KEVIN CRAMER

New bill aims to extend federal benefits to firefighters with cancer

Anne Sara Bien-Aime — Fri, 24 Jan 2025 21:59:32 GMT

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers are working to expand federal support for firefighters and first responders who develop cancer as a result of their service.

U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Kevin Cramer have reintroduced the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act, which would extend benefits under the 1976 Public Safety Officer Benefits program to include occupational cancer.

The program currently provides benefits to families of first responders for line-of-duty deaths or injuries caused by physical trauma, heart attacks, strokes or mental health conditions. If passed, the legislation would provide federal support for the families of firefighters and other first responders who die from or are disabled by cancers linked to their work.

The legislation honors Michael Paidar, a St. Paul fire captain who died from leukemia in 2020. His widow, Julie Paidar, successfully advocated for Minnesota to extend line-of-duty benefits to their family in the wake of his death.

“Because of her efforts, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety awarded line-of-duty benefits to their family. It marked the first time that Minnesota extended death benefits to the family of a firefighter who died from cancer,” said Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota. Cramer is a Republican from North Dakota.

Klobuchar announced that the bill has passed out of the Judiciary Committee and is now gathering additional support.

Occupational cancer remains the leading cause of death among firefighters.

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USPS audit finds mail delivery, management issues across North Dakota, Minnesota

Matthew Voigt — Fri, 07 Jun 2024 19:00:00 GMT

GRAND FORKS – A United States Postal Service audit of mail operations in the North Dakota-Minnesota District found issues across the board, ranging from mail delivery to management practices.

The report was released Thursday by the Postal Service’s Office of the Inspector General and comes after reports of mail delays across the region, from Minot to Saint Paul.

The initial scope of the study was focused on service in the Twin Cities but was expanded after North Dakota’s congressional delegation asked for issues in North Dakota to be investigated. In the report, six facilities across the district were audited for reports of mail delays, management issues and the conditions of post offices.

The types of facilities audited range from the local post offices to the district’s major distribution centers. In North Dakota, the inspector general audited operations in Bismarck, Mandan and Minot. In Minnesota, the inspector general audited operations in Saint Paul, Apple Valley, New Brighton and Eagan. All of the locations had issues.

Between two visits in November 2023 and January 2024, 130,858 pieces of delayed mail were identified. According to the report, many of the issues stemmed from low staffing levels across these facilities — an issue compounded by “the low unemployment rate, applicant residency issues and the competition from postal service competitors,” said the report.

Additionally, the report found the facilities failed to keep employee rolls updated to reflect who was actually working at the facility at any given time. Some locations, like Mandan, did not have the correct identification for contractors.

The inspector general’s report also found issues with how the district’s postal service reports mail delays and tracks deliveries.

“During our reviews, we found that employees scanned packages improperly at the delivery unit, scanned packages away from the intended delivery point, and handled packages incorrectly at all six delivery units,” the report stated.

Postal service management did have adequate oversight to verify whether mail delivery was being tracked properly, according to the report. For why that occurred, the cause ranged from misunderstanding between supervisors, being busy with other tasks, access to postal service systems or simply that management was not in the habit of checking.

The report also investigated reports of missing arrow keys. Those keys allow mail carriers to access cluster box units, apartment mail panels and outdoor package lockers. The inspector general’s office found 24 missing keys across the district that were not reported missing to the postal service.

Issues of property maintenance and security were also identified in the report. Issues ranged from missing fire extinguishers, handicap-accessible doors not working, and simple lack of facility maintenance.

The report gives seven recommendations:

The district needs to provide adequate training for management at the postal service facilities for proper mail delivery practices. The district needs to review staffing and provide adequate staffing for mail delivery, a recommendation that District Manager Angela Bye disagreed with in her response to the report. Identify and implement strategies to improve recruitment and retention of mail carrier and clerk positions. Train management how to to property report delayed mail. Train management on proper package handling operating procedures. Address building safety and maintenance issues. Verify that all mail carriers have the correct documentation and employee records.

