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A ‘very, very rocky start’: three months in, Minnesota’s representatives rate Congress

Their perspectives range the spectrum from cautious optimism to resigned indignation.

House Speaker John Boehner gaveled in the 114th Congress in January.
REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
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REUTERS/Larry Downing / Reuters
Sen. Amy Klobuchar spoke about the possibilities of increased relations with Cuba in January.
REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
Sen. Al Franken was joined by Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Jeff Merkley last week to warn against abolishing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
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Rep. John Kline watches as House Speaker John Boehner signs S.J. Res. 8, a resolution decrying a recent NLRB ruling, last Wednesday.
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REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
Rep. Betty McCollum with Rep. Keith Ellison on Inauguration Day.

I think the governing of this Congress has been abysmal … We really have not done anything productive. Republicans’ repeated attacks on government are reflected in the fact that they have a lot of contempt for it and they don’t do it very well. They’re not good at governing, they can’t pass anything and important things that Americans need are going unaddressed.

What are we doing on infrastructure? Nothing. What are we doing on jobs? Nothing, they complain that even though Obama’s presided over many, many months of private job growth, they still criticize the economy. And there’s still criticism to be made on the economy, but what are they doing to address it? Absolutely nothing. What are they doing on immigration? Nothing.

There is no important issue that Americans are facing that Republicans are addressing. They simply have failed, utterly, at governance.

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REUTERS/Gary Cameron
Rep. Rick Nolan, right, watches as Lt. Bradley Wick, of Duluth, is awarded a Medal of Valor in February.