Tag: 3rd Congressional District

Rep. Dean Phillips Update: October 4, 2019

Hi Friend,

We made it to Friday. I want to take a moment to thank everyone who called, wrote, and took our survey this week as we watched grave events continue to unfold in Washington – your feedback is so important. All the while, there’s a lot of work being done for the American people, so I’m dropping a line to share a few updates from my week:

PROTECTING OUR ELECTIONS FROM FOREIGN INTERFERENCE 

By now it’s clear that our democracy is under attack from the inside and out, and nowhere is that more apparent than in political advertising. That’s why I introduced the Firewall Act today, a bill that prohibits foreign nationals from paying for online advertisements created to attack or support candidates in U.S. elections. Current law prevents similar foreign spending on television, radio, satellite and print ads, leaving bad actors with an open door to spread malice and misinformation online. That’s unacceptable, and Congress should act swiftly to protect voters from foreign meddling, and in doing so, protect our democracy itself. Continue reading “Rep. Dean Phillips Update: October 4, 2019”

Rep. Dean Phillips Introduces Firewall Act to Prohibit Foreign Online Spending in U.S. Elections

Today, Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) introduced the Firewall Act aimed at preventing foreign meddling in U.S. elections. The bill would amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit foreign nationals from paying for online advertisements created to attack or support federal candidates. Current law prevents similar foreign spending on television, radio, satellite and print advertisements, leaving bad actors with an open door to spread malice and misinformation in the burgeoning online political ad market.

“Given the grave nature of events we’re watching unfold in Washington, it is clear that our democracy faces threats from the inside and out,” said Phillips. “Nowhere is that more apparent than in digital political advertising. Americans of all political persuasions are asking us to step up and prevent foreign interference in our elections, and Congress should act swiftly to update our laws and protect our democracy. If we fail to pass the Firewall Act, foreign actors will continue to use online ads to divide and misinform voters, and we will have earned the American people’s distrust in the democratic process.”  Continue reading “Rep. Dean Phillips Introduces Firewall Act to Prohibit Foreign Online Spending in U.S. Elections”

Rep. Dean Phillips Update: September 27, 2019

Dear Neighbors,

I have a lot to share with you today, but first I wanted to address the major news from the week. This is a somber time for our country, but an important time for the Constitution and the rule of law.

On Monday, I endorsed an official impeachment inquiry into the conduct of President Donald Trump. As your representative in Congress, I am on a mission to clean up corruption and restore trust in our government. Central to that mission is ensuring that our elections are fair and free of foreign interference. The President’s own statements, along with the readout released by the President detailing his conversation with Ukraine’s president, have confirmed that he encouraged Ukrainian officials to investigate his political opponent — thereby inviting foreign interference into our democracy.

I have long been concerned with a pattern of behavior unbecoming of the President of The United States of America. It has been corrupt and unethical at best, and treasonous at worst. For me and many of my colleagues, the latest allegation represents a clear violation of our deeply-held principles and values and, very possibly, our laws. Furthermore, the reports were confirmed by the President himself and by documents released by the White House. Continue reading “Rep. Dean Phillips Update: September 27, 2019”

Phillips Statement on Ukraine Allegations

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released the following statement:

“I came to Congress on a mission to clean up corruption and restore America’s trust in our government. It appears that our President encouraged the leader of Ukraine to investigate his political opponent, thereby inviting foreign interference in our democracy. This continues a pattern of behavior that is corrupt at best, treasonous at worst, and puts our rule of law at risk. Our Constitution transcends any person, politician, or political party, and I call on the House Foreign Affairs, Intelligence, and Judiciary Committees to use every legal mechanism possible to obtain all relevant evidence. If the reports are corroborated, we must pursue articles of impeachment and report them to the full House of Representatives for immediate consideration.”

My Week Representing You

Hi Friend,

Greetings from Washington! I’m checking in after another full week of conversations, hearings and votes. Read on to learn more about how I represented you this week:

PROTECTING OUR KIDS FROM THE TRAUMA OF GUN VIOLENCE

For the second week in a row, I joined my colleagues on the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force for a hearing on our nation’s gun violence epidemic. This time, I had the opportunity to ask a panel of experts about the emotional and psychological toll active shooter drills, lockdowns, and the fear of gun violence have on our students and educators. Their answers were profoundly heartbreaking. We cannot let gun violence in America become normalized, and we cannot not let the Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate obstruct the will of the people. That’s why I’m doing everything I can to get common sense gun violence prevention bills passed into law.

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Click here to watch our hearing on the emotional and psychological toll gun violence is taking on our children.

