E-Newsletter

E-Newsletter
April 22, 2005

Honoring Red Lake Tragedy Victims

This week, the entire Minnesota Delegation led the House of Representatives in unanimously passing a resolution honoring the victims of the Red Lake school shooting (HConRes126). All Americans and Minnesotans extend our prayers, condolences and support for the families of the Red Lake Nation as they heal and rebuild their community. To read my full statement on the tragedy in Red Lake, please click here.

Friday, April 22nd is Earth Day

Earth Day is a reminder of our collective responsibility to protect our children's health and preserve our environment for future
generations. Important environmental protections such as the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act are facing serious threats as outlined in a new report titled, "Protect Our Children and Our Future." These threats could reverse decades of bipartisan progress on the environment. Under the president's proposed budget for FY 2006, Minnesota stands to lose over $32 million in promised funds for conservation, environmental protection and critical habitat in our state.

Even worse, the Republican-controlled House passed an Energy bill (H.R. 6) that rewards industry for anti-environmental practices and shifts the burden of energy costs onto taxpayers. The bill gives more than $22 billion in taxpayer subsidies to the coal, nuclear, oil and gas industries and provides broad new access for energy developers to enter our precious public lands - including opening up the Artic Refuge to oil and drilling. A commonsense Democratic amendment that I supported will help increase our energy efficiency standards, eliminate special interest subsidies, and invest those recourse in emerging technologies to create a better future for our children. Unfortunately, it was defeated by Republicans. To read about this amendment, please click here.

In Minnesota, Earth Day highlights the incredible natural resources in our own back yard, particularly the Mississippi River Valley. This week, I re-introduced the Mississippi River Trail Study Act, a first step toward establishing a national trail along the Mississippi River.

Reconnecting people to the river by designating a national trail - from the headwaters in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico - will help remind us of our history and help direct our attention to protecting this natural resource for the future.

Sincerely,

Congresswoman Betty McCollum
Serving Minnesota's Fourth Congressional District

http://www.mccollum.house.gov/vertical/Sites/%7B6CD95013-7C42-4AD8-A464-EB8D8679E9C9%7D/uploads/%7B5D58CAA4-8A7C-4B50-ADC4-11283ABFEE40%7D.PDF