KEVIN CRAMER

Kevin Cramer is a would-be career politician who has been running for office since 1996. Cramer has accepted money from companies that he regulates on the North Dakota Public Service Commission, despite the obvious conflict of interest that this presents. Cramer, who supports privatizing Social Security and implementing a regressive flat tax, also called the Ryan Plan a blueprint for how he would like to structure the federal budget.

Career Candidate
Cramer Former Director and Chairman of the North Dakota Republican Party. According to Associated Press Candidate Biographies, Cramer was the North Dakota Republican Partys director and chairman in the late 1980s and early 1990s. [Associated Press Candidate Biographies, 7/14/12] Cramer Ran for US House of Representatives in 1996 and 1998, Lost to Incumbent. According to Associated Press Candidate Biographies, A longtime Republican activist who has served both as the North Dakota GOPs director and state chairman, Cramer was a congressional candidate-inwaiting while he worked as North Dakotas tourism director and economic development director during the administration of GOP Gov. Ed Schafer. [] Incumbent Democrat Earl Pomeroy beat Cramer in each of his two bids for the U.S. House, in 1996 and 1998. [Associated Press Candidate Biographies, 7/14/12] Cramer Appointed to North Dakota Public Service Commission. According to Associated Press Candidate Biographies, In August 2003, five years after his last House race, Cramer was appointed to the North Dakota Public Service Commission, a three-person panel that regulates electric and gas utilities, coal mining and land reclamation, pipeline and wind turbine placement, grain elevators and auctioneers. [] He was elected to a full six-year term in 2004 and re-elected in 2010. [Associated Press Candidate Biographies, 7/14/12] Cramer Sought Endorsement of North Dakota Republican Party in 2010 to Run for Congress Again, Lost to Rick Berg. According to Associated Press Candidate Biographies, In 2010, Cramer sought the endorsement of North Dakota Republican convention delegates to run against Pomeroy a third time. He was beaten by Fargo state Rep. Rick Berg, who went on to defeat Pomeroy handily in the November 2010 elections. [Associated Press Candidate Biographies, 7/14/12]

Cramer Disclaimed Interest in Running for Re-Election to the Commission, Accepted ReElection After Convention Loss. According to Associated Press Candidate Biographies, During his 2010 House race, Cramer disclaimed any interest in running for re-election to the commission. After his convention loss to Berg, however, Cramer accepted the delegates re-election endorsement, and won 61 percent of the vote that fall against Democrat Brad Crabtree. [Associated Press Candidate Biographies, 7/14/12] Cramer Running for House of Representatives Seat for Fourth Time. According to Associated Press Candidate Biographies, This year, with an open U.S. House seat _ Berg decided to run for the U.S. Senate _ Cramer declared in January 2012 he would bypass the regular GOP convention endorsement process and run in the Republican primary in June. [Associated Press Candidate Biographies, 7/14/12] Cramer Not Endorsed by the Republican Party. According to Bismarck Tribune, The House race also features a contested Republican race. Brian Kalk, who has the Republican Partys endorsement, is running against Kevin Cramer. [Bismarck Tribune, 6/10/12] Cramer Opted to Run Outside the Convention System, a Rare Move in North Dakota. According to Say Anything Blog, The North Dakota Republican Party and its leaders support Public Service Commissioner Brian Kalk, who received the party s official endorsement at the state convention earlier this year. Cramer opted to run outside the convention system an infrequent move in North Dakota and challenge Kalk in the June 12 primary. [Say Anything Blog, 5/17/12]

Took Contributions from Companies He Currently Regulates

Cramer Currently Serves on North Dakota Public Service Commission (PSC) to Regulate Electric and Gas Utilities, Coal Mining, and Land Reclamation. According to Associated Press Candidate Biographies, In August 2003, five years after his last House race, Cramer was appointed to the North Dakota Public Service Commission, a three-person panel that regulates electric and gas utilities, coal mining and land reclamation, pipeline and wind turbine placement, grain elevators and auctioneers. [] He was elected to a full six-year term in 2004 and re-elected in 2010. [Associated Press Candidate Biographies, 7/14/12] Cramer Took Campaign Contributions from Company with Application Pending Before PSC. According to Bismarck Tribune, The question about campaign contributions was raised by members of the Sierra Club in relation to a proposed coal mine near South Heart. Cramer and Kalk received more than $5,000 each over the last three or four years from officials of Great Northern Power Developments parent company. South Heart Coal is a subsidiary of GNPD, and has an application pending before the PSC. [Bismarck Tribune, 6/29/12] Two Environmental Groups are Alleging Cramer Violated Federal Law by Accepting Donations from Oil and Coal Companies. According to SNL Coal Report, Two environmental groups filed a citizen suit May 30 under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act to compel Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to withdraw approval of North Dakotas surface mining program in favor of direct federal enforcement. The Dacotah Chapter of Sierra Club and the Dakota Resource Council filed the suit in the U.S. Court for the District of North Dakota. [] According to the plaintiffs, all three members of the PSC have accepted large financial contributions from regulated coal companies in violation of the SMCRA. Two - Kevin Cramer and Brian Kalk - have allegedly

