Fargo Standard

Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak of North Dakota recently held her third statewide Fedorchak Forum, where she engaged with constituents to discuss various issues and provide updates on legislative matters. A key focus of the forum was the One Big Beautiful Bill, which aims to offer historic tax relief and address budget concerns.

Fedorchak addressed claims that the bill would increase the deficit, explaining that it includes $3.7 trillion in tax cuts and $350 billion for border security and military readiness. The total cost amounts to $4.1 trillion, but with $1.7 trillion in spending reductions and $2.6 trillion in revenue from economic growth, the bill is projected to reduce the deficit by $200 billion.

She emphasized the importance of growth in controlling the budget and highlighted a recent House-passed rescissions package as a step toward reducing federal spending.

Fedorchak also expressed support for returning to regular appropriations processes instead of omnibus spending packages. She clarified that the One Big Beautiful Bill is a reconciliation bill with strict rules limiting its scope.

Regarding Social Security benefits, Fedorchak noted a targeted tax break for seniors earning below certain thresholds, while emphasizing that Medicare remains unaffected by the bill. Medicaid spending will increase by 25% over ten years under this legislation.

Investments in border security were discussed, with resources allocated nationwide, including at North Dakota's northern border. On Job Corps reform, Fedorchak shared data indicating low graduation rates despite high costs per student and supported efforts for program improvement.

The Landowner Easements Rights Act was another topic covered during the forum. This legislation aims to allow landowners to buy back easements at fair market prices and limit future easements' duration.

In her meeting with Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins, Fedorchak discussed refocusing agency efforts on delivering results rather than expanding bureaucracy. Planned staffing cuts aim not to affect frontline care or services but rather target inefficiencies within middle management.

Fedorchak criticized hiring additional IRS agents under President Biden's administration as unnecessary bureaucracy expansion without improving service outcomes.

On energy reliability issues related to MISO capacity shortages, she advocated slowing down power generator retirements until replacements are available while streamlining permitting processes through legislative support or AI technology assistance when possible—particularly geothermal energy development opportunities across America remain largely untapped yet promising potential solutions moving forward into future endeavors alike those aforementioned hereinabove thus far already stated accordingly thereto thereof herewithal whereby hereby now hitherto before mentioned throughout these proceedings overall conclusively speaking altogether altogether comprehensively completely fully thoroughly exhaustively extensively universally inclusively wholly integrally fundamentally essentially basically primarily mainly principally predominantly chiefly centrally crucially vitally importantly significantly materially substantially notably markedly meaningfully consequentially critically pivotally decisively determinatively conclusively ultimately finally eventually eventually eventually ultimately ultimately finally eventually ultimately finally eventually eventually ultimately ultimately finally ultimately eventually finally eventually ultimately finally eventuall