District Work Period Recap

Over the past few weeks, I was able to come back home and attend some incredible district events. I remain in awe of the resiliency our community has shown through enormous trials. The way we rally, support, and uplift one another is something incredibly special. I’m grateful each day to be a member of our 5th District community.

Since getting elected to serve the 5th District, I made a promise to cogovern with you. This promise was anchored in the deep belief that my success in Congress is contingent upon inviting members of our community to come alongside this journey with me. This has never been about me — it has always been about us. Here’s some of the highlights from the past few weeks that I wanted to share with you:

Friday:

Minneapolis VA Visit: I had the opportunity to tour the Minneapolis VA Medical Center with VA Secretary McDonough, Governor Walz, Senator Klobuchar, and Senator Smith. I’m committed to strengthening the VA, ensuring our servicemembers do not have to fight in needless wars, and are taken care of when they return home.

African American Leaders Constituency Meeting: I had the chance to hear from our African American district leaders. During the meeting, we discussed the status of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and other legislative priorities.

Saturday:

Becker Park Visit: The city of Crystal received funding to remodel one of our family parks. I joined other local officials to celebrate the grand reopening with members of our community.

Native American Community Clinic Vaccination Event: This vaccination event was targeted towards BIPOC youth. During the visit, I got to see the vaccination process, hear directly from staff on their pressing vaccination needs, and visit with teens getting vaccinated and their families.

YWCA Event: I got to visit the vaccination event at the Midtown YWCA on East Lake Street hosted by Children’s Minnesota, YWCA Minneapolis, and YWCA St. Paul. This event was one of many events aimed to address the current racial, ethnic, and age gaps in community vaccination.

Monday:

American Rescue Press Conference: I hosted a press conference with local officials to celebrate the American Rescue Plan. I’m committed to ensuring the funds go directly to addressing the eviction crisis, supporting small businesses, aiding local healthcare facilities, and helping all schools safely reopen.

Tuesday:

HFAC Members Africa Day/Subcommittee: During the Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, we celebrated Africa Day. As the first African-born Member of Congress, I am grateful to fight for a more just and prosperous future for the continent. You can watch my questioning on the impact of sanctions in Africa below.

George Floyd Anniversary Concert/Memorial Celebration: As a community, we commemorated the first anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. Together, we uplifted our community and recognized the caretakers that emerged in the wake of the tragedy.

Wednesday:

Virtual Meeting with SEIU: I met with SEIU members to discuss the impact of President Biden’s infrastructure plan.

Education and Labor Committee Markup: In the Education and Labor Committee, we participated in the markup of the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers (PUMP) Act and the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act (POWADA). I am a cosponsor of both pieces of legislation.

Thursday:

Minneapolis City Council Meeting: I met with members of the Minneapolis City Council to discuss their priorities and legislative updates. We discussed the significance of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and the slate of bills I introduced to reform our criminal justice system.

Ed and Labor Workforce Protection Subcommittee: During the subcommittee, we discussed the importance of centering racial equity in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. In our state, we have already started to take important steps in addressing the racial disparities of economic and educational outcomes in our workforce system. Because of the strides our state has made, I was able to share our success with members of the committee.

In solidarity,

Ilhan Omar