U.S. Senator from North Dakota
John Hoeven
Republican · North Dakota
Former Governor, serving in Senate since 2011. Appropriations Committee member. Focus on agriculture, energy, and North Dakota's tribal nations and border security.
Record
Conservative Republican with strong focus on North Dakota's agricultural and energy sectors. Appropriations Committee work enables federal investment in the state. Supported Keystone XL pipeline.
Legislative Record
Recently sponsored bills (8 on record)
- S.4975 — HEATS Act (Introduced, Jul 14, 2026)
- S.4852 — BINS Act of 2026 (Introduced, Jun 22, 2026)
- S.4853 — United States-Israel Agriculture Cooperation Improvement and Expansion Act (Introduced, Jun 22, 2026)
- S.4851 — SCALE Act of 2026 (Introduced, Jun 22, 2026)
- S.4040 — Dakota Water Resources Act Amendments of 2026 (Reported, Mar 10, 2026)
- S.3908 — SOS: Sustaining Outpatient Services Act (Introduced, Feb 25, 2026)
SOS: Sustaining Outpatient Services Act This bill allows for payment under the Medicare prospective payment system for hospital outpatient department services of certain items and services that are furnished at off-campus outpatient departments. Specifically, the bill allows for payment of items and… - S.3335 — National Coal Council Act of 2025 (Introduced, Dec 3, 2025)
- S.3257 — Mental Health in Aviation Act of 2025 (Reported, Nov 20, 2025)
Notable votes
- Voted Yea on S.Res. 817 — S. Res. 817 (Resolution Agreed to, Jul 30, 2026)
- Voted Yea on S.Res. 817 — Motion to Invoke Cloture: S. Res. 817 (Cloture Motion Agreed to, Jul 29, 2026)
- Voted Yea on S. 2 — S. 2, As Amended (Bill Passed, Jun 5, 2026)
- Voted Nay on S. 2 — Cortez Masto Amdt. No. 5463 (Amendment Rejected, Jun 5, 2026)
- Voted Nay on S. 2 — Padilla Amdt. No. 5808 (Amendment Rejected, Jun 5, 2026)
- Voted Nay on S. 2 — Gallego Amdt. No. 5813 (Amendment Rejected, Jun 5, 2026)
- Voted Nay on S. 2 — Peters Amdt. No. 5763 (Amendment Rejected, Jun 5, 2026)
- Voted Nay on S. 2 — Hirono Amdt. No. 5506 (Amendment Rejected, Jun 5, 2026)
Recently cosponsored bills (12 on record)
- S.5025 — Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026 (Introduced, Jul 16, 2026)
- S.3855 — United States-Israel Framework for Upgraded Technologies, Unified Research, and Enhanced Security (FUTURES) Act of 2026 (Introduced, Jul 13, 2026)
- S.4933 — Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor Congressional Gold Medal Act (Introduced, Jun 24, 2026)
- S.4785 — FDPIR Tribal Food Sovereignty Act of 2026 (Introduced, Jun 15, 2026)
- S.1289 — 25th Anniversary of 9/11 Commemorative Coin Act (Introduced, Jun 11, 2026)
- S.2265 — America's Olympic and Paralympic Games Commemorative Coins Act (Introduced, Jun 9, 2026)
- S.4671 — Federal Firearms Licensee Protection Act of 2026 (Introduced, Jun 3, 2026)
- S.4672 — Postal Delivery Accountability Act (Introduced, Jun 3, 2026)
Voting analysis
John Hoeven holds two agriculture gavels — a subcommittee on livestock and food safety, and the appropriations panel that funds the department. Farm policy is written in one and paid for in the other, and he sits at the head of both.
Sponsored bills carry the Congressional Research Service's own subject classification. John Hoeven's cluster into: Agriculture and Food (2), Energy (2), International Affairs (1), Transportation and Public Works (1), Water Resources Development (1).
Of the 8 most recent of those, 6 currently sit at Introduced.
The filings
An energy measure, a bins act, expanded agricultural cooperation with Israel, a scale act, and amendments to the Dakota Water Resources Act. Water, grain storage and energy are the three things a North Dakota portfolio tends to reduce to.
Where he broke ranks
Most of his record sits inside a surveillance reauthorisation he could not support — voting against it at passage while backing four separate amendments that would have changed it, all rejected. The remainder is a pair of budget amendments answered in opposite directions, a foreign aid supplemental he helped pass, and one bill he opposed.
| Roll call | Date | Outcome | Their vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| S.Con.Res. 33 Paul Amdt. No. 5378 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 5378 to S.Con.Res. 33 (No short title on file) · roll call 119 | Apr 23, 2026 | Amendment Rejected | Yea (party: Nay) |
| H.R. 1968 Paul Amdt. No. 1266 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 1266 to H.R. 1968 (No short title on file) · roll call 119 | Mar 14, 2025 | Amendment Rejected | Nay (party: Yea) |
| H.R. 7888 On Passage of the Bill H.R. 7888 · roll call 118 | Apr 19, 2024 | Bill Passed | Nay (party: Yea) |
| H.R. 7888 Lee Amdt No. 1840 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 1840 to H.R. 7888 (No short title on file) · roll call 118 | Apr 19, 2024 | Amendment Rejected | Yea (party: Nay) |
| H.R. 7888 Durbin Amdt No. 1841 as Modified On the Amendment S.Amdt. 1841 to H.R. 7888 (No short title on file) · roll call 118 | Apr 19, 2024 | Amendment Rejected | Yea (party: Nay) |
| H.R. 7888 Wyden Amdt No. 1820 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 1820 to H.R. 7888 (No short title on file) · roll call 118 | Apr 19, 2024 | Amendment Rejected | Yea (party: Nay) |
| H.R. 7888 Paul Amdt No. 1829 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 1829 to H.R. 7888 (No short title on file) · roll call 118 | Apr 19, 2024 | Amendment Rejected | Yea (party: Nay) |
| H.R. 815 H.R. 815, as Amended On Passage of the Bill H.R. 815 · roll call 118 | Feb 13, 2024 | Bill Passed | Yea (party: Nay) |
| H.R. 2872 H.R. 2872, As Amended On Passage of the Bill H.R. 2872 · roll call 118 | Jan 18, 2024 | Bill Passed | Nay (party: Yea) |
The North Dakota comparison
Both of the state's senators cast nearly the same set of votes in this period, and their rates land within a fraction of a point of one another. Hoeven is marginally the lower. Where two members of the same party and state vote this similarly, the delegation figure tells you almost nothing that the individual rate does not.
Among the 2 Republicans in the North Dakota delegation, the average rate of voting against the party majority is 4.2%. John Hoeven is below that average at 4.1%.
Tenure and attendance
Ten years as governor preceded this seat, which he won at the last decade's opening. He is seldom absent.
First elected in 2011, now serving across 8 terms. John Hoeven falls in the veteran cohort.
By the numbers
In the 119th Congress, John Hoeven has 507 bills sponsored, 2035 cosponsored, 8 recent floor votes recorded.
Committee assignments
- Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
- Senate Committee on Appropriations
- Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
- Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
- Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Conservation, Forestry, Natural Resources, and Biotechnology
- Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research
- Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Livestock, Dairy, Poultry, and Food Safety (Chairman)
- Senate Committee on Appropriations: Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies (Chairman)
- Senate Committee on Appropriations: Department of Defense
- Senate Committee on Appropriations: Department of Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
- Senate Committee on Appropriations: Energy and Water Development
- Senate Committee on Appropriations: Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
Rate John Hoeven on iRate — cast your emoji verdict and see how America rates U.S. Senator from North Dakota.