BISMARCK, ND — This weekend, the president issued an executive action that would defer the payroll tax that funds both Social Security and Medicare. The tax will still be owed, and both programs are at risk as the president vowed to make the cuts permanent. The order was part of a set of actions that fell woefully short of the relief package the GOP could have achieved by compromising across the aisle.

The House passed the $3.4 trillion HEROES Act almost three months ago. The Senate proposed the $1 trillion HEALS Act days before important portions of the CARES Act were scheduled to run out, including the $600 unemployment benefit. Last week, House Democrats offered to meet in the middle. The president left D.C., and his advisors walked away from the negotiating table. 

Dem-NPL Communications Director Alex Rohr said:

‘“The president’s reckless plan puts Social Security and Medicare, which thousands of North Dakotans rely on, at serious risk during a national crisis. His promise of permanent cuts would break the most revered compact between the U.S. government and its citizens, who have paid into these programs for decades. Sen. Cramer spoke in favor of cutting Social Security, but we’re not hearing anything from Rep. Armstrong. Since he apparently doesn’t want the job, we need to elect Zach Raknerud who will fight for North Dakotans, young and old, to have access to healthcare and benefits they’ve already paid for.”

Rohr continued:            

“The president is unilaterally cutting unemployment benefits for people out of work through no fault of their own and passing costs onto the state of North Dakota. This unfunded mandate wouldn’t be happening if Republicans in Congress had done their homework and compromised. This nation is in a serious economic and public health crisis. Our leaders need to start acting like it.”

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BISMARCK, ND — Sen. Kevin Cramer insulted North Dakotans and other voters who want to exercise their right to vote by mail, which was widely available in North Dakota even before the pandemic when 33 of 53 North Dakota counties offered mail-in voting. The June primary, entirely vote by mail, saw a significantly higher than average primary turnout, according to Republican Secretary of State Al Jaeger who said of the primary “it was successful and it was secure.” Cramer said recently he has voted by mail.

Meanwhile, Cramer and Washington Republicans are weakening the United States Postal Service as the pandemic causes an increase in demand. Unnecessary cuts made by the new postmaster, a Republican appointee and a large campaign donor, have led to mail delays in larger cities that may affect North Dakota as the problem worsens. A Bismarck Tribune editorial “believes mail-in voting is the future of elections,” but that requires a robust Postal Service to get ballots out in time. The Post Office is an incredibly popular institution and favored by 91% of the United States population.

Dem-NPL Communications Director Alex Rohr said:

“Sen. Cramer thinks voting by mail is okay for him, but not everyone else? Instead of dismissing a right thousands of North Dakotans routinely exercise, he should be making sure vote by mail continues to be accessible by bolstering the U.S. Postal Service. The Post Office is an essential government service, necessary lifeline for rural North Dakotans, and an especially important resource during the pandemic.”

Cramer also made unsubstantiated claims about COVID-19 reporting. Recently, Forum News reported that North Dakota did not meet our own criteria for a green rating.

Rohr continued:

“North Dakota businesses and their workers as well as educators, students, and their families are relying on our leaders to give them the best information available, so they can make the best decisions for their communities and families. By spreading false information, Sen. Cramer is making an incredibly challenging situation even more difficult and betraying the public trust.”

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BISMARCK, ND — Today, the six-member Emergency Commission voted to spend the last of North Dakota’s $1.25 billion in federal CARES Act money intended for COVID-19 relief. The small group allocated the allotment without any public input or broad legislative input. The result leaves out important and popular initiatives that would support workers, families, and the people most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The vote today included some progress on food access funding called for by a working group and Dem-NPL legislators, but failed to include an Emergency Paid Leave Fund that would serve workers, families, and small businesses. The Legislative Budget Section, which leaves 14 districts or roughly 200,000 people unrepresented in the process, will take an up or down vote next week.

Sen. Kathy Hogan, a member of a food access work group that proposed a $53 million plan for emergency and sustainable food programs, said:

“We are pleased that we have had an opportunity to present important proposals that address food access and to see money for refrigeration for food banks, expanded online SNAP purchasing, and the expansion for FEMA and CARES Act dollars for shelf-sustainable food at Great Plains Food Banks included in the Department of Agriculture funding. But we are disappointed that the administration hasn’t done more as emergency food aid from Washington has stopped. Today’s funding is a beginning, but only a beginning.”

