News Releases
Hoeven Cosponsors, Senate Passes Amendment to End Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Executive Bonuses
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven cosponsored an amendment to ensure better stewardship of taxpayer dollars and prohibit bonuses for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac executives. The Senate approved the amendment, which was introduced by Senator John McCain, by voice vote late Thursday. Hoeven has been working to stop the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) from issuing bonuses to senior executives, in light of a November report that found the agency had approved more than $12 million in bonus pay f… Continue Reading
01.31.12
Hoeven: Bipartisan Coalition of Lawmakers Propose TRIP Bonds as Cost-Effective Way to Fund Transportation Infrastructure Projects
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Congressmen Leonard Boswell (D-Iowa) and Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.) have introduced legislation known as Transportation Regional Infrastructure Project (TRIP) bonds which would leverage public financing to fund transportation infrastructure projects in all 50 states. The plan, which is fully paid for within the Highway Funding bill, would provide each state with $1 billion to be used at local discretion for key infrastructure proj… Continue Reading
01.30.12
Hoeven-Lugar-Vitter, Bipartisan Group of Senators to Introduce Legislation to Approve the Keystone XL Pipeline
WASHINGTON -U.S. Senators John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), David Vitter (R-La.) and a total of 44 senators today announced that they will introduce legislation to approve the Keystone XL pipeline project under Congress's authority enumerated in the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 8. The bipartisan group of senators committed to working together to advance this critical project for the United States. Hoeven, Lugar and the other senators have been working … Continue Reading
01.27.12
Senate Passes Hoeven Bill to Provide FEMA Flexibility on Levee Construction
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today announced Senate passage of his bill that provides the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) with greater flexibility to build permanent levees on land bought out under its Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). This will help communities like Minot, Fargo and Red River Valley, Devils Lake, Valley City, Cooperstown and other areas throughout the state to better protect against future flooding. Hoeven's legislation establishes a pilot project in the … Continue Reading
01.27.12
Governor, Congressional Delegation Develop New Plan to Fund Road Projects in Devils Lake Basin
BISMARCK, N.D. - Governor Jack Dalrymple, Sen. Kent Conrad, Sen. John Hoeven and Rep. Rick Berg, announced today they have developed a new plan to fund emergency road improvement projects in the Devils Lake Basin. Dalrymple also met with county commissioners and city officials from basin-area counties today to explain the plan and its benefits. North Dakota will receive a record $317 million in federal emergency transportation funding this year to assist in repairing roads damaged by flooding t… Continue Reading
01.26.12
Hoeven Responds to President's Defense Budget Cuts
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven released the following statement today in response to the President's proposed defense budget cuts: "Getting our fiscal house in order will require sacrifice by all of us; however, high priority must be given to ensuring a strong and capable national defense. For example, I am encouraged that the Pentagon is supporting the retention of all three legs of the nuclear triad. At the same time, it is important that ongoing White House review of nuclear deterrence emp… Continue Reading
01.26.12
Hoeven Nominates 12 Students for Military Academy Appointments
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven announced today that he has nominated 12 students for appointment to our nation's military academies. "Our nation's service academies provide a rigorous and thorough education that prepares the future leaders of our country," said Hoeven. "These students have shown great potential for success in the armed services and will represent North Dakota and our nation well. They have a strong desire to serve our country and it is an honor to nominate them to the milita… Continue Reading
01.25.12
Hoeven Statement on President Barack Obama's State of the Union Address
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement in response to President Barack Obama's State of the Union address delivered to a joint session of the U.S. Congress: "This evening President Obama laid out his plan for America's future but he needs to focus more on building a strong business climate and private-sector investment, as we have in North Dakota. We need to provide the kind of business environment and opportunity in our country that will unleash the creativity an… Continue Reading
01.23.12
Hoeven: Tony Clark Nomination to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Expected Today
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven announced today that President Barack Obama is expected to nominate North Dakota Public Service Commissioner Tony Clark to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) later today. Senator Hoeven worked with Clark when Hoeven was governor, and he recommended him to Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who nominated Clark for the Administration's consideration. Hoeven said Clark is the right person for the job of helping to build our national energy fu… Continue Reading
01.23.12
Hoeven: CRS Report Supports Congress's Authority to Approve Keystone XL Pipeline
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today said a report issued Friday by the non-partisan Congressional Research Service (CRS) supports his view that Congress has the authority to approve international projects like the Keystone XL pipeline under the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Hoeven requested the research from CRS in the process of drafting contingency legislation in the event that the president denied the project, as he did last week. After reviewing a range of decisions dating b… Continue Reading
