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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.

Posts about Minnesota congressional

Bachmann says Congress should forego pay raise

Posted by: Kevin Diaz Updated: December 31, 2012 - 5:09 PM

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Staring into the abyss of the fiscal cliff deadline, U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann introduced legislation Monday that would rescind the portion of President Obama’s executive order that gives members of Congress a pay raise.

“At a time when families across the country are cutting back we should not increase government spending and add to the debt burden by giving members of Congress a pay raise," the Minnesota Republican said.

The announcement came as House leaders indicated they would not have a budget deal done by the midnight deadline, plunging the nation off the fiscal cliff.

Nolan hires former opponent

Posted by: Jennifer Brooks Updated: December 31, 2012 - 11:57 AM

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Eighth District Congressman-elect Rick Nolan has hired one of his former primary opponents.

Former Duluth City Council president Jeff Anderson will be joining Nolan's staff as district director, Nolan's transition team announced Monday. Anderson was one of three Democrats running in the Eighth District primary this year. Nolan won the primary and went on to oust incumbent Republican Rep. Chip Cravaack in November.

Nolan's press release describes Anderson as "an Ely native and a fourth generation Iron Ranger," who will oversee the Eighth District offices Nolan plans to open in Duluth and Brainerd.

Other Nolan hires announced today include his former campaign chairman, Jim Swiderski, who will serve as his legislative director in Washington; new deputy chief of staff Jodie Torkelson; chief scheduler Ione Yates; and communication director Steve Johnson.

"They know Minnesota, they know Capitol Hill and they will hit the ground running to provide exemplary service to the people of the Eighth District from Day One,” Nolan said in a statement. “I’m so proud to have them on our team.”

How will the 'fiscal cliff' affect you?

Posted by: Kevin Diaz Updated: December 28, 2012 - 8:18 AM

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So it’s come to this: Almost two months’ worth of a lame duck session of Congress, and with four days to go, no deal on a way to walk back from the year-end “fiscal cliff.”  Just crickets, and an occasional jab at the other side for wasting time. For the past week, hardly anybody from the Minnesota Congressional delegation in either party has uttered a word about it in public, and there’s talk in the U.S. Capitol of “radio silence.”

But the automatic tax hikes and federal spending cuts known as the fiscal cliff will kick in starting next week, unless Congress can make a last-minute deal. If the politicians aren’t talking, or at least not talking constructively, we want to know how it’s affecting you. Tell us your story by sending an e-mail to Whistleblower@startribune.com.
 
And, as usual, you can also sound off in the comments section below.

McCollum urges speedy return to 'cliff' avoidance

Posted by: Kevin Diaz Updated: December 27, 2012 - 3:51 PM

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The chances of a year-end "fiscal cliff" deal seem to be diminishing by the hour, with Congress pretty much in pro-forma mode and a lot of the membership in limbo about what happens next.

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.”

 

 
 

Nolan to hold reins on fed transportation projects

Posted by: Kevin Diaz Updated: December 27, 2012 - 1:59 PM

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Minnesota’s Eighth District Congressman-elect Rick Nolan has been appointed to serve on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, "the body at the epicenter of efforts to spur job growth by revitalizing the nation’s roads, bridges, railroads and waterways," his office announced Thursday.
 
Nolan will follow outgoing freshman Republican Chip Cravaack, who also had a seat on the committee. Nolan defeated Cravaack by 9 percentage points in November, returning the northern Minnesota district to decades-long Democratic control.
 
Cravaack's predecessor, Jim Oberstar, made the committee his home base during 36 years in Congress, serving both as its chairman and the ranking Democrat, depending on which party controlled the House.
 
The Transportation Committee now appears to be something of  birth-right for Minnesota Eight, and Nolan says he requested the assignment during earlier meetings with House Democratic leadership. He received the word from Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and the House Democratic Caucus.
 
“This is a major committee assignment – vital to  generating good jobs and economic development here in the Eighth Congressional District,” Nolan said. “Building a strong surface and water transportation system creates good paying jobs, improves the quality of our lives, and is the economic backbone of a large district like the Eighth. Timber, taconite, tourism and manufacturing spread over a large geographic area all require strong transportation to be successful."
 
Nolan indicated that the assignment will allow him to move forward on "Day One"  with efforts to secure federal support for the Northern Lights Express high speed rail project and Essential Air Service for regional airports, issues on which Cravaack and district DFLers sharply diverged.
 
For Nolan and other newly-elected House members, Day One is January 3.
 
 
 

 

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