United States Senator John Hoeven for North Dakota

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today said the Senate’s vote to approve reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank will help U.S. and North Dakota companies better compete in a global marketplace. The measure passed by large bipartisan majorities in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, and now goes to President Obama for signature.

The Export-Import Bank supports American jobs and is a critical tool for small business to get the financing they need to export their products. The Ex-Im Bank last year helped to produce more than $41 billion in U.S. exports, supporting approximately 290,000 export-related American jobs. More than 85 percent of Ex-Im Bank’s transactions last year directly supported small businesses.

“North Dakota is a leader in export growth, with more than 300 percent growth over the last decade and 33 percent in 2011 alone,” Hoeven said. “This bill strengthens the bank, and at the same time, provides mor...

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today entered the following statement into the Congressional Record honoring the fallen North Dakota Peace Officers Steven Kenner and Bryan Sleeper:

“Mr. President, today, people across our country observe Peace Officers Memorial Day. As we remember all of the fallen officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice while upholding justice and protecting our communities, I wish to echo the sentiments of Americans across the country in honoring the lives and exemplary service of all of the men and women who lost their lives this past year, including two North Dakota peace officers, Bismarck Police Sgt. Steven Kenner and Burleigh County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Sheriff Bryan Sleeper.

“Sgt. Steven Kenner served with the Bismarck Police Department for more than 32 years when he was killed in the line of duty on July 8, 2011. Sgt. Kenner was a distinguished and well respected member of the Bismarck Police Department....

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement on news that North Dakota has become the second-leading oil producing state in the nation:

“Today, congratulations are in order on news that North Dakota in March became the second-leading oil producing state in America, surpassing Alaska a year before experts had predicted we would. At nearly 600,000 barrels of oil a day, our production is now second only to Texas. This increased growth is good news for North Dakota and good news for America, but it also has a real impact on the people of our state who are working so hard to meet the energy needs of the nation.

“While welcome, this growth also highlights the pressing need our state and our country has for vital energy infrastructure like the Keystone XL pipeline. We simply cannot wait four years for approval of a project that is so important in so many ways to our state and the American people.

“North Dakota is wait...

NORTH KINGSTON, R.I. – Senator Hoeven today joined US Navy officials and North Dakota residents to celebrate the keel laying of the USS North Dakota, a Virginia-class nuclear submarine currently under construction and named for the state.

The laying of the keel is an important milestone in the shipbuilding process, and a ceremony is historically held to mark the occasion. In keeping with Navy tradition, today’s ceremony invited the ship’s sponsor Katie Fowler, wife of Bismarck-native retired Vice Adm. Jeff Fowler, to have her initials welded into a section of the ship’s hull. The Fowlers are part of a larger group of North Dakotans, many of whom attended today’s ceremony, who comprise the USS North Dakota Committee. This Committee, led by its chairman Judge Robert Wefald, has long worked to name a ship to honor the service and sacrifice of North Dakota military servicemembers and veterans. In the summer of 2008, then governor Hoeven, the congres...