Dear Friend,

Last week, we saw some significant legislative developments in Washington, D.C. One of them was the passage of the Willie O’Ree Congressional Gold Medal Act, something my office has worked extensively on to finally give a hockey legend the recognition he deserves. And despite President Biden’s hour-and-a-half press conference last week, the Senate once again rejected Democrats’ efforts to federalize our elections.

You can read more about my week below…

Honoring a hockey legend

Last week, Congress finally honored an icon of American sports. The Willie O’Ree Congressional Gold Medal Act passed the House on Wednesday, an exciting step to long-deserved recognition.

In 1958, Willie O’Ree was called up from the minors to play for the Boston Bruins, becoming the first black player in NHL history. Despite his background and having no sight in one eye (which he concealed to pass the NHL’s medical exam), Willie stepped up. He endured racism, bigotry, and prejudice from players and fans alike.

Willie persevered to play more than twenty-four seasons in the NHL and minor leagues. Following his professional hockey career, he became the NHL’s Diversity Ambassador, where he established the “Hockey Is for Everyone” initiative to offer marginalized and disadvantaged children an opportunity to play hockey and develop important life skills.

Congressman Emmer speaks on the House floor in support of his Willie O’Ree Congressional Gold Medal Act

As a player, coach, fan, and hockey dad a few times over, I was proud to champion this legislation. Willie has inspired so many—myself included—and it is time for his story to be recognized.

Addressing skyrocketing inflation

If you’ve shopped for groceries, gassed up your car, or paid your heating bill in the past few months, you’re already felt the impact of skyrocketing prices. A Consumer Price Index released earlier this month showed a 7% increase in inflation—the highest since 1982. To make matters worse, only 17% of American workers report that their wages have kept pace with rising prices—costing the average worker nearly two months of wages.

While believe that inflation is driven by high government spending, we don’t need a partisan debate—we need answers. Rising prices are a crisis hammering every household in America, and I am committed to finding a solution.

Standing up for life

Saturday marked the 49^th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision which legalized abortion. In recognition of this difficult anniversary, thousands of Americans united for life marched in Washington, D.C. and at the Minnesota State Capitol.

As a father, the inalienable right to life is especially close to my heart. My wife, Jacquie, and I are blessed with seven children. Every single one of them is precious to us. I’m committed to ensuring that every person, no matter how small, can experience the gift of life. I am proud to support several bills will confirm that all lives are worthy of protection and care.

I serve as a cosponsor of the Life at Conception Act, which will finally provide unborn children with legal protection under the Equal Protection Clause. I am also a supporter of the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would criminalize performing an abortion on a fetus older than twenty-two weeks—the age when the fetus is able to experience pain. Additionally, I am a proud cosponsor of the Born-alive Abortion Survivors Act, which would guarantee babies born after an attempted abortion would receive identical care to any other child born prematurely.

Tax Resources

Believe it or not, it’ time to start preparing for the 2021 tax season. Given the hurdles many of us faced during the 2020 tax season (the IRS is still processing some 2020 returns), it pays to be prepared and file early to avoid any delays on your refund.

To receive your refund on time, it is important to avoid some basic mistakes while filing. These include:

• Filing an incomplete return
• Failure to include a 1099 or W-2 on a paper return
• Calculation errors

While these seem like small mistakes, they can add months to your processing time. Additionally, be aware that if you received a Child Tax Credit payment or Economic Impact Payment during 2021, these will need to be documented and reported. If you are unsure of the timing or amount of the payment you received, you can find that information at IRS.gov.

Please note: The IRS will send Letter 6419 in January of 2022 to provide the total amount of advance Child Tax Credit payments that were received in 2021. The IRS urges taxpayers receiving these letters to make sure they hold onto them to assist them in preparing their 2021 federal tax returns in 2022.

Another way to prevent delays is by filing your taxes electronically. While this option is not practical for everyone, it will cut down on the IRS’s processing time.

Remember, the deadline for submitting your 2021 returns is April 18, 2022. If you need more time to file, you can request an extension from the IRS here.
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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,