Many of Dorgan's most significant legislative accomplishments increase funding to family farmers. Dorgan led the charge to offer more crop insurance and disaster relief. In 2002, he led the charge to limit farm subsidies, which he said only aided the richest farmers. In 2006, he added $4 billion to the farm bill in aid to farmers who lost crops in a drought. His efforts have also been more direct. Last year, North Dakota had the third highest proportion of pork per capita, according to Citizens for Government Waste.

Dorgan is a staunch protectionist who opposes almost all free trade bills. The exception is his support for expanding trade with Cuba, which would import North Dakota's grain. He also spoke out against the deregulation of financial institutions, warning that it could lead to an economic crisis.

The Economy

Dorgan has been a vocal opponent of deregulation, and has often opposed measures that offer less oversight for financial markets. Dorgan voted against former President Bill Clinton's 1999 Bank Deregulation Act along with only eight Senators. At the time, he said that deregulation would lead to a Great Depression-like crisis, a claim that now seems prescient.

He also voted against the $700 billion economic bailout bill because he said there were not enough watchdogs in place to prevent a repeat of the economic meltdown. He has since requested a GAO study into the use of foreign tax shelters by banks who received a bailout.

Trade and Cuba

Dorgan has worked to weaken America's embargo on Cuba in order to increase grain shipments there (grain is one of North Dakota's primary exports). However, he has been much more reluctant to support free trade deals with other countries. Though he initially supported a more open commercial relationship with China, he reversed course in 2006.

In general, Dorgan has opposed increasing trade with other countries because he said it leads to lower-paying jobs for Americans. In 2007, he sponsored a bill to prevent Mexican trucks from traveling on U.S. roads, which was permitted under the North American Free Trade Act. This summer, he and ten other Senators called on President Bush to complain that the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries is violating international trade regulations by holding up the sale of oil.

His book "Take This Job and Ship It: How Corporate Greed and Brain-Dead Politics Are Selling Out America" explores the impact of outsourcing in great depth. Published in 2006, he discussed it on the Colbert Report.

Indian Affairs

As Chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee, Dorgan has made health issues his top priority. He has worked to reauthorize the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, which would increase the number of doctors serving Indian communities and provide Native Americans better access to federal programs. The measure passed the Senate last year, but has not yet passed the House.

Soon after he was chosen as chairman, Dorgan launched an investigation of lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who grossly overcharged his Native American lobbying clients.

His efforts were almost overshadowed in November 2005, when reporters accused Dorgan of receiving campaign contributions from Abramoff. In a terse statement, Dorgan asserted that he had never met the lobbyist or received money from him. He did admit that he had received money from one of Abramoff's clients, but said that those donations were made before the donors signed on to work with the shamed lobbyist's firm. As a precaution, Dorgan said he would return the money.

FCC and Media Regulation

In May, Dorgan sponsored a bill that would prevent a company from owning a television station and newspaper in the same city. The bill passed the Senate, but was not considered in the House.

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