U.S./Canada Border Closure

For more than a year, the Canadian border has remained off limits for all but "essential" travel. Nowhere have these prolonged restrictions been more difficult than in Minnesota's Northwest Angle, where the only way to reach the Angle by land is through a remote 40-mile stretch of Canadian highway. Despite the widespread availability effective vaccines and treatment options, the Canadian government has inexplicably continued to tighten the restrictions. This is going to require a bilateral solution at the highest levels, but that will not happen until the Biden administration chooses to engage with the Canadian government.

Click here to read my commentary about the northern border crisis in the Star Tribune.

#KeepThe9

D.C. Statehood

Democrats continue to push highly partisan and controversial legislation through the House, just as they did with the passage of the Washington, D.C. Admission Act late last week. The bill would make Washington, D.C. the 51st state.

I voted against the bill because I believe statehood for the District of Columbia is an unconstitutional power grab. Instead of tackling the many challenges facing our country, Democrats are pursuing this for one reason and one reason only: consolidating their political power by adding two senators and at least one representative from a highly progressive constituency. There is a reason the push for statehood for the District of Columbia has failed in previous Congresses. It is not at all sensible policy, and playing politics at a time when many challenges remain unaddressed is a regrettable use of Congress’s time.

Protecting Life & Taxpayers Act

Expecting taxpayers to foot the bill for a procedure many find morally reprehensible is callous, at best, and organizations that capitalize on the heartbreak of women as they line their own pockets have no businesses being funded by the government.

Rural Broadband Internet

In Minnesota's 7th District, one in five farms still lack access to a high-speed internet connection. That's why I was pleased to participate in the House Agriculture Committee's hearing on rural broadband internet.

As I said in my remarks, we need to make sure the focus is not only on investing in rural broadband infrastructure, but also making sure the broadband makes it right to peoples' doors.  Access to broadband internet can make or break you, and it has become that much more of a necessity in the age of COVID. Farmers need connectivity for their machinery and fieldwork; families need connectivity for doctor appointments and schoolwork; small businesses need connectivity to engage with suppliers and customers around the world.

This issue remains one of my top priorities, and I remain hopeful that we will make substantial progress on expanding rural broadband internet access yet this year.

I met with students from Southwest Minnesota Christian High School in Edgerton, who were in D.C. on their senior trip. The Capitol complex remains closed to the public due to the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, so we met outside at The Spirit of Justice Park. They are the first school group to visit me in Washington!

Meeting virtually with members of the Renewable Fuels Association Board of Directors (left) and the International Dairy Foods Association (right). 

My staff and I met virtually with James Rajotte, the Senior Representative to the United States from Alberta, Canada (left), and members of the Minnesota Banking Association (right).

Reading List

fischbach.house.gov

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