In a joint statement, Sen. John Hoeven, R-North Dakota; Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-North Dakota; and Rep. Kelly Armstrong, R-North Dakota, said work on solving mail issues in the region doesn’t stop with this report.

“The completion of this audit shines a light on the challenges facing postal delivery across our state, but the work does not stop with the release of the audit,” the delegation said in a statement. “The postal service needs to implement the inspector general’s recommendations in a timely way to ensure homes and businesses receive their mail, packages and other deliveries without delay. That’s exactly what we will continue working to accomplish, while also holding USPS leadership accountable to make sure they address local concerns and that any changes to mail processing and other postal operations in our state actually result in benefits to local residents.”

Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minnesota, who represents Minnesota's second congressional district, where many of the issues have been located, said in the statement that Bye's disagreement with the staffing levels is concerning.

“It is clear to me that MN-ND District Manager Angela Bye has some serious work to do to get the mail back on track in Minnesota, and her ‘disagreement’ with staffing recommendations in this report is deeply concerning to me,” Craig said. “I look forward to hearing from her, and the rest of postal service management, about their plan to swiftly implement these recommendations and get the mail delivered on time for Minnesotans in my district. And if current management is unable to deliver, Minnesotans deserve new leaders who will.”

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EPA announces new WOTUS rule, but some think Supreme Court case should have come first

Jenny Schlecht — Fri, 30 Dec 2022 18:02:14 GMT

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Friday, Dec. 30, released a final rule establishing a durable definition of "waters of the United States" — often referred to as WOTUS.

The agencies say the new rule will reduce uncertainty from changing regulatory definitions and strengthen protections for drinking water while supporting agriculture, local economies and downstream communities. However, North Dakota's members of Congress say the Biden administration should have held off until the Supreme Court weighs in on water policy.

Agriculture and other industries have been concerned about regulatory problems from the rules over the years because of uncertainty regarding what qualifies as a wetland. Farmers, for instance, have had issues with whether they can install drain tile in fields with seasonal wetlands.

U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., on Friday said the administration should have waited for the decision in the Sackett v. EPA case addressing WOTUS before issuing a final rule.

“The regulatory ping pong of WOTUS regulations will seemingly never end. Establishing a new WOTUS definition before the Supreme Court has ruled on Sackett v. EPA only adds to the regulatory confusion," he said in a statement.

The rule will be final 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. The agencies plan a Jan. 19 webinar on the final rule.

The term “waters of the U.S.” appears in the federal Clean Water Act of 1972 that empowers the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers with protecting those waters. But the act does not clearly define what is covered by WOTUS, though it does mention both “navigable” and “interstate” waters.

WOTUS has undergone some jockeying in recent decades, depending on who held the presidency. In 2015, under President Barack Obama, the WOTUS definition was expanded under the Clean Water Rule, giving the federal government more authority. But court challenges, including one led by the North Dakota attorney general, kept the Obama rule from being enforced nationwide. The rule changed again under President Donald Trump, when what is called the Navigable Waters Protection Rule was put in place. But a court ruling in Arizona kept that rule from being used.

The EPA and Corps of Engineers under President Joe Biden began working on a new rule, a proposal of which was posted to the Federal Register on Dec. 7, 2021. The agencies say the rule announced on Dec. 30 as final "restores essential water protections that were in place prior to 2015 under the Clean Water Act for traditional navigable waters, the territorial seas, interstate waters, as well as upstream water resources that significantly affect those waters."

“When Congress passed the Clean Water Act 50 years ago, it recognized that protecting our waters is essential to ensuring healthy communities and a thriving economy,” EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said in a statement. “Following extensive stakeholder engagement, and building on what we’ve learned from previous rules, EPA is working to deliver a durable definition of WOTUS that safeguards our nation’s waters, strengthens economic opportunity, and protects people’s health while providing greater certainty for farmers, ranchers, and landowners.”

