Rep. Angie Craig represents Minnesota’s Second Congressional District. She is fighting for working families - and for a Minnesota where every member of every family gets a fair shot. That means a future with lower health care costs and opportunities for career skills and technical training for 21st century jobs. She’ll work with anybody - and take on the Washington establishment - to get things done for her constituents.
Rep. Craig learned the value of hard work from her mother, a single mom who raised three children while earning her teaching degree. She too worked two jobs to help put herself through college. Years later, she moved to Minnesota and fell in love with the strong communities and quality of life. She and her wife Cheryl Greene have four sons – three who have already graduated from college or tech school and one who graduated from Rosemount High School in 2021 and is currently a college student. They lived in Eagan for nearly a decade and recently moved to Prior Lake. Angie attends church in Apple Valley and is a Rotarian who has served on several local community boards over the years. She is a small business investor, the former head of Global HR and Corporate Relations for a major Minnesota manufacturer, and a former newspaper reporter.
Family farms are an essential part of the Second District’s vibrant economy and sustainable communities. Our farmers’ hard work puts food on our tables, powers our vehicles, creates economic growth and keeps our communities running – and they deserve all the support and resources we can offer. My family has strong roots in farming and I know how important it is for those voices to be heard in Washington.
As a member of the House Committee on Agriculture, supporting our agricultural communities will always be one of my top priorities. We must ensure that all parts of the Farm Bill are implemented effectively--including a strong farm safety net and a fully funded Energy Title.
I was proud to lead efforts in the House to pass the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act, legislation that tapped the power of family farmers to lower costs for hard working Americans. This legislation included two of my bills – the Strengthening the Agriculture and Food Supply Chain Act, which would create a task force dedicated to shoring up the agriculture and food supply chains to prevent bottlenecks and lower food costs, and the Year-Round Fuel Choice Act, which would allow for the year-round sale of E15, a cheaper biofuel alternative. And, in order to ensure that the voices of our rural communities were being brought to the table in DC, I introduced the Rural Prosperity Act, later implemented by the White House, which would create a permanent office in the White House tasked with coordinating federal efforts to support and connect America’s rural communities to federal programs and resources.
Across Minnesota’s Second Congressional District, constituents, small business owners and family farmers all rely on broadband to make a living, stay connected to family and friends, obtain an education and access health care. In today’s economy, broadband is not a luxury – it’s critical infrastructure of the 21st century.
As a member of the House Rural Broadband Task Force and the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, I am focused on ensuring that every Minnesotan, especially those living in rural communities, has access to the broadband and technology they need to succeed.
I was proud to support the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which included a historic $65 billion investment in broadband infrastructure. And to further combat the digital divide that separates our country, I introduced the Broadband MAPS Act, which would establish a task force at the FCC responsible for coordinating and overseeing the creation and maintenance of broadband availability maps of the United States – to determine exactly which areas lack broadband internet access. I also secured more than $3 million to support the Goodhue County Broadband Expansion Project to expand access in underserved communities.
All Minnesotans deserve access to reliable broadband – so students can finish their homework, farmers can market their businesses and small business owners can access the resources they need. In Washington, I will always be on the lookout for new ways to close America’s digital divide and connect communities across the Second District.
Throughout my time in Congress, I have prioritized efforts that improve the quality and quantity of educational opportunities here in Minnesota’s Second District. Because every single person – no matter their zip code, income or age – deserves access to a high-quality education. For so many, an education is the key to opening up a whole new world of possibilities. That’s why it’s so critical that our public schools are fully funded, our teachers are supported and fairly compensated and secondary education opportunities are affordable for all Americans.
I’m also deeply committed to expanding the quality and quantity of educational opportunities here in Minnesota’s Second District – including both at four-year colleges and promoting the trades, the career skills and technical training opportunities that can connect students with good-paying jobs without the burden of student loan debt.
