Tag: MN03

Dean Phillips: What I’m Looking Forward to This Thanksgiving

Neighbors,

To me, Thanksgiving is a time for reuniting, counting our blessings, and honoring what we’ve been through.

And as I prepare to spend this year’s holiday with my family and friends, I am reminded more than ever the importance of coming together, sharing opinions, and breaking bread.

I won’t deny that things are polarized right now in Washington D.C. I know that many of the debates that we’re having right now on Capitol Hill will be playing out in miniature, around dinner tables in Minnesota and across the country.

But I’ve also learned the importance of respecting and welcoming different opinions into the conversation. It reminds me constantly that what unites us is far more powerful than what divides us.

As you prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you’ll take a moment to do that: Reach out, break bread, and listen and learn from those around you.

Thank you for being on this journey with me. From my family to yours, I wish you a happy Thanksgiving!

Sincerely,

Dean

Phillips draws large crowd for town hall after week of impeachment hearings

Close to 300 people filled a college auditorium in Brooklyn Park, Minn., on Saturday for a town hall meeting with U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips.

The freshman Democrat, who represents the 3rd District in the western Twin Cities, drew a largely friendly crowd after a week of impeachment hearings in Washington.

Speaking with MPR News ahead of the town hall, Phillips said that while he’s not a member of the House Intelligence Committee, he attended as many of the hearings as he could.

View the complete November 23 article by Brandt Williams on the MPR News website here.

Rep. Dean Phillips Update: November 22, 2019

Hi Friends,

I’m dropping a line before my town hall meeting tomorrow to tell you a little more about my week. Here are the highlights…

LEADING ON CLIMATE ACTION

On Thursday, I helped to introduce the 100% Clean Economy Act of 2019 as an original co-sponsor. This science-based legislation sets a nationwide goal of achieving a 100% clean energy economy by 2050, an urgent deadline to avoid the most disastrous effects of climate change as outlined by the Fourth National Climate Assessment, the 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC), and the Paris Climate Accords. The bill, which already has the support of more than 150 members of Congress, directs all federal agencies to immediately use their existing authorities to put the United States on a path towards a 100% clean energy economy, defined as net-zero climate pollution across all sectors. We must swiftly and justly transition to a clean energy economy that benefits all communities, creates good-paying jobs, and is in line with what the science demands, and this important legislation sets us on the right path.

CALLING FOR INNOVATION IN CONGRESS

I also had the opportunity to testify in front of the House Committee on Administration about why we must take every opportunity today to improve the House of Representatives for tomorrow. Sometimes it seems like Congress was designed to make collaboration and innovation difficult. That’s why I believe the technology, processes, and spaces in the House must be updated to inspire teamwork, keep up with innovations of the 21st century, and better serve the American people.

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Click here to watch my full testimony about pushing Congress into the 21st century

RESPONSIBLE OVERSIGHT

Speaking of Congress, it was an important week for the Constitution. I attended the historic public hearings in Washington, and as a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I’ve also attended several secure depositions. The process has been principled. I want you to know that Democrats and Republicans have access to the same information, the same witnesses, and members from both parties have been allowed to participate fully. We live in an era where too many people just read the headlines and not the articles – it is my responsibility to bear witness with my own eyes, to honor my oath to the Constitution, and to pursue the truth, no matter where it leads.

KICKING OFF A THANKFUL WEEK

I’m back in Minnesota for Thanksgiving and one of my first stops was to visit a kindergarten classroom at Success Academy in Bloomington this morning. Whether it’s the high schoolers who visit my office in Washington, or smiling kids in classrooms in Minnesota, nothing makes me happier than a conversation with the next generation of leaders. I encourage you to take some inspiration from these extraordinary kids about respect, inclusiveness, and the joy of learning.

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Click here for more photos of my visit to Success Academy today

I’m looking forward hearing questions and ideas from Minnesotans at my town hall meeting in Brooklyn Park tomorrow. I hope you can make it, and I challenge you to bring a family member, friend or neighbor who is new to the conversation!

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Click here to sign in early and get all the details on tomorrow’s town hall

Keep the faith and keep in touch,

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Dean Phillips
Member of Congress

Rep. Dean Phillips Testifies Before House Administration Committee About the Need to Modernize Congress

Phillips: “We must take every opportunity today to improve the House of Representatives for tomorrow”

 WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) testified before the House Committee on Administration about the undeniable need to modernize Congress. Phillips has been vocal about his belief that the technology, processes and spaces of Congress must be updated to inspire collaboration, keep up with innovations of the 21st century, and better serve the American people.

Last week, the House voted to extend the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress after Phillips led a bipartisan letter signed by 36 freshmen members of Congress to House leadership asking that the Select Committee be allowed to continue its work until the end of the 116thCongress.

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Click here to watch a video of Rep. Phillips’s testimony

Below are Rep. Phillips’s remarks as prepared:

Thank you for the invitation to offer testimony this morning. The Committee on House Administration plays a pivotal role in my top priority here in Congress: restoring trust in our government through reforms that put the American people back at the center of our system. Continue reading “Rep. Dean Phillips Testifies Before House Administration Committee About the Need to Modernize Congress”

Rep. Phillips Helps to Introduce 100% Clean Economy Act

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) helped to introduce the 100% Clean Economy Act of 2019 as an original co-sponsor. The science-based legislation sets a nationwide goal of achieving a 100% clean energy economy by 2050, an urgent deadline to avoid the most disastrous effects of climate change as outlined by the Fourth National Climate Assessment, the 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC), and the Paris Climate Accords.

