New U.S. representative visits Lake Agassiz meeting, pledges federal help on tariffs, permitting and flood issues

Congresswoman Julie Vojcak visited a Lake Agassiz Water Authority meeting and said she will help the region on federal matters related to the Red River Valley Water Supply Project and other local priorities.

Vojcak toured project construction and praised local involvement, telling the board she was pleased to see “how much progress has been made” and called the project beneficial “for this region and industrial development and just individual communities and supplying water to your citizens.” She said she would try to support federal funding and help with interagency issues affecting the project.

On trade and agriculture she said her office is “very engaged on the tariff side of things” and has met with the U.S. Trade Office and other federal officials to convey North Dakota industry concerns. Vojcak said she and staff are working on Farm Bill matters and hoped that permitting reforms could be part of reconciliation packages Congress considers after the current district work period. “I would like to get rid of some of the dumb things like having to have a contingency plan that there’s no intention of ever using,” she told the board, describing reforms she sees as opportunities to reduce unnecessary costs.

She also offered help on flood‑related, federal administrative issues and FEMA coordination raised by LAWA members, and introduced staff who will support the region from Washington. She invited municipal leaders to set up follow‑up meetings and said her office would continue to engage on federal funding opportunities and technical questions.

Ending: The representative’s visit was brief; she opened for questions and encouraged local leaders to stay in touch about federal funding requests and regulatory questions. No formal federal funding was approved at the meeting; her remarks were a pledge of assistance and an offer to coordinate with federal agencies and staff.