Tuesday, July 1st, 2025 Church Directory

In Support of America’s Turkey Growers

After another week in Washington, it was nice to spend the weekend at home in and around Minnesota. Last week, I announced a few major investments in Minnesota’s Sixth Congressional District, from supporting our farmers, to individuals facing evictions, to advancing our rural energy infrastructure – we are building stronger communities every day.

America’s Turkeys

In support of our turkey growers, I sent a letter to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue requesting their eligibility for relief provided by the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP).

Previously, turkey growers were excluded from this program. However, the losses they have incurred run deep because, like hog and cattle farmers, they own their birds – and suffer significant losses.

I am proud to say that following my letter Secretary Sonny Perdue allowed for additional eligibility for our state’s turkey growers.

Since Minnesota is home to the largest number of independent turkey farmers in the nation, I am determined to ensure they have the resources they need to get through this trying time.

2026 Special

Olympics

Recently, I joined my colleagues in the Minnesota Congressional Delegation to advocate for Minnesota hosting the 2026 Special Olympics.

The Special Olympics are the world’s largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. They play the vital role of offering year-round training and competitions to 5.7 million athletes, with partners in 172 countries.

The Special Olympics offer an important space for individuals with disabilities to engage in physical activity and socialize. Currently, for every $1 of federal support of Special Olympics health programming, $7.42 in health services are provided to Special Olympics athletes in return. These programs are vital to supporting the mental, physical, and emotional needs of our disabled community.

I have long supported funding for the Special Olympics and will continue to do so. I look forward to Minnesota (hopefully!) hosting the 2026 Special Olympic Games!

Development Grants

Last week, I was proud to announce over $2.4 million dollars in funding for Sixth District communities under the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, which was allocated by Congress through the CARES Act. 

In April, I voted in favor of the CARES Act, which provided hundreds of millions of dollars for our health care providers. This bill was a major injection of economic assistance for our small businesses and gave medical professionals and financial institutions the tools they needed to help our nation through the Coronavirus outbreak.

This investment will ensure Minnesotans facing eviction due to economic hardship as a result of the outbreak are provided support. Anoka County, Washington County, and the City of St. Cloud were awarded funds. These funds will be targeted towards neighborhoods with higher risks of eviction.

Reliable Energy

Recently, I announced that the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development office invested in Minnesota’s Sixth Congressional District through their Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).

They have issued Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Loans and Grants totaling $4.5 million to Benton, Carver, and Wright Counties! These projects establish solar systems in Minnesota, in furtherance of the REAP goal to support farmers, ranchers, and small businesses access renewable energy systems.

These projects will generate enough energy to power 456 homes in the Sixth District. This is an important investment in our agriculture community and a helpful boost for rural Americans who need renewable and reliable energy sources. I am grateful to the Administration for another generous investment in our communities.