Dear Friend,

This week, I am kicking off my week in Washington with a telephone town hall to connect with all of you. This town hall will focus on education and the reopening of schools. Our children have suffered for far too long during COVID, and it’s time we get them back to the classroom. Join me tomorrow at 7 pm central time, by calling: 855-962-1252. You can read more information on my website here.

I am committed to ensuring students return to their learning environments.

The Biden Administration has set their goal for schools to partially reopen by April 30th, 2021. However, the Administration has failed to provide a clear and coherent definition of what “reopening” actually means. 

Many of our kids have not had an opportunity to learn in the classroom since March of last year, and they’re in desperate need of a return to the learning environment that best suits them – in person, with their teachers and classmates.  

The science suggests it is safe to return now. The Director of the CDC announced at a White House press briefing that there is, “increasing data to suggest that schools can safely reopen and that safe reopening does not suggest that teachers need to be vaccinated.” 

Following this announcement, I wrote to President Biden to urge him to follow the science and listen to his CDC Director. It’s time to reopen all schools, now. 

In addition to the telephone town hall, I will also be introducing legislation to ensure veterans receive same-day physical and mental health care at all VA facilities. Stay tuned for more information on that!

Read on to learn about our recent work for Minnesota…

My Work on the Financial Services Committee

I serve on the House Financial Services Committee, where I advocate for Minnesotan's access to economic opportunity. Minnesota’s Sixth Congressional District consists of hundreds of banks and numerous credit unions that we all rely on. These institutions support nearly 60,000 Minnesota jobs in finance-related fields.

Early in my days in Congress I started a Financial Services Advisory Council, made up of Minnesotans in the industry who could assist me in understanding the issues they face in serving their customers.

I conducted my first meeting of 2021 recently, and we discussed the new Congress, the upcoming financial landscape, and the needs of our nation as we recover from COVID-19.

First meeting of my Financial Services Advisory Council in 2021!

Last week, I also spoke at a House Financial Services Committee hearing titled, "Game Stopped? Who Wins and Loses When Short Sellers, Social Media, and Retail Investors Collide.” This hearing served as an opportunity to advocate for the individual investors all across America who want to participate in the greatest financial markets in the world. 

Watch my exchange on a Financial Services Committee Hearing about GameStop here.

My work on the Financial Services Committee is centered around valuing the right of the individual to make decisions for themselves, especially regarding their financial goals. My work on this Committee is also focused on ensuring individuals have the autonomy to do what they want to do without having to rely on others, or their government. Stay tuned with my work on financial services here. 

Raising Awareness: American Heart Month 

As we close out February, I wanted to take the time to remind everyone that February is American Heart Month, and it serves as a chance to learn about heart-healthy practices. 

Unfortunately, 30.3 million Americans are currently living with heart disease. This is approximately 12% of the adult population. 

Nearly half of all Americans have at least one of the main risk factors for heart disease: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or are smokers. 

However, there are tangible steps we can take to prevent heart disease: make healthy lifestyle changes! Get more exercise, do not smoke, and add more fiber to your diet. You can learn more about how to include heart-healthy practices in your routine here. 

If you’re interested in other ways you and your loved ones can be proactive about your heart health, I encourage you to explore the Million Hearts Campaign. The Million Hearts initiative is a joint effort of the CDC and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, aimed at preventing 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2022.

Supporting the Motorcoaches that Connect Our World

Our nation’s motorcoach industry serves many of us in times of crisis. They assist when weather-related events require immediate evacuation. They assisted in the evacuation of cruise ship passengers when COVID-19 hit. And most recently, motorcoaches brought National Guard troops to Washington, D.C. to protect the Capitol.

The motorcoach industry supports the transport of more than 600 million passenger trips each year. After COVID hit, nearly 3,000 companies completely shut down, leaving 36,000 vehicles parked, and most of their 88,000 employees laid off. 

Motorcoach companies play a vital role in transporting the public, providing transit to and from military deployments, supporting rural communities, and connecting workers to their jobs. 

As our economy and our nation recover from COVID-19, we will need this industry once again. I spoke in support of an amendment to help and sustain the motorcoach industry during a Financial Services Committee markup on the Administration's proposed COVID-19 relief package.

Important Tax Information

As we all begin to file our taxes to meet the April 15th deadline, my casework team has heard from many wondering if the economic impact payment, otherwise known as a “stimulus check,” is considered taxable income.

The IRS has announced that the payments are not included in your gross income. Therefore, you will not need to include the payments in your taxable income on your Federal income tax return. These payments will also not affect your income for purposes of determining eligibility for federal government assistance or benefit programs.

At this point, the IRS has said all first and second Economic Impact Payments have been sent to qualifying individuals. If you need to check the status of your payment, visit the Get My Payment tool.

Visit the IRS Economic Impact Payment Information Center for more information here.

If you are struggling with any federal agency and need assistance, contact my casework team here.

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,