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SEPTEMBER 5, 2025
Dear Fourth District Constituent,
After spending the month of August in Minnesota meeting with constituents, nonprofits, and business leaders, I was in Washington this week as Congress returned to session. Sadly, the first order of business for the Minnesota delegation was to lead our House colleagues in observing a moment of silence to honor the victims of the unspeakable shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis. Thoughts and prayers are not enough — our collective grief must become collective action to stop the epidemic of gun violence.
 The Minnesota Congressional Delegation led the U.S. House of Representatives in a moment of silence on Tuesday to honor the victims of the tragic shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis.
As our state begins the long process of healing from the tragedy at Annunciation Catholic Church, we must work together to stop senseless gun violence. In Congress, I'm proud to support numerous common-sense gun violence prevention measures including an assault weapons ban, bump stock ban, ban on high capacity magazines, expanded background checks, universal background checks, and red flag laws to confiscate weapons from those who are known to be a potential harm to themselves or others. I commend state and local leaders for their vigorous calls for stronger gun laws across the state of Minnesota — but no matter how strong our gun violence prevention laws are, Minnesotans will only ever be as safe as the state with the weakest gun laws in the nation. We need a federal standard that prevents gun violence and holds violent offenders accountable, and that means Republicans in Congress need to stop sitting on their hands and decide to take action.
WASHINGTON, D.C. UPDATE
U.S. Economy is Rapidly Weakening Because of President Trump and Republicans’ Reckless Policies
Last month’s economic data for the U.S. was so bad that President Trump lashed out by firing the messenger – the head of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). However, this month’s BLS report was even worse. Data shows that the U.S. economy, which was thriving until this year, is rapidly stalling under the leadership of Donald Trump and Republicans, who have complete control of the American government and have implemented chaotic tariffs and a major economic overhaul, including the Big Ugly Law, which strips food assistance and health care away from millions of Americans to give away tax massive breaks to millionaires and billionaires.
- Unemployment rose to 4.3%, the highest since the pandemic. It's the third consecutive month that unemployment has gone up.
- The economy added a meager 22,000 jobs in August. The vast majority of those gains occurred in the health care sector, a sign that the rest of the economy is in poor condition.
- The U.S. economy lost 13,000 jobs in June. It's the first month of negative job growth since the COVID pandemic in December 2020.
- There are more job seekers than there are job openings. There are 7.4 million unemployed Americans and 7.2 million open jobs.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics. Via Heather Long, Chief Economist at Navy Federal Credit Union.
A Possible Republican Government Shutdown is Just Days Away
Republicans have complete control of Washington with Donald Trump as the President and Republicans controlling the House and Senate. Just days before funding for the federal government expires on September 30th, House Republicans have passed just three of 12 government funding bills. None of these bills have been signed into law. Majority Republicans have claimed a mandate and are going it alone instead of working with Democrats to deliver bipartisan funding bills for the American people. If Republicans fail to complete the work of funding the federal government and a shutdown occurs, it's because Republicans have failed to fulfill their responsibility to the American people.
A government shutdown would be disastrous. I will support a bipartisan government funding bill that improves the health, safety, and economic well-being of working class Minnesotans. But I will not support partisan Republican government spending bills that take health care, food assistance, and other critical services away from the American people.
Republicans Pass an Energy and Water Funding Bill Will Raise Prices, Accelerate Climate Change
This week, House Republicans passed H.R.4553 - Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026, which provides funding for federal energy and water infrastructure. Rather than work with Democrats in a bipartisan way, Republicans chose to write an extreme partisan bill that would increase utility bills, slash clean energy investments, and empower our adversaries like China to win the race to dominate the clean energy sector moving forward. So when Republicans passed this bill earlier this week, it should come as no surprise that it barely passed by a vote of 214-213, with only Republicans voting for the bill.
Read more from my Star Tribune op ed earlier this week:
Meeting with Department of Children, Youth, and Families Commissioner Tikki Brown
It was great meeting with Commissioner Tikki Brown and her team to learn about the newly-formed Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) this week. We discussed all the ways the Department is serving Minnesota’s children; be it promoting access to preschool and early education, child care assistance, food and nutrition assistance, and everything a child needs to be healthy, strong, and prepared for a bright future.
