"Fallen Heroes"
MN-06 Daily: March 2, 2026
Rep. Tom Emmer posted 6 tweets, made 0 media appearances, and cast 6 votes across two days last week — before the United States went to war with Iran. His response to the biggest foreign policy event in a generation: six tweets, zero original thoughts, and silence toward his own district.
6 tweets on Iran. 0 media appearances. 6 votes. 0 mentions of MN-06. Your congressman endorsed a war, mourned its casualties, blamed previous presidents, and hasn’t said a word to his constituents about what it means for them.
936 days since Rep. Emmer’s last in-person town hall — August 9, 2023 — Hamburg, MN
DHS Shutdown: Day 17. Senate returns at 3 PM today. A vote to reopen DHS is possible. TSA workers will miss their first full paycheck on March 14.
What Your Congressman Said About the War
The United States and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran on February 28. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the strikes. Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks across nine countries. Four American service members have been killed. Five are seriously wounded.
Here is everything Rep. Emmer has said:
February 28 — @GOPMajorityWhip: “This is a bold, decisive act of strength by President Trump. The Ayatollah is responsible for killing hundreds of U.S. service members and slaughtering its own people. We pray that because of this leadership, the U.S. and the world will be a safer place. May God bless and protect the men and women of our military conducting this mission and serving in the region.”
February 28 — @GOPMajorityWhip: “Khamenei was an evil, brutal dictator who was responsible for the death of innocent lives, including hundreds of Americans. President Trump has strengthened our national security while providing hope to the Iranian people and all in the Middle East. PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH!”
March 1 — @GOPMajorityWhip: “We are praying for the families of these fallen heroes and for the full recovery of those wounded. May God bless them and continue to be with our service members defending our nation.”
March 1 — @tomemmer: “God bless these heroes and their families.”
March 2 — @GOPMajorityWhip: Reposted White House graphic of Trump’s statement on Iran objectives: “destroying” missile capabilities, “annihilating” their navy, ensuring Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon, and stopping the regime from funding terrorist armies.
March 2 — @GOPMajorityWhip: “The American people have endured nearly 50 years of Iranian aggression — there hasn’t been peace as long as Iran has been enabled and empowered by previous administrations’ weak leadership on the world stage. @POTUS campaigned on PEACE through STRENGTH, and he is delivering.”
That’s it. Six tweets. Four are praise for Trump. Two mourn the dead. One blames “previous administrations.”
About that last one: Emmer says there “hasn’t been peace” because of “weak leadership.” The JCPOA — negotiated by the Obama administration, verified by international inspectors, certified as compliant by Trump’s own administration twice in 2017 — extended Iran’s nuclear breakout time from 2-3 months to over a year. Trump withdrew from that deal in 2018. No replacement was achieved. Breakout time collapsed to under a week. On Friday, Oman announced a diplomatic breakthrough. The next day, bombs fell.
That is the documented record of what “previous administrations’ weak leadership” produced versus what replaced it. See Saturday’s daily for the full timeline.
Here’s what’s missing from all four:
Any mention of MN-06. Any mention of the military families in his district. Any mention of the economic impact — gas prices, the Strait of Hormuz, supply chains. Any mention of congressional authority to declare war. Any mention of the DHS shutdown still in effect while troops are deployed. Any mention of the Oman breakthrough that was announced one day before the bombs fell. Any indication that the Majority Whip of the United States House of Representatives has a single original thought about the most consequential military action since the Iraq invasion.
He didn’t go on TV. He didn’t hold a press conference. He didn’t call a meeting. He copied the party line, added “God bless,” and moved on.
For context on how we got here — the JCPOA, the withdrawal, the Twelve-Day War, the protests, the negotiations that almost worked — see Saturday’s daily: Operation Epic Fury: How We Got Here
We also built a dashboard tracking every member of Congress’s response to the strikes, including predicted positions based on voting records: Congressional Response Dashboard
What Your Congressman Voted on Last Week
While the news cycle was consumed by Iran, Emmer cast votes on the House floor that will affect MN-06 directly. Here’s what happened:
Tuesday, February 24:
H Res 1075 — Rule for energy bills. MISSED. This was the procedural vote setting up debate for the two energy bills below. Emmer missed both the rule vote and the motion to order the previous question. For the Majority Whip — the person whose job it is to ensure members show up for votes — missing the procedural vote that tees up your own party’s bills is notable.
