(Editor’s Note: The following column was submitted by Rep. Tom Emmer.)

Hopefully, you and your loved ones had a joyful Easter. We were grateful to celebrate the holiday at home in Minnesota and will be spending this week meeting with constituents around the Sixth District.

Sky-High Inflation 

It seems like every month we see another round of headlines about historic inflation. Last week was more of the same; the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that inflation hit 8.1% in March. This marks the highest annual increase since 1981. Americans cannot afford for the highest prices in over forty years to become the new normal.

To make matters worse, some of the largest contributors to inflation have been rising prices on gas, food and shelter. Inflation has become a tax on every household in America.

President Biden has attempted to blame Putin’s invasion of Ukraine for record-high gas prices. We know better: prices were rising long before the first Russian troops set foot in Ukraine. The real cause? President Biden’s anti-energy actions like canceling the Keystone pipeline on his very first day in office, and the costly, failed ‘American Rescue Plan.’

To tackle inflation, we must rein in government spending and implement policy that bolsters our economy, not nickel-and-dime the American people. 

Telephone Town Hall 

Telephone town halls have long been one of my favorite ways to connect with constituents. Not only do these events allow us to speak directly about the issues that matter most to them, but they can also include the expertise of leaders from throughout our community.

Our most recent telephone town hall, which took place Wednesday night, focused on issues impacting our ag community. We were joined for the event by Minnesota Farm Bureau President Dan Glessing and MinnStar Bank Senior Vice President Kent Thiesse, who were able to provide unique insight into issues ranging from rising input costs for farmers to avian flu outbreaks.

Visiting Landwehr Construction

I always welcome the chance to meet with the small business owners and employees who provide essential services to the Sixth District. Tuesday, we had the opportunity to visit Nate and Dan Landwehr, owners of Landwehr construction in St. Cloud.

Landwehr Construction has been providing services to the Sixth District since 1895 and has been managed by five generations of the Landwehr family. Recently, they built a new headquarters in St. Cloud. It was great to see the new space and hear about how the legacy of this over a century-old family business has grown.---------