WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), along with Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Jerry Moran (R-KS), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Representatives Pete Stauber (R-MN) and Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA) are pressing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for information regarding the recent Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) system outages and the status of past-due upgrades to the system. “We write to you to request information on the recent temporary outages of the Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) system as well as an update on efforts to modernize the system,” said the lawmakers. “Pilots rely on the NOTAM system to remain aware of safety hazards on flight routes. This system is critical to the safety of the nearly 3 million passengers who fly over the U.S. every day.” In 2023, Klobuchar,
...Read more Moran, Capito, Stauber, and DeSaulnier’s bipartisan legislation to help prevent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) system outages was signed into law. The NOTAM Improvement Act requires the FAA to establish a task force to strengthen the resiliency and cybersecurity of the NOTAM system, which alerts pilots of safety and location hazards on flight routes. The law now required the FAA to upgrade the NOTAM system and create a backup system by September 2024. While the backup system was put in place in July 2024, the required upgrade of the primary system has not yet been completed. The full text of the letter is available here and below. Dear Acting Administrator Rocheleau: We write to you to request information on the recent temporary outages of the Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) system as well as an update on efforts to modernize the system. Pilots rely on the NOTAM system to remain aware of safety hazards on flight routes. This system is critical to the safety of the nearly 3 million passengers who fly over the U.S. every day. That’s why, following the 2023 outage that led to 1,300 cancelled flights and nearly 10,000 delays, Congress passed our legislation, the NOTAM Improvement Act, to require the FAA to implement a modernized NOTAM system and backup system by September 30, 2024. As you know, the primary NOTAM system experienced outages for several hours on February 1 and March 22. While we are pleased that the backup system is in place as of July 2024 and was successfully activated during that outage, we are concerned about the past due implementation of a modernized NOTAM system, as required by law. To better understand the recent outages and FAA’s progress toward implementing an upgraded NOTAM system, we request the following information: What caused the recent NOTAM outages? What steps is the FAA taking to mitigate future outages? How quickly was the backup system activated during the outages? How effective was the backup system, including its performance in comparison to the primary system? Please provide an update on the FAA’s implementation of the NOTAM Improvement Act, particularly the status of efforts to implement an upgraded NOTAM system. Travelers deserve flights that are safe and on time. We urge you to ensure that a modernized NOTAM system is implemented in a timely manner. Thank you for your attention to this important matter. ### Read less WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and James Risch (R-ID) introduced bipartisan legislation to improve the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) by increasing the transparency and ensuring the accountability of its funding program. Since 1991, the Recreational Trails Program has provided funding to states to develop and maintain outdoor recreational trails, allowing millions of Americans and their families to enjoy activities such as hiking, bicycling, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and 4-wheel driving. “Minnesota snowmobilers, hikers, ATV users, cyclists, and countless others who enjoy the outdoors rely on the Recreational Trails Program to explore our state’s natural wonders and support our local businesses,” said Klobuchar. “Our bipartisan legislation will ensure states
...Read more receive the resources they deserve to protect and improve these trails for generations to come.” “The Recreational Trails Program provides Idahoans and visitors to our state with access to our public lands,” said Risch. “This legislation ensures trail maintenance projects can continue and future generations can enjoy Idaho’s great outdoors for years to come.” “From Vermont's green mountains to Utah's ‘Mighty Five’ National Parks, America is home to unmatched natural beauty. The Recreational Trails Program plays a vital role in helping build and maintain hiking trails across the country so folks can enjoy and explore our great outdoors,” said Welch. “Our bipartisan bill will support this crucial program to ensure that future generations can experience the joy of hiking our nation’s scenic trails for many years to come.” “From Murphy to Manteo, North Carolina’s network of recreational trails not only attracts tourism to our state, but also allows North Carolinians to enjoy the natural beauty our state has to offer. I am proud to join Senator Klobuchar in introducing this bipartisan legislation to help maintain, improve, and expand upon the natural infrastructure of our public lands,” said Budd. The RTP Full Funding Act—which is supported by recreational groups from snowmobilers to cyclists and hikers to off-highway power sport vehicle users—will ensure that federal funds collected for this program are maximized to support more trail projects in the future. The bill signals strong support for bringing the Recreational Trail Program funding in line with the revenue collected from the federal gas tax already paid by off-road recreational vehicle users without impacting funding for other federal transportation programs. The legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Peter Welch (D-VT), Ted Budd (R-NC), John Curtis (R-UT), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR). The RTP Full Funding Act will increase the accuracy and transparency of RTP funding by: Requiring a study to determine the total amount of funds collected; Improving reporting on expenditures from the RTP to improve accountability and oversight; and Streamlining RTP funding distribution to the states by reducing unnecessary paperwork. The bill is supported by the National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council (NOHVCC), Coalition for Recreational Trails (CRT), Motorcycle Industry Council, Safe & Responsible Use at the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America, Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association, American Trails, International Mountain Bicycling Association, The Corps Network, International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association, American Council of Snowmobile Associations, American Horse Council & American Horse Council Foundation, American Hiking Society, Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), PeopleForBikes, Back Country Horsemen of America, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable Association, and Rails to Trails Conservancy. “The Recreational Trails Program has produced tens of thousands of successes across the nation, benefiting the health, safety and enjoyment of millions of hikers and bicyclists and ATVers and snowmobilers and equestrians and more. It has forged national and regional partnerships among those who use trails – overcoming potential competition with plans that deliver great opportunities for all. RTP projects benefit from the sharing of best practices and from widespread volunteerism and Public-Private-Partnerships. Because RTP offers flexibility in uses including maintenance and education, the program can improve other trail projects. Best of all, RTP unifies the nation across our diversity – north and south, urban and rural, young and old, Red and Blue and more, and connects more Americans to their shared legacy of public lands and waters. We thank our wonderful Congressional Champions for making this possible!” said Marianne Fowler and Derrick Crandall, Co-Chairs of the Coalition for Recreational Trails. “The RTP is vitally important to trail users everywhere. The program funds trail construction, maintenance, safety, interpretation, and other important projects. The funding for this program has remained flat for too long. We would like to thank the bill sponsors for taking action to ensure that these important priorities will be fully funded,” said Duane Taylor, Director of Safe & Responsible Use, Specialty Vehicle Institute of America. “The International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association and the American Council of Snowmobile Associations applaud the continued leadership of Senators Klobuchar and Risch and the active support of Senators Welch, Budd, Tillis, Merkley and Curtis to return to outdoor recreation the resources required to build and maintain our recreational trail infrastructure. Their persistence in pushing for this funding partially addresses the greatest inequity contained in our federal aid highway program. “In the past decade almost $3 billion in revenue generated by motorized trail enthusiasts has been deposited in the Federal Highway Trust Fund. Unfortunately, the vast majority of that revenue has been diverted to infrastructure inaccessible to motorized recreational products. While the Recreational Trail Program makes a portion of that funding available for motorized trail infrastructure, it is woefully deficient. “The public should know that 100% of the RTP funding released by the Klobuchar/ Risch legislation is generated by motorized recreation with the federal gas taxes paid every time our recreation vehicles are filled up. Only a portion of those funds are returned to the trails, with 30% guaranteed for motorized trails, 30% for non-motorized trails and 40% for multiuse trails. “This legislation is a step in the right direction for the continued support of the trails system – and the rural communities across the United States! Thank you for your support and leadership!” said Jaret Smith, President of the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association, and Christine Jourdain, Executive Director of the American Council of Snowmobile Associations. “The Recreational Trails Program is vital for building and maintaining trails for cyclists across the country. At PeopleForBikes, we strongly support more funding for all bicycle infrastructure programs and applaud the bipartisan leadership of this legislation for their support of recreational trails,” said Jenn Dice, CEO of PeopleForBikes. “American Hiking Society and the 59 million strong hiking community praises the bipartisan leadership of Senators Klobuchar and Risch in support of the Recreational Trails Program! The RTP Full Funding Act of 2024 will ensure that the over three decades long impact of RTP can continue to provide the tens of millions of non-motorized and motorized trail users in urban and rural areas the benefits of trails including health and wellness, connectivity, and economic growth. Hikers and trail users across the country thank Senators Klobuchar, Risch, Budd, Welch, Tillis, Curtis, and Merkley for their support of our nation's trails!" said Tyler Ray, Senior Director for Programs and Advocacy, American Hiking Society. ### Read less WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) are pressing Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin on reports of a reduction in staff at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division (GLTED) Lab in Duluth, Minnesota. The Senators called for the critical lab, which helps keep our Great Lakes water clean and safe and contributes $15 million to Minnesota’s economy every year, not to be closed and for career scientists not to be fired. “We are very concerned about reports of impending staff reductions within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Research and Development (ORD), potentially including the Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division (GLTED) Lab in Duluth, Minnesota,” wrote the Senators.
...Read more “Firing career scientists and shutting down a lab that leads the nation in freshwater toxicology research would have huge impacts on Minnesotans and all Americans.” “Our entire country depends on the premier water testing protocols developed at this lab,” the Senators continued. “In addition to testing, the dedicated scientists in Duluth have developed effective tools to combat polluted water and protect human health. This dedication to science as a public service has directly led to cleaner, safer drinking water for our kids and grandkids, and these efforts will continue to be critical for years to come. Simply put, closing the lab or firing its staff without proper cause would endanger future generations of Americans.” The full letter is available here and below. Dear Administrator Zeldin, We are very concerned about reports of impending staff reductions within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Research and Development (ORD), potentially including the Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division (GLTED) Lab in Duluth, Minnesota. Firing career scientists and shutting down a lab that leads the nation in freshwater toxicology research would have huge impacts on Minnesotans and all Americans. Recent reporting by the New York Times indicates that the Department plans to fire up to 1,155 scientists from the ORD, potentially including some or all of the over 130 in the Duluth GLTED Lab who conduct critical research on risks to our water and ways to keep it clean and safe. The research at the GLTED Lab directly supports EPA’s top stated priority of providing “clean air, land, and water for every American” and is central to the Duluth community. Locally, it contributes over $15 million to the economy and helps keep Lake Superior healthy. As one of the cleanest freshwater sources in the world, Lake Superior provides drinking water to cities from Duluth to Grand Marais, supports processing operations for our Iron Range taconite mines, and sustains tourism businesses along the North Shore. Minnesotans depend on Lake Superior’s health to live, work, and enjoy recreation every day. Because of the GLTED Lab’s unique access to Lake Superior, it is well situated to address widespread water quality issues. Our entire country depends on the premier water testing protocols developed at this lab. In addition to testing, the dedicated scientists in Duluth have developed effective tools to combat polluted water and protect human health. This dedication to science as a public service has directly led to cleaner, safer drinking water for our kids and grandkids, and these efforts will continue to be critical for years to come. Simply put, closing the lab or firing its staff without proper cause would endanger future generations of Americans. As such, we request you provide written answers to the following questions by April 11, 2025: Will staff in Minnesota’s Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division Lab be included in the EPA’s reduction in force plans? If so:
How many Minnesota GLTED Lab staff will be fired?
Please share a list of all Minnesota GLTED Lab staff who will be fired.
Please provide a breakdown of GLTED Lab staff who will be fired and i.) were recently promoted; ii.) are veterans; iii.) were probationary employees who were previously employed; iv.) by the Federal government immediately prior to their most recent role; v.) were probationary employees who were not previously employed by the Federal government
Is EPA assessing the public health and environmental impacts of these firings? Please share any assessments EPA has conducted or describe the methods in which EPA is conducting this assessment.
How will layoffs in EPA’s Office of Research and Development impact long-term water quality, including its public health and ecological impacts? Please be specific.
What is EPA’s plan to maintain clean air and water into the future should fewer scientists be dedicated to the issue? Please be specific. Thank you for your prompt attention to this urgent matter. ### Read less WCCO By Ubah Ali Across the state — small business, farmers and consumers are feeling the weight of sweeping tariffs under President Trump's administration. Trump announced a minimum 10% tariff on every country. Sunday, Democratic Senator Klobuchar stood in a brewery promising to find solutions as many people scramble amid an uncertain economic future. At Sisters' Sludge Coffee Cafe and Wine Bar, recent tariffs are brewing up a storm, leaving the sisters to deal with a price hike on imported coffee beans and wine. "Everything isn't produced here, coffee beans not grown here," said Kate Morris-Buch, Co-owner of Sisters' Sludge Coffee Cafe and Wine Bar. The price of beans will now cost more to bring in since they rely on imported beans from places like Peru and Colombia. They
...Read more say one of their coffee blends will go up 40%, and a glass of wine could cost about $3 more. Adjustments are being made, from hours being cut to less menu items, as the business tries not to pass the cost onto customers. Minnesota Farmers Union President Gary Wertish says these tariffs are putting livelihoods at risk, and exports must be part of the market. "This is destroying our trust as reliable trading partner around the world," Wertish said. A fear shared by Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar, who's committed to securing changes to stay competitive in a global market. "I want people to know that I'm doing everything I can to reverse this policy," Klobuchar said. Trump says the tariffs are the beginning of what he calls an economic revolution, and says Americans need to hang tough. Read less WATCH KLOBUCHAR’S FULL REMARKS HERE WASHINGTON—On the Senate Floor, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) spoke in opposition to the Congressional Republican budget resolution, which provides tax cuts for the wealthy while raising costs on everyday Americans. “This budget would give massive tax cuts to the ultra-wealthy, and pay for it by raising costs, taking away health care, threatening the economic security of tens of millions of Americans,” said Klobuchar. “We could strengthen Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Instead of giving a $300,000 tax cut to someone in the top 0.1%, we could invest in child care, affordable housing, education, and affordable energy. And at the same time, we could put some aside to bring down the debt.” “That's how we support working families. That's
...Read more how we make sure our seniors retire with dignity. So we are standing up all day today to expose this budget for what it really is. It is benefits for the wealthy and the big guys at the expense of everyone else.” Download Klobuchar’s full remarks HERE. ### Read less WATCH KLOBUCHAR’S FULL REMARKS HERE WASHINGTON—On the Senate Floor, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) spoke in opposition to the Congressional Republican budget resolution, which does nothing to stop President Trump’s tariff taxes that will increase costs by nearly $4,000 for the average family. “These sweeping tariffs are taxes that will raise costs for everything from medicine and food to clothes and housing,” said Klobuchar. “You already see the damage, the impact was immediate. Yesterday, the stock market fell almost 5% — the worst day since the pandemic crash in March of 2020—and today it continues to fall. Small businesses are freezing investments. Retailers, manufacturers and farmers are in limbo. …. This chaos and this uncertainty are hurting our economy. “We can and we should
...Read more stand up to unfair trade practices. I have been a long believer in targeted use of tariffs … but what he is doing here, with these across-the-board tariffs, is reckless.” Download full Klobuchar’s remarks HERE. ### Read less WATCH KLOBUCHAR’S FULL REMARKS HERE
WASHINGTON—On the Senate Floor, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) spoke in opposition to the Congressional Republican budget resolution, which ignores the Administration’s actions weakening the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and leaving veterans and veteran families to pick up the pieces.
“We have worked so hard… to upgrade the benefits for our veterans, to upgrade the kind of services they have gotten, and for the most part, there have been some major improvements, but the VA is under attack, sadly, by the Trump administration, and in particular, by Elon Musk. We need to stand up for the more than 9 million veterans who rely on the VA for care, including 106,000 veterans in my state,” said Klobuchar.
Download full Klobuchar’s remarks HERE.
###
Follows Senate passage of Klobuchar’s bipartisan bill with Senators Kaine and Warner to end President Trump’s tariff taxes on Canada WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) joined Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to introduce the Trade Review Act of 2025, bipartisan legislation that would restore congressional oversight over President Trump’s tariff taxes. The bill aims to bring stability and accountability to U.S. trade policy by reestablishing limits on the president’s ability to unilaterally impose tariffs without the approval of Congress. In addition to Klobuchar, Cantwell, and Grassley, the legislation was cosponsored by Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Mark Warner (D-VA), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Thom Tillis (R-
...Read more NC), and Peter Welch (D-VT).; This legislation follows Senate passage of Klobuchar’s bipartisan resolution with Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Mark Warner (D-VA) to end President Trump’s tariff taxes on Canadian goods. It comes amid sharp economic fallout from the President’s new across-the-board tariff taxes on all imports, which triggered a nearly 5% drop in the stock market yesterday—the steepest decline since the pandemic crash in March 2020—and additional losses today. Altogether, Trump’s tariff taxes will raise consumer costs by nearly $4,000 per household—representing the largest tax increase since 1968. “President Trump’s tariff tax is raising costs for Americans and creating economic uncertainty. The erratic way these tariffs have been announced, un-announced, and re-announced has made it difficult for families and businesses to plan for the future. That is why I’m introducing bipartisan legislation to restore sanity and stability to our trade policy by ensuring they are subject to additional review and approval.” The Trade Review Act of 2025 reaffirms Congress’ authority over tariffs, as granted in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution by placing the following limits on presidential tariff actions: The president must notify Congress within 48 hours of imposing or increasing a tariff on imported goods.
The congressional notification must include the reasoning behind the tariff, and an analysis of the potential economic impact on American businesses and consumers.
Any new tariff will expire after 60 days unless Congress passes a joint resolution of approval.
Congress may terminate any imposed tariffs at any time through a joint resolution of disapproval. ### Read less WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement on President Trump’s announcement of additional across-the-board tariffs on all imports, which are in effect a national sales tax on American consumers, farmers, and businesses. “The President’s new national sales tax on Americans is reckless, harmful, and could have irreversible consequences. This is the biggest tax increase in a generation, and will increase costs by more than $5,000 a year for the average family. The economic chaos and uncertainty the President is creating is endangering our economy. “I support targeted tariffs to take on our adversaries, such as those used by the previous Trump, Biden, and Obama administration to counter China’s steel dumping. But the President’s across-the-board tariffs
...Read more will only raise costs, hurt businesses, and eliminate jobs.” ### Read less WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement on Senate passage of her bipartisan bill with Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Mark Warner (D-VA) to undo President Trump’s across-the-board tariffs on Canadian goods. The administration is imposing a 10 percent tariff on energy from Canada and a 25 percent tariff on other goods — a move that amounts to a tax hike on American consumers and businesses. “Today, the Senate sent a clear message to the President: You cannot abuse your powers to start an unjustified trade war with one of our strongest allies. Canada is Minnesota’s top trading partner, but the President’s tariffs are jeopardizing that relationship—and the consequences may be irreversible. “Our bipartisan bill was supported by a broad coalition—
...Read more from the United Steelworkers to the Chamber of Commerce—because we need to restore stability, credibility, and sanity to our trade policy with Canada. While tariffs are an important tool for countering unfair trade practices, like China’s steel dumping, we should not raise costs, hurt businesses, and eliminate jobs by attacking our neighbor and ally.” Along with Klobuchar, Kaine, and Warner, the legislation is cosponsored by Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Angus King (I-ME), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Rand Paul (R-KY). Specifically, the senators’ legislation would work by terminating the President’s February 1 declaration that President Trump used to launch his trade war with Canada, and thus eliminate the tariffs on Canadian imports as a result. The declaration invoked the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA), an unprecedented use of that law in its nearly 50-year history to justify across-the-board tariffs on a longstanding U.S. ally. Senator Klobuchar spoke about this bill on the Senate floor. A video can be found HERE. ### Read less WASHINGTON—On the Senate Floor, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) called for support of her bipartisan legislation with Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Mark Warner (D-VA) to undo President Trump’s across-the-board tariffs on Canadian imports. The administration is imposing a 10 percent tariff on energy from Canada and a 25 percent tariff on other goods — a move that amounts to a tax hike on American consumers and businesses. Canada is Minnesota’s top trading partner. “This resolution is about drawing a line in the sand and saying you cannot abuse your emergency powers to start an unjustified trade war,” said Klobuchar. “You cannot abuse your emergency powers to hurt one of the finest relationships in the world, the relationship between America and Canada, and you cannot drive up prices,
...Read more eliminate jobs, and put in place a national sales tax.” Along with Klobuchar, Kaine, and Warner, the legislation is cosponsored by Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Angus King (I-ME), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Rand Paul (R-KY). Specifically, the senators’ legislation would work by terminating the President’s February 1 declaration that President Trump used to launch his trade war with Canada, and thus eliminate the tariffs on Canadian imports as a result. The declaration invoked the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA), an unprecedented use of that law in its nearly 50-year history to justify across-the-board tariffs on a longstanding U.S. ally. A rough transcript of Klobuchar’s remarks is available below. Download video HERE. Senator Klobuchar: Madam President, I rise today in strong support of the bipartisan resolution led by my colleague who is here today, Senator Tim Kaine, which I co-lead with him and Senator Warner to restore stability to our trade with one of our greatest allies, greatest friends, and that is the country of Canada. This resolution does one thing, and it does it clearly. It terminates the President's declaration related to the Canadian border that he is using as an excuse to impose across-the-board tariffs, which are, in fact, taxes on Canadian imports under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Passing this resolution just became even more urgent because of the President's announcement of even more across-the-board tariffs this afternoon, including a minimum 10% tax on all imports and even higher tariffs on certain countries, including our friends and allies. This is a country that has thrived on the fact, and our economy has grown because we do business with the world. And already with the President's announcement, which he calls Liberation Day, I call it a National Sales Tax Day, because the estimates are that these tariffs will result in about $5,000 in taxes, that's right, on the average family in America every single year. What has happened? Well, the stock market is closed, but the futures are tanking. They are tanking, and that is because people get that this is not going to work for our American economy. They don't want a national sales tax. People involved in the economy of this country, everyone from small business owners on and they're going to be the first hit by this, because they do not actually have the wherewithal and the big conglomeration to try to deal with it. Small farmers in my state that are already dealing with retaliatory tariffs, that are already dealing with the fact that Canadians who used to buy their stuff don't want to buy it anymore, or other countries aren't buying their stuff. And what happens then, the Canadians look for other markets, and there's other countries, other manufacturers, other farmers, and other nations that say “we are more than happy to fill your contract, sir. We are more than happy to help you out with that aluminum, Mam.” Because of these tariffs. … This resolution is about drawing a line in the sand and saying you cannot abuse your emergency powers to start an unjustified trade war. You cannot abuse your emergency powers to hurt one of the finest relationships in the world, the relationship between America and Canada, and you cannot drive up prices, eliminate jobs, and put in place a national sales tax. Canada is not just our neighbor with my state, it's our number one trading partner. In fact, we do so much business with Canada that it is more than the total of our number two, number three, and number four, largest markets combined. We are the fourth biggest ag exporter, the state of Minnesota, in the country. So, we know a little bit about how this works. In 2023 alone, our state exported 7 billion in goods to Canada, including ag products, machinery, and medical devices. That's a major hit for the retaliatory tariffs that we're going to see. The damage could extend to every sector of our economy. I just mentioned tourism. So I chair the Canadian American Interparliamentary Group. I go to Canada a lot. I know our partners over there. I know the people in the Conservative Party, the Liberal Party, all of them. And the one thing that has united us to a T is this friendship, that has far transcended this President. I remember it was the Canadian Embassy in one of the worst of times for our country, that had banners draped in the front of their embassy that said, “friends, neighbors, partners, allies.” Those banners aren't hanging there right now, and they're not going to put them up any time soon. It was the Canadians that were the first to arrive after 9/11 to volunteer, to help out our country in its greatest moment of need. They fought alongside us in two World Wars. This is a long-standing friendship and an incredible trade relationship based on mutual respect and trust, and yes, two strong economies. Because these new tariffs are already causing harm, as I noted, they amount to a national sales tax. Since the administration began to propose and implement or pause but hang over people's heads, wide-ranging tariff, wholesale prices have gone up on everything from meat and coffee to natural gas and lumber. Homeowners Association, Home Builders Association, Retail Association, how many business groups? Are the Republicans not listening to them anymore? And add to that, the Steelworkers. Do they not care about that? They're opposed to that, and they support this resolution that Senator Kaine, and Warner, and I have come together to introduce. With these tariffs across the world, we're going to see a $20,000 increase to the price of a home and a $3,000 increase to an American-made car. This might not mean much to Elon Musk and the billionaires in Trump's cabinet, but it means a lot to the people in my state. Tariffs can be an important tool. Sure, you can have targeted tariffs. That's not what this is. These tariffs on Canada are an abuse of the emergency powers, and if they want to negotiate this, put it in the upcoming negotiations of the USMCA, the United States, Mexico, Canada, Trade Agreement that I supported, that President Trump negotiated in his last administration. Why wouldn't he do it there? Why, instead, is he doing his usual shock and awe, jarring the economy? This is going to be a blanket permission slip for tariff wars. And I will note again, thank Senator Kaine, our bipartisan group of supporters, and the United Steelworkers, International Association of Machinists, North American Building Trades Union, AFL-CIO, Chamber of Commerce, National Taxpayers Union, and the National Retail Federation have all endorsed this resolution. Maybe we don't care about all those businesses and all those workers, but maybe we should listen to them. This resolution is about restoring common sense and responsible governance. It is about Congress reasserting its constitutional role on trade, and it's about standing up for American workers, businesses, and consumers who are being asked to pay the price of this trade war. Let's change course, before the damage becomes even more permanent. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. Thank you. ### Read less The American Apprenticeship Act would provide states with tuition assistance funding for apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced bipartisan legislation to expand access to apprenticeships. The American Apprenticeship Act would provide states with tuition assistance funding to support apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs. Companion legislation in the House of Representatives is led by Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT). “Apprenticeships provide Americans with valuable on-the-job training and skills to work in high-demand fields,” said Klobuchar. “By providing additional tuition assistance for apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships, our bipartisan legislation will enable more people to
...Read more access and benefit from these valuable programs.” “Small business owners have told me that one of the biggest challenges they face is finding qualified and trained workers to fill vacant positions,” said Collins. “Apprenticeships help address this issue by aligning employees’ skills with employers’ needs and preparing individuals for a successful future in their chosen field. During the ongoing workforce shortage, this bipartisan bill would help fill the gap by expanding access to and lowering the cost of apprenticeships, allowing more Americans to take advantage of these programs to gain in-demand skills and obtain good-paying jobs.” “People are living paycheck to paycheck – they are in desperate need of a viable pathway to gain and use their skills,” said DeLauro. “The American Apprenticeship Act will help raise wages and reduce worker turnover by investing in workers, helping them gain skills to get good-paying jobs. The programs created under the legislation would allow businesses to create a pipeline of skilled workers while improving their bottom line and strengthening our global competitiveness – so workers win, business wins, and our economy grows.” The American Apprenticeship Act would: Award competitive grants to states that have developed effective strategies to diversify, market, and scale Registered Apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs;
Cover costs associated with participating in Registered Apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, including tuition, fees, equipment, and other educational materials; and
Analyze the use of apprenticeships for in-demand occupations. In addition, Klobuchar and Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) have introduced the Apprenticeships to College Act, which would allow workers to earn college credits for completed apprenticeships. Klobuchar and Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) have introduced the Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act to help Americans save for skills training, certification, and credential programs. ### Read less Star Tribune By Reid Forgrave ST. PETER, MINN. — Daria “Dasha” Shyroka is a 19-year-old college student with a naturally bubbly disposition. She’s rarely seen without a smile, even in her precarious predicament: War in the homeland she hasn’t visited since 2021 but could soon see her forced return. On a recent afternoon the smile was gone and Shyroka sat in a quiet room in the library at Gustavus Adolphus College, tears streaming down her face. The sophomore is often found here, her head buried in books. She apologized for losing her composure, her voice catching as she recalled the moment three years ago when everything changed. It was early on Feb. 24, 2022, well before sunrise in the Alexandria home where Shyroka was living as a high school exchange student. Her phone woke her: Her mom
...Read more calling from her hometown of Poltava in central Ukraine, between Kyiv and Kharkiv. Russia had attacked, her mom said. She was glad her only child was in a safe place. Then her mom switched to the past tense: If this was the end, she said, “just know that me and Dad loved you so much.” After the call, the teenager threw up. The ensuing three years have been an emotional whirlwind: Her typical teen angst was stirred up by news reports of drone attacks on her hometown. Two communities, in Alexandria and at Gustavus, supporting her during her time in limbo. Her dad on the front lines while her mother, who works in the legal profession, processing estates of the war dead. Working toward becoming a doctor like her grandparents — taking 19 college credits this semester as a double major in chemistry and nursing — despite not knowing if her stay in the United States will abruptly end as President Donald Trump weighs revoking the legal status of fellow displaced Ukrainians. “It’s hard to imagine what’s going to happen next,” she said. “My reality is I need to be prepared for anything. The only thing I’m really wishing for is for Russia to stop attacking my sweet home and just let Ukraine be safe and happy again, like it was before.” Displaced by war Instead of focusing on her own uncertainty — whether she’ll finish college here or be sent back to a war zone — Shyroka focuses on the bigger issue. Because she knows plenty of Ukrainians in the United States have had it worse than she has, and that they all have been the lucky ones, their everyday lives not dominated by war. Shyroka is one of 240,000 Ukrainians displaced by the Russian invasion and living in the United States on temporary legal status. Reuters reported earlier this month that Trump was weighing whether to revoke the status they received from President Joe Biden’s administration. The White House press secretary said a decision has yet to be made. Removing the so-called “temporary protective status,” which the U.S. sometimes grants people unable to safely return to their homelands, could put Shyroka and other Ukrainians displaced by war on a fast track to deportation, according to the Reuters report. Her J-1 visa for exchange students ended in June 2022, at the end of her year in the program. Applying for temporary protective status was the only option, said Rhonda Stuewe, her host mom in Alexandria; to reapply for the student visa, she would have had to leave the United States while waiting to see if her visa application was granted. She’s been on temporary protective status for nearly three years, reapplying every 18 months. That status does not come with government benefits as is the case with refugee status, so Shyroka’s supporters have scrambled to raise money to pay for her stay. Her temporary legal status runs out April 1. She applied in winter for another extension and awaits an answer. Shyroka’s host family in Alexandria reached out to Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s office, which is asking U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to expedite her application. “Dasha represents what America is all about: a country of people who came from other places to seek a better life,” Klobuchar said in an interview Tuesday. “Dasha is exactly the kind of kid and student and person we want in Minnesota. She’s a hard-working immigrant, legally in our country, building a life in our country. She could potentially stay in our country or could go back to Ukraine. In either case, we don’t want her to have to leave right now.” Klobuchar hopes Shyroka’s situation — her support in Alexandria, her ambition as a student, the fact she was here before the war started — can help sway a decision. The senator noted that Shyroka has done everything legally and highlights the moral quandary: “We shouldn’t be sending this girl back to a war zone, especially with her dad on the front lines.” Some Ukrainians have petitioned Trump for permanent residency, which could eventually lead to citizenship. Stuewe spearheaded an effort in Alexandria to send more than 500 letters to the White House, proactively pleading Shyroka’s case. Working to stay in Minnesota Back on the hilltop at Gustavus, a huge smile broke out on Shyroka’s face when she saw her host mom, Stuewe, and Stuewe’s 19-year-old daughter, Emma, who’d driven from Alexandria to visit. “Hello, beautiful! So great to see you,” Shyroka told Emma, who she calls her “sister by heart, if not by blood.” Her host family brought gifts: A bouquet of flowers, a handful of gift cards from St. Peter businesses, a dinner of Shyroka’s favorite takeout sushi. The communities of Alexandria and Gustavus have made Shyroka’s success possible. Gustavus costs upward of $70,000 a year. Shyroka secured a Dean’s scholarship to cut that in half. An anonymous donor gave $12,500 a year for four years. The Stuewes’ church in Alexandria, Calvary Lutheran Church, donated $10,000 a year for four years. An annual breakfast fundraiser near Alexandria has raised more money. She has a work-study job and works nights as a certified nursing assistant at a St. Peter memory care facility. On top of that, she’s a model student. She maintains nearly a 4.0 grade point average and won an award for outstanding first-year students. She volunteers at the Mayo Clinic and the Red Cross. She is president of a number of student clubs like the Pre-Health Club and the Eastern European Club. She did analytical chemistry research on campus last summer. The college is sending her to a conference at Harvard Medical School. Stuewe is doing everything she can to extend Shyroka’s stay. She dropped off another 110 letters to Trump before driving to St. Peter last week. She doesn’t focus on the politics of the Ukraine war — she’s a political independent who’d rather not say how she voted in 2024 — instead focusing on this remarkable young woman who speaks a half-dozen languages, is a virtuoso piano player and played varsity tennis in Alexandria. “We’ve gotten so callous sometimes, too black and white, and we don’t consider the casualties of all our policies,” Stuewe said. “Dasha would be a casualty of that flip of the switch [on the legal status of Ukrainians displaced by war]. And she’s not the only one.” Shyroka hopes she can get permanent residency status someday; she cannot attend medical school on her current status. In the meantime, she lives in limbo. She worries about her dad on the front lines. She talks with her mom daily (if her mom’s electricity is working). She doesn’t have nightmares about the war; she studies so much that her nightmares are about school. It’s during the daytime hours that she worries about war back home: Her parents, her friends, her two cats, her country. She wants to return to Ukraine — not now, but someday. “My biggest fear is that if something happens to my loved ones, I won’t have time to say goodbye,” she said. “It’s scary to go home knowing there was a bomb that ruined my neighbors’ houses. What are the chances that’s going to be my house in the next hour, when I’m asleep? That’s the scariest part. And I wish I could do something about it. But I can’t.” Read less Bills take on Big Pharma’s abuses of “pay-for-delay” deals and FDA petitions WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, introduced the Preserve Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act and the Stop Significant and Time-wasting Abuse Limiting Legitimate Innovation of New Generics (Stop STALLING) Act, two bipartisan bills to reduce drug prices by promoting competition and taking on Big Pharma’s abuses of deals with competitors and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) petitions. Both bills were passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2023. “Prescription drug prices are too high—driven up by excessive consolidation in the pharmaceutical industry and abusive business tactics that keep more affordable
...Read more medications off the market and out of reach for far too many Americans,” said Klobuchar. “Our bipartisan legislation would deter anticompetitive deals and sham petitions that prevent generic drugs from entering the market and prevent Americans from accessing affordable, life-saving drugs.” “The shady efforts of some drug companies to block competition and keep drug costs high are greedy and wrong. Across the country, consumers are suffering because of it. Our bipartisan bills will help tackle these abuses and make prescription drugs more affordable for Americans. I encourage my colleagues to support these commonsense bills,” said Grassley. The Preserve Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act would limit anticompetitive “pay-for-delay” deals that prevent or delay the introduction of affordable generic drugs that are, on average, 80 percent cheaper than their branded counterparts. Pay-for-delay deals happen when branded pharmaceutical drug companies pay generic manufacturers to delay the introduction of cheaper substitutes – increasing the cost of prescriptions and imposing significant costs on our health care system, saving an estimated $1.5 billion over ten years. The legislation covers pay-for-delay deals affecting biosimilar and interchangeable biologics in addition to generic drugs. The Preserving Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act is cosponsored by Senators Durbin, Cramer, Blumenthal, Ernst, Booker, Welch, and Kelly. The Stop Significant and Time-wasting Abuse Limiting Legitimate Innovation of New Generics (Stop STALLING) Act would deter branded pharmaceutical companies from filing sham “citizen petitions” with the FDA in order to interfere with the approval of generic and biosimilar medicines that compete with their own brand products, a tactic that delays patient access to affordable medications. The bill would also give the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enhanced authority to take action against those who file sham petitions. The STOP STALLING Act is cosponsored by Senators Durbin, Cruz, Blumenthal, Booker, and Welch. ### Read less MINNESOTA – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below following Cleveland-Cliffs’ announcement about operations in Hibbing and Virginia:
“Our country was built by miners and their hard work and we will do everything we can to help. I have spoken with local mayors and United Steelworker leadership, and I spoke with the Cleveland-Cliffs CEO who pledged to do everything he can to make sure this is temporary and return miners to work when markets improve.”
