politics
With an insider’s eye, Hot Dish tracks the tastiest bits of Minnesota’s political scene and keep you up-to-date on those elected to serve you.
Contributors in Minnesota: Jennifer Brooks, Baird Helgeson, Mike Kaszuba, Patricia Lopez, Jim Ragsdale, Brad Schrade and Rachel E. Stassen-Berger. Contributors in D.C.: Kevin Diaz and Corey Mitchell.
Contributors in Minnesota: Jennifer Brooks, Baird Helgeson, Mike Kaszuba, Patricia Lopez, Jim Ragsdale, Brad Schrade and Rachel E. Stassen-Berger. Contributors in D.C.: Kevin Diaz and Corey Mitchell.
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Posts about 4th District
McCollum urges speedy return to 'cliff' avoidance
Posted by: Kevin Diaz Updated: December 27, 2012 - 3:51 PM
As members filter back slowly to D.C. from their holiday home leaves, Minnesota Democrat Betty McCollum announced that she returned yesterday and is urging her colleagues to get back to work as well.
“Americans are now back to work following the Christmas holiday and it’s time for Congress to do the same and immediately return to Washington to pass an extension of the middle class tax cuts, protecting 98% of American taxpayers," she said. "If House leadership is unwilling to act then rank and file House members have an obligation to turn up the pressure. Congress should pass the middle class tax cut extension this weekend while allowing negotiations to continue on the other elements of the ‘fiscal cliff’ that require more time.”
McCollum gets boost as Army ditches NASCAR (Updated)
Posted by: Kevin Diaz Updated: July 10, 2012 - 12:43 PM
The Army cited budget concerns in its decision. But it will not head off debate on McCollum’s measure, which targets more than $70 million remaining in the Defense Department’s sports sponsorship programs for auto racing, bass fishing and ultimate fighting.
McCollum’s bill has made it through the House Appropriations Committee, though it faces potential hurdles in the coming weeks when a defense spending measure is expected to come to the House floor.
The House rejected a similar McCollum measure on defense NASCAR sponsorships last year.
(Update): Now McCollum is feeling a wind at her back. "By ending its sponsorship of NASCAR, the Army made the right move to eliminate a wasteful program and protect taxpayer dollars – which has been my goal all along,” she said. “Congress is facing a very difficult budget environment, and I want taxpayer dollars protected – even at the Pentagon. I applaud the Army’s decision to terminate its funding of NASCAR. The Army now joins the Navy and Marine Corps in terminating its NASCAR partnership.”
Ellison, McCollum skip 'Fast and Furious' contempt vote in protest
Posted by: Corey Mitchell Updated: June 28, 2012 - 5:26 PMU.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., and his Congressional Black Caucus colleagues left the House floor during today's votes to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress for his refusal to surrender document concerning "Fast and Furious," a controversial gun-tracking operation.
When the U.S. House voted this afternoon, Ellison, other black caucus members and much of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, which Ellison co-chairs, hosted a press conference on the steps of the U.S. Capitol building during the vote.
"I agree that the 'Fast and Furious' operation deserved a methodical Congressional investigation -- this is our oversight responsibility," Ellison said in a statement.
"However, the investigation has ignored the fact that the Bush Administration started this program, which let weapons traffickers by thousands of guns. The Obama Administration acted decisively to stop the program and Attorney General Eric Holder condemned the approach.
"Yet, once again the Republicans won't take 'yes' for an answer and have turned this tragedy into a political football."
Holder is the first black to serve as attorney general and was the first to face a contempt vote by the full House or Senate. The measure passed the House of Representatives, 255 to 67.
The Fast and Furious investigation is trying to determine whether the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms deliberately allowed guns to fall into the hands of drug cartels in Mexico while agents sought to track how the weapons are smuggled to criminal groups. A Customs and Border Protection Agent was shot and killed with one of the trafficked guns.
Democrats pushed for a mass walkout, but two of Minnesota's Democratic representatives -- Collin Peterson and Tim Walz -- supported the contempt resolutions against Holder. The Washington Post reported that the National Rifle Association, which supports the contempt vote, may have influenced Peterson's decision.
"To do its job, Congress must have access to all the information it needs to make independent, sound judgments on behalf of the American people," Walz said in a statement.
"Five years ago, when I voted to hold President Bush's Administration officials in contempt, I said we have to stay consistent in our oversight of executive branch officials. After reviewing the facts carefully, I have come to the same conclusions as I did in 2007. There are just too many unanswered questions surrounding "Fast and Furious," and the American people deserve to know more."
U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, the only other Minnesota Democrat in the House, joined Ellison in denouncing and skipping the contempt votes.
"This Tea Party Republican resolution is a shameful and shameless political witch hunt intended to destroy an honorable man's character," her statement read, in part.
Minnesota's U.S. Republican representatives -- Michele Bachmann, Chip Cravaack John Kline and Erik Paulsen -- all voted to hold Holder in contempt.
"While I had hoped the Attorney General would have produced the subpoenaed documents, I remain hopeful that these votes are a step forward as Congress continues its investigations into 'Fast and Furious,'" Bachmann said in a statement.
Panel clears McCollum plan to cut NASCAR from Pentagon budget
Posted by: Kevin Diaz Updated: May 17, 2012 - 12:19 PM
The measure was added to a $608 billion defense bill headed for the House floor. McCollum garnered national headlines last year when she first offered the proposal, which ultimately failed.
This time the measure was carried by Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., who said it will “send a signal” as the Pentagon wrestles with shrinking budgets. The measure passed on a voice vote.
Some lawmakers argue that military NASCAR team sponsorships serve as a valuable recruiting tool. But critics say they’re a logical place to look for budget cuts.
Minnesota redistricting lawyers: State should pay our fees
Posted by: Rachel E. Stassen-Berger Updated: April 24, 2012 - 5:22 PMMinnesota has court-ordered political maps in place but the legal fight over redistricting continue.
A Democratic attorney has asked for $180,000 in legal fees and the chief Republican attorney has put the redistricting court panel on notice to expect a bill, too.
"This is the same kind of motion that has been made in every redistricting case since the early 70s," said Alan Weinblatt, a Democratic attorney involved in the redistricting case but not representing the DFL party. The party's legal team has yet to make any filings regarding fees.
And in every case since then, courts have said the state should pay the costs, Weinblatt said. Ten years ago, a Minnesota redistricting panel said the state was on the hook for more than $350,000, a partial payment of all the fees.
The court this year told the parties they have until May 14 to detail their costs.
Those court filings will, for the first time, show exactly how much the parties paid to fight over the political maps.
Update: Ken Martin, DFL Party chair, said the party is "talking about" joining in the request for fees.
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