releases: https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=45b98241-edd9-464a-ac3d-b00af7cc7f51
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=45b98241-edd9-464a-ac3d-b00af7cc7f51 | Heitkamp Votes for Long-Term Transportation Bill to Repair, Upgrade NDs Roads & Bridges | 2015-12-04 | 2015 | 2015-12 | 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 both the Senate and House of Representatives passed a bipartisan, long-term transportation bill that will support repairs and improvements to rails, roads, and bridges in North Dakota and across the country for five years. Heitkamp also helped pass a key fix that will reverse harsh cuts to the federal crop insurance program. As part of the legislation, the Senate and House also included several bipartisan bills Heitkamp introduced and helped pass to cut red tape for farmers, custom harvesters and small banks, as well reauthorize the Export-Import Bank to help promote the continued success of North Dakota small businesses. This long-term bipartisan bill makes needed investments to repair and expand North Dakotas roads and bridges so families can get their kids to school safely and workers can securely travel to and do their jobs, said Heitkamp. Just as our communities need to map out roadway projects for coming construction seasons, I made clear that our farmers deserve the same certainty as they look ahead to the next harvest, and helped successfully reverse deep cuts to their federal crop insurance program in this legislation. Congress must also prioritize the ability of small business, small banks, and agricultural communities to succeed over the long term this legislation includes my commonsense bills to cut red tape for farmers, custom harvesters, community banks and credit unions, and helps small businesses grow by reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank. A North Dakota that is built to last is a North Dakota that plans for the future of all of our communities and families, and we can do that by providing certainty in long-term, bipartisan solutions like we did today. In 2013, 16.4 percent of bridges in North Dakota were structurally deficient. According to an NDSU-Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute study, 54 percent of roads in western North Dakota needed improvements like resurfacing, widening, reconstruction and other maintenance in 2015. Heitkamp has pushed for long-term solutions to promote sustained funding for transportation projects to support North Dakotas rapidly growing population, and enable construction to expand and upgrade roads and bridges. This summer, Heitkamp helped pass a bipartisan long-term transportation bill in the Senate, from which todays bill included several provisions, but the House never brought it up for a vote. And in May, Heitkamp held a discussion in Bismarck where she spoke with community leaders about the importance of building and expanding roads and bridges to improve safety and keep up with the increase of traffic on the roads. Transportation Infrastructure Provisions In the long-term transportation bill passed today by the Senate and the House, Heitkamp successfully pushed for provisions which will support North Dakota by: Keeping North Dakotas Transportation Infrastructure Strong. The bill would authorize steady increases in federal funding to make sure the state can plan for its rapidly expanding communities as the states population grows, repair deficient bridges, and upgrade and expand roads with about $252 million in funding for 2016 and a projected $275 million in 2020. Protecting Crop Insurance Program for Farmers, Families Across Rural America. The bill reverses severe cuts to the crop insurance program from the budget deal. Crop insurance is a critical safety-net program for farmers, which Heitkamp worked to protect and strengthen in the 2014 Farm Bill, and the program has already received $12 billion in cuts since 2008. Heitkamp promised to work to protect cuts to the program in October, and helped fix it in todays bill. Increasing Support from Tribal Transit. The bill includes $30 million in automatic funding for the Tribal Transit Program a U.S. Department of Transportation program which helps support the operation and planning of public transportation on tribal lands an increase over past years which Heitkamp advocated for. Providing Critical Certainty for North Dakota Small Businesses. The bill includes Heitkamps bipartisan bill to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank, an 81-year-old federal agency that provides loan guarantees to businesses in North Dakota and across the country. Since May, Heitkamp has been leading the charge in Congress to reauthorize the Bank, which received overwhelming bipartisan support in both chambers. Maintaining Support for Critical Research at NDSU. The bill would include authorization for steady increasesfrom $72.5 million to $77.5 million federal funding to continue needed education and research being done at university transportation centers like NDSUs Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute. Cutting Unnecessary Red-Tape for Farmers, Custom Harvesters & Communities. The bill includes Heitkamps bipartisan Fuel Transport Act to make sure farmers and custom harvesters in North Dakota and across the country are not burdened by a financially restrictive and time-consuming requirement of obtaining hazardous material endorsements to transport 1,000 gallons of diesel or less that they need to do their jobs. The bill also includes the bipartisan Federal Permitting Improvement Act, which Heitkamp helped draft and pass, would streamline the approval process for major infrastructure projects and provide a roadmap for making smaller federal projects like roads, bridges, and buildings across North Dakota shovel ready faster. Replacing Unnecessary Burdens on Farmers, Small Banks with Commonsense Rules. By passing Heitkamps bipartisan Privacy Notice Modernization Act to eliminate redundant, costly and often ignored annual banking notifications and instead require banks to alert customers only when privacy changes actually occur, the Senate approved an improved practice to save small banks critical mailing resources, and better inform consumers. In addition, the Senate passed a portion of Heitkamps bipartisan Risk Hedging Protection Act which would increase global cooperation and data-sharing among market regulators. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |