Dear John,

I wanted to start out by touching on a particularly concerning bill that the Republican majority put on the House Floor this week: H.R. 5 – the so-called “Parents Bill of Rights” that would take away local school control and give it to the federal government.

Of course, I support parent’s rights. I hear from parents across Minnesota’s Second District everyday who are worried about their children – and I hear from teachers everyday who need more support and resources for their students. It’s clear our classrooms need a lot right now – but we don’t need Washington politicians deciding which books are in school libraries, setting parent teacher conference schedules and deciding which kids get mental health support and which don’t. 

I’m proud to represent Minnesota – a state where parents even have the right to remove their child from a class assignment if they are not comfortable with the subject matter. There is nothing at all wrong as a parent deciding that a book is not right for your child. But it’s a huge problem when you therefore decide it’s not right for mine.  

If you want to support parents, let’s fully fund public schools and sharpen our focus on special education programs. Let’s figure out how to retain and recruit talented teachers – and pay them well. Let’s get our kids and educators access to the mental health resources they so desperately need.

And let’s leave the power to decide what’s best for their students at the local level. I support parents’ rights – but this bill wasn’t about that – and that’s why I voted against it.

You can watch my speech speaking on the House Floor against the bill here.

I also wanted to share one more update: this week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew. We know that TikTok presents a unique set of challenges – especially for our kids -- and this hearing made it abundantly clear that TikTok needs to do more to keep Americans safe on their platform.

Moving forward, I’m committed to working across the aisle to hold TikTok accountable – and ensuring that our kids are safe online.   

You can watch my testimony and questioning of the TikTok CEO here.

Here's what else I was up to this week:

Discussing Public Safety Efforts with Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena 

On Monday, I met with Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena to discuss how we can work together to help keep our communities safe. 

Meeting with Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan

On Wednesday, I got to see one of my very favorite Minnesota leaders in DC – Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan. Thanks for the visit!

Working to expand access to career and technical education
Career and technical education opens up a world of possibilities for students of all ages, incomes and zip codes. It was great to chat with Minnesota CTE leaders this week about how Congress can work to expand educational opportunities in MN02 and across the country.

Behind the scenes with Rep. Craig:

With a busy week full of hearings, markups and meetings on everything from fentanyl to TikTok, it felt like the right time to introduce you to another one of my colleagues from the Energy and Commerce Committee. Up next, my impressive colleague from Washington, Representative Kim Schrier!

On one final note: the 2023 Congressional Art Competition kicked off this week! All high school students in MN02 are encouraged to send in a piece of artwork to my district office before April 21st. The winning submission will be displayed in the US Capitol for one year alongside artwork from congressional districts across the country.

I can’t wait to see all the artwork – so make sure to send in your submission today!

On that note – wishing you and your family a wonderful weekend.

Until next time,
 

Angie Craig

Member of Congress