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The Republican House of Representatives is doing so much harm to our country I do not know where to begin.

After narrowly averting one government shutdown we are careening to another shutdown. The next deadline is March 1 less than two weeks away, with another deadline March 8. The appropriations bills expiring March 1 include Agriculture, Energy-Water, military construction-VA and Transportation-HUD. These are all important, particularly Agriculture in our area. Crop prices continue to decline putting farm income in peril. USDA’s Economic Research Service projects a reduction of $43 billion in farm income in 2024. USDA needs its funding to protect our area farmers.

Oh, and The Republican controlled House of Representatives and Representative Finstad just left for a two-week vacation.

Putin’s Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine has resulted in millions of Ukrainians becoming refugees in other countries. Russia has purposely targeted civilians across Ukraine and has killed untold thousands. Russia has kidnapped thousands of Ukrainian children. Russia has looted and plundered Ukrainian property and is accused of torture and other war crimes.    

Ukrainians have fought valiantly and inflicted massive damage on the Russian war machine. The United States and our NATO allies have provided military and other aid to Ukraine so they can defend themselves. Ukraine has fought alone without NATO or our soldiers in combat. The Senate approved badly needed aid for Ukraine, but Trump told the Republican House leadership not to approve aid for Ukraine.

Russia has threatened Finland, Poland and the Baltic countries, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. Trump has invited his friend Putin to attack our allied NATO countries. Putin has even stated that the Russian sale of Alaska to the United States was illegal. Ukrainian solders are fighting to protect us. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk visiting Kyiv said, “It is here in Ukraine that the world front between good and evil runs.” Senator Fetterman said, “House members blocking critical aid to Ukraine can revel in another high-five for Putin who just murdered his most vocal and visible critic.”

Oh, and the Republican controlled House of Representatives and Representative Finstad just left for a two-week vacation.

We have a broken immigration system, and our southern border needs to be secured. The Senate passed bipartisan immigration legislation that was the most far-reaching legislation in decades and would have provided tools to deal with the problem. Trump told the Republican House leadership to not pass the legislation so he could have a campaign issue.

Oh, and the Republican controlled House of Representatives and Representative Finstad just left for a two-week vacation. Like Emperor Nero fiddling while Rome burned.

We deserve better representation.

Joe Pacovsky

Hayward, MN