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Vote Tomorrow!
Dear Friend,
If you’re an eligible Minnesotan, I hope you’ll exercise your right to vote tomorrow. When you do, you’ll be helping Minnesota continue to top the Nation in voter participation during Presidential election years. Four years ago, Minnesota led all 50 states as 2,950,780 of us went to the polls for a turnout rate of 76.1% - a simply remarkable achievement.
Caring about politics and public policy is a Minnesota tradition made stronger by the fact that our state allows Election Day voter registration at your local polling place. For more information, simply visit the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website and click onto “Register on Election Day.” Among other things, the page outlines what kind of information you’ll need to bring – for example, a drivers license, military or Veterans ID card, college ID card or a utility bill that contains your current name and address. The page also explains how a registered voter who knows you can “vouch” for your eligibility. That can be a particularly helpful option for folks who live in residential facilities.
If you don’t have a computer handy, you can call the Secretary of State’s office at 1-877-600-VOTE (8683) for help and advice.
Now just in case you’re thinking about NOT voting tomorrow, please remember this: Public policy, and the people who make it, affect our lives in countless ways. They preside over the stability of Social Security and Medicare, the benefits our Veterans receive, the quality of our schools, the strength of our military, the integrity of our food, water and air – the list goes on, but you get the point. Tomorrow is your chance to weigh in. Now it’s up to you to use it.
We will keep you posted as events proceed. Meanwhile, I want to hear your thoughts. Feel free to contact any of our offices listed below or send me an email.
Sincerely,
Nolan to ITC: Ban ALL Steel from China!
We are urging the International Trade Commission to effectively ban ALL Chinese steel from entering the U.S. marketplace
Are we finished bringing the hammer down on illegally dumped Chinese steel that devastated Minnesota’s Iron Range economy just a year ago? Not by a long shot. More than 40 other Members of Congress have now joined me in a bipartisan appeal to the International Trade Commission (ITC) to effectively block ALL Chinese steel from entering the U.S. This is a significant next step to ensure that the wrongs of illegal dumping which have already taken place are righted, and that China never launches another attack on America’s iron ore and steel industries.
I’ve led the charge in persuading the Obama administration to impose combined tariffs and taxes of up to 522% on cold-rolled and corrosion-resistant steel that have already made it too expensive for China to continue dumping. As a result, 1,000 miners are back at work on the Range and Cliffs Natural Resources has agreed to invest $65 million in new, 21st Century mining technology.
Our latest message to the ITC comes in support of a “Section 337” complaint against China’s 40 top steel companies filed by U.S. Steel Corporation, which owns the Keewatin Taconite plant where more than 400 miners are still laid off due to illegal foreign steel dumping. The complaint makes clear that these Chinese companies have illegally conspired to fix prices, hack and steal trade secrets and violate tariffs by falsely labeling their products. Under Section 337 of the U.S. Tariff Act, egregious violations like these provide the ITC with the authority go beyond tariffs and taxes and rule that Chinese steel will not be permitted into the U.S. under ANY circumstances. And that’s exactly what needs to happen
Polymet Takes Another Big Step Forward
By submitting its “Permit to Mine” application to the State of Minnesota last week, PolyMet has taken another big and historic step toward creating hundreds of new mining jobs on Minnesota’s Iron Range by opening up the copper, nickel and other precious minerals under land known as the Duluth Complex.
After years of intensive environmental review and analysis, it’s become clear that we have the knowledge and the technology to do mining and protect our environment. I’m looking forward to reviewing PolyMet’s application. And while the State undertakes its review, we will continue our work to ensure that the federal agencies partnering on PolyMet get their respective Records of Decision done without delay, so we can get this project up and running as soon as possible.
Congressman Nolan’s Office is At Your Service
After the VA initially denied his request, David Winger, a Veteran from Hibbing, contacted our office asking help in obtaining a powered wheel chair he could use at home. Like most people, he couldn’t afford to pay thousands of dollars out of his own pocket. So while we pressed the VA for what eventually proved to be a successful outcome, we also worked with David and his wife, Audrey, to obtain a chair from the Minnesota Disabled American Veterans (DAV) donor program. They provide used but updated medical equipment to Veterans free of charge. David and Audrey were delighted when the chair was delivered in person.
As Congressman, one of my most important jobs is to assist the people of Minnesota’s 8th District when they’re having a problem or a question with the federal government. And I’m proud to say we’ve gotten really good at it. Since taking office in 2013, my staff and I have assisted more than 3,200 constituents – helping them solve problems with Social Security and Medicare and cut through bureaucratic red tape at federal agencies like the IRS and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
In fact, we’ve helped more than 580 military Veterans and personnel recover $500,000 in benefits, along with a host of medals and other official recognitions they have earned in service to our Nation. And we made sure that the more than 300 Social Security and Medicare recipients who came to for assistance got the benefits they have paid into and earned over a lifetime of hard work – all told, about $380,000. In fact, overall we have recovered over $2.6 million for constituents, including more than $1.4 million from the IRS.
