Latest news with #Hoeven
Politico
6 hours ago
- Business
- Politico
Senators agree to strip hemp language from ag funding bill
Senators have agreed to strip out language that would close a hemp regulatory loophole from their agriculture funding bill, following a clash between Kentucky GOP Sens. Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul. Senate Appropriations Agriculture-FDA subcommittee Chair John Hoeven (R-N.D.) told reporters Tuesday that the hemp provision, which was championed by McConnell, was removed after Paul threatened to block Senate passage of the appropriations bill entirely. 'We could never get agreement between the two,' Hoeven said. The loophole, which McConnell was responsible for introducing through the 2018 farm bill, allows hemp producers to create intoxicating products without being subject to the same rules or taxes as marijuana. However, it also opened the floodgates to unregulated production of intoxicating products across the country. McConnell earlier this month advocated for the appropriations bill to include language that would close the loophole and reduce hemp-derived products' legally allowed THC limit — a provision that Paul on Monday claimed would 'destroy' an industry that has flourished since 2018. Hoeven told reporters that McConnell wouldn't object to the removal of the provision. When asked if the agreement will clear the way for senators to pass the agriculture funding bill this week before breaking for August recess, Hoeven said: 'I sure hope so.' McConnell has indicated in private conversations that he views the closing of the hemp regulatory loophole as key to his agriculture policy legacy before his retirement next year. Still, a spokesperson for McConnell said Tuesday that the senator 'doesn't want to hold up the process' of passing all appropriations bills and is 'working with the committee on a path forward.'
The Hill
05-07-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Democrats pick fight over how GOP's SNAP change hits states
Republicans are defending recent legislation aimed at incentivizing states to fight erroneous payments through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — but Democrats are picking a fight over a last-minute change they argue encourages states to have higher error rates. Legislation passed out of the GOP-led Congress on Thursday that could see some states pay a share of benefit costs for SNAP, also known as the food stamps program, for the first time. The federal government currently covers the cost of benefits, but under the plan that's been tossed around by congressional Republicans over the past few months, some states would have to cover anywhere between 5 percent and 15 percent of the benefits costs if they have a payment error rate above 6 percent — which factors in over-and-underpayments. However, changes were made to the text that allowed delayed implementation for the cost-share requirements for states with the highest error rates shortly before its passage in the Senate this week. GOP leadership sought to lock down support from Alaska Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, whose state had the highest payment error rate in the country in fiscal year 2024. Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said Republicans made the change to comply with chamber rules. 'You have to give those states time to adjust because about all they're going to do is get down to that midrange, and then they're still going to have to pay a penalty because they're so high,' he said. 'So, it's about giving states a fair chance to adjust.' Under the plan that was greenlit by Congress on Thursday, some states would begin contributing a share of benefit costs in fiscal year 2028, depending on their payment error rate. But the plan also allows for delayed implementation for two years for states with payment error rates if they reach around 13.34 percent or higher — an effort Republicans say is aimed at providing states like Alaska with much higher rates to bring them down. Hoeven said the GOP-led agriculture committee, which crafted the SNAP pitch, 'came up with a lot of proposals' trying to comply with restrictive rules governing a special process that Republicans used to approve the plan in the upper chamber without Democratic support. Under the rules, Hoeven said, 'they always said you got to give states time to adjust in order to meet the test.' Republicans say the overall proposal is aimed at incentivizing states to reduce erroneous payments. But Democrats have sharply criticized the plan, arguing it would encourage states with higher error rates to continue making erroneous payments. 'The most absurd example of the hypocrisy of the Republican bill: they have now proposed delaying SNAP cuts FOR TWO YEARS ONLY FOR STATES with the highest error rates just to bury their help for Alaska: AK, DC, FL, GA, MD, MA, NJ, NM, NY, OR. They are rewarding errors,' Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), top Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee, wrote this week as she sounded off in a series of posts on X over the plan. In another swipe at the plan, Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) wrote on X that he had to text his state's governor that 10 states with 'the MOST ERRORS in administering the program' are 'exempt from food assistance cuts,' at that Hawaii is not exempt because the governor has done 'good work in reducing the error rate by 15 percent.' The comments come as Democrats and advocates have argued the measure could lead to states having to cut benefits because of the shift in cost burden. Recent figures unveiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) showed Alaska's payment error rate hit 24.66 percent in fiscal year 2024. The national average was 10.93 percent. Murkowski said after the vote that she didn't 'like' the bill but sought to 'to take care of Alaska's interests.' But she also said she knew 'that, in many parts of the country, there are Americans that are not going to be advantaged by this bill.' 'I don't like the fact that we moved through an artificial deadline, an artificial timeline to produce something, to meet a deadline, rather than to actually try to produce the best bill for the country,' she said. 'But when I saw the direction that this is going, you can either say, 'I don't like it and not try to help my state,' or you can roll up your sleeves.' Republicans also criticized Democrats for challenging a previous GOP-crafted SNAP provision that sought to provide more targeted help to Alaska, as GOP leadership sought to win Murkowski's support for the bill, which ultimately passed the Senate in a tie-breaking vote. However, Democrats opposed previously proposed waivers for the noncontiguous states of Alaska and Hawaii, decrying 'special treatment.' In remarks on Wednesday, House Agriculture Chairman Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.) the Senate 'had to add something to get to address that challenge that Alaska has.' 'The goal is, from a functionality perspective, they need to get their error rate down as soon as possible, because when the time comes, and they have to start to pay, they don't want to be that high error rate that you're coming in now,' he said. 'In most states, Alaska would be a challenge, I think, but most states have been under 6 percent at one time in past years,' he said. However, he also wasn't 'crazy about' work requirements exemptions for some Indigenous populations in the Senate's version of Trump's megabill that didn't appear in the House bill, as Republicans seek to tighten work requirements. 'It's what the Senate had to do,' he said, though he noted that 'economic conditions are challenging on those sovereign lands and in high unemployment, high poverty.' It's unclear whether the carve-outs were the result of talks Alaska senators had with GOP leadership around SNAP in the days leading up to the Senate passage. The Hill has reached out to their offices for comment. The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development said Alaska has 'one of the largest indigenous populations in the nation,' with Alaska Natives representing 17 percent of the state in 2010. At the same time, the Senate bill nixed temporary exemptions that had been preserved in the House bill for former foster youth, homeless individuals and veterans. Despite being preserved in the House plan, Thompson criticized the carve-outs, which were secured as part of a previous bipartisan deal in 2023. 'It cheats all those individuals from having access to that to us funding their SNAP Employment and career and technical education, because the whole goal here is to raise these people out of poverty if they're struggling in poverty, because that's how you qualify for SNAP,' he said. 'And the fact is, they were made ineligible for the really great benefits.' Other proposals in the party's SNAP plan seek to limit the federal government's ability to increase monthly benefits in the future, changes to work requirements and include a chunk of farm provisions. The plan comes as Republicans sought to find ways to generate north of $1 trillion in savings of federal dollars over the next decade as part of a major package that also advances President Trump's tax agenda, which is estimated to add trillions of dollars to the nation's deficits. Republicans say the proposed spending reductions, which are achieved also through changes to programs like Medicaid, are aimed at rooting out 'waste, fraud and abuse' in the federal government. But preliminary research released this week by the Urban Institute found that just the SNAP changes could affect about 22 million families, who researchers said could be at risk of 'losing some or all of their SNAP benefits' under the plan. Asked if last-minute changes to the plan to help other states and not his bothered him, Sen. Jim Justice ( who ultimately voted for the plan, told reporters this week, 'Yes and no.' 'But at the same time, I think they probably had more severe need and so I think it'll be fine,' Justice, a former governor, said Tuesday. 'If it's like any business deal that I've ever seen in my life, you know, the parties of a good business deal walk away after they get something done, and they walk away, and they're probably holding their nose a little bit, and they're probably regretting certain things and saying, 'Doggone, we didn't do good on this and that and everything,' That's a good deal.'
