Category: Dean Phillips

Congressman Dean Phillips Update: January 17, 2020

Hi Neighbors,

I’m checking in as the snow hits to tell you more about my week in Washington – and I’m happy to report that it was full of bipartisan work. Before I share the details, I want to remind you about our community conversation on affordable housing coming up next Friday. I encourage you to spread the word and I hope to see you there.

STANDING TOGETHER TO PROTECT THE BWCA

On Wednesday I joined Rep. Betty McCollum and some of my extraordinary constituents as we introduced legislation to protect the BWCA by permanently removing roughly 234,000 aces of federal wilderness lands and waters from sulfide-ore and copper mining. I’m very grateful to Rep. Francis Rooney and Rep. Fred Upton, our Republican partners on this important legislation, who shared their own Boundary Waters stories and remind us all that preserving our precious waters is an American issue, not a partisan one. Continue reading “Congressman Dean Phillips Update: January 17, 2020”

ICYMI: Rep. Phillips Pens Bipartisan Washington Post Column


“WE DIFFER IN OUR POLITICS. WE AGREE ON CONGRESS’S POWER TO DECLARE WAR.”

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) teamed up with Reps. Justin Amash (I-MI), Ken Buck (R-CO), Jared Golden (D-ME), Scott Perry (R-PA), Chip Roy (R-TX) and Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) to call on their colleagues to put aside partisanship and safeguard the constitutional duty of Congress to declare war by reconsidering the 2001 and 2002 authorizations for use of military force (AUMFs). In a joint opinion piece published in the Washington Post, they write:

We differ in our politics. We agree on Congress’s power to declare war.

Reps. Justin Amash (I-MI), Ken Buck (R-CO), Jared Golden (D-ME), Scott Perry (R-PA), Dean Phillips (D-MN), Chip Roy (R-TX), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), Washington Post, January 16, 2020

We are members of Congress whose political ideologies and priorities run the gamut, but we are united in our determination to safeguard the constitutional duty of Congress to declare war and to ensure that the American people have their voices heard. This duty is essential to providing the men and women of our armed forces the support and clarity of mission they deserve. Continue reading “ICYMI: Rep. Phillips Pens Bipartisan Washington Post Column”

Rep. Phillips’ Banking Regulator Oversight Bill Passes

WASHINGTON, DC—This week, the House of Representatives passed the bipartisan Prudential Regulator Oversight Act (H.R. 4841), authored by Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03). The legislation requires federal prudential banking regulators to provide annual testimony to the House Financial Services Committee, along with semiannual reports on their supervisory and regulatory activities. Reps. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH), and Joyce Beatty (D-OH) are original co-sponsors.

Prudential regulators—the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), and the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA)—are responsible for promoting bank solvency and avoiding bank failures, and thus protect taxpayers and the stability of the financial system.

“Congress has an important role to play in ensuring that Americans know that their government is doing everything it can to protect their savings and retirement. This bill does just that,” Phillips said. “Every American knows that banking is complicated, and no institution is too big for oversight.”

 

When the Dodd-Frank Act was passed in 2010 in response to the financial crisis, it became a requirement and an expectation that Congress would hear from the leaders at the Federal Reserve at regular intervals regarding its efforts, activities and plans with respect to their supervisory conduct. Yet there is no such requirement for regulators at the FDIC, the NCUA or the OCC—institutions that are charged with monitoring the safety and soundness of the U.S. financial system, as well as compliance with federal banking laws approved by Congress.

 

Rep. Phillips Statement on Yesterday’s War Powers Vote

“As a Gold Star son, I know the human cost of war is immeasurable. That’s why we need a vigorous, bipartisan debate before making the very grave decision of sending young American men and women to battle. Our founding fathers believed such deliberation was so essential that they mandated in our Constitution that a President cannot go to war by fiat – he or she must first consult with Congress.

In affirmation of the Constitution, I voted in support of today’s War Powers resolution. However, I am disappointed with the decision to bring this bill to the floor at this time. If such resolutions are not bipartisan and unanimous, it can send the wrong message to the world and to our enemies. It’s my hope and intention to inspire a new generation of leadership in Congress that commits to enhanced collaboration and reduced division.

Over the Christmas holiday, I traveled to American military bases in the Persian Gulf to meet with our military leaders and service members and their families. They are all on my mind and in my prayers. Our men and women in uniform deserve to be supported by a leader with a steady hand, a well-conceived strategy, and a Congress willing to exercise its Constitutional duty with their safety in mind.”

Rep. Dean Phillips Launches Student Essay Competition in 3rd Congressional District

MINNETONKA, MN – Today, Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) kicked-off his first student essay competition. Phillips invites all middle and high school students living or attending school in Minnesota’s Third Congressional District to submit a 600 word essay to the competition by February 17, 2020. In the essay prompt, Phillips asks:

Reflect on an unsung hero (living or dead) with a connection to Minnesota who made a positive impact on the lives of others. How did their work impact their community, and why should other people know their story?