Continue reading “My Week Representing You”

Rep. Phillips Statement on Mitch McConnell Backing $250 Million in Election Security Funding

WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) released the following statement on Mitch McConnell’s decision to support providing states with $250 million in election security funding:

“There is an urgent need to restore public trust in our government, and that means elected officials must act in the public interest. Senator McConnell’s change of heart is welcome news, but far more needs to be done to secure our elections from foreign interference. The House passed the SAFE Act in June that would provide the level of robust funding our states actually need to secure their election systems. We need verifiable paper ballots all over the country that can be efficiently monitored. And we need to comprehensively address other avenues for election interference – with bills like Senator Klobuchar’s bipartisan HONEST Ads Act. Senator McConnell can and should support all of these efforts.

This is a beginning. I invite Senator McConnell to engage with members of both political parties and continue the work of protecting our democracy. The American people are counting on us to put politics aside and do the right thing.”

At Gun Violence Prevention Task Force Hearing, Rep. Phillips Questions Experts on Psychological Toll of Gun Violence on Students

Phillips: “I cannot believe we live in a country in which parents have to consider buying their children bulletproof backpacks to go to school.”

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) participated in the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force’s hearing on the impact of gun violence on children. Phillips questioned the panel of experts on the emotional and psychological toll active shooter drills, lockdowns, and the fear of gun violence have on students and educators.

You can view video of Rep. Phillips’s question and the responses here

Leslie Boggs, President of the National Parent Teacher Association, is a resident of Odessa, Texas where there was recently a mass shooting spree that killed 7 and injured 22 victims. She shared that her goddaughter is now too afraid to walk the two blocks from her school to her grandmother’s house:

“You not only see students that are now afraid, and question everything that happens within and around their schools, but you also see parents who are no longer able to walk up to a school to retrieve their children. They’re keeping them in auditoriums, and then call them out to the cars, because they are fearful of what might happen in their community… I see schools that have become more of a fortress and a prison than a welcoming environment to thrive and learn. And this is happening across the country, not just in my hometown.” Continue reading “At Gun Violence Prevention Task Force Hearing, Rep. Phillips Questions Experts on Psychological Toll of Gun Violence on Students”

Reps. Phillips, Steil Place Congressional Wager On Sunday’s Vikings-Packers Game

WASHINGTON, DC – Fresh off a 28-12 drubbing of the Atlanta Falcons, the Minnesota Vikings will travel Sunday to the Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field for their 118th meeting with the typically overrated Green Bay Packers.

Watch a video of the wager here

In advance of the matchup, Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) and Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI) came together to place a Congressional wager on the outcome of the game.

Phillips kindly offered a 25-pound Pearson’s salted nut roll and some beer from Excelsior Brewing Company and Minnetonka’s Unmapped Brewing. He rests assured, however, that another monster performance from Dalvin Cook and the Vikings running game will keep these Minnesota products in Minnesota hands. Continue reading “Reps. Phillips, Steil Place Congressional Wager On Sunday’s Vikings-Packers Game”

Reps. Phillips, Khanna Introduce “No PAC Act” To Get Big Money Out Of Politics

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) introduced the No PAC Act. The bill would amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit members of Congress and those running for a U.S. House or Senate seat from accepting contributions from a political action committee, other than that of the given candidate. It would also prohibit the establishment of leadership PACs.

“There is a constant tug of war in Washington between the will of the people and the demands of special interests,” said Rep. Phillips. “Minnesotans tell me all the time that Congress needs to get to work restoring their trust in our government – and ending the corrupting influence of PACs would be a huge step in that direction. Trust is earned, and as long as special interests can continue to buy influence with PAC money we’re going to continue losing the faith of the people – to the detriment of our nation and our world.” Continue reading “Reps. Phillips, Khanna Introduce “No PAC Act” To Get Big Money Out Of Politics”

LETTER: Rep. Dean Phillips fights to protect Planned Parenthood

To the Editor:

The recent decision by President Donald Trump to cut funding for Planned Parenthood from Title X is an atrocity. Cutting funding from Planned Parenthood is specifically an attack on low-income America. Because of the affordability of Planned Parenthood, it is able provides safe health care to millions, who now because of the funding cuts could very well lose. This includes procedures that range from, not only abortion, but to cancer screening and other life saving much-needed procedures.

This is why I am beyond grateful to have a representative I know will fight against this attack on low-income women of America. U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips is the representative for Congressional District Three where there are two Title X funded Planned Parenthood clinics. Phillips has made it clear that “Hardened ideological politics have no place in an exam room.” We need to keep electing politicians that will support human rights, not selfish ideologies, so we can stop this attack on Planned Parenthood and prevent future attacks.

Madeline Pukite, Minnetonka
Sun-Sailor, September 11, 2019