Byron Dorgan

November 21, 2009 -- (WASHINGTON, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Byron L. Dorgan (D-ND) released the following statement today on his vote to begin debating health care reform legislation in the Senate:

“I voted tonight in favor of the Motion to Proceed, which simply allows the Senate to begin debating and amending a proposed health care reform bill.

“I’ve made no decisions about the legislation itself because there will be many amendments to the plan offered by myself and other colleagues in the next several weeks that will change the legislation.    » read more »

Bill will help North Dakota's 57,000 veterans and their families

November 19, 2009 -- (WASHINGTON, D.C.) – The U.S. Senate has approved a bill co-sponsored by U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) that will improve health care benefits to American veterans and their families.

“We have 57,000 veterans in North Dakota who answered the call and served their country. We have an obligation to ensure they have access to quality care,” Dorgan said. “This is a bipartisan bill that will expand and improve veterans’ health care services, and I believe it will help our nation fulfill its obligation to the men and women who served in our armed services.”    » read more »

Legislation invests in new military facilities in Minot, Grand Forks, Bismarck and Fargo

November 17, 2009 -- (WASHINGTON, D.C.) --- The U.S. Senate approved an appropriations bill today that includes funding secured by U.S. Senators Byron Dorgan and Kent Conrad to construct new military facilities in Minot, Grand Forks, Fargo and Bismarck. Dorgan and Conrad said the bill will give a boost to North Dakota’s military missions.    » read more »

Senator has pushed for action to investigate and prosecute financial fraud

November 17, 2009 -- (WASHINGTON, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) said today’s announcement that the Justice Department will ramp up efforts to crack down on financial fraud “is critical to bring these modern day bank-robbers to justice, necessary to restore confidence in our financial system, and I applaud the Department of Justice for taking this action.”

Dorgan has been pushing for increased investigations and prosecutions of those who wrongly profited from the financial collapse. In January, Dorgan introduced the Taxpayer Protection Act (S. 195), which would, among other things, investigate and prosecute financial fraud that contributed to the collapse of our financial markets.    » read more »

Says FTC Investigation Of CVS/Caremark Merger Is Necessary To Ensure Fair Competition

November 6, 2009 -- (WASHINGTON, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) today welcomed the news that the Federal Trade Commission is investigating the 2007 merger of CVS and Caremark, saying it is necessary to ensure fair competition in the prescription drug market.

In July, Senator Dorgan, along with Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), sent a letter to the FTC stating that the combination of Caremark and CVS “created a heightened opportunity for anticompetitive conduct in the prescription drug market.” They requested that the FTC investigate the merger because it was hurting Main Street pharmacies.    » read more »

Washington, D.C. -- Nov 5, 2009 – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Al Franken, and Byron Dorgan today sponsored legislation to prohibit the use of personal wireless communication devices by the flight crew while operating commercial aircraft.

Klobuchar, an Aviation Subcommittee member, and Franken joined Commerce Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Byron Dorgan to introduce the legislation in response to the recent Northwest Airlines incident in which pilots claimed they were distracted by working on their computers and did not respond to radio calls for 91 minutes. The plane flew 150 miles past its destination of Minneapolis-St. Paul.    » read more »

Appropriations bill contains $66.3 million for tribal colleges; $4.6 million for UTTC

October 29, 2009 -- (WASHINGTON, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) said today that the $7 million increase in funding for tribal colleges nationwide represents a strong commitment to Native American higher education that will benefit students at tribal colleges in North Dakota.

The Interior Appropriations conference agreement includes $66.3 million for tribally controlled community colleges, which is $7 million more than last year’s level. In addition, the bill includes a provision proposed by the President including $50 million to forward fund tribal colleges so they can better plan for the academic year.    » read more »

Bill includes provision to ensure UAVs have access to airspace

October 23, 2009 -- (WASHINGTON, D.C.) --- A bill that earned final approval in Congress late Thursday will help ensure training programs at UND and other unmanned aerial vehicle programs will be able to access airspace in North Dakota, U.S. Senators Byron Dorgan and Kent Conrad and Congressman Earl Pomeroy announced today.