“This final rule recognizes the essential role of the nation’s water resources in communities across the nation,” said Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Michael L. Connor. “The rule’s clear and supportable definition of waters of the United States will allow for more efficient and effective implementation and provide the clarity long desired by farmers, industry, environmental organizations, and other stakeholders.”

While the rulemaking process has been going on, the U.S. Supreme Court has considered a case taking on U.S. water policy. The court heard Sackett vs. EPA on Oct. 4, 2022, and has yet to issue a decision. On the surface, the case is about whether landowners have a right to go to court to challenge a Clean Water Act order of the Environmental Protection Agency. However, it has delved deeper into the mechanisms of WOTUS and how to determine if wetlands are "waters of the United States" under the Clean Water Act.

Cramer in his statement said he told Regan and Assistant EPA Administrator Radhika Fox "the empowerment of EPA and Army Corps bureaucrats by giving them federal authority over non-navigable ponds, ditches, and potholes is a recipe for disaster." The two visited in June 2021. Because much of North Dakota is in the Prairie Pothole region, with many seasonal wetlands, North Dakota's politicians have been active in the WOTUS debate.

"Our state is and will be the epicenter of this debate and we have been a leader in the fight against federal overreach of our waters. We need an enduring, legally defensible rule to provide regulatory certainty. I look forward to the Supreme Court’s ruling on the matter," Cramer said.

North Dakota's other members of Congress agreed.

“The return of WOTUS would be a disaster for North Dakota's farmers and ranchers,” said Rep. Kelly Armstrong, R-N.D. “I am disappointed that the Biden administration is determined to bring it back despite warnings from ag producers that it will harm their livelihoods. We have to keep fighting against harmful policies that don't do anything to keep our air and water clean.”

https://twitter.com/RepArmstrongND/status/1608896301005148160

“The Biden administration continues to push overbroad regulations that impose increased costs and greater constraints on our economy, which ultimately lead to higher prices for American consumers,” said Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D. “Like the Obama-era rule, this new WOTUS definition violates private property rights and is the wrong approach for our nation. Instead, we need regulatory relief that encourages investment and reduces costs for energy development, agriculture producers and construction, among others, while empowering states to protect the water resources within their borders.”

The National Association of Wheat Growers also expressed their concern about the rule coming before the Sackett decision but said they will be studying the new rule before its implementation.

“The National Association of Wheat Growers is deeply concerned that the EPA and U.S. Army Corps rushed to get this revised definition out prior to the end of the year instead of waiting for the decision in the Sackett case before the Supreme Court,” said NAWG CEO Chandler Goule. “While we continue reviewing the final rule, since the rulemaking process was announced last year, NAWG has stressed that farmers need clarity regarding jurisdiction, recognize important agricultural water features, and more long-term certainty from the courts and administrations.”

The EPA and Corps of Engineers say the new rule is grounded in the authority in the Clean Water Act, along with "the best available science, and extensive implementation experience stewarding the nation’s waters," and that it establishes limits on the boundary of waters subject to federal protection to traditional navigable waters, the territorial seas, interstate waters, as well as upstream water resources that significantly affect those waters.

The agencies also say they are working to improve federal coordination in implementation of the rule, including working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide clarity on programs under the Clean Water Act and Food Security Act.

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Klobuchar, Cramer to meet Ukrainian president amid escalating tensions with Russia

Alex Derosier — Mon, 17 Jan 2022 14:58:34 GMT

ST. PAUL — U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Kevin Cramer are in Ukraine this week to reaffirm U.S. commitment to protecting the country from Russian aggression.

A bipartisan group of seven senators including Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Cramer, R-N.D., are meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other officials as U.S. officials say the country's eastern neighbor appears to be preparing for an invasion.

