Summary
Current Position: US Representative of MN District 4 since 2001
Affiliation: Democrat
Former Position: State Delegate from 1993 – 2001
Other Positions:
Chair, Defense Subcommittee – House Appropriations Committee
Featured Quote:
My @AppropsDems colleagues and I are currently working to ensure Congress passes funding bills that improve the lives of all Americans. Watch this video to see how we make it happen #ForThePeople
Featured Video:
“It Is Called Apartheid” – Rep. Betty McCollum Speech at USCPR National Conference
Source: Government page
OnAir Post: Betty McCollum – MN4
News
Minneapolis Star Tribune, – August 30, 2021
U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, fellow congressional Democrats and scores of Minnesota state lawmakers on Monday called for “urgent intervention” from President Joe Biden on Enbridge’s nearly completed Line 3 oil pipeline project.
The 63 elected officials — mostly DFL state legislators — signed a letter to Biden on Monday that continued an ongoing chorus of demands for government action on the $3 billion-plus project.
“In recent weeks, we have seen concerning violations of treaty rights by public agencies and private actors, ongoing violence against Indigenous women, and environmental impacts that will have long-lasting impacts on hunting, fishing, and wild rice gathering as we grapple with the climate crisis,” the lawmakers wrote.
The letter, which was also signed by fellow Minnesota Democrat U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, asks that the U.S. Interior Department “uphold the rights guaranteed to Indigenous people under federal treaties and fulfill Tribal requests for a government-to-government meeting concerning Line 3.”
About
Source: Government page
Betty McCollum is a Democrat representing the families of Minnesota’s Fourth District in the United States House of Representatives. In 2000, Congresswoman McCollum made history as only the second Minnesota woman elected to serve in Congress since statehood in 1858. McCollum represents the residents of Minnesota’s capital city, St. Paul, as well as all of Ramsey County and most of Washington County.
Throughout her career in public service, Congresswoman McCollum has been a champion for excellence in education, protecting the environment, expanding health care access, fiscal responsibility, and robust international engagement that prioritizes diplomacy, development, human rights, along with a strong national defense.
Investments in education, health care, and 21st century infrastructure are top policy priorities for Congresswoman McCollum. With more than 20 institutions of higher learning located in the Fourth District, keeping higher education affordable, accessible, and high quality is important. A strong proponent of public education, she supports keeping our schools accountable to parents and local officials. McCollum is a champion for universal health coverage for all Americans and a strong supporter of protecting and strengthening the Affordable Care Act.
In the 117th Congress, Congresswoman McCollum brings a common sense, Minnesota perspective to her work as a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee where she serves as Chair of the Defense Subcommittee, Vice Chair of the Interior-Environment Subcommittee, and as a member of the Agriculture and Rural Development Subcommittee. McCollum is also a member of the House Natural Resources Committee, where she joins her authorizing colleagues to tackle the urgent challenges of climate change, protecting public lands, and strengthening tribal sovereignty.
As Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, McCollum is responsible for writing an annual defense funding bill of nearly $700 billion. McCollum believes national security starts by ensuring that members of our U.S. Armed Forces are the most skilled and best trained and equipped fighting force in the world. Under Chair McCollum’s leadership, the committee is prioritizing smart investments, including sustaining modernization efforts and giving priority to military health care, ending military sexual assault, and supporting international military-to-military cooperation to prevent conflicts.
In the 116th Congress, McCollum chaired the Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee. Despite Republican control of the White House and U.S. Senate, Chair McCollum was able to secure increased investments in the Environmental Protection Agency, the Interior Department, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the U.S. Forest Service, the National Endowments for the Arts and the Humanities, and the Smithsonian Institution. In the 117th Congress, McCollum will serve as Vice Chair of the subcommittee, prioritizing investments in Indian Country and protecting our clean air and water, our wilderness and public lands, and our nation’s natural treasures.
Prior to Congress, Congresswoman McCollum served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1993 to 2000, and was elected Assistant Leader three times by her Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party colleagues. From 1987 to 1992, she served her neighbors on the North St. Paul City Council.
In addition to elected office, Congresswoman McCollum’s career has included teaching high school social science, as well as twenty-five years in retail sales and management. She is a graduate of the College of St. Catherine, and the mother of two adult children. Congresswoman McCollum is a Minnesota native who grew up in South St. Paul, raised her family in North St. Paul, and now lives in St. Paul.