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Senators request any support that has been halted resume immediately WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-IL) led a bipartisan group of their colleagues in calling for the State Department to continue supporting efforts to investigate Russia’s abduction and deportation of Ukrainian children. In a letter to Secretary Marco Rubio, the Senators wrote “to convey serious concerns over reports that the State Department has terminated a contract with a university-based research team that is working to find Ukrainian children abducted by the Russian government.” The Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health has stated that it was recently
...Read more notified that government funding for the Lab’s work on the war in Ukraine has been “discontinued.” That work reportedly includes the Conflict Observatory program’s open source research tracing Russia’s forcible deportation of Ukrainian children. The Senators continued: “If, in fact, State Department funding for this program has been terminated, we request that you provide information regarding the decision-making procedure and justification, and immediately resume U.S. support for this critical work. In addition, we ask that you identify officials who can provide Congress with a briefing on U.S. support for Ukrainian war crimes investigations more generally.” The State Department has supported U.S. participation in the U.S.-EU-UK Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group for Ukraine, which helps to advance the Ukrainian government’s investigations and prosecutions. Ukraine has opened more than 140,000 war crimes cases in total since Russia’s February 2022 invasion. The Senators concluded by underscoring that “it must remain the policy of the United States to pursue accountability for the Russian Federation’s atrocities in Ukraine.” In addition to Klobuchar, Grassley, and Durbin, the letter was signed by Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Chris Coons (D-DE). In 2023, Klobuchar introduced a bipartisan resolution condemning Russia’s abduction of Ukrainian children after reports indicated that Russia had kidnapped thousands of children from their families in Ukraine, relocating them to reeducation camps in Russia and forcing them to be raised by Russian families. The full text of the letter is available here and below. Dear Secretary Rubio: We write to convey serious concerns over reports that the State Department has terminated a contract with a university-based research team that is working to find Ukrainian children abducted by the Russian government. The Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health stated that it was recently notified that government funding for the Lab’s work on the war in Ukraine has been “discontinued.” That work reportedly includes the Conflict Observatory program’s open source research tracing Russia’s forcible deportation of Ukrainian children. Such cases of Russian child abduction now number more than 19,500, according to the Ukrainian initiative Bring Kids Back UA, and the total may be higher. In December 2024, the Yale research team published the most comprehensive public report to date on the subject. The report concluded that the Russian government “has engaged in the systematic, intentional, and widespread coerced adoption and fostering of children from Ukraine.” It detailed an operation initiated by President Putin and subordinate officials to “Russify” those children, and documented 314 individual cases. The Lab has transferred dossiers on each of these cases to Ukrainian authorities, but reportedly has been unable to transfer the evidence to European Union law enforcement officials due to the cancellation of its funding. The State Department has had an important role in holding Russian officials accountable and supporting Ukrainian efforts to recover abducted children. In August 2024, for example, the Department imposed sanctions on two entities and 11 individuals involved in deporting Ukrainian children “to camps promoting indoctrination in Russia and Russia-occupied Crimea.” The Department has also supported U.S. participation in the U.S.-EU-UK Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group for Ukraine (ACA), which helps to advance the Ukrainian government’s investigations and prosecutions. Ukraine has opened more than 140,000 war crimes cases in total since Russia’s February 2022 invasion, but there are reports that U.S. programs supporting Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office have been suspended. We request that you provide immediate clarification regarding the status and future of the State Department’s partnership with Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab, including with respect to maintenance of the Lab’s data. If, in fact, State Department funding for this program has been terminated, we request that you provide information regarding the decision-making procedure and justification, and immediately resume U.S. support for this critical work. In addition, we ask that you identify officials who can provide Congress with a briefing on U.S. support for Ukrainian war crimes investigations more generally, including U.S. participation in the ACA and assistance to Ukrainian prosecutors. We underscore that it must remain the policy of the United States to pursue accountability for the Russian Federation’s atrocities in Ukraine. Thank you for your attention to this issue, and we look forward to your reply. ### Read less WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law and a member of the Commerce Committee, along with Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-IL), Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and over two dozen other Senators are calling on President Trump to reverse the illegal firing of Commissioners Rebecca Kelly Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). “This action contradicts long standing Supreme Court precedent, undermines Congress’s constitutional authority to create bipartisan, independent commissions, and upends more than 110 years of work at the FTC to protect consumers from deceptive practices and monopoly power,
...Read more ” wrote the Senators. “We urge you to rescind these dismissals so the FTC can get back to the people’s work.” “Congress established the FTC in 1914 as an independent agency made up of bipartisan, multi-member, expert commissioners who are tasked with protecting consumers,” the Senators continued. “In 2024 alone, the FTC used this authority to return more than $330 million to consumers, while simultaneously blocking anticompetitive mergers and challenging monopoly power that can result in higher prices, fewer choices, and less opportunity for American consumers, workers, and small businesses. The FTC has consistently carried out this mandate as a bipartisan commission under Republican and Democratic administrations.” In addition to Klobuchar, Durbin, and Cantwell, the letter was signed by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR). The full text of the letter is available here and below. Dear President Trump, On March 18, 2025 you announced your intention to fire Commissioner Slaughter and Commissioner Bedoya from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). This action contradicts long standing Supreme Court precedent, undermines Congress’s constitutional authority to create bipartisan, independent commissions, and upends more than 110 years of work at the FTC to protect consumers from deceptive practices and monopoly power. We urge you to rescind these dismissals so the FTC can get back to the people’s work. Congress established the FTC in 1914 as an independent agency made up of bipartisan, multi-member, expert commissioners who are tasked with protecting consumers. In 2024 alone, the FTC used this authority to return more than $330 million to consumers, while simultaneously blocking anticompetitive mergers and challenging monopoly power that can result in higher prices, fewer choices, and less opportunity for American consumers, workers, and small businesses. The FTC has consistently carried out this mandate as a bipartisan commission under Republican and Democratic administrations. When establishing the FTC, Congress lawfully exercised its power to establish a bipartisan, multi-member, expert commission and to shield that commission from political pressure by allowing commissioners to serve 7-year terms and limiting the President’s power to remove commissioners only “for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.” Under the law, as you are aware, the President retains the sole authority to nominate new commissioners and to appoint the Chair of the Commission. The President may also appoint a new Chair among the sitting commissioners at any time. Ninety years ago, the Supreme Court held that Congress’s authority to create bipartisan, multi-member, expert commissions—and specifically the FTC—“cannot well be doubted” because “it is quite evident that one who holds his office only during the pleasure of another cannot be depended upon to maintain an attitude of independence. . . .” In a 2020 decision involving whether Congress could insulate the single director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) from at-will removal by the President, the Supreme Court declined to revisit this precedent, finding important differences between the CFPB and the FTC, including that the FTC has multiple expert members to ensure the Commission retains relevant expertise at all times, that each President can influence the makeup of the Commission by nominating new members and appointing the Chair (as you have already done), and that the Commission is funded through the traditional appropriations process that the President may influence. As such, the structure of the FTC does not undermine executive authority and is well within Congress’s power to establish independent agencies tasked with protecting Americans from harmful business practices, fraud, and outright corruption. As Commissioners duly appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, Commissioners Slaughter and Bedoya must be allowed to continue their work at the Commission. ### Read less WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), the only Democratic Senator on both the Judiciary and Commerce Committees, released the following statement on the illegal firing of Federal Trade Commissioners Rebecca Kelly Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya. “This is outrageous. President Trump’s dismissal of Commissioners Slaughter and Bedoya is not only illegal but also hurts consumers by undermining an independent agency that Congress established to protect consumers from fraud, scams, and monopoly power. The Federal Trade Commission has carried out this mission in a bipartisan way for more than 110 years—including returning more than $330 million to consumers last year and taking on hidden fees—but today President Trump has threatened that critical work. Illegally gutting the Commission will
...Read more empower fraudsters and monopolists, and consumers will pay the price.” ### Read less Legislation would help address gun violence epidemic by tackling proliferation of machine gun conversion devices and seizing profits from illegal weapons trafficking WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and 11 of their colleagues introduced legislation to combat the trafficking and proliferation of dangerous gun conversion devices. The Preventing Illegal Weapons Trafficking Act would help tackle the ongoing gun violence epidemic by requiring federal law enforcement to coordinate efforts to prevent the importation and trafficking of ‘auto-sears’ — illegal gun modification devices that can convert semi-automatic weapons into fully-
...Read more automatic weapons — and seize all profits that come from the illegal trafficking of these devices. Companion legislation in the House of Representatives is led by Representatives Sean Casten (D-IL) and Hank Johnson (D-GA). “We must address the alarming prevalence of gun conversion devices that can turn ordinary hand guns into automatic weapons. These devices that can be easily 3-D printed or cheaply purchased online have devastating consequences for public safety,” said Klobuchar. “By preventing the importation and trafficking of these deadly devices and by stopping traffickers from profiting from illegal sales, this legislation will help keep our communities safe and save lives.” “Law enforcement must do more to protect our communities from gun violence by stopping the flow of illegal gun modification devices into and throughout our country,” said Peters. “This bill will enhance coordination across law enforcement agencies to prevent these dangerous and deadly devices from being used.” “Congress has an obligation to do everything we can to make our communities safer from gun violence,” said Rep. Casten. “This epidemic needs to be addressed head-on and that includes the proliferation of illegal gun conversion. Devices that allow semi-automatic weapons to be easily converted into fully automatic weapons should not be readily accessible. I’m proud to introduce this bill with Rep. Johnson, Sen. Klobuchar, and Sen. Peters to prevent the importation and trafficking of these dangerous modifications.” “Auto-sears and other gun conversion devices are making the gun violence epidemic in the U.S. that much worse,” said Rep. Johnson. “The dramatic rise in the use of conversion devices and 3-D printed guns in crimes must be addressed. The Preventing Illegal Weapons Trafficking Act will give law enforcement the tools they need to crack down on and confiscate these dangerous devices. We in Congress must do what we can to keep our communities safe, and this bill helps us address this growing menace.” The Preventing Illegal Weapons Trafficking Act is cosponsored by Senators Blumenthal (D-CT), Duckworth (D-IL), Durbin (D-IL), Heinrich (D-NM), Hirono (D-HI), Markey (D-MA), Padilla (D-CA), Shaheen (D-NH), Smith (D-MN), Whitehouse (D-RI), and Wyden (D-OR). It has been endorsed by GIFFORDS and Brady: United Against Gun Violence. “Auto sears and other machine gun conversion devices make deadly weapons more lethal,” said Emma Brown, Executive Director at GIFFORDS. “These illegal devices, which are increasingly recovered by law enforcement at crime scenes, pose an urgent public safety risk that Congress must address. Senator Klobuchar’s bill helps to intercept these devices before they fall into the hands of those who wish to do harm, and drives attention to a developing issue for communities and law enforcement. We urge Congress to take action to help keep these dangerous weapons off the streets.” “Conversion devices are an all too common means of illegally converting semiautomatic firearms into machine guns,” said Mark Collins, Director of Federal Policy at Brady: United Against Gun Violence. “Such firearms are being recovered by law enforcement at a staggering rate, with a nearly 570% increase between 2011 and 2021. Providing law enforcement with the resources to stem the flow of illegally trafficked machine gun conversion devices must be a top priority for Congress. The Preventing Illegal Weapons Trafficking Act will help law enforcement agencies coordinate efforts to crack down on these dangerous, and illegal devices. Brady is proud to endorse this bill and thanks Sen. Klobuchar for her dedication to protecting Americans and communities across the country from the proliferation of illegal machine guns.” The Preventing Illegal Weapons Trafficking Act of 2025 would: Direct the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of the Treasury to develop a coordinated national strategy to prevent or intercept the importation and trafficking of automatic gun conversion devices;
Ensure that proceeds from the illegal trafficking of automatic gun devices are subject to forfeiture; and
Require that the Attorney General include data and information about illegal gun modification devices in the Justice Department’s annual firearms trafficking report. Auto-sears and other gun conversion devices can be installed in about a minute, and 3-D printed or purchased online for less than $20. An investigation by The Trace and VICE News found that federal prosecutions involving gun conversion devices have increased over eight-fold from 2017-2021. Additionally the investigation reported that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) seized 1,500 weapons modified with auto sears in 2021, a five-fold increase from the year before. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Representatives Robert Aderholt (R-AL) and Danny Davis (D-IL) led a bipartisan group of members of Congress in calling on President Trump and the Administration to work on behalf of families devastated by the People’s Republic of China’s decision to halt its intercountry adoption program. “We write to you on behalf of hundreds of children and American families who have been devastated by the People’s Republic of China’s decision to halt its intercountry adoption Program,” wrote the Senators. “We request that you act in the best interest of these children and engage the Chinese government to finalize these pending adoption cases.” “The sudden termination of China’s adoption program in August
...Read more 2024 only exacerbated our concern for these children’s well-being,” the Senators continued. “Many of these children have special health care needs, and some will soon age out of care systems without the support of a permanent family. … We urge you to elevate this engagement and press the Chinese government to finalize pending adoption cases so these children may finally be united with their adoptive families in the United States.” The letter was also signed by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Katie Britt (R-AL), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Curtis (R-UT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Joni Ernst (R-IA), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), John Hoeven (R-ND), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Angus King (I-ME), James Lankford (R-OK), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Patty Murray (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Rand Paul (R-KY), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), John Thune (R-SD), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Todd Young (R-IN), and Representatives Brian Babin (R-TX), Don Bacon (R-NE), Andy Biggs (R-AZ) Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Tim Burchett (R-TN), Kat Cammack (R-FL), Mike Carey (R-OH), Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Scott DesJarlais (R-TN), Julie Fedorchak (R-ND), Randy Feenstra (R-IA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Charles Fleischmann (R-TN), Tony Gonzales (R-TX), Sam Graves (R-MO), Mark Green (R-TN), H. Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Glenn Grothman (R-WI), Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Abraham Hamadeh (R-AZ), Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), Ashley Hinson (R-IA), Erin Houchin (R-IN), Julie Johnson (D-TX), Thomas Kean (R-NJ), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Darin LaHood (R-IL), Julia Letlow (R-LA), Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), Richard McCormick (R-GA), Morgan McGarvey (D-KY), Mark Messmer (R-IN), Carol Miller (R-WV), Ralph Norman (R-SC), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Zachary Nunn (R-IA), Andrew Ogles (R-TN), Bob Onder (R-MO), Gary Palmer (R-AL), Brittany Pettersen (D-CO), August Pfluger (R-TX), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), John Rutherford (R-FL), Hillary Scholten (D-MI), Keith Self (R-TX), Jefferson Shreve (IN), Adam Smith (D-WA), Lloyd Smucker (R-PA), Eric Sorensen (D-IL), Greg Stanton (D-AZ), Pete Stauber (R-MN), Haley Stevens (D-WI), Eric Swalwell (D-CA), William Timmons (R-SC), Jill Tokuda (D-HI), Paul Tonko (D-NY), and Daniel Webster (R-FL). The full text of the letter is available here and below. Dear President Trump: We write to you on behalf of hundreds of children and American families who have been devastated by the People’s Republic of China’s decision to halt its intercountry adoption program. We request that you act in the best interest of these children and engage the Chinese government to finalize these pending adoption cases. As members of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption and other Members of Congress who share these concerns, the safety of adopted children and hundreds of would-be adoptees is our top priority. The sudden termination of China’s adoption program in August 2024 only exacerbated our concern for these children’s well-being. Many of these children have special health care needs, and some will soon age out of care systems without the support of a permanent family. It is particularly critical that these children have access to the care and support that they need — which hundreds of American families approved for adoption are willing to provide. We understand that the State Department is working on behalf of these families and seeking clarity on the Chinese government’s decision. We urge you to elevate this engagement and press the Chinese government to finalize pending adoption cases so these children may finally be united with their adoptive families in the United States. Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We are prepared to work closely with you to ensure these children are welcomed into safe and stable homes. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below on the Continuing Resolution.
“I support the thirty-day short-term extension to keep the government open to complete bipartisan negotiations on the actual budget. I will not support the partisan proposal in part because it does not include Minnesota infrastructure projects, undercuts medical care and research, and makes major changes to reduce veterans’ health care, including for those exposed to burn pits.”
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) urged Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and General Services Administration (GSA) Administrator Stephen Ehikian not to cancel leases for several National Park Service buildings. GSA’s proposed lease cancellations include the headquarters of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area and the park’s visitor center at the Science Museum of Minnesota. “We are very concerned about the Government Services Administration’s (GSA) proposed cancellation of leases for several National Park Service buildings, including the headquarters of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area and the park’s visitor center at the Science Museum of Minnesota,” wrote the Senators. “Established by Congress in 1988, the
...Read more Mississippi National River and Recreation Area is a 72-mile river park that offers fishing, boating and canoeing, birdwatching, bicycling, and hiking,” the Senators continued. “The center serves as a gateway for thousands of visitors seeking to learn about Mississippi River culture, biology, and history. In addition, visitors to the area generate roughly $22 million in economic activity.” The full text of the letter is available here and below. Dear Secretary Burgum and Acting Administrator Ehikian, We are very concerned about the Government Services Administration’s (GSA) proposed cancellation of leases for several National Park Service buildings, including the headquarters of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area and the park’s visitor center at the Science Museum of Minnesota. Established by Congress in 1988, the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area is a 72-mile river park that offers fishing, boating and canoeing, birdwatching, bicycling, and hiking. The center serves as a gateway for thousands of visitors seeking to learn about Mississippi River culture, biology, and history. In addition, visitors to the area generate roughly $22 million in economic activity. The federal government has a responsibility not only to protect our national parks, but to maintain them. We are prepared to work with anyone to save taxpayer money and make the federal government more effective. However, we should not put park safety, park visitor centers, and educational efforts at risk. This center helps to protect this natural land, water, and habitat so that Minnesotans and visitors from across the country can experience all the park has to offer. As such, we request you provide written answers to the following questions by March 14, 2025: 1. What plans, if any, do you have to terminate the leases for the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area headquarters and the park’s visitor center at the Science Museum of Minnesota? 2. Did any decision to terminate these leases comply with GSA’s standard procedures for lease termination? Did this include any community engagement? 3. What impact would these lease terminations have on park operations, including public safety? 4. How does ending these leases affect the safety and environmental well-being of the Mississippi River? 5. What offices and staff were involved in the lease termination decision? Please list out names and affiliations, including anyone from the “Department of Government Efficiency”. Thank you for your prompt attention to this urgent matter. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement on Formula 1 expanding and admitting the U.S. General Motors/Cadillac team to the grid. “Last year, we took a stand when F1 sought to exclude General Motors/Cadillac from the F1 championship series despite meeting all technical and financial requirements to field a team. I am glad that F1 has reversed course and finally allowed an all-American team to compete,” said Klobuchar. “This is a win for competition, American manufacturing, and F1 fans.” In May 2024, Klobuchar, along with Senators Mike Lee (R-UT), Gary Peters (D-MI), Todd Young (R-IN), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Mike Braun (R-IN), and former Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) called on then Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice Antitrust
...Read more Division Jonathan Kanter and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan to investigate the exclusion of the General Motors/Cadillac racing team from entering the Formula One (F1) Championship series. They believe that F1 may have been violating antitrust laws by boycotting the American-based team to protect the value and reputation of foreign brands that race in F1. ### Read less WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Roger Marshall (R-KS) introduced the Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act, which would allow Americans to use 529 education savings accounts to pay for training programs. By broadening the scope of qualified expenses under 529 savings plans to include postsecondary training and credentialing, the bill would expand tax-advantaged resources to families, students, and workers who are pursuing career growth outside of a traditional four-year degree. This will expand Americans’ access to well-paying jobs that require training and credentialing such as licenses and certifications. “Workforce training is key to expanding opportunity and strengthening our economy by providing workers with the tools and resources they need to
...Read more succeed,” said Klobuchar. “By allowing Americans to use their ‘529’ educational savings to pay for training and certification outside of a four-year degree, our bipartisan legislation will enable more people to access these valuable programs and open doors to good-paying jobs.” “Back home, not a day goes by that I don’t hear about the workforce shortages across the state. We have high-paying jobs at the ready but struggle to find qualified employees. Our bill helps fill these workforce gaps and empowers Kansans to pursue non-traditional educational opportunities more easily,” said Marshall. “Allowing 529 funds to be used beyond a four-year education makes sense. Whether it’s a bachelor's degree or an apprenticeship opportunity, 529 savings plans need to be flexible to meet the growing demands of our workforce.” The legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Peter Welch (D-VT) and Susan Collins (R-ME). Representative Rob Wittman (R-VA) leads companion legislation in the House. This bill has garnered the support of more than 800 trade associations, professional societies, and businesses. ### Read less WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, released the following statement on the Administration imposing tariffs on products from Canada, Mexico, and China. “These across-the-board tariffs will make it harder for Americans to put food on the table and will squeeze farmers who will lose valuable export markets and see higher input costs. This will raise prices for the average family by more than $1,200 a year, raise gas prices by as much as 50 cents a gallon, and raise fertilizer costs for corn and soybean farmers. Already, we are seeing retail stores and refineries increase prices—and retaliation from other countries that will raise prices even more. Farmers have spent decades building export markets,
...Read more only to have them ripped away overnight. While I support targeted tariffs, these sweeping, across-the-board tariffs will set our country back.” ### Read less Closure could disrupt housing assistance, worker protections, and passport services for Minnesotans WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) wrote a letter demanding answers about reported plans to close and sell the Paul Wellstone Federal Building in Minneapolis. This building provides key federal services, including housing assistance, worker protections, and passport processing. In a letter to General Services Administration (GSA) Administrator Stephen Ehikian, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner, National Labor Relations Board Chairman Marvin E. Kaplan, and Bureau of Consular Affairs Senior Official John Armstrong, the Senators warned that shutting it down would put these essential services at risk.
...Read more “Abrupt closure of the Wellstone Building would put housing and worker protection services into immediate peril. Minnesotans rely on Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs to afford rent, access housing or prepare to become homeowners. These federal employees help deliver vital rental assistance, homelessness services, respond to housing discrimination, provide housing counseling and assist cities with community development,” wrote the Senators. The federal building was renamed after Paul Wellstone in 2022 through bipartisan legislation led by Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith, and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) to honor the late Senator Paul Wellstone’s legacy of public service. Last year, both Senators celebrated the renaming of the building at a ceremony honoring Paul Wellstone and his lifelong dedication to Minnesotans. In the letter, they also raised concerns that GSA has not followed its own requirements for public engagement and proper planning before offloading federal property. They demanded transparency on whether the federal government intends to close the building and what steps, if any, are being taken to ensure continued access to HUD, NLRB, and passport services in Minnesota. You can access full text of the letter here. Read less WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, announced that Gary Wertish, a third-generation farmer from Renville County and President of the Minnesota Farmers Union, will be her guest at President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, March 4. 2025. “Gary represents so many family farmers and other Minnesotans who are worried about making ends meet because of the Administration’s proposed tariffs, funding freezes, and mass layoffs,” said Klobuchar. “He will be a voice for all Minnesota farmers at the President’s Joint Address.” “Family farmers are used to watching the skies and hoping for favorable weather. Now they are watching Washington and wondering what a potential trade war,
...Read more layoffs at local USDA offices, and proposed cuts to Farm Bill programs are going to mean for their farms and communities,” said Wertish. “This only adds to uncertainty and challenges going into spring planting. We’re grateful Senator Klobuchar is working to build bipartisan support for stable trading relationships and a new Farm Bill. I’m honored by her invitation.” Gary Wertish ran a diversified grain and livestock farm and now assists his son, Tom, in operating their family farm near Renville. He was elected Minnesota Farmers Union President in January 2017, is a member of the National Farmers Union board of directors, and a member of the NFU Executive Committee. Wertish is a board member of Farmers Union Enterprises and serves as the livestock facilitator for the World Farmers Organization Livestock Working Group. He has served on MFU and NFU policy committees and as an MFU field representative. Since 1991, Wertish has served as a supervisor for Emmet Township in Renville County. He also served nine years as a director and president of the Renville Volunteer Ambulance Service. From 1993 to 1999, Gary served on the USDA’s Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Sweeteners, and presently is a member of the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Grains, Feed, Oilseeds and Planting Seeds. From 2001 to 2007, Wertish served as then-Senator Mark Dayton’s Agricultural Director. Wertish graduated from Renville High School and Willmar Area Vocational Technical Institute, with a degree in agriculture business management. He and his wife, Jeanne, are the parents of four adult children. ### Read less The legislation would ensure Americans reach help when dialing 9-1-1 during natural disasters and make important updates to the classification of 9-1-1 dispatchers WASHINGTON – Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced the Enhancing First Response Act, which would make important updates to our 9-1-1 emergency reporting system to ensure Americans can reach help when they dial 9-1-1 during natural disasters. The legislation will also ensure 9-1-1 dispatchers are recognized as protective service workers to ensure their job classification appropriately recognizes the lifesaving nature of their work. This legislation is also co-sponsored by Senators Blackburn, Heinrich, Sullivan, Lujan, Capito, Markey, Budd, King, Thune, and Kelly. This bill has two companion bills
...Read more in the House, the 911 SAVES Act led by Representative Norma Torres (D-CA), and the Emergency Reporting Act led by Representative Doris Matsui (D-CA). “During natural disasters, Americans need reliable communications networks, especially 9-1-1. Our bipartisan legislation will save lives by ensuring Americans are able to connect to 9-1-1 during major disasters and improving the resiliency of our 9-1-1 system against outages and disruptions,” said Klobuchar. “This legislation also recognizes 9-1-1 dispatchers for their critical roles during times of crisis by ensuring they are classified as the first responders that they are.” “Ensuring Americans can reach help when they dial 9-1-1 during natural disasters is paramount,” said Blackburn. “The Emergency Reporting Act takes necessary steps to prevent 9-1-1 service disruptions, properly recognize dispatchers for their lifesaving work, and further study how we can make improvements to the 9-1-1 emergency response system.” This legislation is endorsed by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO), the largest organization of public safety communications professionals, and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), which promotes the implementation and awareness of 9-1-1. “The Enhancing First Response Act represents a comprehensive effort to enhance public safety communications and support the dedicated professionals who operate our nation’s 9-1-1 systems,” said APCO International CEO & Executive Director Mel Maier. “Addressing the federal classification of 9-1-1 professionals, strengthening resilience and situational awareness during outages, and advancing MLTS 9-1-1 call capabilities are all critical steps forward. APCO appreciates the leadership of Senators Klobuchar and Blackburn in championing these issues.” “Recognizing the essential, life-saving work of 9-1-1 professionals is long overdue,” said NENA CEO Brian Fontes. “Since the first 9-1-1 call was placed in 1968, the job of 9-1-1 telecommunicators has substantially become more technical, specialized, and important to the immediate health, safety, and security of our communities. They are the first first responders, and they deserve to be classified in the same category as their law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical counterparts. We deeply appreciate Senators Klobuchar and Blackburn for their steadfast, bipartisan commitment to 9-1-1 and public safety.” Specifically, the Enhancing First Response Act would: Require the FCC to issue a report after major natural disasters on the extent to which people were unable to reach 9-1-1 during the disaster and subsequent recovery efforts, and make recommendations to improve the resiliency of 9-1-1 systems to prevent future service disruptions;
Require the FCC to study the unreported 9-1-1 outages and develop recommendations to improve outage reporting and communication between mobile carriers experiencing network outages and 9-1-1 centers;
Update the classification of 9-1-1 dispatchers from clerical workers to protective service workers in the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) to better reflect the life-saving work they perform each day. The SOC is a tool used by federal agencies to classify the workforce into useful, occupational categories;
Require the FCC to report on the extent to which multi-line telephone system manufacturers and vendors have complied with Kari’s Law, which Senator Klobuchar worked to pass into law in 2018 and requires the manufacturers of multi-line telephone systems to create systems that allow callers to reach 9-1-1 without dialing a prefix or postfix. Klobuchar has long advocated for improving the 9-1-1 system. In 2018, Kari’s Law, bipartisan legislation led by Klobuchar and Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE), was signed into law. It requires the manufacturers of multi-line telephone systems (MLTS) to create systems that allow callers to reach 9-1-1 without dialing a prefix or postfix and on-site notification to make it easier for first responders to locate 9-1-1 callers in large buildings. Klobuchar and former Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) first introduced the Supporting Accurate Views of Emergency Services (911 SAVES) Act in 2019, and the Emergency Reporting Act in 2020. ### Read less The legislation would allow international doctors trained in the United States to remain in the country if they practice in underserved areas WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Susan Collins (R-ME), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), and Thom Tillis (R-NC) reintroduced their bipartisan legislation to increase the number of doctors working in rural and medically underserved areas. The Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act would reauthorize the Conrad 30 programs, which allows international doctors who have completed their residency training in the U.S. to remain in the country under the condition that they practice in areas experiencing physician shortages. Companion legislation in the House of Representatives was reintroduced by Representatives David Valadeo (R-CA),
...Read more Brad Schneider (D-IL), Don Bacon (R-NE), and Robert Garcia (D-CA). “Rural and other medically underserved areas do not have adequate access to health care or doctors. Over the last 15 years, the Conrad 30 program has brought more than 15,000 physicians to underserved areas, filling a critical need,” said Klobuchar. “Our bipartisan legislation would allow these doctors to remain in the areas they serve and continue to bring more doctors to rural areas, improving health care for families across the nation while retaining talent trained and educated here in the United States.” “The Conrad 30 program allows international physicians who were educated in the United States to remain in our country and practice where there is an unmet need for health care professionals,” said Collins. “This bipartisan reauthorization would expand access to care in rural and underserved communities, thereby improving health outcomes for more Mainers.” “Far too many communities in Nevada lack access to medical care, an issue that is especially dire in our rural and underserved areas. In fact, every county in Nevada is experiencing a shortage of medical professionals,” said Rosen. “This bipartisan legislation will help to address the physician shortage by allowing international doctors to stay and work in the U.S. following their residencies, helping to increase the number of doctors available to provide care.” “Too many rural areas in North Carolina and across the country lack the health care workforce needed to provide quality and timely care,” said Tillis. “This bipartisan legislation will allow American-trained doctors to help fill those gaps so we can expand access to critical health care in medically underserved and health professional shortage areas.” Generally, doctors from other countries working in America on J-1 visas are required to return to their home country after their residency has ended for two years before they can apply for another visa or green card. The Conrad 30 program allows doctors to stay in the United States without having to return home if they agree to practice in an underserved area for three years. The “30” refers to the number of doctors per state that can participate in the program. This legislation extends the Conrad 30 program for three years, improves the process for obtaining a visa, and allows for the program to be expanded beyond 30 slots if certain thresholds are met, while protecting small states’ slots. The bill also allows the spouses of doctors to work and provides worker protections to prevent the doctors from being mistreated. The legislation also allows physicians who serve in a Veterans Affairs (VA) facility or health professional shortage area for 5 years to get expedited consideration for a green card. The legislation has been endorsed by more than 50 organizations, including the American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association, the Association of American Medical Colleges, the American Academy of Neurology, the Association for Advancing Physician and Provider Recruitment, and Physicians for American Healthcare Access. “With the physician workforce crisis showing no signs of abating, the Conrad 30 program remains an important tool to help ensure patients, particularly in rural and underserved communities, continue to have access to physicians. The Conrad 30 program has expanded the physician workforce across all communities, yet it would benefit greatly from the long-term reauthorization and targeted policy improvements outlined in this legislation. Once again, Sens. Klobuchar and Collins have stepped up for patients and physicians, and we applaud them for introducing the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act,” said Bruce A. Scott, M.D., President, American Medical Association. “The Conrad 30 program continues to be a vital lifeline for rural and underserved communities facing physician shortages. However, without reforms, recruiting and retaining international medical graduates (IMGs) will become increasingly difficult. This reauthorization strengthens incentives for IMGs and streamlines the waiver process for employers, making it easier to recruit physicians in areas with persistent shortages. These updates will strengthen the U.S. position in the global competition for top medical talent and uphold access to care in underserved areas. Physicians for American Healthcare Access applauds Senators Klobuchar, Collins, Rosen, and Tillis for their leadership on this bipartisan legislation,” said Physicians for American Healthcare Access President Ram Alur, M.D. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced the Safe and Affordable Drugs from Canada Act, which would allow Americans to safely import prescription drugs from Canada, lowering costs, increasing access for consumers, and creating more competition in the pharmaceutical market. “Americans pay the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs,” said Klobuchar. “Our bipartisan legislation would save Americans money by allowing them to import their medications from pharmacies in Canada. Brand-name prescription drugs that we invent here in America cost more than twice as much in the United States as in Canada. Americans deserve better. Building on my legislation to allow Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug costs, I will continue to work to
...Read more increase competition in the pharmaceutical market so Americans no longer get ripped off by Big Pharma.” “Congress must take an all-of-the-above approach to lowering the price of prescription drugs. Our commonsense, bipartisan bill would provide Americans increased access to safe, affordable prescription drugs available in Canada, while boosting much-needed competition in the pharmaceutical industry,” said Grassley. The bill is co-sponsored by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Angus King (I-ME), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). Klobuchar and Grassley lead two bipartisan bills to promote competition and reduce drug prices, both of which the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously passed in 2023. The Preserve Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act would stop anticompetitive “pay-for-delay” deals that prevent or delay the introduction of affordable generic drugs and biosimilar products. The Stop Significant and Time-wasting Abuse Limiting Legitimate Innovation of New Generics (Stop STALLING) Act would prevent Big Pharma companies from abusing petitions with the Food and Drug Administration to slow the approval of more affordable generic and biosimilar medicines. Senator Klobuchar has been a leading voice in the Senate to lower prescription drug prices and make it easier for generic drugs to come to market. Her legislation to allow Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug prices for America’s 50 million seniors was signed into law in 2022. Last year, Klobuchar led bipartisan legislation alongside Senators Peter Welch (D-VT) and Mike Braun (R-IN) to streamline drug patent litigation, encourage fair market competition, and lower prescription drug prices by making it easier for generic and biosimilar companies to enter the market. In 2023, Klobuchar and Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), the then-chair and ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights, reintroduced the Short on Competition Act to allow the importation of drugs in the instance of a drug shortage or when there are fewer than five competitors for a drug that has been approved in the U.S. for at least ten years. ### Read less WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) today introduced a Senate budget resolution amendment that would block any tax cuts for billionaires while food prices keep rising.
