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How Betty McCollum has aided Minnesota’s growing defense sector
From hypersonics to AI-powered drones, the powerful House Democrat is shaping Minnesota’s defense industry.
As the top House Democrat overseeing federal defense spending, U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum is using her influence to support a blossoming Minnesota defense technology sector working on high-speed missiles, AI-powered drones, military textiles and other projects.
A critic of Pentagon bloat, the Democrat is an unlikely ally to the industry. But she’s working behind the scenes with her former chief of staff turned lobbyist to create funding opportunities for Minnesota companies, nonprofits and universities.
The Minnesota Star Tribune reviewed internal emails and federal records to analyze McCollum’s influence and found she has helped deliver hundreds of millions to Minnesota while collecting more than $1 million in campaign donations from the defense industry over her career.
McCollum, Minnesota’s longest-serving member of Congress who represents the Fourth District, said in an intervi