United States Senator John Hoeven for North Dakota

WASHINGTON – Senators John Hoeven (R-ND) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) today introduced The All-Of-The-Above Federal Building Energy Conservation Act of 2013, legislation that would improve the energy efficiency of federal buildings.

“Our legislation takes a common-sense, all-of-the-above approach to the issue of federal energy efficiency,” Hoeven said. “Instead of prohibiting the use of fossil fuels in new federal buildings, we should rely on all of our available energy resources. By encouraging the use of innovative technologies and practices, instituting reasonable goals and allowing building managers flexibility, we can achieve better environmental stewardship in a cost-effective manner.”

“I am proud to work with my good friend John Hoeven on this important, bipartisan legislation,” Senator Manchin said. “As governors, we both relied on common sense to guide our state policies, and this bill applies that much needed common...

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today announced that the U.S. Senate has defeated an amendment that would have undermined the sugar program in the Farm Bill.

The amendment proposed to eliminate provisions in the Commodity Title of the bill that level the playing field for American producers. Hoeven said the U.S. sugar industry today supports 142,000 jobs in 22 states, which compete successfully with foreign industries around the world that are heavily subsidized by their governments.

“Retaining the current sugar program in the Farm Bill will ensure stability for sugar beet growers in North Dakota and competitive prices for American consumers and industries across America,” Hoeven said. “It will strengthen an important segment of American agriculture and make for a more effective Farm Bill for the American people.

“We worked in a bipartisan way to defeat an amendment that would have undermined the sugar program, and we need to co...

WASHINGTON – Senators John Hoeven, Heidi Heitkamp and Amy Klobuchar and Congressmen Kevin Cramer, Collin Peterson and Governor Jack Dalrymple met with Fargo and Cass County leaders to strategize efforts to secure permanent flood control in the Fargo-Moorhead area. Also, attending the meeting were Fargo Mayor Dennis Walaker, chairman of the Flood Diversion Authority Board Darrel Vanyo, Fargo City Administrator Pat Zavoral, Cass County Commissioner Grant Weyland, Cass County Administrator Keith Berndt and Clay County Commissioner Grant Weyland.

The bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers and local officials say key to the project’s successful completion is House passage of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). The U.S. Senate last week passed the measure, which includes authorization for permanent flood protection in the Red River Valley. Authorization allows funding to be provided for construction of the project, which represents a large step towar...

WASHINGTON – Senators John Hoeven and Heidi Heitkamp, Congressman Kevin Cramer and Governor Jack Dalrymple today said they will continue to work to obtain a tanker mission at the Grand Forks Air Force Base, notwithstanding today’s Air Force announcement that Grand Forks was not selected as the first main operating base for the new KC-46 Tanker mission.

In a statement released late this morning, the Air Force announced that the first KC-46 active duty unit will be located at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas. Grand Forks Air Force Base was, however, selected as one of two “reasonable alternatives,” meaning they are still eligible in a subsequent round of tanker base selections. There will be several rounds, the next of which will take place no later than the fall of 2015.

“We are working to build a dynamic unmanned aerial systems community in Grand Forks centered on the air base’s UAS mission,” Hoeven said. “That makes se...