Dear Friend,

In a year unlike any other, Thanksgiving will be a little different for all of us. I hope you make the best of this holiday season and find reasons to be thankful.

Reflecting on what I am most thankful for, I am grateful for the love and support of my amazing family, the opportunity to serve all of you in Congress, and for this incredible country that provides freedom, opportunity, and hope to millions of Americans.

From my family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving.

Fighting for Small Businesses

Last week, Governor Walz announced new restrictions on bars, restaurants, and gyms. While I understand the state’s need to be cautious and careful during this time, our businesses need more help – not more mandates.

I sent a letter along with my colleagues, Congressman Pete Stauber and Congressman Jim Hagedorn urging Governor Walz to distribute unallocated federal funds to the small businesses his new restrictions will impact.

I supported the passage of the CARES Act in March, and it allocated more than $2 billion dollars to Minnesota, and yet millions of those funds have yet to be distributed. I have watched as Minnesotans fight tirelessly to save their businesses, reemploy staff, and restart our economy. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and now, Minnesotans are scrambling for their livelihoods once again!

I hope the Governor releases these funds and helps these businesses survive this four-week closure that they didn’t ask for, nor contribute to. Read our letter here.

However, this Small Business Saturday, November 28th, I hope you will consider visiting your favorite small business or ordering something online to support them. Our businesses need their customer's support now more than ever.

Oversight of the Financial Services Committee

Recently, I participated in a Financial Services hearing where I was able to engage with Brian Brooks, Acting Comptroller of the Currency. As Ranking Member of the Fintech Task Force, this was an important opportunity to talk with such an important regulator of our Fintech Community.

Fintech issues are only rising to higher prominence. I am committed to working within the committee to craft a strong regulatory environment that encourages innovation and growth in the fintech space.

I believe that with more competition, products, and services in banking, the American people are afforded with more choice, fairer prices, and control over their financial futures. You can watch my exchange with Mr. Brooks here. Read more about my work on the Financial Services Committee here.

Advocating for Personalized Medicine

In February, I helped launch the Personalized Medicine Caucus, which is a bicameral, bipartisan Caucus that helps to bring attention to new biomedical innovations and advance policies that help American patients affected by cancer and other devastating diseases.

The emergence of personalized medicine emphasizes that the approaches to health care should be as diverse and individualized as the patients it serves. I spoke at a briefing for the Caucus on Thursday where we discussed Pharmacogenomics, or PGx testing.

Pharmacogenomics uses information about a person's genetic makeup to choose the drugs and doses that are likely to work best for that particular person. PGx involves a combination of the science of how drugs work (pharmacology) with the science of the human genome (genomics).

I believe this medical technique is the answer to an ongoing and pervasive problem for our health care delivery system. If we can provide information to the clinician that will enable them to prescribe safer drugs for patients, we can ultimately save lives.

Representative Emmer speaking at the Personalized Medicine Caucus Briefing. 

Currently, adverse drug reactions kill someone every two minutes. 99% of the population has a genetic variant that impacts how their body responds to a pharmaceutical drug, and more than 91% of the population is unable to process medications in the way that they are intended. 

Read more about this briefing here. Read more about the caucus here.

Agriculture Community: APPLY TODAY

Two important program applications have a deadline approaching! December 11, 2020, is the last day for agricultural producers to apply for the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program and the second round of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP).

The DMC program was created by the 2018 Farm Bill, and offers dairy farmers market protection when the difference between the milk price and the average feed cost falls below a certain dollar amount selected by the farmer.

The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program was funded by Congress in the CARES Act, which I supported. Recently, the Administration has rolled out a second round of payments, called CFAP 2 which will provide producers with financial assistance to offset the losses incurred due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

You can apply for CFAP 2 by visiting here. A call center is available for producers who would like additional one-on-one support with the CFAP 2 application process. Please call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA employee ready to offer assistance.

Read more about my work to support the agriculture community here. For more information about these programs, visit here.

Showing Support For Our Nation’s Veterans

Last week, I voted on two important pieces of legislation that will support our mission to show veterans the honor and respect they deserve. I voted for and the House passed the Wounded Veterans Recreation Act, which allows veterans who have a service-connected disability to qualify for free entrance to National Parks. Free entrance includes a lifetime pass to all parks within the National Park Service.

I also supported the Improving Safety and Security for Veterans Act, which requires the VA to report on its patient safety policies as well as their quality of care. This legislation is similar to legislation that I am the author of, the Same-Day Accountability Veterans Enhancement (SAVE) Act, which would ensure the VA has accountability mechanisms in place to successfully offer same-day physical and mental health treatment to veterans in need. Read more about the SAVE Act here.

You can read more about my work to support veterans here. I will always show these brave men and women the respect they deserve. My sons Joe and Bill are both serving in our nation’s military right now, and for brave individuals like them, I am committed to finding the best resources our country has to offer them.

Until next week, if you are in need of assistance or would like to share your thoughts with me, please write me an e-mail here.

To keep up with what we’re doing in Washington, follow me on Twitter and Facebook for more updates!

Sincerely,