mortar location in the state, retailers don't pay sales tax. That can be traced back to a 1992 Supreme Court case Quill v. North Dakota. Some say that decision needs to be revisited. "In 1992 when that decision was rendered, there were not internet sales and now we've seen that the internet transactions have taken off," said North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem. Stenehjem says the state has joined South Dakota in trying to get the Supreme Court to revisit the issue. He says it’s a matter of fairness. "A lot of the local brick and mortar stores in the states, certainly here in North Dakota are feeling it's really not fair to them they collect and then remit to the state," said Stenehjem. Last week Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D, N.D., the tax commissioner who originally tried to collect from Quill, reiterated why she wanted the Supreme Court to take the case. The legislature passed a law last session which requires online retailers to pay sales tax if they do over $100,000 in revenue or more than 200 transactions a year, if the quill decision is overturned. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/heidi-in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=77897371-B6B8-4EED-A99C-B3061D50FEEC | Gray TV: Push for federal help in Washington to address issue of missing, murdered Native women | 2017-11-07 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Peter Zampa WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) is pushing for more attention to be paid to missing and murdered native women. She says these women are facing murder rates well above the national average and not enough is being done to address the issue. She’s pushing legislation that would call on the federal government to implement better practices. A member of a South Dakota tribe says something needs to be done immediately. Carmen O'Leary says Native women need to see the same justice as people around the country. “Native women deserve justice too,” said Carmen O’Leary, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of South Dakota. O’Leary says she wants an end to the negligence. She says native women are being murdered and going missing at extremely high rates. O’Leary says not enough is being done to change that. “I want to take the target off Native women and that there’s consequences for the violence against native women,” said O’Leary. A federally funded study shows that on some reservations, women are murdered at 10 times the national average, and 84 percent of native women have experienced violence in their lives. O’Leary says the first step is making people aware of the issue. “If we won’t even acknowledge a problem, it’s very hard to come up with solutions,” said O’Leary. Heitkamp is trying to get those solutions. She introduced “Savanna’s Act,” named after Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, a 22-year old native woman murdered in August. The legislation calls for better response protocols for missing and murdered cases, improved access to data and reporting statistics on missing and murdered Native women. “It’s critically important that this issue be elevated to a national issue,” said Heitkamp. Heitkamp says it is up to federal law enforcement to act quickly in these situations and get justice for victims’ families. “Send the message that you can’t do this with impunity. We are going to catch you, and we are going to prosecute you,” said Heitkamp. The legislatio… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/heidi-in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=7977AEE9-0F80-42C4-B877-529E43966144 | Gray TV: White House and Senate Democrats look for common ground in tax meeting | 2017-11-07 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Peter Zampa WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - An attempt to bring both sides of the aisle together for the sake of victory. White House officials met with some Senate Democrats Tuesday afternoon in hopes of coming to an agreement on tax reform. Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) was there. She says there is still work to do. “It’s not there yet,” said Heitkamp. Heitkamp is looking for common ground on tax reform. She and other Senate Democrats met with White House officials Tuesday to figure out a way forward on the issue. Heitkamp says meetings like this show cooperation rather than partisanship. “It’s a real opportunity to air a lot of concerns and see if we can get to ‘yes' on a package that could get potentially 60 votes,” said Heitkamp. She says the House Republican plan is headed in the right direction toward helping the middle class, but she says she is disappointed it gives more breaks to the top 1 percent. She says she doesn’t have enough information on the effects of the child tax credit or the impact on North Dakota farmers. “We’re going to continue to work through these kinds of issues, looking at it, again, through the lens of the North Dakota taxpayer,” said Heitkamp. “The administration has been clear from the beginning that there is no reason tax cuts for the middle class and pro-growth reform for businesses should be partisan issues. Members of the administration will continue to engage with Democrats, many of whom have expressed support for these policies in the past, throughout this process and hope that they will join us in delivering historic tax relief for the American people they came to Washington to serve,” said Raj Shah, White House Deputy Press