S 2503 — ROTOR Act. Vote: NAY. This was the aviation safety bill written in response to the January 2025 midair collision at Reagan National Airport that killed 67 people, including the crew of a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter. The bill would have required aircraft to carry collision-avoidance technology (ADS-B In) and limited the military’s ability to turn off tracking systems near busy airports. It passed the Senate unanimously. It had the backing of the White House and the Department of Defense. It implemented the NTSB’s top safety recommendation. Emmer voted no. The bill failed to reach the two-thirds majority needed under suspension, 264-133. The families of 67 dead Americans are still waiting for Congress to act.
HR 6329 — Information Quality Assurance Act. Vote: YEA. Requires federal agencies to use the best available scientific and statistical information when developing rules. Passed 362-1. Bipartisan, noncontroversial.
HR 4626 — Home Appliance Protection and Affordability Act. Vote: YEA. (Motion to Recommit: NAY.) Blocks the Department of Energy from setting new efficiency standards for household appliances unless the standard is “technologically feasible and economically justified” — language that effectively freezes existing standards and prevents future updates. Also blocks individual states from setting their own appliance efficiency standards. The bill has been renamed three times: “Hands Off Our Home Appliances Act,” then “Don’t Mess with My Home Appliances Act,” then its current title. Passed along party lines.
Tuesday, February 25:
HR 4758 — Homeowner Energy Freedom Act. Vote: YEA. (Motion to Recommit: NAY.) Repeals rebates for high-efficiency electric appliances — heat pumps, water heaters, electric stoves — created under the Inflation Reduction Act. Kills contractor training grants for energy-efficient building. Eliminates building code adoption assistance for states. CBO estimates about $300 million in funding rescinded. Sierra Club called a vote for the bill a vote “to make energy more expensive and less reliable.” The bill doesn’t build a single home or lower a single price. Meanwhile, NAHB estimates that tariffs Emmer whipped votes for have added $9,200+ to new home construction costs.
The ROTOR Act Vote
This one deserves a closer look.
On January 29, 2025 — just over a year ago — American Airlines Flight 5342 collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on approach to Reagan National Airport. All 64 people on the plane and all three soldiers in the helicopter were killed. The NTSB investigation found that the Army helicopter was not broadcasting its position. Military helicopters were operating under a “sensitive government mission” exemption that allowed them to fly near one of America’s busiest airports with their tracking systems turned off.
The ROTOR Act was the direct legislative response. Written by Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell — bipartisan. Passed the Senate unanimously. Backed by the White House. Backed by the Pentagon. Implemented the NTSB’s number one safety recommendation.
House Republicans, including Emmer, killed it. The stated reason: they preferred a broader bill, the ALERT Act, which would address all 50 NTSB recommendations. That bill has not been scheduled for a vote. No timeline has been announced.
Sixty-seven people are dead. The Senate passed a fix. The House said “we want a bigger fix” and then did nothing. Emmer, whose job is literally to count votes and move legislation to the floor, voted no on the fix that existed and has not scheduled the one he says he prefers.
What He Didn’t Mention
The Hennepin County Attorney is investigating 17 federal agents. Breaking today: Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced the creation of the Transparency and Accountability Project (TAP), a portal for citizens to submit evidence of unlawful conduct by federal agents during Operation Metro Surge. Her office is already investigating 17 incidents of “potential unlawful behavior” — including U.S. Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino, who was captured on video lobbing a chemical irritant canister into a crowd near Mueller Park on January 21. The federal government has refused to cooperate. Deadlines for evidence in the Good and Pretti killings expire tomorrow. If there’s no response, Moriarty says she’ll consider suing the federal government. Emmer — who called for “the denaturalization and deportation of every Somali engaged in fraud in Minnesota” — has said nothing about the investigations into federal agents who killed two American citizens in his home state.
St. Cloud — in MN-06 — is still reeling. Also today: MinnPost and the St. Cloud Times report on the lasting damage ICE operations have inflicted on St. Cloud’s Somali community — which is in Emmer’s district. Parents afraid to go to work. Children afraid their families won’t come home. Small businesses losing customers. Workers losing jobs. Abdi Daisane, a St. Cloud day care owner and 17-year U.S. resident, now carries his passport when he leaves the house. His business — unconnected to any fraud allegations — was flooded with harassing phone calls after the Nick Shirley video went viral. Emmer amplified Shirley’s claims in December and demanded deportations. He has not visited St. Cloud, met with Somali business owners, or acknowledged the economic and emotional toll on his own constituents.
