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OCTOBER 24, 2025
Dear Fourth District Constituent,
We are in the fourth week of the Republican government shutdown. I spent this week in Washington and meeting with federal employees in Minnesota. Our federal public servants deserve our thanks and they deserve their paychecks for the jobs they do for us. On Thursday I held virtual town hall from my office in Washington, DC. During the town hall, I addressed the Republican government shutdown and the health care crisis created by President Trump and Congressional Republicans. A full recording of the 30-minute town hall is available to watch on my Facebook Page and my YouTube Channel, where you can subscribe to watch new videos I post every week.
Republicans control the White House, the House, and the Senate. Twenty-four days ago Republicans shut down the government after they failed to pass government funding by October 1st. Their partisan temporary funding bill has failed in the Senate more than 12 times. Unbelievably, the House has only held votes on 12 days since July when they passed the One Big Ugly Law, which stripped away health care from nearly 20,000 Minnesotans and failed to renew the Affordable Care Act tax credits that help over 8,000 East Metro residents afford their care. Speaker Johnson has not scheduled any votes in the House since September 19th.
A government shutdown and a growing health care crisis are not good for anyone. I have returned to Washington each week with my Democratic colleagues, ready to work with Republicans. Clearly Republicans need Democratic votes, so they must work with us on bipartisan legislation to reopen government to serve the American people, pay our hardworking federal workers, and fix the Republican health care crisis. It’s time to end the shutdown.
WASHINGTON, D.C. UPDATE
The White House is Under Destruction: Trump Tears Down the 123-Year-Old East Wing
What does the White House mean to you? Here’s how First Lady Betty Ford described the East Wing: "If the West Wing is the mind of the nation, then the East Wing is the heart."
Entrance of the East Wing adorned in holiday decorations in December 2024.
For 123 years, the East Wing of the White House was part of American History: home to the First Lady’s office, White House military liaison, the official calligrapher – and the place where millions of visitors have entered the White House for official tours. A past expansion of the East Wing was designed to hide a World War II bunker built underneath the building. Read more interesting facts here.
The White House doesn't belong to any president, it belongs to all of us. Until this week, at no time in U.S. history has a president unilaterally acted to destroy part of the White House. The White House is a piece of living history. President Trump's decision to destroy the East Wing shows disrespect to the American people. Did anyone vote to tear down the White House? And for what? A gilded ballroom that will be twice as large as the White House itself.
 Construction crews tear down the East Wing of the White House at the direction of President Trump.
As the price for Trump’s ballroom ballooned from $200 million to $300 million this week (a number which seems likely to grow) no one has seen final plans. Nor do we have an accurate accounting of who is paying, other than a variety of crypto and tech titans including Coinbase, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. This is not only the destruction of a beautiful structure. It is the decimation of American history. Visitors to Washington, DC should anticipate that White House tours will be suspended for the duration of Trump's presidency.
Speaker Johnson Disrespects Arizonans, Refuses to Swear-in Congresswoman-elect Grijalva for Over a Month
Every day that Speaker Johnson refuses to swear in Congresswoman-elect Grijalva, he continues to deny the people of Arizona their voice and their vote in Congress. It's taxation without representation. She was elected over a month ago and is still waiting – Arizona has filed a lawsuit against the federal government to have her sworn in. And if you ask me, it’s because once she’s sworn in, we will have the 218 signatures needed to release the Epstein files.
Fighting Back Against Trump’s Attacks on Community Investments
Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) invest, lend, and deliver responsible, affordable financial products and services to the most economically burdened communities across the country. In Minnesota, CDFIs have helped finance nearly 16,000 small and micro businesses, have created over 37,000 affordable housing units, and have created or retained over 196,000 jobs. On October 10th, President Trump terminated every single employee of the CDFI Fund, a federal program appropriated by Congress to help CDFIs spur economic development across the country. These terminations are being challenged in court, but if implemented it would effectively halt the operations of the CDFI Fund. This week, I sent a letter to President Trump demanding that he reinstate all CDFI Fund employees and stop his attacks on this effective federal program.
Meeting with the Prime Minister of Australia
On Tuesday, I met with the with the Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese. Australia is strong friend and ally to the United States and a key economic and security partner in the Pacific. The Prime Minister was in Washington to discuss important issues to our two nations including trade, joint economic investment on critical minerals, and the shared national security interests of our two democracies that includes the AUKUS partnership. As the United States competes with China on the global stage, it's vital that our nation works together with other democracies like Australia to maintain a united front.
 Congresswoman McCollum (right) met with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (center) and Australian Ambassador to the United States Kevin Rudd (left) during an event at the Blair House on Tuesday.
MINNESOTA UPDATE
Medicare Open Enrollment is Underway
Medicare Open Enrollment runs through December 7th, 2025. Plans change, as do health needs, so it is important for Medicare beneficiaries to compare their 2026 plan options. Visit Medicare.gov, call Minnesota Aging Pathways (formerly the Senior LinkAge Line) at 1-800-333-2433, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) for free assistance.
Open enrollment through MNsure begins November 1st and runs through January 15th, 2025. You don’t have to wait until next Sunday to see your options: visit mnsure.org or call 651-539-2099 or 855-366-7873 to shop and compare plans for next year. As you sign up for a plan, prepare for sticker shock due to major cost increases caused by the Big Ugly Law. Look at your plans early so you can make the right decision for your health care needs. MNsure also provides free assistance and enrollment events across the state for anyone in need.
Highway Closures This Weekend
Westbound lanes of I-94 between I-35E and Dale Street will be closed from 10 P.M. Friday through 5 A.M. Monday. The Marion Street ramp entrance onto eastbound I-94 and the westbound I-94 exit ramp onto Marion Street will also close beginning at 8 P.M. on Friday. More information here.
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS
Visiting Washington, DC? Here's What's Still Open
My staff have all been deemed essential, meaning my employees in both Saint Paul and Washington, DC continue to work through the shutdown without pay. I encourage you to still visit my Washington, DC office if you are in the Nation's Capitol in the near future. Please note that many things will be closed during the government shutdown. This includes the Smithsonian Museums, which are closed for the duration of the shutdown. The Capitol Visitor Center is closed and tours are on pause until the end of the government shutdown, as well. Despite a Republican health care crisis and government shutdown, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt this week said that "the ballroom is really the president’s main priority."
Service Academy Nominations
My office is still accepting applications for nominations to the U.S. Service Academies for the Class of 2030 until Monday, November 3, 2025. Students interested in attending West Point, the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy, or the Merchant Marine Academy must receive a congressional nomination to be considered. Students are encouraged to apply early and to also seek nominations from both U.S. Senators from Minnesota. Learn more and access the application here.
Deadline Approaching for the 2025 Congressional App Challenge
You still have the chance to enter and submit an app to the 2025 Congressional App Challenge until October 30th by 7:00 PM CT! Middle and high school students in the Fourth District with an interest in coding are encouraged to create and submit an app to solve a problem, or provide education or entertainment. Learn more about the rules and important deadlines here.
I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
Thank you to everyone who's shared their health care story with me. If you are impacted by Republicans' cuts to health care, I want to hear about it. Please contact my office directly at (651) 224-9191 or click here to share your story.
Thank You
Thank you to the hundreds of new subscribers to my weekly newsletter! This update is designed to provide timely information about my work in Washington and Minnesota, and to provide resources that can be helpful to you. As always, please stay in touch: Voice your policy opinion, ask for help with a federal agency, or find all of my recent statements at mccollum.house.gov.
Sincerely,
Betty McCollum
Member of Congress
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