Trygve Hammer

Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. Those in positions to protect and serve must do just that or public trust will be lost. Congress has a duty to conduct oversight and write laws to preserve that trust.

House Republicans are working to raise the age of retirement for our seniors who have worked their whole lives, rather than raise taxes on their ultra wealthy donors. As a Marine, I have always put my country first. In Congress, I will put the seniors of North Dakota first and protect their benefits.

Our rural communities have faced closures that create long commutes for school, work, and medical care. We need support for, rather than attacks on, the public schools that are a source of pride and the hub of activity for our small towns, and we need a Congress that will assert its constitutional authority to levy tariffs and will work to restore and build ag markets.

Profitable corporations and the ultra wealthy need to be paying their fair share. The hard work of regular North Dakotans creates the capital, they should not be alone in carrying the tax burden.

Democracy only works with trust in the system. We need a Congress willing to assert its role as one of the branches of our government in order to check and balance the actions of the other two. Our elected officials should work on policies that serve the people, not just the monied interests that help them get reelected.

Indigenous communities are an essential part of the fabric of North Dakota. Our policies should reflect that. Learn more about Trygve’s position.

I am running for Congress, because it is time to put government to work for all of us. It is time to end the grandstanding and culture-war intrusions into our most personal decisions as persons, parents, and patients. It is time to elect a pro-worker, pro-choice, and pro-democracy leader to represent North Dakota in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Americans are paying the highest prices in the world for healthcare. Insurance costs are a burden for many families here in North Dakota. People should not be forced to choose between their health and paying the rent or putting food on the table.

Educational Sovereignty Hammer supports full federal commitment to Tribal educational sovereignty, advocating for comprehensive legislative reforms to empower Tribal Nations in education. Fully Funding Education Hammer advocates for mandatory funding for Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools and equitable funding for Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). Supporting Tribal Educators Hammer supports extending federal retirement benefits to educators in tribally controlled schools, enhancing their ability to attract and retain qualified staff.

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Hammer advocates for the establishment of a National Emergency Alert System for Missing Indigenous Persons and the creation of an Associate Attorney General for American Indian Affairs.Criminal Jurisdiction Hammer supports expanding Tribal criminal jurisdiction to address the fentanyl crisis and other serious crimes affecting Tribal lands Tribal Safety Hammer opposes the development of dormitories or man camps near Tribal lands without enforceable safety plans, advocating for mandatory protocols to protect Indigenous communities.

Sovereignty in Health and Wellbeing Hammer supports Tribal control over essential programs like SNAP, advocating for tax-exempt status for IHS scholarships and loan repayment programs. Funding Healthcare Hammer calls for mandatory appropriations for the Indian Health Service (IHS) to ensure stable and sufficient funding for healthcare services to Indigenous populations. Supporting Our Native American Veterans Hammer advocates for the full implementation of programs like NAVPACT and the Tribal HUD-VASH Act to ensure Native veterans receive the healthcare, housing, and benefits they deserve.

Stewardship Hammer supports the creation of a dedicated fund to enable Tribal Nations to conserve and steward their ancestral lands, advancing environmental justice. Infrastructure Hammer advocates for including Tribal Nations in the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program to bridge the digital divide and foster opportunities in Indian Country. Religious Freedom Hammer endorses efforts to protect Indigenous religious and ceremonial freedoms, supporting initiatives like a White House Initiative to remove barriers and safeguard sacred sites.

Expand Tribal Jurisdiction Over Drug Offenses

Create Native American Land and Water Conservation Fund

Tribal Sovereignty Trygve Hammer advocates for legislation that recognizes the recovery of Indian lands by Native Sovereign Nations with full protection. He supports ensuring these lands are governed by Tribal civil and criminal jurisdiction. Voting Rights Hammer is committed to protecting and expanding the voting rights of Indigenous peoples, supporting legislation like the Native American Voting Rights Act (NAVRA) to remove barriers and enhance voting access. Taxation Hammer calls on the IRS to clarify the tax status of tribally chartered entities and supports tax reforms that promote Tribal sovereignty and economic development.