“During this time of extreme Russian provocation, it is more important than ever to assert our strong, bipartisan support for Ukraine’s sovereignty," Klobuchar said in a Monday, Jan. 17, news release announcing the visit. "I look forward to meeting with political and military leaders in Ukraine to better understand the situation on the ground and reaffirm our commitment to their security,”

Russia triggered a diplomatic crisis in Eastern Europe late last year when it massed more than 100,000 troops on the border with Ukraine in what U.S. officials said was an apparent preparation for an attack. The White House last week claimed Russia sent saboteurs into Ukraine with the goal of staging an incident that could give Russia a pretext for an invasion, The New York Times reported.

“Russia continues to challenge Ukraine’s sovereignty, democratic values, and way of life. This is unacceptable and we must reaffirm our commitment to the Ukrainians in the face of this aggression,” Cramer said in the release. “Our bipartisan delegation demonstrates to Vladimir Putin the United States’ resolve and sends the message we stand with Ukraine.”

In addition to Klobuchar and Cramer, Sens. Rob Portman, R-Ohio; Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H.; Chris Murphy, D-Conn.; Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., are visiting Ukraine.

In addition to reaffirming U.S. commitment to Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression, the senators plan to encourage further democratic reforms in the country that could help it become a member of NATO.

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Regional senators vote along party lines at Trump impeachment trial

News service reports — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 01:14:06 GMT

Votes cast in former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial Saturday, Feb. 13, broke along party lines among the senators from Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.

The Senate voted 57-43 in favor of convicting the former president, falling short of the two-thirds majority needed to do so, on a charge that he incited the insurrection that left five people dead, forced lawmakers to flee and put his own vice president in danger while overseeing the certification of Democrat Joe Biden's election win.

Seven Republican senators joined all 50 Democratic senators in voting to convict, falling short of the two-thirds majority needed.

Minnesota Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar said the attack "will be forever seared in the minds of Americans."

"He didn't call out the National Guard," Klobuchar said, explaining her vote to convict. "What does having an oath to be commander-in-chief mean except to keep the people safe? He failed to do that.

“A bipartisan majority in the House and Senate believe Donald Trump incited a violent insurrection. People died. Over 100 police officers were injured. An absolute disgrace,” Klobuchar said.

Minnesota Democratic Sen. Tina Smith said “The facts and the evidence were overwhelming — former President Donald Trump lied for months to his supporters, summoned them to Washington, and incited a violent insurrection against our government and our democracy.

"I voted to convict because no reasonable person could believe this would have happened without his betrayal.”

North Dakota Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer, explaining his vote against conviction, said that while the Constitution does not give the Senate the authority to impeach a former president, “because a majority of senators voted otherwise, it was our duty to hear the arguments presented by both sides and vote on the merits presented.”

Cramer said the House managers were unable to establish that Trump “committed a high crime or misdemeanor, the Constitution’s standard for impeachment. ...Their arguments require assuming the underlying meaning in President Trump’s January 6 speech was so persuasive that the rioters would attack members of law enforcement, an action in direct defiance of the unequivocal statements in support of police officers offered throughout the entirety of Donald Trump’s presidency, including in his comments that day. If the former President’s rhetoric was so powerful, why was this group of rioters so unpersuaded by his years of publicly backing law enforcement?”

Cramer said “the January 6 attacks on the Capitol were appalling, and President Trump’s remarks were reckless, but based on the evidence presented in the trial, he did not commit an impeachable offense.”

Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., who also voted against conviction, issued the following statement today after the conclusion of the Senate impeachment trial:

“The Founding Fathers designed impeachment as a way to remove a President from office. That is why I believe it is unconstitutional and voted against trying to apply impeachment to a former president after he has left office. That would be impeaching a private citizen. Constitutional scholars have clearly and effectively made that determination, and it is further reinforced by the fact that the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court did not preside.

“President Trump should not have encouraged the protest on January 6, but those rioters who broke the law are responsible for their actions and we must condemn all those who engage in violence. Now that the trial is over, we need to work in a bipartisan way to address the challenges facing our nation.”

South Dakota Republican Sens. Mike Rounds and John Thune also voted against conviction.

