March 15, 2024

Dear Fourth District Constituent,

It was an honor to welcome Vice President Kamala Harris to Saint Paul yesterday for a visit that was part of her Fight For Reproductive Freedoms Tour. 

Minnesota is a national leader in expanding and protecting reproductive rights, and all women deserve this level of respect. I will always keep fighting for reproductive freedom and access to care. 

Last week, many of you responded to my survey asking about the priorities you wanted to hear from President Biden in his State of the Union Address. "Protect health care access and women's reproductive freedom" was by far the top issue -- and I'm fighting to protect these rights alongside Biden-Harris administration. Welcome to all of the new subscribers! I look forward to being in touch to share what I'm working on in Congress.  

Federal Funding Update

Last week, President Biden signed into law a bill funding 6 of our 12 federal appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2024. This legislation is long overdue, and should have passed six months ago. Nevertheless, I am pleased that $15 million in Community Project Funding I worked to secure within this bill will have a positive impact on Minnesota's Fourth District.

These Minnesota Fourth District projects include:

• fire station modernization
• water infrastructure improvements
• library updates
• community center revitalizations, and more.

Find the full list here. These investments are the result of strong partnerships led by local leaders for projects that will make families and our communities healthier, safer, and stronger. I am proud to be delivering for Minnesota. 

Congress must now act by March 22 to pass the remaining funding legislation for FY 2024 to avoid a partial government shutdown. 

President Biden just released his budget request for the next fiscal year, to fund priorities like lowering costs for the American people, protecting Social Security and Medicare, and ensuring the wealthy and big corporations pay their fair share. As the Ranking Member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, I look forward to reviewing his request and writing funding bills that meet the needs of the American people. 

Chinese-owned TikTok is a threat to U.S. national security

When any of us download an app, we should ask ourselves: Who gains access to my information? How are they tracking it? How is it being used? Does a foreign government have access to it?

With regard to TikTok, some of those answers are clear: TikTok is a company based in China that is regulated by its Communist government. TikTok is tracking users' location information, online activity, and interactions. It is not clear the full extent to which users' data is being used--raising concerns about the security and safety of the American public's personal information. The public deserves to know about the risks to their privacy when using TikTok or any other web-based app. 

I voted for H.R. 7521 because I support its provision requiring parent company ByteDance to sell TikTok within six months to continue operating. 

Peace and Police Officers 

This week, I spoke with members of the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association during their meeting in Washington, D.C.

As we continue to mourn three Burnsville first responders lost in the line of duty last month, it's important that we work together to strengthen public safety in our communities. 

Congressional Passport Day 

On Saturday, March 23, the Minneapolis Passport Agency is holding a Congressional Passport Day. You may apply for routine or expedited service during this exclusive event. You do not need to have pre-planned international travel plans to make an appointment. No same-day printing is available. Appointments are limited! Sign up for an appointment here.

Don't hesitate to reach out if you need help with a federal agency, or to voice your policy opinion. As always, thank you for being an informed and engaged constituent. 

Sincerely,

Betty McCollum
Member of Congress