Expand Tribal HUD-VASH Program

Ensure Access to Polling Places and Recognize Tribal IDs

Protecting and Preserving Indigenous Lands and Culture

Oppose Unsafe Dormitories/Mancamps Near Tribal Lands

Reduce health-care and insurance costs so families do not have to choose between care and basic needs.

• Preserve the affordability objective without inventing a coverage mechanism.

Use congressional oversight and legislation to require public institutions to treat people with dignity and preserve public trust.

• Preserve the named constitutional tools and normative standard.

Require profitable corporations and very wealthy households to pay a larger share of federal taxes.

• Preserve the direction and covered groups without inventing rates.

Protect Social Security benefits and oppose raising the retirement age.

• Preserve the benefit-protection objective and explicit retirement-age opposition.

Support rural public schools as anchors of small communities.

• Preserve the named institution and community role without inventing funding levels.

Have Congress exercise its constitutional tariff authority and pursue expanded markets for agricultural products.

• Preserve both trade mechanisms without adopting opponent claims.

Have Congress assert its constitutional role in checking and balancing executive and judicial power.

• Preserve the institutional direction without inventing a procedure.

Support federal legislation enabling Tribal Nations to recover Indian lands with full legal protection.

• Preserve the explicit land-recovery mechanism.

Clarify federal tax treatment of tribally chartered entities and enact tax reforms supporting Tribal economic development.

• Preserve the IRS clarification and tax-reform mechanisms.

Ensure recovered Tribal lands remain under Tribal civil and criminal jurisdiction.

• Preserve both named forms of jurisdiction.

Support enactment of the Native American Voting Rights Act to reduce voting barriers.

• Preserve the named legislation and purpose.

Ensure access to polling places and recognition of Tribal identification for voting.

• Preserve both election-administration mechanisms.

Enact federal reforms that expand Tribal control over education.

• Preserve the sovereignty mechanism without inventing governance details.

Amend Head Start eligibility rules to improve Tribal-program participation.

• Preserve the named program and eligibility mechanism.

Remove federal barriers that limit Tribal Nations' control of education systems.

• Preserve the federal-barrier removal mechanism.

Provide mandatory funding for Bureau of Indian Education schools and equitable federal funding for Tribal Colleges and Universities.

• Preserve both funding commitments and named institutions.

Support the Tribal College and University Equity Act.

• Preserve the named legislation.

Extend federal retirement benefits to educators working in tribally controlled schools.

• Preserve the benefit type and covered workforce.

Create a national emergency alert system for missing Indigenous people.

• Preserve the named national alert mechanism.

Create an Associate Attorney General position focused on American Indian affairs.

• Preserve the proposed Justice Department leadership role.

Expand Tribal criminal jurisdiction over fentanyl trafficking and other serious drug offenses affecting Tribal lands.

• Preserve the jurisdictional mechanism and offense scope.

Oppose dormitories or man camps near Tribal lands unless enforceable community-safety plans are in place.

• Preserve the siting condition and enforceability requirement.

Support the SNAP Tribal Food Sovereignty Act to expand Tribal control of food-assistance administration.

• Preserve the named legislation and administrative purpose.

Make Indian Health Service scholarships and loan-repayment benefits exempt from federal taxation.

• Preserve the covered benefits and tax treatment.

Provide stable mandatory appropriations for the Indian Health Service.

• Preserve the funding mechanism and agency.

Support implementation of NAVPACT programs serving Native veterans.

• Preserve the named program and beneficiary group.

Expand the Tribal HUD-VASH housing and support program for Native veterans.

• Preserve the named program and beneficiary group.

Support the Honoring Native American Veterans Act.

• Preserve the named legislation.

Create a dedicated Native American land and water conservation fund.

• Preserve the named fund and conservation scope.

Provide federal support enabling Tribal Nations to conserve and steward ancestral lands.

• Preserve the beneficiary and land-stewardship purpose without inventing a grant amount.

Include Tribal Nations in the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program.

• Preserve the named broadband program and inclusion mechanism.

Create or strengthen federal protections for Indigenous religious and ceremonial practices and sacred sites.

• Preserve both protected activities and sites without inventing an enforcement process.