News from Representative Betty McCollum

February 16, 2023

Dear Fourth District Constituent,

At the beginning of this week, I met with Mayors from around the Fourth Congressional District to discuss their priorities and how we can best work together to serve our constituents.

I also stopped by the Minnesota State Capitol to help kick off the first day of the state legislative session, joining advocates to rally in support of the Equal Rights Amendment. Women's basic and fundamental rights must be guaranteed in the Constitution!

It was also great to see Minnesotans showing their love for the BWCA on Valentine's Day during Boundary Waters Day at the Minnesota State Capitol!

Update from D.C.

This week I was able to catch up with Chairman Fairbanks of White Earth Tribal Nation. I am proud to work alongside him and other tribal leaders in advancing tribal self-governance.

I spoke at the National Congress of American Indians' Executive Council Winter Session to underscore how the federal government has a moral and legal obligation to uphold trust and treaty rights and to protect Native American cultural and natural resources. We also celebrated our success in securing advance appropriations for the Indian Health Service. Stable funding for health care services is essential for tribal communities, and I will continue to work toward making this permanent.

I also welcomed our Ramsey and Washington County Commissioners to my D.C. office to check in on the impact our federal policies have on county governments and vice versa-for housing, community development, transit, clean energy, and more.

Chaos Caucus, Continued

This week, on their second effort on the floor, the House Republicans put up enough votes to overcome bipartisan opposition and pass their sham impeachment of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

I reiterate that Sec. Mayorkas has not violated the law, let alone committed "high crimes and misdemeanors," which is the constitutional standard for impeachment. This sham is yet another political stunt from the House Republican Majority, while they simultaneously fail to do anything to help meet the security needs of Americans or our allies around the world.

As an urgent matter of national security, Congress must provide funding to strengthen our national defense and ensure Ukraine can continue to protect its democracy from Russia's unprovoked war of aggression. Without this comprehensive funding, Russia could defeat Ukraine and move on to attacking our NATO allies in Europe. An expanded conflict would directly endanger more than 100,000 U.S. service members and their families.

Beyond the risk to lives, it would cause devastating damage to the American economy and our standing on the global stage. Inaction by House Republicans who remain beholden to MAGA extremists threatens Americans and our national security. The stakes are high, and failure in Ukraine is not an option.