01.20.12
Hoeven: Four Bears Pipeline Means Fewer Trucks, More Oil Moving to Market
WATFORD CITY, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven today said that the Four Bears Pipeline is a key addition to the state's oil transportation infrastructure. He joined state and local officials and industry leaders at an open house celebrating the 77-mile Four Bears Pipeline, which is designed to move up to 80,000 barrels of oil per day through Dunn and McKenzie counties to existing pipeline infrastructure near Belfield. "This Four Bears Pipeline is an efficient means of moving Bakken sweet crude from N… Continue Reading
01.20.12
Hoeven: New Gas Plant Means More Energy, Less Flaring
WATFORD CITY, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven today said that the new Garden Creek natural gas plant is a welcome addition to the Bakken shale region, and demonstrates North Dakota's commitment to developing all of its energy resources in an environmentally sound way. The senator joined local and state officials and energy industry leaders for the grand opening of the plant, which was completed earlier this month. "The Garden Creek plant is an important addition to the region for two reasons: One, b… Continue Reading
01.20.12
Delegation Announces Nearly $10 Million in Emergency Relief for Spirit Lake Reservation, Theodore Roosevelt Park Roads
WASHINGTON - Senators John Hoeven and Kent Conrad and Congressman Rick Berg today announced the awarding of nearly $10 million in federal highway funding to repair roadways on the Spirit Lake Reservation and in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. "Last year's flooding posed tremendous challenges to North Dakota's infrastructure and damaged roadways that our residents rely on for daily travel and recreation. These funds make it possible to repair and maintain these roads and increase travel safet… Continue Reading
01.19.12
Delegation Announces Nearly $80 Million in CDBG Funding for North Dakota
WASHINGTON - Senators John Hoeven and Kent Conrad and Congressman Rick Berg today announced almost $80 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) disaster funding for Minot and other North Dakota communities impacted by flooding last year. That represents approximately 20 percent of the total funding available for disaster-affected states across the country. U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Shaun Donovan outlined the state's allotment during a conference call toda… Continue Reading
01.18.12
Hoeven Meets with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Discusses Iranian Nuclear Threat and Energy Security
BISMARCK, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven this week met in Jerusalem with high ranking Israeli leaders to discuss mutual security issues, including efforts to deter Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and strategies to increase U.S. and Israeli energy independence, specifically by reducing or eliminating their dependence on Middle Eastern oil. He also met with the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority to discuss the status of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. The American Israeli Educa… Continue Reading
01.18.12
Hoeven: President's Decision Not in the National Interest
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement after President Barack Obama rejected a permit for the Keystone XL pipeline: "At a time when our nation needs jobs, when our economy is stagnant, and conflict with Iran in the Middle East is threatening our national security and may drive the price of gasoline at the pump to $5 a gallon by summer, the President has decided to say no to the Keystone XL pipeline. This is a shovel-ready project that will create thousands of Ame… Continue Reading
01.14.12
U.S. Senator John Hoeven Delivers Weekly Republican Address
BISMARCK, ND - U.S. Senator John Hoeven (R-North Dakota) released the following weekly Republican address: "Earlier this year, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce released a study identifying 351 energy projects that are stalled nationwide because of over-regulation and a bureaucratic permitting process. "According to the Chamber, those delays are costing the American economy $1.1 trillion in lost economic impact. More importantly, they're costing us nearly two million jobs every year. "Yet with n… Continue Reading
01.13.12
Delegation Calls on Postmaster General to Reconsider Proposed AMP Closures
WASHINGTON - Senators John Hoeven and Kent Conrad and Congressman Rick Berg today said they've called on Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe to reconsider the proposed closure of the Area Mail Processing (AMP) facilities in Grand Forks, Minot, and Devils Lake. Timely, reliable postal service is important to the people of North Dakota, and for the USPS's future competitiveness. In a letter to Donahoe delivered today, they wrote: "While we understand that identifying cost savings and network opti… Continue Reading
01.11.12
Hoeven: Pipeline Will Transport Bakken Crude More Safely and Efficiently, Provide Greater U.S. Energy Independence
BISMARCK, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven was joined today by TransCanada's President (Energy and Oil Pipelines) Alex Pourbaix and MDU Resources President and CEO Terry Hildestad to underscore the importance of the Keystone XL Pipeline. Along with transporting Canadian crude, the pipeline will carry 100,000 barrels per day of oil from the U.S. Bakken to Oklahoma and Gulf Coast refineries, reducing truck traffic and improving crude prices in North Dakota while providing good jobs and greater energy in… Continue Reading
01.09.12
Hoeven Discusses Farm Bill Priorities with Ag Leaders
FARGO, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven today met with a broad range of North Dakota agriculture group leaders to gather input for the next farm bill, which Congress will work to reauthorize in 2012. Hoeven called today's meeting because the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee, on which he serves, will take up the work on the Farm Bill later this month. Hoeven also serves on the U.S. Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Agriculture. Prior to the roundtable meeting, the senator also toured the North D… Continue Reading
