Fedorchak hosts first telephone town hall, engages with thousands of North Dakotans

Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak (R-ND) hosted her first telephone town hall this week, where she engaged with more than 3,000 North Dakotans on key issues affecting the state and the nation. No topic was off the table, and the wide-ranging discussion covered topics from Social Security and Medicaid to lowering costs for hardworking families. Below are some highlights from the discussion:

On Social Security:

Fedorchak made it clear: cuts to Social Security are "not on the table." She underscored that House Republicans are committed to balancing the budget and getting our federal spending under control.

"We will not be cutting Social Security. I want to be clear... people pay into Social Security their whole working life. They deserve to get that money-it's their money, and I believe firmly in that. I want to work my time as your Representative in Congress, to make sure we reform these programs so that they're available for the long haul for the people who paid into them."

On Medicaid:

Fedorchak highlighted how Republicans are focused on protecting and preserving the program for those who truly need it, like Krisanna from Bismarck's son, who lives with a disability. Fedorchak underscored that "we will spend more money tomorrow on Medicaid than we're spending today."

"Medicaid needs to be maintained for the people who it was intended to serve," Fedorchak added, as she warned about the program's unsustainable growth that could lead to its collapse. Fedorchak highlighted several common-sense solutions to save hundreds of billions of dollars over the next ten years, such as audits to make sure only those eligible are receiving benefits and introducing work requirements, such as volunteering 20 hours a week, for able-bodied individuals between the ages of 18 and 55.

On the economy:

Fedorchak pointed out that 75 percentof Americans believed the country was on the wrong track, and "67 percentof North Dakotans voted for President Trump because they felt his policies would get us back on track." She praised President Trump's efforts to root out waste, fraud, and inefficiency in the federal government, and highlighted how we can do that while "not only maintaining essential government services [like Medicaid], but improving them."

Fedorchak also sounded the alarm on reckless spending, stating that balancing the budget is key to driving down inflation. "This out-of-control spending and our $36T in federal debt is a huge drag on our economy-so we need to get that back under control," Fedorchak said. She emphasized the importance of extending the tax cuts to help keep more money in North Dakotans' pockets, to the tune of $2,400 of savings per year. She shared that in conversations with farmers, business owners, health care workers, and manufacturers, the most frequently raised concern is crushing federal regulations. "We need to roll them back," she added. Click hereto read her op-ed on the recent Budget Resolution and how it will help lower costs for North Dakotans.

On trade and Canada:

Fedorchak expressed hope, stating she believes the United States will always be good trade partners and allies with Canada. "My message to President Trump is that I hope these tariffs are targeted and short-term so that they're intended to get some cooperation from Canada on key things," she said. In addition to the fentanyl crisis, Fedorchak pointed to unfair trade practices by partners like Canada and Mexico, which benefit from access to U.S. markets while restricting fair access to theirs. "These are bad deals for America," Fedorchak noted, adding, "I think the reciprocal tariffs are a very smart thing-it's only fair." She fully supports President Trump in trying to fix this problem. Click hereto read about her meeting on tariffs with the Office of the Trade Representative earlier this month.

On President Trump's agenda:

Fedorchak unequivocally supported President Trump, saying he's "delivering on the agenda he was elected to deliver on." She disagreed with criticism of his actions, stating, "President Trump is fighting issues that have long been ignored in our country." She praised his efforts in securing the border and pointed to her conversations with North Dakota law enforcement officers who appreciate the administration's efforts in restoring law and order and safeguarding our communities. Fedorchak also expressed strong support for his work in bringing peace through strength to the world and unleashing American energy development. She emphasized the need for reliable and affordable energy as it "provides the basis for everything we do."

On abolishing the federal Department of Education:

Fedorchak supported President Trump's move to return control of education back to parents, states, and local school boards. She described the current education funding process as one involving bureaucratic red tape, where the federal government takes a portion of taxpayer dollars and only returns part to the states. "Let's eliminate the middleman as much as we can and provide as much direct funding to the schools," said Fedorchak, adding, "this seems like a win-win to me."

On cost of living:

Fedorchak acknowledged that North Dakotans might experience short-term price increases because of efforts aimed at achieving long-term economic goals. She pointed to the root cause of economic challenges, stating "we have to rein in the size and cost of government; the debt is costing all of us today. It isn't just a burden on the future; it is a burden on us today. It drives up inflation and it's driving up costs." She also highlighted for the caller the urgency of extending the 2017 Trump tax cuts "so families like yours don't experience a $2,400 tax increase if we don't extend the tax cuts as they are today."

On national security concerns:

Fedorchak emphasized the need to communicate national security information through proper channels, but clarified that in their testimony at the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told Senators no classified information was discussed in the Signal chat. Fedorchak added, "as President Trump promised, he is working to address national security issues in a global manner, and he's working to take decisive actions to fight the terrorists overseas, to root them out, and to hold them accountable."

Fedorchak plans to host telephone town halls regularly to keep North Dakotans updated on the work she is doing on their behalf in Washington D.C. The next telephone town hall date will be announced soon, and people will be able to sign up to participate here.

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