Commissioner Tikki Brown (left) and staff from the DCYF met with Congresswoman McCollum (second from left) and MN-04 staff on Thursday.
This important work can only be accomplished through a strong state and federal partnership – but given the Trump administration’s drastic funding cuts to the Department of Education and family and social services, it’s becoming more difficult. I am committed to supporting Minnesota’s children and will fight against MAGA Republican efforts to eliminate or reduce funding for these vital services, including in the appropriations committee next week.
Join the Effort to Protect IRS Free File
Last Congress, Democrats and President Biden passed legislation that allowed Americans to file their federal taxes for free. In its first two years, Direct File delivered significant benefits to taxpayers across the country. During the program’s pilot phase in 2024, Direct File saved the average user $160 in return fees and hours of effort preparing their return. Unfortunately, the Trump administration has declared Direct File dead after receiving pressure from the tax preparation industry. With Direct File's future in limbo, IRS quietly announced a very short public comment period, only until September 5th, for Americans to share their opinions on direct file. That survey can be found here.
MINNESOTA UPDATE
Honoring the Legacy of Melissa and Mark Hortman by Planting Seeds for a Brighter Future
Earlier this week, members of my staff joined friends and colleagues of Melissa and Mark Hortman to honor their legacy by planting native vegetation at a Minneapolis riverfront park. Friends of the Mississippi River have been working toward restoring this area for years, and I was glad that staff of Minnesota's Fourth Congressional District could honor the Hortmans' legacy by joining their effort.
Friends and colleagues of Melissa and Mark Hortman plant native prairie flowers and grasses at a Minneapolis riverfront park during an event honoring the legacy of Melissa and Mark Hortman on Wednesday.
Road Closures Across the Twin Cities
More road closures are coming this weekend, as construction workers attempt to complete major renovations ahead of winter. If you have weekend travel plans in the Twin Cities, make sure to plan ahead and take alternate routes if necessary:
- I-94 will be closed this weekend between Highway 280 and I-35E in Saint Paul as workers make bridge improvements. Closures are expected to run between 10 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Monday.
- Closure of the ramp between northbound I-35W and eastbound I-94 just south of Minneapolis will continue through September 26.
- I-494 will be closed in both directions this weekend between Highway 100 in Edina and Highway 77 in Bloomington. The closure is expected to wrap up in time for the Monday morning commute.
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS
Constituent Services Office Hours
In addition to serving constituents Monday through Friday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM at my Saint Paul office, my staff hosts neighborhood office hours at a variety of locations across the Fourth District. Members of my staff will be available to meet with constituents seeking casework assistance on Tuesday, September 9th at 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM at the Roseville City Hall, 2660 Civic Center Dr, Roseville, MN 55113.
Now Accepting Applications for the 2025 Congressional App Challenge
You still have the chance to enter and submit an app to the 2025 Congressional App Challenge! Middle and high school students in the Fourth District with an interest for coding are encouraged to create and submit an app to solve a problem, or provide education or entertainment. Learn more about the rules and important deadlines here.
My Washington, D.C. Office is Always Open to You and Your Family
If you are planning a trip out to our Nation's Capitol, remember you can request tours through my office. My staff can lead you on a tour of the U.S. Capitol, you can sign up for a self-guided tour of the Library of Congress, and you can request a lecture in the Supreme Court Chamber. Read more about tours here.
IMPORTANT NOTE: White House tours have been canceled for September. The White House had not previously told us why they are cancelled, but the Washington Post has reported that President Trump is pausing tours because he wants to begin construction on his new $200 million ballroom as soon as possible.
Service Academy Nominations
My office is now accepting applications for nominations to the U.S. Service Academies for the Class of 2030. Students interested in attending West Point, the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy, or the Merchant Marine Academy must receive a congressional nomination to be considered. The deadline to submit a completed application packet is Monday, November 3, 2025. Students are encouraged to apply early and to also seek nominations from both U.S. Senators from Minnesota. Learn more and access the application here.
Thank You
Thank you to the hundreds of new subscribers to my weekly newsletter! This update is designed to provide timely information about my work in Washington and Minnesota, and to provide resources that can be helpful to you. As always, please 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.
Sincerely,
Betty McCollum
Member of Congress
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