May 24, 2024

Dear Fourth District Constituent,

As families and communities prepare to gather this Memorial Day weekend in Minnesota, please join me in taking a moment to offer our gratitude to all those who have given the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation.  The freedoms we enjoy today would not be possible without our courageous Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, Airmen, and Guardians.  You can find my full statement here. 

My week began at Wright-Peterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, as part of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) bipartisan retreat. As Ranking Member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee I serve as an ex-officio member of HPSCI, working with my colleagues and Intelligence Community leaders on strengthening our national security and keeping the American people safe.   

D.C. UPDATE

This week, the House voted on legislation regarding cryptocurrency regulations. I voted against H.R. 4763 because it falls short of establishing a comprehensive regulatory framework and leaves out necessary protections for consumers. I believe Congress should develop responsible guidelines for these digital assets while protecting American investors. Read my full statement here. 

In other legislative business, the House was forced to use a rare discharge petition to force a vote on the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act, which ultimately passed with broad bipartisan support.  It should not take a history-making procedural tool to pass much needed relief for communities recovering from disasters.

Many of you have expressed great concern about reports of overtly partisan displays by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito ahead of President Biden's 2020 inauguration. These actions raise serious issues about impartiality of the court, and I believe that Justice Alito must recuse himself from any cases related to January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

I had the pleasure to meet with German Member of Parliament Hermann Gröhe, to discuss how our nations can work together to improve global health.

MP Gröhe represents Neuss—which has been Saint Paul’s sister city in Germany since 1999!

AT HOME IN MINNESOTA

Borealis Launches 

Amtrak launched its new Borealis service this week! This second daily train between Saint Paul and Chicago, provides a safe, sustainable, accessible and pleasant travel option for thousands of additional riders to one of Amtrak’s most popular and scenic routes in the nation. By lessening the burden on our highways, reducing carbon emissions, and costing less than other types of transportation, travelers have an enhanced option for this regional trip. Borealis was made possible by partnerships between Amtrak and state and federal governments as well as new investments from Democrats' Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which I was proud to support.

Innovators Meet in Saint Paul 

While Congress was back in session on Tuesday, I was able to virtually greet more than 1,000 innovators gathered at the Saint Paul RiverCentre for a first-of-its-kind event called United We Transform.

Participants from all backgrounds, including entrepreneurs, leaders in higher education, government (including the U.S. Air Force), and nonprofits connected to share ideas and opportunities to work together in creative ways to solve our pressing challenges. In Congress, I’m making the necessary investments to move us forward—and find ways to collaborate with communities that are driving American innovation.  

Stay in touch: Voice your policy opinion, ask for help with a federal agency, or find all of my recent statements at mccollum.house.gov.

As always, thank you for being an informed and engaged constituent. 

And on last note! Tonight is game two of the NBA Western Conference Finals -- Minnesota’s own Timberwolves take on the Dallas Mavericks at the Target Center. Go Wolves! 

Sincerely,

Betty McCollum
Member of Congress