Secretary. “For Democrats to just outright reject the current effort would be somewhat hypocritical if they truly want to provide relief for American families,” said Romina Boccia from the conservative Heritage foundation. She says it is smart for Senators like Heitkamp to take meetings with the White House. Heitkamp is up for re-election i… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/heidi-in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=BD495E2F-BDAD-433A-95E5-F3DB8AB09F59 | Bismarck Tribune: Spirit Lake awarded $74,000 in federal grants | 2017-11-07 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Bismarck Tribune Staff WASHINGTON, D.C. – Two federal grants totaling more than $74,000 were awarded to Spirit Lake to purchase equipment and cooking stations for a food distribution kitchen that will provide cooking classes to local participants and to help those in need with nutritious food, according to an announcement issued today by U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D. “Healthy meals help lead to healthy families and reduce the risk of health problems in the future,” Heitkamp said. “Helping to provide access to nutritious foods and teaching families how to prepare them is key to helping fight hunger in communities across North Dakota, including in Indian Country." The federal grants are administered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/heidi-in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=C0D1C4E4-A9AC-4583-9448-89DBBE850512 | Bismarck Tribune: Heitkamp favors restrictions on banks doing business with North Korea | 2017-11-07 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Bismarck Tribune Staff WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp today voted in favor of the Banking Restrictions Involving North Korea (BRINK) Act, which passed the U.S. Senate Banking Committee today with an amendment written by Heitkamp. Heitkamp’s amendment would require the administration to provide an assessment of North Korea’s use of financial institutions to promote its acquisition of military expertise, equipment and technology. “North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile programs threaten the safety of American families, as well as our allies and interests in the region,” Heitkamp said. “Congress must take action to counter the threat, and secondary sanctions are another important way to cut off the financial support that has allowed North Korea to advance its dangerous and illegal programs. North Korea poses the most urgent national security threat and we must hold it accountable through military, diplomatic, and economic strategies to protect our country, as I’ve long called for.” The BRINK Act imposes secondary sanctions on financial entities that do business with North Korea. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/heidi-in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=FC89A372-A8D9-4493-9D2B-FD48BA44EC0B | Bismarck Tribune: ND retailers eyeing potential online tax law change | 2017-11-07 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Jessica Holdman North Dakota will be ready to collect taxes from online retailers should federal law changes be made. South Dakota is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review whether retailers can be required to collect sales taxes in states where they lack a physical presence, according to the Associated Press. Thirty-five state attorneys general, including North Dakota’s, and the District of Columbia this week signed on to support South Dakota's legal bid. “The big thing for me personally is big items,” said Jeff Hinz, who owns Ace Hardware in Bismarck. Hinz said often customers will threaten to buy large items, such as snow blowers, online if he doesn’t agree to offer a discount. But retailers without a physical presence in the state have a price advantage over brick and mortar businesses of up to 8.5 percent, according to Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., who also joined a number of lawmakers in urging the court to consider the issue and who has introduced a number of bills trying to change the law legislatively. “When these retailers can charge lower prices, our small businesses and jobs are at risk,” Heitkamp and the other lawmakers wrote. According to the state’s most recent study, the North Dakota Tax Commissioner’s office estimates $25 million to $30 million was not collected in 2012 because online retailers were not required to collect. Online purchases since 2012 have increased by as much as 50 percent, so North Dakota Retail Association President Mike Rud estimates more recent losses at $30 million to $40 million. Hinz said it doesn’t seem fair because online retailers still use North Dakota’s roads to ship their items but they don’t help cover the tax burden associated with maintaining them. “UPS, the postal service and Fedex are their brick and mortar,” Hinz said. And even though online retail giant Amazon collect sales tax for the items it sells, third-party vendors that use the site to sell are not required to do so by the company.… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=68761CA2-68C8-446D-BFD4-6A1ACDA80483 | Heitkamp Announces Federal Funding for Spirit Lake Tribe | 2017-11-07 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp announced two federal grants totaling over $74,000 for Spirit Lake to purchase equipment and cooking stations for their food distribution kitchen that will provide cooking classes to local participants and to help those in need with nutritious food. “Healthy meals help lead to healthy families and reduce the risk of health problems in the future,” said Heitkamp. “Helping to provide access to nutritious foods and teaching families how to prepare them is key to helping fight hunger in communities across North Dakota, including in Indian Country. These federal funds will help the food distribution kitchen that helps to fight hunger in Spirit Lake, purchase new kitchen equipment so they can continue to provide cooking classes and nutrition assistance to the local community.” These funds will be used as follows: $53,480 in federal funds to purchase six cooking stations for the food distribution kitchen. These federal grants are provided through the Community Facilities Grants program. $20,770 in federal funds to purchase additional equipment for the food distribution kitchen. These federal funds are provided through the Economic Impact Initiative Grants program. Both federal grants are administered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=841A5444-3429-4027-A50C-0418C289A7FA | With Heitkamp Support, Bill to Impose Sanctions on North Korea Sanctions Advances in Senate | 2017-11-07 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today voted in favor of the Banking Restrictions Involving North Korea (BRINK) Act, which passed the U.S. Senate Banking Committee today with an amendment written by Heitkamp. Heitkamp’s amendment would require the administration to provide an assessment of North Korea’s use of financial institutions to promote its acquisition of military expertise, equipment, and technology. This provision would improve understanding of North Korea’s relationships with nations like Iran, which help North Korea commit financial crimes and enable its illegal pursuit of nuclear weapon and ballistic missile technology. “North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile programs threaten the safety of American families, as well as our allies and interests in the region,” Heitkamp said. “Congress must take action to counter the threat, and secondary sanctions are another important way to cut off the financial support that has allowed North Korea to advance its dangerous and illegal programs. My amendment would help us better understand how North Korea benefits from bad actor nations like Iran to better inform a tough, smart national security strategy to keep our nation safe. North Korea poses the most urgent national security threat and we must hold it accountable through military, diplomatic, and economic strategies to protect our country, as I’ve long called for.” The BRINK Act imposes secondary sanctions on financial entities that do business with North Korea and those who evade sanctions to assist North Korea; strengthens existing sanctions by making mandatory sanctions on entities providing North Korea with coal or iron, transferring vessels to North Korea, or purchasing seafood from North Korea; enhances oversight of administration efforts to enforce sanctions; and, requires a congressional review to lift sanctions on North Korea. Heitkamp has long pushed for strong, smart national security policies that keep North Dakota families safe. In September, she secured passage of an amendment… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/heidi-in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=C366FD39-81CE-4CF0-B6C6-C8017A437403 | KFGO: Heitkamp Works to Protect Agriculture in NAFTA | 2017-11-06 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Sara Heinrich U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp works to protect agriculture in NAFTA. Heitkamp secured a commitment from U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer that he will protect agriculture in any NAFTA renegotiation. North Dakota is the ninth largest agriculture exporting state in the country, with $4.1 billion in commodities exported each year. Canada and Mexico are the state’s two biggest foreign markets. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=AE11F4E9-7D61-4302-A0D1-D69BD08E0F3E | In Call with U.S. Trade Representative Lighthizer, Heitkamp Secures Commitment to Protect Agriculture in NAFTA Renegotiation | 2017-11-06 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp secured a commitment from U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer that he will protect agriculture in any NAFTA renegotiation. During their phone call, Heitkamp urged Lighthizer to protect agriculture in the renegotiation of NAFTA and reinforced how NAFTA has helped farmers and ranchers in North Dakota export to Mexico and Canada, especially as recent news reports said that agriculture may get left behind during the discussions. “As the administration attempts to renegotiate NAFTA, there are real concerns that agriculture is getting left behind,” Heitkamp said. “USTR Lighthizer and I had a good conversation about the need to protect agriculture in these talks, and he acknowledged that pulling out of NAFTA altogether would be devastating to farm jobs in North Dakota and across in the United States. I let him know that there will be a fierce battle to make sure America continues to be the dominant agricultural producer in the world, and he pledged to continue his engagement with me and other advocates for a robust agriculture exports policy as NAFTA discussions continue. We can and must support American workers and level the playing field for manufacturing jobs, but not at the expense of farm jobs. North Dakota