Category: Updates

No to a Broken Process

Congress met another funding deadline last week, this time with a massive $1.3 trillion omnibus to fund the government through September.  The 2,200+ page bill was given to me and my colleagues approximately 17 hours before we were scheduled to vote.

When I came to Washington, I made a commitment to Minnesotans to uphold the fiscal conservative principles on which I was elected and do everything possible to fix the broken processes of Congress.

The commitment I made to you is why I voted ‘No’ on the omnibus bill last week.

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Block(chain) The Rush to Regulation

Recently, we have been hearing more and more about a new kind of technology called blockchain.  It’s perhaps more recognizable by the cryptocurrency Bitcoin, created in 2008. Blockchain, the underlying technology behind Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, may prove to be one of the most groundbreaking advancements in our history.

This exciting new technology doesn’t just affect currency and finance. It permeates all sectors of our economy, from healthcare to retail, into data, national security and beyond.  Among other reasons, blockchain is incredible because it gives advantage to the individual, not to the government.

As blockchain technology continues to grow, it catches the attention of the federal government. Congress has certainly taken a closer look, myself included. Read More

Weighing Words and Actions

In a recent commentary in the Wall Street Journal, the writer observed “thoughtful conservatives” can agree with most everything President Trump has done and disagree with almost everything he has said. It’s an interesting point.

I fully support the policies this President has enacted: appointing Judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court, rolling back countless harmful regulations for small businesses, expanding vocational and technical education, opening the Keystone Pipeline, establishing a National Vetting Center, signing the largest tax cuts in 30 years into law, and putting America and its citizens first, to name a few.

Now if only when we turned on the news we heard more about what’s working and not what’s being tweeted. Of course, the liberal media doesn’t want to report on anything that would paint a picture of success for this president. Like most Americans, you probably missed:

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About the Budget…

Last week, Congress passed a massive spending bill that raises spending caps and ultimately increases our nation’s $20 trillion debt. Despite some positive provisions in the deal, including funding for our nation’s military, I could not support it.

Here’s why: Over the next two years, this deal raises spending by nearly $300 billion, including an increase to non-defense spending by $131 billion. It fails to pay for these spending increases and provides another debt limit suspension until 2019. Read More

In Support of the Fourth Amendment

Recently, I voted in opposition to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Reauthorization of 2017 because I believe in the defense of every American’s constitutional right against warrantless search and seizure.

Unfortunately, our domestic surveillance has been dramatically expanded in recent years. While I fully understand that we are in an age of ever evolving threats to our national security, I simply disagree that Americans’ constitutional rights have to be violated in order to protect the United States from foreign threats.

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