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
After Ukraine's surprise drone assault on Russia, new attention drawn to sensitive sites stateside
After Ukraine launched a sudden drone assault on Russian installations, it brought new attention to the U.S.' own vulnerabilities, regardless of which side the U.S. stood on Kyiv's attack. In recent years, Chinese Communist Party-linked entities have commercially targeted land around the U.S., including in the vicinity of sensitive installations like the Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota. The Fufeng Group's 300-acre farmland purchase in 2021 first raised the collective antennae of Congress to such under-the-radar transactions – and even Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis swiftly banned them in his state as a result, among other efforts around the country. On Tuesday, North Dakota's senators agreed that the U.S. must remain vigilant for any malign activity, whether it be from relatively novel drone assaults to potential espionage through real estate transactions. Ukraine's Surprise Attack Shows It May Take A 'Major Drone Strike' To Change Us Defense Policy, Experts Say "When adversaries can buy our land, attend our universities, photograph silos in our prairies, perform aerial surveillance, park their ships near our military bases, or even just join our PTAs, they have more opportunities to be nefarious," Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer told Fox News Digital. Read On The Fox News App "Our posture must always be vigilant, never assuming foreign actors are benign or have the best intentions," he said. "Whether it's directly spying, indirectly influencing, or sending drones to blow up aircraft, the ability of the enemy increases when we allow them easy access near our national interests." Cramer's Flickertail State counterpart, Sen. John Hoeven, joined an effort to prevent such land-buys and has worked with federal partners to update the process in which foreign investment is analyzed for approval and decided upon. "We need to remain vigilant against China and other adversaries," said Hoeven, who is co-sponsoring South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds' bill banning individuals and entities controlled by China, Russia, Iran and North Korea from purchasing farmland or commercial land near sensitive federal sites. China's Us Influence Could Face Crackdown Under Slate Of New Bills "At the same time, we're working to update the CFIUS process [which governs federal approval of foreign investments] to ensure proper reviews are taking place as well," Hoeven said. "We also are working to develop the technology we need to protect our domestic military bases from potential drone threats." Rounds' bill also has bipartisan support, including from Sen. Catherine Cortez-Masto, D-Nev., whose state also hosts sensitive government sites like Nellis Air Force Base and Area 51. "It is common sense that we should not allow our foreign adversaries to buy agricultural land next to these locations," Masto said in a statement. Rounds added in a statement that America's "near-peer adversaries… are looking for any possible opportunity to surveil our nation's capabilities and resources." Even private-sector entities have expressed concern, including the South Dakota Soybean Association, which said farmland must be protected from foreign purchase for both agricultural and national security article source: After Ukraine's surprise drone assault on Russia, new attention drawn to sensitive sites stateside
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Talon Metals and Westmoreland Mining Sign Land Agreement to Progress North Dakota Minerals Processing Facility
Former coal mining site is set to be developed to process critical minerals for domestic defense and energy requirements, reducing current dependence on China and Russia Beulah, North Dakota--(Newsfile Corp. - May 28, 2025) - Talon Metals Corp. (TSX: TLO) (OTC Pink: TLOFF) through its wholly owned subsidiary Talon Nickel (USA) LLC ("Talon" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has secured a site currently owned by Westmoreland Mining LLC ("Westmoreland") as the location where Talon will develop its Beulah Minerals Processing Facility ("BMPF"). This milestone marks a significant achievement in U.S. domestic critical mineral processing infrastructure for nickel and other key minerals. Highlights Talon and Westmoreland have signed an option agreement for Talon to secure an approximately 256 acre portion of the former Westmoreland coal mine site near Beulah, North Dakota and the associated 7-mile rail spur for the development of Talon's BMPF. A signing ceremony was held at the site today to celebrate this milestone with the participation of several very important dignitaries, including North Dakota Governor Armstrong, Senator Hoeven, Senator Cramer and Congresswoman Fedorchak. The BMPF presents a first-of-its-kind opportunity for collaboration across energy, mining and critical mineral industries, transforming a legacy coal mine site into critical minerals processing to support the nation's national security and industrial revitalization priorities. Supported by a US$114.8M grant from the Department of Energy (see Company's press release dated November 2, 2023), the facility will work to support the nation's strategy to reduce reliance on foreign-sourced critical minerals. Talon was also awarded US$2.47m from the Defense Logistics Agency for innovative research to increase mineral extraction efficiency (see Company's press release dated December 11, 2024). The BMPF will leverage existing infrastructure on and near to the brownfields site, including an existing rail spur that connects directly to the BNSF Railway. Talon expects up to 150 high-quality direct jobs and hundreds more during construction of the BMPF. Next steps for the BMPF include permitting during the remainder of 2025 and 2026 with a targeted start of construction in 2027. "The Beulah Minerals Processing Facility is a game-changer for both North Dakota