Exciting news in Minnesota's Chippewa National Forest as the Capitol Christmas tree was cut down and is now on its way to Washington, D.C.  So a piece of Minnesota's natural beauty will make it's way to our nation's captial, and I look forward to seeing the White Spruce when it's all lit up!

I visited a lot of local schools this week, meeting with first, second, fourth and fifth grade students. I ended up spending time at Highlands Elementary, Park Brook Elementary, Elm Creek Elementary, Clear Springs Elementary, and Seven Hills Academy. The kids were very attentive and asked lots of questions!

I always enjoy meeting with teachers in the classroom and the students were very attentive.

If I can be of help to you or your family, don’t hesitate to give my office a call. Join the conversation online by visiting my website, Facebook page, Twitter, and don't forget to watch my weekly video, Erik's Correspondence Corner.

Meningitis B

You may remember that I have been pushing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve a vaccine -- already approved in 34 countries -- that would prevent contraction of the Meningitis B bacteria. Earlier this summer I wrote a column in the Minneapolis Star Tribune and traveled to Canada to receive the vaccination myself to draw attention to this issue and push the FDA to expediate their process for an approved vaccine. This week, the FDA announced that they have officially approved a vaccine for MenB -- welcome news for college students who are most at risk of contracting the disease. I'm hopeful that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will work quickly to develop a strategy to make the vaccine more widely available, and I will be monitoring their progress. It's important that we streamline and modernize the FDA approval process to ensure that Americans aren't the last to benefit from new medical innovations.

Combating Sex Trafficking

As I continue my work on legislation combating the horffic crime of sex trafficking, it's important that we keep spreading awareness about how pervavise this problem continues to be in communities around the country. My guest to this year's State of the Union address, Vednita Carter of Breaking Free, has joined with the Twin Cities Film Festival to create a documentary detailing what many young girls that are victims must go through on a daily basis. The film should be eye-opening for those who still don't understand how widespread the problem is. I also spoke this week at the University of St. Thomas Mental Health Conference about the issue of sex trafficking and gave an update on my efforts to protect victims and bring pimps and traffickers to justice.

Civil Air Patrol Awards

The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a terrific organization that teaches our high school students the value of service, honor, and giving back to their communities.  I attended the awards ceremony for the local CAP Viking Squadron honoring numerous cadets. Two of them -- Cadet 2nd. Lt. Shannon Hockman and Cadet 2nd. Lt. James Gunderson -- received the Mitchell Award which is only awarded to 15% of cadets nationwide. Cadet Captain Daniel Hall received the Earhart award that is only awarded to 5% of cadets in the program. The dedication of these young men and women is outstanding and it is inspiring to see our future leaders in action.

Congressman Paulsen touring the Home Depot in Plymouth.

Erik with 5th graders at Park Brook Elementary in Brooklyn Park.

Congressman Paulsen meeting with Champlin city officials to discuss growth and transportation issues.

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