The Fifth District Report

Ellison Named to House Leadership Position

The Minneapolis-area congressman also joined a bus tour calling for foreclosure fairness.

Friday, Minority Whip Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) kicked off the start of the 113th Congress by announcing Rep. Keith Ellison's (D-MN) appointment to a deputy leadership position in the Democratic caucus. As a newly minted Chief Deputy Whip, Ellison joins 9 other leading congressmembers in being the eyes, ears, and hands of Hoyer and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). “I am excited to work with Whip Hoyer and the rest of the Whip team to continue the fight for good jobs for working families," Ellison said in a written statement. "It is more important than ever that we work together to protect the benefits middle class families rely on.” Whips are typically charged with keeping party members onside and enforcing discipline during contentious …

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Garbage Pickup, the Fiscal Cliff and Police Academy: Feedback Friday

The most thoughtful, moving, controversial or just plain funny comments from around the west metro between Dec. 28 and Jan. 3.

Each week, Patch users contribute numerous insights, opinions and observations. The following is a collection of the most thoughtful, moving, controversial or just plain funny comments that appeared on Patch sites in Eden Prairie, Edina, Golden Valley, Hopkins, Minnetonka, Richfield, Shakopee, Plymouth, St. Louis Park and St. Michael. Click on the headline to read the full story and join in the conversation. (The comments below are not meant to reflect the opinions of Patch or its staff.) *** Residents Learn About Law Enforcement Through Police Academy Beginning Jan. 29, every Tuesday evening from 6 to 9 p.m. the Golden Valley Police Department will host the Citizen's Police Academy where residents can learn about SWAT teams, canine units…

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'Our Work Is Not Done': Rep. Keith Ellison on Passing the Fiscal Cliff Bill

Hopkins' representative and others in Congress from Minnesota reflect on the showdown's climax.

So-called fiscal cliff legislation passed the U.S. House of Representatives with divided, bipartisan support from Minnesota's delegation. How do you expect the 'Fiscal Cliff' bill to affect you? Leave a comment. Fifth District Rep. Keith Ellison voted in favor of the package, as did the state's other DFLers—except Collin Peterson. Republican John Kline voted in favor but most in the House GOP did not.  Here is Ellison's full statement: “Today, I voted for an imperfect bill in order to prevent millions of working and middle class families from paying more in taxes while they scrape by with less, to aid those who continue to struggle to find work, and to assist millions of families who need help raising children and paying for college. The …

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The Fifth District Report

Ellison Says Protecting ‘Vulnerable Americans’ is a Priority

As Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Rep. Keith Ellison said that he will work to ensure that Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries are protected.

With the nation inching toward January’s ‘fiscal cliff,’ on Dec. 30, Rep. Keith Ellison expressed his opinions about raising taxes on Up with Chris Hayes. In the interview, Ellison said: "The most important bottom line is no cuts to Social Security beneficiaries, Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, defense is going to have to share in whatever cuts we see, the most well-to-do people are going to have to pay more, and we absolutely need some infrastructure spending to get people back to work." On Monday, media outlets reported that government officials did not come to a deal on Sunday during the House and Senate’s special work session. According to the Star Tribune, if an agreement isn’t reached by Jan. 1, the New Year could bring more …

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End of the World Poll: Is the Apocalypse Coming Dec. 21?

The Mayans may or may not have predicted the apocalypse will occur on Dec. 21. Do you buy it?

Time for another Patch poll, and it's simple this time: Do you expect the world to end on Dec. 21, 2012? There's apparently an apocalypse coming. Seriously, though, even NASA is getting in on the action. The agency created a page on its website devoted to debunking the Mayan apocalypse idea—not least because the Mayans never predicted any such thing. The date is simply the end of one time period that simply starts over. “Our planet has been getting along just fine for more than 4 billion years, and credible scientists worldwide know of no threat associated with 2012,” NASA wrote. There have been several predictions of the end of the world, including the May 21, 2011 biblical prediction by then 89-year-old old "minister" Howard Camping. But…

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The Fifth District Report

MPR Backs Up Ellison’s Social Security Claims

The 5th District Congressman also pushed back against Republican fiscal cliff proposals.

Minnesota Public Radio’s PoliGraph blog mostly backed up Rep. Keith Ellison’s claims that Social Security is solvent for the next couple decades. The Democratic 5th District congressman claimed Social Security wouldn’t be exhausted until 2037—arguing that it is not part of the federal deficit and should be left out of fiscal cliff negotiations. PoliGraph’s experts noted that Ellison is using an old number; the newest projections have the Social Security Trust Fund running out in 2033. It also noted that while Social Security is not part of the federal government’s general fund, some experts argue that interest owed to the program does affect the deficit. Still, MPR concluded that, “His claim leans toward accurate.”   Fiscal cliff …

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The Fifth District Report

Ellison at Odds with President Obama Over Fiscal Cliff Plan

The Minnesota Congressman took issue with $400 billion in proposed entitlement cuts to programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) is at odds with President Barack Obama over proposed cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security to help pull the U.S. economy back from the "fiscal cliff." With less than a month to go before the economy teeters over the edge of that "fiscal cliff"—a term used to describe the quandry the U.S. government faces at the end of 2012, when the terms of the Budget Control Act of 2011 will go into effect—the White House offered up a deal last week estimated to produce $1.2 trillion in new tax revenue and make $400 billion in entitlement cuts to programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security over the next decade. Ellison was critical of the proposed changes to the aforementioned programs, saying progressive …

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