releases: https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=3AB86BAB-0AAF-485B-9D32-74E1CEEBE6F2
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=3AB86BAB-0AAF-485B-9D32-74E1CEEBE6F2 | Heitkamp Presses White House on Dakota Access Pipeline | 2016-11-23 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | MANDAN, N.D. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today issued the following statement following her conversation this week with White House officials regarding the Dakota Access pipeline. “This week when I spoke with a top White House official, I made it crystal clear that enough is enough – the president needs to act now to make a decision on whether to grant the easement underneath Lake Oahe, or he should let the Army Corps of Engineers make that decision immediately. Continued inaction and delay is not justice, and it has brought our communities no peace – rather, it has put lives at risk. The Administration has failed to offer the federal assistance necessary to help law enforcement officers keep our communities safe and protect our families, workers, and ranchers. Protestors should be able to exercise their First Amendment right peacefully and lawfully, but in many cases now, that isn't what we're seeing. Despite my continued meetings with the White House, the Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the U.S. Department of the Interior, it is apparent that the White House either does not understand, or will not respect the severity of the situation on the ground – which I told them increases my fear that their failure to act will lead to an escalation of violence. “For months, I’ve requested over and over the law enforcement resources to keep our communities safe. In the time the Administration has dragged its feet and offered scant support, our own law enforcement has grown weary – stretching and wearing resources thin not just near the protest sites but in communities rippled across our state. The White House promised me it would consult with the Corps in short order, and I’ll be close on their heels – because for our communities, turning a blind eye is not an option, and neither is anything but a speedy conclusion.” For the past several months, Heitkamp and her staff have been meeting regularly with local law enforcement, land owners, workers, and residents about the Dakota Access pipeline protests. She has had continued conversations with the White House, Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Department of Justice, and U.S. Department of Interior to push for a final decision on the easement going under Lake Oahe. She has also been working in a joint effort with the federal delegation and Governor Jack Dalrymple to push for federal funds to provide law enforcement with needed resources to support public safety during the ongoing demonstrations. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |