Dear Friend,

The House of Representatives has a busy week ahead, with trillions of dollars on the line. Speaker Pelosi continues to hold funding for infrastructure investment hostage in order to adopt $3.5 trillion in new spending on “human infrastructure,” accompanied by increased taxes that will undoubtedly impact every American.

As a nation, we are nearly $30 trillion in national debt. Nearly 8.5 million Americans are out of a job and prices on everyday goods and services continue to rise. Last year’s emergency spending during the early days of the pandemic was done in a bipartisan manner in recognition of the need to keep our economy afloat. Unfortunately, recent efforts have been wholly partisan, including $1.9 trillion in new spending in February and this week’s $3.5 trillion reconciliation package.

We cannot continue to dump trillions of dollars into our economy and expect to spend our way out of this pandemic. We must regain control of our spending and refocus our efforts on helping the thousands of employers around the country hire the employees they need to drive our economy forward. Our country was not built by government funding or mandates, it was built by hardworking Americans with the freedom to innovate and create the most dynamic and successful economy the world has ever known. 

It’s time we drop these political charades and return to the core principles that make our country great.

Read on to learn more about what we’re working on…

Upcoming Town Hall & Military Academy Information Night

Next week, I look forward to hosting an in-person town hall in Montrose. Please visit my website for more information.

Soon, my office will also be hosting a Service Academy Night for individuals interested in applying for a nomination to one of our nation’s service academies. The event will be on Monday, October 11, at 6:00 PM CT at the St. Cloud Library in the Mississippi Room. Visit my website to learn more.

The meeting will give participants the opportunity to learn about the application process as well as the Congressional nomination process. Representatives from the United States Military Academy at West Point, the United States Air Force Academy, the United States Naval Academy, and the United States Merchant Marine Academy will be available to answer any questions. To learn more about Military Academy Nominations, click here.

Holding the Biden Administration Accountable

As Americans adjust to living with COVID-19, our border with Canada remains closed. The Biden Administration has once again extended the closure until October 21st.

The closure of our northern border impacted Americans and Canadians alike, though the effects were especially felt by Minnesotans who live in or visit the Northwest Angle. Between the halt to trade, the disruption to tourism, and the general separation of our citizens, the effects of this travel-prohibition have been devastating.

The impact is impossible to quantify exactly, but prior to the pandemic, cross-border trade in goods totaled nearly $720 billion. In fact, 90 percent of the Canadian population lives within 100 miles of the border, making our country Canada’s largest inbound travel market. It’s safe to say, both countries have suffered because of this border closure.

Currently, Customs and Border Protection does not appear to have a plan in place or the resources necessary to execute a safe reopening without causing tremendous delays at land ports of entry. At this point, it doesn’t appear that the Department of Homeland Security has assigned appropriate resources to maintain security and efficiency.

Yesterday, I joined my colleagues Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach and Congressman Pete Stauber in sending a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas requesting an immediate report from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to Congress with a plan for operationalizing new border procedures once reopened.

If the Biden Administration intends to continue keeping our border closed, at the very least, they must produce a plan for reopening. 

Read our letter here.

ICYMI: Don’t Let China Rewrite the Rules

Last week, I joined my friend and colleague, Representative French Hill of Arkansas in writing an opinion piece titled “Don’t Let China Rewrite the Rules for the Global Economy.” It was featured in House Financial Services Committee Ranking Member Patrick McHenry’s editorial in Morning Consult.

Highlights:

• “Organizations that shape the world’s financial architecture, providing countries with lifelines during crises, setting conditions when they borrow, and monitoring the overall health of the global economy. China feels entitled to a greater say in how these organizations work. The U.S. must make it clear that they haven’t earned it.”
• “Most egregiously, the Chinese Communist Party defied international norms of behavior by assaulting Hong Kong’s democracy, stonewalling inquiries into the origins of COVID-19, and carrying out genocide in Xinjiang.”
• “It’s masochistic to believe that a genocidal and expansionary Chinese Communist Party that rejects global rules is qualified to hold greater sway over international financial institutions.”
• “Keeping the pressure on China will be vital until it starts playing by the rules. The tarnished reputation of the WHO serves as a warning to guard against China’s reverse Midas touch wherever possible. There will be times when cooperation with China is necessary, but that cooperation is only sustainable if it’s based on shared values. It is up to China to prove it takes them seriously.”

Read Congressman Emmer & Congressman Hill’s piece by clicking 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,