farmers export their top notch products around the world, and Mexico and Canada are often some of the top importers, and we can’t close that market for them.” Heitkamp has long worked to expand and protect market access for North Dakota farmers and ranchers. North Dakota is the ninth largest agriculture exporting state in the country, with $4.1 billion in commodities exported each year—and Canada and Mexico are the state’s two biggest foreign markets. As the latest round of NAFTA talks came to a close, Heitkamp pressed the administration to focus on the need for farmers and ranchers to export to survive. In May, Heitkamp urged U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to defend North Dakota agricultural priorities as the administration renegoti… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/heidi-in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=D4F1D93F-EB16-4CAF-AF44-C8EA6426DC89 | Bismarck Tribune: U.S. Census, state preparing for 2020 count | 2017-11-04 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | April Baumgarten The U.S. Census Bureau will start its decennial count in 2½ years, and North Dakota officials are encouraging communities to sign up for a federal program that will help create an accurate picture of who lives where. But some are concerned rural and tribal populations will not get the recognition they deserve. “I was going through the data on Census 2010, and more rural areas have had a lower response rate to the census,” said Kevin Iverson, Census Office manager and procurement manager for the North Dakota Department of Commerce. North Dakota counties, cities, townships and tribes have been sent letters asking them to participate in the Local Update of Census Addresses, a federal program that allows local governments to share updated address lists with the Census Bureau. It’s a voluntary program, but it helps the Census Bureau get a clearer view of where people live so the agency can get an accurate count, Iverson said. The deadline to sign up for LUCA is Dec. 15. Twenty-one counties, fewer than half of the 53 in North Dakota, signed up for LUCA last year. Federal and state address lists sometimes have major differences. One map comparing databases from the two shows significant differences in city boundaries, especially in cities in the west and rural areas. For example, the state’s boundaries for Mandan and Bismarck have holes and gaps that the census doesn’t mark, and some lines recorded by the state extend beyond the census’s boundaries. Some information may have been communicated to the state but not the Census Bureau, and vice versa, Iverson said. “This isn’t really anybody’s fault, it just kind of happened over time,” he said. “We’ve been working on this one for quite a while. I think we’ve made a lot of progress.” There is a penalty for missing a significant number of houses during the official census count, Iverson said. That is one reason why he and others are pushing local governments to sign up for LUCA, but there is anoth… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/heidi-in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=8F2476F9-B0A6-4041-AFB1-19C1FB690108 | Jamestown Sun: Funds awarded to electric cooperatives | 2017-11-03 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Cass County Electric Co-op was awarded $25 million to build more than 600 miles of power lines, and Dakota Valley Electric Cooperative Inc. was awarded $21 million to build more than 140 miles of power lines, according to the announcement. Both cooperatives will also use the funds to improve existing lines and make other system improvements including investments in smart grid projects, according to the announcement. “Our electric cooperatives do a tremendous job of providing reliable and affordable power to individuals and communities throughout our state,” said Sen. John Hoeven, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee and a member of the Agriculture Committee. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., said Cass County Electric Cooperative will spend $4.9 million to further smart grid projects. North Dakota counties to benefit from the support include Dickey, Barnes, Sargent, Stutsman, Richland, LaMoure, Cass, Ransom, Steele and Traill, she said. Dakota Valley Electric Cooperative will spend $2.5 million to further smart grid projects. North Dakota counties to benefit include Ransom, Stutsman, LaMoure, Sargent, Logan, McIntosh, Richland and Dickey, she said. “Our electric cooperatives help power our state so families across North Dakota, including rural communities, can heat their homes and keep their lights on,” Heitkamp said. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/heidi-in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=8F3C62BF-151C-47F7-902B-4DE6707D690C | Forum News Service: Cara Mund Day declared as Miss America returns for homecoming | 2017-11-03 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Forum News Service Cara Mund, the first Miss North Dakota to be crowned Miss America, can add another rare distinction to her credit: her own day. Gov. Doug Burgum declared Saturday as Cara Mund Day after she was crowned Miss America in September. Mund, a 2012 graduate of Bismarck Century High School, is visiting the Peace Garden State this week, including events Friday in Williston and Saturday in Bismarck. In Williston, she visited a classroom and crowned the new Miss North Dakota at the annual pageant. A homecoming celebration is planned