“I’ve said all along that impeaching former President Trump is a moot point as the Constitution is clear that removal from office is the primary purpose of impeachment,” Rounds said after Saturday’s vote. “Our Founding Fathers intended impeachment to remove public officials from office, not to punish private citizens.

“After carefully listening to every minute of the presentations made by the House Managers and the former president’s legal team, I am convinced that the Senate does not have jurisdiction to render a judgement against the former president. Therefore, I voted not guilty.”

Prior to the vote, Thune said “I considered all the evidence very carefully, but ultimately I concluded that the two charges presented by the House managers – abuse of power and obstruction of Congress – did not provide a compelling case for removing this president.”

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Upper Midwest politicians reflect on President Biden's inauguration

Sarah Mearhoff — Wed, 20 Jan 2021 23:33:58 GMT

ST. PAUL -- Despite the still-raging pandemic and size limits enforced on the ceremony, most of the Upper Midwest’s congressional delegation attended the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday, Jan. 20, while a few stayed home.

The inauguration came just two weeks after extremist supporters of now former-President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, violently breaking into the building to disrupt Congress’s certification of Biden’s victory. On Wednesday, Biden stood before the Capitol, took his oath of office and said he aims to unite the country during a deeply polarized time.

Also standing before the Capitol on Wednesday was Minnesota’s U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who had a particularly high-profile role in the day’s festivities: As the senior-most Democrat on the Senate Rules Committee, she and U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, spearheaded the ceremony’s planning and both delivered remarks.

Harking back on the Jan. 6 violence, Klobuchar said the rioters “desecrated this temple of our democracy, it awakened us to our responsibilities as Americans.”

“This is the day when our democracy picks itself up, brushes off the dust, and does what America always does: goes forward as a nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all,” she said to applause.

Klobuchar was the first to introduce Biden as president before he took the stage to deliver his inaugural address. And before U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor administered Harris’s oath of office, Klobuchar noted that the two women are, respectively, the country’s first Latina supreme court justice and first African American, Asian American and woman vice president in history.

The majority of Minnesota’s Congressional delegation attended the ceremony in Washington. U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., opted to watch the ceremony on television from home in Minnesota, according to a written statement.

A spokesperson for U.S. Rep. Jim Hagedorn, R-Minn., did not respond to repeated questions on his whereabouts, and Hagedorn did not issue a congratulatory statement for Biden, instead denouncing his first-day executive orders. Hagedorn was one of two Minnesota Republicans to vote against the certification of Biden’s win on Jan. 6 (District 7’s U.S. Rep. Michelle Fischbach being the second).

The Republican Governors of North Dakota and South Dakota, Doug Burgum and Kristi Noem, both attended in-person. Minnesota’s Democratic Gov. Tim Walz did not attend, instead staying in-state, per a spokesperson.

Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-South Dakota, also attended the ceremony. In a tweeted statement, he said he was praying for Biden and Harris “on this historic day.”

“I hope that we can find common ground in the years ahead and work toward an even stronger future for the country and South Dakota,” he said.

North Dakota, Republican U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer was seen before the ceremony chatting with U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, who led the opposition to certifying the 2020 election results in the Senate on Jan. 6. Cramer, who voted to certify the election, in a Wednesday written statement congratulated Biden and Harris.

“While I did not vote for him or support his campaign, I appreciate President Biden’s desire to be a President for all Americans, and I look forward to working with him on issues where we agree and to having spirited debates on policies where we differ,” Cramer said.

A historic day. Congratulations, President Biden and Vice President Harris. I look forward to building a strong partnership and tackling the many challenges ahead, together.
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) January 20, 2021

Well, that was great.
— Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) January 20, 2021

"And yet the dawn is ours before we knew it. Somehow we do it. We witnessed and weathered a nation that isn’t broken, simply unfinished." --Amanda Gorman pic.twitter.com/CfOigLLd5C
— Senator Tina Smith (@SenTinaSmith) January 20, 2021

It is such an incredible honor to attend today’s inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris with my wife Cheryl.