accepted donations from three individuals who control Quintana Capital Group LP, which controls Great Northern, which is a joint owner of South Heart Coal. [SNL Coal Report, 6/11/12] Bismarck Tribune Editorial: Cramers Actions Raise Questions about his Impartiality. According to Bismarck Tribune, North Dakota Public Service Commissioners Kevin Cramer and Brian Kalk, both candidates for higher office, should not be taking campaign contributions from officials representing companies with business before the agency. To do so raises questions about the commissioners impartiality when it comes to making PSC decisions, despite empathic denials from the two men. [Bismarck Tribune Editorial, 6/29/12]

Would Use Ryan Budget as Blueprint

Cramer Would Use Ryan Budget as Blueprint. In an interview with the conservative Say Anything Blog, Cramer said of the Ryan Budget, I would certainly like it as a blueprint to start with. [Say Anything Blog, 3/29/12] Wall Street Journal: Ryan Plan Would Essentially End Medicare. According to Naftali Bendavid at the Wall Street Journal, The plan would essentially end Medicare, which now pays most of the health-care bills for 48 million elderly and disabled Americans, as a program that directly pays those bills. [Wall Street Journal, 4/4/11] Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel: Ryan Budget Plan Would Nearly Double Out-OfPocket Costs for Seniors. The Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel reported that The Ryan budget plan would cut federal spending on Medicaid, which provides health care for the poor, and begin distributing money by block grant to states. The plan would do away with Medicare's direct payment for health care for seniors, replacing it with a voucher system in which recipients choose private insurers. The plan would do away with Medicare's direct payment for health care for seniors, replacing it with a voucher system in which recipients choose private insurers. The Congressional Budget Office found that part of the plan, which would take effect in 2022, could nearly double out-of-pocket costs for seniors. [Ft Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, 4/16/2011] Economic Policy Institute: Ryan Budget Would Result in Roughly 900,000 Jobs Lost in 2012 and Roughly 1.3 Million Jobs Lost in 2013. According to the Economic Policy Institute, Using a standard macroeconomic model that is consistent with that used by private- and public-sector forecasters, we estimate that the shock to aggregate demand from near-term NSD spending cuts would result in roughly 900,000 jobs lost in 2012 and roughly 1.3 million jobs lost in 2013. Cumulatively, cuts of this magnitude would result in a loss of 2.2 million jobs over the next two years, or 3.1 million full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs. [Economic Policy Institute, 4/13/11] Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: Two-Thirds of the Ryan Plans Cuts Come from Programs Helping the Poor and Middle Class. In April 2011, Robert Greenstein, President of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities said that nearly two-thirds about $2.9 trillion of the Ryan Plans $4.5 trillion in budget cuts over ten years comes from programs aiding the poor or disadvantaged. The $2.17 trillion of these cuts come from Medicaid and repeal of the expansion of Medicaid under the 2011 health care reform law. The remainder of the $2.9 trillion would come from non-health related services to the poor, such as Pell Grants, food stamps, and low-income housing programs. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Press Release, 4/20/11, 4/20/11]

New York Times Editorial: Ryan Plan Would End Medicares Guaranteed Benefit. The House Republican budget would mean that older Americans no longer have a guarantee that Medicare will pay for their health needs. [] He would still offer the elderly a fixed amount of money to shop for their own health insurance, but allow the option of enrolling in traditional Medicare. [New York Times Editorial, 3/20/12]

Extreme Views
Cramer Supported Privatizing Social Security. According to Bismarck Tribune, Cramer has called for allowing individuals to invest some money they contribute into private accounts, instead of all the money being put into the same pot. [Bismarck Tribune, 10/31/98] Cramer Advocated for a Flat National Tax. When asked, If elected, what would be the first piece of legislation you would propose, and why? by the Forum, Cramer responded, Theres a lot of good legislation out there that Id want to get on board with. One of the most important ones in my mind would be a flat tax of some sort. I think weve got to flatten our income tax. In fact, what Id like to have is a completely flat income tax where the only deduction was charitable giving because charity replaces government. [Fargo Forum YouTube, 12/24/11]