Rep. Karla Rose Hanson, who called for CARES Act money to be used for an Emergency Paid Leave Fund to benefit workers, families, and small business, said:

“It’s disappointing to see Gov. Burgum fail to seriously consider Emergency Paid Leave for North Dakota workers. This proposal is good for public health, good for families, and good for businesses. People who are sick or exposed to COVID-19 are asked to stay home, but many have to prioritize their paycheck so they still go to work. Paid leave would help businesses avoid outbreaks and keep their doors open, and it would help control the spread of the virus in our state.”

House Minority Leader Josh Boschee said: 

“Without a formal process, we sought to create public debate about important issues workers and families are facing, and there are certainly portions of this budget that will benefit many North Dakotans. But because most of our Republican colleagues abdicated their legislative authority to the governor’s office, the process, and the resulting recovery plan is flawed. We cannot leave out 14 districts and more than 200,000 people and expect to have a recovery plan that works for all North Dakotans.”

Senate Minority Leader Joan Heckaman said:

“The budget included important contributions for cities and counties whose budgets are being strained by the pandemic. But there should have been a formal public process that gave every community a seat at the table, so we can make sure tax dollars are spent fairly across the state.”

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BISMARCK, ND — Senate Republicans released the HEALS Act this week after letting the HEROES Act, passed by the House, sit un-debated or discussed for 10 weeks. The last-minute HEALS Act, supported by both North Dakota Senators, however, included $1.8 billion for a new FBI building that has nothing to do with pandemic relief. It also doubles the three-martini-lunch deduction for business meals, while eliminating food programs that would serve those in the greatest need. Food insecurity is rising across North Dakota. HEALS also leaves out hazard pay for essential workers, would slash the unemployment benefit offered to those out of work because of the pandemic, and ignores local governments.

The HEROES Act would award hazard pay for essential workers, bolster emergency food programs, provide much needed aid to city, county, and state governments, and offer resources for local school districts to open up with flexibility. By tying education funds to in-person mandates, the HEALS Act would use most of these dollars to take control away from our communities and from North Dakota.

The Democratic-NPL Party Chairwoman Kylie Oversen said:

“North Dakotans have stated clearly, we want to make decisions at the state and local level about how we open up our schools less than a month from now. The HEROES Act would offer not only resources for our students, teachers, and staff, but also support for childcare. Cases are rising, and North Dakotans need a program that works for us. We urge our congressional delegation to stop playing partisan politics with our lives and livelihoods.”

Oversen continued:

“Rather than award hazard pay to essential workers and bolster unemployment plans that keep people paying their rent, our Senators are backing a bill that includes $1.8 billion for a Washington office building and a free lunch for their donors. Workers and families are going hungry. They are out of work, and those that are still working are underappreciated and woefully under-protected. Our delegation needs to set aside their partisanship, their donor interests, and focus on dealing with an out of control public health crisis and an economy they watched crash.”

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BISMARCK, ND — The North Dakota Republican Party will pay an $8,000 fine to the Federal Election Commission for failing to disclose campaign expenditures in the 2016 cycle, putting the party’s current campaign expenditures into question. The agreement was posted by a Business Insider reporter Friday afternoon on Twitter.

The news comes as Rep. Kelly Armstrong, Sen. Kevin Cramer, and Sen. John Hoeven, are drawing questions for using their official power to secure $1.7 billion in federal contracts for Fisher Industries. The North Dakota-based company came under fire from the president for building a privately funded border wall that is already eroding. Armstrong and Cramer both received significant campaign contributions from Fisher, a company with a history of shady business dealings.

The Democratic-NPL Party Chairwoman Kylie Oversen said:

“The FEC fines alone demand serious scrutiny into ongoing NDGOP finances. But three of the state’s top Republicans are also entangled in a pay-to-play scandal that is about to take the American taxpayers for $1.7 billion. NDGOP and its leaders are showing an alarming pattern of corruption by misusing public and private funds. The swamp is getting worse.”

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