MIDDLE EAST – Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) returned today from spending his holiday week visiting U.S. troops serving in the CENTCOM Area of Operations in the Middle East. From December 22 – 26, Phillips traveled with a bipartisan Congressional delegation and discussed the fight against ISIS in Syria and Iraq, Iranian aggression, and trade in a series of high-level diplomatic and military visits in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar. Phillips also served holiday meals, delivered gifts, and passed out holiday cards from preschoolers at St. David’s Center in Minnetonka and several New Horizon Academy locations in Minnesota’s Third District to troops in at every stop.

“As a Gold Star Son, my gratitude to our outstanding men and women in uniform is immeasurable,” said Phillips. “It was my honor to spend the holidays with these brave Americans, whose service and sacrifice keep us all safe. As we spend time with our loved ones this holiday season, may we all reflect on their extraordinary sacrifice and honor them with our own acts of service in our own community.” 

Phillips traveled with seven other members of Congress - Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI), Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY), Rep. Max Rose (D-NY), Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Rep. Susan Wild (D-PA), Rep. Gil Cisneros (D-CA), Rep. Aumua Amata Radewagen (R-American Samoa) - who serve on the House Foreign Affairs, Armed Services, and Veterans Affairs Committees. The group visited the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait City, Camp Arifjan in Kuwait, Naval Support Activity in Bahrain, and spent Christmas Day passing out gifts and serving a pancake breakfast at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

CLICK HERE to see more photos from Rep. Phillips’s trip.

CLICK HERE to see photos of preschool art Phillips delivered to U.S. troops.

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