Tag: Rep. Phillips

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”

Philips Reaffirms Commitment to Strong Environmental Protections for the BWCA

WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) issued the following statement after Chilean mining conglomerate and owner of Twin Metals, Antofagasta, submitted a plan to the Minnesota DNR detailing its proposal to develop a sulfide-ore copper mine adjacent to Minnesota’s treasured Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness this week.

The plan comes just days after the White House worked to strip a provision, authored by Rep. Betty McCollum (MN-04), from the federal spending agreement which would have required the U.S. Forest Service to complete its study on the risk sulfide-ore copper mining poses to the Boundary Waters. Last year, the Trump Administration cancelled the Forest Service study just before its completion and all information from this taxpayer-funded study is being withheld from the American people.

“This Administration has repeatedly stonewalled reasonable requests from Congress and the American people for more information about the implications of mining near Minnesota’s, and the nation’s, most popular Wilderness. I urge the Trump Administration to complete and publish the study of the potential impact of the Twin Metals mine on our treasured national forest lands and I am proud to join Rep. Betty McCollum and thousands of my constituents in the mission to preserve the Boundary Waters for generations to come.”

 

What’s behind Rep. Dean Phillips’ push to get Rep. Justin Amash on the impeachment team

Should Rep. Justin Amash, the Republican-turned-Independent from Michigan, help make the case for impeaching the President? Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnetonka said that when the idea struck him on Friday evening, he reached out to his close confidants first, and then asked more of his colleagues.

As first reported by the Washington Post on Sunday, Phillips said he’s gathered a group of around 33 Democrats to sign on to the idea that Amash help make the case for impeachment. “He would be a terrific member of the management team if indeed articles are forwarded to the Senate for a trial,” Phillips told MinnPost.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will select members to represent House’s case for impeachment during the Senate trial, called impeachment managers, that will serve as a sort of team of prosecutors. Reps. Adam Schiff of California and Jared Nadler of New York, the two committee chairs running impeachment so far, are almost certain to be chosen. But the other three slots committee could be competitive, as several members are asking for a slot, including Rep. Stacey Plaskett, a delegate to Congress representing the U.S. Virgin Islands. Continue reading

Rep. Phillips’ Amendment to Clean Up MN Missile Site Will Become Law

Phillips finds solution after hearing from local fire chief about harmful pollutants impacting 11 Minnesota communities

WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) announced today that his amendment aimed at cleaning up a polluted former missile site in Watertown, MN was included in final passage of the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which passed the Senate today. President Trump is expected to sign the bipartisan agreement into law.

Watertown was the location of a Cold War anti-aircraft missile site until 1972. In 1974, it was jointly purchased from the military by 11 Minnesota communities – Mound, Chanhassen, Chaska, Eden Prairie, Excelsior, Long Lake, Maple Plain, Mayer, St. Bonifacius, Victoria and Watertown. The 11 communities established the Western Area Fire Training Academy (WAFTA), an agreement between their local volunteer fire departments. Under the agreement, the grounds were used to conduct fire training exercises for the group for over a decade, until it was discovered that the site was contaminated with harmful pollutants left over from the Nike missile program. Since the 1990’s, WAFTA has attempted to return the site to the military with the hope that it will be cleaned of pollutants. Continue reading “Rep. Phillips’ Amendment to Clean Up MN Missile Site Will Become Law”

Rep. Dean Phillips (CD3) Update: December 14, 2019

Hi Friends,

It has been a busy week on Capitol Hill as Congress has taken up issues of incredible importance. Before I fill you in, I want to remind you about our community conversation on fiscal responsibility on Monday at Minnetonka High School. I hope you’ll join us, but even if you can’t make it, know that I am working hard for my fellow Minnesotans and I am eager to hear from you about what you feel are the critical issues facing our country. Representation begins with listening, after all.

A STRONG NEW TRADE DEAL

On Tuesday I stood with House leaders to help announce our strong and enforceable USMCA trade deal that will improve the American economy, safeguard workers’ rights, protect the environment, and improve access to affordable prescription drugs. 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. Continue reading “Rep. Dean Phillips (CD3) Update: December 14, 2019”

Phillips to Host Drug Cost Listening Session at Plymouth Pharmacy on Sunday

Phillips will hear from Minnesotans who are struggling to pay for their life-saving medications at a pharmacy in Plymouth on Sunday

MINNETONKA, MN – Following House passage of H.R. 3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) and local leaders will hear from Minnesotans who are struggling to pay for their life-saving medications at a pharmacy in Plymouth on Sunday, December 15th at 2:00 PM.

