Dear John,

Since I came to Congress, I have been committed to lowering health care costs and improving Minnesotans’ access to care. Over the past few years, we’ve made strides by allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices and capping insulin at $35 per month for our seniors.  
  
Unfortunately, we’re now facing new headwinds, as the Administration takes a sledgehammer to our federal agencies – particularly, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). These cuts at the federal level have detrimental impacts on our state health agencies.  
  
This week, I led my fellow Minnesota Democrats in sending a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. pushing back on their decision to cancel approximately $226 million in approved Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grants and $27.5 million in Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grants for the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS).  
  
This Congressionally appropriated funding supports statewide efforts to curb infectious diseases, like measles and bird flu, and provides critical resources to address the substance abuse and mental health crises in our state. 
  
From years of working at a major health care manufacturing company, I know that prevention not only saves tax dollars, it saves lives. We cannot afford to let these programs dry up. 
  
Just know, I’m fighting tooth and nail to ensure that our state’s public health agencies have the resources they need to keep providing lifesaving care to every Minnesotan.  
  
You can read my letter here. 
 
Here’s what else I was up to this week: 
 
Making sure our first responders get the care they need 
  
Every day, Minnesota’s first responders put their lives on the line to keep us safe. We owe it to them to ensure their safety and wellbeing too.  
  
I introduced a bipartisan bill with Reps. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), Don Bacon (R-NE) and Kim Schrier (D-WA) to ensure local law enforcement agencies have the resources and information they need to address concussions and traumatic brain injuries on their teams. 
  
You can read more about my bill here. 

Talking to local businesses 
  
Increased costs and a trade war are putting tremendous pressure on large and small businesses alike. This week, I visited Bridgeman’s Ice Cream Parlor in Woodbury and Advanced Sportswear in Newport to hear first-hand how are local businesses are doing.  

Lowering costs at the gas pump 
 
I urged the Administration to allow the nationwide sale of E15 this summer because extending the availability of homegrown biofuels can bolster our nation’s energy resilience and lower costs for Minnesotans at the gas pump. It just makes sense. 
  
You can learn more about my efforts to secure year-round E15 nation-wide and read my recent letter urging the President to extend the E15 summer waiver here. 
 

Behind the scenes: 
 
My amazing DC and Eagan interns are wrapping up their internships next week, so I took some time this morning to connect with them and thank them for their work. It was great to hear about their experience serving the people of Minnesota’s Second Congressional District.  
 
I am grateful to have such dedicated young people in my office – I know their futures will be bright! 


Have a great weekend! 

Until next time,
 

Angie Craig

Member of Congress