“Instead of cutting costs, Republicans are cutting taxes for the wealthy. My amendment will ensure there are no tax cuts for billionaires unless food prices are lowered for regular Americans,” said Klobuchar.
Text of the amendment: POINT OF ORDER.—It shall not be in order in the Senate to consider any bill, joint resolution, motion, amendment, amendment between the Houses, or conference report that cuts taxes for taxpayers with an adjusted gross income greater than $1,000,000,000 if the most recent change in the Consumer Price Index shows an increase in food prices.
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WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) delivered remarks on the Senate floor on her budget resolution amendment that would block any tax cuts for billionaires while food prices keep rising. A transcript of Klobuchar’s floor remarks is available below and a video can be downloaded here. Senator Klobuchar: Madam President, I rise today with a common-sense amendment, and that is: That no one should be cutting taxes for billionaires while food prices are rising. Democrats and Republicans alike can agree that food prices are just too high. The price of eggs recently hit a record high of $4.95 — that’s 53 percent higher than a year ago. And wholesale egg prices have increased 30 percent since the President took office, to more than $8.00. That means egg prices will continue to skyrocket.
...Read more And as an aside, “accidentally” firing frontline avian flu workers isn’t going to change any of that. Prices of other groceries like beef, fish, and fresh fruit have also increased, with the most recent Consumer Price Index showing overall food prices rising. Instead of focusing on $2 trillion in tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, we should work together to lower food prices for Americans across the country. That’s why I call on my colleagues to support my amendment, which will ensure that there are no tax cuts for billionaires unless food prices are lowered for regular Americans. ### Read less WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law, today delivered the following opening statement at the Judiciary Committee hearing on Children’s Safety in the Digital Era: Strengthening Protections and Addressing Legal Gaps. A transcript of Klobuchar’s full opening statement is available below and a video can be downloaded here. Senator Klobuchar: Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman, and I am truly looking forward to working with Senator Blackburn on this important Subcommittee. As many of you know, Senator Lee and I chaired the Antitrust Subcommittee for a long time, but I actually think this situation right now, with the possibility of moving on these bills, is going to be a very positive
...Read more development. As Senator Blackburn just pointed out, despite the strong support that we have had from Senator Durbin and Senator Grassley and Senator Graham when he chaired this Committee, or was the ranking on this Committee, we've just continued to run into roadblocks to passing these laws, and it's getting absolutely absurd. Senator Grassley is well aware of the antitrust tech bill that he and I lead, that hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars are spent against it in TV ads, and despite the fact that the companies, FAANG [Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google] as we call them, have agreed in other countries to some of these consumer protections that did not happen in America. I think that this piece of it—whether it's Instagram's promotion of content that encourages eating disorders, frightening rise of non-consensual AI-generated pornographic deep fakes, or the tragic stories of kids losing their lives to fentanyl-laced pills—will most likely be leading the way as we continue to push our antitrust and privacy and news bills. Just this month, this committee heard from Bridgette Norring of Hastings, Minnesota. Her son, Devin, was struggling with migraines, and bought what he thought was a Percocet over Snapchat to deal with the pain. But it really wasn't a Percocet, it was a fake pill laced with fentanyl. And with that one pill, as we say, “one pill kills,” he died at age 19. For too long, the companies have turned a blind eye when young children joined their platforms; used algorithms that pushed harmful content—they have done that; and provided a venue for dealers to sell deadly drugs like fentanyl. We know that social media also increases the risk of mental illness, addiction, exploitation, and even suicide among kids. I will never forget the testimony of the FBI Director telling us that in just one year, I believe it was 2023, over 20 kids had committed suicide just because of the pornography and the images that had been put out there when they were innocently sending a picture to who they thought was a girlfriend or a boyfriend. That's why this committee has taken this on on a bipartisan basis, and I am hopeful that this hearing will be the beginning of actually passing these bills into law. Representative Guffey, you and I met through Senator Cruz, and the bill that he and I have, the TAKE IT DOWN Act. We have an additional bill that Senator Cornyn and I have that's really important, that's passed through this committee, the SHIELD Act. And as you know all too well, the threat of dissemination alone can be tragic, especially for kids. We need to enact the Kids Online Safety Act, which, thanks to Senators Blumenthal and Blackburn, [has] passed the Senate on a 91-3 vote. As we know, some of these are stalled out in the House. We need to get the federal rules of the road in place for safeguarding our data. According to a recent study, social media platforms generated $11 billion in revenue in 2022 from advertising directed at kids and teenagers, including $2 billion in ad profits derived from users age 12 and under. I am supportive, as was mentioned by Senator Durbin, of the legislation that he and Senator Graham and Hawley and many others have to open the courtroom doors to those harmed by social media by making those reforms to Section 230. That legislation was enacted long before any of this was going on. And somehow, with respect to other industries, we've been able to make smart decisions to put more safety rules in place. Just ask those passengers that were on that flight that flipped upside down in Toronto, who were in those seats that were the result of safety rules that were put in place. And yet, when it comes to this, we just put up our hands and say, “no, they're lobbying against us,” or “they have too [much] money,” or “we like some of the people that work there.” And we do nothing. And by doing nothing, instead of reaching some reasonable accommodations of settlements or things we can do on legislation, we just let them run wild at the expense of our kids’ lives. Thank you. ### Read less WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, joined Senators Deb Fischer (R-NE), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and 11 other Senators to introduce bipartisan legislation to make E15 available year-round. The Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2025 would enable the year-round, nationwide sale of ethanol blends higher than 10 percent, helping to lower fuel prices and provide certainty in fuel markets for farmers and consumers. “I have long pushed to make E15 available year-round because investing in affordable, readily-available biofuels produced in the U.S. is good for drivers and farmers alike,” said Klobuchar. “By ensuring consumers can access E15 gasoline throughout the year, our bipartisan legislation will lower prices at
...Read more the pump, support farmers, benefit our broader economy, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. It’s critical that we diversify our fuel supply and invest in affordable energy solutions. I look forward to working with Senators Fischer and Duckworth to pass this bipartisan bill.” “It’s time to once and for all solidify President Trump’s pledge to allow the sale of year-round E15—giving America’s producers and consumers the certainty they deserve. My bill will put an end to years of patchwork regulations and finally make nationwide, year-round E15 a reality. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House and the Senate, as well as with President Trump, to get this bill signed into law,” said Fischer. “For our country to remain a global energy leader, we must continue to invest in renewable and clean energy so we can decrease our emissions and dependence on foreign oil,” said Duckworth. “Producing less expensive fuel choices like E15 that can be sold year-round would help lower gas prices, protect the environment, support our farmers and drive economic opportunity throughout the Midwest. I’m proud to join Senator Fischer in reintroducing our bipartisan legislation that would do just that.” Additional cosponsors of this bipartisan bill include U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), John Thune (R-SD), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Mike Rounds (R-SD). Representatives Adrian Smith (R-NE) and Angie Craig (D-MN) lead companion legislation in the House. Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy, American Petroleum Institute, National Corn Growers Association, National Farmer Union, and National Association of Convenience Stores endorsed the legislation. Klobuchar has long been a strong advocate for investing in renewable fuel infrastructure, increasing American biofuel production, and upholding the Clean Air Act’s RFS. In 2023, Klobuchar and Grassley led a bipartisan letter urging the EPA to strengthen the RFS by maintaining the blending requirements for 2023; denying all pending Small Refinery Exemptions (SREs); eliminating proposed retroactive cuts to the renewable volume obligations (RVOs); and setting RFS volumes at the statutory levels. In February 2024, Klobuchar and Senators John Thune (R-SD) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) led a group of 40 bipartisan members of Congress urging the Biden Administration to act quickly to ensure that the model used to determine eligibility for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) tax credits unlocks the potential held by farmers, ethanol producers, and airlines to reduce carbon emissions from aviation. In January 2024, Klobuchar, along with Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL.) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced the Farm to Fly Act. This legislation would help accelerate the production and development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) through existing U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs and allow further growth for alternative fuels to be used in the aviation sector, creating new markets for American farmers. In June 2021, Klobuchar announced the introduction of a package of bipartisan bills to expand the availability of low-carbon renewable fuels, incentivize the use of higher blends of biofuels, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In 2021, Klobuchar and Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) reintroduced the bipartisan Renewable Fuel Infrastructure Investment and Market Expansion Act to create a renewable fuel infrastructure grant program and streamline regulatory requirements to help fuel retailers sell higher blends of ethanol. ### Read less WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Senate co-chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Coalition on Adoption, introduced two pieces of bipartisan legislation, the Supporting Adopted Children and Families Act and the Safe Home Act. “We’re grateful for the dedication and commitment of adoptive families who open their homes and hearts to children,” said Klobuchar. “As co-chair of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, I will continue to work with Senator Cramer and colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure every child has a safe, loving, and permanent family.” “Giving a child a stable home through adoption is one of the greatest joys for a parent, and I can attest to it,” said Cramer. “Our bills ensure children are not neglected and families have
...Read more the support services they need throughout the adoption process.” The Supporting Adopted Children and Families Act supports adoptive families with pre- and post-adoption resources, including mental health treatment. This legislation will promote: Training and counseling on behavioral issues, including issues relating to emotional, behavioral, or developmental health needs;
Peer-to-peer mentoring and support groups that permit a new adoptive parent to communicate and learn from more experienced adoptive parents, including programs that enhance communication between adoptive parents with children of similar geographic, ethnic, or cultural backgrounds;
Treatment services specialized for adopted children, including psychiatric residential services, outpatient mental health services, social skills training, intensive in-home supervision services, recreational therapy, suicide prevention, and substance abuse treatment; and
Crisis and family preservation services, including crisis counseling and a 24-hour emergency hotline for adoptive parents. The Safe Home Act protects a parent’s ability to place their children with a trusted relative when appropriate but ensures they cannot transfer custody to a stranger without the oversight of the child welfare system. The bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services to provide states with guidance on preventing, identifying, and responding to unregulated custody transfers (UCTs). UCTs occur when parents transfer custody of their adopted children outside of the child welfare system — without background checks, home studies, and supervision — increasing the likelihood that the child will experience neglect, exploitation, or abuse. The bill defines UCTs as the placement of a child: With someone other than a child’s adult relative, family friend, or member of the child’s Indian tribe;
With the intent of severing the existing parent-child relationship;
Without ensuring the safety and permanency of the placement; and
Without transferring parental rights and responsibilities under the law. The Safe Home Act also requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in consultation with the State Department, to issue a report to Congress on UCT and guidance to states on preventing, identifying, and responding to these cases. Klobuchar and Cramer serve as co-chairs of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption (CCA), the largest bipartisan, bicameral caucus in Congress. CCA brings together members of Congress from both parties who share the goal of ensuring all children know the love and support of a family through adoption, guardianship, and kinship care. Representatives Robert Aderholt (R-AL) and Danny K. Davis (D-IL) serve as the caucus’s House co-chairs. ### Read less WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, released the following statement on reports that the Administration has fired U.S. Department of Agriculture employees.
“U.S. Department of Agriculture employees support farmers and ranchers, invest in rural communities, prevent wildfires, protect our natural resources, and more. It is one thing to institute reforms. It is another to mandate across-the-board layoffs that stop or delay work on avian flu, wildfires, rural hospitals, and loans for farmers and ranchers. This will hurt U.S. agriculture and rural Americans just when our farmers are getting hit by animal disease, the threat of Trump tariffs, and no updated Farm Bill.”
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement on U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s (D-MN) announcement she will not seek reelection in 2026. “It’s been a privilege to work with Senator Tina Smith. I’m lucky enough to call her not only a colleague, but a true friend. Tina and I have been friends since long before our time together in the Senate. We have watched each other’s kids grow up and been there for each other through life’s ups and downs. As the only Senator to have worked at Planned Parenthood, Tina quickly became a leader in Washington in the fight to protect women’s rights. Tina also bravely shared her own story as part of her work to strengthen mental health services for all Americans. Her quiet but effective governing style earned her the title the
...Read more velvet hammer. While Tina and I will continue to work together for the next two years, our friendship and her legacy will last a lifetime.” ### Read less The Stopping Harmful Image Exploitation and Limiting Distribution (SHIELD) Act ensures that federal prosecutors have appropriate and effective tools to address serious privacy violations WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced bipartisan legislation to take on the online exploitation of explicit, private images. The Stopping Harmful Image Exploitation and Limiting Distribution (SHIELD) Act would provide federal law enforcement with the tools they need to crack down on serious privacy violations. The bill establishes federal criminal liability for people who distribute others’ private or explicit images online, or threaten to do so, without consent. The bill also fills in existing gaps in federal law so that prosecutors can hold all those who
...Read more exploit children accountable. Current state laws offer incomplete and inconsistent protection for victims of image exploitation. Last year, the SHIELD Act passed the Senate unanimously. Companion legislation in the House of Representatives is led by Representatives Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) and Madeleine Dean (D-PA). “We need to provide victims of online abuse with the legal protection they deserve, and to hold their exploiters accountable,” said Klobuchar. “Our bipartisan legislation does just that. Providing law enforcement with the tools they need will help prevent these serious privacy violations from going unpunished or even happening in the first place. We will build on the progress we made last year to finally get these critical protections passed into law.” “Those who have had their digital privacy violated shouldn’t have to fear that their abusers will go unpunished,” said Cornyn. “Our legislation will help ensure criminals who share private images of others online, including explicit photos of children, are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.” The SHIELD Act is endorsed by over 50 organizations, including the National Association of Police Organizations, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, and the National District Attorneys Association. “In a world where smart phones and other devices are used to record and share every moment in life, it is vital to protect against the malicious, nonconsensual sharing of private, explicit images. These privacy violations disproportionately target women and minors. By establishing federal liability for those who share private images without consent, the SHIELD Act will help law enforcement bring justice to the victims of these crimes. We thank Senators Klobuchar and Cornyn for their leadership and stand with them in support of this important bill,” said Bill Johnson, Executive Director of the National Association of Police Organizations. “The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) applauds Senator Klobuchar and Senator Cornyn for their leadership on the SHIELD Act. This essential piece of legislation protects children and closes a gap in current law by criminalizing the distribution of sexually explicit and nude images of a child. In 2024, NCMEC received more than 500,000 reports of online enticement, including sextortion, to our CyberTipline. The SHIELD Act will provide a crucial legal remedy for children in many of these cases. We look forward to working with the Senate and House sponsors to ensure that the SHIELD Act is enacted into law this term. NCMEC is appreciative of all Congressional supporters of the SHIELD Act who are working to prioritize child safety online,” said Michelle DeLaune, President and CEO of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. “As technology advances at a rapid pace, so too does the exploitation of some of our most vulnerable victims in our communities—children. The Stopping Harmful Image Exploitation and Limiting Distribution (SHIELD) Act takes an important step to hold those who prey on children and others accountable. The legislation also addresses the challenges of ‘sextortion’ and closes a loophole where child pornography falls short of meeting the definition of sexual content. We appreciate Senator Klobuchar and Senator Cornyn's efforts to provide the necessary tools to law enforcement and prosecutors to keep our communities safe,” said Nelson Bunn, Executive Director of the National District Attorneys Association. The SHIELD Act would: Ensure that the Department of Justice has an appropriate and effective tool to address serious privacy violations;
Establish federal criminal liability for individuals who share, or threaten to share, private, sexually explicit or nude images without consent;
Fill in gaps in existing law that prevent prosecutors from holding those who share explicit images of children accountable; and
Protect the victims of serious privacy violations, while leaving room for sharing consensual images and images of public concern. Last year, at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing titled “Big Tech and the Online Child Sexual Exploitation Crisis,” Senator Klobuchar was part of a hearing that questioned tech executives about their companies turning a blind eye when young children join their platforms, ignoring the risk of sexual exploitation, using algorithms that push harmful content, and providing a venue for drug traffickers to sell deadly narcotics like fentanyl. In 2017, Klobuchar and former Senators Richard Burr (R-NC) and Kamala Harris (D-CA), introduced the first version of this legislation, the bipartisan Ending Nonconsensual Online User Graphic Harassment (ENOUGH) Act. ### Read less WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) called on the Trump Administration's Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Acting Director William W. Lothrop to reconsider the decision to deactivate Federal Prison Camp (FPC) Duluth and ensure that BOP employees can continue to serve in Duluth. “The employees of FPC Duluth and their families strengthen the local economy and have deep roots in the Duluth area,” wrote the Senators. “They have expressed their frustration that the deactivation of FPC Duluth will mean either commuting to Federal Correctional Institution Sandstone — approximately 90 minutes away — relocating to a new state or leaving BOP altogether.” “We urge you to direct the Bureau of Prisons to reconsider its decision to deactivate FPC Duluth, and engage with
...Read more the employees and community in Duluth,” the Senators continued. This letter is a follow-up to an earlier oversight letter that Senators Klobuchar and Smith sent to former Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Director Colette Peters on December 23, 2024, expressing their concern regarding the deactivation. The full text of the letter is available here and below: Dear Acting Director Lothrop: This is a follow up to a letter we sent to former Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Director Colette Peters on December 23, 2024, expressing our frustration and concern regarding the deactivation of Federal Prison Camp Duluth (FPC Duluth). We renew our questions below: On what basis did the BOP determine that the facilities at FPC Duluth are dilapidated, and did the BOP do an assessment of how FPC Duluth’s facilities compare to other minimum-security facilities? Did the BOP solicit any input from the employees at FPC Duluth, local community leaders, or other stakeholders when making the decision to deactivate FPC Duluth? What steps is the BOP taking to ensure that employees whose livelihoods are impacted by FPC Duluth’s deactivation can remain in the Duluth area? The employees of FPC Duluth and their families strengthen the local economy and have deep roots in the Duluth area. They have expressed their frustration that the deactivation of FPC Duluth will mean either commuting to Federal Correctional Institution Sandstone — approximately 90 minutes away — relocating to a new state or leaving BOP altogether. We are disappointed that the BOP has not kept our offices briefed on its progress to ensure our constituents can find other employment and that the inmates are being transferred in accordance with the law. We urge you to direct the Bureau of Prisons to reconsider its decision to deactivate FPC Duluth, and engage with the employees and community in Duluth. Thank you for your attention to this important matter. Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement on the proposed cut to National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grants. Today, 22 state attorneys general – including Minnesota’s – filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration challenging this action. “This illegal move endangers critical clinical studies and research, and extinguishes hope for so many Americans looking for cures. At the University of Minnesota alone, it could derail life-saving medical research on cancer, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. NIH research also supports hundreds of thousands of jobs across the country and spurs economic growth, including nearly 8,000 jobs and $1.7 billion of economic activity in Minnesota. This lawsuit is a crucial step to reversing this illegal move
...Read more that will set back medical innovation and lead to unnecessary suffering.” ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below following the firing of Federal Election Commission Commissioner and Chair Ellen Weintraub by the Trump Administration.
“A fully functioning Federal Election Commission is critical to safeguarding our democracy. At a time when we should be working to take on corruption and strengthen trust in our political institutions, President Trump is trying to illegally dismiss a Commissioner of the FEC, a body that is by law independent and bipartisan. Ellen Weintraub should continue to serve."
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WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), joined by Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Peter Welch (D-VT), introduced the Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act to prevent companies from using algorithms to collude to set higher prices. As recent reporting, a Justice Department lawsuit, and multiple private lawsuits have shown, big corporations are using algorithms to raise prices and limit competition, including companies like RealPage that have facilitated collusion to increase rents by more than $3 billion in 2023 alone. This legislation will make such collusion illegal to lower costs for families and support small businesses. “Price fixing is illegal
...Read more under our antitrust laws, but the development of price-setting algorithms can exploit loopholes that could be used to unfairly raise prices on everything from rent to rideshares,” said Klobuchar. “My bill will strengthen antitrust law and guarantee needed transparency to prevent companies from using algorithms to fix prices to ensure consumers are able to get the full benefits of competition.” “Collusion is collusion, whether you do it over the phone or using an algorithm. This legislation, along with my End Rent Fixing Act, will send a strong message to corporations that they won’t get away with coordinating to ratchet up prices on consumers,” said Wyden. “Businesses are increasingly turning to algorithms to determine pricing for their products. In a technology-based world, we need to prevent businesses from using these tools to reduce competition,” said Durbin. “That’s why I’m joining my colleagues in introducing the Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act, which would ensure that pricing algorithms aren’t being used to take advantage of consumers and inflate prices.” “Predatory algorithms significantly suppress competition in today's markets and allow companies to collude to raise prices to unaffordable levels. The Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act will eliminate coercive anticompetitive software and empower consumers,” said Blumenthal. “Algorithmic price fixing enables businesses to artificially inflate their prices while hiding their collusion behind technology, stifling competition, and leaving consumers to suffer the consequences,” said Hirono. “This legislation will help to ensure transparent competition on price, prevent big business from manipulating the market, encourage healthy competition, and protect consumers and small businesses from being taken advantage of.” “Far too many companies are utilizing predatory pricing algorithms that prevent competition and raise prices for consumers,” said Luján. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in reintroducing the Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act to increase transparency and prevent companies from taking advantage of consumers. I look forward to working with my colleagues to get this bill signed into law.” "These pricing algorithms are just one more tactic corporations use to get around the law and screw regular people. It’s how the poultry industry colludes to keep the price of chicken high,” said Murphy. “If we really care about lowering costs and disrupting the corrupt status quo, this is the kind of bill that Congress should pass.” “I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bill to strengthen competition, increase transparency and prevent big corporations from secretly working together to raise rent and other prices on everyday consumers through predatory algorithms,” said Shaheen. “Transparency is a key tenet of doing good business, and consumers expect businesses to treat them fairly. But increasingly we've seen competitors throw antitrust laws to the wind by using pricing algorithms to avoid competition, leaving consumers to suffer the consequences. The Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act works to close existing loopholes and increase transparency around how companies use pricing algorithms to make sure consumers aren’t getting a raw deal,” said Welch. Price fixing and other forms of collusion are illegal under current antitrust laws. However, current antitrust laws may be insufficient when competing companies delegate their pricing decisions to an algorithm without agreeing to fix prices. Current law requires proof of an agreement to fix prices before condemning the conduct. When pricing decisions of multiple competitors are delegated to a single algorithm, that agreement may not exist even though the use of the algorithm may have the same effect as a traditional agreement to fix prices. This type of conduct has already occurred in rental housing, and we must ensure that it does not spread to other sectors of our economy with the proliferation of algorithmic pricing. To strengthen current price fixing law, this legislation will: Close a loophole in current law by presuming a price-fixing “agreement,” when direct competitors share non-public information through a pricing algorithm to raise prices;
Increase transparency by requiring companies that use algorithms to set prices to disclose that fact and give antitrust enforcers the ability to audit the pricing algorithm when there are concerns it may be harming consumers;
Ban companies from using non-public, competitively sensitive information from their direct competitors to inform or train a pricing algorithm;
Direct the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to study pricing algorithms’ impact on competition. The Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act is endorsed by Consumer Reports, the Open Markets Institute, and Accountable.US. Klobuchar has long led efforts to update our competition laws. As Chair of the Competition Policy, Antitrust and Consumer Rights subcommittee, Klobuchar held two hearings in 2023 exploring how algorithms can be used to harm consumers. In November 2022, Klobuchar, along with Senators Durbin and Booker, urged the Department of Justice to investigate potential anticompetitive conduct by Realpage increasing rents. Klobuchar leads the bipartisan American Innovation and Choice Online Act with Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), which would prevent technology companies from abusing their market power to harm competition, and which made history as the first digital competition bill to advance in Congress since the dawn of the internet when it passed the Senate Judiciary Committee with a 16-6 vote in 2022. Last month, Klobuchar reintroduced the Competition and Antitrust Law Enforcement Reform Act with 13 co-sponsors to give federal antitrust enforcers the resources they need to do their jobs and strengthen prohibitions on anticompetitive conduct and mergers. In 2024, Klobuchar joined Senator Wyden in introducing the Preventing the Algorithmic Facilitation of Rental Housing Cartels Act to ensure that large landlords cannot skirt antitrust law and collude to increase rent prices across the country. ### Read less WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-VT) led a group of 34 Senators calling on Acting Secretary of Health and Human Services Dorothy Fink to end the unprecedented freeze on all external communications and funding. This freeze has disrupted clinical trials, prevented the National Institutes of Health and other agencies from engaging with patient groups and scientific advisory committees, and delayed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), the nation’s premier publication for disseminating public health updates, for the first time in over 60 years. The political interference in public health agencies is unprecedented, unacceptable, and
...Read more a threat to public health. “We write to express our deep concern over the Administration’s recent decision to freeze external communications and suspend federal health funding at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS),” wrote the Senators. “The abrupt order has already disrupted patient care, public health oversight, halted medical research funding, and obstructed critical regulatory processes.” “This political interference in public health agencies is unprecedented and unacceptable. … The American people depend on HHS agencies to provide accurate, real-time information about disease outbreaks, medical research, and regulatory decisions. We urge you to immediately reverse this harmful decision,” the Senators continued. Klobuchar and Sanders were joined by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Tammy Duckworth (D-MI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR). The full text of the letter is available here and below: Dear Acting Secretary Fink: We write to express our deep concern over the Administration’s recent decision to freeze external communications and suspend federal health funding at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The abrupt order has already disrupted patient care, public health oversight, halted medical research funding, and obstructed critical regulatory processes. On January 22, all 13 HHS operating divisions – including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) were told to immediately “pause” all external communications and grant disbursements until at least February 1, with no clear plan for restoration. This directive prohibits agencies from issuing public health advisories, publishing scientific reports, updating websites, announcing regulatory decisions, or conducting outreach to patient groups – unless such activity is explicitly approved by politically appointed leadership. With the Administration’s own deadline having passed, it remains unclear when these restrictions will be lifted. While limited exceptions exist for critical health, safety, or national security concerns, the freeze has already severely impeded essential public health and biomedical research functions. The CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), the nation’s premier publication for disseminating public health updates, was abruptly delayed for the first time in over 60 years, limiting reporting on the H5N1 bird flu outbreak and other emerging infectious disease threats. The MMWR often includes clinical recommendations for doctors, such as guidance on how to treat diseases that are currently circulating in the United States – and delaying the MMWR means that doctors may not have all the latest information they need to keep their patients healthy. At the NIH, new clinical trials have been delayed and external peer-review grant processes have faced disruptions. NIH study sections – which legally must review grant applications before funding can be disbursed – were initially canceled, creating uncertainty about when federal research funds will be awarded. Despite efforts by the Administration to provide clarity, it remains unclear whether the full peer-review process has resumed and how long grant funding decisions will continue to be delayed. This uncertainty has placed billions in federal research funds in limbo, directly threatening ongoing medical studies and academic research programs. The freeze has also blocked NIH from engaging with patient groups on ways to recruit participants into ongoing clinical trials. This means that patients with rare diseases, cancer, and other serious conditions who rely on clinical trials for treatments may be prevented from enrolling, directly jeopardizing their access to life-saving care. This political interference in public health agencies is unprecedented and unacceptable. While it is not unusual for a new administration to conduct brief reviews of existing programs, no past transition has implemented a blanket freeze of this magnitude. Accordingly, we request an immediate and detailed response to the following questions by Monday, February 10: Provide a full accounting of all scientific reports, disease surveillance updates, grant decisions, public health advisories, events, calls, research reviews, reports, issue briefs, inspections, surveys, and postings that have been postponed or cancelled since noon on January 20.