I feel hopeful and determined to do everything I can in the 117th Congress to help my constituents in #MN02. pic.twitter.com/W4slzP6ObC
— Angie Craig (@RepAngieCraig) January 20, 2021

At this very place fourteen days ago, I bore witness to the remarkable fragility of democracy. But today, I was reminded of its strength and limitless possibility. pic.twitter.com/gUHw64MSEh
— Rep. Dean Phillips 🇺🇸 (@RepDeanPhillips) January 20, 2021

As we celebrate this historic day, here’s my welcome message to our new President and Vice President of the United States. #BuildBackBetter #Inauguration2021 pic.twitter.com/LEMsN8R0CA
— Rep. Betty McCollum (@BettyMcCollum04) January 20, 2021

Today we celebrate 🎉 pic.twitter.com/D7IvVjAOga
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 20, 2021

The peaceful transition of power is a pillar of our republic. Today, I attended the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States and am hopeful that we will find the common ground needed to strengthen the future of our nation. pic.twitter.com/XdTAglO49u
— Tom Emmer (@RepTomEmmer) January 20, 2021

Thank you, President Trump, for serving our country these past four years and for always putting America First.

Congratulations, President Biden. We have much work to do on behalf of the American people.
— Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach (@RepFischbach) January 20, 2021

Attending the Presidential Inauguration today with my friend @JGeorge49. For the good of this nation, I wish the incoming President the best of luck and I stand ready to find common ground with the Biden Administration when possible in order to move this country forward. pic.twitter.com/yBX5lPiACu
— Pete Stauber (@RepPeteStauber) January 20, 2021

.@FirstLadyND and I are honored to be representing North Dakota with fellow governors at today’s inauguration, as we did in 2017. And we’re deeply grateful for the @NDNationalGuard’s service and presence here in Washington, D.C.
— Gov. Doug Burgum (@DougBurgum) January 20, 2021

Congratulations to @POTUS and @VP.

While I didn’t vote for him, I appreciate President Biden’s desire to be a President for all Americans.

I look forward to working with him on issues where we agree and to having spirited debates on policies where we differ.#Inauguration https://t.co/y3mz5IDgva
— Sen. Kevin Cramer (@SenKevinCramer) January 20, 2021

As we witness the swearing in of Joe Biden as the 46th @POTUS, we continue to pray for the success of our nation. While President Biden will bring a different agenda to the White House, we will continue to focus on advancing North Dakota’s priorities in the Senate.
— Senator John Hoeven (@SenJohnHoeven) January 20, 2021

Congratulations to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Now we must come together to tackle the challenges facing our nation and advance policies for the betterment of all Americans.
— Congressman Kelly Armstrong (@RepArmstrongND) January 20, 2021

Congratulations to President Biden and Vice President Harris on your inauguration today...thankful for my @SitkaGear gloves! Brrr...cold and it snowed! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/t0wFmVqaCA
— Governor Kristi Noem (@govkristinoem) January 20, 2021

Praying for our new president, Joe Biden, our new vice president, Kamala Harris, and our entire country on this historic day. I hope that we can find common ground in the years ahead and work toward an even stronger future for the country and South Dakota. #Inauguration2021
— Senator John Thune (@SenJohnThune) January 20, 2021

My full statement on the Inauguration of President Biden: pic.twitter.com/l4nc5JY0ie
— Senator Mike Rounds (@SenatorRounds) January 20, 2021

At President Biden’s Inaugural with my oldest son Max. pic.twitter.com/xWIjpxjhKf
— Rep. Dusty Johnson (@RepDustyJohnson) January 20, 2021

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Shaw: Where was the call for unity two months ago?

Jim Shaw — Sat, 16 Jan 2021 16:00:00 GMT

FARGO — Good to see that Donald Trump has been impeached again. Trump needs to be removed from office now and forever before he causes any more major damage to our country and the world.

Shame on North Dakota Rep. Kelly Armstrong and Minnesota Reps. Michelle Fischbach, Pete Stauber, Tom Emmer and Jim Hagedorn for voting against impeachment. Shame on North Dakota Sens. John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer for opposing the impeachment.