Voting Record
Caucuses
Caucus Leadership as Co-Chair
Congressional Global Health Caucus
Friends of Norway Caucus
International Conservation Caucus
Caucus Memberships
Bi-Partisan Congressional Historically Black Colleges and Universities Caucus
Congressional Addiction, Treatment and Recovery Caucus
Congressional Adoption Caucus
Congresssional ALS Caucus
Congressional Armenian Issues Caucus
Congressional Arts Caucus
Congressional Baby Caucus
Congressional Battlefield Caucus
Congressional Bicameral High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail Caucus
Congressional Bike Caucus
Congressional Campaign Finance Reform Caucus
Congressional Caucus on the Deadliest Cancers
Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans
Congressional Caucus on Parkinson Disease
Congressional Caucus on Sudan and South Sudan
Congressional Caucus on Turkey and Turkish Americans
Congressional Caucus on U.S-Lebanon Relations
Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues
Congressional Dairy Farmer Caucus
Congressional Diabetes Caucus
Congressional Friends of Ireland Caucus
Congressional Green Schools Caucus
Congressional Humanities Caucus
Congressional International Basic Education Caucus
Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus
Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus
Congressional Rural Broadband Caucus
Congressional Small Business Caucus
Congressional Soccer Caucus
Congressional Sports Caucus
Congressional STARBASE Caucus
Congressional STEAM Caucus
Congressional Steel Caucus
Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer’s Disease
Congressional Ukraine Caucus
Congressional Voting Rights Caucus
Congressional Western Sahara Caucus
Cuba Working Group
Gun Violence Prevention Task Force
Historic Preservation Caucus
House Auto Caucus
House Farmer Cooperative Caucus
House General Aviation Caucus
House Hunger Caucus
House National Guard and Reserve Components
House National Service Caucus
House Rural Education Caucus
House Small Brewers Caucus
House Specialty Crops Caucus
Law Enforcement Caucus
Lyme Disease Caucus
Tuberculosis Elimination Caucus
Tunisia Caucus
U.S.-China Working Group
Veterinary Medicine Caucus
Offices
Contact
Email:
Web
Government Page, Campaign Site, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Wikipedia
Politics
Source: none
Campaign Finance
Open Secrets – We Follow the Money
Voting Record
VoteSmart – National Key Votes & Ratings
Search
Wikipedia Entry
Contents
Betty Louise McCollum (/məˈkɒləm/ mə-KOL-əm; born July 12, 1954)[1] is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Minnesota’s 4th congressional district, serving since 2001. She is a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL). McCollum’s district centers on St. Paul, Minnesota’s capital city. She is the second woman elected to Congress from Minnesota. McCollum became the dean of Minnesota’s congressional delegation in 2021.
Before her election to the U.S. House, McCollum served eight years as a state representative.
Biography
McCollum was born in Minneapolis. She graduated from the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1976. McCollum has worked as a high school social sciences teacher and as a sales manager.
She first won election to the North St. Paul city council in 1986.[2] In 1992 she was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives after she defeated an incumbent state representative in the DFL primary. She served four terms in the Minnesota House before being elected to Congress in 2000.[3]
U.S. House of Representatives
Campaigns
After 4th district Representative Bruce Vento decided not to seek a 13th term due to illness in 2000 (he died before the election), McCollum won the DFL nomination to succeed him. The district is heavily Democratic; among Minnesota’s congressional districts, only the neighboring Minneapolis-based 5th district is considered more Democratic. The DFL has held the seat without interruption since 1949.
McCollum’s main concern during the campaign wasn’t her Republican opponent, State Senator Linda Runbeck, but Independence Party candidate Tom Foley. Foley had previously been county attorney for Ramsey County (almost all of which is in the 4th district) as a Democrat. Many thought Foley might siphon off enough votes from McCollum to allow Runbeck to win. But McCollum defeated Runbeck by 17 points, with Foley in a distant third place. Foley held McCollum to 48% of the vote, making her the only Democrat not to win at least 50% of the vote since Democrats began their dominance in the district. The district has since reverted to form, and McCollum has been reelected nine times with no substantive opposition.
