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Strengthening Our National Defense

On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 8800, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027. The FY27 NDAA improves service member quality of life, strengthens American deterrence and defense, eliminates waste, fraud, and abuse, and ultimately makes our country stronger.  

I was also grateful to see my legislation, the National Guard Relief Act, and language from my Strategic Transparency Act included in this $1.15 trillion defense policy bill, ensuring our National Guard members and their families have assistance in times of need and that America has the information necessary to respond to China’s evolving military capabilities and influence.

As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I was proud to be a part of this NDAA and to support this critical, bipartisan legislation not only in committee, but on the House Floor as well.

Preventing a Costly Government Shutdown

On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass a clean continuing resolution (CR), a commonsense step that will keep the government open and functioning through December 4th. I was proud to vote yes on this clean CR, which allows Congress to continue its work to restore long overdue regular order to the appropriations process and prevents another government shutdown like the record-long funding halt that we experienced last year due to the Democrats’ political games.

Read more about my support for this continuing resolution here.

Advocating for Our Small Business Owners

Minnesota’s First District is lucky to have two great Small Business Development Center (SBDC) regional offices; one in Rochester and one in Mankato. During this week’s House Committee on Small Business hearing, I discussed the recent pause in grant disbursements to SBA resource partners in Minnesota with Paul Fitzpatrick, Associate Administrator for the Small Business Administration’s Office of Entrepreneurial Development.  

I’m working in Congress to make sure our hardworking small business owners and entrepreneurs can access the SBDC resources they rely on and are not paying the price for Minnesota’s fraud and mismanagement. 

Holding Members of Congress Accountable

As members of Congress, we should be focused on serving our communities. I was proud to vote in support of H.R. 7008, the Stop Insider Trading Act, legislation which would ban Members of Congress and their families from purchasing publicly traded stocks and require public notice before any sale of holdings. These important measures would help increase transparency and strengthen accountability in Congress.

Meeting with Minnesotans in Washington, D.C.

This week, I enjoyed meeting with my fellow Minnesotans in my Washington, D.C. office to discuss the issues that matter most at home. I joined Minnesota farmers with the Midwest Council on Agriculture to discuss the needs of farm country. By supporting legislation like the Farm Bill and the Working Families Tax Cuts, I’m working hard to ensure our ag industry thrives for generations to come. 

I also met with members of Spring Grove Communications to discuss the importance of getting the Farm Bill across the finish line for rural broadband programs and increasing flexibility for users. Access to broadband and expanded telecommunications is essential for our rural communities, and I appreciated their visit.

Co-ops are essential to our southern Minnesota agriculture industry and rural communities, helping farmers compete and market their products. It was great meeting with my friends at the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives to discuss how we can continue to help #MN01 farmer-owned co-ops succeed.

The House Floor This Week

PASSED – H.R. 8884, the Removing Barriers to Work for Disabled Americans Act, reauthorizes the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) authority to carry out demonstration projects within the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program through 2031.

PASSED – H.R. 6955, the Main Street Capital Access Act, lowers barriers to entry for new banks by phasing in capital requirements and providing certainty around regulatory approval for mergers and acquisitions.

PASSED – H.R. 1118, the Value Over Cost Act of 2025, amends federal law governing the General Service Administration's (GSA) Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program to allow contracts and orders to be evaluated based on “best value” as opposed to strictly focusing on the “lowest overall cost alternative”. 

As always, it is an honor to serve you in Congress. Please don't hesitate to contact my office if there is anything I can do to assist you. 

To see more updates on what I’m doing in Washington and across the First District, follow me on Facebook, X, and Instagram.

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