Dear Friend,

Last week, I attended the inauguration of President Biden and Vice-President Harris. Attending a Presidential Inauguration is a privilege, and I was honored to participate in the peaceful transition of power. I hope the new Administration will join my mission to bring the country together, find common ground, and work constructively together to advance policies important to the American people.

However, I have always been critical of executive overreach – regardless of the President - and have long opposed the use of Executive Orders that bypass Congress and the people we represent lawmaking power. President Biden has signed 17 Executive Orders on his first day in office, ten more on Thursday, two more on Friday, and three more yesterday. It is concerning when unilateral decisions are made without the input of Congress, who are elected to directly represent you in government.

I will continue to serve my constitutional role as a check on the Executive Branch while advancing the priorities we all share in the coming months.

As your representative, I will be doing my part to ensure your priorities are reflected in Washington. This week, I will be introducing several bills, one aimed at ending the terrible occurrence of elder abuse in our aging communities, and a series of financial services bills designed to increase economic opportunity in the United States. Stay tuned for more on those bills!

Supporting Our Law Enforcement

After the tragic events of January 6, 2021, I signed onto a House Resolution 39, which honors the bravery and self-sacrifice by officers of the United States Capitol Police and other Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies during the attack on the United States Capitol.

Our law enforcement has seen difficult times in the past few years as cities like Minneapolis reject their bravery and commitment to law and order. I adamantly maintain that our nation’s finest are often heroically brave, and an essential part of keeping our state and country peaceful. I will always fight for adequate training, resources, and the respect that our police and peace officers have earned.

Congressman Emmer visiting with Anoka Police in August of 2019.

This year, I will be reintroducing the Community OutPost (COP) Outreach and Engagement Act, which makes a local effort for police officers to engage with their community a national pilot program.

This bill is modeled after a house that the St. Cloud Police designated a “Community OutPost,” which helps law enforcement engage and communicate with residents in their surrounding communities. The “COP House” provides improved community-focused engagement efforts, and lets nearby residents receive critical services and build relationships with local law enforcement. With improved police-citizen communication, officers can more effectively establish trust and build rapport with the citizens that they are sworn to protect.

Law enforcement is more effective when their community relations are strong, and I am working hard to ensure they have the resources they need to be effective.

Celebrating National School Choice Week

This week is National School Choice Week, which is a time to recognize and celebrate the necessary options we have to educate our children.

As the father of seven children, I have come to learn that our education must be individual-oriented. I strongly believe that Minnesota parents and teachers are better suited than Washington bureaucrats to understand what kind of education their child requires. That is why I support the parent’s right to choose the public, private, religious, magnet, or online school that best fits their child’s needs.

Last year, we had a major victory for the homeschool community. Previously, homeschooled children over the age of compulsory school attendance (age 17 in Minnesota) were excluded from receiving survivors benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) because they did not attend a public or private school. Along Congressman Tim Walberg (MI-07), I sent a letter to the SSA urging them to correct this error. As of September 2020, the administration revised their policy, and students will now be able to receive the benefits they deserve.

Congressman Emmer reading to students at Legacy Christian Academy in Andover, Minnesota in February of 2017. 

As the 117th Congress continues, I look forward to continuing to champion school choice legislation, and help every student receive the education that suits them the best.

Committed to Auditing the Fed

Recently, I signed on to an effort to audit the Federal Reserve.

The Federal Reserve was created in 1913 to serve as the nation’s central bank. Though it is composed of twelve regional Federal Reserve banks, the Fed is supervised by a board of seven “governors” that are nominated by the President without regard to their political affiliation and confirmed by the Senate. The Federal Reserve’s responsibilities include regulating, influencing interest rates, and operating key payment systems. We have one of those twelve regional banks in Minneapolis.

However, despite the importance of the work carried out by the Federal Reserve, for decades its processes have failed to be transparent to Congress and the American people. Oversight is necessary for a central bank that has too much influence over the economy to operate without it. The Federal Reserve should be compelled to work under the same standard of transparency as all other government agencies.

This legislation, of which I have supported other iterations in the past, would require the Federal Reserve to give annual reports on its monetary policy functions to the Government Accountability Office.

Never Forget: Honoring Holocaust Remembrance Day

Tomorrow, we take the time to remember those who lost their lives in the greatest tragedy our world has ever seen.

As Holocaust survivor and author Elie Wiesel said,

“To forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time”

Tower of Faces at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.

The 6 million Jews who perished in the Holocaust and millions of other victims of Nazism will not be forgotten. Learn more here about how to respectfully honor this day, tomorrow, and to learn more in order to allow  genocide to never occur again.

FYI: FEMA Announces Youth Preparedness Council Application Period

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has launched the application for their Youth Preparedness Council (YPC). It is open for students ranging from 8th through 11th grade who are selected to support disaster preparedness and make a positive impact on their communities.

Applicants are selected for two-year terms and are chosen based on their passion for preparedness and helping others, involvement in the community, and aptitude for working in a team and as a leader.

The online application opened on January 18, 2021, and students must complete their applications by March 7, 2021, 11:59 p.m. PST to be considered. Selected candidates will be notified in May 2021. Interested students can apply online at https://community.fema.gov/PreparednessCommunity/s/apply-to-ypc.

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,