Hagedorn Demanding Answers on BUILD Grants

WASHINGTON – Rep. Jim Hagedorn (MN-01) has contacted the U.S Department of Transportation (DOT) to request a debrief relating to the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s (MNDOT) $25 million grant request to complete the Highway 14 Corridor from Nicollet to New Ulm.

Recently, MNDOT’s Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Transportation Discretionary Grant request was not awarded by DOT. Rep. Hagedorn worked alongside Governor Walz, MNDOT officials and a bipartisan group of local legislators to advocate for the project.

Additionally, Hagedorn yesterday signed onto a Minnesota congressional delegation letter asking DOT to provide insight into the BUILD grant selection process. Several competitive grant applications from across Minnesota for worthwhile projects, such as the completion of the Highway 14 Corridor, were submitted throughout the year, with none of them receiving funding.

“Completion of the Highway 14 Corridor is a project 50 years in the making with broad bipartisan support and cooperation. The project remains my top transportation priority, as completion of Highway 14 will significantly increase safety and commerce in our state and rural communities. I believe that Minnesotans, the Walz administration, my House and Senate colleagues, and I deserve a straight-forward explanation concerning our BUILD grant requests and guidance for future applications,” said Hagedorn.

A copy of the delegation letter can be found here.

Jim Hagedorn was elected in 2018 to represent Minnesota’s First District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He grew up on his family’s grain and livestock farm near Truman. Jim’s father, former U.S. Congressman Tom Hagedorn (MN-02), grandfather, and great-grandfather were all southern Minnesota farmers. Jim currently resides in the rural farming community of Blue Earth. Hagedorn brings policy experience to Capitol Hill from time spent as a congressional aide to former U.S. Congressman Arlan Stangeland (MN-07) and a congressional relations officer for two non-partisan U.S. Department of the Treasury agencies. Hagedorn serves on the House Committees on Agriculture and Small Business to promote farming, Main Street enterprises and southern Minnesota’s way of life.

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