How to Make Sure You Get Vaccinated | Weekly Recap April 5–9, 2021

Dear friend,

This week, after a year of lockdowns and losses, over 1.1. million Minnesotans have been vaccinated! About 20% of Minnesota’s total population has been fully vaccinated, meaning they have received two doses of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or a single shot of Johnson & Johnson vaccine . On Tuesday, Governor Walz and FEMA announced the state fairgrounds in Falcon Heights will have the capacity to vaccine 100,000 Minnesotans for the next 8 weeks.

I am so grateful for our health care workers who have gone above and beyond to serve our community and keeping us healthy. If you haven’t already signed up for the Minnesota Department of Health, please do. You can visit the Vaccine Connector here.

We will get through this crisis together. I encourage you to reach out to my office to share your concerns with me. You can call my District Office at (612) 333–1272.

District 5 Work Week

I came to Congress on a promise of cogovernance. As your Congresswoman, I want to represent Minnesotans. We’ve had a busy schedule in the district, and I want to share some highlights with you. You can check out my time here.

Fighting for H.R. 1

Across the nation, we are witnessing a spate of efforts to suppress the vote. Here in Minnesota, we lead the nation in voter turnout and know the importance of access the the ballot. It is critical that we pass H.R.1, the For the People Act , to end the influence of big money in politics and strengthen voter protection nationwide. More than ever, it’s important to keep pushing. You can find my remarks on voting rights here.

Repealing ICC Sanctions

This week, Secretary Blinken and the Biden administration lifted Trump-era sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC). In March, Rep. McGovern, Rep. Castro, and I sent a letter to Secretary of State Tony Blinken urging the move. This is a long-overdue victory for human rights and democracy. You can read more here.

MN05 Announcements

District 5 Art Competition

This month you can submit your art to our annual Congressional Art Competition for Minnesota’s 5th District by Friday, April 23rd at 5 pm CT. This year’s competition is open to students in 9th-12th grade or attending schools with 7th-12th. Winners of the competition will have their art displayed in the U.S. Capitol for a year. For more details and the theme, visit here or call my district office at (612) 333–1272.

Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs)

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced Minnesota businesses are eligible for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) for small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses, or non-profit organizations affected by civil unrest from May 27 to June 8th, 2020. The application deadline is May 3rd, 2021 and can be found here.

Tax Deadline Extended

The federal income tax filing and payment due date has been extended from April 15 to May 17, 2021. You can read more here. If you have any questions, please call my District Office at (612) 333–1272.

Stimulus Check Information

Still haven’t received your stimulus check or need more information? The IRS and its partners have shared information on how to claim your stimulus check and taxes. For more information and tips click here.

Resources in Wake of Derek Chauvin Trial

For the past two weeks we have been dealing with the trial of Derek Chauvin in our hometown. For too many of us, watching this trial can be retraumatizing and hard. If you are having a hard time, there are resources such as:

• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Minnesota, call: 1–888–626–443
• Minnesota Department of Health, call: 1–888–626–4435 or text “MN” to crisis line at 741741
• Visit MentalHealth.umn.edu or text UMN to 61222 for University of Minnesota Twin Cities
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) at 651–259–3840

In service,

Ilhan Omar

Member of Congress