The legislation directs all federal agencies to immediately use their existing authorities to put the United States on a path towards a 100% clean energy economy, defined as net-zero climate pollution across all sectors, while remaining technology-neutral. By incentivizing solutions instead specific approaches, the 100% Clean Economy Act creates a competitive landscape for all technology aimed at combating climate change and cleaning up our environment.

“When it comes to our climate, habitat, and economy, we are living in an era of great opportunity – and great consequence,” said Phillips. “The leaders of tomorrow’s economy will be those who take climate action today. We must swiftly and justly transition to a clean energy economy that benefits all communities, creates good-paying jobs, and is in line with what the science demands. I am committed to ensuring that the United States remains a leader in climate change innovation, and I am proud to co-sponsor this important legislation to help our country transition to a 100% clean energy economy by 2050.” Continue reading “Rep. Phillips Helps to Introduce 100% Clean Economy Act”

Rep. Dean Phillips November 15 Update

Hi Friends,

Another consequential week is in the history books. Here’s what I was up to in Minnesota and in Washington –

HONORING OUR VETERANS

It has been said that America will remain the land of the free so as long as we are the home of the brave. This year, I spent my Veterans Day saluting the courage, service, and sacrifices of our veterans and their families. My father, Artie, lost his life in Vietnam in 1969 as a Captain in the US Army. As a Gold Star Son, it deeply saddens me that we have always found the means to send brave men and women off to war, but never seem to find enough resources to take care of those who make it home. In Congress, I’m working to fix that – on Veterans Day and every day. 

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It was a privilege to stand with elected officials as we thanked Minnesota veterans this week, click here to watch.

Continue reading “Rep. Dean Phillips November 15 Update”

After Phillips Leads Freshmen Letter, House Votes To Extend Select Committee On The Modernization Of Congress

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the House voted to extend the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress after Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) delivered a bipartisan letter signed by more than 30 freshmen members of Congress asking for the extension to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

The bipartisan Select Committee was created at the beginning of the 116th Congress and tasked with making recommendations to update House procedures and policies to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Congress. After months of hearings, the Select Committee released 29 recommendations, including ideas inspired by Rep. Phillips to overhaul the onboarding process for freshmen members so that newly-elected Republicans and Democrats have a chance to develop a strategy and learn how legislation works together. Continue reading “After Phillips Leads Freshmen Letter, House Votes To Extend Select Committee On The Modernization Of Congress”

Phillips and Stauber Staff Participate in First-Ever Congressional Depolarization Workshop

In an era of extreme polarization, Better Angels illuminates common ground

FOREST LAKE, MINNESOTA – Recently, 14 congressional staffers – eight from the Minnetonka office of Rep. Dean Phillips (D, MN-03) and six from the northern Minnesota field offices of Rep. Pete Stauber (R, MN-08) – gathered to participate in a day-long depolarization workshop facilitated by the non-profit citizens’ organization, Better Angels.

Phillips and Stauber are serving their first terms in Washington after flipping purple districts long-held by a party opposite their own. Phillips and Stauber have heard loud and clear from Minnesotans who want their elected leaders to put partisan politics aside and get things done, and when Better Angels co-founder Bill Doherty presented the opportunity to build a foundation of understanding and respect between their district offices, the two members jumped at the chance. Continue reading “Phillips and Stauber Staff Participate in First-Ever Congressional Depolarization Workshop”

Phillips Introduces Bill To Prohibit Federal Education Funds From Being Spent On Lobbying Congress

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep Dean Phillips (MN-03) announced the introduction of his bill, the Higher Education Funds Integrity Act, to prevent federal education funds from being used by universities to lobby Congress.

Currently, the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 prohibits the use of federal funds received under the Higher Education Act of 1965 from being used by any higher education institution to fund lobbying activities in Congress. Phillips’s bill extends that prohibition to future federal education funding under the upcoming College Affordability Act.

“I’m on a mission to restore trust in our government and to build a system that works for the people,”said Phillips. “When it comes to education, that means ensuring universities are using taxpayer dollars to fund higher education for Americans, not lobbyists on Capitol Hill.”

 The House Education and Labor Committee passed the College Affordability Act favorably out of committee on October 31st, 2019.  The legislation seeks to halt rising tuition costs, increase the value of Pell Grants, and make student loans easier to pay off. Phillips’s bill underscores the importance of using those dollars for the purposes of education.

Phillips has championed government reform during his first term in Congress. His amendment to close lobbying loopholes passed the House as part of H.R. 1, the For the People Act, in March. Phillips is the only member of Congress who refuses campaign contributions from all special interest PACs, federal lobbyists and other members of Congress.

Rep. Dean Phillips Update: November 8, 2019

Hi Friends,

One of the greatest joys of my job is learning new things about the people and businessesthat make the Third District such a wonderful place to live and work. I’ve lived in Minnesota almost all of my life, but I’m still surprised and delighted by our community at every turn – here’s what that looked like this week…

TEAMING UP FOR SAFER ROADS 

Local elected leaders and safety officials in our community have been organizing and advocating for improvements along Highway 12 – the deadliest stretch of road in Minnesota – for many years. Yesterday, I joined them on the road and in the mission to erase its nickname, the “Corridor of Death.” It’s going to take a joint effort between federal, state and local representatives to bring the changes that are necessary to save lives, and I promise to do my part.

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Click here to watch my ride on the “Corridor of Death.”

Continue reading “Rep. Dean Phillips Update: November 8, 2019”