The big snowstorms over the past few weeks have not stopped Minnesotans from coming out to our nation's Capitol -- our office is open for you! I welcomed the St. Olaf College Board of Regents and gave them a personal tour of the Capitol building. Um Ya Ya!

I spoke on the House floor this week expressing my appreciation for the FBI's work cracking down on sex trafficking in the run up to today's Super Bowl. Traffickers often bring victims to the sites of these big events for exploitation. Law enforcement is pursuing a victim-centered approach that will help bring these children out of the shadows and the criminals to justice. You might be interested in reading a recent Star Tribune article that mentions the law I authored to combat trafficking and how Minnesota law enforcement and prosecutors are working together to stop this problem. You can read the article here.

Have a great week and be sure to let me know whenever I can be of assistance to you or your family. Join the conversation online by visiting my website, Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram, and please watch my latest Erik's Correspondence Corner video.

Service Academy Nominees

Every year, it's exciting to see the number of talented young men and women that sign up to attend our nation's service academies to serve our country. I honored the 31 local high school students who I nominated to attend one of the U.S. service academies at a reception last week.

In order to attend West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy, or the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, applicants must obtain a nomination from their Congressman, Senator, or the Vice President. These nominations are based on multiple criteria including academic achievement, leadership skills, and physical aptitude. With the character and talent that these nominees displayed, I'm confident our country is in good hands!

Prohibiting Funds From Supporting Terrorism

Under the recently negotiated nuclear deal with Iran, Iran was given access to $100 billion worth of sanctions relief. As Secretary of State John Kerry admitted, some of that money will inevitably end up in the hands of groups like the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. Freeing up tens of billions of dollars for Iran, the largest state sponsor of terrorism, that can be used to attack Americans and our interests abroad is dangerous. Iran continues to flaunt international rules and U.N. resolutions by conducting unauthorized ballistic missile tests.

This week, the House passed legislation to ensure that any money freed up by sanctions relief cannot be given to groups that have ties to terror groups or Iran's ballistic missile program. In addition, the legislation increases Congressional oversight on how the Treasury Department licenses U.S. companies to conduct business with Iran and clarifies that Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad are included in the definition of terrorist organizations for the purposes of financial sanctions. Ensuring that money will not end up supporting terror groups or Iran’s ballistic missile program should be an ironclad guarantee before providing any sanctions relief.

Protecting Retirement and Investment Saving Options

A new regulation by the Administration threatens to cut off millions of low- and middle-income Americans from receiving advice on saving for college, planning for retirement, or investing for the future. It would place a number of restrictions on financial advisors that serve these hardworking families and result in them losing access to sound financial advice. The so-called "Fiduciary Rule" has bipartisan opposition, because it makes it more difficult for Americans to save for the future.

On the Ways and Means Committee this week, I supported legislation to stop the new regulation and instead create commonsense standards to hold unethical advisors accountable. We can root out the bad actors without harming those who are looking for sound financial planning.

Erik talking to Marilyn and Sharyn at a Congress on Your Corner Event in Rogers.

Congressman Paulsen with service academy nominees at a reception at the Brookdale Library.

Erik attending the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C.

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