Dear John,

I think it’s safe to say that winter officially began in the South Metro earlier this week! I hope you’re gearing up for another Minnesota winter.

I wanted to share a special moment from this week. On Wednesday, I had the honor of delivering the stories of two U.S. Army veterans, Jack Zimmerman of Elysian and Thomas Mullon of Eagan, to the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC.

The Veterans History Project collects, preserves and widely distributes first-hand narratives from U.S. military veterans to ensure that the American public can fully understand what veterans endured during their service.

Over the past year, my team and I have gotten to know Jack and Thomas and conducted interviews with them, which I delivered on Wednesday. I wanted to take a moment to share a little bit of what I learned about Jack and Thomas with all of you.

Jack Zimmerman was deployed to Afghanistan in 2010 as an Infantryman with the 101st Airborne Division. He spent nine months in Afghanistan – enduring harsh conditions and heavy combat.

On March 9th, 2011, while on patrol, Jack suffered a catastrophic injury – and nearly lost his life. Through our conversations, Jack told me of the challenges he faced during his long recovery process. He also told me about how his now-wife Megan never left his side while he was in the hospital, and they were married just two weeks after he was released.

I also delivered the story of Thomas Mullon. Thomas served in the Army as a medic from 1961-1967 and has continued to serve his country as a Hospital Administrator at the Department of Veterans Affairs and through his work to provide military honors for veterans and service members at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, where he has served for over 23 years on the Fort Snelling Memorial Rifle Squad.

Thomas and Jack are the best of the best – and it was my absolute honor to deliver their stories to the Library of Congress. I would encourage you all to listen to their stories once they become available.

Here's what else I was up to this week:

Meeting Otis, the Woodbury Police Department’s therapy dog
Meet Otis – the Woodbury Police Department’s therapy dog!

I got the chance to stop by the Woodbury Police Department to learn more about their K-9 Fund and their hard work to promote public safety in our communities.

Building strong partnerships across Dakota County
It was great to see Dakota County Chair Liz Workman and Commissioners Mike Slavik and Bill Droste in DC this week to discuss how we can continue to address Dakota County’s infrastructure needs to allow for safer roadways and build a more accessible community.

Introducing the Flex Fuel Fairness Act
We know that expanding access to renewable fuels will help combat climate change, save Minnesotans money at the pump and support Second District family farmers and producers.

This week, I introduced a bipartisan bill with my Republican colleague from Iowa, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, to increase flex-fuel vehicle production.

Working to strengthen Minnesotans’ access to mental health care
I also got to welcome Sue from the National Alliance on Mental Illness – Minnesota to my DC office on Wednesday!

We had a productive conversation about how we can continue to work together to ensure that Minnesotans can access the high-quality mental health care they deserve.

Behind the scenes with Rep. Craig:

It’s December 1st – and the holiday season is well underway out in Washington, DC! The Capitol put up their official Christmas tree (which came all the way from West Virginia) this week, check it out!

That’s my update for you all today! Enjoy the expected above freezing temperatures and have a wonderful weekend!

Until next time,
 

Angie Craig

Member of Congress