News Releases
Hoeven Presses VA Secretary to Improve Veterans Services
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven this week pressed U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki to provide greater security and care for North Dakota's veterans. At a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee, Hoeven pressed the VA to commit to open and operate a new Devils Lake VA clinic by the end of the year. The senator also called on the VA to reduce a claims backlog and better help veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder… Continue Reading
04.18.13
Hoeven: Corps Agrees to Provide $7.4 Million for Fargo-Moorhead Diversion Project from 2013 CR
WASHINGTON - Subsequent to Senator John Hoeven's meeting this week with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director nominee Sylvia Burwell and Army Corps of Engineers St. Paul District Commander Col. Michael Price, OMB today informed the North Dakota delegation that the Corps will make $7.4 million available for project engineering and design for the Fargo-Moorhead diversion project. "I impressed on nominee Sylvia Burwell earlier this week and Col. Price yesterday in no uncertain terms that … Continue Reading
04.18.13
Delegation, Governor Call on Top Air Force Leaders to Base the KC-46 Tanker in Grand Forks
WASHINGTON - In a letter to Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley and Air Force Chief of Staff Mark Welsh, Senators John Hoeven and Heidi Heitkamp, Congressman Kevin Cramer and Governor Jack Dalrymple again made the case for basing the new KC-46 tanker at Grand Forks Air Force Base. They said efficiency, strategic advantage, established infrastructure and enthusiastic community support make Grand Forks a prime location for the mission. "We strongly support basing the KC-46 aircraft at Grand… Continue Reading
04.17.13
Hoeven Meets with OMB Nominee Sylvia Burwell
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today met with Office of Budget and Management (OMB) Director nominee Sylvia Burwell prior to her Senate confirmation hearing. The senator stressed the need to address the nation's deficit and debt and also raised two practical and cost-effective water projects important to the Red River Valley. "We need to work hard toward a comprehensive agreement on the budget that finds real savings and implements both pro-growth tax reform and bipartisan entitlement reform … Continue Reading
04.15.13
Hoeven Statement on Today's Bombing at the Boston Marathon
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement in response to the heinous bombing at the Boston Marathon: "I know I speak for all North Dakotans when I say our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families of today's bombings at the Boston Marathon. A number of North Dakotans were participating in the race, and we continue to pray for their safety, as well as the safety of all the participants and spectators of the Marathon. "While it hard for us to imagi… Continue Reading
04.15.13
Hoeven: IRS Agrees to Extend Filing Deadline, Waive Late Penalties Due to Severe Winter Storm in North Dakota
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today announced that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has agreed to his request to extend the deadline and waive penalties for filing tax returns in North Dakota. Residents across much of state are still digging out from a record storm that dropped up to 19 inches of heavy, drifting snow in some communities, delaying school openings and closing stores and major roads, including I-94. The IRS today said "taxpayers directly impacted by these storms will qualify … Continue Reading
04.12.13
Hoeven: Pipelines the Safest Means of Transporting Oil
WASHINGTON - Speaking on the floor of the U.S. Senate Wednesday, Senator John Hoeven rebutted claims by opponents of the Keystone XL pipeline that recent spills in Arkansas and Texas warrant denying approval of the project. "The incidents actually highlight the need to build new infrastructure using the latest technology," Hoeven said. "The Keystone XL pipeline is one of the most advanced and studied pipeline projects in our country's history. It will be monitored 24 hours a day, 365 days a yea… Continue Reading
04.12.13
Hoeven Meets with Canadian Ambassador, Alberta Premier to Advance Keystone XL Pipeline Project
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven Wednesday met with Canadian Ambassador Gary Doer and Alberta Premier Alison Redford to advance the Keystone XL pipeline project. The senator and Canadian officials pledged to work closely together to secure approval of the 1,700 mile modern, energy infrastructure project that will create thousands of jobs on both sides of the boarder. Doer and Redford were in Washington to help build support for the Keystone XL project in Congress. They met with Hoeven to discus… Continue Reading
04.11.13
Hoeven Presses Case With Air Force Secretary, Chief of Staff for KC-46 Tanker Mission at Grand Forks
BISMARCK, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven this week spoke with U.S. Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Air Force Chief of Staff General Mark Welsh to again press the case for basing the KC-46A tanker mission at Grand Forks Air Force Base, as well as for strong continued support for the base's Global Hawk unmanned aerial systems mission. The Air Force in January announced that Grand Forks Air Force Base had been selected as one of four finalists on the active duty base list to receive the KC-46A … Continue Reading
04.10.13
Delegation Statement on the President's Failure to Include Funding for the F-M Diversion in His Budget
WASHINGTON - Senators John Hoeven and Heidi Heitkamp and Congressman Kevin Cramer today issued the following statement in response to President Obama's failure to include funding for the Fargo-Moorhead diversion project in his Fiscal Year 2014 budget: "We learned today that President Obama included no funding provision for the Fargo-Moorhead diversion project in his budget for the next fiscal year. This omission in the president's budget is clearly unfortunate, since it will make our task of se… Continue Reading
04.10.13