Phillips is a co-sponsor of H.R. 3, which passed the House on Wednesday and is now awaiting action in the Senate. President Donald Trump had previously expressed supportfor the groundbreaking legislation, which would allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices. If the Senate fails to pass H.R. 3, Americans will remain subject to outrageous price-gouging by the pharmaceutical industry and continue to pay four times more for their prescription medications than patients in other countries. Continue reading “Phillips to Host Drug Cost Listening Session at Plymouth Pharmacy on Sunday”

Game-changing H.R. 3 would stop prescription-drug price gouging

When we began running for Congress, we immediately heard from Minnesotans who were worried about their health care. They were worried about threats to protections for people with pre-existing conditions, about being one illness away from financial ruin, and about skyrocketing prices of their life-saving prescription drugs. The consensus is clear on health care more than any other issue — people in our communities want their elected leaders to reform and protect their care.

We listened, and we promised that if elected, we’d fight for a health care system that is centered on patients and outcomes, not procedures and profits. In no small part, that is why Minnesotans chose to send us to Washington, and that’s why we’re proud to continue fulfilling that promise by helping to introduce H.R. 3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, in the House of Representatives this month.

This game-changing prescription drug pricing bill finally gives Medicare leverage to negotiate lower drug prices. It has been estimated by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the Centers for Medicare (CMS) Office of the Actuary that H.R. 3 will lower drug prices by up to 55% — saving hard-working Americans an enormous $158 billion.

Continue reading

Repp. Phillips Leads Push for SALT Relief as Fix Passes Ways and Means Committee

LEGISLATIVE FIX PASSES THE INFLUENTIAL HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE

WASHINGTON, DC – December 11, the House Ways and Means Committee took action to repeal a 2017 cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions after hearing from Rep. Dean Phillips about the cap’s harmful impact on Minnesota’s Third Congressional District. The committee passed theRestoring Tax Fairness for States and Localities Act in a bipartisan 24-17 vote. Phillips is an original co-sponsor of the legislation, which eliminates the cap on SALT deductions in 2020 and 2021.

The deficit-exploding 2017 tax bill capped SALT deductions at $10,000, penalizing residents of high-tax states like Minnesota. IRS Statistics on Income figures show that Phillips’s district ranks 35th out of all 435 congressional districts as the most-impacted by the SALT cap and is the second-most harmed district in the Midwest. At 47%, Minnesota’s Third District has the highest percentage of filers claiming the deduction in the state, and the highest average deduction – about $20,000. Continue reading “Repp. Phillips Leads Push for SALT Relief as Fix Passes Ways and Means Committee”

Phillips Touts Support for Strong, Bipartisan USMCA Trade Deal

WASHINGTON, DC – At a press conference today, Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) stood with House leaders to announce a strong and enforceable USMCA trade deal that 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 “Phillips Touts Support for Strong, Bipartisan USMCA Trade Deal”

U.S. Rep. Phillips to Convene Fiscal Responsibility Conversation at Minnetonka High School on Dec. 16

MINNETONKA, MINNESOTA – Rep. Dean Phillips (MN03) will host a free and open-to-the-public community conversation on fiscal responsibility at 5:30 PM on Monday, December 16th at Minnetonka High School. Phillips will facilitate a solutions-focused discussion with a panel of experts before taking questions from the audience. The conversation comes as Congress nears its annual budget deadline, the federal deficit tops $1 trillion, and federal annual interest payments exceed $400 billion.

Following the conversation, community members of all ages are invited to participate in a free workshop held in conjunction with the Concord Coalition – a national, non-partisan organization focused on addressing the national debt. Through interactive exercises, participants will work together in small groups to navigate the challenges of the federal budgeting process and create federal budgets of their own. Pizza will be provided for workshop attendees. Continue reading “U.S. Rep. Phillips to Convene Fiscal Responsibility Conversation at Minnetonka High School on Dec. 16”