Hoeven, Cramer and Armstrong say they don’t want to further divide the country. Of course it was Trump who caused that deep division, along with spineless enablers, such as Hoeven, Cramer and Armstrong. Where was that call for unity two months ago after Trump was clearly defeated? The time when the three of them unabashedly fed the lie that the election was fraudulent. We would not be unified if Congress did nothing after Trump orchestrated a violent coup attempt so he could stay in power.

Beyond that, in a remarkably tone-deaf comment, Cramer called Trump the “best president of my lifetime.” When I first heard that quote, I assumed it came from Vladimir Putin.

Fischbach also pathetically used the further divide excuse to explain her vote against impeachment. This is the same treasonous member of Congress who, even after the assault on the Capitol, sided with the violent seditionist mob, and voted to overturn the results of the presidential election. She said, there were too many “allegations of irregularities and fraud” to ignore.

The problem is, those “allegations” were lies. Those lies primarily came from Trump. Those lies also came from Fischbach. It’s disgraceful that Fischbach ignored the findings that there was no widespread fraud.

The riot from the domestic terrorists at the U.S. Capitol was frightening. Six people are dead. Police officers and journalists were attacked. The alarming plan was to reportedly hang Vice President Mike Pence, shoot to death House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and tie up and harm other members of Congress. Trump incited all of this.

The uprising only happened after Trump lied to his thug followers that the election was stolen, said Pence had betrayed them, to “take back our country,” “show strength,” and “fight much harder.” If Trump doesn’t say all this, the violent insurrection does not happen. After the riot began, and Trump received desperate pleas for help, Trump reprehensibly did nothing.

We all should have seen this coming. Trump’s appalling demonizing of Mexicans and migrants led to white supremacist followers committing mass murder at a Pittsburgh synagogue and an El Paso Walmart. In 2018, a gunman shot dead 11 people and wounded six others in Pittsburgh because he claimed Jews were aiding Central American “migrant caravans.” In 2019, a gunman shot dead 23 people and injured 23 more in El Paso. He told police he was targeting Mexicans.

Congress needs to hold Trump accountable for his despicable un-American behavior. If this isn’t impeachable behavior, then what is? Armstrong, Hoeven, Cramer, Fischbach, Stauber, Emmer and Hagedorn need to stop protecting this dangerous and deranged president, and start protecting this country.

Shaw is a former WDAY TV reporter and former KVRR TV news director. Email jimshawtv@gmail.com

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Trump signs Savanna's Act into law

News staff — Sat, 10 Oct 2020 23:19:58 GMT

BISMARCK — Savanna's Act, which seeks to combat violence against the most vulnerable members of the Native American community, was signed into law by President Donald Trump on Saturday, Oct. 10.

Savanna's Act is named in memory of Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, a North Dakota resident who was murdered in 2017. Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., helped introduce the bill in January 2019.

Specifically, the bill:

Improves tribal access to certain federal crime information databases and mandates the Attorney General and Interior Secretary consult with tribes on how to further develop these databases and access to them. Requires the Justice, Interior, and Health and Human Services departments to solicit recommendations from tribes on enhancing the safety of Native American women and improving access to crime information databases and criminal justice information systems during the annual consultations mandated under the Violence Against Women Act. Requires the creation of standardized guidelines for responding to cases of missing and murdered Native Americans, in consultations with tribes, which will include guidance on inter-jurisdictional cooperation among tribes and federal, state, and local law enforcement. Requires statistics on missing and murdered Native American women, and recommendations on how to improve data collection, to be included in an annual report to congress.]]>

Savanna's Act for missing and murdered Native Americans headed to Trump's desk for signature

April Baumgarten — Mon, 21 Sep 2020 22:19:27 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump is poised to sign a missing and murdered Native Americans bill that was backed by North Dakota leaders in light of the 2017 death of Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind in Fargo.

