Dear Friend,

As many of us celebrate Independence Day at the cabin or make our way to a Fourth of July parade, we will be driving on roads and crossing bridges that are in dire need of repairs.

Weekend trips, your daily commute, grocery-runs, and carpools should not be complicated by congestion, potholes, and crumbling infrastructure. The federal government and the state of Minnesota have a shared responsibility to provide for the safety and reliability of our roads and bridges, a mandate which – as a father and an elected official – I do not take lightly.

This week, the House will be voting on a transportation bill. Unfortunately, this package seems to fall short of what we’d hoped to see from a “bipartisan” infrastructure effort. Instead of focusing on our nation’s most pressing infrastructure needs, the legislation we expect to consider this week does nothing to streamline the regulatory permitting process for new road and bridge construction, limits the State’s authority to prioritize new construction in areas of greatest need, and for every $2 spent, $1 would go to funding for Green New Deal mandates

Since coming to Congress, we’ve worked to ensure Minnesota has better roads and safer intersections. Last year, we secured $40 million to improve Highway 10, and an additional $15 million for an infrastructure project in Anoka to replace the Rum River bridge on Highway 10 and the adjacent 4th Avenue bridge. This project also included a reconfiguration of the Highway 10/47/169 Interchange. 

We continue to advocate for funding to go towards roads like Highway 212 and 94, bridge projects in Stearns County, and intersection improvements like the one at Annandale State Highway 24 and Hemlock Street. Our state and local officials know how to better handle the resources within their own communities than bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. We will continue to work to direct funds to local planners to improve our state’s roads and bridges and reduce the time it takes for these projects to be completed.  

Read more about my work on transportation here. 

Important Updates: Town Hall Tomorrow & App Challenge Launch! 

We’re back in Washington this week, and I look forward to giving everyone an update during my town hall tomorrow. We will begin at 7PM CT, and all topics are open for discussion; however, we will be focusing on work force issues.

I’ll be joined by two experts from Career Solutions and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. They will be able to assist with a variety of concerns for Minnesotans seeking employment opportunities and information about our current work force challenges.

I hope you will join us for another successful telephone town hall, and you can learn more about how to participate by visiting my website here!   

This week, I am also excited to announce that registration for the Congressional App Challenge is now open!

Congress established the App Challenge to promote Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) skills which are critical to the American workforce. This competition invites middle and high school students around the country to compete against their classmates in creating their own software application, better known as an app. 

The application period is now open! To learn about how to apply, and to learn the rules surrounding the Challenge, click here. The registration deadline is November 1, 2021. Register today!

Securing Relief for Rural Hospitals

This past year, our doctors, nurses, and health care administrators went above and beyond during the COVID-19 outbreak to care for our most vulnerable. Congress adopted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Relief (CARES) Act which established the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) to direct funding and resources to our hospitals, health systems, and frontline workers.

Congress intended for this program to keep hospitals staffed and functioning. Unfortunately, the current guidelines for this program have put rural providers in a position where they will be forced to return their funds to the Department of the Treasury (Treasury). Over the last year, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) – the department responsible for implementing the PRF - released more than 30 different versions of guidance for this fund! This uncertainty has caused rural providers to withhold from utilizing their allocations out of fear of falling out of compliance.

Yesterday, I led a bipartisan letter to the HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra urging him to correct the PRF reporting requirements before the June 30, 2021 deadline, when hundreds of rural hospitals will be required to return their funds to the federal government.

Due to unclear and burdensome guidance, a significant portion of this program – designed by Congress to be a lifeline to struggling providers – will ultimately be returned to the Treasury. This is unacceptable, which is why I will continue to fight for rural providers and their patients. 

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,