Saturday afternoon at the Bismarck Event Center. “Cara Mund has represented her home state in an exceptional manner,” Burgum said in a statement.. “Her hard work and perseverance, dedication to public service and commitment to improving the lives of others is a source of immense pride for people across North Dakota.” U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., said Friday she plans to speak at the Bismarck event and “thank her for the great work she is doing representing North Dakota and the rest of the country.” | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/heidi-in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=EEDB0E6A-4C06-43FC-BAB0-40413C4872D2 | Forum News Service: Heitkamp launches website to help N. Dakotans with health insurance | 2017-11-02 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Forum News Service Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) launched a website this week with resources for North Dakotans to learn about the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, and options people may have to get covered under the federal marketplace exchange. Open enrollment started Wednesday, Nov. 1 and will last through Friday, Dec. 15. “Health care open enrollment has started, and I encourage North Dakotans to use the resources on my new webpage to help answer their questions, sign up for coverage, or search for different plans,” Heitkamp said in a press release. “This year, the time frame to enroll in health insurance is a month and a half shorter with fewer federal resources available to assist folks. That’s why I’m stepping up to make sure North Dakotans can get the information and assistance they need.” Heitkamp’s website provides links to resources regarding the federal marketplace, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program and information about tax credits and lowering out-of-pocket costs. The Trump administration cut many navigator and other Obamacare outreach programs this year so fewer resources are available for potential consumers in North Dakota to get information about enrolling in an Obamacare plan. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=AC1A6671-76E7-4E50-8808-E040812B1821 | Heitkamp & Bipartisan Group Urge Supreme Court to Revisit Case Preventing States from Collecting Sales & Use Tax from Out-of-State Businesses like Online Vendors | 2017-11-02 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today submitted an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court urging the Court to reconsider and overturn a 25 year-old case determining whether states can require out-of-state businesses like online vendors to collect and remit state sales and use taxes. In 1991, when Heitkamp was North Dakota’s Tax Commissioner, the state of North Dakota attempted to make catalog retailers collect the sales and use tax the state and municipalities were already owed on sales. Heitkamp brought the case all the way to the Supreme Court, which in 1992 found in Quill Corp v. North Dakota that a business must have a physical presence in a state before it can be required to collect and remit state sales and use taxes. The Court also said that the U.S. Congress had the ultimate power to resolve the issue. Since then, the sharp increase in internet sales has sparked renewed interest from state and local governments in leveling the playing field for brick-and-mortar businesses and closing a gaping loophole in our tax system. While the members have put forward a legislative solution in the Marketplace Fairness Act, Congress has not come to an agreement to fix the loophole. Joining Heitkamp in filing the amicus brief are U.S. Senators Mike Enzi (R-WY), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Lamar Alexander (R-TN), along with U.S. Representatives Kristi Noem (R-SD) and John Conyers (D-MI), “Small businesses in our states – and the workers who rely on them for jobs – have long been disadvantaged by out-of-state retailers and online vendors who aren’t required to collect sales and use taxes,” the members said. “When these retailers can charge lower prices, our small businesses and jobs are at risk. The Supreme Court should re-visit and reverse its decision in Quill that tipped the scales in favor of online retailers and against brick and mortar businesses around the country, which lose close to $26 billion every year because of a misguided decision over two decades ago. It’s past time to level the playing field… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=C4C875D1-563C-4502-8039-86A7DCB107CB | Heitkamp Announces Federal Support for Rural Eclectic Coops | 2017-11-02 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp announced two federal loans totaling $46 million to Dakota Valley Electric Cooperative and Cass County Electric Cooperative to support rural electric infrastructure improvements. “Our electric cooperatives help power our state so families across North Dakota, including rural communities, can heat their homes and keep their lights on,” said Heitkamp. “These federal funds will help electric cooperatives make needed improvements to our electrical system so they can continue to deliver safe and reliable energy to North Dakotans' homes and businesses so we can continue to push our economy forward, power our homes, and keep farms running." The federal funds are distributed as follows: Cass County Electri Cooperative: $25,000,000 in federal loans to build 617 new miles of electrical infrastructure as well as to improve 