The U.S. House approved Savanna’s Act Monday, Sept. 21, with a voice vote, meaning the bill is headed to the president’s desk, Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said in a statement. If signed, the Department of Justice will be required to develop protocols to address the issue of missing and murdered Native Americans.

That includes providing training to law enforcement on how to record tribal enrollment for victims in federal databases, implementing strategies to educate the public on the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, consulting tribes on work regarding missing and murdered Native Americans, developing guidelines for cases and reporting statistics.

“Savanna’s Act addresses a tragic issue in Indian Country and helps establish better law enforcement practices to track, solve and prevent these crimes against Native Americans,” Hoeven said in his statement.

Former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., introduced Savanna’s Act in the Senate in October 2017, less than two months after the 22-year-old LaFontaine-Greywind went missing. Her body was found Aug. 27, 2017, in the Red River just north of Fargo.

Prosecutors said Brooke Crews, who is serving a life sentence in prison for her part in the death of the enrolled member of the Spirit Lake Nation, cut LaFontaine-Greywind’s child from her stomach. Crews’ ex-boyfriend, William Hoehn, also is serving a 20-year prison sentence in connection to the kidnapping of the baby, Haisley Jo, who survived.

After unanimously passing in the Senate, Heitkamp’s bill died in the House when former Republican Rep. Bob Goodlatte of Virginia blocked it. The Democrat accused Goodlatte, the then-head of the House Judiciary Committee, of playing “petty partisan games.”

Heitkamp lost her reelection bid to Republican Kevin Cramer in 2018, but Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska who co-sponsored the bill, reintroduced it in January 2019.

Backed by Hoeven and Cramer, Savanna’s Act passed with unanimous consent in the Senate on March 11.

In speaking on the bill, U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong, R-N.D., said Monday on the House floor that LaFontaine-Greywind's story exposed that data on missing and murdered Native American women is scattered across government databases "if it even exists at all."

Armstrong said LaFontaine-Greywind's story is not unique. Olivia Lone Bear went missing in October 2017 and was found almost a year later submerged in a truck in Lake Sakakawea. The FBI is investigating the 32-year-old Native American's death, as foul play has not been ruled out.

"Savanna's Act will begin to help address this crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people," Armstrong said, noting Native American and Alaskan Native women face a murder rate 10 times higher than the national average. "Because of outdated databases and lack of coordination between law enforcement agencies, there's no reliable way of knowing how many Indigenous women actually do go missing each year."

Trump has not publicly committed to signing the bill, but he has supported other legislation and executive orders regarding Native Americans. That includes ordering the establishment of a missing and murdered Native Americans task force last year.

Hoeven's office said it has urged Trump to support Savanna's Act. He expects the president to sign it into law, his office said.

Readers can reach reporter April Baumgarten at 701-241-5417 or follow her on Twitter @aprilbaumsaway.

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Sens. Cramer, Klobuchar, Smith co-sponsor bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday

Adam Watts — Tue, 23 Jun 2020 20:53:27 GMT

WASHINGTON — Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., and Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, D-Minn., are among the bipartisan cosponsors of a bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.

The bill, which passed the Senate on June 16, was introduced by Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Ed Markey of Massachusetts. The bill had 40 co-sponsors from 30 states.

Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19, commemorates Union Army Gen. Gordon Granger announcing federal orders that all slaves in Texas were free on June 19, 1865. Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation had outlawed slavery more than 2 1/2 years earlier, but there were few Union troops in Texas to enforce it.

"It’s past time we honor Juneteenth as a federal holiday so Americans across the nation can celebrate and recognize America’s long-fought path towards equality,” Cornyn said.

North Dakota, South Dakota and Hawaii are the only three states that do not officially acknowledge Juneteenth. Though North Dakota Sen. Tim Mathern, D-Fargo, has said he will propose a bill in the next legislative session that recognizes Juneteenth as a state holiday.

Sens. Cramer, Klobuchar, Smith co-sponsor bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday

Senator Amy Klobuchar May 19,2018

Tina Smith

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