That’s why I was proud to introduce the 21st Century Workforce Partnerships Act, which is designed to address Minnesota’s workforce shortage by preparing students for a variety of career options, expanding successful partnerships between schools and employers and supplementing existing CTE programs. I also led the charge on introducing the Supporting Apprenticeship Colleges Act, which would provide assistance to apprenticeship colleges throughout the country – many of which are left out of traditional higher education grant programs despite preparing students for the most in-demand jobs available. Last but not least, I’ve led the effort in Congress to pass the IDEA Full Funding Act to make sure the federal government fulfills its promise to fully fund special education.
We have a responsibility to ensure that every Minnesotan has access to high-quality, affordable education – and I won’t stop working until that is a reality.
Whether it’s wildfires on the West Coast, hurricanes in the Gulf Coast or extreme drought conditions right here in Southeastern Minnesota, we are seeing the effects of climate change in this country every single day. We cannot afford to wait any longer to take action if we want to preserve a healthy planet for our children to grow up on. We need to chart a new, “all of the above” energy future – one that creates jobs, maintains American energy independence, keeps costs affordable for middle-class families and responds to the challenges of global climate change.
In Congress, I’ve prioritized commonsense initiatives, like instituting a fee and dividend program to reduce our nation’s reliance on fossil fuels. And I’m proud to say that I’ve been a leader on the effort to ensure year-round access to clean, renewable fuel sources, like E15. I’m also focused on local solutions like the Local Water Protection Act, which is designed to give local and state governments the flexibility to improve their conservation efforts aimed at decreasing water pollutants in our local communities.
For far too long, working Minnesotans have been forced to watch career politicians treat the United States Capitol like a revolving door of self-interest, using their positions for career advancement and personal profit. It’s no wonder that the American people have lost faith that their elected leaders in Washington are going to work every day with the best interests of their constituents in mind.
That’s why, since the very first day I set foot in Washington, I have been focused on reforming the way Washington works so that Minnesotans can feel confident that they are – and will always be – their elected officials’ No. 1 priority.
I’m helping lead the effort that would prevent Members of Congress from buying or selling individual stocks while they are in office. I introduced legislation that would impose a lifetime ban on lobbying for Members of Congress after their time in public service. And I’m leading a long-overdue bill banning Members of Congress from flying first-class on taxpayer-funded travel. In 2019, I also introduced an amendment blocking a pay raise for Members of Congress – and had a bill signed into law which helps to address improper and wasteful payments that can total as much as $281 billion per year.
I was also proud to work with my colleagues to pass H.R.1, the For the People Act, a comprehensive bill that would reform America’s corrupt campaign finance system and return power where it belongs – in the hands of the people, not corporate donors.
The fact that so many Minnesotans, especially those living in our rural communities, are not able to access or afford the health care they need is simply unacceptable. The United States spends more on prescription drugs than any other country in the world – while our pharmaceutical companies continue to rake in record-breaking profits. It is my belief that every single Minnesotan, no matter their zip code or income level, should be able to access high-quality, affordable health care and prescription drugs. And since my first day in Congress, it has been my top priority to achieve exactly that.
In Congress, I have worked closely with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, local health leaders and my Rural Health Advisory Council to reduce the cost of health insurance, including premiums and out-pocket costs while implementing long-term solutions to improve the quality of care in this country.
I successfully pushed the White House to take action to end the “family glitch,” a longstanding gap in the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace which left 62,000 Minnesotans paying more than they should for their health insurance premiums. I was also proud to introduce and ensure House passage of my bill, the Affordable Insulin Now Act, which would require private insurance companies and Medicare to cap out-of-pocket insulin costs at $35 per month. I’m also working hard to enact other important reforms - like finally allowing Medicare to negotiate the cost of prescription drugs for older Americans.
I know our work to lower costs and expand access to health care is far from over. The challenges in our health care system are urgent – and it’s long past time we came together to eliminate the disparities that too often plague our country.
Affordable housing is a cornerstone of strong economies and communities in the Second District. If you don’t have a roof over your head, you can’t focus on finding a job or contributing to your community. It’s critical that Congress take action to expand access to affordable housing so that everyone has a safe and affordable place to call home.
That’s why I was proud to co-sponsor the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act, which would expand and strengthen the Affordable Housing Tax Credit to build more affordable housing units for seniors, veterans and underserved communities. Additionally, my casework team and I are dedicated to connecting our constituents to the resources they need to get caught up on overdue rent and utilities.
