What Pete Stauber wrote today in the Tribune (and blaming Democrats for spreading the coronavirus)
8th Congressional District Primary / Stauber: Economy rebuilding amidst need for justice, law and order
Written By: U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber | Jul 25th 2020 – 10am.
The sun was shining brightly just a few short months ago. Unemployment was the lowest since we first landed on the moon. Small-business optimism was soaring to an all-time high. Consumer confidence was skyrocketing. Wage growth was steadily climbing. Our economy was chugging and churning at unprecedented levels.
Then a global pandemic struck, and the governor shut down our businesses, schools, and even our places of worship. Our nation’s economy shuddered, our spirit shaken. Minnesota’s main streets were locked down, unemployment skyrocketed, and a billion-dollar state surplus turned upside down into a multibillion-dollar deficit.
Our way of life was drastically altered in ways we hadn’t experienced before.
In May, George Floyd was wrongly killed in Minneapolis by a police officer. Peaceful protests turned into rioting and looting in Minneapolis and St. Paul, and Minnesota was thrust into ground zero of a national tragedy. Due largely to failed leadership at state and local levels, lawless behavior and anarchy took over some of our nation’s city streets. Small businesses, national monuments, and even police departments were destroyed and burned to the ground while some of our political leaders watched it happen.
As a retired police officer and victim of two violent gun crimes, the tragic events struck me personally. I didn’t run for office to enact criminal-justice reform, but our nation has called and I willfully serve. This summer, I am working with Sen. Tim Scott and Rep. Karen Bass, the Congressional Black Caucus chair, on bipartisan legislation that will build trust between citizens and our police and will provide law enforcement with the resources they need to keep our communities and families safe.
America needs equal justice, law, and order.
Our reforms won’t happen overnight and neither will our nation’s healing, but we must start now.
Meanwhile, as we move forward in this pandemic, we continue to explore ways to get our economy moving again. I continue working with President Donald Trump and Congress to unleash the economic engine in Minnesota’s Eighth Congressional District to create jobs and an economic boom for our working families. This means promoting small-business relief and fighting relentlessly for tested and trusted job creators like iron ore mining, copper-nickel mining, the Line 3 Replacement Project, timber, tourism, and recreation.
Make no mistake: We are recovering, and our economy is rebuilding. We’ve added 7.3 million jobs in the past two months, but this is the only beginning. There is still more work to be done. We know how to get our economy moving again, and when we do we will be a stronger, more resilient, and self-reliant country.
Two years ago, one of the focal points of my campaign as a first-time congressional candidate was to let you, the voters, know who I am. I introduced myself to you and shared my story, what my priorities are, and how I wanted to represent Northeastern Minnesota.
Professional hockey player, small-business owner, police officer: those were the uniforms I wore throughout my life. That uniform changed in 2019 when I took my oath. Whether it’s a suit and tie when I’m at the White House meeting with President Trump on criminal-justice reform, slacks and a sport coat when I visit with small-business owners in Brainerd or Duluth, or jeans and Carhartts when I’m at a local labor hall checking in with the Teamsters, Carpenters, or Local 49ers, my purpose is resolute.
The wardrobe varies, but my uniform stays the same.
My priority isn’t an issue: It’s you the people. I am humbled to be your congressman. For the past two years I have been listening to you and learning from you. My focus in Congress is on you. It has been a privilege fighting for our way of life, and I would be honored to receive your vote to continue advocating on your behalf.
U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber of Hermantown is the Republican incumbent in the Aug. 11 primary for Minnesota’s Eighth Congressional District. He and challenger Harry Welty were invited by the News Tribune Opinion page to write columns about their candidacies. They are being published together today. The winner in the primary will advance to Election Day on Nov. 3 to face Democrat Quinn Nystrom.
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