Hoeven: Senate Confirms Jewell as Interior Secretary
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today voted in favor of confirming Sally Jewell to be the next Secretary of the Department of Interior. The Senate confirmed Jewell in an 87-11 vote. Hoeven, last week, invited Jewell to visit North Dakota to see firsthand the opportunities and challenges facing the state in regards to federal lands, natural resources and Native American programs under the jurisdiction of the Interior Department. "In meeting with Jewell last month, and during her testimony befor… Continue Reading
04.10.13
Hoeven Presses DOE Nominee Moniz to Support States-First Approach to Hydraulic Fracturing
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven yesterday pressed Ernest Moniz, President Barack Obama's nominee to be Secretary of Energy, to support a states-first approach to hydraulic fracturing should he be confirmed by the Senate. Hoeven called on Moniz, if confirmed, to promote a practical, all-of-the-above energy strategy at the Department of Energy that empowers energy investments and find ways to partner traditional and renewable energy resources. "We need a practical, all-of-the-above approach to e… Continue Reading
04.09.13
Hoeven: Forest Service to Expedite Landowners' Claims for Damages Incurred in the Pautre Fire
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today said Charlie Richmond, U.S. Department of Agriculture director of the Forest Service, has agreed to expedite the claims process for landowners who incurred losses in the Pautre Fire in North Dakota and South Dakota. Hoeven's office contacted Richmond yesterday to ensure that landowners are compensated for damages caused by the controlled burn. Richmond also said the Forest Service, with the Grand River Grazing Association, is visiting individual landowners… Continue Reading
04.08.13
Hoeven Statement on the Death of Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement in response to the death of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher: "Those of us who came of age in the shadow of the Cold War know the challenges that former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher faced when she came to office in 1979. The Soviet Union was still a formidable nuclear threat to the United States and our allies and the Berlin Wall still stood strong and impenetrable. The first woman and longest-servi… Continue Reading
04.05.13
Hoeven Invites Interior Nominee Jewell to North Dakota
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today invited Sally Jewell, President Barack Obama's nominee to be the next Secretary of the Interior, and Gina McCarthy, the president's nominee to be Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator, to visit North Dakota and see firsthand the state's energy development. Hoeven wrote the nominees to extend formal invitations to visit North Dakota. If confirmed, Jewell will oversee federal lands, natural resources and Native American programs. The senator ha… Continue Reading
04.04.13
Hoeven: Park Service Will Open Painted Canyon Overlook for Season
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today said the U.S. Park Service has agreed to open the Painted Canyon Overlook in the North Dakota Badlands beginning May 25. The overlook will remain open through Labor Day. Last week, Hoeven contacted U.S. Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis and he agreed to work with the senator and the local community to come up with options to keep open the Painted Canyon Overlook. Hoeven's western North Dakota field representative, Jon Cameron, organized the Painte… Continue Reading
04.02.13
Hoeven Congratulates West Fargo STEM Center Middle School for Winning National Mobile App Competition
FARGO, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven today congratulated a team of students from West Fargo's STEM Center Middle School for winning a national mobile application design competition. The students designed a recycling bin app to help encourage the community to increase recycling efforts and reduce the need for landfills. Verizon officials today presented the students with a $10,000 check to support STEM education efforts at the school. "We congratulate these students and West Fargo's STEM Center for… Continue Reading
03.28.13
Hoeven and U.S. Park Service Director Working with State, Badlands Communities to Keep Painted Canyon Overlook Open
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today said U.S. Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis has agreed to work with the senator to come up with options to keep the Painted Canyon Overlook in the North Dakota Badlands open to the public. Hoeven said he has asked Jon Cameron, the senator's western North Dakota field representative, to organize a Painted Canyon Overlook working group, including representatives from the Dickinson Convention and Visitors Bureau, Medora mayor's office, Theodore Roosevelt … Continue Reading
03.28.13
Legislative Update: Building a National Energy Plan
BISMARCK, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven today held an energy roundtable in Bismarck to update industry and the public on legislation he is working to pass in the U.S. Senate. He assembled leaders who helped to develop the state's comprehensive energy plan to help develop a national energy plan. The senator praised North Dakota's energy industry as a key contributor to U.S. energy security and said the state's large and varied energy sources provide tremendous opportunities to create jobs, grow the… Continue Reading
03.28.13
Hoeven: Students, School Officials Support Sensible School Lunch Act
FARGO, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven today was joined by students and school officials at Davies High School to show support for the Sensible School Lunch Act, legislation he introduced to provide school districts with greater flexibility to meet the nutritional needs of all students. Hoeven met during the lunch hour to highlight the importance of his legislation, which would ensure that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) permanently modifies strict rules for serving grains, starches and pro… Continue Reading