Which of the postponed or cancelled items will be rescheduled or published, and by what date?
Has the pause affected communications between HHS and other federal Departments or state agencies, such as the Department of Agriculture. If so, in what capacity?
Can you confirm that all external communications, including those listed above in your answer to the first question, have already resumed or will resume by February 10? If not, please provide a detailed explanation for any continued delay.
Has the communications and funding freeze affected the department’s ability to respond promptly to public health threats and ongoing outbreaks? If so, in what ways?
Given that we are at the height of virus season, how has this pause affected the department’s ability to fulfill its core mission of protecting public health? The American people depend on HHS agencies to provide accurate, real-time information about disease outbreaks, medical research, and regulatory decisions. We urge you to immediately reverse this harmful decision. Thank you for your prompt attention to this request. We look forward to your response and to working with the Department to protect public health and ensure Americans can get the care they need. ### Read less WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), joined by Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-IL), Veterans Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Foreign Relations Committee Member Chris Coons (D-DE), and Armed Services Committee Member Mark Kelly (D-AZ) called on Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem to provide Congress with information on how the Administration’s executive orders and directives affect our Afghan wartime allies. Recent Administration actions have called into question whether the United States will stand by these partners and their families by giving them the support and assurances they need to rebuild their lives in America. “We write with urgent concerns about
...Read more potential impacts of the Administration’s recent immigration and foreign aid orders on Afghans who supported the U.S. mission in Afghanistan,” wrote the Senators. “Standing by those who stood with us is a matter of national interest and national honor.” “We are already seeing the severe real-world impact these orders have on Afghan families. Flights to the United States, carrying Afghans already cleared for entry, have been canceled. Many Afghan evacuees remain in limbo on U.S. platforms in Qatar and Albania. Established policies to reunite active duty U.S. service members with their Afghan family members have been thrown into doubt, as has the future of our Afghan partners who have been paroled into the United States,” the Senators continued. Klobuchar and Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) had previously introduced the bipartisan Afghan Adjustment Act, co-sponsored by Durbin, Blumenthal, Coons and 13 other Senators, to allow Afghans who sought refuge in the United States to apply for permanent legal residency after undergoing additional vetting. The full text of the letter is available here and below: Dear Secretary Hegseth, Secretary Rubio, and Secretary Noem: We write with urgent concerns about potential impacts of the Administration’s recent immigration and foreign aid orders on Afghans who supported the U.S. mission in Afghanistan. Standing by those who stood with us is a matter of national interest and national honor. The Administration’s actions – including the President’s executive orders on refugee admissions and foreign aid, the Department of State’s suspension of foreign assistance programs, and the Department of Homeland Security’s directive to “phase out” humanitarian parole – call into doubt whether the United States will stand by our wartime partners and their families by giving them the support and assurances they need to rebuild their lives in America. We are already seeing the severe real-world impact these orders have on Afghan families. Flights to the United States, carrying Afghans already cleared for entry, have been canceled. Many Afghan evacuees remain in limbo on U.S. platforms in Qatar and Albania. Established policies to reunite active duty U.S. service members with their Afghan family members have been thrown into doubt, as has the future of our Afghan partners who have been paroled into the United States. Access to resettlement and placement services has been disrupted for Afghans who had lawfully arrived in the United States before January 20. The Administration’s executive orders on refugee admissions and foreign aid provide for exceptions, and call for reviews to be conducted over a period of 90 days regarding the resumption of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and development assistance funding, respectively. But the Administration should not wait 90 days to clarify its policies and assure our partners. We request that the Departments of Defense, State, and Homeland Security provide Congress with the following information: From the Department of Defense: 1. Confirmation that the Office of the Special Coordinator for Afghanistan will maintain the established process that allows U.S. service members and Department of Defense civilians to request resettlement for their Afghan family members to the United States. From the Department of State: 2. Confirmation of the continuing operation of the Special Immigrant Visa program, including Chief of Mission processing and visa processing for SIV applicants and SIV derivative family members. 3. Policy guidance regarding the continuation of reception and placement services for Afghans who arrived in the United States before January 20, or who will arrive, under the SIV program or U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. 4. Policy guidance enabling the continuation of travel and transport to the United States for Afghan evacuees approved as refugees under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program or with an Afghan SIV. 5. Policy guidance enabling the resumption of basic humanitarian services for Afghan evacuees located at U.S. platforms overseas. 6. Policy guidance to ensure that any medical or security clearances for Afghan SIV and refugee applicants that expire during the suspension are promptly renewed and do not delay resettlement. 7. Policy guidance re-opening a private sponsorship pathway for veterans and others to sponsor the resettlement of Afghan refugees. From the Department of Homeland Security: 8. Policy guidance regarding the status of Afghan parolees in relation to the Administration’s suspension of parole programs and DHS “phase out” guidance, including for those who entered the United States under Operation Allies Welcome, and committing to process Afghan parole applications that have already been submitted. 9. Extension and re-designation of Temporary Protected Status for Afghans in the United States beyond the current expiration date of May 20, 2025. 10. Policy guidance regarding the processing status of follow-to-join petitions for qualifying derivative family members of Afghan refugees, asylees, and SIVs. We made promises to our Afghan partners, and when the United States makes a promise – a covenant – we must keep it. Thank you for your prompt attention to these requests. ### Read less WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation unanimously passed the bipartisan Hotel Fees Transparency Act by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Jerry Moran (R-KS), co-chairs of the Senate Travel and Tourism Caucus and members of the Senate Commerce Committee. This legislation will lower costs and improve transparency by requiring anyone advertising a hotel room or short-term rental to clearly show the final price a customer will pay to book lodging, including any fees. “Traveling is expensive, and hidden fees make it difficult to compare prices and understand the true cost of a reservation,” said Klobuchar. “Our bipartisan bill will lower costs for hotel rooms and short-term rentals by increasing transparency and banning hidden fees.” “High prices
...Read more are forcing Kansans to account for all their expenses, and many cannot afford to pay hidden fees at hotels or short-term lodging,” said Moran. “This commonsense legislation requires hotels to be straightforward about all their fees so consumers aren’t burdened with unexpected costs on their check.” The Hotel Fees Transparency Act is co-sponsored by Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV). It is endorsed by the American Hotel & Lodging Association, Consumer Reports, the National Consumers League, and the Travel Technology Association. Klobuchar has long led efforts to protect consumers and support the travel and tourism industry. In May 2024, a number of Klobuchar-backed provisions passed the Senate and were signed into law as part of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act, including the Families Fly Together Act, a bill with Senators Ed Markey (D-MA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) to require airlines to allow children to sit together with their family members on flights at no additional charge. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below following her appointment to the Senate Judiciary Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights and Privacy, Technology, and the Law subcommittees. “Tech innovation strengthens our economy and touches every aspect of our lives, but there is still so much we must do to put guardrails in place and protect Americans - from children exposed to harmful content and illegal drugs to consumers who have no privacy protections. We also must continue the momentum on reforms to ensure we strengthen our antitrust laws to lower costs and ensure American markets are strong and breed innovation through competition. Senator Blackburn - the Chair of the Technology Subcommittee - and I and a number of the other
...Read more members of the subcommittee have worked together on legislation in this area, and I look forward to working with her and the entire committee. As Ranking Member of the Privacy, Technology, and the Law Subcommittee and a member of the Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, I will work across the aisle to make progress on these crucial issues.” ### Read less WATCH KLOBUCHAR QUESTIONS HERE WASHINGTON – At today’s Senate Judiciary hearing on the fentanyl epidemic, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) highlighted the need for Congress to take action to stop online drug trafficking to save children’s lives and give law enforcement what they need to combat the crisis. Bridgette Norring of Hastings, Minnesota testified about her son’s death from illicit fentanyl. Norring's 19-year old son Devin died in April 2020 after buying a pill online for tooth pain that he thought was a painkiller but turned out to be a fentanyl laced counterfeit. Bridgette founded the Devin J. Norring Foundation to raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl and advocate for stronger drug prevention measures. “My husband and I are no different than every American parent
...Read more doing the best we can to protect our kids from the constant threat that social media poses. We did our due diligence in spot-checking our children's accounts when they were minors. We preached constantly about internet safety and etiquette. None of that stopped Snapchat from allowing my children to open multiple new accounts to avoid our scrutiny. It did not stop them from pushing products designed to addict and exploit America’s young people. It did not stop them from blaming parents when our kids died. And it is no different than when opioid companies created a product they knew was extremely harmful and addictive, told the public that it was safe, and then blamed the parents when kids died as a result,” said Norring at the hearing. “Social media has been a gateway to drugs for too many kids, and we must meet this threat with the all-hands-on-deck response it requires. We need to crack down on the sale of fentanyl through social media platforms and pass the Cooper Davis and Devin Norring Act. And we need to stop these illicit drugs and fake pills from entering our borders in the first place, by making sure law enforcement has the resources they need, including cutting-edge technology to detect and intercept fentanyl at our borders. Thank you to Bridgette Norring for her bravery in coming forward and sharing her story,” said Klobuchar in a statement. In 2023, nearly 75,000 Americans lost their lives to synthetic opioids like fentanyl, including nearly 950 opioid-related deaths in Minnesota. In Hennepin County, fentanyl kills an average of one resident every day. The number of Minnesotans who died from opioids last year was more than double the total number of people who died from car accidents. Senator Klobuchar is a leader in the fight to pass the Cooper Davis and Devin Norring Act, which would require social media companies to report to the DEA when they know of the sale or distribution of illicit drugs including fentanyl, methamphetamine, or a counterfeit controlled substance on their platforms. Witnesses at the hearing include: Bridgette Norring Survivor Parent and Founder Devin J. Norring Foundation Hastings, MN; Jaime Puerta President and Co-Founder of Victims of Illicit Drugs (“V.O.I.D.”) Co-Chair of Project Facing Fentanyl Santa Clarita, CA; Timothy W. Westlake, M.D., FFSMB, FACEP Emergency Physician ProHealth Oconomowoc Memorial Hospital Oconomowoc, WI; Cecilia Farfán, Ph.D. Affiliated researcher Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation, University of California San Diego San Diego, CA; Donald Barnes Vice President of Homeland Security, Major County Sheriffs of America Sheriff-Coroner of Orange County, California Orange County, CA. A transcript of Klobuchar’s full questioning is available below. Video is available HERE. Senator Klobuchar: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Ms. Norring, I think everyone was touched by your story and your bravery for coming forward. I've been honored to get to know you, and I want to thank you for everything that you've done. As you said, “all the hopes and dreams we as parents had for Devin were erased in the blink of an eye, and no mom should have to bury their kid.” Those were your words. And I know the words of your all of your friends there that stand there to support you and have had their own pain. All he did was buy a pill off Snapchat. Thought it was a Percocet. You were there for that testimony with the tech executives, and there's a bunch of us here that have had some battle wounds going after them when we just want to put some sensible rules in place or get rid of this legal protections that they have that other companies do not have, as you so well pointed out, but no wounds compared to what you have. You heard their testimony back then in January 2024. Do you think the social media companies are doing enough to stop the sale of drugs to kids online? Bridgette Norring: I do not think that they are doing enough. In fact, it's still continuing. I was introduced to two new families just last week from Minnesota, both with ties to fentanyl, with their children passing, so no, they're not doing enough. They could be doing more. I was just informed that Evan Spiegel is in support of the Cooper Davis and Devin Norring Act. And I must ask then if you are in such support of it, all these companies are in support of the Kids Online Safety Act. Why? Why aren't they implementing those features and doing the job now? Why do we have to come before Congress and … have you make them do that? Klobuchar: Good point, thank you. Mr. Puerta, do you think we should get rid of or reform Section 230 in some way? Just to make this very clear. Jaime Puerta: Absolutely, Senator Klobuchar. In 1996, as we all know, this legislative body came up with Section 230 C of the Communication Decency Act, and what it was meant to do was to protect free speech. But what's happening right now cannot be free speech. When you have a drug dealer selling illicit fentanyl to unsuspecting children, that's not free speech. Or a grown man sending unwarranted pictures to young ladies, sexual exploitation. This is not free speech. This is criminal behavior. And like Ms. Norring said, if it's criminal, if it's a criminal act in the real world, then it should be as well in the social media world. Klobuchar: So you're looking for that reform, which also I appreciate you bringing up Senator Cruz and I have this TAKE IT DOWN Act. There's a number of other bills involving pornography as well. Sheriff Barnes, … thank you for your testimony and being here. Funding, as we look into this next year, funding for law enforcement, do you think that that is important to take on this Fentanyl crisis, as well, as well as the HIDTA program that helps your deputies get fentanyl off the streets? Donald Barnes: Senator, yes, thank you for the question. The HIDTA funding has been stagnant and still for the last 10 years. Hasn't grown. If you look at the time value of money, it's about 1/3 reduction over the last 10 years, and our costs have gone up, so it's about 50 cents on the dollar. It's not a fully funded program. My HIDTA program is funded at about 1/6 of the costs that we put into it and mostly subsidized through my investment of stabilizing that as other municipal agencies have withdrawn personnel. So yes, I think at this, the nation's worst time in history, we have to reinvest those monies. We have to look at the use of those monies. And I think we have to look at what I call a Super HIDTA, the original intent of the gateway HIDTA, to invest on the greatest offense, which is our border HIDTA, and stop as much as drugs as we can at the border before they make it into the content of the United States. Klobuchar: Thank you. Dr Westlake, why does class-wide scheduling reduce the incentives for drug cartels to create new fentanyl variants? Timothy Westlake: So the incentives were there before because when they initially created these without under the normal Controlled Substances Act, they were legal. So they could modify it. Instead of putting an ethyl group in, you could put a methyl group in. It's a legal substance. I was on the controlled substance board in Wisconsin 2015. We had nine different fentanyl variants, fentanyl-related substances that were killing people. We could schedule them immediately, and then they were illegal. And when you schedule them and make them illegal, there's no incentive for them to be created anymore, and there's a cookbook of changes that you can do easily, look up the research to find what different chemicals to use. So, it literally just stops the incentive. It doesn't stop illicit fentanyl incentive, but it closes the speculative fentanyl substances. Klobuchar: Thank you. One last point. Ms. Norring, and we'll talk more in this committee. I am so pleased that Senator Grassley and Durbin will lead this together on some of the social media issues that go way beyond the ones we've talked about now. But you've also embarked on an education campaign, along with a lot of our sheriffs in Minnesota, that I think has been pretty effective going back in the schools with “One Pill Can Kill.” Ten seconds on that, and I'm out of time. Norring: We have to do it because nobody else is doing it. It falls back on us. If we sit by and say nothing, children continue to die. So we feel it's our obligation to get out there educate our community and the children because, as the ranking chair mentioned, the conversation really begins at home. It really has to begin at home. Klobuchar: Thank you. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) announced the Senate passage of their bipartisan resolution designating January as National Stalking Awareness Month. The resolution raises awareness of the dangers of stalking and highlights the need for law enforcement to prevent this predatory behavior. Approximately 1 in 3 women in the U.S. have experienced stalking at some point in their lives. Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI) lead a companion resolution in the House of Representatives. “As a former prosecutor, I have seen firsthand the serious emotional and physical toll stalking can take on victims,” said Klobuchar. “Our bipartisan resolution raises awareness about the dangers of stalking, the need to protect victims, and the
...Read more resources available to help survivors.” “Far too many Americans have suffered physical and psychological trauma as a result of stalking. I’m glad to join my colleagues in raising awareness of this terrible crime and highlighting the essential work of advocates, law enforcement and service workers who support victims and survivors,” said Grassley. “The severity of stalking cannot be understated—this dangerous and repugnant crime has resulted in severe physiological and physical trauma and it is imperative that we provide the necessary resources to protect victims from these heinous acts,” said Fitzpatrick. “Our bipartisan National Stalking Awareness Month resolution promotes awareness about stalking and recognizes the need to prevent this crime while continuing efforts to safeguard our communities from such threats.” “Stalking is a serious crime that imparts unimaginable physical and psychological distress on its victims. No one should have to fear for their safety or for the safety of their loved ones, but it’s estimated over 13 million people are stalked in the United States every year. On top of this, we know stalking is a significant risk factor for intimate partner homicide,” said Dingell. “We recognize National Stalking Awareness Month to educate the public about the dangers of stalking, reaffirm our commitment to survivors, and continue working to identify new ways to keep communities safe.” ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement on the federal funding freeze.
“This unprecedented and unconstitutional move is causing chaos and jeopardizing critical support for everything from pediatric cancer research to equipment for our first responders. Much of this funding passed Congress with strong bipartisan support and Americans count on these services every day. The Administration must reverse course and stop playing games with the American people.”
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry, released the following statement in response to the Office of Management and Budget ordering agencies to withhold approved federal funding. While the freeze is currently on hold due to a temporary emergency federal court order, the proposed cuts are of great concern to rural America. “At a time when rural America is already dealing with the uncertainty of proposed tariffs, workforce issues, input costs, and the recent spread of avian flu, the last thing our rural constituents need right now is more chaos and confusion. This proposed freeze could affect everything from rural hospitals to farm loans to crop insurance and biofuels to animal disease prevention to
...Read more conservation and nutrition programs. Our farmers and ranchers and rural constituents work hard and they need certainty, not chaos from this Administration. As the courts consider this reckless action, I will do all I can to make sure that there is appropriate congressional oversight, that the laws are complied with, and that loans and grant funding continue to rural America.” ### Read less The Child Care Workforce and Facilities Act would provide competitive grants for states to train child care workers and build or renovate child care facilities WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) reintroduced their bipartisan legislation to lower child care costs and address the nationwide shortage of affordable child care. The Child Care Workforce and Facilities Act would provide competitive grants for states to train child care workers and build or renovate child care facilities. Families across the country are struggling to access available child care, with rural communities increasingly becoming “child care deserts” due to the noticeable decline in the number of child care providers. Companion legislation in the House of Representatives is
...Read more led by Representatives Josh Harder (D-Calif.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa). “For far too many families, the struggle to find high-quality, affordable child care serves as a barrier to children’s early development and to parents entering the workforce,” said Klobuchar. “Our bipartisan legislation will train more child care workers and build and expand facilities in child care deserts, so families in all parts of the country can afford and access the child care they need.” “Access to quality, affordable child care is key to healthy families and a thriving economy,” said Sullivan. “I hear repeatedly from working Alaska parents that the lack of affordable child care is among their top concerns, and those concerns are overwhelmingly confirmed by the data. Unfortunately, this problem disproportionately impacts parents striving to re-enter the workforce. Our bipartisan legislation will help by offering grants focused on states hardest hit, like Alaska, to enhance workforce development among child care professionals, and improve facilities that serve families in child care deserts, particularly in our rural communities.” “As a dad to two young daughters, my wife and I know firsthand how expensive child care has gotten. Parents are left in a very tough spot trying to find safe, quality child care centers,” said Harder. “Parents should be able to pay a reasonable price to drop their little ones off at daycare and know they will be safe. This bill is a must-pass for every working parent - we need to get this done.” “American families should never have to choose between affordable childcare and the quality their children deserve,” said Fitzpatrick. “Our bipartisan and bicameral Child Care Workforce Facilities Act directly confronts the untenable challenges facing childcare in our nation by establishing competitive grant programs that strengthen caregiver education, expand childcare facilities, and bolster the dedicated workforce at the heart of our children’s development. This targeted investment will address shortages in our PA-1 community and nationwide, building a stronger foundation for America’s children, families, and future.” The Child Care Workforce and Facilities Act would: Address the shortage of affordable child care and qualified child care professionals, particularly in rural areas;
Provide competitive grants to states to support the education, training, or retention of the child care workforce;
Provide competitive grants to states to build, renovate, and expand child care facilities in areas experiencing shortages;
Require grant applicants to demonstrate how their projects would increase the availability and affordability of quality child care, and help child care workers continue advance their careers; and
Enhance retention and compensation of quality child care professionals. The legislation is cosponsored by Senators Gillibrand (D-NY), King (I-Maine), Merkley (D-Ore), Shaheen (D-NH), and Whitehouse (D-RI). ### Read less WASHINGTON - Senator Amy Klobuchar issued the following statement on reports that inspectors general from multiple federal agencies have been dismissed:
“Independent inspectors general are critical to rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse throughout the federal government—as well as to preventing improper political influence or favoritism. It is alarming that President Trump is firing inspectors general from agencies across the federal government, including the Department of Agriculture, removing critical checks on his power. Now more than ever the responsibility will fall to Congress to conduct oversight and ensure these agencies are working for the American people, not special interests.”
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WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) reintroduced the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act. The bipartisan legislation, which passed unanimously (21-0) out of the Senate Judiciary Committee last year, would expand access to federal support for the families of firefighters and other first responders who pass away or become permanently disabled from service-related cancers. Currently, firefighters are only eligible for support under the Public Safety Officer Benefits (PSOB) program for physical injuries sustained in the line-of-duty, or for deaths from duty-related heart attacks, strokes, mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, and 9/11 related illnesses. The legislation is being introduced in honor of Michael Paidar, a St. Paul fire
...Read more captain who died of an aggressive form of Acute Myeloid Leukemia on August 26, 2020 while still working for the fire department. In 2021, after strong advocacy from the Paidar family, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety awarded line-of-duty benefits to Captain Paidar’s widow Julie. This was the first time that a firefighter’s family had received benefits for cancer incurred in the line-of-duty through Minnesota’s state Public Safety Officer Benefits program. The Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act would ensure that firefighters and other first responders across the country are eligible to receive similar benefits under the federal PSOB program. This legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Banks (R-IN), Barrasso (R-WY), Blackburn (R-TN), Blumenthal (D-CT), Coons (D-DE), Cornyn (R-TX), Cruz (R-TX), Duckworth (D-IL), Durbin (D-IL), Fetterman (D-PA), Fischer (R-NE), Graham (R-SC), Hirono (D-HI), Hoeven (R-ND), Justice (R-WV), Kelly (D-AZ), Markey (D-MA), Padilla (D-CA), Rounds (R-SD), Schiff (D-CA), Shaheen (D-NH), Sheehy (R-MT), Smith (D-MN), Warner (D-VA), Warren (D-MA), Welch (D-VT), Whitehouse (D-RI), and Wyden (D-OR). “As we are seeing in California and throughout the country, our firefighters put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe, often exposing themselves to carcinogens that can have lethal long-term effects. It’s unacceptable that firefighters who succumb to cancer from work-related exposure or become permanently and totally disabled don’t receive the same treatment as others who die in the line of duty,” said Klobuchar. “That's why I’m working with Senator Cramer to ensure that firefighters get the support they deserve. Our bipartisan legislation will honor the memory and sacrifice of St. Paul Fire Department Captain Mike Paidar and so many others who risk their lives in service of their communities.” “Our first responders epitomize courage and selfless sacrifice, confronting both the immediate perils of their duty and lingering health risks associated with their service,” said Cramer. “The exposure to dangerous carcinogens happens on our behalf. When these heroes make the ultimate sacrifice, their families should not bear these burdens alone.” “Firefighters and first responders put their lives on the line without a second thought to protect California communities from the devastating Southern California wildfires,” said Padilla. “When they sacrifice their lives or face severe disabilities due to service-related cancers, we have a shared duty to help get their families back on their feet.” “Our first responders risk everything for us – from the front lines of wildfires to the unseen lines of duty that keep our communities safe. When they lose their lives to service-related cancers, their families deserve the full measure of support they’ve earned. No one who has lost so much should be left to face hardship alone," said Schiff. The Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) program provides benefits to the survivors of fire fighters; law enforcement officers; and other first responders who are killed as the result of injuries sustained in the line of duty. The program also provides disability benefits where first responders become permanently or totally disabled. The Public Safety Officers' Educational Assistance (PSOEA) program, a component of the PSOB program, provides higher-education assistance to the children and spouses of public safety officers killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty. The PSOB and PSOEA programs are administered by the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). The Honoring our Fallen Heroes Act would expand access to federal support for the families of firefighters and first responders who pass away from cancer caused by carcinogenic exposure during their service. The bill would also extend disability benefits in cases where these first responders become permanently and totally disabled due to cancer. The legislation is endorsed by the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), as well as the Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies (ASCIA); Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI); Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA); Fraternal Order of Police (FOP); International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC); Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA); Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association (Metro Chiefs); National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO); National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF); National Fire Protection Association (NFPA); National Narcotics Officers’ Associations’ Coalition (NNOAC); National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC); and Sergeants Benevolent Association of the NYPD. “I’m grateful to Senators Klobuchar and Cramer for introducing the bipartisan Honoring our Fallen Heroes Act. Every day, our nation’s first responders selflessly serve and protect their communities. Unfortunately, through exposures on the job, many are also fighting occupational cancer. As our family knows firsthand, the lives of the first responder and their family are forever changed upon the cancer diagnosis. Mike loved being a career firefighter and paramedic. Losing him to Leukemia in 2020 was devastating not only for our family, but also for his fire family and our communities. This important legislation will recognize the sacrifices of our fallen, allowing first responders and their families to receive the PSOB benefits they rightly deserve,” said Julie Paidar, widow of St. Paul Fire Captain Michael Paidar. “There are thousands of firefighters across the United States that are in the fight for their life battling cancers that they should never get and hundreds more receiving a diagnosis daily. In 2022, 75% of firefighter Line of Duty Deaths (LODD) were due to occupational cancer. Saint Paul Firefighters IAFF Local 21 will always remember Captain Mike Paidar as a fit, healthy man, a loving father, doting husband and a courageous firefighter, who loved his job and went to work each day with a smile on his face to care for people that needed his help. Sadly, Mike died from his job related exposure to known carcinogens. The Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act makes it possible for us to preserve Mike's dignity and care for his family, just as he did for so many others during their time of need. This is what we want to be Mike's legacy, ” said Kyle Thornberg, President of St. Paul International Association of Fire Fighters Local 21. “Cancer is ravaging the fire service and is the leading cause of line of duty deaths. Medical studies and commonsense prove this epidemic comes from our exposures to toxins in smoke, vehicle exhaust, and even our own protective gear. In 2022, the International Agency for Research on Cancer found this evidence so clear that they classified the occupation of firefighting itself as a Group 1 carcinogen – their highest and most dangerous level. However, when fire fighters succumb to job-related cancer, their families are left with nothing and denied critically-needed death benefits. It is unconscionable to abandon fallen fire fighters’ families when they need help most. The IAFF applauds Senators Klobuchar and Cramer for standing with fire fighters’ families and ensuring they don’t fall through the cracks. The Honor Act will rightfully recognize our cancer deaths as line of duty deaths and provide families with sorely needed death benefits. We urge Congress to pass the Honor Act immediately and send a lifeline to families who have already sacrificed a loved one for our nation,” said Edward Kelly, General President of the International Association of Fire Fighters. "Firefighters face an increased risk of cancer due to the hazardous nature of their jobs. The Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program should reflect the scope of the risks faced by our nation’s first responders, including occupational cancer. We look forward to working with Senators Klobuchar and Cramer to ensure that firefighters and their families receive the benefits they need and deserve,” said Bill Webb, Executive Director of the Congressional Fire Services Institute. “Modern medicine often struggles to link an officer’s medical condition directly to a specific on-the-job incident; however, federal law enforcement officers face significant carcinogenic exposure in the line of duty, especially as first responders to large-scale chemical, radiological, or biological incidents. Unfortunately, the current Public Safety Officer Benefits (PSOB) system denies many officers earned benefits due to these scientific limitations. We commend Senators Klobuchar and Cramer for introducing legislation to align the PSOB system with the real-world risks faced by law enforcement. This bill is a vital step toward ensuring officers receive the support they deserve,” said Mathew Silverman, National President of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association. “We are grateful to Senators Klobuchar and Cramer for their leadership on this issue. Our law enforcement officers are in harm’s way each and every day. They are exposed not only to physical threats, but also unseen or unknown threats while operating in potentially hazardous environments. Public safety officers who are exposed to known carcinogens and who contract cancer that ends their lives or disables them should be considered to have sustained a personal injury in the line of duty for the purposes of the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) program. The Klobuchar-Cramer bill, which had 37 cosponsors and cleared the Judiciary Committee unanimously will do just that,” said Patrick Yoes, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police. “I thank Senator Klobuchar and the bill’s cosponsors for re-introducing the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act. Cancer remains a major cause of death for firefighters across the nation. It is time for the nation to recognize the families that have lost loved ones due to cancer caused by modern-day firefighting. We owe them a debt of gratitude and should take care of them,” said Chief Josh Waldo, President and Board Chair of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. "The Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA) strongly supports the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act and applauds Senators Klobuchar and Cramer for their leadership. This bipartisan legislation ensures that families of first responders who lose their lives to service-related cancer receive the benefits they deserve. Our first responders put their lives on the line daily, facing not just immediate dangers but long-term health risks from carcinogen exposure. Supporting their families through these benefits strengthens our public safety community and honors the sacrifices made by those who serve," said Megan Noland, Executive Director of the Major County Sheriffs of America. “Our nation’s public safety officers put their lives at risk every day. Sometimes unnoticed are the officers pulling families from burning cars or saving children from house fires or responding to disasters such as the wildfires in Los Angeles. These acts of heroism often have long-term consequences for the officers, including exposure-related cancers. The Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act recognizes these as line-of-duty injuries under the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program and ensures that officers suffering from these cancers and their families get the benefits they have earned. We stand with Senators Klobuchar and Cramer in support of this bill and thank them for championing this important issue,” said Bill Johnson, Executive Director of the National Association of Police Organizations. “The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation expresses our steadfast support of the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act. Multiple studies have shown that firefighters have an increased risk of cancer compared to the general public. These men and women put their lives on the line every day to protect their communities, and as a result, are exposed to a variety of carcinogens through the very nature of their work, including exposure to hazardous materials, toxic smoke, and other environmental factors. The federal government must recognize their sacrifice, and the families of public safety officers who die or are permanently disabled as a result of occupational cancer should have access to benefits provided by the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits program. We commend Senators Klobuchar and Cramer for championing this important legislation,” said Victor Stagnaro, Chief Executive Officer of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. “NFPA urges Congress to approve the HONOR Act which has strong bipartisan support. As a nation, we must honor firefighters lost to occupational cancer and provide support to the families they leave behind,” said Jim Pauley, President and CEO of the National Fire Protection Association. “Too often battles with occupational related cancer leave first responders permanently disabled or leave their survivors financially struggling after their passing. I applaud Senators Klobuchar and Cramer for introducing the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act of 2025. This important legislation will provide much needed support to first responder and their families as they face the aftermath of occupational cancer by providing coverage for certain exposure-related cancers under the Public Safety Officers Benefit program,”said Steve Hirsch, Chairman of the National Volunteer Fire Council. “For more than twenty years, we have seen firsthand the devasting toll that cancer has taken among the heroes who responded to the 9/11 attacks. The ongoing health crisis among 9/11 responders has also brought to light other serious and long-term health risks that public safety officers across this country face from job-related exposures to known carcinogens. That is why the SBA is proud to join with Sen. Klobuchar and Sen. Cramer again in advocating for swift passage of the ‘Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act’ to ensure PSOB benefits for the families of those who succumb to job-related cancers,” said Vincent Vallelong, President of the Sergeants Benevolent Association of the NYPD. Klobuchar has long led efforts to support firefighters and first responders. Klobuchar co-led bipartisan legislation to create a national cancer registry for firefighters diagnosed with the deadly disease was signed into law in 2018 and reauthorized last year. The Firefighter Cancer Registry Act calls on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to monitor and study the relationship between career-long exposure to dangerous fumes and toxins and the incidence of cancer in firefighters. Klobuchar also worked to pass the bipartisan Fire Grants and Safety Act which was signed into law in 2023, and continues funding for the Assistance for Firefighters Grant and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant programs. The Assistance for Firefighters Grant program helps firefighters and other first responders obtain critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training and other resources. The SAFER Grants program provides direct funding to fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations to increase or maintain the number of trained, "front line" firefighters and enhance their capacity to comply with staffing, response, and operational standards. Klobuchar also worked to pass the Protecting America’s First Responders Act, which was signed into law in 2021. This legislation improves the PSOB program by allowing benefit amounts to be calculated based on the date of the award and account for cost of living increases. Klobuchar also co-led legislation to retrofit older high-rise apartment buildings with sprinkler systems and help prevent future tragedies like the Cedar High Apartments fire, which took place in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2019. ### Read less WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-MN) joined their colleagues to introduce the Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act, legislation to award three Congressional Gold Medals to members of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team to recognize the 45th anniversary of their extraordinary achievement at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games. “A team that made us believe in miracles,” said Senator Klobuchar. “With 12 players and the legendary head coach Herb Brooks being native Minnesotans, we are working across the aisle to award the 1980 Olympic hockey team the Congressional Gold Medal.” “The ‘Miracle on Ice’ hockey game was an upset that nobody saw coming – but one that showcases the strength and resilience of Americans in the face of adversity,” said
...Read more Senator Smith. “More than half of the team was from Minnesota, so I am proud to cosponsor this legislation to honor the achievement and the contributions to American pride by those Minnesotans.” In February 1980, the United States Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team defeated the Soviet Union 4-3 in the first game of the medal round of the 1980 Winter Olympic men’s hockey tournament in Lake Placid, New York. Team USA, including 12 hockey players born in Minnesota and coached by University of Minnesota championship winning hockey coach Herb Brooks, defied expectations by defeating the four-time Olympic champion Soviet Union team in a game referred to as the “Miracle on Ice.” At a time when the United States was struggling with rampant stagflation, high gas prices, hostages held in Iran, and increased tensions with the Soviets after their invasion of Afghanistan, the Miracle on Ice was a welcome reprieve and a critical moment for American patriotism. Following the stunning victory against the Soviets, the Americans beat Finland 4-2 to secure the gold. The three awards will be displayed at the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth, Minnesota, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado, and the Lake Placid Olympic Center in New York. The bill was led by Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND). Additional cosponsors of the Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act include U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), John Curtis (R-UT), Mike Rounds (R-SD), and Gary Peters (D-MI). House cosponsors include U.S. Representatives Mike Quigley (D-IL-05), Lisa McClain (R-MI-09), and Bill Keating (D-MA-09). Click here for bill text. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: “Today we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. — a pastor, patriot, and peaceful crusader who embodied courage, perseverance, and justice. He dreamed of a nation that lives up to the promise we all memorized in grade school when we learned the pledge: ‘One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.’ “Generation after generation of Americans have worked to realize Dr. King’s dream, and today that work falls to us. Just as Dr. King fought for the Voting Rights Act — which turns 60 this year — it’s on us to ensure that every voter can make their voice heard in our democracy. It’s also on us to make economic opportunity available to Americans in every
...Read more zip code — because as Dr. King once asked, ‘What does it profit a man to be able to eat at an integrated lunch counter if he doesn’t earn enough money to buy a hamburger and a cup of coffee?’ “At a time when so much threatens to tear us apart, let Dr. King’s teachings be a reminder that what unites us as Americans is far greater than what divides us. Let us remember that, in his words, ‘we can all get more together than we can apart.’ And let us recommit ourselves to building the nation Dr. King dared to envision.” ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) delivered remarks at the 60th Presidential Inauguration. Klobuchar has been the Chair of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC) since last year. Since 1901, the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies has been charged with planning and carrying out the inaugural events of the President-elect and Vice President-elect of the United States at the U.S. Capitol. Other JCCIC members include Senate Democratic Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE), Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA), House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. A transcript of Klobuchar’s remarks is available below. Video is available HERE. Senator Amy Klobuchar:
...Read more Good morning everyone! Welcome to the 60th Presidential Inauguration! Today President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect Vance will take their oaths of office, and we will witness the peaceful transfer of power at the heart of our democracy. For the past year, I’ve chaired the inaugural ceremony committee, which includes the leadership of Congress from both parties. We thank the committee and Capitol staff and law enforcement who worked so hard over the last year and especially the last three days. You’ve done a beautiful job and you have shown grace under pressure. Our theme this year is “Our Enduring Democracy.” The presence of so many Presidents and Vice Presidents here today is truly a testament to that endurance. We welcome President Biden and Dr. Biden. We welcome Vice President Harris and Doug Emhoff, President Obama, President Clinton and Secretary Clinton, President Bush and Laura Bush, Vice President Pence, Vice President Quayle and Marilyn Quayle. The Justices of the United States Supreme Court are with us, all nine of them... I counted. And, of course, the Trump and Vance families. This ceremony marks what will soon be 250 years of our democracy. It is the moment when leaders, elevated by the will of the people, promise to be faithful to our Constitution, to cherish and defend it. It is the moment when they become, as we all should be, the guardians of our country. Through war and peace, through adversity and prosperity, we hold this inauguration every four years, and today it falls on Martin Luther King Day, a further reminder that we must strive to uphold the values enshrined in our Constitution—the freedoms, the liberties and, as is inscribed on the entrance of the United States Supreme Court, equal justice under law. But what makes this moment more than a passing ceremony is all who are watching it across the country—the people of this nation, the ordinary people doing extraordinary things. President Kennedy, who at one point worked as a Senator in this building and would often walk through this very rotunda, once said: “In a democracy every citizen, regardless of interest in politics, ‘holds office’—every one of us is in a position of responsibility.” With that responsibility of citizenship comes an obligation not to seek out malice, as President Lincoln once reminded us, but to view others with a generosity of spirit, despite our differences. With that responsibility of leadership comes an obligation to stand our ground when we must and find common ground when we can. With everything swirling around us—the hot mess of division—it is on all of us, to quote an incredible songwriter who just happened to be born in my state, to ensure that our nation’s democracy is our “shelter from the storm.” There’s a reason this ceremony takes place at the Capitol. In other countries, it might be in a presidential palace or a gilded executive office building. Here, it is traditionally held at the Capitol—the People’s House. It is a fitting reminder of the system of checks and balances that is the very foundation of our government. Three equal branches of government. That is how, for nearly 250 years, our great American experiment, grounded in the rule of law, has endured. So, as we inaugurate a new President and Vice President, let us remember that the power of those in this room comes from the people: the construction workers who build our country, the teachers and health care workers who nurture us, the troops defending our freedoms, and yes, the firefighters in Los Angeles putting themselves on the line for us. Our democracy’s strength and grit must match theirs. May God bless our nation. Thank you. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement on today’s announcement of the additional fifteen of drugs selected for Medicare negotiation. Negotiating prescription drug prices on behalf of Americans was made possible through provisions in a 2022 law based on Klobuchar’s legislation to lift the nearly 20-year ban that stopped Medicare from being able to negotiate lower drug prices for seniors. These 15 drugs combined with the ten drugs announced in 2024, constitute 36 percent of all spending, or $41 billion dollars, in Medicare Part D. “For too long, big drug companies have put their profits ahead of the well-being of Americans who need life-sustaining medications. That is why I worked for years to end the big drug companies’ sweetheart deal that
...Read more artificially raised prices at the expense of our seniors. Today, we take another historic step toward lowering the price of some of the most widely-used, costly medications with the announcement of even more drugs that will be subject to Medicare negotiations. The incoming administration must continue these efforts and fully implement this law so millions of Americans can benefit from these life changing savings.” The additional fifteen prescription drugs selected for Medicare drug price negotiation are: Ozempic; Rybelsus; Wegovy, which are used to treat Type 2 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes and obesity/overweight; obesity/overweight and cardiovascular disease, and was taken by 2.3 million Medicare Part D beneficiaries last year at a gross cost of $14.4 billion to the Part D program;
Xtandi, which treats prostate cancer and was taken by 35,000 Medicare Part D beneficiaries last year at a cost of $3.2 billion to the Part D program;
Trelegy Ellipta, which treats asthma; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and was taken by 1.3 million Medicare Part D beneficiaries last year at a cost of $5.2 billion to the Part D program.