While we can’t promise to solve every problem, we do promise to leave no stone unturned in giving it our best effort. Please feel free to call any of the offices listed at the bottom of this newsletter, or visit my website and we’ll take it from there.
Time to Boost and Expand Pell Grants
to Help Make College More Affordable
It’s time to boost and expand the Pell Grant program to make college more affordable!
The Pell Grant program is the foundation of our federal student aid system and one of the best tools we have to help make college more affordable for students of low to modest means. So last week, I joined 122 of my colleagues in urging House and Senate Appropriations leaders to use a portion of the $7.8 billion surplus in the Pell fund to boost the maximum annual Pell Grant award from $4,860 to $5,000 beginning in 2017 and ensure any remaining surplus goes toward improving college access and affordability for students.
Nationwide, the Pell Grant program benefits nearly 8 million young people, including some 150,000 here in Minnesota. Unfortunately, today’s maximum annual Pell Grant covers on average less than 30% of college costs at public universities. That’s the lowest percentage in four decades. So along with an annual boost to $5,000 per Pell award, we’re also asking Appropriators to reestablish the yearly inflation adjustment to Pell Grants so their purchasing power doesn’t diminish while the cost of education continues to rise.
Meanwhile, I’ve also cosponsored legislation to make Pell Grants available to students during the summer term. The elimination of year-around Pell Grants in 2011, which made no sense, affects nearly 800,000 students who want to continue their education during the summer months. As I’ve said many times before, the heart of our Nation’s economic success is the education and preparation of our youth. The Pell Grant program is a critical component, and we’re going to continue to do everything we can to keep it strong.
Oh Deer! Our Annual Hunting Holiday is Underway
I welcomed participants in the Governor’s Deer Hunting Opener to Breezy Point here in Minnesota’s 8th District.
As the great Yankee catcher Yogi Berra might have observed, “Getting your deer is 50 percent of deer hunting. The other 90 percent is getting together with your family and your buddies.” Minnesota’s deer hunting season, which opened over the weekend, is more than an official Nolan family holiday. It’s a time for some 500,000 Minnesotans to take to the great out of doors to celebrate family, fun and friendship, tell tall tales and hunt white tails.
As a practical matter, deer hunting is an important part of Minnesota’s economy. According to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the economic impact of hunting in Minnesota is about $750 million a year, and 78 percent of all Minnesota hunters are deer hunters.
If you’re hunting this year, there should be plenty of deer for the taking. Thanks to careful management by the DNR, Minnesota’s estimated deer population has stabilized to around 1 million after dropping well below 800,000 after the harsh winters of 1978 and 1979. Minnesota’s deer harvest peaked in the decade from 2000 to 2009 at about 240,500 on average. Between 2010 and 2015, that number dipped to about 179,000. Good luck to all during this 2016 season!
Our Week in Center City
Our Field Representative Rick Olseen snapped this picture after meeting with members of the Ukrainian American Community where they explained how Russian aggression against Ukrainian territory is affecting their families still there. As a young democracy, they are counting on a US-Ukraine partnership and highlighted legislation in Congress that would help with this partnership.
Our Week in Eveleth
Our Field Representative Jordan Metsa snapped this picture of State Senator David Tomassoni speaking to the monthly Steelworkers of America Retirees (SOAR) meeting held at the local 6860 Eveleth Steelworkers Hall. Jordan provided the group with an update on our work to protect, promote, and strengthen our natural resourced based economy here in northern Minnesota and throughout this Country not only for jobs but also as a matter of national security. Senator Tomassoni spoke about the importance of strict trade policies in the form of high tariffs on trade cheater nations like China that have harmed our American Steel Industry with their illegal trade practices.
Coming Up in Minnesota
This week:
• Don't forget to vote tomorrow, Tuesday November 8th!
Finally...
Remember Veterans Day - Friday, November 11th
This coming Friday, as we officially honor the military Veterans who have put themselves in harm’s way to serve and protect our great Nation, we remember the words of President Abraham Lincoln, who often observed that the manner in which we reward and recognize our heroes today will determine the willingness of future generations to answer their country's call.
You’ve heard me say it many times before: American’s obligation to our military Veterans is sacred. They are heroes to be thanked and recognized every day. So on behalf of a grateful nation, we say thank you to all our military Veterans and their families for their service and their sacrifice.
For more on the issues in this newsletter...
Click here to learn more about our work on Trade.
Click here to learn more about our work on Jobs and the Middle Class.
Click here to learn more about our work on Mining.
Click here to learn more about our work on Veterans issues.
Click here to learn more about our work on Higher Education.
Click here to learn more about our work on Hunting, Fishing and the Outdoors.
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