Category: Dean Phillips

Minnesotans in Congress get troubling look at U.S.-Mexico border

Reps. Dean Phillips and Pete Stauber saw wretched conditions at U.S.-Mexico border.

WASHINGTON, DC – The national immigration debate has turned the southern border into a popular destination for members of Congress, including several Minnesota lawmakers from both parties who report being shocked by what they saw.

“I’d seen the photos and read some accounts,” said Rep. Dean Phillips, a Democrat. “I anticipated I’d see difficult conditions, but what I saw was almost indescribable. I couldn’t believe that, in my own country, that people were being kept in the ways that I saw.”

Phillips’ most recent trip to the Rio Grande Valley in Texas was on July 19, where he and a bipartisan group of House members inspected ports of entry, a Border Patrol station, a centralized processing center and the border itself. It was his second visit in a period of less than two months, following a conversation with Rep. Pete Stauber about his own visit in there in April.

View the complete August 2 article by Patrick Condon on The Star Tribune website here.

The relatable Minnesota freshman taking on Congress

Dean Phillips says his Jewish ancestors’ escape from persecution spurs his battle against hate

Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) is a spirits and gelato entrepreneur, a father and now a newly elected congressman. He’s also the descendant of Jewish refugees who fled to the United States to escape pogroms in eastern Europe.

Phillips is most often seen as the relatable millionaire-next-door — a successful businessman from a well-to-do family who is still down-to-earth and accessible. During his 2018 campaign for Minnesota’s third district, Phillips drove around the neighborhood in a restored 1960s milk truck.

His Jewish identity is at the core of his politics, and he’s willing to invoke that when necessary. In March, Phillips demanded an apology from fellow Minnesota Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar after she charged that American supporters of Israel have “allegiance to a foreign country.” A month earlier, responding to another controversial antisemitic comment by Omar, Phillips said that she had “propagated dangerous and destructive stereotypes of the Jewish people and the State of Israel.”

View the complete August 1 article by Laura Kelly on the Jewish Insider website here.

Panel on sex trafficking in Minnesota a step toward new laws, policy

As the U.S. House of Representatives begins its summer recess, some members of Congress have headed back to their districts to gather information that will be used to craft future laws and policies.

Congressman Dean Phillips held a roundtable discussion about sex trafficking and sexual violence on Saturday in Minnetonka.

The panel included state health and public safety officials, as well as representatives from groups that work with survivors of sex trafficking and sexual assault.

View the complete July 27 article by John Nguyen on the MPR News website here.

Reps. Angie Craig, Dean Phillips Lead Effort To Lower Insulin Costs

Bill would provide emergency insulin and lower costs for Minnesotans

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Reps. Angie Craig (MN-02) and Dean Phillips (MN-03) introduced H.R. 4010, The Emergency Access to Insulin Act. This bill would increase insulin access for underinsured and uninsured patients, make insulin more affordable, and hold big drug companies accountable for jacking up insulin prices and making other life-saving drugs unaffordable for Minnesota families.

The price of insulin has increased by over 600% in recent years, leading Minnesotans to risk their lives by rationing their supplies. This bill, which is the House companion to U.S. Sen. Tina Smith’s Senate bill, would:

  • Provide states with federal grants to set up short-term emergency insulin supplies for uninsured and underinsured patients
  • Help patients find long-term affordable insulin options
  • Penalize big pharmaceutical companies for excessive price increases

“This is not an issue we have the luxury of waiting on. Minnesotans are dying because of the outrageous cost of insulin and other life-saving prescription drugs,” said Rep. Craig. “This bill provides real, immediate solutions to the skyrocketing cost of insulin, while also looking toward long-term fixes by holding big pharmaceutical companies accountable for their bad faith efforts to profit off the backs of working families. I’m proud to partner with my fellow Minnesotans on this critical effort.”

“Over the past two decades, Minnesotans have suffered from a 600% increase in insulin prices,”said Rep. Phillips. “That’s outrageous. Families should not be held hostage by big pharma’s predatory pricing practices. I’m proud to lead this bill with Congresswoman Craig and continue the fight for affordable and accessible health care. We owe it to everyone in our community who relies on this life-saving drug.”

DFL Sends Kendall Qualls’ Political Consultant the Paperwork to Run for Congress Himself

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – After Republican and NRCC recruit Kendall Qualls filed to run for congress in Minnesota’s 3rd district, he refused to answer all questions on his own campaign and directed the press to ask his political consultant, Gregg Peppin, instead. Today, the Minnesota DFL has sent political consultant Gregg Peppin the paperwork necessary to run for congress himself.