and the nation. By establishing a domestic supply chain for critical minerals, we are strengthening America's economic and national security, while creating good-paying jobs right here in Mercer County," said Senator Hoeven. "We worked with the Department of Energy to secure $115 million to help move Talon's project forward, reducing our reliance on China for these increasingly important minerals and positioning the U.S. as a leader in critical mineral processing." Jon Heroux, Westmoreland's Corporate Counsel for External Affairs said, "We are thrilled to partner with Talon on this transformative project, which directly aligns with a core element of Westmoreland's strategic vision: repurposing former coal and mining sites into hubs for industrial energy, mineral processing, and advanced data infrastructure. This collaboration demonstrates the power of public-private partnerships to drive economic revitalization while advancing the domestic production of critical minerals. The Beulah Minerals Processing Facility represents a forward-looking investment that brings new life to this community and reinforces North Dakota's vital role in strengthening America's energy and national security." The Beulah Minerals Processing Facility The proposed BMPF site is a subset of the former Westmoreland Beulah Coal Mine, located in Mercer County, North Dakota approximately 4 miles from the city of Beulah. The BMPF will receive high-grade nickel and copper ore from the proposed Tamarack mine in Minnesota and other potential sources across North America. Thanks to the Tamarack deposit's grade and proximity, the ore can be transported quickly, safely, and cost-effectively. Figure 1: Location of the proposed Tamarack Mine in Minnesota directly connected by rail (approximately 475 miles) to the location of the proposed BMPF in North Dakota To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: Built on a legacy coal mine site the BMPF is expected to operate in symbiosis with adjacent coal-fired power stations by potentially utilizing fly ash for innovative tailings management, creating a model for responsible redevelopment of legacy coal infrastructure, and state-of-the-art partnership between coal fired power plants and critical minerals processing facilities. Figure 2: Location of the proposed BMPF in relation to Beulah, North Dakota (approximately 7 miles by rail) To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: Henri van Rooyen, Talon's CEO said, "Securing the site for the Beulah Minerals Processing Facility marks a pivotal step in our journey to build the most advanced nickel and copper processing facility in the world. This milestone not only strengthens U.S. critical mineral infrastructure but also reflects our commitment to sustainable development by repurposing legacy coal infrastructure. We are proud to collaborate with Westmoreland Mining, the U.S. Department of Energy and other important members of local, state and national government in creating resilient supply chains that support national security and energy independence." Agreement Terms 3-Year Purchase Option Period Subject to an initial 3 month due diligence period for Talon, Westmoreland has granted Talon the sole and exclusive right and option to purchase (the "Purchase Option") approximately 256 acres of land and an adjacent 7-mile rail spur (the "Property") as detailed further above. Talon may exercise the Purchase Option at anytime at its sole discretion over the ensuing 3 year period (the "Option Period"). In consideration for the Purchase Option, Talon Metals Corp. will issue Westmoreland 15,000,000 consideration options (the "Consideration Options") to purchase common shares of Talon Metals Corp. with a 3 year term from the date of issuance and at an exercise price equal to the volume weighted average trading price of the common shares of Talon Metals Corp on the TSX for the five trading days immediately preceding the date the Consideration Options are issued. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Consideration Options, one-third of the Consideration Options will vest immediately on the date of issuance; an additional one-third of the Consideration Options will vest on the one year anniversary of the date of issuance; and the last one-third of the Consideration Options will vest on the two year anniversary of the date of issuance. In the event that at any time during the Option Period Talon shall elect to terminate the Purchase Option, Westmoreland shall retain any Consideration Options which shall at such time have vested in accordance with the vesting schedule set out above, and all such vested Consideration Options shall remain outstanding and exercisable and any unvested Consideration Options at such time shall be deemed to be cancelled. In the event that at any time during the Option Period the Company shall elect to exercise the Purchase Option, any Consideration Options which at such time shall not yet have vested in accordance with the vesting schedule set out above shall automatically vest upon the exercise of the Purchase Option and all such Consideration Options shall be exercisable. The issuance of the Consideration Options remains subject to the final approval of the TSX. Purchase Price Upon the exercise of the Purchase Option by Talon, title to the Property will be transferred to Talon in consideration for Talon making future ore delivery payments to Westmoreland (the "Purchase Price"). Effective as of the first delivery of nickel bearing ore to the BMPF, Talon will pay Westmoreland $0.50 per metric ton of ore delivered to the BMPF (based on the nickel bearing ore having a grade between 1% and 5%). Any ore delivered that has a nickel grade of 1% or less will not be subject to any payment to Westmoreland in respect of such ore. Any ore delivered that has a nickel grade greater than 5% will be subject to a pro-rata increased payment relative to 5%. The Purchase Price is capped at $10 million. ABOUT TALON Talon is a TSX-listed base metals company in a joint venture with Rio Tinto on the high-grade