United States Senator John Hoeven for North Dakota

WASHINGTON – At a hearing of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee, Senator John Hoeven this week urged Natural Resources Conservation Service Chief Jason Weller to work closely with producers in North Dakota and across the country to dispel uncertainty and find solutions for issues created by Waters of the U.S., conservation compliance in the new farm bill and measures to help protect against flooding.

The senator invited Weller to North Dakota to meet with producers directly to address these and other concerns they’ve raised about new regulations impacting farmers and ranchers.

Rescinding Waters of the U.S.

“Chief Weller needs to actually sit down with producers and use their input to find solutions. The Waters of the U.S. rule can’t be fixed with a multitude of exemptions,” Hoeven said. “It is ill-conceived and unworkable, and it needs to be entirely rescinded.”

The senat...

MINOT, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today announced that his Minot field office has relocated to the Judge Bruce Van Sickle Federal Building, 100 1st Street SW, Suite 107. The new office will open Friday, December 5. The office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday, with Sally Johnson, a Minot native, serving as the regional director.

“We look forward to continuing to serve the people of the Minot region from our new location in the federal building,” said Hoeven. “Our regional offices provide a local contact for North Dakotans who need information or assistance with federal issues. We welcome them to stop by to visit with a regional representative.”

Contact information for the new Minot office is as follows:

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement upon news that Fargo Mayor Dennis Walaker died Tuesday evening. The mayor had been fighting kidney cancer:

“Denny Walaker truly loved Fargo and the people of Fargo. As mayor, he presided over one of the greatest periods of growth in the city’s history, and his relentless fights against flooding have become a permanent part of his legacy.

“Mikey and I visited Denny in September following his treatment for kidney cancer. At that time, he had all of the fight and spirit we have all come to know in him. Ultimately, it appears cancer was too strong an adversary. It is with great sadness that Mikey and I express our deepest condolences to his family, his friends and the residents of Fargo who admired and appreciated him.”

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today announced that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has approved a Department of Defense request for special rate increase for federal civilian workers at the Minot Air Force Base (MAFB). The action will increase the pay of base laborers, custodians, maintenance mechanics, cooks and other food service employees.

Hoeven has been pushing OPM to address cost-of-living challenges faced by federal workers at the base and in western North Dakota owing to economic growth in the oil patch. The increases are designed to help recruit and retain a high-quality federal workforce.

“This is good news for the civilian employees at Minot Air Force Base,” Hoeven said. “Now we continue to work with OPM and the Department of Interior to address the challenges other federal employees face trying to make ends meet in western North Dakota,” Hoeven said. “The U.S. Park Service, law enforcement ...