Betty McCollum is a Democrat representing the families of Minnesota’s Fourth District in the United States House of Representatives. In 2000, Congresswoman McCollum made history as only the second Minnesota woman elected to serve in Congress since statehood in 1858. McCollum represents the residents of Minnesota's capital city, St. Paul, as well as all of Ramsey County and most of Washington County.
Throughout her career in public service, Congresswoman McCollum has been a champion for excellence in education, protecting the environment, expanding health care access, fiscal responsibility, and robust international engagement that prioritizes diplomacy, development, human rights, along with a strong national defense.
Minnesota has a strong tradition of family farmers who help provide the nutritious foods that are fundamental to the success of healthy communities. In recent decades, we have also seen the development of urban agriculture in our Twin Cities.
As a member of the Agriculture and Rural Development Appropriations Subcommittee, I'm committed to ensuring agriculture programs are sufficiently funded. I strongly support nutrition assistance programs like the Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and farmers’ markets programs that increase access to healthy and locally-grown foods. We must ensure that our family farmers have the resources they need and that all Minnesotans are able to provide nutritious foods for their families.
We all have a responsibility to ensure that laws protecting animals from abuse and cruelty are enforced. I strongly oppose attempts to weaken protections for endangered species or to undermine existing laws and regulations that require humane treatment of animals.
Crafting a federal budget that fosters economic opportunity, invests in the future, and upholds fiscal responsibility is one of Congress’ most important roles. As a member of the powerful Appropriations Committee, I work every day to bring a common sense, Minnesota perspective to our federal budget.
As Chair of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, I work to ensure that our service members are the most skilled and best trained and equipped fighting force in the world. As the Chair of the Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, I have prioritized protecting clean air and water, wild lands, and our nation’s natural and cultural legacy for future generations.
A vibrant arts sector is a vital part of our communities in Minnesota’s Fourth District. Federal investments in the arts and humanities improve education for our children, offer important opportunities for our veterans, create jobs, foster economic growth, and improve our quality of life.
At the annual rate of just one dollar per taxpayer, federal support for the arts and humanities is a fantastic return on our investment. I strongly support robust federal funding for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities and will strongly oppose any attempts to cut or defund these vital cultural institutions.
Protecting the civil rights of all Americans and keeping our families and communities safe is one of the most important responsibilities of government. We must continue the progress we have made in securing equality for all Americans, providing our law enforcement officers with the tools they need to keep Americans safe, and protecting civil liberties in all of our diverse communities.
In Congress, I have been a champion of legislation that guarantees equal rights to all Americans, including the LGBT community. I am a strong proponent of sensible gun violence prevention legislation to keep our families and communities safe. And, as a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I have worked to provide police officers with the funding they need to do their jobs.
Ensuring national security is one of the primary Constitutional responsibilities of Congress. In the 21st Century, America needs a flexible military that is able to confront emerging threats, such as terrorism, growing regional instability, the spread of nuclear weapons, and the emergence of cyber warfare.
As the Chair of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, I support smart and strategic investments in our national defense that ensure our service members are the most skilled and the best trained and equipped fighting force in the world. I am also focused on improving military health care, ending military sexual assault, and supporting international military-to-military cooperation to prevent conflicts.
I hear from Minnesotans every day about their concerns over the state of our economy and rising economic inequality. While we have made a strong recovery from the Great Recession, we have more to do to create good-paying jobs for all working families.
I strongly support investments in education and infrastructure that will make us more competitive. To stimulate economic growth and job creation, the government needs to ensure a fair playing field that protects both workers and businesses. I support legislation that promotes a thriving middle class and ensures that working people in America still have the opportunity to achieve success in our country.
teacher, I understand the importance of ensuring that every child receives a free and excellent education. Good public schools are the foundation of a strong democracy, and we must ensure every student graduates ready for a career or college. Our higher education system must also be accessible and affordable for all students who choose to further their studies.
We must give our teachers and schools the support they need to provide a world-class education for every child in Minnesota and across the United States. This includes robust federal funding to support equal educational opportunities in high-poverty schools and for students with disabilities. We must address the crisis of high college costs by reducing tuition for working families, protecting a strong Pell Grant program, and enforcing protections for student loan borrowers.
