Disaster Recovery Centers Open in Waseca and Windom

From now until September 27, FEMA/State Disaster Recovery Centers will be open in Waseca and Windom to help with recovery after the storms and flooding earlier this summer.

To find the center nearest you, visit FEMA's Disaster Recovery Center Locator page. The deadline to apply with FEMA is September 27.

Protecting Access for Medicare Recipients

Right now, as you may know, Medicare beneficiaries cannot receive things like vaccinations, infectious disease testing, or management for chronic diseases from their local pharmacist. This week, I cosponsored the Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act so pharmacists are able to provide these kinds of services. This will make it so much easier for seniors in the 7th District to receive increased access to care through their Medicare coverage.

I am also working to keep medication prices from becoming even more expensive. Democrats and the Biden-Harris administration touted the so-called Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), but House Republicans are having to clean up the mess this legislation has made. For example, CMS now acknowledges that the IRA is destabilizing the Medicare Part D program and will lead to higher costs, threatening patient access to medication. I joined my colleagues on the Ways and Means Committee in sending a letter to CMS sharing our concerns and ensuring they will find a long-term solution and not just a band-aid. We have requested answers to our questions by October 4 for Committee consideration. You can read the full letter here.

Understanding the Real Cost of Legislation

In order for lawmakers to fully understand the implication of legislation for the taxpayer, we often request a score from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). This helps us understand what the real cost of things like the Farm Bill, healthcare legislation, or defense bills for the American people. In order for the CBO to give us accurate information, they need to be able to access all the necessary data from the executive branch agencies in a timely fashion.

This week, the Congressional Budget Office Data Sharing Act became the first ever bipartisan House Budget Committee bill to pass both the House and Senate unanimously. This bill helps CBO provide more accurate information about the true cost of critical legislation, ensuring Congress is spending tax dollars responsibly. This bill is now on its way to the White House for the President to sign it into law.

Friend of Farm Bureau Award

This week, I was honored to receive the Friend of Farm Bureau award from the Minnesota Farm Bureau. Minnesota's agricultural community has always been at the front of mind when introducing legislation like the Investing in Rural America Act and in my work with the Ways and Means Committee to expand export markets for our agricultural producers. It means so much to be recognized by those I am working so hard to serve.

Thank you to all the farmers across western Minnesota for all the work you do. I am so proud to represent those that are feeding the state, the country, and the world. I will keep fighting for you in Washington.

Countering Chinese Government Influence

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) poses a growing threat to America. And yet, the Biden-Harris administration has done little to nothing to counter this threat. This week, the House passed over twenty pieces of legislation to mitigate the CCP's threat and restore U.S. dominance. This includes legislation preventing foreign adversaries from purchasing our farmland, prohibiting government funding for universities that have relationships with Chinese government entities, and keeping Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers from benefitting from U.S. tax breaks.

The CCP is threat to our economy and our national security. And this threat finds its way into every corner of society. It is critical that America take these threats seriously and do all we can to mitigate it.

Thank you for reading!

fischbach.house.gov

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