I am working hard to ensure that every single Minnesotan has access to affordable housing options, because everybody deserves to have a roof over their head.
Growing up, I watched my mom work two jobs to help put herself through college, all while raising three kids largely on her own. I know that, right now, there are folks all across Minnesota – just like my mom – who are bending over backwards and working multiple jobs just to put food on the table. In Washington, I’m working every day to help lift those folks up and ensure their hard work pays off. That’s why, for the past several months, my top priority in Washington has been identifying and enacting solutions to bring down prices in our economy and reduce the inflation that is stretching families’ budgets thin.
I was proud to help lead the effort to pass the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act, a bipartisan package of bills that will lower prices for families at the grocery aisle and the gas pump by giving America’s farmers the support and resources they need to thrive. That legislation included two of my bills – the Year Round Fuel Choice Act, which allows for the year-round sales of cheaper and cleaner biofuel alternatives, and the Strengthening the Agriculture and Food Supply Chain Act, which establishes a task force dedicated to shoring up the agriculture and food supply chains in order to prevent bottlenecks and lower food costs. I’ve also led efforts to enact a temporary gas tax holiday – both at the state and federal level – which could lower prices at the pump by nearly fifty cents per gallon here in Minnesota!
I was proud to champion these critical efforts in Congress – among others – to help get food on shelves faster, lower energy costs, support economic growth in rural America and ensure everyone can afford to put a good meal on the table. Finding ways to lower costs and strengthen our economy will always be at the top of my mind, because I know our job is never over until we can create an economy that works for every Minnesotan.
The federal government has no place interfering in the decisions between a woman and her doctor, criminalizing abortion or enacting arbitrary laws that undermine women’s reproductive freedoms. The ruling by six extremist Justices on the Supreme Court was a calamitous decision that upended decades of precedent and rolled back fundamental rights for millions of Americans. And I fear that it is just the beginning of government overreach into the private, personal decisions of American families.
I am fiercely opposed to any efforts to roll back abortion laws – laws that are sensible and widely supported by the vast majority of Minnesotans – and I will do everything I can to make sure the American government does not overreach into the private, personal decision of American families. That’s why, earlier this year, I helped introduce and pass the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would officially codify Roe v. Wade into law. I also helped lead the effort to pass the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act, which ensures that no woman face legal consequences for traveling across state borders to seek abortion care. And finally, I helped introduce and pass the Right to Contraception Act, which would shore up access to birth control in the wake of the Supreme Court’s assault on reproductive rights and other fundamental freedoms.
Social Security and Medicare are a promise that we’ve made to America’s seniors – if you work hard and play by the rules, affordable health care and the dignity of a secure retirement will be within your reach. In order to keep this promise, we need to keep Medicare and Social Security fully funded and combat any attempts to privatize or defund them. We should look for commonsense, bipartisan ways to strengthen Medicare and Social Security while shoring workers’ pensions – and stop putting the retirement of millions of Americans in danger.
Throughout my time in Congress, I have been proud to support efforts to strengthen these critical programs. I cosponsored the Rehabilitation for Multiemployer Pensions Act, which would establish a loan program to help shore up seniors’ access to pensions. I was also proud to include pension stabilization for more than 1 million Americans in the American Rescue Plan.
Our seniors work their entire lives to be able to retire with dignity and without fear of poverty, and it is critical that Congress ensure that our seniors are supported.
For years, small business owners have grappled with a struggling economy, ever-changing regulations and tax burdens far higher than those of many Fortune 500 companies. It’s long past time that we recentered our economy around the small businesses that make up 93% of employers in Minnesota’s Second Congressional District.
We must do more to ensure that small business owners have the resources and support they need – not only to keep the lights on but to continue growing and expanding to serve as the economic engines of our local communities. That’s why I’ve spent the past two years working hand-in-hand with many of our small business owners to identify and enact solutions that would help to strengthen our economy and create the pro-business climate we need to support Minnesota. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I helped establish the Paycheck Protection Program and led the charge in Washington to establish and fully fund the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, which has kept so many of our favorite bars and restaurants afloat. I also introduced legislation to lower the federal tax rate for small businesses to help overcome higher input costs.
