AUGUST 28, 2026

Dear Fourth District Constituent,

Congress returns to Washington next week with a growing list of unfinished business, including passing bipartisan legislation to avoid a federal government shutdown.  Because Senate Republicans have failed to pass any appropriations bills, the House must now must act by September 30th to pass a continuing resolution to provide temporary funding until December. Speaker Johnson must immediately bring this bipartisan bill to the floor for a vote to keep the government open for the American people.

Meanwhile, President Trump continues to squeeze Americans' pocketbooks with senseless new tariffs on our neighbors to the north. Canada is not the 51st state. It is a sovereign, democratic nation and one of our closest allies. We share history, culture, and a border. Bullying Canada with steep tariffs is a serious mistake, and all of us will pay for it.

At the same time, Trump is creating chaos and confusion through his attempts to undermine the integrity of vote-by-mail systems right before the midterm elections.  Here in Minnesota, we lead the nation in voter turnout and in maintaining safe and secure elections — proof that our democracy is strong. This battle in the courts isn’t yet over. I stand with Minnesota’s independent elections officials who work diligently to protect our elections. They need to be able to do their jobs without fear or undue influence, and we will keep fighting to protect every Americans’ right to make their voice heard at the ballot box.

MINNESOTA UPDATE

Hearing from Minnesotans About the Impact of Republicans’ Massive Health Care Cuts

President Trump and Congressional Republicans' One Big Beautiful Bill Act cut Medicaid by $1 trillion in to pay in part for permanent trillion-dollar tax give aways to millionaires, billionaires, and giant corporations. As a result, Minnesotans are now paying more for less — higher premiums for reduced coverage.  What’s worse is that tens of thousands of Minnesotans have lost access to their health care entirely. On Wednesday, I convened a health care discussion at Gillette Children’s Hospital with Minnesota families, health care providers, and state legislators to understand how this law is impacting Minnesotans’ lives. Congressional Republicans’ massive cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act raise the cost of health care for all of us.  

Conversations like these are vital to driving action in Congress.  My Democratic colleagues and I are fighting back against these cuts, to stop the pain, and to restore our care.  I’m committed to working to protect and strengthen Medicare and Medicaid, and to make health care more affordable for all Minnesotans. I’m also a cosponsor of Medicare for All, but should Congress fall short of that goal, we must keep moving forward on other steps like a public option and strengthening Medicaid and Medicare for our future. Watch the discussion on my YouTube Channel.

I'm grateful to the families and health professionals for sharing their stories and their expertise to keep Minnesotans informed: Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy; Gillette Children's patient Greta Lindbo and her mother Sarah; Barbara Joers, President & CEO of Gillette Children’s; Tequila Love, SEIU Healthcare caregiver; Dr. Lisa Mattson, President of the Minnesota Medical Association; Danny Ackert, Director of State Government Relations for the Minnesota Hospital Association; John Connolly, Temporary Commissioner and State Medicaid Director of Minnesota Department of Human Services; Libby Caulum, CEO of MNsure; and Dawn Simonson, President and CEO of the Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging.

Defending Minnesota From Cyberattacks

Last month, more than 30 Minnesota water systems were targeted as part of a massive cyberattack that impacted 100 public water systems across 12 states. Public reporting indicates that cybercriminals working on behalf of Iran carried out these attacks.  On Thursday, I met at Metropolitan State University with cybersecurity professionals, public officials, and, business leaders from across Minnesota to talk about what comes next as these threats increase. Metro State is a national leader in training the cyber defenders Minnesota needs, and that work has never been more urgent. The life, health, and safety of our communities depends on people trained to defend them with the resources necessary to do so. Our federal government must do more to help Minnesota and communities across our nation protect ourselves.  Sadly, the Trump administration has eviscerated the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security  Agency (CISA) during the past two years. The working group agreed to continue our work together to better prepare Minnesota's cyber defenses against escalating attacks on our government and economy. I’ll continue to prioritize it in Congress where I serve as the Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, which oversees one trillion dollars in federal spending for our national security.

