(Editor’s Note: The following column was submitted by Rep. Tom Emmer.)
We’re back in Washington this week. Americans have been clear: they want common-sense solutions to strengthen our economy, combat rising crime, and address our mental health crisis. Instead, Speaker Pelosi has queued up more votes on messaging legislation focused on responding to political pollsters rather than listening to the American people.
Nevertheless, we’ll keep working.
Food Security is National Security
In recent years, a concerning trend has emerged: China has begun to buy up major shares of American farmland. In fact, over the last decade, Chinese holdings of U.S. agricultural land increased tenfold, with China owning $2 billion in American farmland at the beginning of 2020.
Congressman Emmer discusses Chinese land purchases on Twin Cities News Talk.
This should raise alarm bells. America’s greatest asset is our ability to produce essential goods here at home. We don’t need to look any further than the gas station to see what happens when we cede domestic production to overseas exports. We are already perilously close to food shortages thanks to supply chain failures and high input costs—we cannot afford another threat to our food supply.
Last week, we co-sponsored legislation to stop this Chinese land grab in its tracks. The Prohibition of Agricultural Land for the People’s Republic of China Act will ban any purchase of American farmland by individuals associated with the Chinese government.
Recognizing an Exceptional Artist
Every year, our office has the pleasure of selecting a Sixth District winner for the Congressional Art Competition. The Congressional Art Competition is a program that recruits young artists from across America to submit their work, with the chance to have their piece hang in the halls of the Capitol. Each district’s winning artist is invited to see their work displayed in Washington, D.C.
We are particularly excited to announce that this year’s winner is no stranger to the competition. Matthew Scherber is a talented young photographer, who is currently finishing his junior year at Buffalo High School. In ninth grade, Matthew placed third in the competition, in tenth grade he received second place.
Matthew, congratulations on this well-deserved win. We can’t wait to meet with you here in Washington!
Young Women’s Leadership Program
Young people have more opportunities than ever to grow their career or education, but often the biggest hurdle is figuring out how to take the first step. Our Young Women’s Leadership program helps high school-aged girls from across the Sixth District find out what’s possible.
Interested students can apply for this program until June 14. The program will consist of three Summer 2022 sessions featuring women leaders in law enforcement, trades, and healthcare.
