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955 WORDS | 7.3 MINUTE READ
Hi John,
From votes to protect marriage equality, the right to access contraception, and funding for nine community projects in our neck of the woods, I have a lot to update you on this week. Keep reading for more details and an important message regarding the preservation of our fragile democracy:
Securing Investments for Our Community
I’m on a mission to bring more of our federal tax dollars back to Minnesota, which is why I’m proud that the House of Representatives approved nearly nine projects directly serving our community. Absent our successful advocacy, these dollars could have flowed to other states – but instead, they are on track to help deliver high-quality, affordable housing, new clean transportation options, pedestrian and highway infrastructure, clean drinking water, environmental education for K-12 youth, and much more right here in Minnesota. Some of the projects include:
- Improving Access to Quality, Low-Income Housing: $4 million to revitalize Huntington Place, and $400,000 for Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity
- Supporting Clean Energy and the Environment: $1.8 million for SouthWest Transit’s Multi-City and County Clean Energy Demonstration Project, and $750,000 for Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities’ Voyageur Environmental Center
- Providing Clean Drinking Water: $3 million for the City of Corcoran’s Water Supply Construction Project and $2 million for the City of Plymouth Zachary Water Treatment Plant enhancements
- Improving Highway and Pedestrian Infrastructure: $2.75 million for the Highway 610 extension project, $874 thousand for Construction of a High Priority Off-Street Trail Along Zane Avenue Between 63rd Ave and Brooklyn Boulevard, and $2.35 million for the Minnesota Valley State Trail
As these projects move to the Senate for further consideration, I remain hopeful that my requests for six additional community projects to support law enforcement, promote public safety, expand access to domestic violence prevention education, and bolster access to health care and education throughout our community will also advance through the process. These projects have not yet come to the floor for a vote but are expected to be considered by the House in future legislation.
These Community Project Funds will have real and lasting impacts on our community. As one example, I also helped secure critical investments through this process in 2021, including funding for a remarkable Minnesota nonprofit called Change the Outcome. I met its founder, Colleen Ronnei, before I was even sworn in to my first term in 2019. She started this nonprofit after losing her son to a drug overdose, and now she is fighting to end substance use disorder through opioid crisis education in our community and beyond. Learn more about Colleen’s story and the impact this funding will have below:
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See how federal investments in our community are already making a meaningful difference by watching Colleen's story here.
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Restoring Faith in Government
Since coming to Congress, I have been on a mission to repair our broken politics and restore Americans’ faith in our government. As a founding member of the No PAC Caucus – and as the only Member of Congress who has never accepted money from PACs, federal lobbyists, or other Members of Congress - I am disgusted by the many ways in which money has corrupted our democracy. That's why I introduced the On the Clock Act alongside my Republican colleague Rep. Mike Gallagher last week. This bipartisan bill would prohibit Members of Congress from fundraising on taxpayers' time.
Too many of my colleagues spend dozens of hours per week dialing for dollars or attending fundraising events instead of meeting with their constituents or working together to solve problems – and not always because they want to, but because our system both demands and incentivizes it. In fact, congressional schedules are actually arranged to make it easier for members to raise money during the workday. The On the Clock Act won’t fix everything about our broken campaign finance system, but it will at least force members to spend more time doing the job they were elected to do and less time lining their campaign coffers.
Standing up for Marriage Equality
I cosponsored and help pass the bipartisan Respect for Marriage Act in the House last week. Ten years ago, Minnesotans became the first voters in the nation to block a same-sex marriage ban, and in the face of a Supreme Court threatening to encroach on that very freedom a decade later, I will do everything I can to protect same-sex and interracial marriages whenever and wherever they are under attack.
Safeguarding Contraception Access
The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade provided a roadmap for future courts to reconsider and overrule other fundamental rights, including the freedom to access birth control. In fact, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote that the Court should reconsider Griswold v. Connecticut, the landmark case that first recognized the Constitutional right to use contraceptives. I believe that access to contraception, a basic preventive health care measure that millions rely upon, is a fundamental right. That's why I voted for and helped pass H.R. 8374, the Right to Contraception Act, to ensure states can't limit access to contraceptives or health care providers’ ability to provide them.
Finally, last week, the bipartisan January 6th Select Committee showed never before seen footage of the President preparing to address the nation on January 7th - one day after inciting and enabling the insurrection - where he refused to admit the election was over. The Committee has carefully and methodically presented its findings related to the coordinated effort to illegally overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, and I urge everyone to take heed. We must learn from the events of January 6th and understand what led up to them so that we can ensure it never happens again – and I remain as committed as ever to working to ensure that truth and justice prevail.
Keep in touch, and keep the faith,
Dean Phillips
Member of Congress
Bill of the Week
✔️ H.R. 8368, Tax Filing Simplification Act
It is essential that the IRS, and all federal agencies, have appropriate funding to provide essential services to Americans. That's why I am a cosponsor of H.R. 38368, the Tax Filing Simplification Act, which aims to streamline the tax filing process through the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
 Mobile Office Hours
If you’re struggling with a federal agency, or just not getting an answer from one, seek assistance from my team of constituent advocates online at phillips.house.gov/help or in person:
WHEN:
Monday, August 1, 2022
2:30 PM - 5:30 PM
WHERE:
Maple Grove Library (Training Room)
8001 Main St, Maple Grove, MN 55369
Resources For You
My team and I are here to serve every person and every corner of our community. I want to make sure you have the resources you need to succeed:
- Apply for internships: Applications for fall internships in my Minnesota and Washington, D.C. offices are open now! It’s an exciting time to work in Congress, so click here to learn more and apply by August 1st.
- Register to vote: Democracy doesn’t work without engaged citizens like you. Registering to vote in Minnesota is simple and secure. Check your registration status, see who is on your ballot, and make a plan to vote at MNvotes.org.
- Find savings near you: From gas to groceries, and childcare to healthcare, I’m hearing from Minnesotans who are struggling to keep up with the rising costs of essentials. Visit phillips.house.gov/inflation to find lower prices near you.
- Nominate a Vietnam-era veteran: As a Gold Star Son and Member of Congress, I’m honoring Vietnam-era veterans in our area. Visit phillips.house.gov/Vietnam to nominate the veteran in your life for an official commemoration.
- Look before you book: Do you have international travel plans on the horizon? Make sure you are prepared before you book! Visit https://travel.state.gov/ to check your passport expiration date, apply for a passport, and much more.
- Order FREE COVID-19 tests: Keep yourself, and those around you, safe by getting tested if you’re feeling sick or have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19. Order eight FREE at-home tests for your family from USPS here.
- Get your FDA-approved vaccine: Your decision to get a safe, free, and effective COVID-19 vaccine impacts our entire community. Everyone 5+ is eligible, so visit mn.gov/covid to find yours.
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