[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 135 (Friday, August 12, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H7560]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





  WELCOMING THE HONORABLE BRAD FINSTAD TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

  The SPEAKER. Without objection, the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. 
McCollum) is recognized for 1 minute.
  There was no objection.
  Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, on behalf of myself and the entire 
delegation from Minnesota, I would like to welcome Representative Brad 
Finstad to the House of Representatives.
  Hailing from New Ulm, Minnesota, Representative Finstad continues a 
proud tradition within the Minnesota Congressional Delegation of a life 
of public service and a commitment to agricultural issues and rural 
development.
  From 2003 to 2009, he served as a member of the Minnesota House of 
Representatives, including a term as assistant minority leader.
  In the previous administration, Representative Finstad served as 
Minnesota's Director of USDA Rural Development. He has also held 
leadership positions in the Center for Rural Policy and Development and 
the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association. And I will brag for a second 
that Minnesota is the largest turkey producer in the United States. You 
don't have Thanksgiving without us.
  Today, Representative Finstad continues a proud generational 
tradition with his wife, Jackie, of running their family farm in the 
New Ulm area, and I am sure all the children pitch in and help with 
chores.
  We look forward to warmly welcoming Representative Finstad and his 
family to Congress.
  Madam Speaker, I now yield to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. 
Emmer), my colleague.
  Mr. EMMER. Madam Speaker, we come together to honor a friend and 
colleague who we lost earlier this year, and to welcome a new Member 
into the House of Representatives, our friend, Mr. Brad Finstad.
  Six months have passed since we lost our friend Jim Hagedorn to 
cancer, and his absence continues to be felt in this Chamber and 
throughout southern Minnesota. Our thoughts remain with his family, as 
we all know how significant a loss it has been for them and for all of 
us.
  Earlier this week, however, the residents of Minnesota's First 
Congressional District elected Brad Finstad to carry out Congressman 
Hagedorn's legacy of relentless representation in the House of 
Representatives. They could not have made a better choice.
  As a fourth generation Minnesotan, Brad truly represents the best 
values of our State. Honesty, integrity, and the willingness to answer 
the call to serve. Born and raised on his family farm in New Ulm, 
Minnesota, Brad grew up understanding the importance of a hard day's 
work, a trade he still appreciates and carries with him every single 
day.
  After graduating from the University of Minnesota, his work on the 
family farm led Brad to join the Minnesota Farm Bureau and eventually 
to serve three terms in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
  In 2017, Brad was appointed by President Trump as the Director of 
Rural Development of USDA in the State of Minnesota. While there, he 
worked to improve the lives of farmers throughout our home State. That 
earned him the respect and admiration of his community in southern 
Minnesota.
  Even through his successful election to the House of Representatives, 
Brad, his wife, Jaclyn, and their seven children, continued to operate 
the family farm in New Ulm. He and his wife met on a school bus in the 
second grade, and as a husband and father of seven, Brad and Jackie 
have raised their children on the values of faith, family, and hard 
work.

  On behalf of the entire Minnesota delegation, please join us in 
welcoming Representative Brad Finstad, his wife, Jaclyn, and their 
seven wonderful children to the United States Congress.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Finstad), 
our new Representative.
  Mr. FINSTAD. Madam Speaker, I thank Leader McCarthy, and the 
Minnesota delegation.
  Madam Speaker, it is an extraordinary honor to be here and to be 
chosen by my southern Minnesota friends, families, and neighbors to 
serve in this Congress.
  First, let's take time to remember my predecessor, the late 
Congressman Hagedorn. He was a true fighter for southern Minnesota, and 
he was a great example of hard work and what we strive to be in 
Minnesota.
  I thank my wife, Jackie, and these hooligans up front, my seven kids.
  Thank you, guys.
  I thank my parents, my brother, sister-in-law--everyone, just thank 
you so much. We really couldn't do this without you, so I just 
appreciate you being here and the support and love that you have given 
us our entire lives.
  Madam Speaker, people in my district sent a farmer to Congress. I 
tell people that when I wake up, I have dirt under my fingernails--
sorry, Jackie. I don't clean up that well. But I drive a John Deere 
tractor, and on the farm, when we wake up in the morning, we know 
something will be broke. So we wake up trying to figure out, How am I 
going to fix things?
  So really, to me, serving in Congress is all about that. Rolling up 
my sleeves, taking that farmer mentality, figuring what is broke, and 
how we are going to fix it, and move on. That is the farmer in me, and 
that is the southern Minnesotan in me, born and raised. That is the DNA 
that Jackie and I have had in our generations of families that have 
built a farm and agribusiness in south central Minnesota.
  We inherited the best country on Earth from the last generation. I 
think quite often of those that have given blood, sweat, and tears to 
give us the greatest country in the world. As I look at my seven 
children and the children across southern Minnesota and across this 
country, I know that we can do better, and it is up to us to make sure 
that we are leaving them a better country than we have been left.
  Madam Speaker, with that attitude, with that work ethic, and with my 
compassion and hope to meet all of you and work with you, I just very 
humbly say thank you. I am ready to get to work.

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