By Samantha Handler and John Bresnahan, Punchbowl news

“Rep. Betty McCollum (Minn.) is set to again lead the Defense panel. Democrats are already on a collision course with the White House over spending for the Iran war. This will only escalate if they get the gavels next year.”

By AFGE

“AFGE also has endorsed Peggy Flanagan for election to the U.S. Senate representing Minnesota and the following candidates for the U.S. House: Jake Johnson (CD-1), Matt Little (CD-2), and incumbent Reps. Kelly Morrison (CD-3), Betty McCollum (CD-4), and Ilhan Omar (CD-5).”

By The Guardian

“And the Democratic representative Betty McCollum said:

‘Secretary Hegseth’s desire to conduct a public execution is disturbing and should be stopped. The Army has not conducted an execution by firing squad since World War II and the U.S. has not had a public execution since 1936. Nidal Hasan has been found guilty of his crimes and should be held accountable for them but turning a federal execution into a media spectacle is appalling and unbecoming of the U.S. military.’”

By Anthony Martinelli, The Marijuana Herald

“4th Congressional District

Betty McCollum (D)

McCollum has consistently supported federal marijuana reform.

She voted for the SAFE Banking Act in 2021 and for the MORE Act and Medical Marijuana Research Act in 2022. She subsequently cosponsored both the MORE Act and SAFE Banking Act.

McCollum is also a cosponsor of the current MORE Act, H.R. 5068, which would federally deschedule marijuana and eliminate federal criminal penalties.”

By Damian Goebel, Community Reporter

“DFL U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, seeking her 14th term in congress, faces Republican Paul Wikstrom in Minnesota’s 4th Congressional District, which includes St. Paul and much of Ramsey County. Congress will continue to debate federal spending and taxes, immigration, health care, housing, public safety, energy and foreign policy. For St. Paul residents, the race also carries significant local implications because Congress determines funding and policy affecting transit, roads and bridges, affordable housing, education and health and human services.”

By Blois Olson, morning take

“RESPONSE: via Rep. Betty McCollum statement, McCOLLUM: ‘In 2002, I was one of 133 members of the House of Representatives to vote against the [war]. … At the time, I believed that President [George W.] Bush’s decision to take America to war was terribly wrong. I stand by my vote. … Our leaders in Washington must heed the lessons of the Iraq War. Once again, our nation is mired in another destructive war of choice in the Middle East.’”

By Damian Goebel, Community Reporter

“Affordability of basic life necessities – food, gas, housing, utilities, healthcare, tuition – is my top issue for action. Prices are too high and many hard-working Minnesotans are struggling to make ends meet every month. These high prices have been inflicted on working people by Trump and MAGA Republicans. Trump’s tariffs are driving costs up, they are a tax on working people and businesses. The war in Iran is an economic disaster that is driving up the costs of fuel, fertilizer for farmers, food for families, and damaging our economy.”

By Mikki Morrissette, Minnesota Women’s Press

“Minnesota Democrats have taken a different view. Rep. Angie Craig has warned that the law’s Medicaid reductions put rural hospitals and health clinics at risk. Rep. Ilhan Omar has criticized the reduction in federal Medicaid funding and described the consequences as a loss of health coverage. Rep. Betty McCollum has focused on the effect of reduced coverage and higher costs on patients and health providers. In August, she convened a roundtable at Gillette Children’s to discuss those concerns. [Our story on that conversation is coming.]”

By Blois Olson, morning take

“RESPONSE: via Rep. Betty McCollum statement, McCOLLUM: ‘The Trump Administration is again unlawfully taking funding away from Americans that was passed by a bipartisan vote in Congress and signed into law by President [Donald] Trump. Their illegal budgetary manipulations are targeting our communities that are already struggling.’”

By Blois Olson, morning take

“PREGNANCY: via Rep. Kelly Morrison advisory, VERBATIM: ‘Rep. Kelly Morrison [is] leading 92 Democratic Senators & Representatives in a letter to the Department of Human & Health Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.) demanding the restoration of Congressionally appropriated funds to the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program.’ Reps. Angie Craig and Betty McCollum also signed the letter.”