Pomalyst, which treats Kaposi sarcoma and multiple myeloma and was taken by 14,000 Medicare Part D beneficiaries last year at a cost of $2.1 billion to the Part D program;
Ibrance, which treats breast cancer, and was taken by 16,000 Medicare Part D beneficiaries last year at a cost of $2 billion to the Part D program;
Ofev, which treats idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and was taken by 24,000 Medicare Part D beneficiaries last year at a cost of $2 billion to the Part D program;
Linzess, which treats chronic idiopathic constipation, irritable bowel syndrome with constipation, and was taken by 627,000 Medicare Part D beneficiaries last year at a cost of $2 billion to the Part D program;
Calquence, which treats chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma, and mantle cell lymphoma and was taken by 15,000 Medicare Part D beneficiaries last year at a cost of $1.6 billion to the Part D program;
Austedo; Austedo XR, which treats chorea in Huntington’s disease and tardive dyskinesia, and was taken by 26,000 Medicare Part D beneficiaries last year at a cost of $1.5 billion to the Part D program;
Breo Ellipta, which treats asthma and COPD, and was taken by 634,000 Medicare Part D beneficiaries last year at a cost of $1.4 billion to the Part D program;
Tradjenta, which treats Type 2 diabetes, and was taken by 278,000 Medicare Part D beneficiaries last year at a cost of $1.2 billion to the Part D program;
Xifaxan, which treats Hepatic encephalopathy, irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea, and was taken by 104,000 Medicare Part D beneficiaries last year at a cost of $1.1 billion;
Vraylar, which treats bipolar 1 disorder, major depressive disorder, and schizophrenia, and was taken by 104,000 Medicare Part D beneficiaries last year;
Janumet; Janumet XR, which treats Type 2 diabetes, and was taken by 31,000 Medicare Part D beneficiaries last year at a cost of $1 billion to Part D;
And Otezla, which treats oral ulcers in Behcet’s Disease, plaque psoriasis, and psoriatic arthritis, and was taken by 31,000 Medicare Part D beneficiaries last year at a cost of $1 billion. In addition, this month, the $2,000 out-of-pocket cap went into effect for Medicare Part D beneficiaries, alleviating significant financial burden allowing seniors to access essential treatments to manage their health more effectively without the stress of high costs and ensure they no longer have to choose between their health and basic daily needs. Last August, the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) announced the lower negotiated prices that consumers will start to pay in 2026 for the first ten drugs subject to negotiation: Eliquis, Xarelto, Januvia, Jardiance, Stelara, Imbruvica, Farxiga, Entresto, Enbrel, and NovoLog and Fiasp insulins. Medicare beneficiaries will save between 38 and 79 percent off the list prices of the first ten drugs starting next year (2026). The lower prices will save 9 million Americans $1.5 billion in out-of-pocket drug costs in 2026 alone. Klobuchar has long led efforts to lower drug prices. The Empowering Medicare Seniors to Negotiate Drug Prices Act, Klobuchar’s bill to end the ban on Medicare negotiating lower prescription drug prices for Medicare’s 51 million seniors and help lower drug prices for all Americans was signed into law in August 2022 as part of the Inflation Reduction Act. In April 2023, Klobuchar, Senator Peter Welch (D-VT), and 28 of their colleagues introduced the Strengthening Medicare and Reducing Taxpayer (SMART) Prices Act that would expand the number of prescription drugs that HHS could negotiate lower prices for, and would increase the amount of savings Medicare could negotiate. Last Congress, two of Klobuchar and Senator Chuck Grassley’s (R-IA) bipartisan bills to promote competition and reduce drug prices - the Preserving Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act and the Stop STALLING Act - passed the Senate Judiciary Committee by voice vote. The Preserving Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act would limit anticompetitive “pay-for-delay” deals that prevent or delay the introduction of affordable follow-on versions of branded pharmaceuticals. The Stop Significant and Time-wasting Abuse Limiting Legitimate Innovation of New Generics (STALLING) Act would deter pharmaceutical companies from filing sham petitions with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in order to interfere with the approval of generic and biosimilar medicines that compete with their own brand products, a tactic that delays patient access to affordable medications. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement after the Department of Treasury announced a notice of intent to propose regulations for the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Tax Credit.
“While more work remains to ensure flexibility for growers and producers, this guidance provides much-needed short-term certainty for homegrown biofuel producers to begin benefiting from the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit. This progress is the result of consistent advocacy for the clarity that growers and producers have long needed to receive this credit. There is still more to do, and I look forward to working with the next administration to finalize rules that maximize the potential of this credit and support additional clean fuel investments across rural America.”
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MINNESOTA – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement after the Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital was re-approved earlier today as a federal Critical Access Hospital. Recently, the hospital’s rural designation was in jeopardy, which meant they could lose needed federal funding. After swift outreach from Senator Klobuchar, the issue was resolved. “Every Minnesotan, no matter their zip code, deserves to have access to the health care they need. Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital is a critical provider of 24-hour emergency and outpatient care and I know any cuts would be incredibly difficult. That is why I worked to ensure the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services quickly redesignated Ely-Bloomenson as a Critical Access Hospital so that the hospital
...Read more continues to receive the federal funding it needs.” The Critical Access Hospital federal designation is given to eligible rural hospitals to provide them with enhanced federal funding to help sustain and improve access to their services in rural areas. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that they have secured $229,000 from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) for the La Crescent Rail Corridor Safety Improvement Project. This project will assess safety improvements at four railway crossings in La Crescent. The plan which will reduce the total number of crossings from four to three, which will improve safety for drivers and pedestrians through this corridor. Additionally, the project will involve the installation of protective devices, signals, and signage. “Blocked rail crossings not only inconvenience drivers, but also delay emergency vehicles and threaten public safety,” said Klobuchar. “This federal investment will reduce traffic, boost efficiency and improve rail crossing safety.
...Read more Investments in our infrastructure serve as a down payment on the long-term economic well-being of our state.” “If we’re going to build an economy that works for everyone, then we need to prioritize investments in vital infrastructure like railroads to be more efficient and safer,” said Senator Smith. “These studies will help officials evaluate and improve rail crossings in La Crescent to protect residents. It’s a great investment to enhance community safety and I’m glad we were able to get it done.” This investment is made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which both Klobuchar and Smith supported and worked to pass. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law authorized USDOT’s Rail Crossing Elimination Grant Program (RCE), which provides funding for highway-rail and pathway-rail grade crossing improvement projects that improve the safety and mobility of people and goods. Klobuchar and Smith have both cosponsored the bipartisan Railway Safety Act. This legislation will make key updates to improve rail safety protocols, including increasing inspections on trains that carry hazardous materials, requiring rail carriers to have emergency response plans, and increasing penalties for rail companies when crashes happen. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that they have secured significant funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) for rail infrastructure projects in Northern Minnesota. The Midway Road (CSAH 13) Railroad Crossing Elimination Planning and Development project has received $1.8 million to provide a long-term multimodal freight solution improving safety, reliability, and efficiency along the CN rail corridor and the Midway Road (CSAH 13) corridor, benefiting the entire region’s transportation network. The Minnesota Department of Transportation’s Moorhead to Duluth Corridor Crossing Elimination and Improvement Study has received $800,000 to study crossings along a 250-mile stretch of the BNSF Railway Northern Transcontinental
...Read more Line within Minnesota, which will evaluate existing conditions, identify alternatives, and develop a corridor project inventory to improve safety. “Blocked rail crossings not only inconvenience drivers, but also delay emergency vehicles and threaten public safety,” said Klobuchar. “This federal investment will reduce traffic, boost efficiency and improve rail crossing safety. Investments in our infrastructure serve as a down payment on the long-term economic well-being of our state.” “Northern Minnesota relies on freight rail to transport goods, especially to the Port of Duluth where our goods travel to all corners of the world,” said Senator Smith. “Making the railroads more efficient and safer will boost the Northland’s economy for decades, and is exactly the kind of smart investment we should be making to improve the lives of Minnesotans.” This investment is made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which both Klobuchar and Smith supported and worked to pass. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law authorized USDOT’s Rail Crossing Elimination Grant Program (RCE), which provides funding for highway-rail and pathway-rail grade crossing improvement projects that improve the safety and mobility of people and goods. Klobuchar and Smith have both cosponsored the bipartisan Railway Safety Act. This legislation will make key updates to improve rail safety protocols, including increasing inspections on trains that carry hazardous materials, requiring rail carriers to have emergency response plans, and increasing penalties for rail companies when crashes happen. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that they have secured significant funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) for rail infrastructure projects in Central Minnesota. The TH 10 & CSAH 11 Railroad Crossing Improvement Study in Sherburne County has received $1.4 million to support grade crossing improvements in Becker Township. This at-grade intersection and BNSF rail crossing is an area of safety and mobility concern and several past studies have demonstrated the need for grade separation in several past studies. The Railroad Crossing Elimination Planning project in Douglas County has received $240,000 to evaluate alternatives for grade separation at McKay Avenue rail crossing in Alexandria. This project will develop
...Read more plans to separate this crossing and improve a nearby crossing on Geneva Road. “Blocked rail crossings not only inconvenience drivers, but also delay emergency vehicles and threaten public safety,” said Klobuchar. “This federal investment will reduce traffic, boost efficiency and improve rail crossing safety. Investments in our infrastructure serve as a down payment on the long-term economic well-being of our state.” “If we’re going to build an economy that works for everyone, then we need to prioritize investments in vital infrastructure like railroads to be more efficient and safer,” said Senator Smith. “The upgrades in Sherburne County will make rail crossings safer for drivers and pedestrians, while the investment in Douglas County will help officials evaluate ways to reconstruct rail crossings in Alexandria to protect residents." This investment is made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which both Klobuchar and Smith supported and worked to pass. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law authorized USDOT’s Rail Crossing Elimination Grant Program (RCE), which provides funding for highway-rail and pathway-rail grade crossing improvement projects that improve the safety and mobility of people and goods. Klobuchar and Smith have both cosponsored the bipartisan Railway Safety Act. This legislation will make key updates to improve rail safety protocols, including increasing inspections on trains that carry hazardous materials, requiring rail carriers to have emergency response plans, and increasing penalties for rail companies when crashes happen. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith announced that they have secured over $25 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to improve Trunk Highway (TH) 19 in Northfield. The resources, provided through the USDOT’s Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program, will widen TH 19 from two lanes to three between Decker Ave and Union Pacific Railroad. Improvements will also include a new roundabout at Armstrong Rd, better pedestrian walkways and crossings, and a new snow fence at Decker Ave. “Rebuilding our infrastructure is critical for families, workers, and businesses,” said Klobuchar. “Highway 19 is an important route into Northfield from I-35, passing significant locations such as St. Olaf and Carleton College. This infrastructure project will reduce
...Read more traffic congestion and improve safety for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists.” “If we’re going to build an economy that works for everyone, then we need to prioritize investments in critical infrastructure, like highways, that connect people with opportunities all across the state,” said Smith. “This grant is the first step to improving Highway 19 to best serve the Northfield area.” The Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program provides communities across the country with funding for local projects that improve and expand surface transportation infrastructure in rural areas and bolster connectivity, safety, and reliability. The program was created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Klobuchar and Smith supported and was signed into law in 2021. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides resources for improving roads, bridges, public transportation, water infrastructure, and broadband in Minnesota and across the country. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Representative Michelle Fischbach (R-MN-07) announced their legislation to rename the Roseau Post Office after Floyd B. Olson, the Roseau Postmaster of 25 years, has been signed into law. Mr. Olson served in the Army from 1952 to 1954 and was an active member of the Roseau County Historical Society Board, Roseau County Fair Board, Rose Free Lutheran Church Board & Men’s Club, and the Postmaster’s Association. Mr. Olson passed away in 2017, after decades of service to his community and country. “Floyd B. Olson was the Roseau Postmaster for over two decades, a veteran, and a beloved member of the community,” said Klobuchar. “With this legislation now signed into law, the Roseau Post Office will be named in his honor,
...Read more ensuring Mr. Olson’s memory continues to live on.” “Floyd B. Olson dedicated his life to serving his country and giving back to his neighbors in Roseau – as an Army veteran and as Postmaster for 25 years,” said Smith. “Renaming the Roseau Post Office after him honors his contributions to the community and lasting legacy in the city of Roseau.” “Floyd Olson was a staple in the Roseau community,” said Fischbach. “He was a man of faith, a family man, and a true public servant. I can think of no better person to dedicate this Post Office to and I am so glad the President has signed this bill into law.” The bill was co-sponsored by the entire Minnesota delegation, including Representatives Brad Finstad (R-MN-01), Angie Craig (D-MN-02), Dean Phillips (D-MN-03), Betty McCollum (D-MN-04), Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05), Tom Emmer (R-MN-06), and Pete Stauber (R-MN-08). ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith announced that they have secured $25 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to improve Highway 5. The resources, provided through USDOT’s Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program, will widen the roadway from two to four lanes between Chanhassen and Victoria. “Rebuilding our infrastructure is critical for families, workers, and businesses,” said Klobuchar. “Highway 5 is a key route in Carver County, but it does not adequately serve the growing population, leading to safety hazards and traffic jams. This infrastructure project will reduce traffic congestion, improve safety, and create good jobs.” “If we’re going to build an economy that works for everyone, then we need to prioritize investments in critical
...Read more infrastructure, like highways, that connect people with opportunities all across the state,” said Smith. “This grant is the first step to improving Highway 5 to best serve Carver County.” The Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program provides communities across the country with funding for local projects that improve and expand surface transportation infrastructure in rural areas and bolster connectivity, safety, and reliability. The program was created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Klobuchar and Smith supported and was signed into law in 2021. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides resources for improving roads, bridges, public transportation, water infrastructure, and broadband in Minnesota and across the country. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has awarded $25,000,000 for the Highway 3/Robert St. project planning in St. Paul. The grant, provided through USDOT’s RAISE program, will reconstruct approximately 1.5 miles of State Highway 3, including upgrading pedestrian crossings, improving sidewalks and trails, managing speed, expanding multimodal options, rehabilitating or replacing 100-year-old retaining walls/bridge, and improving transit access. “Robert Street is a critical route in St. Paul, used by drivers, bikers, and pedestrians,” said Klobuchar. “This federal support will make this highway safer and more efficient for all travelers.” “If we’re going to build an economy that works for everyone,
...Read more then we need to prioritize investments in vital infrastructure, like roads and bridges, that connect people with opportunities all across the state,” said Senator Smith. “This project will replace outdated infrastructure that is nearly 100 years old while simultaneously making Robert Street/Highway 3 safer for drivers, cyclists, transit users and pedestrians alike.” RAISE grants can be used by communities across the country for a wide variety of transportation projects with significant local or regional impact. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Klobuchar and Smith supported and was signed into law in 2021, delivered a 50 percent increase in the amount of available funding for the RAISE grants, as well as resources for improving the state’s roads, bridges, public transportation, and water infrastructure. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has awarded $2,500,000 for the South Broadway Avenue project planning in Rochester. The grant, provided through USDOT’s RAISE program, will support the study, design, and engineering of a Complete Street and pedestrian and bike overpass along the approximate half-mile corridor on South Broadway Avenue between 4th Street SE and 9th Street SE. “Broadway Avenue is the main north-south access to downtown Rochester and this federal support will improve the safety of this major corridor,” said Klobuchar. “By building an overpass, we will make Broadway Avenue safer for pedestrians, bikers, drivers, and all travelers.” “If we’re going to build an economy that works
...Read more for everyone, then we need to prioritize investments in vital infrastructure, like roads and bridges, that connect people with opportunities all across the state,” said Senator Smith. “This project will make South Broadway Avenue safer and more accessible for Rochester drivers, cyclists, transit users and pedestrians alike.” RAISE grants can be used by communities across the country for a wide variety of transportation projects with significant local or regional impact. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Klobuchar and Smith supported and was signed into law in 2021, delivered a 50 percent increase in the amount of available funding for the RAISE grants, as well as resources for improving the state’s roads, bridges, public transportation, and water infrastructure. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement on the announcement that the Justice Department amended its lawsuit against RealPage to include six large landlords that collectively operate 1.3 million rental units across 43 states and DC that use RealPage’s algorithmic rent-setting tools. “RealPage has used its algorithms to help landlords fix rental prices and limit competition, driving up the cost of housing for families already struggling to make ends meet. I called on the Justice Department to investigate RealPage, and I am glad to see they are taking an aggressive approach by expanding their lawsuit to include corporate landlords using this modern-day price-fixing tool. I will continue the fight to pass my bill that will strengthen antitrust law to
...Read more prevent algorithmic collusion. We must lower housing costs by ensuring renters get the full benefits of competition.” In November 2022, Klobuchar, along with Senators Durbin and Booker, urged the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate potential anticompetitive conduct affecting apartment rent rates, voicing their concern that RealPage’s pricing algorithms could artificially inflate rental rates and facilitate collusion. As Chair of the Competition Policy, Antitrust and Consumer Rights subcommittee, Klobuchar held two hearings in late 2023 exploring how algorithms can be used to harm consumers, including Examining Competition and Consumer Rights in Housing Markets and The New Invisible Hand? The Impact of Algorithms on Competition and Consumer Rights. Both hearings highlighted the potential for laundering nonpublic competitor data in a pricing algorithm to raise prices and included calls for the reforms in this bill. In February 2024, Klobuchar introduced the Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act to strengthen current price fixing law Klobuchar’s legislation will: Close a loophole in current law by presuming a price-fixing “agreement,” when direct competitors share competitively sensitive information through a pricing algorithm to raise prices;
Increase transparency by requiring companies that use algorithms to set prices to disclose that fact and give antitrust enforcers the ability to audit the pricing algorithm when there are concerns it may be harming consumers;
Ban companies from using competitively sensitive information from their direct competitors to inform or train a pricing algorithm;
Direct the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to study pricing algorithms’ impact on competition.
The Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act is endorsed by the Open Markets Institute and American Economic Liberties Project. Klobuchar joined Senator Wyden in introducing the Preventing the Algorithmic Facilitation of Rental Housing Cartels Act to ensure that large landlords cannot skirt antitrust law and collude to increase rent prices across the country. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has awarded $11,200,000 for the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge. The grant, provided through USDOT’s RAISE program, will rehabilitate this historic bridge, including surface preparation and repainting, lead abatement, replacement of deteriorated sections, miscellaneous structural steel repairs, repairs to spalled and delaminated concrete, and replacement of the bridge sidewalks. It builds on the $1,500,000 in total funding secured for the Aerial Lift Bridge’s pedestrian walkways by Senators Klobuchar and Smith in Fiscal Years 2022, 2023, and 2024. “The Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge is a landmark and a vital part of Duluth’s transportation system,” said Klobuchar. “It is
...Read more not only a critical link for drivers, but also supports essential infrastructure such as water, sewage, natural gas, electrical, and data services, and provides ships key access to the Twin Ports. With this grant, the City of Duluth will make critical infrastructure improvements to make the Aerial Lift Bridge resilient for generations to come.” “The Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge is an iconic and historic piece of infrastructure that has connected communities and supported local businesses for over a century,” said Smith. “Securing resources for projects like this is important for strengthening Minnesota’s infrastructure and economy. This funding will support the critical repairs and upgrades needed to ensure the bridge remains operational for years to come.” “The City of Duluth is thrilled to receive this $11.2 million RAISE grant from the US Department of Transportation,” said Duluth Mayor Roger Reinert. “The Aerial Lift Bridge isn’t just a bridge – it’s a cherished Minnesota icon, a significant entryway to the Port of Duluth-Superior, and a critical point of connection for residents and visitors alike. Along with funding from our State partners, this RAISE grant almost completes funding for this $20M project. Thank you to our congressional delegation and the US Department of Transportation for recognizing how important this project is to our city and region.” “This RAISE grant is crucial to the completion of much needed and deferred improvements to the Aerial Lift Bridge–an historic landmark and gateway to the port,” said Duluth Public Works Director Jim Benning. “In one fell swoop, the City of Duluth will replace pedestrian walkways, replace the bridge deck, apply new protective paint to the bridge, and make other structural improvements. We are grateful to our federal partners for their support of this infrastructure, crucial to both vehicular and maritime traffic.” RAISE grants can be used by communities across the country for a wide variety of transportation projects with significant local or regional impact. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Klobuchar and Smith supported and was signed into law in 2021, delivered a 50 percent increase in the amount of available funding for the RAISE grants, as well as resources for improving the state’s roads, bridges, public transportation, and water infrastructure. ### Read less Tomorrow, as outgoing Chair of the Senate Rules Committee, Senator Klobuchar will be one of four Congressional members charged with counting the electoral votes during the Joint Session of Congress. Senator Klobuchar also served in this capacity in 2017 and 2021. “The peaceful transfer of power is the bedrock of our democracy and we have taken critical action to protect it. Over the last four years, I worked across the aisle to enhance security at the Capitol and pass reforms to the Electoral Count Act to make sure the electoral votes for President accurately reflect the results in each state and to ensure the will of the people prevails. No matter your party, we must uphold the right of all Americans to make their voices heard in our free and fair elections,” said Klobuchar.
...Read more Senate Rules and Homeland Security Committees bipartisan investigation and report Two days after the January 6th attack, Senators Klobuchar and Roy Blunt (R-MO) – Chairwoman and then-Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration – and Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Rob Portman (R-OH) – then Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee – announced a joint bipartisan oversight investigation to examine the intelligence and security failures that led to the attack. Subsequently, the Committees held two oversight hearings related to the January 6th attack on February 23, 2021, and March 3, 2021. As part of this investigation the Committees reviewed thousands of documents, received written statements from more than 50 U.S. Capitol Police officers about their experiences, and interviewed numerous current and former officials from the U.S. Capitol Police, Senate Sergeant at Arms, House Sergeant at Arms, Architect of the Capitol, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security, District of Columbia Metropolitan Police, Department of Defense, and the D.C. National Guard. On June 8, 2021, the Rules and Homeland Security Committees released a bipartisan report on the security, planning, and response failures related to the violent and unprecedented attack on January 6th. The report included a series of recommendations for the Capitol Police Board, U.S. Capitol Police, federal intelligence agencies, the Department of Defense, and other Capital Region law enforcement agencies. In the lead up to and following the release of the report, Chairwoman Klobuchar held six additional oversight hearings on efforts to improve the U.S. Capitol Police and address the recommendations in the report (June 16, 2021, December 7, 2021, January 5, 2022, December 19, 2022, and December 11, 2024), including the first joint hearing of the Capitol Police Board since 1945 (July 26, 2023). Since the report was issued, U.S. Capitol Police and the other agencies responsible for protecting the Capitol have made significant progress implementing the recommendations, the majority of which have been put into effect entirely, as have all 103 recommendations of the Capitol Police’s Inspector General. Klobuchar-Blunt legislation to provide U.S. Capitol Police Chief authority to request emergency assistance from the National Guard In December 2021, Congress passed and the President signed into law legislation led by Chairwoman Klobuchar and then-Ranking Member Blunt empowering the Chief of the U.S. Capitol Police to request the assistance of the D.C. National Guard or federal law enforcement agencies in emergencies without prior approval of the Capitol Police Board. The bill, the Capitol Police Emergency Assistance Act, reflects a recommendation in the bipartisan report issued by the Rules and Homeland Security Committee, and is in response to delays faced by the former Capitol Police Chief in requesting assistance from the National Guard during the January 6th attack. Electoral Count Reform Act In August 2022, Chairwoman Klobuchar held a Rules Committee hearing where every witness – Republican and Democratic experts alike – agreed that Congress needed to update the Electoral Count Act to ensure that the will of the voters prevails in future elections and to improve the counting of electoral votes in Congress. Chairwoman Klobuchar shepherded the bipartisan Electoral Count Reform Act through the Rules Committee on a 14-1 vote in September 2022, and the bill became law in December 2022. She worked with then-Ranking Member Roy Blunt and members of the bipartisan group led by Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) and former Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) to reach an agreement on improvements to the bill. Four key provisions of the Electoral Count Reform Act: Raised the threshold to challenge electoral votes during the Joint Session of Congress from just one member of the House and one member of the Senate to one-fifth of each chamber;
Prevents state legislatures from appointing electoral slates against the will of voters after the election concludes;
Ensures that the electoral votes Congress receives accurately reflect each state’s electoral results, including giving candidates the right to go to court and prevent rogue governors from sending invalid electors; and
Clarified that the Vice President does not have the power to accept or reject lawfully cast electoral votes. ### Read less MINNESOTA – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement after being sworn into the 119th Congress. "I thank the people of Minnesota for placing their trust in me to serve them in the United States Senate. I will strive every day to be worthy of that trust — finding common ground where I can and standing my ground where I must. My North Star is simple: results matter. In the new Congress, I will continue following that North Star. We have a lot of work to do — including making housing and child care more affordable, strengthening our workforce, continuing to bring down the costs of prescription drugs, and passing a Farm Bill — but I am optimistic that by crossing the river of our divides, we can get things done and continue to move our state and country forward.
