Dorgan: Predictions and Reflections

By Nathan Hansen
Contributing Writer

Byron Dorgan had an almost prophetic ability when he predicted the credit crunch all the way back in 1999. He said of the repeal of the Glass-Steagal Act that “I think we will look back in 10 years’ time and say we should not have done this, but we did because we forgot the lessons of the past, and that that which is true in the 1930s is true in 2010.”

He was just one of only eight senators who voted against repealing the Glass-Steagall Act, a critical piece of legislation that helped lessen the damage of the Great Depression and introduced important banking reforms. And his predictions came true in ten years as America entered and is still struggling to recover from one of the worst recessions in recent history.
One of three good friends who made up what came to be known as Team North Dakota, Dorgan served alongside Kent Conrad and Earl Pomeroy for nearly two decades.

The High Plains Reader can think of no one better to kick off our Legislator’s Guide to the Issues.  Dorgan has given us forty years of public service and we thank him for giving us an interview and the chance to ask him what he sees in store for North Dakota and the nation.

One of Dorgan’s proudest accomplishments came this last year as he finished and passed legislation affecting Native Americans all over America.  Currently, Native Americans make up 5.6 percent of North Dakota’s population with 36,233 citizens in North Dakota, according to the census’s 2009 estimate data.

Congress passed the Indian Healthcare Act, increasing access to health care for Native Americans for the first time in 17 years. “Indians were here first and many of them now live in third world conditions.” Now that he is retired, Dorgan is going to continue working for Native Americans and works with a think tank working on Indian youth issues.

The biggest issue facing North Dakota and the nation this year is the economy. Dorgan said “We need to expand the economy and put people back to work. The recovery so far has been sluggish and job growth isn’t in the areas that need it the most.” 

Another major economic issue is dealing with the 600 billion dollar trade deficit, Dorgan Said..

Energy issues are also important. “We need to deal with our energy issues. We are far too dependent on foreign oil.”

Having said that, Dorgan said that infrastructure in Western North Dakota is a big issue and that we are well behind on that area. He even called for a special session of the legislature to address the issue. “The state has to invest oil revenue in improving the infrastructure—bridges, highways and schools.”

High on his list of problems are the wars overseas. “The terrorists are not in Afghanistan and we know that. They are in places like Pakistan. We need to fight the terrorists where they are, not where they were.”

Recalling his fondest experiences as a Congressman and a Senator, Dorgan stated that he enjoyed all the travel around North Dakota that his duties allowed him. The Badlands are among the most beautiful sites in the state, with Pembina Gorge coming in a close second.

When asked about his experiences on Team North Dakota, Dorgan remembered all the good times and the practical jokes.  “It is very hard to see three best friends working together in Congress for nearly twenty years, and it was great fun to serve with them.”

With the National Weather Service predicting a 50 percent chance of major flooding again this year on the Red River, flood control is a big concern for North Dakotans.

Dorgan sees two major areas that need to be addressed: moving water out of Devil’s Lake, which is one big expensive project, and comprehensive flood control for the Red River. The F-M project has experienced some delays due to design issues, and Dorgan said that people need to remember that these are really big projects that take time to implement.

When asked about members of Congress like Michelle Bachmann who have vowed to repeal financial reform, Dorgan predicted that they don’t have the votes to get it done. “Bachmann needs to stop standing with bankers and start standing up for the American people.”

On immigration, the attempt to amend birthright citizenship was “out of line.” He said we need to do a better job of patrolling our borders. “If we let everyone in who wanted to, it just would not work. Conversely we push out many people that we should be trying to keep in America.  Students come over and get their doctorate or do research on student visas and then we tell them they have to leave, instead of trying to keep their skills and talent in America.”

One of his proudest accomplishments was the establishment of the Red River Research Corridor, now up and running and growing. He sees it as a way to keep talented young people in the state. Dorgan noted that before the Research Corridor a Phd in Chemistry would have to go elsewhere to work.

When it comes to cutting the deficit and balancing the budget, Dorgan sees many opportunities to do so. He says that there is a ton of fat in the defense department.  “A small and recent example of this is a company run by a 23-year-old kid, Efraim Diveroli, and his 26-year-old massage therapist, that received 300 million in defense contracts to manufacture ammunition for Afghtanistan’s military.”

He also noted that there is waste everywhere in the government. It was time for many federal agencies to start tightening their belts. Even institutions like Medicare and Medicaid could be trimmed of wasteful spending as there were many people who defraud the system.

“It was a great honor and privilege to serve North Dakota for forty years,” Dorgan said at the end of the interview. Even though he has retired from public service, he plans to continue working on policy, writing a few books and teaching.

He will stay busy at least for the near future. When asked where he would teach, Dorgan disappointed NDSU students. He plans on lecturing at UND and Georgetown.

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