Dear John,

This week, I arrived in Washington ready to be sworn in and get to work on behalf of the Second District. It is a true honor to hold a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Unfortunately, the House GOP has been unable to elect a Speaker so we are still here on the House floor for the fourth day, as of this newsletter going out, as they try to elect a leader. No members are sworn in, committees are unable to form and national security briefings have stopped. This chaos must end.

No matter what though – my office is open, and we are working to serve the folks of the Second District.

In fact, in the last budget passed at the end of the year, I secured more than $30 million in federal funding for 15 community projects across the South Metro. This funding includes $24 million for infrastructure investments, $409,000 for resources for our local law enforcement agencies and $2.5 million to help keep our water clean. I worked with local and federal leaders for months to secure this funding that will help spur economic growth, ensure public safety and improve public infrastructure across our district.

Here's what else I did this week:

Remembering January 6th 

Today marks the second anniversary of the January 6th attack on the Capitol. I stood on the steps of the Capitol with other lawmakers and family members who lost their loved ones as a result of these attacks this morning to reflect on the significance of this day and recommit to strengthening our democracy for future generations.

Meeting with St. Olaf students in DC 

This week, I was able to welcome some Oles to my DC office. It was great to see you all – hope you enjoyed your tour of the Capitol!

Familiar faces in Washington 

We kicked this week off with an open house in our DC office! It was nice to see some familiar faces –  Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith. 

Meeting with Lakeville Mayor Luke Hellier

While we were scheduled to meet in person, Speaker votes here meant I had to catch up with Lakeville Mayor Luke Hellier virtually to discuss ways we can work together to support growth in Lakeville and improve our postal services.

Behind the scenes with Rep. Craig:

One bright spot amid the frustration on the House floor this week – I got to meet quite a few of my colleagues’ little ones. My grandson Noah couldn’t be here this week in person, but I was able to FaceTime him from just off the House floor between Speaker votes with a special guest, Nancy Pelosi.

It’s an honor to serve as your representative in the United States Congress! If you have any ideas on how I can best serve you and your family, please reach out to my office. I look forward to working together over the next two years.

I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend – and here’s hoping the GOP can elect a Speaker so I can come home to the district at some point.

Until next time,
 

Angie Craig

Member of Congress