First-Term Congresswoman Angie Craig Appreciates Bipartisanship
Minnesota's Second Congressional District (CD2) voted for Republican President Donald Trump in 2016 and then sent Democrat Angie Craig to Congress in 2018. "It will be as hard to hold as it was to win," says Craig, who knows she'll have a battle in 2020. The former business executive says she'll stand with the President when it's right for the district and stand up to him when he's wrong. "We need leaders who are going to work together to bring together a divided country, and the president is not doing that in many respects," adds Craig.
In a swing district like CD2, bipartisanship is essential, from her perspective: "It's been really interesting being a freshman in Congress. I found some good Republicans to work with."
On this day, she's working with a Republican state representative on flood mitigation in Hastings. Craig has introduced a bill for revolving resilience funds aimed at helping the district's river communities.
Broadly, she says 80 percent of the bills she has introduced are bipartisan. "I'm here to work for our community. It does not matter if you're a Democrat or Republican," she says, citing her opposition to a pay raise in Washington, D.C. as an example of how she's gone against her caucus.
The reason behind her decision? In Minnesota, the average household income for a family of four is $81,000, and she believes that the current salary of $174,000 is for members of Congress is enough. "People in Minnesota don't think we need a pay raise."
"It's an interesting district because, geographically, it's well over 50 percent in Greater Minnesota. It's rural America. I've worked hard on committee choices, [but my] first choice was the Ag Committee," says Craig, who is working with the state's Department of Agriculture commissioner on this day.
Gun control also spurs division within the district, which also includes suburban soccer moms and many young people who have been active on the issue. Craig concludes, "Even in a district like this, where people do respect the Second Amendment - and so do I, my family belongs to the gun club in Eagan - and [yet] I still want to keep assault weapons off the streets in America. So I'm pleased to be an original co-sponsor of that bill."
