Minnesota is filled with young, talented students who take the initiative to help others. Recently, I recognized several young people on the House floor for their accomplishments. The first speech was about Maria Keller of Plymouth and Zakria Ghani of Maple Grove, who both received Prudential Spirit of the Community Awards. Maria was awarded the top prize after setting up a program, “Read Indeed,” that has collected more than 1.7 million books and provided them to underprivileged children. It’s estimated that 800,000 students have received books from the organization. Zakria was honored as a finalist for his efforts to raise money for victims of a devastating fire in Minneapolis. Video of my floor speech is available here.

I also recognized Clair Barton of Minnetonka for earning the Congressional Award Silver Medal. The Congressional Award is given by Congress to recognize initiative, service, and achievement in young people. In order to earn the silver medal, Claire completed over 400 hours in voluntary public service, personal development, physical fitness, and expedition/exploration. Claire volunteered at the local public library and spent time as a counselor for children at an ‘Adventure Camp.' Video of that speech can be seen here.

And, make sure to watch my recent interview with WCCO's Esme Murphy. We talked about the Presidential race, the Supreme Court, MNsure, and a few other issues.

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.

Health Care Oversight to Protect Taxpayers

A new audit of MNsure found an error rate in 38% of cases for new enrollees. That means as much as $271 million in overpayments of taxpayer money. It's another clear example of how the President's new health care law lacks the appropriate oversight to ensure accountability to you -- the hardworking taxpayer. I raised this issue directly with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Sylvia Burwell, recently and asked what actions are being taken to fix this problem. Taxpayers shouldn't be on the hook for this mismanagement and erroneous payments. You can watch the video of my questions here.

Providing More Health Care Flexibility

With health care premiums still going up 20, 30 and 40 percent annually it's critical to give Minnesota families more flexibility and options to meet their health care needs. One of the best ways to do this is by expanding the use of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs). HSAs and FSAs are accounts where individuals can put aside money to pay for future medical expenses.

Unfortunately, due to loopholes in the law, employers are discouraged from contributing to their employees' accounts. I'm authoring legislation, the Health Savings Act, to remove these disincentives for employers. My bill would also broaden eligibility for seniors and active-duty military. My initiative is getting a lot of attention from several major news outlets like Forbes and Bloomberg as a way to lower health costs through competition and choice.

Making VA Appointments Easier to Schedule

I continue to advocate for policies that will help ensure our retired military men and women get the timely, quality care they deserve at the VA. One of the biggest issues that veterans face is getting an initial appointment with a doctor, which has led to long wait times for patients. I'm supporting legislation, the Faster Care for Veterans Act, that would allow the VA to use new scheduling software so it's easier and more efficient for patients to schedule appointments. This will help reduce the needless delays and missed appointments that are part of the reason why veterans have had to wait so long to see a doctor.

Erik chats with WCCO's Esme Murphy on her Sunday morning show. Watch the video.

Congressman Paulsen questions Treasury Secretary Jack Lew about the administration's proposed budget.

Erik joins other lawmakers in a meeting with European Ambassador on Trafficking Madina Jarbussynova to talk about what can be done to stop global trafficking.

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