...Read more ” In the 119th Congress, Klobuchar will hold the number-three leadership position in the Senate Democratic Caucus and serve as the top Democrat on the Agriculture Committee. She will also serve as a senior member of the Judiciary, Commerce, Rules, and Joint Economic Committees. Access photos and video HERE. ### Read less MINNESOTA – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement on the passing of President Jimmy Carter. “Today, America mourns the loss of President Jimmy Carter — a husband, dad, grandpa, veteran, farmer, and lifelong public servant. President Carter earned a special place in the hearts of Minnesotans when he invited Senator Walter Mondale to join his presidential ticket. On the wall in the Carter Museum in Atlanta are Vice President Mondale’s words uttered shortly after their 1980 defeat, summing up their four years in office: “We told the truth. We obeyed the law. We kept the peace.” Minnesota will always remember the “Grits and Fritz” ticket, but President Carter gave our nation that and more. Even during a period of economic uncertainty, he made key
...Read more advancements in protecting the environment, expanding access to health care, bolstering Social Security, and strengthening America’s leadership on the world stage. In the years following his presidency, President Carter showed the world that public service transcends public office. He founded the Carter Center, which to this day is advancing peace, public health, and human rights across the globe. His devotion to serving others continued until the very end — so many of us were moved by the videos of him building homes alongside fellow Habitat for Humanity volunteers in his final years. I was lucky enough to share several wonderful memories with President Carter in his hometown of Plains, Georgia. We prayed together at Maranatha Baptist Church, I watched him teach Sunday school, and we shared pimento cheese sandwiches. Each time, his profound faith was clearly on display. As President Carter reunites with his beloved wife Rosalynn, we should recognize his passing for what it is — the culmination of a life well lived. He will be remembered not as a politician, but as an unrelenting force for good. John’s and my prayers are with Jack, Chip, Jeff, Amy, and the entire Carter family at this time.” ### Read less MINNESOTA – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement on the passing of Minnesota State Senator and former DFL Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic.
Kari Dziedzic was an incredible public servant who gave so much to our state. She long served as my state Senator and I got to see firsthand how she listened to and worked with the people in the district and how effective she was. She governed with strength and calm and grace and was able to get big things done without political drama. That earned her the respect of her colleagues on both sides of the aisle. Our family’s prayers are with Kari’s friends and family during this difficult time.
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MINNESOTA – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement on the passing of former Minnesota State Representative Mary Murphy.
“Mary Murphy was an incredible Minnesotan who dedicated her life to serving the Northland. As a former teacher, she was a strong advocate for improving education for our children and she also fought to protect victims of domestic violence and stalking. Mary was in so many ways ahead of her time and was often the only woman at the table in northern Minnesota. That’s changed now thanks to her trailblazing legacy. John and I send our deepest condolences to Mary’s friends and family.”
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Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith introduced the legislation in the Senate. Representatives Brad Finstad and Angie Craig led companion legislation in the House of Representatives. WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar announced her legislation to designate the bald eagle as the National Bird of the United States has been signed into law. This legislation was co-sponsored by Tina Smith (D-MN), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK). Representatives Brad Finstad (R-MN) and Angie Craig (D-MN) led companion legislation in the House of Representatives. “In Minnesota, we know a thing or two about eagles: we are home to one of the largest populations of bald eagles in the country as well as the National Eagle Center in Wabasha,” said Klobuchar. “The bald eagle is a symbol of
...Read more our country’s freedom and strength and with our legislation now signed into law, the bald eagle is officially our national bird.” “This is an exciting day. The Bald Eagle has symbolized American ideals since its placement on the Great Seal in 1782,” said Preston Cook, Co-Chair of the National Bird Initiative for the National Eagle Center and author of American Eagle - A Visual History of Our National Emblem. “With this legislation, we honor its historic role and solidify its place as our national bird and an emblem of our national identity.” The bald eagle has proudly been depicted as the national symbol of the United States since June 20, 1782, when our country’s Founding Fathers at the Second Continental Congress approved the Great Seal of the United States. Since that time, the bald eagle design has gone on to appear on official documents, currency, flags, public buildings, sports teams, and other government-related items. Today, the bald eagle is synonymous with American life and this legislation will officially designate it as the National Bird of the United States. In the Senate, the legislation was led by Klobuchar and Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), and Markwayne Mullin (R-OK). Companion legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives by Representatives Brad Finstad (R-MN), Angie Craig (D-MN), Dean Phillips (D-MN), Tom Emmer (R-MN), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Michelle Fischbach (R-MN), Pete Stauber (R-MN), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Derrick Van Orden (R-WI), and Don Beyer (D-VA). ### Read less WATCH KLOBUCHAR’S FULL REMARKS HERE WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, held a hearing titled “Continuing a Bipartisan Path Forward for Antitrust Enforcement and Reform.” The hearing focused on areas of bipartisan agreement in antitrust enforcement, including cases brought under the past two administrations to address consolidation and monopolization markets including technology, healthcare, and live event ticketing, as well as the bipartisan collaboration among state attorneys general. The hearing caps Senator Klobuchar’s four years as Subcommittee Chairwoman, which included 20 hearings examining competition issues in markets as diverse as journalism, housing, prescription
...Read more drugs, Big Tech, and supply chains. “Recent polling shows that Democrats, Republicans, and independents alike believe that there's a problem when too much power is concentrated in the hands of too few companies. One way we can tackle these problems is to vigorously defend competition and support it, and that means enforcing our antitrust laws. We know through time, and this is the nature of capitalism, that truly competitive markets can lower prices, give us better choices, and accelerate innovation. That is what has brought us to where we are in terms of innovation, and it's on us as leaders, as our forefathers have done back through history—and a few foremothers—what they have done is that they have fostered that competition by always making sure we're rejuvenating the antitrust laws and making sure they're getting enforced.” said Klobuchar at the hearing. As Chair, Klobuchar Passed the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act with Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), which updated merger filing fees for the first time since 2001, lowering fees on smaller acquisitions and increasing them for the largest mergers, raising additional revenue that Congress can use to fund antitrust enforcement. The legislation also included the State Antitrust Enforcement Venue Act, Klobuchar’s legislation with Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) to empower state antitrust enforcement by making it easier for state attorneys general litigating antitrust cases to remain in their selected courts.
Introduced the American Innovation and Choice Online Act with Senator Chuck Grassley to set common sense rules of the road for major digital platforms to ensure they cannot abuse their dominance to unfairly preference their own products and services and distort competition. In January 2022, the legislation passed the Senate Judiciary Committee by a bipartisan vote of 16-6, making it the first major bill on technology competition to advance to the Senate floor since the dawn of the internet. The bill was reintroduced in June 2023.
Introduced the Open App Markets Act with Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)to promote increased competition and innovation in the software applications and app store markets. In February 2022, the legislation passed the Senate Judiciary Committee by a bipartisan vote of 20-2.
Introduced the Competition and Antitrust Law Enforcement Reform Act with eleven her colleagues, including Judiciary Committee members Senators Blumenthal (D-CT), Booker (D-NJ), Whitehouse (D-RI), Hirono (D-HI), and Welch (D-VT), to modernize our laws so competition can flourish and American consumers are treated fairly. The legislation strengthens prohibitions on anticompetitive mergers, prevents exclusionary conduct by dominant firms, and increases funding for federal antitrust enforcers.
Introduced the Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act with Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Peter Welch (D-VT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), to prevent companies from using algorithms to collude to set higher prices. A rough transcript of Klobuchar’s opening remarks is available below. Video is available HERE for download. Klobuchar: I call to order this hearing of the Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust and Consumer Rights. The name of this hearing is very, very fitting for where we are right now: “Continuing a Bipartisan Path Forward For Antitrust Enforcement and Reform.” And I first want to welcome our witnesses, which I'll do shortly, and I want to thank ranking member Lee and his staff, as well as my staff, for the work they did on this hearing. And I also want to note that we are joined by Senator Grassley, who will be the chair of this committee, and I am very, very honored to have him here and for all of the long-time work that he has done when it comes to antitrust. And I think it makes our point that this subject transcends party and that it is really important that we keep focused on getting things done when it comes to consolidation and monopolies. We have a lot to do on behalf of the American people, and from my perspective, that means, yes, standing our ground, but it also means finding common ground when we can't. And one thing on which I know we all agree is that Americans like to have choices. That is the whole nature of capitalism and a competitive economy. Without choices, they get impacted severely when there are disruptions to fragile supply chains, if there are shortages. And one reason for what we're seeing right now with some of the costs in our economy is consolidation. Across more than 75% of our economy, a smaller number of large companies control more of a market than they did 20 years ago. Since 2008, American firms have engaged in more than 10 trillion in acquisitions. That's trillion with a T, and we see this consolidation in everything from cat food to caskets. Maybe that'll be the last time you hear me use that one… And big tech companies, some of the largest companies the world has ever known, dominate our digital lives, influencing what we see, the products we buy, the voices we hear, and even how smaller businesses can operate and innovate. And that's one of the things during my last few years that's changed. We've had a number of small businesses now coming to us, certainly Senator Grassley and myself, on our bill that we have on tech, saying, “first, we thought this was great. We still need tech. We're glad it's there, but man, it is very hard for us when these big companies are putting their products [first] when they own the channel that these are marketed through, that would be the platforms, and then they also have their own products, and then they're putting them above ours. It's a big problem,” And that's something I think everyone should be watching for as we're seeing more and more support for the work that we're doing. Americans across the spectrum understand this. Recent polling shows that Democrats, Republicans, and independents alike believe that there's a problem when too much power is concentrated in the hands of too few companies. One way we can tackle these problems is to vigorously defend competition and support it, and that means enforcing our antitrust laws. We know through time, and this is the nature of capitalism, that truly competitive markets can lower prices, give us better choices, and accelerate innovation. That is what has brought us to where we are in terms of innovation, and it's on us as leaders, as our forefathers have done back through history—and a few foremothers —what they have done is that they have fostered that competition by always making sure we're rejuvenating the antitrust laws and making sure they're getting enforced. Four years ago, Senator Lee and I held a hearing examining what a competition policy for the 21st century should look like. At that hearing, I spoke about cracks in the foundation of our free market economy that stem from a lack of competition. Since then, I have chaired 19 hearings examining competition problems and algorithms and solutions, everything from consolidation in healthcare and the health insurance market to merger enforcement to housing, as well as the emerging issues that we are seeing, such as the impact of consolidation, as I mentioned, on our supply chain and with changing technology. We looked at what's happening in things like rental housing rental markets when it comes to what is really high-tech collusion with information and how that affects people. One of the things I was proudest about of our hearings—and the work we've done—is that I believe we have made real change. Yes, we passed some bills. Yes, we got more and more people on board with this. But most importantly, we have continued our role as not just advocates for change, but also for oversight of the agencies, and the work that has been done at the FTC and at the Justice Department. And the hearing that I will most remember was the work that Senator Lee and I did with Live Nation-Ticketmaster. It was a very memorable hearing because we couldn't really get many artists to come forward. And the one that came forward was Clyde Lawrence of the band Lawrence. He was really an effective witness, and for both Democrats and Republicans alike, it was very helpful for them to hear that[] story of consolidation, [and] how it affects artists. But in any case, during the hearing, I remember this, Mike, because it was one of your great moments. He kept turning around and talking to someone, and people asked me later, because it was a televised hearing, if that was his lawyer. And I said, No, it was his saxophone player, which it was. And so, at one point, a letter was read by a famous star musician by the CEO of Live Nation. And Senator Lee said, “We are all a fan of that musician, but with all due respect, they're not an expert on vertical mergers.” And I saw our witness writing things away, and I'm just like, maybe you want to just stay out of answering this. But it was a very memorable hearing, because you literally couldn't tell on what side of the aisle people came from. And it then led, not only to some work Mike and I did in pushing forward some ideas, and then Senator Cornyn and I have done a major bill for fans in the Commerce Committee. But out of that came a major, major investigation, and the evidence that we collected in that hearing, I know, informed the Justice Department's decision about moving forward with the work they are doing on the monopoly of Live Nation-Ticketmaster. This committee has also worked across the aisle to introduce and advance significant antitrust reforms. Such as my legislation with Senator Grassley to update corporate merger fees for the first time in 20 years, as Senator Grassley would always note. It was signed into law, and it allowed for more resources for the agencies. Before this law went into effect, there were more than 350 fewer employees working at the DOJ antitrust division than there were in 1979. And by the way, there was an actual vote on this and showed the significant support of the Senate on both sides for this. But we also passed legislation, led by Ranking Member Lee, to ensure state enforcers can keep their enforcement actions in the courts they choose, avoiding wasteful, time-consuming venue transfers and consolidation with private lawsuits, and that was supported by Republican and Democratic attorney generals across the nation. I continue to work with Senator Grassley on our legislation to stop anti-competitive self-preferencing in our digital markets… with Senators Blumenthal and Blackburn to pass their bill to promote competition in app stores. Very, very important. With Ranking Member Lee on our bill to ensure no online advertising giant can control every side of the ad tech market. Of course, a subject of the Justice Department action. Senator Durbin has also been very active in this and in many of the online issues. While these bills have yet, and I emphasize yet, to pass, their contents provide antitrust enforcers a roadmap for remedies on their cases, including the Justice Department's proposed ban on Google self-preferencing its search product in Android. Finally, the Judiciary Committee has passed numerous bipartisan bills, and we thank Senator Durbin and Senator Grassley for [their] long time work on this, Senator Cornyn and as well as Senator Lindsey Graham to stop the abuses of Big Pharma that keep affordable generic drugs off the market. It's time these bills become law. Bringing competition issues to the forefront has also resulted in bipartisan consensus that our antitrust laws must be enforced. I had the honor of introducing Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter. I remember that day well because his son, who was younger, was a big fan of Senator Ossoff and took Senator Ossoff's pencil, and Senate [coaster] as a souvenir from the event. As senators, this always means a lot when we have, like, a fan base and or a fan of some kind. Senator Ossof was a celebrity to Jonathan Kanter's son. And also I introduced FTC Chair Lina Khan to the Commerce Committee and helped shepherd both of them through the Senate with strong bipartisan votes. Khan 69 to 29, but who's counting? Kanter, 68 to 29. With this bipartisan mandate, they went on to bring major cases involving Google, Amazon, Apple, Live Nation, as I mentioned, and many others, groceries and healthcare. Importantly, Nearly every single one of these cases and many more, including the FTC's recent successful suit to block the merger of the two major grocery chains, was supported, and this is very key as we go forward and see a change in administration, that it was supported by a strong bipartisan coalition of Attorney Generals across the country. We don't often think of states like California and Oklahoma pairing up—or Minnesota and Texas—but this has happened in many ways for the support of the work that we have done. Another legacy from the Biden Administration was a continuation of a number of vital cases that started under the Trump administration, prevailing in the Google search case earlier this year and readying the Facebook case for trial next year. When you think of successful antitrust efforts that have been positive for the public, like the AT&T breakup, when you look at it, AT&T is still there and doing well, but you also have a much better cell phone marketplace and much lower long-distance rates. So, that case spanned several different administrations and different parties. So the Biden administration didn't simply toss cases brought by the Republicans or settle them for pennies on the dollar. They strengthened them. They won them, and we are hopeful that the incoming Trump administration will do the same thing. I will say, I will be watching. The Biden administration also built on the Trump administration's willingness to litigate the first case challenging a vertical merger in decades. While this case ultimately failed, it paved the way for the Biden FTC and Justice Department to challenge a number of vertical mergers, including unwinding an acquisition that stopped a single company from controlling cutting-edge cancer detection tests and preventing a major chip supplier from acquiring a key chip designer, just before the AI boom. We have talked a lot in this past election, if any of you noticed, about bringing down costs and how you can do it. And that is why I just want that to continue. I don't want it to be just talk. I want it to be action in every way possible. And to me, that means we're going to have to have strong enforcement of our antitrust laws. We are here together to say that this has always spanned politics, and that must continue. I'm looking forward to meeting the new nominee for the Antitrust Justice Department position. I know that there are people on both sides of the aisle who have worked with her and said good things. I'm sure I won't agree with everything she ever does or has said. I always have to say that, you know, when you're in the other party. But I just want to strongly encourage her to continue the work that's going on now. It has been a privilege. I would like to say just this committee to work with Jonathan Kanter. He is somehow the happy warrior through having to deal with a lot of hard cases and a lot of difficult Senator questions from all of us, and that's part of our job. I also, as a member of the Commerce Committee, have enjoyed working with Lina Khan, and I look forward to the confirmation hearing ahead for the antitrust position. As I prepare to hand the gavel back to Senator Lee… I also again want to acknowledge Chair Durbin, Ranking Member Graham, and, of course, the always present Senator Grassley, who actually texted me this morning about my Christmas card. It was pretty impressive. So I'd like to thank our committee staff for working together so well and to thank Phil, especially Ben, and Dan, my counsel, and our entire team for their work. And I will turn it over to Senator Lee for his opening remarks. ### Read less WASHINGTON - Today, Senator Amy Klobuchar was chosen to serve as the ranking member on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senator Klobuchar has been a member of the Agriculture Committee since her first term in Congress, working to pass three Farm Bills and successfully leading bills that have strengthened the safety net for Minnesota farmers and ranchers, invested in conservation programs, and supported homegrown energy. “When I first came to the Senate, my number-one request was to be on the Agriculture Committee. I wanted to work on behalf of Minnesota’s farmers, make sure Americans could feed their families, and boost our rural economy. From working across the aisle to strengthen our defenses against animal disease outbreaks to bolstering our ability
...Read more to produce home-grown fuel and supporting conservation efforts, the work of the Agriculture Committee touches every aspect of our lives. I look forward to working with Chairman Boozman and Representatives Craig and G.T. Thompson to pass a strong farm bill.” ### Read less Representatives Brad Finstad (R-MN) and Angie Craig (D-MN) led companion legislation in the House of Representatives. WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced their bipartisan legislation to designate the bald eagle as the National Bird of the United States has passed the House of Representatives and the Senate. It will now head to the President’s desk to be signed into law. “The bald eagle is a symbol of our country’s freedom and strength. In Minnesota, we know a thing or two about eagles: we are home to one of the largest populations of bald eagles in the country as well as the National Eagle Center in Wabasha,” said Sen. Klobuchar. “With the passage of our legislation, the bald eagle will now
...Read more officially be recognized as our nation's national bird.” “I am thrilled our bipartisan bill just passed the House,” said Sen. Lummis. “The bald eagle is an enduring symbol of American freedom and values, and thanks to bipartisan support, we are one step closer to officially designating the bald eagle as our national bird.” “The bald eagle has long been a symbol of freedom and patriotism for our nation,” said Sen. Mullin. “It’s only fitting we officially designate the bald eagle the national bird of the United States. I was glad to join my colleagues in leading this bipartisan effort and appreciate the House’s swift consideration.” “The Bald Eagle has been a universally recognizable symbol of patriotism in this country for centuries, and they thrive in Minnesota because of our lakes and forestry,” said Sen. Smith. “I am proud to cosponsor this bipartisan legislation designating the Bald Eagle as the official bird of the United States and am excited to celebrate its passage out of the House.” “More than two hundred and forty years ago, the Founding Fathers identified the bald eagle as a symbol of the strength and independence promised in our new nation. Since then, we have revered this majestic creature as the unquestionable icon of the United States,” said Rep. Finstad. “Today, we rightfully recognize the bald eagle as our official national bird – bestowing an honor that is long overdue. In the First District, we are the proud home of the National Eagle Center, our country’s only educational center dedicated to preserving the bald eagle and its historical and cultural significance. It has been an honor to work alongside them to make this historic moment a reality.” “This is an exciting day. The Bald Eagle has symbolized American ideals since its placement on the Great Seal in 1782,” said Preston Cook, Co-Chair of the National Bird Initiative for the National Eagle Center and author of American Eagle - A Visual History of Our National Emblem. “With this legislation, we honor its historic role and solidify its place as our national bird and an emblem of our national identity.” The bald eagle has proudly been depicted as the national symbol of the United States since June 20, 1782, when our country’s Founding Fathers at the Second Continental Congress approved the Great Seal of the United States. Since that time, the bald eagle design has gone on to appear on official documents, currency, flags, public buildings, sports teams, and other government-related items. Today, the bald eagle is synonymous with American life and this legislation will officially designate it as the National Bird of the United States. Companion legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives by Representatives Brad Finstad (R-MN), Angie Craig (D-MN), Dean Phillips (D-MN), Tom Emmer (R-MN), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Michelle Fischbach (R-MN), Pete Stauber (R-MN), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Derrick Van Orden (R-WI), and Don Beyer (D-VA). ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) announced their Stop Campus Hazing Act to improve the reporting and prevention of hazing on college campuses has passed the U.S. Senate. This bipartisan legislation would require colleges to include hazing incidents in their annual campus safety report and establish a campus-wide, research-based program to educate students about the dangers of hazing. In addition, the bill would increase transparency and accountability by providing parents and students with better information about a student organization’s history of hazing incidents. The bill is championed by Representatives Lucy McBath (D-GA) and Jeff Duncan (R-SC) in the House of Representatives. “When parents send their kids away to college, they expect they
...Read more will get a good education and make new friends. They don’t expect them to be harassed and hazed. Unfortunately, hazing is a dangerous—and at times deadly—reality, and we must work to end it,” said Sen. Klobuchar. “Our bipartisan legislation to improve hazing prevention efforts on college campuses has now passed the Senate, and heads to the president's desk for signature, and I’ll keep working to stop this abuse and keep students safe.” “Every student should feel safe on their college campus,” said Dr. Cassidy. “By increasing transparency, the Stop Campus Hazing Act ensures that hazing is never ignored. Proud to see this legislation pass Congress and look forward to it becoming law.” “I know what it's like to lose a loved one to violence—no parent should ever have to bury their child. This bill empowers students and their families to make informed decisions about the schools they attend and the organizations they join. That information could be life-saving,” said Rep. Lucy McBath. “Our bipartisan legislation helps make sure that schools have the tools they need to foster safe learning environments. I am proud to see the Senate send this critical legislation to the President’s desk, and I thank my colleagues for their continued commitment to safeguarding the well-being of our students.” “With the Stop Campus Hazing Act passing in the Senate, we’re one step closer to saving lives like Tucker Hipps and other students tragically killed in a suspected incidents of campus hazing. I applaud my colleagues as we honor Tucker’s memory. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation mandates greater transparency in fraternity hazing reporting,” said Rep. Jeff Duncan This Stop Campus Hazing Act is cosponsored by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Bob Casey (D-PA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), James Lankford (R-OK), Steve Daines (R-MT), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Angus King (I-ME), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Mark Warner (D-VA). The National Study of Student Hazing found that more than half of college students involved in extracurricular clubs, athletic teams, and organizations experience hazing. Since 2000, there have been more than 50 hazing-related deaths. The Stop Campus Hazing Act would: Improve hazing reporting by requiring colleges to include hazing incidents in their Annual Security Report;
Prevent hazing by establishing campus-wide, research-based hazing education and prevention programs; and
Help students and their parents make informed decisions about joining organizations on campus by requiring colleges to publish on their websites the institution’s hazing prevention policies and the organizations that have violated them. This bipartisan, evidence-informed legislation is supported by the more than 50 organizations Clery Center; StopHazing; Anti-Hazing Coalition including the Hazing Prevention Network, Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values, Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors, National Panhellenic Conference and its member sororities, the North American Interfraternity Conference and its member fraternities; National Pan-Hellenic Council, Inc.; Association of Big Ten Students; College Safety Coalition; SAFE Campuses, LLC; International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators; National Association of Clery Compliance Officers and Professionals; University of Minnesota, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, and the parents of hazing victims. Klobuchar has been a leader in the fight to end hazing. Last year, Klobuchar and Cassidy introduced the bipartisan Stop Campus Hazing Act and the first ever congressional resolution designating “National Hazing Awareness Week.” The 2024 National Hazing Awareness Week resolution is cosponsored by Bob Casey (D-PA), James Lankford (R-OK), Senators Angus King (I-ME), Susan Collins (R-ME), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chris Coons (D-DE), Steve Daines (R-MT), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Joe Manchin (I-WV). ### Read less WASHINGTON—At a Senate Committee on Rules and Administration hearing titled “Oversight of the U.S. Capitol Police,” U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with oversight over Capitol Police, led the discussion with testimony from Chief of the U.S. Capitol Police Tom Manger about the progress made since Manger was appointed Chief in July 2021 and the Department’s preparations for the upcoming Joint Session of Congress to certify the results of the election on January 6th and the inauguration on January 20th. At today’s hearing, Manger shared: The Department has made significant security improvements in recent years, including enhanced planning, improved handling of intelligence, and ensuring officers’ access to needed training and
...Read more equipment.
Congress has made two key improvements to the Department’s ability to handle major security challenges at the Capitol: (1) enabling the Department to reimburse local law enforcement partners to provide additional manpower, and (2) empowering Capitol Police chief to request emergency assistance from the National Guard directly, the result of bipartisan legislation led by Chairwoman Klobuchar and former Senator Blunt.
Notably, the Department has implemented all 103 recommendations that the Capitol Police Inspector General issued in a series of reports after January 6th in addition to many measures recommended in the bipartisan security report issued by Chairwoman Klobuchar and Senators Roy Blunt (R-MO), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Rob Portman (R-OH).
The Department has prioritized hiring under Chief Manger’s leadership and now has 350 more sworn officers than it did four years ago. Chief Manger has hired 315 officers this year, exceeding his goal of hiring 280 new officers each year. This was the eighth hearing on the Capitol Police that the Rules Committee has held under Chairwoman Klobuchar – including two hearings with the Homeland Security Committee and the first joint hearing of the Capitol Police Board since 1945. Klobuchar and then former Ranking Member Blunt led the Capitol Police Emergency Assistance Act – which was signed into law in 2021 after passing the Senate and House unanimously – to empower the Chief of the U.S. Capitol Police to request the assistance of the District of Columbia National Guard or federal law enforcement agencies in emergencies without prior approval of the Capitol Police Board. The law reflects a recommendation of the bipartisan security report that was released by the Rules and Homeland Security Committees. Klobuchar and Ranking Member Deb Fischer (R-NE) led the Architect of the Capitol Appointment Act – which was signed into law in December 2023 – to strengthen congressional oversight of the Architect of the Capitol by empowering a congressional commission to appoint and remove the Architect by a bipartisan, majority vote. Klobuchar and Fischer led this bipartisan, bicameral legislation with Representatives Bryan Steil (R-WI) and Joe Morelle (D-NY), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on House Administration. A rough transcript of Klobuchar’s full opening statement is available below. Download a recording HERE. Sen. Klobuchar: Good afternoon. I call to order this hearing on oversight of the Capitol Police. As noted, this is our final Rules Committee hearing this Congress, and it is a fitting one as so much of the work that we have done, that I have done with Senator Fischer, as well as before with Senator Blunt, has been focused on public safety, especially over the last four years. I would like to thank Chief Manger, who came to us out of retirement. Thank you for the work you have done to support the Department's workforce and to make the needed security improvements we're here to discuss today. I'd also like to again express my gratitude to the brave men and women of the Capitol Police for the work that they do every day, and thank you, Gus, for your leadership of the union, and thank you to all of those involved in public safety. I'd like to thank Senator Fischer for her partnership in the last two years. Deb, I have appreciated the opportunity to work with you. We have tried so hard to, I think, positively, realize that this Committee's jurisdiction is a little different than some of the others, and it's more important than ever that we work together, and if we have disagreements, we work them out, and that we, I think Roy always used to say, are the mayors of the Capitol, and we get a lot of interesting requests as our wonderful staffs. And I specifically want to thank Elizabeth Farrar, my staff director, for her incredible work. I'd like to congratulate our incoming chair, Leader McConnell, as well as, I believe, Senator Padilla, who I think is going to be taking over our side in this Committee, and to thank the Rules Committee members for their work. We welcome our newest member Senator Schiff. This hearing is a time to look at the progress the Capitol Police have made in the last four years- under the leadership of the Chief since July of 2021. In that time, the Department has made necessary enhancements impacting all aspects of its work - including many recommendations in the original bipartisan security report that came out of this Committee, as well as Homeland Security. One of these is the legislation that I led with former Senator Blunt, which is now law, to allow the Capitol Police to immediately request assistance from the National Guard in an emergency. Critically, the Department has greatly improved under Chief Manger its handling of intelligence and how it shares information with rank and file officers, including by creating a centralized Intelligence Bureau …prioritized operational planning by requiring plans for all large-scale events… and taken steps to ensure officers have the training and equipment to do their jobs. Notably, all 103 recommendations that the Department's Inspector General issued in the series of reports after January 6 have now been implemented. I think we've had eight hearings on oversight of the Capitol Police. We have gone through the 103 recommendations and gone through the numbers, and I truly appreciate the public transparency and accountability we also had with Congressman Steil the first joint oversight hearing since 1945 on the security in the Capitol. And so we're really pleased with that as well, and your responsiveness, as well as the Sergeant at Arms Gibson. Here are some other examples of what this progress has looked like over the past four years. We know we have challenges, but I do think it's important to acknowledge the progress. The Department now has an additional 360 sworn officers on duty, from 1,842 to 2,202. There has been a 60 percent increase in the number of threat assessment agents. Four years ago, the Department did not maintain a dedicated Civil Disturbance Unit program, and today, it has six platoons totaling more than 225 officers. And while only 25 percent of officers had access to riot gear on January 6, something we will never forget, locked on a bus, now every officer has this equipment. None of this would be possible without the officers who stand in defense of the Capitol every day and who have risen to the occasion as various threats have confronted Members of Congress at the Capitol and beyond. In recent years, these men and women have worked significant overtime, had vacations canceled, family events canceled while the Department worked to add more officers. We thank them deeply for their service. I commend the Chief's commitment to ensuring the Department has the personnel it needs - including offering hazard pay, retention bonuses, and tuition support - and for exceeding the goal of hiring 280 additional officers this year. That was the goal but instead hired 315 officers. And thank you again, Gus, for being such a strong advocate for the officers. We owe it to these officers to show them that they have our full support. This includes continued funding for the Howard Liebengood Center for Wellness, and I would like to recognize the dedication of Dr. Serena Liebengood, the widow of Officer Howard Liebengood, or “Howie,” as he was known by so many of you, the 15-year veteran of the Department who tragically died in the days after January 6, and for whom the Center is named. Since its founding, the Center has started a chaplain program, created 24/7 support resources, and trained over 50 officers as peer support specialists. At the same time, we look at all of the good work that's been done, we must be clear-eyed about emerging demands on the Department's expanding operations that we need to confront head on. In addition to the security challenges we have seen here at the Capitol, there has been a disturbing and unprecedented rise in threats targeting members of Congress from both parties, and the ongoing volume and severity of those threats has posed new challenges for the Capitol police and local police departments across the country. The Department reported over 8,000 of these threats just last year, and we expect to exceed that this year. This is four times over the number that we have received in not that far away years of the past. Members have been targeted with bomb threats, subjects of cyber attacks, had their homes swatted, and more. We must keep striving to ensure the Capitol police can respond effectively to risks to Member safety, including prioritizing hiring of additional threat assessment agents and building on efforts through the Department's field offices and agreements with local law enforcement to ensure Members are safe beyond the Capitol Complex. Finally, as we look ahead, I know work is well underway to prepare for the events that will take place at the Capitol: the Joint Session of Congress to certify the results of the election on January 6 this coming year and also, of course, the inauguration that Deb and I are working on together with the Joint Inaugural Committee. Both events have been designated as National Special Security Events, which will provide federal agency resources to support the Capitol Police. While we won't get into law enforcement details today, it is crucial that the Department is ready to support these events that are at the very heart of our democracy - and I look forward to hearing the Chief’s comments on these efforts. Before I turn it over to Senator Fischer, I would like to make a few remarks to recognize what we have gotten done on the Committee in the last few years. Even beyond the major law enforcement changes and the hiring of Chief Manger, what may be our most lasting contribution to the Senate and the Country will be on display next month when we convene to certify the results of the election in line with the significant reforms to the Electoral Count Act, which passed in this Committee on a bipartisan vote of 14-1 and will ensure the will of the voters prevails in this and in future elections. And we will do so with key security improvements in place thanks in large part to Chief Manger and Sergeant at Arms General Karen Gibson. Beyond this work, we passed bipartisan legislation into law. We led this bill to improve accountability and empower Congress to appoint and remove the Architect of the Capitol. That was a major change. The President had always been able to do that. I'm not going to go into the issues of the past, but we were very pleased to get that authority. We should own this, and we should, as we just did, made a decision across party lines and across House and Senate and joined together to appoint our new architect, Tom Austin, with unanimous, bipartisan and bicameral support. During my time at the Committee, we have taken on a whole host of issues to improve the work for the Senate, for those who work and visit here - reopening the buildings after the pandemic… reforming the outdated process of reporting and handling sexual harassment claims on Capitol Hill… and making closed captioning available for all Senate committee hearings. We worked to ensure that people visiting the Capitol see more statues of women. It's not just about what paintings and statues you take away, it's what statues and paintings you put up. We were really pleased to work on a bipartisan basis to get the new statues with Senators Murkowski, Collins, and Sinema, of two former trailblazing Supreme Court Justices, Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and we doubled the number of rooms named after women in the Senate. Okay, I think there was just like zero before, but now we've doubled it all, right? We also have the bust of the author of the Dred Scott decision removed, and it will be replaced with one of Justice Thurgood Marshall. When our restaurant workers unionized, we made sure that they had a fair contract, and Senator Blunt and I worked together to update the rules. One of my favorite fun things that we did was ensure that babies can come on the Senate floor. When I promised Senator Duckworth I would get it done, and that was a proud day when she brought that little baby Maile Pearl, all six pounds of her, onto the floor, wheeling her in on her wheelchair, change finally, on the Senate floor. And, of course, we have not lost sight of the fact that we must protect our free and fair elections so that people can make their voices heard in our democracy. This is a commitment that we must carry forward on this Committee. I'm grateful to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who I've worked with to get this done. I especially want to thank Senator Fischer and her great staff, and I look forward to working with them in whatever capacity at their new jobs. And I want to thank her very much for her leadership as well. Thank you. ### Read less WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the statement below following FBI Director Christopher Wray’s resignation announcement. “The motto of the FBI is ‘Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity’ and those words perfectly describe Christopher Wray. For decades, he has dedicated his life to law enforcement and public safety. Appointed by President Trump to lead the FBI and overwhelmingly confirmed by the Senate, he has earned the support and respect of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. He has upgraded the FBI’s capacity to take on cyberterrorism and protect national security, all while improving morale. Christopher Wray has served our country faithfully, always putting his responsibility to the American people first, and I
...Read more am thankful for his leadership.” ### Read less WASHINGTON – Senator Amy Klobuchar, Chair of the Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, issued the following statement after a federal judge in Oregon blocked Kroger’s proposed merger with Albertsons. “Families across the country are grappling with the price of groceries and we must ensure consumers have the benefits of robust competition - lower prices, higher quality and innovation. The bipartisan hearing I held on the proposed Kroger-Albertsons merger provided evidence that this deal could have reduced competition and thus hurt consumers and workers.” In November 2022, Klobuchar and Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) held a Subcommittee hearing to examine the Competitive Impact of the Proposed Kroger-Albertsons Transaction. In October 2022, Klobuchar
...Read more also sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) urging them to investigate the proposed merger between Kroger and Albertsons, voicing concern about this transaction’s potential implications for consumers. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), a senior member of the Senate Commerce Committee, and Tina Smith (D-MN) and the U.S. Department of Commerce announced that SkyWater Technology will receive up to $16 million in federal funding as part of the CHIPS and Science Act to upgrade their facility, increasing overall production capacity by approximately 30 percent. “If we want to continue leading the global economy, we must be a country that makes stuff, invents things, and exports to the world. This significant investment in SkyWater Technology will transform domestic semiconductor manufacturing,” said Klobuchar. “I’m proud to have worked with SkyWater Technology to secure the resources needed to ensure Minnesota remains at the forefront of technological innovation. This is
...Read more good for our state’s workers and businesses.” “Modern life depends on semiconductor chips. Whether it’s your car, your coffeemaker, your medical devices, or the equipment that our National Guard members rely on,” said Senator Smith. “This investment in SkyWater will make sure these chips aren’t just made in America, it’ll make sure they’re made right here in Minnesota.” This federal funding will invest in cutting-edge technology to modernize and expand SkyWater’s Bloomington facility, improve its cybersecurity by upgrading its IT systems, and create new jobs in high-demand fields like engineering and manufacturing. Klobuchar and Smith voted to pass the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act to strengthen domestic semiconductor production and boost American competitiveness and innovation. The CHIPS and Science Act is providing significant resources to: Help companies build, expand, or modernize domestic facilities and equipment for semiconductor production;
Kickstart development of the domestic semiconductor workforce and address near-term labor shortages;
Make the largest five-year investment in public research and development in the nation’s history, including in critical technologies such as artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing, as well as boosting STEM education and regional technology hubs. In June 2023, Klobuchar hosted a roundtable discussion and press conference at Normandale Community College in Bloomington with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo to discuss the CHIPS and Science Act and how it can benefit Minnesota companies and workers. Skywater Technology President and CEO Thomas Sonderman attended the roundtable. In August 2022, Klobuchar held a press conference in Bloomington with executives from leading U.S.-based semiconductor designers and manufacturers with operations or headquarters in Minnesota to highlight how the CHIPS and Science Act will strengthen American economic competitiveness and spur innovation. ### Read less “As Chair of Steering and Policy, I look forward to working with my colleagues to chart our path forward and ensure the policies we are fighting for in Washington reflect what the American people want and need. This is the time to find common ground when we can, and stand our ground where we must,” said Senator Klobuchar.