The DHS shutdown. Day 17. Sixty-one thousand TSA workers are about to miss their first full paycheck on March 14. Global Entry remains suspended. FEMA is in emergency-only mode. The Senate returns today at 3 PM with a possible vote to reopen. Emmer — the Majority Whip — has said nothing about the shutdown since February 23, when he blamed Democrats on two talk shows. The United States is now at war in the Middle East while its homeland security department is unfunded.
The Medicaid freeze. $259.5 million still frozen from Minnesota. The autism licensing deadline is still May 31. The prosecutor exodus from the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s office — from 70 to 17 — has not been reversed.
His constituents. Six tweets about Iran. Zero about MN-06. No town hall, no statement, no call. The district has military families, veterans, people who drive long distances and are about to pay a lot more for gas. Nothing.
What He Tweeted
The Questions
The following questions were submitted to Rep. Emmer’s office via his official contact form on March 2, 2026:
You called the Iran strikes “a bold, decisive act of strength.” Congress has not authorized military operations against Iran. Do you believe the President has the constitutional authority to launch major combat operations without congressional authorization? Will you support or oppose a war powers resolution?
Four American service members have been killed in Operation Epic Fury. MN-06 is home to military families and veterans. Beyond your tweets, what are you doing to support military families in your district during active combat operations?
Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil supply passes. What is your assessment of the economic impact on MN-06 constituents, particularly gas prices in a district where people drive significant distances?
You voted against the ROTOR Act, the bipartisan aviation safety bill responding to the Reagan National midair collision that killed 67 people. The bill passed the Senate unanimously and had White House and Pentagon support. You have said you prefer the ALERT Act. When will you schedule a vote on the ALERT Act?
You missed the procedural vote (H Res 1075) setting up debate on the energy bills you then voted for. As Majority Whip, your job is to ensure members show up for votes. Why did you miss this one?
The DHS shutdown is now in Day 17. TSA workers will miss their first full paycheck on March 14. The United States is conducting combat operations in the Middle East while its homeland security department is unfunded. What is your plan to reopen DHS?
It has been 936 days since your last in-person town hall in MN-06 (August 9, 2023, Hamburg, MN). The United States is at war. When will you speak to your constituents?
We are still awaiting a response to all previous submissions.
📊 MN-06 Watch Research Tools Vote Tracker • Tweet Archive • Transcripts
We document what your representative does. You decide what it means.
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📊 Source Data:
Minnesota Star Tribune: “Greg Bovino, other federal agents investigated for actions during Operation Metro Surge,” March 2, 2026
MinnPost: “For Somalis in St. Cloud, ICE eroded years of hard-earned trust,” February 2026
St. Cloud Times: “St. Cloud’s Somali community faces fear after ICE operations in MN,” March 1, 2026
US Central Command statements on Operation Epic Fury, February 28 - March 1, 2026
CNN live updates: “Day two of the launch of a US-Israeli military operation against Iran,” March 1, 2026
NPR: “U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran continue into 2nd day,” March 1, 2026
Washington Post: “Four U.S. troops were killed and five others seriously wounded,” March 2, 2026
Al Jazeera: “US-Israel attacks on Iran: Death toll and injuries live tracker,” March 1, 2026
CBS News: “Trump says Iran operation could take ‘four weeks or less,’” March 1, 2026
CNBC live updates, March 1, 2026
Congress.gov: Roll Call votes, February 24-25, 2026
GovTrack: S. 2503 ROTOR Act (Failed Under Suspension, 264-133)
GovTrack: HR 6329 Information Quality Assurance Act (Passed 362-1)
Senate Commerce Committee: “ROTOR Act Would Enact NTSB Recommendations”
Vertical Mag: “Congress’s attempt to improve D.C. air safety stumbles — for now,” February 27, 2026
CBO: HR 6329 cost estimate
Federal News Network: “Federal union calls for Congress to pay all DHS employees during shutdown,” March 2, 2026
Wikipedia: “2026 United States federal government shutdowns”
@GOPMajorityWhip, @tomemmer Twitter/X accounts, February 28 - March 1, 2026
Congressional Response Dashboard: iran-analysis.netlify.app