Betty McCollum

Upon her election to Congress in 2000, Betty became only the second woman to be elected to federal office from Minnesota in 142 years of statehood. Today in Congress, Betty is the Dean of the Minnesota Congressional Delegation and serves on the powerful House Appropriations Committee. On the Appropriations Committee, Betty serves as the Ranking Member on the Defense Subcommittee, where she supports responsible, accountable investments to ensure a strong and smart approach to deterring adversaries and supporting our allies and service members. She is also a senior member on the Interior-Environment Subcommittee, where she works to protect federal funding for the Environmental Protection Agency, our national parks, public lands, the arts & humanities, and tribal nations. As Minnesota’s sole member of the Appropriations Committee in Congress, Betty is uniquely-positioned to secure billions in federal funding each year for projects, programs, and services that save lives, create jobs, boost economic security, improve our infrastructure, and grow our local economy.

Betty has been an outspoken champion for protecting and preserving our environment. Betty is the leading advocate in Congress for permanently protecting Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Wilderness from sulfide-ore copper mining through her introduction of the Boundary Waters Wilderness Protection and Pollution Prevention Act. She has also introduced legislation in Congress to coordinate efforts to protect and restore the Mississippi River and to expand animal cruelty protections for cold-blooded animals.

“The Critical Materials Futures Act, cosponsored by Reps. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) and Matt Van Epps (R-Tenn.), would authorize the secretary of energy to “deploy innovative financial mechanisms” to boost the supply of minerals such as graphite, nickel, and cobalt that are used in such items as smartphones, electric vehicle batteries, solar panels, and wind turbines.”

Passed Minnesota legislation to improve school-bus safety.

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Passed Minnesota legislation providing bonuses for Gulf War veterans.

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Voted for a Minnesota Human Rights Act amendment protecting people from discrimination based on sex and sexual orientation.

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Support responsible, accountable defense investments that deter adversaries and support United States allies and service members.

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Protect federal funding for the Environmental Protection Agency.

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Protect federal funding for national parks and public lands.

• Preserve both land categories and the funding direction.

Protect federal funding for arts and humanities programs.

• Preserve the two cultural program categories without inventing grant levels.

Protect federal funding for tribal nations.

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Permanently protect Minnesota's Boundary Waters from sulfide-ore copper mining through the Boundary Waters Wilderness Protection and Pollution Prevention Act.

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Introduced federal legislation to coordinate protection and restoration of the Mississippi River.

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Introduced federal legislation expanding animal-cruelty protections to cold-blooded animals.

• Preserve the completed legislative action and covered animal category.

Cosponsored the Critical Materials Futures Act, which would authorize the Energy secretary to use innovative financial mechanisms to increase supplies of critical minerals.

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