Tamarack Nickel-Copper-Cobalt Project located in central Minnesota. Talon's shares are also traded in the US over the OTC market under the symbol TLOFF. The Tamarack Nickel Project comprises a large land position (18km of strike length) with additional high-grade intercepts outside the current resource area. Talon has an earn-in right to acquire up to 60% of the Tamarack Nickel Project, and currently owns 51%. Talon is focused on (i) expanding and infilling its current high-grade nickel mineralization resource prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 to shape a mine plan for submission to Minnesota regulators, and (ii) following up on additional high-grade nickel mineralization in the Tamarack Intrusive Complex. Talon has a neutrality and workforce development agreement in place with the United Steelworkers union. Talon's Beulah Mineral Processing Facility in Mercer County was selected by the US Department of Energy for a US$114.8 million funding grant from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the US Department of Defense awarded Talon a grant of US$20.6 million to support and accelerate Talon's exploration efforts in both Minnesota and Michigan. Talon has well-qualified experienced exploration, mine development, external affairs and mine permitting teams. For additional information on Talon, please visit the Company's website at Talon Media Contact: Jessica Johnson(218) 460-9345johnson@ Talon Investor Contact: Mike Kicis1 (647) 968-0060kicis@ For additional information on Westmoreland, please visit Westmoreland's website at Westmoreland Contact: Jon Heroux(720) 354-4478jheroux@ FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements". All statements, other than statements of historical fact that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect the current expectations or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available to the Company. Such forward-looking statements include statements relating to the exercise of the Purchase Option, permitting and the construction of the BMPF (including target timing) and the Company's ability to leverage existing infrastructure on and near the site, expected job creation during construction and operation of the BMPF, and future ore delivery to the BMPF. Forward-looking statements are subject to significant risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements, and even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on the Company. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. To view the source version of this press release, please visit Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Armstrong signs bill to open path for funding for new Veterans Memorial Center
May 2—BISMARCK — Gov. Kelly Armstrong on Friday signed a bill that opens a path for up to $3 million in state funding for the development of a Veterans Memorial Center at Fargo National Cemetery. Senate Bill 2265, introduced by Sen. Scott Meyer, R-Grand Forks, and co-sponsored by Sens. Randy Burckhard, R-Minot; Kathy Hogan, D-Fargo; Larry Luick, R-Fairmount; and Ron Sorvaag, R-Fargo; and Rep. Austen Schauer, R-West Fargo, was signed during a ceremony that also included U.S. Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., and members of the Fargo Memorial Honor Guard. Amenities of the proposed facility, as outlined by a release from Hoeven's office, include a gathering area to be used by family and friends of the deceased veteran prior to or following interment; a gallery to showcase the lives and service of veterans; offices for Veterans Administration staff; a break room for Honor Guard members; indoor restrooms; a garage to accommodate a hearse; and a parking lot. Meyer said the Memorial Honor Guard reached out to him last year asking if he would be willing to sponsor the plan. "They were going around the state showing their idea. They tried it last session, and it didn't work out," Meyer told the Grand Forks Herald. The Honor Guard sought out Meyer because of previous work pushing military-themed proposals in the Legislature, he said. Further, Meyer's father is a Vietnam veteran. "It's something I'm honored to be a part of," Meyer said. "It's meant to honor our fallen heroes." Technically, SB 2265 creates a line of credit of up to $3 million. Since the new memorial center will require approvals at the federal level, its in-state backers must wait before moving ahead with construction. Since the Legislature only meets every other year, the line of credit allows the project to move forward once it receives federal approval, rather than waiting for state approval — and funding — in a future biennium. The Fargo Memorial Honor Guard is the nonprofit organization responsible for building the center. The funds will become available once the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides final approval of the project plan and authorizes construction to begin, priorities which Hoeven continues working to advance at the federal level. Hoeven has received commitments from Veterans Administration Secretary Doug Collins and Sam Brown, nominee to become VA Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs, to work with Hoeven to get the federal approvals, according to Meyer and Hoeven's office. In the release from Hoeven's office, Meyer said that "as the son of a Vietnam veteran, it is the honor of my legislative career to secure funding for upgrades at the Fargo National Cemetery." He commended Hoeven's leadership for "bringing all parties to the table, and I'm proud that the state of North Dakota did their part to commemorate our veterans." Added Schauer: "The passage of SB 2265 sends an important message to veterans and their families: We care. We care about you while serving. We care about you when you leave the military, and ultimately, we care for you when your times comes to end. Our goal is to bring the Fargo National Cemetery to the same high standard as the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery in Mandan. That is a high bar, but attainable when we work together to achieve it."