Senator Dorgan drafted the provision, Section 935, of the fiscal year 2010 National Defense Authorization Act that requires the Pentagon and the Department of Transportation to jointly write a plan that would ensure UAVs have access to the national airspace. The Department of Homeland Security, the lead agency for the Customs and Border Protection, will also contribute to the effort.    » read more »

Bill includes funding for Fargo flood study, other critical water projects in the state

October 15, 2009 -- (WASHINGTON, D.C.) --- U.S. Senators Byron Dorgan and Kent Conrad and Congressman Earl Pomeroy announced today that Congress has given final approval to an appropriations bill that will invest in flood control studies for Fargo and communities in the Sheyenne and James river valleys, support energy research projects in North Dakota, and boost efforts to strengthen and expand water systems that serve our rural communities.    » read more »

Bill expands role of GF Nutrition Center, supports other research to help farmers and ranchers

October 9, 2009 -- (WASHINGTON, D.C.) --- The United States Congress has given final approval to an appropriations bill that includes investments secured by U.S. Senators Byron Dorgan and Kent Conrad and Congressman Earl Pomeroy in North Dakota’s agriculture research industry. These critical agriculture and nutrition research projects will give a boost to the state’s economy and help develop new ways for family farmers and ranchers to fight pests and address other problems.    » read more »

October 7, 2009 -- (WASHINGTON, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) is working to help North Dakota dairy farmers cope with the nationwide fall in dairy prices.

Last week, Senator Dorgan was a part of a conference of House and Senate negotiators that finalized the FY 2010 Agriculture Appropriations bill, and helped secure $350 million in emergency aid to help dairy farmers across the nation. The assistance includes $290 million to help dairy farmers directly, and $60 million to buy cheese products to donate to food banks.

In addition, Senator Dorgan is supporting legislation that would close a loophole that allows foreign dairy exporters to circumvent trade rules and flood the market with excess dairy products.    » read more »

Senator also working to put downward pressure on prescription drug costs; would save consumers $50 billion

October 2, 2009 -- (GRAND FORKS, N.D.) – As Congress considers ways to improve the overall health care system, Veterans health care remains a top priority, said U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) at the Grand Forks VA Community Based Outreach Clinic today.    » read more »

October 1, 2009 -- (WASHINGTON, D.C.) – The annual appropriations bill written by Senator Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) containing key investments in North Dakota energy and water projects became one step closer to becoming law today. The bill includes funding that will give a boost to cutting-edge energy research in North Dakota, as well as much-needed flood control and water projects across the state.

Dorgan chairs the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations subcommittee in charge of funding the nation’s energy and water projects. Today the Senate and House conference committee approved the combined bill, which will next go to the House and Senate floors before being signed into law by the President.

Flood Control    » read more »

Dorgan says Oshkosh CEO is reconsidering decision to close oakes plant; Expects decision in a week to 10 days

July 8, 2009 -- (WASHINGTON, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) is asking the head of Oshkosh Trucking to reconsider the closure of the company’s manufacturing plant in Oakes, N.D., in light of a new $1.06 billion federal contract the company has just received from the Pentagon to build heavy armored vehicles for the Army and Marines.    » read more »

At hearing requested by Dorgan, questions raised about how dealers and consumers will be impacted

June 3, 2009 -- (WASHINGTON, D.C.) – At a Senate Commerce Committee hearing today, U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) questioned the President and CEO of both Chrysler and General Motors about the effects of their dealership closings in North Dakota and their plans to ensure dealerships and consumers are treated fairly.

James Press, President of Chrysler, and Fritz Henderson, CEO of General Motors, both testified at the hearing, along with John McEleney, Chairman of the National Automobile Dealers Association.    » read more »