Tenure
According to the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University, McCollum held a Bipartisan Index Score of -0.1 in the 116th United States Congress for 2019, which placed her 219th out of 435 members.[4] Based on FiveThirtyEight‘s congressional vote tracker at ABC News, McCollum voted with Donald Trump’s stated public policy positions 11.4% of the time,[5] which ranked her average in the 116th United States Congress when predictive scoring (district partisanship and voting record) is used.[6] In the 117th Congress, she voted with President Joe Biden‘s stated position 100% of the time.[7]
Committee assignments
For the 118th Congress:[8]
Party leadership, caucus, and other memberships
- Senior Whip
- Co-founder of the Congressional Global Health Caucus
- Co-founder of the Quality Care Coalition
- Vice Chair of Congressional Native American Caucus (Co-Chair Emeritus)[9]
- National Council on the Arts
- Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (Associate Member)
- Congressional Caucus on Global Road Safety
- International Conservation Caucus
- Congressional Arts Caucus[10]
- Afterschool Caucuses[11]
- Co-Chair United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus[12]
- Veterinary Medicine Caucus[13]
- Congressional Coalition on Adoption[14]
McCollum is the first woman elected to Congress from Minnesota since Coya Knutson in the 1950s.
McCollum received a 91% progressive rating from Progressive Punch, a self-described nonpartisan group that provides a “searchable database of Congressional voting records from a Progressive perspective”,[15] and a 13% conservative rating from the conservative SBE Council.[16]
Political positions
McCollum is pro-choice and supports Planned Parenthood, NARAL Pro-Choice America, and National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association.[17] The latter organization aims to provide access to family planning and reproductive health care services and advocates for reproductive freedom.[18] She indicated on the 2002 National Political Awareness Test that she believed abortions should always be legally available, but only within the first trimester of pregnancy.[19]
McCollum has consistently supported the rights of members in the LGBTQ community.[20] The Human Rights Campaign, one of America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality, has continually approved of her voting record.[21][20] In a speech opposing the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment, McCollum said, “Gay and lesbian Americans are citizens who must never be treated as second-class citizens”.[22]
She has supported the interests of the elderly with regard to preserving Social Security. She has backed organizations such as the Alliance for Retired Americans and the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, which share the mission to ensure social and economic justice and full civil rights for all citizens so that they may enjoy lives of dignity, personal and family fulfillment and security.[23] In a position paper, McCollum defended her position on Social Security, writing, “We can secure the future of Social Security with common sense and a shared, bipartisan commitment to economic security and fiscal responsibility for all Americans. This is my commitment, and you can count on me to work to protect Social Security and to find a solution that truly protects the retirement security of every American.”[24]
McCollum advocates shifting America’s energy consumption to cleaner, non-carbon-based sources. Along with Al Franken and Kit Bond, she introduced the Renewable Energy and Efficiency Act, a bill to utilize thermal energy sources and create renewable energy production tax credits.[25] She also voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment in 2009.[26]
In 2004, McCollum gained national visibility when she and fellow Democrat Jim McDermott of Washington called for Secretary of Education Rod Paige to resign for claiming the National Education Association was “a terrorist organization.”
She also introduced amendments in June 2011 and 2012 to cut funding for military bands by $125 million, a proposal opposed by the Fleet Reserve Association and which the National Association for Music Education called “potentially devastating.”[27]
McCollum opposes Conceal-and-Carry legislation and voted against Right-to-Carry reciprocity in November 2011.[19]
In July 2019, McCollum voted against a House resolution introduced by Representative Brad Schneider of Illinois opposing the Global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement targeting Israel.[28] The resolution passed 398-17.[29] In February 2020, McCollum called AIPAC a hate group and accused it of hate speech.[30]
In April 2021, McCollum introduced the Defending the Human Rights of Palestinian Children and Families Living under Israeli Military Occupation Act, a bill that aims to prohibit Israel from using U.S. aid to detain Palestinian minors, demolish Palestinian homes, or further annex West Bank land. The bill requires the State Department to file an annual report to Congress detailing the extent to which U.S. aid from the previous fiscal year was used to bankroll any of the aforementioned activities.[31]