Celebrating National Park Week

The National Park Service turned 110 this week — and every acre it protects belongs to you. That's worth remembering right now. Our public lands are under pressure from two directions: climate change that's altering them faster than they can adapt, and extractive industries with deep pockets and deeper connections in Washington. I'll keep fighting to keep these lands available to the public, protected for us, and preserved for the people who come after us.

Congresswoman McCollum in a canoe on the Mississippi with Wilderness Inquiry

That is why I have introduced The Mississippi River Resiliency and Restoration Initiative Act  (H.R. 2977) directs the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a non-regulatory initiative to provide grants for restoration projects in river states, cities, townships, and tribal nations. If you got out to a park, a trail, or any stretch of shared ground this week, you already know why it's worth defending.  

Minnesota State Fair is Underway for the 162nd Year! 

Back home in Minnesota it’s finally time for the Great Minnesota Get-Together. Like many of you, I've waited all year for our annual celebration of what makes our state special (along with extra helpings of sight-seeing, concerts, and new foods on-a-stick!) It’s a special time to have fun and appreciate that there's far more than unites us as Minnesotans than divides us. Fair-goers will have 36 new food items, 9 new vendors, and a record-breaking 600 crop art entries to check out! Want to learn more? MPR has a free, comprehensive guide.

Congresswoman McCollum meets with fire fighters from the Roseville fire department at the State Fair.

WASHINGTON, D.C. UPDATE

Americans are Paying a High Price for 6 Months of Trump's Reckless War of Choice
Today marks six months since President Trump began his reckless, unauthorized war in Iran. While Trump and his donors in the oil and gas industry are seeing record profits from the war, American families are bearing the cost through sky high gas prices. House Democrats are holding Trump accountable and fighting to end the war.      

Trump ran on ending and keeping America out of forever wars, but he quickly broke his promise to the American people. He has spent his term ordering military action without authorization from Congress: launching a bombing campaign against boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific; striking Venezuela and capturing its president; and then, on February 28, starting a war with Iran that has destabilized the region. No vote, strategy, or plan for how it ends.  President Trump said his Iran war would take four to six weeks. That was six months ago.

Over the past six months, at least 19 American service members have been killed and more than 750 have been wounded because of Trump’s war. President Trump kept the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group at sea for over 300 days, the longest carrier deployment since Vietnam, and pushed the USS Abraham Lincoln into an extended deployment, with families of sailors expressing serious concerns about the conditions and food rations aboard the ship. The Trump Administration is burning through munitions, equipment, and resources faster than we can replace them. Meanwhile, costs are skyrocketing at home while taxpayer dollars that should be used to make life more affordable go toward the president’s reckless war of choice. And Iran has only gotten stronger. This is Operation Epic Failure. 

House Democrats stand with the overwhelming majority of Americans who want this war to end. We will keep forcing votes and demanding answers. It is time Republicans in Congress do the right thing and stop making Americans pay the price of this reckless war of choice.

NEWS YOU CAN USE

Check Your Passport Expiration Date & Be a “Smart Traveler” if You Are Going Abroad 

The State Department strongly recommends that people sign up for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive updates from the U.S. embassy on security threats, natural disasters, or civil unrest. Also, check your destination’s entry requirements, including passport validation date and visa requirements. Many countries require your passport to be valid for 6 months beyond your travel dates. Remember: Domestic travelers need a REAL ID-compliant document to enter screening checkpoints. More info here.

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

If you are impacted by the actions of the Trump Administration or Republicans’ policies, including cuts to health care and food assistance, I want to hear about it. Please contact my office directly at (651) 224-9191.

Your voice matters and empowers my vote in Congress.
I encourage you to share your stories with me.

Thank You
As always, please stay in touch: voice your policy opinion, ask for help with a federal agency, or find all of my recent statements at mccollum.house.gov.

Sincerely,

Betty McCollum
Member of Congress