A panel of expert judges will select one winning middle school essay and one winning high school essay. Winners will be invited to present their essays to Congressman Phillips and will receive assistance in submitting their pieces for publication in local newspapers. Continue reading “Rep. Dean Phillips Launches Student Essay Competition in 3rd Congressional District”

Rep. Dean Phillips Update: January 3, 2020

Happy New Year, Friends!

One year ago today, I took an oath to the Constitution and began my service as your representative in Congress. That responsibility has been one of the greatest honors of my life, and I’m reflecting with gratitude on 2019. We celebrated successes, listened, and learned – and there’s more hard work ahead.

ONE YEAR REPRESENTING YOU

In 2019, we reaffirmed this simple truth – as Americans, there’s more that unites us than divides. We’re in this together, and everyone wins when we’re all at the table. Here’s a look at the work we did together last year: Continue reading “Rep. Dean Phillips Update: January 3, 2020”

Rep. Phillips hosts conversation on federal fiscal responsibility

Event at Minnetonka High School focused on the national debt

It was standing room only at Minnetonka High School as Dean Phillips, the U.S. representative for Minnesota’s Third Congressional District, hosted a community conversation focused on federal fiscal responsibility.

“We’re here tonight because we have a $23 trillion dollar national debt. … I am so glad that you are all here tonight, but we have got to inject this issue into the national discourse and do something about it,” Phillips said at the top of his presentation Dec. 16 in the school’s forum room.

Phillips first provided a breakdown of where the federal government spent most of its money for 2019.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, 47% ($2.09 billion) of the budget was spent on mandatory items such as Social Security benefits, Medicare and Medicaid. Around 30% of the budget was for discretionary spending, with around half ($654 billion) going toward defense. Close to 10% ($423 billion) of the budget went toward interest on the debt.

Continue reading

Rep. Phillips Spends Holidays with Troops in the Middle East

MIDDLE EAST – Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) returned today from spending his holiday week visiting U.S. troops serving in the CENTCOM Area of Operations in the Middle East. From December 22 – 26, Phillips traveled with a bipartisan Congressional delegation and discussed the fight against ISIS in Syria and Iraq, Iranian aggression, and trade in a series of high-level diplomatic and military visits in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar. Phillips also served holiday meals, delivered gifts, and passed out holiday cards from preschoolers at St. David’s Academy in Minnetonka and several New Horizon locations in Minnesota’s Third District to troops in at every stop.

“As a Gold Star Son, my gratitude to our outstanding men and women in uniform is immeasurable,” said Phillips. “It is was my honor to spend the holidays with these brave Americans, whose service and sacrifice keep us all safe. As we spend time with our loved ones this holiday season, may we all reflect on their extraordinary sacrifice and honor them with our own acts of service in our own community.” Continue reading “Rep. Phillips Spends Holidays with Troops in the Middle East”

Rep. Phillips Votes to Pass Strong, Bipartisan USMCA Trade Deal

WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) voted for a strong and enforceable USMCA trade deal, which passed the House today. The deal will improve the American economy, safeguard workers’ rights, protect the environment, and improve access to affordable prescription drugs.

“I’m on a mission to restore Americans’ faith in our government, and the USMCA deal we announced today is exactly how our process should work,” said Phillips. “Republicans and Democrats in Congress, the White House, businesses, and labor organizations came together to forge a strong and solvent deal that is good for everyone. Whether it’s increasing patients’ access to affordable prescriptions, protecting workers, or keeping international markets open for Minnesota businesses  – this deal is proof that we all win when everyone comes to the table in good faith.”

Rep. Phillips was heavily involved in the passage of the trade deal, both through the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus and as an individual lawmaker. He pushed hard for fixes related to drug prices and labor enforcement, and convened a September meeting with Cargill CEO Dave MacLennan and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in Washington to discuss the negotiations. Continue reading “Rep. Phillips Votes to Pass Strong, Bipartisan USMCA Trade Deal”

Rep. Dean Phillips: Keep the faith and keep in touch

Hi Friends,

As we near the end of a historic week in Washington, I want to remind you how much I value your thoughts, ideas, and even criticisms. I am working hard to serve our country, our community, and you.

CONNECTING WITH YOU

On Monday, more than 120 Minnesotans joined me for a community conversation on fiscal responsibility in Minnetonka. With a federal budget deficit exceeding $1 trillion and annual federal interest payments topping $400 million, we’re on a dangerous fiscal path. That’s why I wanted to hear from experts, and you, before returning to Washington to vote on bipartisan spending packages that will fund our government for the coming year. We need to inject a little more fiscal responsibility into our national discourse, and I’m on a mission to bring more of your hard-earned dollars back to Minnesota. Continue reading “Rep. Dean Phillips: Keep the faith and keep in touch”