On July 18, 2023, McCollum voted “present” on a congressional non-binding resolution proposed by August Pfluger that “the State of Israel is not a racist or apartheid state“, that Congress rejects “all forms of antisemitism and xenophobia”, and that “the United States will always be a staunch partner and supporter of Israel”.[32]
On July 19, 2024, McCollum called for Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 United States presidential election.[33]
Electoral history
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Betty McCollum | 130,403 | 48.04% | – | |
Republican | Linda Runbeck | 83,852 | 30.89% | – | |
Independence | Tom Foley | 55,899 | 20.59% | – | |
Constitution | Nicholas Skrivanek | 1,285 | 0.47% | – |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Betty McCollum | 164,597 | 62.22% | +14.18% | |
Republican | Clyde Billington | 89,705 | 33.91% | – | |
Green | Scott J. Raskiewicz | 9,919 | 3.75% | – |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Betty McCollum | 182,387 | 57.48% | −4.74% | |
Republican | Patrice Bataglia | 105,467 | 33.24% | – | |
Independence | Peter F. Vento | 29,099 | 9.17% | – |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Betty McCollum | 172,096 | 69.54% | +12.06% | |
Republican | Obi Sium | 74,797 | 30.23% | – |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Betty McCollum | 216,267 | 68.44% | −1.10% | |
Republican | Ed Matthews | 98,936 | 31.31% | – |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Betty McCollum | 136,746 | 59.09% | −9.30% | |
Republican | Teresa Collett | 80,141 | 34.63% | – | |
Independence | Steve Carlson | 14,207 | 6.14% | – |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Betty McCollum | 216,685 | 62.27% | +3.18% | |
Republican | Tony Hernandez | 109,659 | 31.51% | – | |
Independence | Steve Carlson | 21,135 | 6.07% | −0.07% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Betty McCollum | 147,857 | 61.19% | −1.08% | |
Republican | Sharna Wahlgren | 79,492 | 32.90% | – | |
Independence | Dave Thomas | 14,059 | 5.82% | – |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Betty McCollum | 203,299 | 57.76% | −4.03% | |
Republican | Greg Ryan | 121,032 | 34.39% | – | |
Legal Marijuana Now | Susan Pendergast Sindt | 27,152 | 7.71% | – |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Betty McCollum | 216,866 | 65.99% | +8.23% | |
Republican | Greg Ryan | 97,746 | 29.75% | −4.64% | |
Legal Marijuana Now | Susan Pendergast Sindt | 13,777 | 4.19% | −3.52% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic (DFL) | Betty McCollum | 245,813 | 63.2% | −2.8% | |
Republican | Gene Rechtzigel | 112,730 | 29.0% | − | |
Grassroots | Susan Sindt | 29,537 | 7.6% | − | |
Write-in | 1,034 | 0.3% | – |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic (DFL) | Betty McCollum | 200,055 | 67.59% | +4.4% | |
Republican | May Lor Xiong | 95,493 | 32.26% | − | |
Write-in | 425 | 0.14% | – |
See also
- United States congressional delegations from Minnesota
- List of United States representatives from Minnesota
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
References
- ^ “Elections 2008”. Chicago Sun-Times. October 23, 2008. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved October 24, 2008.
- ^ “Campaign 2004”. Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved February 26, 2007.
- ^ “Biography”. Congresswoman Betty McCollum. April 12, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
- ^ “The Lugar Center – McCourt School Bipartisan Index House Scores 116th Congress First Session (2019)” (PDF). Georgetown University. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- ^ “Tracking Congress In The Age Of Trump – Betty McCollum”. ABC News. January 30, 2017. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- ^ “Tracking Congress In The Age Of Trump”. ABC News. January 30, 2017. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- ^ Bycoffe, Aaron; Wiederkehr, Anna (April 22, 2021). “Does Your Member Of Congress Vote With Or Against Biden?”. FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ “Betty McCollum”. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ “Native American Caucus Leadership Announced for 117th Congress”. April 14, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
- ^ “Membership”. Congressional Arts Caucus. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
- ^ “Members”. Afterschool Alliance. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ^ “Our Members”. U.S. House of Representatives International Conservation Caucus. Archived from the original on August 1, 2018. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- ^ “Members of the Veterinary Medicine Caucus”. Veterinary Medicine Caucus. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
- ^ “Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute”.
- ^ “Leading with the Left”. Progressive Punch. Retrieved November 2, 2006.
- ^ “Congressional Voting Scorecard 2005” (PDF). SBE Council’s Congressional Voting Scorecard 2005. Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council. June 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 29, 2006. Retrieved November 2, 2006.
- ^ “Betty McCollum: Interest Group Rating”. Project Vote Smart. Retrieved January 15, 2012.
- ^ “National Special Interest Groups”. Project Vote Smart. Retrieved January 15, 2012.
- ^ a b “Betty McCollum – Political Courage Test”. Project Vote Smart. Retrieved January 15, 2012.
- ^ a b “National Special Interest Groups”. Project Vote Smart. Retrieved January 15, 2012.
