News Releases
Hoeven: FMCSA Grants Waiver from Hours of Service Regulations for ND to Help Address Propane Shortage
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today announced the head of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has answered his request that she declare an emergency in the Western Service Center, which includes North Dakota. The agency has agreed to provide drivers transporting propane with an Hours of Service waiver to help alleviate propane shortages in the region, while maintaining requirements that drivers operate safely. The senator urged action last week in a letter to Anne S. Fe… Continue Reading
01.27.14
Hoeven: Postal Service Postpones Consolidation of Minot Area Mail Processing Center
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today announced that the U.S. Postal Service has postponed its scheduled second round of mail processing center closures and consolidations, meaning it has postponed consolidation of the Minot Area Mail Processing Center. Hoeven has been working with the U.S. Postal Service to improve service in western North Dakota and to retain the Minot facility. Today, they informed him they will postpone the revised mail service standards. These changes, which were schedule… Continue Reading
01.27.14
Hoeven: Senate-House Conference Committee Agree on Long-Term Farm Bill
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today announced that he and his colleagues on the House-Senate farm bill conference committee approved the farm bill conference report after arriving at a bipartisan agreement on a new five-year farm bill. The senator says that the measure will now go to each chamber for a final vote. The reconciled Senate-House version of the legislation retains a strong focus on enhanced crop insurance, a priority for North Dakota farmers and ranchers. The measure includes a … Continue Reading
01.27.14
Hoeven: Xcel Energy to Resume Normal Operations in North Dakota
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today said his office has contacted Xcel Energy to offer assistance and ensure people have heat following a recent natural gas outage. Senior company officials said its operations in North Dakota will return to normal today. The company is bringing the pipeline system back online and announced that customers can raise their thermostats to normal levels, starting in Grand Forks and Fargo. During repairs, Xcel had asked customers to lower their thermostats to 60 d… Continue Reading
01.27.14
Hoeven: Bill Preventing Flood Insurance Rate Hikes Moves to Senate Floor, Hoeven Continues Push for Passage
WASHINGTON- Senator John Hoeven today announced that the U.S. Senate voted this afternoon to bring the bipartisan Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act to the floor for debate, moving it one step closer to becoming law. Hoeven has pushed for passage of the legislation, which will prevent the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from unfairly raising flood insurance rates and help ensure affordable premiums for millions of Americans. The legislation includes the Hoeven-Heitkamp Flood … Continue Reading
01.24.14
Hoeven Presses for Action To Alleviate Propane Shortage
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today wrote to the head of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to urge action to help alleviate propane shortages in the region. Hoeven requested an Emergency Declaration for the Western Service Center, which includes North Dakota, to provide drivers transporting propane with relief from existing Hours of Service limitations, while maintaining requirements that drivers operate safely. "We need to do all we can to ensure that our communities h… Continue Reading
01.24.14
Hoeven, Barrasso Lead GOP Letter Before State of the Union Pressing President Obama to Deliver Answer on Keystone
WASHINGTON - In advance of President Obama's State of the Union Address, Senators John Hoeven of North Dakota and John Barrasso of Wyoming led a letter signed by all Republican Senators pressing President Obama to deliver an answer on the Keystone XL pipeline. Hoeven has been at the forefront of the Senate effort to secure approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, with two majority votes in the Senate and several bipartisan letters to the president. In 2011, Congress passed legislation requiring th… Continue Reading
01.24.14
Hoeven: Federal Railway Administration Strengthens Inspection Standards, Procedures
BISMARCK, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven today announced that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has issued new rules to improve track inspections and enhance railway safety. The FRA has amended the Federal Track Safety Standards to enhance the process by which it detects flaws in the rails by establishing minimum qualification requirements for rail flaw detection equipment operators, as well as enhancing requirements for more frequent rail inspections, remedial actions when flaws are detecte… Continue Reading
01.23.14
Hoeven: NTSB, Canadian TSB Issue Recommendations to Improve Rail Tank Car Safety
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today spoke with National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Administrator Deborah Hersman and was notified of new recommendations the agency is making to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and the Federal Railway Administration (FRA) to improve rail tanker car safety. The NTSB recommendations were issued jointly with the Canadian Transportation Safety Board, (CNTSB) and include the following: Shippers and railways must have th… Continue Reading
01.23.14
Hoeven Hosts Roundtable with North Dakota UAS Leaders to Continue Advancing State's Growing UAS Industry
GRAND FORKS, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven today convened a roundtable with North Dakota's unmanned aerial systems (UAS) industry leaders to continue work to advance the UAS industry in North Dakota. The leaders are working to build Grand Forks into a premier hub for UAS development in the nation. In late December, Grand Forks was designated one of six pilot test sites for integrating UAS into the nation's airspace. The senator introduced language in the 2012 Federal Aviation Administration's reaut… Continue Reading
01.23.14
Hoeven: Bill to Avert Flood Insurance Rate Increases, Retain Basement Exception Provision Pending in Senate