185 miles of line. Over $4.9 million of these federal funds will be used to further smart grid projects. North Dakota counties which will benefit from this federal support include Dickey, Barnes, Sargent, Stutsman, Richland, LaMoure, Cass, Ransom, Steele, and Traill. Dakota Valley Electric Cooperative: $21,000,000 in federal loans to build 146 new miles of electrical infrastructure as well as to improve 187 miles of line. Over $2.5 million of these federal funds will be used to further smart grid projects. North Dakota counties which will benefit from this federal support include Ransom, Stutsman, LaMoure, Sargent, Logan, McIntosh, Richland, and Dickey. These federal funds are made available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development’s Electric Infrastructure Loan and Loan Guarantee Program that supports infrastructure improvements to rural communities. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=C54CA1A5-782F-4A6F-9C0B-1A7D8B4BFD45 | Heitkamp Presses Federal Leaders on Challenges Facing the 2020 Census, Tribal & Rural Challenges | 2017-11-02 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp pressed key federal leaders on the many challenges the 2020 Census faces, including testing and reporting in rural and tribal areas as well as a lack of trust in the ability of the federal government to keep personal information safe. With budget uncertainty and increased cost projections, canceled tests, and no Senate-confirmed Director or Deputy Director, the ability for the U.S. Census Bureau to operate efficiently and effectively is in jeopardy. During a hearing in the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Heitkamp – who serves as a subcommittee ranking member – drew the attention of U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, as well as leaders from the U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Government Accountability Office, to the recently canceled Census tests in Indian Country. These tests would have provided the Census Bureau with the information they needed to improve how the agency works with tribal communities and ensure an accurate count at Standing Rock Reservation, and reservations across the nation. The fact that no such testing on a tribal reservation occurred in America points to an organization that is ill- prepared to face the full span of challenges that exist in Indian Country – many of which are also found in rural communities. “Too often, tribal communities exist in a blind spot for the federal government, and I worry the 2020 Census could be another example, “said Heitkamp. “Here’s where we are now: Census canceled a needed test on Standing Rock last year and doesn’t have any plans for tests in Indian Country or rural areas which would enable the Census Bureau do a better job assessing the needs in these communities for housing, job training, social services, and much more. Instead, they’re being left out again. It’s clear that with no confirmed director, and growing budgetary problems, the Census Bureau, as it exists today, is woefully unprepared – and that’s unacceptable. Without a clear view and accurate count of rural A… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=F7A2992A-20AF-4C85-8047-BA8CF57261A7 | New Heitkamp Podcast Tackles Issue of Missing and Murdered Native Women | 2017-11-02 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today released the latest episode of her podcast, “The Hotdish,” interviewing two experts and advocates who have dedicated their lives to helping indigenous women overcome obstacles and hardship. They focused on tackling the problem of missing and murdered Native American women, which has plagued indigenous communities in North Dakota and across the country. Heitkamp first interviewed Lisa Brunner, Co-Director of Indigenous Women's Human Rights Collective Inc., and Policy Consultant to Sacred Spirits First Nations Coalition. Lisa advocates for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and sex trafficking, and has worked in the field for more than 17 years. Lisa is a member of the White Earth Ojibwe Nation and lives on the White Earth Indian Reservation in Minnesota. Their conversation focused on the historical factors that led to today’s crisis, and explored policy options to address it. Heitkamp then interviewed Sadie Young Bird, Director of Three Affiliated Tribes Victim Services which empowers individuals who are abused, victimized, in economic distress, and in need of resources or emotional support. Sadie is an enrolled member of the MHA Nation and lives on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota and shared her personal experiences with women who have gone missing and been murdered, and the struggle to bring them justice. “There is a hidden epidemic of missing and murdered Native American women in America, and it doesn’t get nearly enough attention or resources to combat it,” said Heitkamp, a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. “Every day I come to work in the U.S. Senate, I think about women and girls like Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, who were so needlessly and tragically lost. One idea I’ve put forward is a bill called Savanna’s Act, which aims to help tackle these challenges and improve cooperation among law enforcement agencies at all levels. We must raise awareness about this horrible epidemic to create change and fight… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |
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