Last summer, President Trump’s national opioid commission recommended that he declare the opioid epidemic a “national emergency” or a “public health emergency.” It was my hope that the President would choose the former, which would have allowed for the use of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds to combat addiction. Instead, the president chose to declare...

This year we will mark the 147th observance of Memorial Day. While many spend the long weekend enjoying the first days of summer with friends and family, we should not lose sight of the meaning behind this federal holiday. I hope you will take a moment to reflect on this Memorial Day. Government leaders first established “Declaration Day” following the Civil War as an...

A few days ago, the House of Representatives passed another short-term, limited patch to address the growing funding crisis for transportation in this country. Meanwhile, shovel-ready projects in the 7th District stand idle. Time is of the essence. In Minnesota, our lingering, cold winters leave a short window for the construction season. Long-term certainty is the only way to...

June 6, 2014, marks the 70th anniversary of D-Day, the first day of the invasion at Normandy. Our country will long remember those Americans who bravely gave or risked their lives for a worthy cause. I would like to recognize the 16 million Americans who served in the armed forces during World War II and the millions more who supported them at home. Throughout my congressional...

After nearly four years of work, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the 2014 Farm Bill conference report (H.R. 2642) with a bipartisan 251-166 vote on January 29. It’s been a challenging and sometimes frustrating few years. I’ve described the process as lunacy, Never-Never Land, and have lamented being caught in farm bill hell. But I refused to give up and through it...