Angie Craig Facing Criticism for Impeachment Comments

  Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN-02) hosted her fourth town hall last week and received several questions from constituents on moving forward with impeachment hearings against President Donald Trump. Up until Tuesday’s town hall, Craig had taken a relatively moderate position on the issue of impeachment and believed it shouldn’t be discussed until Mueller completed his investigation. “I believe the next step is for the Congress to request the unredacted version of the report. I believe the next step is for the committee chairmen to call a number of folks forward to testify, to fill in the facts for the American people,” Craig told her constituents Tuesday. “I am very troubled by the number of the potential areas of obstruction of justice that are mentioned in the report.” Some took the comments to mean that Craig supports moving forward with the impeachment process, including the National Republican Congressional Committee. “Yesterday Craig laid out for her constituents how exactly Congress should waste more of Minnesotans’ taxpayer money on baseless impeachment claims,” NRCC spokeswoman Carly Atchison said. “It is bizarre that Angie Craig now decides to pursue baseless impeachment, but regardless, she should stop peddling conspiracy theories and focus on Minnesotans.” Former Congressman…

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Angie Craig Refuses to Condemn New York Abortion Law at Town Hall

Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN-02) hosted her second town hall Saturday in Red Wing, Minnesota, where she was asked about a number of issues, including universal health care and abortion. “The other thing that I wanted to ask you about is we’ve seen states recently that passed laws that legalized abortions up to and including the time of birth. And whether that’s right or wrong or moral or immoral—that’s not the question I have. But do you feel that’s something that should be paid for as a part of health care?” one constituent asked Craig towards the end of the event. But Craig’s response was: “What I want to tell you is that I appreciate the values that your comment is coming from. I don’t believe it is any politician’s role to get in the middle of a discussion of reproductive rights between a woman and her physician. I don’t believe there is a role for the federal government with respect to that question. Craig then proceeded to close out the event and thank her supporters for attending. Earlier in the town hall, the Minnesota congresswoman was asked about universal health, which she said she “absolutely” supports, but clarified that she…

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Angie Craig Confronted by Woman Who Escaped Communism at First Town Hall: ‘This is How Communists Oppress People’

Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN-02) hosted her “first of what will be many, many open town halls” Saturday morning at Burnsville High School, and tackled issues such as campaign finance reform, climate change, and gun control. At one point during the event, however, she was confronted by an immigrant woman “who escaped communism,” and expressed concern about the continued harassment of Trump supporters. “I am an immigrant who escaped communism. I am terrified at the prospect of America becoming an oppressive regime. It seems that the two most toxic words these days are Donald Trump. He has been called autocratic, dictatorial, and many other demeaning names. Yet nothing he has done compares to the permitted destruction and oppression of our justice systems of individuals who dare to support him,” the woman said. In particular, she pointed to the recent arrest of Roger Stone, whom she believes was arrested “for a crime of refusing to compromise his integrity.” “[It] is not representative of a free America,” the woman continued. “Neither is a system causing financial ruin and imposing jail sentences without proof and guilt for some, yet overlooking ample evidence and giving a pass to others. Nor is a dishonest media and…

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Outgoing MN Rep. Jason Lewis’ Juvenile Justice Reform Bill Signed Into Law

Rep. Jason Lewis’ (R-MN-02) Juvenile Justice Reform Act (JJRA) was signed into law Friday by President Donald Trump as part of Congress’ sweeping criminal justice reform measures. According to Lewis, the JJRA hadn’t been “reauthorized or modernized since 2002.” Lewis’ reforms respond to the need for alternatives to detaining juveniles for “so-called ‘status crimes’ like skipping school.” The bill, H.R. 6964, offers a “plan to provide alternatives to detention for status offenders, survivors of commercial sexual exploitation, and others.” The bill also seeks to “reduce the number of children housed in secure detention and corrections facilities who are awaiting placement in residential treatment programs.” His bill will also modernize the juvenile-justice system by promoting “evidence-based and trauma-informed programs and practices,” and emphasizing “community-based services to respond to the needs of at-risk youth.” The bill further eliminates the use of restraints on juveniles who are known to be pregnant, and prohibits detaining juveniles who are awaiting trial with adult inmates. “Some of the most rewarding experiences I had in Congress were working with colleagues from all over the country and from varying political backgrounds on criminal justice reform,” Lewis said in a press release. “Today, my Juvenile Justice Reform Act was…

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