The environment — our air, our water, our land — is a sacred trust that we must protect and preserve for ourselves and future generations. Today, our planet is in peril because of climate change, which is already affecting Minnesotans and Americans.
As the Vice Chair of the Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, I am a strong supporter of action on climate change. In addition, I support full funding for environmental protections and oppose harmful efforts to weaken our bedrock clean air, clean water, and conservation laws. These are laws that protect the health of our families and our planet.
When it comes to energy, we must make smart decisions today to create green jobs and safeguard our environment. Instead of doubling down on fossil fuels, I support strategic investments in clean energy infrastructure, research, and education.
Congresswoman McCollum speaks at an event for the International Conservation Caucus Foundation, an organization dedicated to increasing and improving environmental cooperation worldwide.
As the world’s most powerful country, the United States has a responsibility to aggressively pursue initiatives that alleviate poverty, promote democracy and human rights, improve lives, and stabilize communities in the developing world. Accounting for only one percent of the overall federal budget, America’s modest commitment to foreign assistance and diplomacy supports proven strategies like long-term development, post-conflict reconstruction, and humanitarian assistance.
In Congress, I have worked to advance a robust American leadership role in advancing international development, global health, and human rights. As the co-chair of the Global Health Caucus, I have championed legislation to improve maternal and child health, combat global hunger and make key investments in agricultural development, and to protect young girls in developing countries from early and forced marriages. I strongly support the funding needed to meet our global commitments, improve lives, and ensure stability around the world.
[Left to right: Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan; Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi; Congresswoman Betty McCollum]
Congresswoman McCollum welcomes Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to St. Paul for a roundtable on the importance of Community Health Centers in the Fourth District.
All Americans should have comprehensive, affordable, quality health care as a fundamental right. The Affordable Care Act, which I voted for in 2010, has been a major step in the right direction. It has expanded health coverage and protected patients, no matter how you get your insurance. However, we have more work to do to reduce costs, including out-of-control prescription drug costs, and to further improve the quality of care.
In Congress, I strongly oppose efforts to repeal or undermine the Affordable Care Act, weaken Medicaid for vulnerable Americans, or endanger Medicare for seniors today and in the future. I strongly support creating a public option in our health care system, efforts to address health disparities, and policies that will address the rise of prescription drug costs. We must also do more to ensure all Americans have access to mental and behavioral health services. To fulfill our goal of a true universal health care system, I have proposed the America’s Right to Health Care Amendment, which would enshrine a fundamental right to health care in our Constitution.
In a troubled world, Americans must work together to keep our country safe while upholding the values that truly make America great. We must stay vigilant about preventing terrorism and preparing for emergencies. At the same time, our broken immigration system is crying out for reform.
In Congress, I advocate for comprehensive reform that overhauls our immigration system, secures our borders, and establishes a process for qualifying immigrants to earn legal status. I support the admission of fully vetted refugees and strongly oppose divisive efforts to demonize immigrants and turn our backs on vulnerable refugees. In addition, I strongly support federal investments that help our first responders do their jobs and keep our communities safe.
In Minnesota, we lend a helping hand to our neighbors and those in need. Vulnerable children, families, seniors, and people with disabilities depend on assistance to help pay their heating bills, weatherize their homes, purchase prescriptions, and provide food for their families.
As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I strongly support critical funding for economic assistance programs such as the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), and Head Start. I oppose proposals to cut these vital lifelines; we must not balance the budget on the backs of vulnerable children, families, seniors, and people with disabilities.
Unions built our middle class and secured the workplace rights that Americans take for granted today. Every day, organized labor negotiates for safe working conditions, living wages, and basic benefits that impact all workers.
In Congress, I support the vitality of working families through fair and democratic access to union representation. I have been a strong proponent of robust federal investment in our workforce, including through job training programs. At the same time, I strongly oppose bad trade deals that undermine American workers and make it easier for companies to ship our jobs overseas.