Last Congress, Senator Klobuchar was ranked number one for bipartisan bills and number three for passing bills into law. She previously served in the number four leadership position as Chair of the Democratic Steering Committee.
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WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), along with Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Tom Carper (D-DE), and Steve Daines (R-MT), announced their Servicemembers’ Credit Monitoring Enhancement Act passed the Senate. The bipartisan legislation provides free credit monitoring for all armed service members, including non-active duty reservists and National Guard members. Currently, only active duty service members are eligible for free credit monitoring. “Servicemembers are heroes who put their lives on the line for our nation and we must support them in every way we can,” said Klobuchar. “By making free credit monitoring available for every single member of our armed forces, this bipartisan legislation will improve the financial security of military families and give them greater peace of
...Read more mind.” “Look, our service members put so much on the line to protect us and our way of life,” said Cramer. “And yet, it’s actually their sacrifices that leave them more vulnerable to financial fraud. We just want to ensure the men and women of the military have full access to credit monitoring services that will certainly help keep their information secure. The passage of the Servicemembers’ Credit Monitoring Enhancement Act is an important step to protecting the financial security of the members of our armed forces. I urge the House to pass this legislation before the end of the Congress.” “We owe it to our service members to make sure that their financial well-being is protected while they are protecting our country at home and abroad,” said Carper, a 24-year veteran of the Navy. “We must improve and expand access to free credit monitoring tools to help make sure more service members and military reservists can feel secure when they make critical financial decisions. That’s why I’m glad to see this bipartisan legislation pass the Senate, and urge my House colleagues to send this bill to the President’s desk.” “Our servicemembers and their families have made endless sacrifices to protect our country, and the last thing they should have to worry about is identity theft or fraud issues. I’m proud to support this bipartisan legislation to expand free credit monitoring to all of our servicemembers, including those in the reserves, and I’ll always support our military families in Montana and across the nation,” said Daines. “The Minnesota National Guard supports the proposed legislation to provide credit monitoring services to our Guard service members. This important measure will bring parity with the benefits currently afforded to our active-duty counterparts, offering essential protection to Guard and Reserve families. With these services, we can better safeguard our members’ financial security, ensuring they receive the support they need and deserve,” said Col Jamie Lindman, MN National Guard. “Every servicemember deserves access to the tools they need to accomplish their mission and defend our country,” said Cory Titus, the Military Officers Association of America’s Director of Currently Serving Affairs. “Credit monitoring services to help servicemembers maintain their security clearances are vital, but not all troops are covered under existing law. MOAA thanks Senators Klobuchar, Cramer, Carper, and Daines for supporting the reserve component and closing a loophole that left some unprotected. We urge the House to quickly pass the Servicemembers’ Credit Monitoring Enhancement Act.” “Congress has long recognized that free credit reporting can offer active duty military some financial peace of mind while they serve our country. This legislation will help protect even more service members from fraud and cybercrime while offering important insights into their personal finances. We applaud the work to bring this legislation to fruition and thank the leaders in the Senate who made it possible,” said TransUnion. “We are grateful for the many sacrifices made by our military service members, and we are committed to helping them live their financial best by providing them with the tools they need to help minimize their risk of fraud or identity theft,” said Mark W. Begor, CEO of Equifax. The Servicemembers’ Credit Monitoring Enhancement Act makes available to all armed service members, including non-active duty reservists and National Guard members, free electronic credit monitoring that is currently available to active duty service members. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below following the election of Senator John Thune (R-SD) as the Senate Republican Leader.
“I would like to congratulate fellow midwestern Senator John Thune on being elected as the next Senate Republican leader by his colleagues. Senator Thune and I have a long history of working together – from fixing supply chains and easing shipping backlogs to agriculture issues to our effort to put commonsense guardrails in place for AI,” said Klobuchar.
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MINNESOTA - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below in honor of Veterans Day. “Veterans Day is a time to focus on what unites us: an unwavering gratitude for the men and women who put their lives on the line for our nation. It's our sacred obligation to pay respect to the heroes who fought for our rights and our freedoms. This means guaranteeing veterans can get their disability claims processed. It means ensuring they can get their G.I. benefits. And it means making sure they can get the health care they deserve, including for exposure to burn pits and Agent Orange. Honoring our veterans is a duty we all take seriously in Minnesota. I’m thinking about Earl Meyer, a war hero from St. Peter. During World War II, at the young age of 17, Earl joined the Merchant
...Read more Mariners. On one mission, his ship hit a minefield. The crew had to cut the ship’s engine and sit as still as possible while Navy ships came in to clear the mines out of the waterway. As a teenager, Earl had already risked his life for our country. But Earl’s service didn’t end there. Just years after he returned home from the war and started farming, he joined the Army and went to the front lines of the Korean War. In June 1951, his unit was pinned down by mortar fire, and Earl was struck by shrapnel. Only four soldiers from his unit made it out alive. The medic who bandaged Earl said he’d put his name in for a Purple Heart, but Earl never saw that medic again. Decades passed and Earl still hadn’t received his Purple Heart, so his daughters reached out to my office. Together, we worked through the bureaucracy, and in May, Earl finally got his Purple Heart. Standing before a thousand people in the Gustavus chapel, he turned to me and said, ‘You know, this wasn’t really that big a deal.’ But it was a big deal. Because in Minnesota, we stand with those who stood with us. To all our service members and veterans — we honor you on Veterans Day and every day. Thank you for your service and sacrifice..” ### Read less Increased heating assistance was made possible by the Biden-Harris infrastructure law, which both Senators supported MINNEAPOLIS, MN - Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-MN), announced over $112 million in federal funding to help families and seniors pay for energy costs this winter. The funding was made possible in part through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which both Klobuchar and Smith helped pass. “As Minnesota prepares for winter, families shouldn’t have to choose between heating their homes or buying other necessities,” said Klobuchar. “This federal funding will help families and seniors across our state pay their energy bills and keep their homes warm.” “As the temperature starts to drop in Minnesota, everyone should be able to heat their homes
...Read more and stay warm,” said Smith. “For low-income families, high energy prices can force an impossible choice between heating their homes and other essentials like rent, food, or medicine. I’m proud of our work to secure this funding, which will help families in Minnesota afford their heating costs and utility bills in the coming winter months.” “LIHEAP is essential to families who live on a limited income," said Denise Stewart, Executive Director of Lakes and Pines Community Action Council, a non-profit serving Aitkin, Carlton, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs and Pine Counties. "In today's economy with the rising cost of energy, housing and food, meeting basic needs is increasingly difficult. LIHEAP allows families and seniors to stay warm in our extremely cold winter months and frees up household funds to ensure other basic needs are met." The funding is issued through the Low-Income Housing Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which provides families with payment assistance to support their home energy needs. LIHEAP can also be used to weatherize homes to make them more energy efficient and mitigate energy emergencies during disasters and extreme weather. Individuals interested in applying for energy assistance can visit www.energyhelp.us or call the National Energy Assistance Referral (NEAR) hotline toll-free at 1-866-674-6327. ### Read less The Senate and House Appropriations Committees Advanced Funding Bills with Resources for Minnesota Projects Secured and Backed by Klobuchar, Smith U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the Fiscal Year 2025 federal budget bills that passed the Senate and House Appropriations Committees includes projects to benefit Mankato and Southern Minnesota. These projects would invest in public infrastructure. On September 26, the Senate and House agreed to avoid a shutdown and continue to negotiate on a final budget proposal. Klobuchar and Smith will fight to ensure these projects are included in that final year-end bill. “From upgrading the Mankato Regional Airport Air Traffic Control Tower to investing in the local water system, we worked with local
...Read more leaders to secure resources important to Mankato and Southwest Minnesota,” said Klobuchar. “Once completed, these projects will improve quality of life for Minnesotans.” “Upgrading crucial infrastructure for Southern Minnesota and constructing a new air traffic control tower for Mankato Airport are exactly the kinds of projects we should be investing in,” said Smith. “The federal government should be a partner in uplifting and providing necessary funding for vital community projects championed by local leaders, and that’s exactly what we are hoping to accomplish for residents of Mankato and Southwest Minnesota.” Klobuchar and Smith have successfully secured the following projects in the Appropriations Committee-approved bill: $1,050,000 for the City of Butterfield to update its wastewater treatment facility and reconstruct city streets, sanitary sewers, storm sewers, and water mains, which are currently in unsafe conditions. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Brad Finstad (R-MN).
$1,050,000 for the City of Eagle Lake to construct a new water treatment facility to provide clean drinking water to residents. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Brad Finstad (R-MN).
$750,000 for the City of Henderson to construct a water filtration plant to remove iron and manganese contaminants from the drinking water. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Michelle Fischbach (R-MN).
$1,050,000 for the City of Okabena to repair, replace, or construct Okabena’s drinking water distribution system to provide the residents and businesses of Okabena with a safe and dependable drinking water system. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Brad Finstad (R-MN).
$1,050,000 for the City of Madison Lake to replace and improve its water supply system, storm sewer, sanitary collection system, and other critical infrastructure.
$800,000 for the City of Pemberton for repairs to their drinking water storage, well house, distribution, and stormwater conveyance. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Brad Finstad (R-MN).
$2,100,000 for Mankato Regional Airport to construct a new air traffic control tower. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Brad Finstad (R-MN). Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. The projects are expected to pass the Senate over the next several months. ### Read less The Senate and House Appropriations Committees Advanced Funding Bills with Resources for Minnesota Projects Secured and Backed by Klobuchar, Smith U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the Fiscal Year 2025 federal budget bills that passed the Senate and House Appropriations Committees includes projects to benefit Carver County. These projects would invest in public infrastructure. On September 26, the Senate and House agreed to avoid a shutdown and continue to negotiate on a final budget proposal. Klobuchar and Smith will fight to ensure these projects are included in that final year-end bill. “From upgrading critical road infrastructure to investing in flood mitigation, we worked with local leaders to secure resources important to Carver
...Read more County,” said Klobuchar. “Once completed, these projects will improve quality of life for Minnesotans.” “Transportation, drinking water and sewage infrastructure improvements will directly benefit residents in Carver County,” said Smith. “The federal government should be a partner in uplifting and providing necessary funding for vital community projects, and that’s exactly what we are hoping to accomplish in Carver County.” Klobuchar and Smith have successfully secured the following projects in the Appropriations Committee-approved bill: $4,700,000 for the Carver County Highway 5 Improvements Project in Victoria. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Tom Emmer (R-MN).
$3,350,000 for City of Carver to rebuild the Carver river levee system to FEMA and US Army Corps of Engineers standards to protect historic downtown Carver from flood damages. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Tom Emmer (R-MN).
$2,000,000 for the Laketown Township for Community Sewer Improvement Project. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Tom Emmer (R-MN).
$2,200,000 to assist the Western Area Fire Training Association (WAFTA) with on-site and off-site environmental investigations and development of a remedial action plan to address impacted soil and groundwater. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Dean Phillips (D-MN).
$1,600,000 to the City of Norwood Young America for transportation, drinking water, and sewer infrastructure upgrades. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Tom Emmer (R-MN). Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. The projects are expected to pass the Senate over the next several months. ### Read less The Senate and House Appropriations Committees Advanced Funding Bills with Resources for Minnesota Projects Secured and Backed by Klobuchar, Smith WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the Fiscal Year 2025 federal budget bill that passed the Senate Appropriations Committee includes a $367,000 project to reconstruct the Aitkin Airport runway. The airport’s runway is in need of repair and expansion to ensure Aitkin can continue serving regional aircraft. On September 26, the Senate and House agreed to avoid a shutdown and continue to negotiate on a final budget proposal. Klobuchar and Smith will fight to ensure these projects are included in that final year-end bill. “Aitkin Airport needs to reconstruct its runway to improve
...Read more access to regional air travel. With this federal grant, the airport will be able to build the new runway to continue serving travelers,” said Klobuchar. “Aitkin Airport is an essential link for residents and businesses,” said Smith. “Small and regional airports like the Aitkin Airport are vital parts of their communities and this funding would go directly towards repaving the runway to ensure it remains safe and functional.” Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. The projects are expected to pass the Senate over the next several months. ### Read less MINNEAPOLIS - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) was awarded the Montgomery Medal from the National Guard Association of the United States (NAGUS). The Montgomery Medal recognizes individuals or organizations who provide outstanding support to the NGAUS. Senator Klobuchar is receiving the award for championing issues important to National Guardsmen and veterans, such as bolstering the "Beyond the Yellow Ribbon" program, helping pass the historic PACT Act to ensure veterans exposed to toxic substances get the healthcare they need, and investments into the National Guard’s readiness and operational capabilities. At the presentation ceremony, NGAUS Minnesota Chapter President Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) 5 Brett Setterlund presented Klobuchar with the medal. Klobuchar, Minnesota National Guard
...Read more Major General Shawn Manke, and CWO 5 Setterlund delivered remarks. “It’s a privilege to receive the Montgomery Medal from the National Guard Association,” said Klobuchar. “The men and women of the National Guard put everything on the line when they put on the uniform, and we owe them a debt we can never fully repay. That’s why I’ve fought to provide them with the resources and support they need to keep our state and our nation safe.” Colonel Jamie Lindman read the following citation at the award ceremony: For her exceptional leadership, dedication, and unwavering support for the Minnesota National Guard, Senator Amy Klobuchar is awarded the Montgomery Medal. Her commitment to the welfare of Soldiers, Airmen, and their families is exemplified through her tireless advocacy and legislative achievements. Senator Klobuchar's profound impact on the lives of National Guard members is evident in her comprehensive approach to support and promote our service. She spearheaded the development of the "Beyond the Yellow Ribbon" program, transforming it into a national model that provides crucial support to service members reintegrating into civilian life. Her advocacy for improving childcare access and championing PACT Act legislation to address toxic exposure demonstrates her commitment to enhancing the quality of life for military families. Senator Klobuchar's leadership in modernizing the National Guard has been instrumental in securing advancements that enhance readiness and operational capabilities. From securing new aircraft for both the 148th Fighter Wing and 133rd Airlift Wings to advocating for infrastructure improvements at Camp Ripley Training Center, her efforts ensure the Guard remains a critical asset to our nation's defense. Her dedication to fostering partnerships locally and globally strengthens the Guard's capabilities and interoperability with international allies. Her support for initiatives like the State Partnership Program with Norway underscores her commitment to enhancing strategic military ties and improving readiness for joint operations. Senator Klobuchar exemplifies the values of service, leadership, and dedication and leaves an indelible mark on the Department of Defense, the National Guard Association of the United States, and the Minnesota National Guard. Read the full citation HERE. As a member of the National Guard Caucus, Senator Klobuchar is a leading advocate in the Senate for the National Guard. Since her election to the Senate, Klobuchar has fought to secure regular funding to extend and expand to the national level Minnesota’s pioneering Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Program. Beyond the Yellow Ribbon helps soldiers transition from military to civilian life through counseling and other services. In 2023, the United States Air Force announced that Minnesota’s 133rd Airlift Wing was selected to receive eight new C-130J aircraft. Klobuchar worked across the aisle to help secure these aircraft for Minnesota’s 133rd Airlift Wing. The 133rd also leads the nation’s longest continuous troop exchange with Norway, and our Croatia and Norway State Partnership Programs. All these partners benefit and embrace the 133rd’s tactical airlift mission. In 2022, provisions from Klobuchar’s Toxic Exposure Training Act to improve education and training for VA health care personnel passed as part of the bipartisan PACT Act. In 2019, Klobuchar introduced legislation that became law to ensure that children of Guard members and Reservists are identified as students of military families in school records. This requirement, which already applied to children of active-duty servicemembers, ensures that schools and teachers know which students have parents in the Guard and Reserves and help accommodate those needs. In 2017, Klobuchar introduced legislation to help reduce the cost of service for National Guard members and make a big difference for thousands of soldiers in the Minnesota National Guard by reducing the mileage that can be claimed on taxes from 100 to 50. In Minnesota, 30 percent of all National Guard members travel more than 50 miles for training and can be burdened with costly travel expenses simply for completing their required duty training each month. ### Read less The Senate and House Appropriations Committees Advanced Funding Bills with Resources for Minnesota Projects Secured and Backed by Klobuchar, Smith WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the Fiscal Year 2025 federal budget bills that passed the Senate and House Appropriations Committees include projects to benefit Pine County. These projects would invest in public water infrastructure and workforce housing. On September 26, the Senate and House agreed to avoid a shutdown and continue to negotiate on a final budget proposal. Klobuchar and Smith will fight to ensure these projects are included in that final year-end bill. “From upgrading critical water infrastructure in Pine City to investing in workforce housing in Sandstone, we
...Read more worked with local leaders to secure resources important to Pine County,” said Klobuchar. “Once completed, these projects will improve quality of life for Minnesotans.” “Those closest to an issue have the best solutions, and these projects were developed and designed to fit the specific needs of Pine County,” said Smith. “From updating Pine City’s wastewater treatment system to redeveloping the Historic Sandstone School into affordable workforce housing, these projects will help strengthen our communities and I look forward to working with Senator Klobuchar to get them passed and signed into law.” Klobuchar and Smith have successfully secured the following projects in the Appropriations Committee-approved bill: $750,000 for Pine City’s Wastewater Treatment Pond System Upgrade Project. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Pete Stauber (R-MN).
$850,000 for the Sandstone School Workforce Housing Project to develop 31 units of workforce housing. Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. The projects are expected to pass the Senate over the next several months. ### Read less The Senate and House Appropriations Committees Advanced Funding Bills with Resources for Minnesota Projects Secured and Backed by Klobuchar, Smith WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that Fiscal Year 2025 federal budget bills that passed the Senate and House Appropriations Committees include projects to benefit the Iron Range. These projects would invest in public infrastructure and local law enforcement. On September 26, the Senate and House agreed to avoid a shutdown and continue to negotiate on a final budget proposal. Klobuchar and Smith will fight to ensure these projects are included in that final year-end bill. “From upgrading critical infrastructure to investing in better tools for law enforcement, we worked with local leaders to secure
...Read more resources important to the Iron Range,” said Klobuchar. “Once completed, these projects will improve quality of life for Minnesotans.” “Those closest to an issue have the best solutions, and these projects were developed and designed to fit the specific needs folks on the Iron Range,” said Smith. “From updating our water infrastructure in Ely, Hibbing, Keewatin, Coleraine, Eveleth and Mountain Iron to fixing Nashwauk’s infrastructure plans, these projects will help strengthen our communities and I look forward to working with Senator Klobuchar to get them passed and signed into law.” Klobuchar and Smith have successfully secured the following projects in the Appropriations Committee-approved bill: $750,000 for the Mountain Iron/Eveleth for Watermain Loop Project. The funds would be used for the installation of five miles of water main from Mountain Iron to Eveleth, MN. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Pete Stauber (R-MN).
$1,000,000 for the City of Coleraine for reconstructing sewer, water, storm sewer, and street infrastructure. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Pete Stauber (R-MN).
$750,000 for the City of Keewatin for replacement of water/sewage infrastructure. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Pete Stauber (R-MN).
$2,000,000 for the City of Ely for Water Intake and Burntside Lake Water Main Replacement. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Pete Stauber (R-MN).
$2,000,000 for the City of Hibbing for Water Treatment Improvement and Expansion Project. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Pete Stauber (R-MN).
$1,000,000 for the City of Nashwauk’s Third Street Infrastructure Improvements Project. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Pete Stauber (R-MN).
$315,000 for the City of Cook’s Wastewater Treatment Pond Reconstruction Project. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Pete Stauber (R-MN). Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. The projects are expected to pass the Senate over the next several months. ### Read less The Senate and House Appropriations Committees Advanced Funding Bills with Resources for Minnesota Projects Secured and Backed by Klobuchar, Smith WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the Fiscal Year 2025 federal budget bills that passed the Senate and House Appropriations Committees includes projects to benefit Benton County. These projects would invest in public infrastructure. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Tom Emmer (R-MN). On September 26, the Senate and House agreed to avoid a shutdown and continue to negotiate on a final budget proposal. Klobuchar and Smith will fight to ensure these projects are included in that final year-end bill. “We worked with local leaders to secure resources important
...Read more to upgrading critical wastewater infrastructure in Benton County,” said Klobuchar. “Once completed, these projects will improve quality of life for Minnesotans.” “Minnesotans deserve to have safe, clean water,” said Smith. “Benton County is no exception, and this investment will update the city’s water and wastewater infrastructure system, directly impacting all of its residents.” Klobuchar and Smith have successfully secured the following projects in the Appropriations Committee-approved bill: $2,000,000 for the City of Foley for Water Treatment Plant and Well 6 Construction Project. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Tom Emmer (R-MN).
$2,000,000 for the City of Gilman to replace its wastewater collection pond and stormwater infrastructure. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Tom Emmer (R-MN). Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. The projects are expected to pass the Senate over the next several months. ### Read less Democratic Senators Warn Americans To Be On Alert Against Efforts To Undermine Public Confidence In Election Results READ THE REPORT HERE WASHINGTON – Today, Senate Rules Committee Chair Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released a report summarizing for the American people what to expect on Election Day and encouraging voters to cast their ballot. With the general election well underway in every state across the country, Senate Democrats have a clear message for the American people, which is to vote and cast their ballot as early as possible. As significant numbers of Americans choose to vote by mail, the report explains why it’s
...Read more still possible that, in some states, the outcome might not be known on November 5th, in part because states differ in whether they allow mail-in ballots to be processed ahead of Election Day and whether ballots must be received by Election Day or postmarked by Election Day. The report also makes clear that voter intimidation is illegal and federal law prohibits coercing or threatening anyone in order to interfere with their right to vote. A copy of the report can be found HERE. “The right to vote is fundamental to our democracy, and we must do everything we can to protect it and uphold the integrity of the election process. That means pushing back on efforts to sow chaos during election season. As this report explains, it also means making sure that Americans know that it is possible that the outcome in some states will not be known on November 5th. While some states have expedited their counting requirements since 2020, we should be prepared to be patient about results in places where counting ballots may take longer. Americans should keep making their voices heard at the ballot box,” said Klobuchar. “Just like 2020, Donald Trump and his allies continue to refuse to commit to accepting the results of the election if he loses while pushing dangerous and divisive rhetoric to sow discord and undermine confidence in our election process. Americans losing faith in the results of our elections doesn’t just risk another January 6th but puts our very democracy at risk,” said Leader Schumer. “Senate Democrats remain committed to ensuring all Americans can vote without fear or intimidation.” “As Donald Trump bets on chaos, division, and lies to fuel his campaign and get back into the White House, it’s on us to see through his fearmongering and stand up for our democracy. So vote early, vote by mail, vote in person—but vote. The future of our country depends on us rejecting fear and misinformation and making our voices heard,” said Murphy. “Former President Trump's dangerous rhetoric threatens to further divide our country and sow real potential for violence like we saw up close on January 6, 2021. Our elections are the foundation of American democracy. Protecting them should be the top priority for everyone who cares about the future of our country. Election officials, courts, and elected leaders must be accountable for upholding that principle,” said Heinrich. “There is no greater responsibility, or honor, as an American than exercising your right to vote. Our free, fair voting systems and our peaceful transitions of powers are two of the hallmarks that have separated America from authoritarianism for centuries now—and that will carry on far beyond this November, despite Donald Trump's desperate, sad attempts to sow seeds of chaos and distrust in our electoral processes. The most powerful defense against creeping autocracy in America is to make our voices heard at the ballot box—because carrying out our most sacred duty as citizens is the best way we can ensure remain a government of, by and for the people,” said Duckworth. ### Read less MINNEAPOLIS - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below following the passing of former U.S. Representative Rick Nolan.
“Rick Nolan was an incredible friend that dedicated his life to public service and his family. With his thunderous voice and passion for the people, Rick was a one-of-a-kind leader,” said Klobuchar. “He was the comeback kid. He went from being one of the youngest members of Congress to being one of the oldest freshmen when he was sworn in again at 69. He was the consummate outdoorsman, friend of labor, and he never forgot where he came from. John and my thoughts and prayers are with Mary and his family.”
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The Senate and House Appropriations Committees Advanced Funding Bills with Resources for Minnesota Projects Backed by Klobuchar, Smith WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that Fiscal Year 2025 federal budget bills that passed the Senate and House Appropriations Committees include projects to benefit Duluth and Floodwood. These projects would invest in public infrastructure and child care. On September 26, the Senate and House agreed to avoid a shutdown and continue to negotiate on a final budget proposal. Klobuchar and Smith will fight to ensure these projects are included in that final year-end bill. “From upgrading critical infrastructure to investing in expanding child care options for families, we worked with local leaders to secure
...Read more resources important to Duluth and Floodwood,” said Klobuchar. “Once completed, these projects will improve quality of life for Minnesotans.” “Those closest to an issue have the best solutions, and these projects were developed and designed to fit the specific needs of the Duluth area,” said Smith. “From streamlining law enforcement and emergency data or fixing the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge, to updating our water infrastructure or investing in affordable childcare, these projects will help strengthen our communities and I look forward to working with Senator Klobuchar to get them passed and signed into law.” Klobuchar and Smith have successfully secured the following projects in the Appropriations Committee-approved bill: $2,000,000 for the Northern Minnesota Counties Records System Collaborative. This project between nine Minnesota counties will allow for seamless data sharing of 9-1-1 communications records, jail records, and law enforcement data.
$500,000 for repairs on the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge.
$1,000,000 for the City of Duluth to make improvements at the Lakewood Water Treatment Plant. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Pete Stauber (R-MN).
$1,500,000 for the City of Floodwood’s Infrastructure & Accessibility Improvements Project. The project consists of upgrading infrastructure including water, sewer, storm water and ancillary street reconstruction/curb/sidewalks.
$674,000 for the Duluth Lincoln Park Restoration Project.
$136,000 for supporting Divine Konnections’ child abuse prevention, recovery, and healing services for young moms.
$50,000 to operate the Polar Cubs Child Care Center in Floodwood. Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. The projects are expected to pass the Senate over the next several months. ### Read less MINNESOTA – With stops today in three remaining counties: Aitkin (American Peat Manufacturing); Carlton (local airport), and Kanabec (Lakes & Pines Community Action Council), U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar has once again visited every one of Minnesota’s 87 counties in one year. “The best way for me to do my job is by listening to the people of Minnesota and getting things done for them,” said Klobuchar. “That’s why every year I meet with Minnesotans all over our state and discuss what we can get done together. From expanding child care and housing to supporting local businesses, I’m committed to taking action on the issues that matter most.” Today, Klobuchar toured American Peat Technology in Aitkin and then went to the Cloquet Airport in Carlton County which is developing a new
...Read more storage hanger thanks to federal funding. Klobuchar ended the day in Mora and visited the Lakes and Pines Community Action Council. This year, Klobuchar’s stops included: 1. Aitkin
• Toured American Peat Technology and met with their leadership team. 2. Anoka
• Gave remarks at the USA Cup Opening Ceremony in Blaine.
• Attended the 43rd annual Game Fair and discussed conservation policy with Ron Schara.
• Participated in Coon Rapids 4th of July Festivities.
• Attended the Blaine Festival. 3. Becker
• Led a child care discussion and toured the Boys & Girls Club of Detroit Lakes LEAP Preschool. 4. Beltrami
• Led a breakfast discussion with Bemidji City and Beltrami county and tribal leaders.
