This Week

On Tuesday, the President will deliver his annual State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress.  It is my sincere hope that the President will emphasize the importance of reversing thirty four straight months of unemployment over 8.5% and a national debt currently topping $15.2 trillion.  Our staggering and ever-increasing national debt, which is projected to surpass $23 trillion by 2021, is the biggest threat to our national security.  Tuesday will mark the 1,000^th day since the Senate passed a budget, all the while it ignores 30 bipartisan House-passed jobs bills at the detriment of American workers.

The message from my constituents in Minnesota’s Eighth Congressional District is loud and clear: we cannot continue to saddle our children and grandchildren with our debt.  This is irresponsible and unacceptable, and this epidemic is the reason I jumped into this fight.  It is past time to alter course, or this generation will be the first generation in our nation’s history to leave our children worse off. (Watch my remarks, here)

Last Week

Last week, we received the disappointing news that the President has rejected the Keystone Pipeline, the most ‘shovel ready’ project for American workers, and 20,000 immediate jobs.  This pipeline project is a bipartisan, common sense proposal that can benefit our economy right away.

Unfortunately, the President's decision is good news for China and terrible news for the millions of American workers who are crying out for jobs and energy independence.  Importantly, House Democrats recently wrote in a letter to President Obama that this project will “create 20,000 direct jobs” and “spur the creation of 118,000 spin-off jobs.”  Furthermore, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) says the Keystone XL extension is “estimated to create 20,000 high-paying manufacturing and construction jobs,” and the AFL-CIO agrees.  Overall, this project is the best thing we can do for American workers.  Although the President has said “we can’t wait,” he’s gone ahead and pulled the emergency brake on job creation policies.  Following the President’s rejection of Keystone, Canada pledged to sell its oil to Asia and rely less on the U.S. for economic partnership.

$90k Goes Back to Taxpayers

It was announced last week that my office is returning $90,000 in leftover expense allowance to the taxpayers.  A Members’ Representational Allowance, or MRA, is usually spent for things like staff salaries, office supplies, postage and phone bills, travel expenses back to House members’ home districts.

SOPA/PIPA Legislation

While we need to confront copyright infringement and online piracy, SOPA and PIPA legislation preempts due process of law.  These are the wrong bills to accomplish this task, leaving too much room for interpretation. This is yet another example of big government overreach.

Mobile Offices

Each week, members of my staff will head out from my three district offices in North Branch, Duluth and Brainerd to hold what are known as mobile offices.  If you have a question about federal benefits or a question regarding your dealings with a federal agency, please stop by at the given locations at the times listed so you can speak with one of my staff.  The list of mobile offices for Thursday, January 19 and Friday, January 20, 2012, can be found here.  As always, you can also reach my casework staff by phone at (651) 237-8220, or toll free at 1-888-563-7390.  It is my privilege to have provided my constituents access to mobile offices in nearly 140 Minnesota cities and townships since this past June.

Commitment to Constituent Outreach

It is my duty to provide Eighth District constituents unprecedented access to their representative in Washington.  To date, this responsibility has amounted to thirteen public town hall meetings, five senior town hall meetings, eleven tele-town halls, mobile offices in nearly 140 different cities and townships, numerous roundtable discussions, and three permanent district offices where we conduct office hours – where anyone is able to schedule an appointment.  My primary focus is to create more jobs for the 8th District; I look forward to continuing this conversation with my constituents.

Social Media

One of the best ways you can keep up to speed with what I’m doing in Congress is through social media.  I encourage you to follow me on Facebook and on Twitter.

Rest assured, I will remain an independent, conservative voice in Washington; I promise to uphold the fiscally conservative principles the people of the 8^th District entrusted upon me.  It is a privilege serving you as your elected representative to Congress.

Very truly yours,

Chip