- ^ “About Us”. Human Rights Campaign. Archived from the original on July 24, 2012. Retrieved January 15, 2012.
- ^ “Public Statements”. Project Vote Smart. Retrieved January 15, 2012.
- ^ “National Special Interest Groups”. Project Vote Smart. Retrieved January 15, 2012.
- ^ “Public Statements”. Project Vote Smart. Retrieved January 15, 2012.
- ^ “Franken, Bond, McCollum Introduce Thermal Renewable Energy and Efficiency Act”. Mccollum.house.gov. July 21, 2010. Retrieved January 15, 2012.
- ^ “Energy”. Mccollum.house.gov. Retrieved January 15, 2012.
- ^ Alaimo, Carol Ann (August 22, 2011). “At Ft. Huachuca and elsewhere, military bands play the blues”. Arizona Daily Star.
- ^ Clare Foran (July 24, 2019). “Who voted ‘no’ on the House resolution opposing Israel boycott movement”. CNN. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
- ^ Schneider, Bradley Scott (July 23, 2019). “H.Res.246 – 116th Congress (2019-2020): Opposing efforts to delegitimize the State of Israel and the Global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement targeting Israel”. www.congress.gov. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
- ^ “McCollum Statement: Hate Speech Makes AIPAC a Hate Group”. Congresswoman Betty McCollum. February 12, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
- ^ Jacob Magid. “AIPAC pans bill to block US aid from some Israeli activities in West Bank”. The Times of Israel. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
- ^ Wong, Scott; Kaplan, Rebecca; Stewart, Kyle (July 18, 2023). “House overwhelmingly passes resolution backing Israel after Rep. Jayapal calls it a ‘racist state’“. NBC News. Archived from the original on July 19, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
- ^ “Every Big Name Urging Biden To Drop Out: Sen. Sherrod Brown Joins 35 Democrats In Congress”. Forbes. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
- ^ “Results for U.S. Representative District 4”. Minnesota Secretary of State.
- ^ “Results for U.S. Representative District 4”. Minnesota Secretary of State.
- ^ “Results for U.S. Representative District 4”. Minnesota Secretary of State.
- ^ “Results for U.S. Representative District 4”. Minnesota Secretary of State.
- ^ “Results for U.S. Representative District 4”. Minnesota Secretary of State.
- ^ “Results for U.S. Representative District 4”. Minnesota Secretary of State.
- ^ “Results for U.S. Representative District 4”. Minnesota Secretary of State.
- ^ “Results for U.S. Representative District 4”. Minnesota Secretary of State.
- ^ “Results for U.S. Representative District 4”. Minnesota Secretary of State.
- ^ “Results for U.S. Representative District 4”. Minnesota Secretary of State.
- ^ “Results for U.S. Representative District 4”. Minnesota Secretary of State. November 30, 2020.
- ^ “Results for U.S. Representative District 4”. Minnesota Secretary of State. December 16, 2022.
Further reading
- Betty McCollum, A Letter to AIPAC, New York Review of Books, Volume 53, Number 10, June 8, 2006, with an introduction by Michael Massing.
External links
- Congresswoman Betty McCollum official U.S. House website
- Betty McCollum for Congress
- Betty McCollum at Curlie
Issues
Source: Government page
Committees
Congresswoman McCollum brings a common sense, Minnesota perspective to her work as a member of the House Appropriations Committee where she serves as the Chair of the Defense Subcommittee, the Vice Chair of the Interior-Environment Subcommittee, and as a member of the Agriculture and Rural Development Subcommittee.
As the Chair of the Defense Subcommittee, McCollum believes national security starts by ensuring that the women and men of the Armed Forces are the most skilled and best trained and equipped fighting force in the world. McCollum has focused on giving priority to military health care, ending military sexual assault, and supporting international military-to-military cooperation to prevent conflicts. The subcommittee appropriates funding for the Departments of the Army, Navy (including Marine Corps), Air Force, National Guard, Office of Secretary of Defense, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and other related national security agencies.
Protecting clean air and water, wild lands, and our nation’s natural treasures for future generations are among McCollum’s top priorities as Vice Chair of the Interior-Environment Subcommittee, which appropriates more than $35 billion annually. The Environmental Protection Agency, the Interior Department, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the U.S. Forest Service, the National Endowments for the Arts and the Humanities, the Smithsonian Institution, and several other related agencies were among those funded by the subcommittee.
Legislation
sponsored and co-sponsored.