GRAFTON, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven today told a gathering of community and business leaders in Grafton that the first piece of legislation the Senate plans to take up when it returns on January 27 is a bill he is cosponsoring that would delay scheduled increases in flood insurance premiums. Also included in the legislation is the Hoeven-Heitkamp Flood Safe Basements Act, a measure Hoeven authored to make sure homeowners receive credit for floodproofed basements when flood insurance rates are de… Continue Reading
01.23.14
Hoeven Touts Permanent Flexibility in School Lunch Program at Century Elementary
GRAND FORKS, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven today joined students, school officials and school nutritionists for lunch at Century Elementary to discuss new permanent changes to the school lunch program that provide schools with greater flexibility to meet students' individual needs. In response to legislation authored by Senator Hoeven, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently agreed to make permanent modifications to strict rules for serving grains, starches and proteins in school meals. … Continue Reading
01.22.14
Hoeven Highlights Minot Air Base's Critical Defense Role in Minot Meeting with New Air Force Secretary James
MINOT, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven today welcomed the newly confirmed Secretary of the Air Force, Deborah Lee James, to help highlight the importance of Minot Air Force Base and its strong role in the nation's nuclear triad of missiles, bombers and nuclear-armed submarines. "We wanted Secretary James to see the critical role that Minot Air Force base plays in our nation's defense and how important it is that they have the infrastructure and resources they need to fulfill their missions for our c… Continue Reading
01.22.14
Hoeven Presents NDSU Football Team with Senate Resolution to Honor Championship Season
FARGO, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven today presented the NCAA Division I National Championship North Dakota State University (NDSU) Bison football team with a Senate resolution honoring their championship season. The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the resolution, introduced by Senators Hoeven and Heidi Heitkamp, which recognizes the hard work and accomplishments of the NDSU coaches and players and the support of the NDSU alumni and fans. "It is a pleasure to present the NDSU Bison with a copy of a… Continue Reading
01.22.14
Hoeven Tours New Research and Development Facility at NDSU
FARGO, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven today toured the new addition to the Research 1 building at the North Dakota State University (NDSU) Research and Technology Park. The $9 million, 35,000 square foot addition supports the park's efforts to partner NDSU, private industry and state and federal government to develop and commercialize new technology. The new space will provide flexible laboratory space for companies conducting advanced coatings and manufacturing research, such as Caterpillar Reman D… Continue Reading
01.22.14
Hoeven Briefs Air Force Sec. James on His Legislation to Fix Military Pension COLA Reductions
MINOT, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven today briefed newly confirmed Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James about legislation he and colleagues have introduced to fix the reduction in the military retiree cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) that was included in the recent budget agreement. Hoeven and Republican colleagues last week introduced the Responsible Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2014, legislation that will repeal the unfair Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) reduction and extend Emer… Continue Reading
01.17.14
Hoeven Encourages North Dakota Students to Apply for Library of Congress Fellowship
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today announced that the Library of Congress is currently accepting nominations from college and graduate students interested in participating in the Library of Congress Junior Fellows Summer Intern program. The senator encourages students interested in library work, exploring key parts of the Library's special format collections, and working directly with Library of Congress curators and specialists to apply for this internship. "The Library of Congress Junior … Continue Reading
01.17.14
Hoeven, Heitkamp: Senate Passes Resolution Commending National Championship NDSU Football Team
Senators John Hoeven and Heidi Heitkamp today announced that the Senate has unanimously passed a resolution they authored to honor the NCAA Division I National Championship North Dakota State University (NDSU) Bison on its winning season. The resolution recognizes the hard work and accomplishments of the NDSU coaches and players as well as the support of the NDSU alumni and fans. "The Bison had another tremendous season that culminated with their third consecutive national championship," said H… Continue Reading
01.16.14
Hoeven, Heller, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Fix Military Pension COLA Reductions
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven and Republican colleagues today introduced the Responsible Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2014, legislation that will repeal the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) reduction for military retirees that was included in the recent budget agreement. The measure also includes an offset for a three-month extension of temporary long-term unemployment benefits and averts payment reductions for Medicare providers. The measure would repeal cuts to military retir… Continue Reading
01.16.14
Hoeven Statement on Fiscal Year 2014 Omnibus Appropriations Bill
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven, who serves on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced that both the U.S. Senate and House have approved the Consolidated Appropriations Act, a bipartisan agreement that will fund the U.S. federal government through 2014. The legislation now goes to the president for signature. The legislation is the result of extensive bipartisan and bicameral negotiations and compromise. The measure sets discretionary spending levels $164 billion below the 20… Continue Reading