“It’s bizarre that Kendall Qualls cannot answer why he’s running for congress,” said DFL Chairman Ken Martin. “Worse still, Kendall Qualls is relying on political consultant Gregg Peppin to explain Qualls’ own candidacy for him. If Qualls is just going to be a mouthpiece for political consultant Gregg Peppin, perhaps Gregg Peppin should be the one running for congress. To facilitate this, the Minnesota DFL has sent political consultant Peppin the paperwork needed to declare a run for congress.”

The Minnesota DFL sent Gregg Peppin the following documents:

  • A letter from DFL Chairman Ken Martin
  • The Federal Elections Commission’s Statement of Candidacy Form
  • The Federal Elections Commission’s Statement of Organization Form
  • The Minnesota Secretary of State’s Affidavit of Candidacy Form

“Mr. Peppin will need to come up with Minnesota’s $300 filing fee himself,” added Martin.

 

Phillips, Problem Solvers Caucus Members Return From Bipartisan Visit to Southern Border

WASHINGTON – Last Friday, members of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus visited McAllen, TX to see facilities and conditions at the southern border. The trip was led by Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) and Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-PA). Members visited the Donna Holding Facility for family units and unaccompanied children, the Port of Entry in Hidalgo, a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) living and learning center for unaccompanied minors run by the non-profit BCFS, and the McAllen Central Processing Center.

After the visit, the Members sat together to continue the Caucus’s discussions of potential solutions that members of both parties could support. Afterward, the group held a press conference that can be viewed here.

cid:image001.jpg@01D5414D.E1AA76B0

Click here to view the full press conference that followed the group discussion Continue reading “Phillips, Problem Solvers Caucus Members Return From Bipartisan Visit to Southern Border”

ICYMI: Kendall Qualls Can’t Say Why He’s Running for Congress

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Yesterday, Kendall Qualls filed paperwork to run for congress in Minnesota’s 3rd congressional district. In a story published in the Star Tribune, Qualls refused to answer any questions from the press about his run for congress, instead directing all inquiries to political consultant Gregg Peppin.

EXCERPT FROM THE STAR TRIBUNE:

Republican Kendall Qualls declared his intention to seek the suburban House seat in a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission Tuesday.

Qualls declined to comment when reached by phone by the Star Tribune, saying he is referring all inquiries to his political consultant. The consultant did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party Chairman Ken Martin released the following statement in response:

Continue reading “ICYMI: Kendall Qualls Can’t Say Why He’s Running for Congress”

Rep. Phillips Votes to Pass Raise the Wage Act

WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) today voted in favor of H.R. 582, the Raise the Wage Act, which passed the House by a vote of 233 to 199. The bill increases the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour gradually over seven years. It also includes a requirement, supported by Phillips, that the Government Accountability Office continue to monitor the impacts of the rising minimum wage, ensuring accountability for Congress and transparency for the American people.

“After Congress failed to act on wages for nearly a decade, I’m proud to be a part of the 116thCongress that is again taking meaningful action to help people who are struggling to get by,” said Phillips. “This bill would ensure that, as we move from $7.25 to $15 per hour, we remain vigilant in observing the impacts on our economy, on workers, and on small businesses. It also included a longer phase-in than originally proposed. For those reasons, I voted yes. Still, the legislation before us today was not perfect. I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure any bill that ultimately becomes law is good for both workers and small businesses here and across the country.”

The Raise the Wage Act would deliver a long-overdue pay-raise to millions of working families who are currently experiencing the longest period in history without an increase in the federal minimum wage. As with nearly every other major piece of legislation passed by the House in this Congress, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has vowed to block a vote in the Senate.

 

Phillips to Lead Problem Solvers Caucus on a Bipartisan Visit to the Southern Border

WASHINGTON, DC – Members of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus will be visiting the southern border of the United States in the Rio Grande Valley on Friday, July 19, 2019. Among the facilities the Caucus members will be inspecting are points of entry, a border patrol station, and a centralized processing center. Caucus members will also be inspecting the physical U.S.-Mexican border and will participate in briefings and discussions with experts on the ground. Reps. Lloyd Smucker (R-PA) and Dean Phillips (D-MN) are co-leading the Problem Solvers Caucus’s visit.

“Like so many Americans, I remain deeply concerned about the humanitarian crisis at our border that is affecting so many children and families. It’s important that members of the Problem Solvers Caucus are able to speak with experts on the ground during their inspection of the facilities there,” said Rep. Josh Gottheimer.

“We care deeply about the people caught up in the broken immigration system.  As a result, we need to come together to find a solution to this crisis that can be signed into law,” said Rep. Tom Reed.  “We, as a caucus, and more broadly, as a nation, need to have the hard discussions on this matter in order to find consensus that ensures the safety of our border and fair treatment of all immigrants, legal and illegal.” Continue reading “Phillips to Lead Problem Solvers Caucus on a Bipartisan Visit to the Southern Border”