TO THE EDITOR:

As I sit gazing out the window, I harken back to my service days as a physicist for an unnamed three-letter intelligence agency. I wonder how the representation of the 6th District has come to this point. I know I shouldn’t, but I researched the internet. Rep. Tom Emmer supported efforts to overturn certified election results in the past and now backs policies that erode civil liberties. These actions undermine USA democratic institutions and materially advance the destabilization goals long pursued by America’s adversaries. By supporting efforts to invalidate lawful electors and endorsing coercive enforcement that undermines civil rights, Rep. Emmer has contributed to democratic backsliding in the United States - outcomes that directly benefit America’s adversaries, irrespective of motive. Tom Emmer’s actions weaken U.S. democracy in ways that benefit America’s adversaries long-standing goal of destabilizing democratic governance.

William E. Gulbrandson

Veteran, Capt. USAF

Clear Lake, MN

TO THE EDITOR:

Unless Congress acts by January 30, 2026, the U.S. faces a partial government shutdown. Not because the clock ran out, but because the work isn’t done. Congress must pass 12 appropriations bills to fund the government. So far, six have passed, and two more (State–Foreign Operations and Treasury–Financial Services) have passed the House but are still awaiting Senate action. That leaves four major bills unfinished: Homeland Security (funds FEMA, TSA, border operations (I.C.E.), and disaster response), Labor–Health and Human Services–Education (funds NIH, CDC, Head Start, and education grants), Transportation–HUD (funds housing assistance, transit, and FAA infrastructure), and one additional national-security funding bill stalled in negotiations. If these aren’t passed or extended, the impact is immediate: delayed disaster aid, slowed housing assistance, paused medical research, and strained airport security. Congress has less than two weeks and only a handful of working legislative days left. Senator Lindsey Graham has proposed forcing members of Congress to forfeit their pay during shutdowns. I honestly don’t think that’s a harsh enough repercussion for not doing the job you were elected to do. ALL incumbents need to be voted out! Shutdowns aren’t accidents. They’re choices and we pay the price.

Vanessa Davenport

Big Lake, MN