Barb Bottger (left) discusses issues with 8th District DFL congressional candidate Leah Phifer at the Wunderbar. In the wake of Rick Nolan’s decision not to run for office again, Phifer’s candidacy has taken off.
On Friday, February 16, some 65 people turned out to hear 8th District DFL candidate for Congress Leah Phifer speak at the Wunderbar in Grand Marais.
Phifer spent about one hour laying out her views on a wide range of topics, and then spent another hour talking individually with the public.
Following the announcement by Rick Nolan that he would not run to keep his congressional seat, the energy in the room for Phifer, now the clear runner to pick up the DFL endorsement, was high.
Below are a few of Phifer’s views on some of the hottest topics of the day.
On Environmental Regulations:
Investing in clean energy, said Phifer, is critical to improving public health and will help lead to sustainable economies while combatting the effects of climate change. By extending the federal business Energy Investment Tax Credit and Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit to business and homeowners, each would be encouraged to invest in solar, wind, and geothermal options to produce energy. Phifer also proposes to reintroduce a popular tax credit for making your home more energy efficient and if elected would introduce a 30 percent tax credit for qualified home improvements that lead to greater energy efficiency.
On National Security:
As a former cyber-terrorism analyst for the FBI, Phifer said she has direct experience with the modern threats facing the U.S. and promises to fight to ensure the country has the right tools to combat them.
While cyber-terror threats continue to grow, Phifer believes her experience working against these threats would be invaluable in a Congress, which struggles to shape new laws and make new strategies to stem this tide.
Mining
Phifer comes from a family of four generations of miners and she supports mining as long as it is found to be environmentally safe.
In November 2017, Rep. Nolan’s Polymet Land Swap bill passed the U.S. House. If passed in the Senate, it will force through the land swap needed to build the Polymet copper-nickel mine by eliminating four pending lawsuits filed by Minnesotans challenging the legality of the swap. Phifer would like to see those lawsuits continue and see what resolutions would follow from those judicial decisions.
The MINER Act that recently passed the House renders Minnesota as the only state in the nation unworthy of public lands protection by requiring congressional approval of any future land withdrawals. It also provided direct support for the Trump administration’s decision to retroactively renew the Twin Metals land leases at the end of December.
Phifer said she would like to see the legal process to obtain mining permits play out as designed, not circumvented.
With a progressive vision and the proper resources, she added, the 8th District doesn’t need to choose between strong environmental protections and building a strong, robust economy.
Combatting home grown terrorism
Leah supports providing federal grants to foster community-based solutions through a three-tier approach to prevention, recognition, and rehabilitation. Prevention keeps extremist messaging and recruitment efforts away from the most susceptible members of our society, while recognition provides an “off-ramp” from the path to extremism. Family members are often the first to notice suspicious behavior and often feel their only choice is to ignore the warning signs or risk their loved one going to prison. The threat that home grown terrorism poses to our nation will be thwarted only when communities, correctional facilities, and law enforcement work together to implement innovative approaches to this pressing issue.
Cyber Security
Leah’s time at the FBI included a focus on cyber-terrorism. She has first-hand experience in the ways nation-states, and individual actors target America’s cyber infrastructure. The next large-scale attack on Americans will likely not be fought by land or sea but planned and executed online. This is why, she said, we must invest in our U.S. intelligence community while having a robust dialogue on privacy protections and taking a hard look at more efficient ways to allocate our traditional defense budget.
Every day that goes by without launching a major federal initiative to study our nation’s cyber security puts us at further risk, she added.
Immigration Policy
Current policy surrounding immigration and border security are driven by fear mongering, and instead should be addressed by a bipartisan solution(s). She is against building a border wall and is in favor of passing a DACA (Dreamers) act that would give the country’s DACA a pathway to citizenship.
But she doesn’t stop there; she is also in favor of formulating a comprehensive plan for all 11 million immigrants living in the shadows. She told the audience on Friday that it is necessary to provide adequate worker protection for these people, adding it is crucial to create a pathway to legal status and make an environment of trust between immigrants and law enforcement. This current lack of trust, said Phifer, results in under-reporting of crimes and perpetuates cycles of abuse.
Health Care
Health care, said Phifer, “Is a human right.” A strong supporter of Senator Bernie Sanders’ Medicare for All bill, Leah said passage and implementation of this bill wouldn’t happen anytime soon. In the meantime she proposes improving provisions within the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that would lead to lowering prescription drug prices, and would fund state-level re-insurance programs that will stabilize markets and bring lower health insurance premiums for thousands of Minnesotans.
Deaths of Despair
Deaths caused by substance abuse, suicide, chronic pain, and other conditions attributable to socioeconomic factors are on the rise not just in Minnesota, but also across the nation. By expanding research to study these fatalities from a public health perspective, along with increasing funding to combat the growing opioid epidemic, Phifer believes we can drastically lower these types of diseases and fatalities by elevating the conversation on substance abuse, mental health, and socioeconomic risk factors.
Veterans
Some veterans returning home are susceptible to substance abuse as a result of their combat experience. Phifer knows this first hand. Her brother Nick joined the Marine Corps on September 12, 2001, and completed three deployments, including the invasion of Iraq in 2003. In 2012, he completed treatment through the veterans’ court program in Hennepin County – a process he credits with helping him get back on track after struggling to adjust to life back in the U.S.
Veterans’ treatment courts are defined as a “problem-solving court,” and are reserved for veterans that have addiction and mental health issues and have been convicted of domestic abuse or DUIs. Unfortunately, the courts are located in the metro area. An amendment to the House-spending bill was passed recently increasing funding for this program to $10 million. In Congress, Phifer said she would fight to secure additional funding for the program to ensure the 51,000 veterans in our 8th District have access to this critical program.
A study conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs estimated that 20 veterans take their own lives each day, and women veterans are twice as likely to commit suicide as their civilian counterparts. To help our veterans in their time of need, Phifer said she will fight to strengthen the provisions of the Clay Hunt SAV Act and fast track other modernization initiatives. Leah’s plan will also increase the research budget of the VA to ensure that the latest therapies are available to veterans.
Gun Laws
Phifer is an avid sporting clays enthusiast and supports Minnesota’s long history of hunting and sportsmanship. However, throughout her career, she’s seen first-hand how firearms end up in the hands of people who should not have them. Leah believes gun violence in America is a public health crisis and should be treated as such. She talked about the most recent school shooting in Florida and said the FBI agents who failed to follow up on tips should be held accountable for their inaction.
Small Businesses
Small businesses with less than 20 workers make up the backbone of our economy and account for over 89 percent of all employers. Growing small businesses is paramount to ensuring rural communities thrive in the years ahead, she said. In Congress, Leah will fight to ensure rural economic stimulus programs across the federal government are funded proportionately with their urban counterparts.
Paying for college/ vocational school
Phifer is employed as adjunct faculty at Augsburg University where on a daily basis she said she sees students struggling with the burden of student debt. In Congress, Leah said she would fight for debt-free college tuition for all students at public universities.
In the meantime, in Congress, Leah would call to double the current maximum Pell Grant award to $13,000 per school year and annually adjust the Pell Grant award for inflation. Also, she will remove the provision to tax Pell Grant dollars as income if these funds are used for non-tuition education expenses.
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