By America’s Credit Unions

“Minnesota Credit Union Network met with members of their delegation including Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D) and Tina Smith (D), and Reps. Betty McCollum (D) and Brad Finstad (R) to advance credit union year-end priorities;”

By Chloe Rabinowitz, BroadwayWorld

“The endorsement recognizes McCollum's support for arts funding and workers' rights in the Twin Cities theatre market.”

By Actors’ Equity Association

"I’m honored to receive the support of Actors' Equity Association in my re-election campaign in recognition of my support for safe, high-quality working conditions, good-paying jobs with strong benefits, and the right to collectively bargain for their members. As an Interior-Environment appropriator, I will continue working to protect and strengthen federal funding for the arts community so Actors' Equity Association members can continue to bring thrilling and captivating entertainment to audiences across the country to enjoy.”

By AFGE

“AFGE also has endorsed Jake Johnson for election to Congress representing Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District and three incumbents from the state for reelection: Kelly Morrison (CD-3), Betty McCollum (CD-4), and Ilhan Omar (CD-5).”

By Minnesota Farmers Union

“‘Our members met with Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, Reps. Angie Craig, Kelly Morrison and Pete Stauber and aides for Reps. Betty McCollum, Tom Emmer, Brad Finstad, Michelle Fischbach and Ilhan Omar. In addition, they met with officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Department of Justice and Surface Transportation Board,’ said MFU President Gary Wertish. ‘Thank you to all the policymakers, legislative leaders and staff members who took the time to meet with us during our annual trip to Washington, D.C. With record high diesel prices and soaring fertilizer costs as we enter the fields for fall harvest, a chaotic tariff environment creating challenging trade headwinds and pending changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that will impact both consumers and farmers, it’s important that we sit down across from one another and share our challenges and concerns. I remain hopeful that members of Congress will act to pass legislation that supports our family farms and rural communities.’”

By Ana Radelat, MinnPost

“Reps. Kelly Morrison, D-3rd District; Angie Craig, D-2nd District; and Betty McCollum, D-4th District, were among 100 Democrats who signed a letter this week to Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., urging him to keep the U.S. House — which was about recess until after the Nov. 3 election — in session until Congress approves an AI bill.

‘To our children who will have read a post-apocalyptic history, 'Why Congress Slept' — likely written by agentic AI — our inaction will be inexplicable and unforgivable,’ the letter said.”

By Brian Bakst and Peter Cox, MPR News

“Minnesota is in for a Washington shuffle no matter how November turns out. Democratic U.S. Rep. Angie Craig is exiting the House and will leave her spot as the top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the DFL nominee for governor, would give up the ranking member title on the companion Senate Agriculture Committee if she wins her race. Sen. Tina Smith, who is retiring, had held ranking member positions on a couple of Senate subcommittees. Republican U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber is looking to move up the ladder. He is currently chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources but is looking to be the top Republican (either chair or ranking member depending on which party has the majority) on the full Committee on Natural Resources. The current chair must step aside due to term limits. The dean of Minnesota’s delegation, Democratic Rep. Betty McCollum, is her party’s top figure on the Subcommittee on Defense Appropriations and would continue in that role if reelected, a spokesperson for her confirmed. The most-visible Republican Minnesota has in Washington, Republican Rep. Tom Emmer, also has a lot riding on November given his role as House majority whip.”

By Sydney Kashiwagi, The Minnesota Star Tribune

“Among Minnesota Democrats, Rep. Angie Craig is in the process of joining a bipartisan working group that’s being put together on AI. Rep. Betty McCollum said she plans to support a bill by Rep. Greg Cesar and Sen. Bernie Sanders that would permanently ban the development of a ‘superintelligent’ AI and put a temporary pause on any advanced AI development until federal safety rules have been established.”

By Ana Radelat, MinnPost

“Like many Republicans running for all types of office in Minnesota this year, Wikstrom, 64, is raising the issue of fraud in social service programs in the state, which Rep. Betty McCollum, as a federal lawmaker, had no direct control of.”

By Blois Olson, morning take

“MATERIALS: via Rep. Betty McCollum advisory, VERBATIM: ‘Congresswoman Betty McCollum and Congressman Matt Van Epps (R-TN) introduced the Critical Materials Future Act. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation would establish a pilot program at the Department of Energy to financially support domestic critical material processing projects. … It [grants] the Secretary of Energy the authority and funding to deploy innovative financial mechanisms, such as contracts for differences and advanced market commitments, within this sector.”