The federal government has a unique treaty and trust relationship with our 567 sovereign tribal nations. As part of this relationship, the federal government has the responsibility to provide health, education and law enforcement, among other services, for American Indians and Native Alaskans. While significant progress has been made, the federal government still has work to do to fully meet its obligations to Native people.
I serve as Co-Chair Emeritus of the bipartisan Congressional Native American Caucus and as Chair of the Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee. In both roles, I work closely with tribal leaders and Native communities to ensure adequate funding for the Indian Health Service, Indian Education, Indian School Construction, and Native American Housing Block Grants. Federal investments in health, education, economic development programs, and housing are vital to making Native American families and communities stronger.
As our population ages, we must ensure all seniors have access to the support and care they need to live independent, healthy lives. In order to keep the promises our country has made, we must keep Social Security and Medicare strong and stable for today’s seniors and future generations.
I will keep fighting to protect and strengthen Medicare and Social Security — and I will always oppose proposal to privatize or weaken these entitlements. I strongly support efforts to care for vulnerable seniors and to keep elderly Americans out of poverty, including through programs like Meals on Wheels.
To build a competitive economy for the 21st century, the United States must improve our crumbling infrastructure. Investing in transit, transportation, and other vital infrastructure creates jobs and fosters economic growth.
In Congress, I strongly support a comprehensive national strategy to improve and invest in our nation’s infrastructure. At home in Minnesota, I am working with my colleagues and our state and local leaders to support investments in transportation infrastructure that keep our Twin Cities and East Metro economy strong and growing.
Members of the United States Armed Forces dedicate their lives to defending our freedom. When they return home, we must provide our veterans and their families with the health, education, and employment resources that they have so bravely earned.
As the daughter of a World War II veteran, I am always mindful of the need to support our veterans and their families. Building on the progress we have already made, we must continue working to ensure veterans have high quality health care, including treatment for the signature injuries of war, access to a four-year college education, and job training programs that can help them transition to the civil workforce.
Everyone benefits when women and girls are valued and their participation is encouraged by society.
In Congress, I have worked to guarantee that all women have affordable, quality health care, including reproductive health care, without government interference. I am a strong supporter of enforcing equal pay for equal work and a co-sponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act. And I have worked with colleagues to help break the culture of silence surrounding domestic violence and sexual assault, including in our military, including by passing the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act.
Women, minorities, gay and lesbian, seniors, and people with disabilities also live in the St. Paul community. All of these groups make Minnesota’s Fourth Congressional District a vibrant and diverse place to live.
For many of these groups, the struggle for equality and acceptance has been a difficult road. For example, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” unfairly discriminated against the courageous men and women in uniform who were gay. In 2010, I proudly supported President Obama’s successful effort to put a permanent end to the military's process of systemic discrimination against individuals who are openly gay and lesbian. Another example is the Native American communities. For far too long, Native American tribes weren’t properly recognized by the federal government. As a result, they were overlooked.
Unfortunately more instances of inequality and discrimination still continue today. There is no excuse. Since my time on the North St. Paul City Council and Minnesota State House of Representatives, I’ve worked to ensure everyone has equal rights and is treated fairly.
Small businesses are the engines that help drive our economic growth and create jobs for middle class families.
Critical to our economic prosperity, small businesses employ over half of all private sector employees. They have created 64 percent of net new jobs over the past 15 years.
The economic success of our small businesses is crucial if we want to fully recover from the Great Recession. Whether a small retail store on Main Street or a small financial institution that provides credit to working families or an entrepreneur seeking to start their own firm, American small businesses play a vital role in improving our local economies.
Congress must work to create an economic environment that fosters opportunity and growth. There is strong bi-partisan agreement that to achieve economic prosperity, small businesses must be in a position to invest and create jobs. The American entrepreneurial spirit to create original and innovative business models is one of the main reasons why we remain a global economic leader. I am firmly committed to helping enhancing our global economic competitiveness, which starts with helping our small businesses flourish.
Over the past three years, we have worked diligently with the White House in passing common-sense measures that assist small businesses in creating jobs. We’ve provided tax credits that spur research and development, help offer employee health insurance coverage, and enhance small business expensing. We must continue providing small businesses with the credit they need to create jobs in Minnesota and across the country.