Today on Plain Talk, we had the pleasure of speaking with US Senator John Hoeven, and began our conversation with a pretty historic event: the rerouting of the Red River for the Fargo-Moorhead Flood Control Project.

Senator Hoeven, who has been working on this project since he was governor, highlighted how it will "permanently change part of the route of the uh Red River" and "protect more than a quarter of a million people." He called this a "marvel of modern engineering."

Next, we tackled the freezing of education dollars by the Trump administration, which caused weeks of chaos for schools and parents. He explained that the federal Office of Management and Budget was "reviewing funds for social agenda," but emphasized that the larger goal is "transitioning...the education funding from this centralized bureaucracy in Washington D.C." to give states "more control and less regulation."

We also discussed the status of state Superintendent Kirsten Baesler's nomination to the Department of Education, which is currently before the full Senate. Hoeven highlighted what he characterized as unprecedented obstruction. He pointed out that nearly 60% of President Joe Biden's nominees were approved by unanimous consent, while for Trump's, it's "zip, none."

Speaking of spending cuts, the so-called "Big Beautiful Bill" implemented funding changes for rural hospitals and Medicaid. Hoeven says he's optimistic, believing "our rural hospitals are going to come out as well and hopefully maybe even better" due to higher reimbursement rates and a "$50 billion fund" that ensures North Dakota gets "a hundred million a year" automatically.

Hoeven will also be playing host to Customs and Border Patrol Commissioner Rodney Scott later this week. I pressed the Senator on the lack of due process for individuals facing deportation without court oversight, worrying about potential errors where people with legal status might be deported. He contended that due process for citizens "doesn't apply to somebody here who is illegally" and that Homeland Security and Justice "have to follow the law." He also argued that the public gave the Trump administration a mandate for this sort of policy in the last election.

I disagreed, arguing that relying solely on the executive branch to determine immigration status without judicial review "flies in the face of our separation of powers" and the principles of "limited government." Even non-citizens, I contended, "do still have a right to due process" to establish their legal status.

Finally, Senator Hoeven mentioned upcoming visits with HUD Secretary Scott Turner to examine "low-cost housing projects." If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode.