John,
It’s been a busy week advocating for our America First agenda, but I wanted to take a moment to update you on the important work we are doing to advance our conservative values.
A targeted attack was carried out this week against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. As these agents were simply doing their jobs of transporting detainees, a suspect opened fire from a nearby rooftop. Two detainees were injured, and one was tragically killed. This violence didn’t happen in a vacuum. For years, left-wing politicians and activists have demonized ICE, labeling these men and women as “monsters,” “kidnappers,” and even a “modern-day Gestapo.” That kind of reckless, inflammatory rhetoric is designed to turn dedicated public servants into villains. Our ICE officers work every day to enforce existing immigration laws and help keep our nation safe. Instead of gratitude, they face smear campaigns that expose their identities and locations, putting them and their families in constant danger. No one should have to leave home wondering if they’ll make it back alive simply because they chose to serve their community. I unequivocally condemn this attack and its underlying rhetoric, and expect every public official to do the same.
I joined Representative Dan Newhouse (R-WA) in calling on Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz to advocate for the fair distribution of funds from the Rural Health Transformation Fund (RHT) to Democrat-run states. This fund represents the largest-ever federal investment in rural hospitals, and it’s vital that rural communities receive the resources they need. For western Minnesota, this could mean better access to care, stronger local hospitals, and more support for recruiting and retaining doctors and nurses in our small towns. Rural families deserve the same quality of care as anyone else, and these dollars must be used where they’ll make the biggest impact.
My fellow House Ways and Means Committee Republican members and I wrote a letter prompting the implementation of the No Surprises Act to ensure patient protections. This legislation was signed into law in 2020 to protect patients from surprise medical bills during emergencies for out-of-network care and non-emergencies at in-network centers. The intention was that patients should not receive a bill to cover the balance between the actual bill and what insurance would cover. Unfortunately, the No Surprises Act was not enforced during the Biden administration because of their incompetence and incomplete rulemaking. Our Ways and Means Committee was the only one to hear directly from patients about their challenges and how this bill could have prevented a lot of financial stress for patients. Five years since it was enacted, we respectfully urge the Trump administration to fully implement the No Surprises Act and help everyday people get the treatment they need without dealing with unexpected financial burdens.
As always, thank you for your continued trust and support. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or need assistance with anything.
With gratitude,