Across Minnesota, our small businesses employ thousands and keep our communities flourishing and vibrant. In Congress, I’ll always work just as hard as they do to ensure they can find success in our communities.
The United States of America is the wealthiest country in the world, yet we rank 13th when it comes to the overall quality of our infrastructure. To put it simply, America has been falling behind – and ordinary, hardworking Minnesota families have been paying the price each and every day.
That’s exactly why I was so proud to lead efforts to reverse this trend and pass a once-in-a-generation investment in our nation’s infrastructure – the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This bipartisan package will create millions of good-paying jobs that cannot be outsourced, create strong and sustainable economic growth in our local communities, rebuild Minnesota’s crumbling roads and aging bridges and expand high-speed internet access to rural communities throughout Minnesota’s Second Congressional District. And the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is only the beginning. Recently, I was proud to see the House pass my Strengthening the Agriculture and Food Supply Chain Act, which would create a dedicated task force designed to shore up the American food supply chain, increase government coordination and provide recommendations to Congress to prevent future supply chain issues that raise costs for hardworking families.
I know that investing in transportation and infrastructure is critical to strengthening Minnesota’s economy and communities – and I will never stop looking for ways to do so!
Every American owes a deep debt of gratitude to the brave men and women who served our country in the armed forces. But right now, we are failing this nation’s veterans – many of whom face serious challenges accessing the health care and employment opportunities they’ve earned after years of service.
It is critical that Congress uphold their responsibility to take care of our nation’s veterans, who have all sacrificed a tremendous amount to protect us, when they return home. In order to do this, I formed a Veterans Advisory Council, a group of veterans and veteran service organizations from throughout the district who help me identify the challenges our veterans face as well as solutions to address them.
In Washington, I have been focused on passing legislation that would strengthen the benefits we owe our servicemembers. I worked with my colleagues to pass the PACT Act, which will expand benefits for veterans who suffer illnesses from so called burn pit exposures during their military service. I also cosponsored and supported the EVEST Act, which would automatically enroll servicemembers in VA health benefits when they transition out of service. I was also proud to lead efforts to pass the STRONG Act, a long overdue bill to strengthen the Department of Veterans’ Affairs mental health and suicide prevention programs.
Congress needs to step up to provide our veterans with the resources they need and deserve. And I won’t stop fighting until that happens.
Local law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to protect and serve their communities – oftentimes working on strained budgets without the equipment and training they need to reduce crime and keep Minnesotans safe. I’m pleased to help lead legislation to ensure our smaller and mid-size police departments have the resources necessary to do their jobs safely and effectively.
That’s why I have worked hand-in-hand with local law enforcement leaders to draft and submit applications for federal grant dollars to support hiring, equipment and technology programs – including police departments in South St. Paul, West St. Paul, Burnsville and Inver Grove Heights. Earlier this year, I was proud to secure $170,000 for the Dakota County Sheriff’s Department to purchase additional body-worn cameras. And it’s why I introduced the Invest to Protect Act, a bipartisan bill to provide $50 million in grants for small and mid-sized police departments to invest in training, equipment, personnel support, and mental health resources. And, after hearing the story of Farmington resident Katie Slifko, I introduced the bipartisan Public Safety Officer Support Act, which would allow officers to access disability benefits for post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health challenges that arise as a result of their service in the line of duty – and expand the program to ensure that families of officers who lost their lives to trauma-linked suicide can apply for the death benefits that they deserve. This is in honor of her husband Cory, a South St. Paul police officer who died by suicide.
I believe that our country needs both a more just law enforcement system and our valued police officers to truly keep our communities safe. Like most Minnesotans, I believe that we can accomplish both of those goals if we set politics aside and work together – and that’s exactly what I’ve done in Washington and in Minnesota.
I believe that reforming our broken campaign finance system and taking the dark money out of politics is a crucial step toward giving power back to working families and making sure their voices are heard. That’s why the very first bill I co-sponsored, H.R.1, focuses on building a democracy that listens to working families and ends the dominance of dark money in politics by increasing transparency through tougher standards on campaign financing. ​