• Spoke at the dedication ceremony of the new Bemidji Veterans Home, toured it with veterans, and met with Red Lake Band Members. 5. Benton
• Toured SNX Technologies Inc. and met with their leadership. 6. Big Stone
• Discussed agriculture with local farmers while touring Anne Schwagerl’s farm. 7. Blue Earth
• Visited Mankato in the aftermath of severe flooding with Mankato mayor and Representative Finstad.
• Met with family and friends of Sergeant Cade Wolfe. 8. Brown
• Attended the community celebration at the Pheasant Opener in Sleepy Eye and spoke at the Pheasants Forever land dedication.
• Toured the New Ulm Airport’s recent upgrades and met with local leaders. 9. Carlton
• Toured the new Cloquet airport hangar with airport leadership and the Cloquet mayor. 10. Carver
• Led a discussion with the City of Chaska mayor and public safety leadership about their Emergency Operations Center project.
• Toured the town of Carver with the mayor in the aftermath of severe flooding.
• Attended the Highway 212 Groundbreaking Ceremony.
• Spoke to veterans at the Chanhassen Memorial Day event. 11. Cass
• Led a community discussion with the Walker mayor and local business leaders. 12. Chippewa
• Spoke with veterans and toured the new Montevideo Veterans Home. 13. Chisago
• Discussed regional tourism and toured the Franconia Sculpture Park. 14. Clay
• Celebrated the launch of the federally funded Moorhead 11th Street Underpass project.
• Attended the Reimagine Romkey Park event. 15. Clearwater
• Toured TEAM Industries and met with their leadership. 16. Cook
• Visited the North Shore Winery and Coho Cafe. 17. Cottonwood
• Toured Red Rock Rural Water Treatment Center and visited with local leaders. 18. Crow Wing
• Met with the mayor and city leadership about the Highway 210 expansion in Brainerd.
• Toured the new YMCA child care center. 19. Dakota
• Gave remarks at the Kaposia Library opening in South Saint Paul.
• Met with Burnsville first responders.
• Attended the opening ceremony of the Veterans Memorial Greenway in Inver Grove Heights.
• Met with law enforcement and community leaders in Hastings to highlight the Cooper/Davis Act that requires social media to alert authorities when controlled substances are being distributed illicitly on their platforms.
• Attended an event in Inver Grove Heights to highlight the new Criminal Justice Network for Minnesota law enforcement.
• Led the Survivor March and delivered remarks at the Susan G. Komen 32nd Annual Race for the Cure in Eagan. 20. Dodge
• Met with the owner and toured Chaotic Good Brewery in Kasson. 21. Douglas
• Led a discussion at the Alexandria YMCA about their child care program. 22. Faribault
• Met with leadership and toured Winnebago Manufacturing in Blue Earth. 23. Fillmore
• Toured Harmony Enterprises manufacturing facility and their child care center.
• Toured the new Preston State Veterans Home and met with veterans. 24. Freeborn
• Led a discussion and toured the Freeborn/Mower Electric Cooperative in Albert Lea. 25. Goodhue
• Met with students and school leadership to hear about the Red Wing Flight Path workforce training program.
• Spoke at the 50th Anniversary Jaunt With Jim bike ride in Cannon Falls. 26. Grant
• Toured the West Central High School Greenhouse and the Central Lakes College’s mobile meat cutting trailer and met with FFA students and their instructors. 27. Hennepin
• Attended the annual MLK Breakfast.
• Delivered remarks at the Asia Mall Lunar New Year celebration in Bloomington.
• Delivered Remarks at the MN Newspaper Association Convention.
• Met with officers at the Minneapolis Second Precinct Station.
• Convened a meeting with the Metropolitan Airport Commission leadership to hear updates on aviation safety and passenger experience.
• Delivered remarks at the Stand with Ukraine Two Year Commemoration event.
• Spoke at the Annual Parkinson’s Foundation Walk in Plymouth.
• Delivered remarks at the Celebrating the Sistas Awards Ceremony and presented the Icon Award honoring Laysha Ward.
• Delivered remarks at the MN Ovarian Cancer Alliance Gala.
• Visited Woodlake Nature Center in Richfield and met with staff.
• Spoke at the 78th Annual Paralyzed Veterans of America National Convention.
• Participated in the groundbreaking event for the St. Louis Park Cedar Lake Road Reconstruction project.
• Spoke at the Annual Somali Independence Day Street Festival.
• Delivered remarks at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation 75th Anniversary Gala.
• Toured the I-494 construction site and met with local project leaders in Bloomington.
• Attended the Minnesota Business Partnership Annual Dinner.
• Attended the Twin Cities Pride Parade and Festival in Minneapolis.
• Honored the Legendary Cornbread Harris at an event with his son Jimmy Jam.
• Attended Champlin Father Hennepin Festival.
• Convened a meeting with the Metropolitan Airport Commission leadership to hear updates on aviation safety and passenger experience.
• Attended the Charles Lindbergh Richfield Post Office Dedication Ceremony.
• Presented the Spirit of Hospitality Award at the Bloomington Travel and Tourism Diamond Service Awards Gala.
• Attended the Niron opening and met with local businesses and Shakopee Band investors. 28. Houston
• Led a discussion with leadership and toured the Houston County airport in Caledonia. 29. Hubbard
• Toured a workforce housing development and met with local leaders. 30. Isanti
• Toured the North Star Child and Family Advocacy Center in Braham. 31. Itasca
• Met with leadership and toured the KOOTASCA Child Care Hub. 32. Jackson
• Met with first responders to discuss the new EMS telemedicine ambulance in Jackson. 33. Kanabec
• Toured the Lakes and Pines Community Action Council and visited with leaders. 34. Kandiyohi
• Toured the Life Link III Air Base at Willmar Municipal Airport.
• Attended the four lane Highway 23 completion celebration. 35. Kittson
• Met with owners and toured Far North Distillery. 36. Koochiching
• Met with the team at the Voyageurs National Park Headquarters. 37. Lac qui Parle
• Toured PURIS Plant-Based Protein manufacturing facility and met with leadership. 38. Lake
• Visited the iconic Betty’s Pies in Two Harbors. 39. Lake of the Woods
• Met with county leadership about their new water safety equipment. 40. Le Sueur
• Led a discussion with the Le Sueur Sheriff and other local leaders and toured the department.
• Viewed the flood damage and met with leadership in Waterville about federal assistance. 41. Lincoln
• Led a discussion at Lyon-Lincoln Electric Co-Op with their leadership. 42. Lyon
• Visited the farm of Carolyn and Jonathan Olson in Cottonwood. 43. McLeod
• Participated in the Winsted Post Office Rededication Ceremony to James A. Rogers, Jr. 44. Mahnomen
• Toured the White Earth Nation College with Chairman Fairbanks and members of the Tribal Council. 45. Marshall
• Toured North Valley Health Center Community Hospital in Warren. 46. Martin
• Toured the CHS soybean processing facility in Fairmont. 47. Meeker
• Toured the Doosan Bobcat manufacturing plant and met with leadership in Litchfield. 48. Mille Lacs
• Met with the owner and enjoyed breakfast at the Bee Cafe in Milaca. 49. Morrison
• Delivered remarks at the Memorial Day program at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Little Falls.
• Met with the mayor and area leadership to discuss the Little Falls bridge project. 50. Mower
• Led a discussion and toured the Hormel Foods child care center in Austin.
• Attended the I-90 bridge project groundbreaking ceremony in Austin. 51. Murray
• Met with the owners and got a tour of Painted Prairie Vineyard in Currie. 52. Nicollet
• Toured KATO Engineering and met with leadership in North Mankato.
• Delivered remarks and presented the Purple Heart at a ceremony honoring Corporal Earl Meyer in St. Peter. 53. Nobles
• Met with CEDA and county officials to discuss child care projects and solutions in Worthington.
• Toured the Highway 59 federally funded street project with Worthington leadership. 54. Norman
• Convened a meeting with Norman County leadership to discuss the West Central Regional Water District project. 55. Olmsted
• Delivered remarks at the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association Annual Legislative Conference in Rochester.
• Attended the Memorial Day Rochester Honkers game.
• Toured the Mayo Clinic’s new Kellen building.
• Delivered remarks at the Soldier’s Field Aquatic Center improvements opening ceremony.
• Led a discussion with county leadership and law enforcement about efforts to combat illegal fentanyl use in Rochester. 56. Otter Tail
• Met with leadership from Pioneer Kids Child Care and toured the facility in Fergus Falls with Fergus Falls Chamber of Commerce members. 57. Pennington
• Visited Northern Woodwork Inc. in Thief River Falls.
• Met with city and business leadership at Rivers and Rails Brewing Company. 58. Pine
• Toured Pine Technical & Community College and met with leadership. 59. Pipestone
• Met with local leaders at the Pipestone Airport to discuss improvement plans. 60. Polk
• Met with child care and city leaders at the Prairie Pines Child Care Center in Fosston. 61. Pope
• Met with staff and toured Clyde Machines in Glenwood with the mayor and Pope County leadership. 62. Ramsey
• Toured PAR Systems in Shoreview.
• Delivered remarks at the St. Paul Firefighters Local 21 Installation celebration.
• Gave welcome remarks at the Thai Songkran Festival opening ceremony.
• Delivered remarks at the Official State Memorial Day event at Fort Snelling.
• Spoke at the Hmong Freedom Festival in St. Paul.
• Hosted Secretary Becerra at the Episcopal Homes Senior Living Center to highlight Medicare drug pricing.
• Hosted tourism event at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights.
• Toured the Carter Work Project in St. Paul with Habitat for Humanity leadership.
• Delivered remarks at the Military Appreciation Day event at the MN State Fair.
• Spoke at the CLUES Fiesta Latina in St. Paul.
• Toured Delkor Systems in Arden Hills with Ex-Im Bank Director Herrnstadt.
• Led a round table discussion with Ex-Im Bank director and Minnesota business leaders.
• Delivered remarks at the St. Paul Kellogg-Third Street Bridge Construction Kick Off event.
• Attended the Serving Our Troops Event in support of military families.
• Attended St. Paul St. Patrick's Day festivities.
• Toured the Neighborhood Development Center with Secretary Yellen 63. Red Lake
• Led a discussion about the Farm Bill with the Minnesota Wheat Growers Association and Minnesota Barley Growers Association. 64. Redwood
• Delivered remarks and met with agricultural leaders at Farmfest. 65. Renville
• Toured K&M Manufacturing in Renville and met with employees. 66. Rice
• Met local leaders and manufacturers to tour a planned child care facility in Faribault.
• Toured flood damage and met with leadership in Northfield. 67. Rock
• Toured the new child care center under construction in Luverne. 68. Roseau
• Attended annual Hockey Day Celebration activities in Warroad. 69. Saint Louis
• Toured flood damage in downtown Cook with the mayor and local leaders.
• Toured the flash flood damage in Biwabik with the mayor and local leaders.
• Joined Duluth mayor to highlight the success of their flood mitigation projects.
• Visited the Blatnik Bridge to highlight its need for repair.
• Attended Fourth of July festivities in Aurora, Gilbert, Eveleth, Tower, and Ely.
• Presented a flag to the Ely mayor at Ely Memorial High School in commemoration of their 100th Anniversary Celebration.
• Attended Labor Day events in Duluth and Virginia. 70. Scott
• Met with Scott County Sheriff leadership, viewed the new rescue equipment, and toured the 911 Dispatch Center in Shakopee. 71. Sherburne
• Met with leadership of the Wave Youth Center in Big Lake to tour and discuss their expansion project for middle and high school-aged youth. 72. Sibley
• Toured the Heartland Ethanol Plant in Winthrop with company leadership. 73. Stearns
• Delivered remarks at the annual St. John's Boys' Choir Spring Gala in St. Cloud.
• Spoke at the St. Cloud VA Medical Center 100th Anniversary celebration.
• Toured the St. Cloud Coborn’s with business leadership. 74. Steele
• Convened a discussion with Owatonna High School staff and Chamber of Commerce leadership about their Youth Skills Training Program. 75. Stevens
• Met with the Chancellor of UMN Morris and toured the campus. 76. Swift
• Toured the Swift County Historical Museum in Benson and met with leadership. 77. Todd
• Met with company leadership of EnterpriseCP Manufacturing and toured the facility. 78. Traverse
• Led a discussion with Browns Valley mayor and fire chief to hear about fire department operations. 79. Wabasha
• Toured Pepin Manufacturing Inc. in Lake City.
• Spoke at the Governor's Fishing Opener Kick-Off in Lake City. 80. Wadena
• Met with Central Lakes College leaders to discuss their Butchery Program and federal partnerships. 81. Waseca
• Met with staff and toured Winegar Manufacturing in Waseca. 82. Washington
• Spoke at the 1st Annual Momentous Music Festival with Brian Mueller in Woodbury, honoring Aimee Muller.
• Attended the Hugo Good Neighbors Day festivities. 83. Watonwan
• Visited the farm of Harold Wolle in St. James. 84. Wilkin
• Toured CHI St. Francis Health and met with leadership in Breckenridge. 85. Winona
• Visited local businesses in Winona with Chamber of Commerce leadership to discuss tourism. 86. Wright
• Attended the I-94 West Corridor Coalition Gap Project Groundbreaking Ceremony in Monticello which received federal funds. 87. Yellow Medicine
• Met with leadership and visited the Yellow Medicine County Historical Society and Museum.
• Walked the Dave Smiglewski Memorial Trail in Granite Falls with the Smiglewski Family. ### Read less MINNESOTA – Today Senator Amy Klobuchar met with Minnesotans in five counties as part of her commitment to visit every county in 2024. Klobuchar stopped in Baudette in Lake of the Woods County to discuss federal funding she helped secure for search and rescue equipment. In Koochiching County, Klobuchar met with the widow and colleagues of fallen Voyageurs National Park Ranger Kevin Melvin Grossheim. In Itasca County, Klobuchar toured a child care hub in Grand Rapids, and in Hubbard County, Klobuchar met with local Park Rapids officials to tour housing that was supported with federal funding. Finally, in Cass County, Klobuchar met with the mayor and local business leaders to discuss economic development and tourism. Tomorrow, Klobuchar will have events at American Peat Technology in
...Read more Aitkin, the Cloquet Carlton County Airport in Carlton, and Lakes and Pines Community Action Council in Kanabec at which point she will have visited every one of Minnesota’s 87 counties this year. “One of the best parts of my job is going out across the state every year and meeting with Minnesotans,” said Klobuchar. “I get to see incredible innovation, hear inspiring stories from families, thank our first responders, and talk to local leaders about what resources they need. These stops are how I get ideas for new legislation and how I know what to prioritize in Washington to make a real difference in people’s lives.” ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) is urging U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra and administration officials to use all appropriate authorities to resolve the national shortage of intravenous (IV) solutions caused by the halt in production at the North Carolina IV fluids manufacturing plant hit by Hurricane Helene. Klobuchar also warns that another plant in Daytona Beach, Florida that manufactures IV solutions could also become compromised by fast-approaching Hurricane Milton, exacerbating the existing shortage. “Flooding from Hurricane Helene compromised the safe operations, inventory, raw materials and roadway access at Baxter International’s intravenous (IV) solution plant in Marion, North Carolina,” wrote Senator Klobuchar. “
...Read more The plant - the largest manufacturing facility of IV solutions in the country - has been forced to cease production. This dangerous situation may be further exacerbated by fast-approaching Hurricane Milton, which may affect the operation of a Daytona Beach, Florida IV solutions plant.” “To address the potentially life-threatening shortage of IV solutions, I urge the Department of Health and Human Services to use all of its available authority to mitigate this devastating situation which threatens patient care, the work of medical and provider staff, and our emergency response readiness,” Klobuchar continued. “In addition to using your authority to address this shortage as quickly and safely as possible, I urge you to coordinate with the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice to prevent the distribution of counterfeit IV solutions.” Klobuchar has been a national leader in efforts to address prescription and over-the-counter drug shortages. In June, Senator Klobuchar chaired an Antitrust Subcommittee hearing titled “Strengthening U.S. Economic Leadership: The Role of Competition in Enhancing Economic Resiliency.” The hearing focused on the danger of consolidation in critical supply chains, which can make the country vulnerable to disruptions and supply shortages that can endanger U.S. economic resiliency and national security. In July 2023, Klobuchar, and Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Tina Smith (D-MN), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Elizabeth Warren’s (D-MA) bipartisan legislation to prevent and mitigate drug shortages was passed out of the Health Education Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee on a bipartisan vote of 17 to 3. The Drug Shortage Prevention Act would require manufacturers of over-the-counter and prescription medicines to notify the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) when they are unlikely to meet demand. The legislation also requires drugmakers to provide information about their suppliers of active pharmaceutical ingredients and in-process materials to the FDA. In 2012, Klobuchar and Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) led the Preserving Access to Life-Saving Medications Act, which Collins also cosponsored. This bipartisan legislation was signed into law as part of the Food & Drug Administration Safety & Innovation Act of 2012 (FDASIA). The Klobuchar law allows the FDA to require drug manufacturers to report to the FDA six months in advance if any supply or manufacturing disruption could lead to a prescription drug shortage. The law also created the Drug Shortage Prevention Task Force and requires the FDA to submit a report to Congress every year on drug shortages. In 2023, the number of new drug shortages tracked by FDA was 33, compared to a peak of 251 new shortages during 2011, before Klobuchar’s 2012 bill was passed into law giving FDA more tools to prevent shortages. The full text of the letter is available HERE and below: Secretary Becerra, As you know, Hurricane Helene left a trail of destruction and flooding across much of the southern United States. This natural disaster has caused widespread disruption to vital services across the region and country. Notably, flooding from Hurricane Helene compromised the safe operations, inventory, raw materials and roadway access at Baxter International’s intravenous (IV) solution plant in Marion, North Carolina. The plant - the largest manufacturing facility of IV solutions in the country - has been forced to cease production. This dangerous situation may be further exacerbated by fast-approaching Hurricane Milton, which may affect the operation of a Daytona Beach, Florida IV solutions plant. To address the potentially life-threatening shortage of IV solutions, I urge the Department of Health and Human Services to use all of its available authority to mitigate this devastating situation which threatens patient care, the work of medical and provider staff, and our emergency response readiness. As you know, the Baxter facility is responsible for the manufacture of approximately 60 percent of IV fluids and peritoneal dialysis solutions available to health care providers in the United States. As a result of Hurricane Helene, hospitals, dialysis centers, and other health care providers around the country—including many in Minnesota—are already being forced to ration these basic, but life-saving supplies. This means many patients have no choice but to delay starting dialysis, delay elective care, or potentially receive suboptimal treatments. Hospitals and health providers are now canceling elective surgeries, such as cardiovascular and other surgical operations, and canceling organ transplants. In addition to using your authority to address this shortage as quickly and safely as possible, I urge you to coordinate with the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice to prevent the distribution of counterfeit IV solutions. Steps must be also taken to ensure that companies advertising or selling FDA-approved IV solutions do not engage in price gouging or other illegal practices. I also urge the administration to implement strategies outlined in recent federal supply chain and manufacturing resilience assessments to mitigate any supply and distribution disruptions.,, Today, few companies in the United States make IV solutions, with a majority share flowing from a single plant. No single entity should be responsible for such a large proportion of fundamental medical supplies on which the health of our nation depends. Thank you for your continued efforts as we recover from the devastation of Hurricane Helene and for your attention to this urgent matter. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced they secured significant federal funding for Rochester International Airport for infrastructure improvements. The grant provides $15,774,313 to construct 1,647 feet of Runway 31’s safety area, reconstruct 6,450 feet of existing Runway 3/21, construct 2.5 miles of new service road, install 15,000 feet of wildlife perimeter fencing, and extend Runway 3/21 an additional 1,647 feet in length to bring the airport into conformity with current standards. “Rochester International Airport is an essential link for residents and businesses in Olmsted County and beyond,” said Klobuchar. “This federal grant will make needed infrastructure updates to ensure the airport can continue serving travelers for years to come.” “I’m
...Read more glad to see the Biden-Harris administration once again delivering for travelers in Minnesota and around the country,” said Smith. “Small and regional airports like the Rochester International Airport are vital parts of their communities and this funding will go directly towards constructing runways and services to ensure it is safe and functional for travelers.” This funding is from the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), which provides federal grants for airport infrastructure projects such as runways, taxiways, signage, lighting, and markings. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced they secured significant federal funding for Warroad International Memorial Airport. The grant provides $498,600 to acquire snow removal equipment, to improve the airport's ability to clear priority areas of the airfield during adverse weather conditions. “Warroad International Memorial Airport is an essential link for residents and businesses in Northern Minnesota.,” said Klobuchar. “This federal grant will allow the airport to purchase important equipment to protect operations during heavy weather events.” “I’m glad to see the Biden-Harris administration once again delivering for travelers in Minnesota and around the country,” said Smith. “Small and regional airports like the Warroad International Memorial
...Read more Airport are vital parts of their communities and this funding will go directly towards buying necessary snow removal equipment to make sure the runways are clear and safe for travelers in the winter.” This funding is from the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), which provides federal grants for airport infrastructure projects such as runways, taxiways, signage, lighting, and markings. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced they secured significant federal funding for St. Cloud Regional Airport for infrastructure improvements. The grant provides $352,548 to start Phase 1 of the Runway 13/31 improvement project. Improvements include reconstructing 900 feet of existing paved shoulders, acquiring three acres of land to protect the runway approaches, and conducting an environmental assessment. “St. Cloud Regional Airport is an essential link for residents and businesses in the tri-county region and beyond,” said Klobuchar. “This federal grant will make needed infrastructure updates to ensure the airport can continue serving travelers for years to come.” “I’m glad to see the Biden-Harris administration once again delivering for
...Read more travelers in Minnesota and around the country,” said Smith. “Small and regional airports like the St. Cloud Regional Airport are vital parts of their communities and this funding will go directly towards repaving roads and making other structural upgrades to ensure the airport is safe and functional for travelers.” This funding is from the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), which provides federal grants for airport infrastructure projects such as runways, taxiways, signage, lighting, and markings. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced they secured significant federal funding for Longville Municipal Airport for infrastructure improvements. The grant provides $618,177 for the final phase of the Runway 13/31 improvement project. Improvements include installing a precision approach path indicator system and constructing a new 582 foot paved taxiway turnaround on the end of Runway 31. “Longville Municipal Airport is an essential link for residents and businesses in Cass County and beyond,” said Klobuchar. “This federal grant will make needed infrastructure updates to ensure the airport can continue serving travelers for years to come.” “I’m glad to see the Biden-Harris administration once again delivering for travelers in Minnesota and
...Read more around the country,” said Smith. “Small and regional airports like the Longville Municipal Airport are vital parts of their communities and this funding will go directly towards updating and replacing the runway to ensure it is safe for travelers.” This funding is from the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), which provides federal grants for airport infrastructure projects such as runways, taxiways, signage, lighting, and markings. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced they secured significant federal funding for Thief River Falls Regional Airport. The grant provides $833,204 to replace existing snow removal equipment and enhance the airport's ability to clear the priority areas of the airfield during adverse weather conditions. “Thief River Falls Regional Airport is an essential link for residents and businesses in Pennington County and beyond,” said Klobuchar. “This federal grant will allow the airport to purchase important equipment to protect operations during heavy weather events.” “I’m glad to see the Biden-Harris administration once again delivering for travelers in Minnesota and around the country,” said Smith. “Small and regional airports like the Thief River Falls
...Read more Regional Airport are vital parts of their communities and this funding will go directly towards buying up-to-date snow removal equipment to make sure the runways are clear and safe for travelers in the winter.” This funding is from the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), which provides federal grants for airport infrastructure projects such as runways, taxiways, signage, lighting, and markings. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced they secured significant federal funding for Cloquet Carlton County Airport for infrastructure improvements. The grant provides $241,149 for a new 11,500 square foot hangar for aircraft storage. “Cloquet Carlton County Airport is an essential link for residents and businesses in Carlton County and beyond,” said Klobuchar. “This federal grant will make needed infrastructure updates to ensure the airport can continue serving travelers for years to come.” “I’m glad to see the Biden-Harris administration once again delivering for travelers in Minnesota and around the country,” said Smith. “Small and regional airports like the Cloquet Carlton Airport are vital parts of their communities and this funding will
...Read more go directly towards building an aircraft storage facility to ensure all planes are safely stored and secured.” This funding is from the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), which provides federal grants for airport infrastructure projects such as runways, taxiways, signage, lighting, and markings. ### Read less The legislation would ensure all health insurance plans cover additional breast screenings with no cost-sharing for individuals at greater risk for breast cancer. WASHINGTON – Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), introduced the bipartisan Find It Early Act to improve health insurance coverage of breast cancer preventative care. This bill would ensure all health insurance plans cover screening and diagnostic breast imaging, including mammograms, ultrasounds, MRIs, molecular imaging, and other technologies, with no cost-sharing. U.S. Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) lead companion legislation in the House of Representatives. “Early detection is an important step in improving health outcomes for patients,” said Klobuchar. “While
...Read more I was fortunate to have had a routine screening catch cancer at an early stage, that is not the case for many. This bipartisan legislation will enable more women to access screenings and diagnostic exams, which can make a big difference in treating this disease early.” "This bill is a crucial step in ensuring that all women have access to the additional imaging they need for early detection of breast cancer, without the burden of extra costs. I am proud to help lead this bipartisan legislation that improves coverage of necessary follow-up care for women. This is a great first step, that has the opportunity to change lives,” Marshall said. This bipartisan legislation is supported by the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation; Brem Foundation to Defeat Breast Cancer; Dense Breast-info; American College of Surgeons; American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network; My Density Matters; Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. In 2022, Klobuchar (D-MN) and a bipartisan, bicameral group of colleagues introduced the Screening for Communities to Receive Early and Equitable Needed Services (SCREENS) for Cancer Act to increase access to cancer screenings and reauthorize the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP). In addition, Klobuchar and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), along with their colleagues, introduced the Preventive Care Awareness Act, which promotes preventive health care services, like physicals, mammograms and other cancer screenings, and routine examinations. In 2014 and 2020, Klobuchar, Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Representative Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL) led the reauthorization and expansion of the EARLY Act to increase education and outreach on the breast cancer risks facing young women and provide them with the needed tools to fight breast cancer. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced they secured significant federal funding for Mahnomen County Airport for infrastructure improvements. The grant provides $203,400 to start Phase 1 of the Runway 17/35 improvement project. Improvements include updating the existing lighting and rehabilitating 3,400 feet of paved runway. “Mahnomen County Airport is an essential link for area residents and businesses,” said Klobuchar. “This federal grant will make needed infrastructure updates to ensure the airport can continue serving travelers for years to come.” “I’m glad to see the Biden-Harris administration once again delivering for travelers in Minnesota and around the country,” said Smith. “Small and regional airports like the Mahnomen County
...Read more Airport are vital parts of their communities and this funding will go directly towards rehabilitating the runway to ensure it is safe for passengers and crew.” This funding is from the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), which provides federal grants for airport infrastructure projects such as runways, taxiways, signage, lighting, and markings. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced they secured significant federal funding for Crookston Municipal Airport for infrastructure improvements. The grant provides $455,192 for a new 418 foot taxiway to provide airfield access to the site of a future hangar to bring the airport into conformity with current standards. This grant funds the final phase, which consists of construction. “Crookston Municipal Airport is an essential link for residents and businesses in Polk County and beyond,” said Klobuchar. “This federal grant will make needed infrastructure updates to ensure the airport can continue serving travelers for years to come.” “I’m glad to see the Biden-Harris administration once again delivering for travelers in Minnesota and around the
...Read more country,” said Smith. “Small and regional airports like the Crookston Municipal Airport are vital parts of their communities and this funding will go directly towards making much needed infrastructure updates to the runway and surrounding areas.” This funding is from the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), which provides federal grants for airport infrastructure projects such as runways, taxiways, signage, lighting, and markings. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced they secured significant federal funding for Staples Municipal Airport for infrastructure improvements. The grant provides $838,242 to construct a new 9,600 square foot hangar for aircraft storage. “Staples Municipal Airport is an essential link for residents and businesses in Wadena County and beyond,” said Klobuchar. “This federal grant will make needed infrastructure updates to ensure the airport can continue serving travelers for years to come.” “I’m glad to see the Biden-Harris administration once again delivering for travelers in Minnesota and around the country,” said Smith. “Small and regional airports like the Staples Municipal Airport are vital parts of their communities and this funding will go
...Read more directly towards building an aircraft storage facility to ensure all planes are safely stored and secured.” This funding is from the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), which provides federal grants for airport infrastructure projects such as runways, taxiways, signage, lighting, and markings. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced they secured significant federal funding for Todd Field Airport for infrastructure improvements. The grant provides $214,749 to resurface 3,501 feet of Runway 16/34, 1,340 feet of taxiway, 278 feet of other surfaces, and 9,320 square yards of general aviation apron pavement. The funding will also be used to rehabilitate 400 square feet of the parking lot and 1,000 feet of the terminal entrance access road. “Todd Field Airport is an essential link for residents and businesses in Long Prairie and beyond,” said Klobuchar. “This federal grant will make needed infrastructure updates to ensure the airport can continue serving travelers for years to come.” “I’m glad to see the Biden-Harris administration once
...Read more again delivering for travelers in Minnesota and around the country,” said Smith. “Small and regional airports like the Todd Field Airport are vital parts of their communities and this funding will go directly towards repaving the runway and other important surfaces.” This funding is from the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), which provides federal grants for airport infrastructure projects such as runways, taxiways, signage, lighting, and markings. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced they secured significant federal funding for Winsted Municipal Airport for new snow removal equipment. The grant provides $558,043 to acquire snow removal equipment to enhance the airport's ability to clear the priority areas of the airfield during winter weather. “Pilots and passengers who use Winsted Municipal Airport deserve a safe and efficient air travel experience,” said Klobuchar. “This federal grant will ensure the airport can continue running smoothly during the winter, even when it snows heavily.” “I’m glad to see the Biden-Harris administration once again delivering for travelers in Minnesota and around the country,” said Smith. “Small and regional airports like the Winsted Municipal Airport
...Read more are vital parts of their communities and this funding will go directly towards keeping runways clear and safe in the winter.” This funding is from the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), which provides federal grants for airport infrastructure projects such as runways, taxiways, signage, lighting, and markings. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and U.S. Representatives Robert Aderholt (R-AL) and Adam Smith (D-WA), co-chairs of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, sent a letter to the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Children’s Issues Director Vlad Lipschutz expressing disappointment with the People’s Republic of China’s decision to halt its intercountry adoption program. The lawmakers requested additional information from the Chinese government on its decision to end this program and the status of pending adoption cases for American families. The lawmakers also urged the State Department to press Chinese officials to complete adoptions that were in process at the time of the announcement. “We are disappointed by the People’s Republic of China’s
...Read more decision to halt its intercountry adoption program. This news is devastating for the hundreds of children and American families with adoption cases pending in China, many of whom have waited years for these adoptions to be completed,” wrote the lawmakers. “As co-chairs of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, the safety of adopted children and hundreds of would-be adoptees is our top priority, and the sudden termination of China’s adoption program has exacerbated our concern for these children’s well-being.” “We request you seek further clarification from the Chinese government on the details and reasoning for its decision to end its intercountry adoption program, as well as the status of pending adoption cases, and share the information without delay with adoptive families and service providers. We urge you to press Chinese officials about finalizing adoption cases so these children may be united with their adoptive families in the United States,” concluded the lawmakers. As co-chairs of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, Klobuchar, Aderholt, Cramer, and Smith have led efforts to give every child a permanent home and improve the adoption process. The Congressional Coalition on Adoption (CCA) is the largest bipartisan, bicameral caucus in Congress. CCA brings together members of Congress from both parties who share the goal of ensuring all children know the love and support of a family through legal permanency in the forms of adoption, guardianship, and kinship care. Klobuchar is a leader in the Senate in supporting adoptees and adoptive families. Klobuchar and Cramer introduced the Supporting Adopted Children & Families Act to provide pre- and post-adoption resources, including mental health treatment, to support adoptive families. Klobuchar and Cramer also lead the Safe Home Act to protect adopted children from unregulated custody transfers. Earlier this year, Klobuchar and Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) introduced the Voluntary Limited Accreditation for Adoption Services Act which would provide adoption agencies the flexibility and multiple avenues they can pursue to receive the necessary accreditation. The full text of the letter is available HERE and below: Dear Director Lipschutz: We are disappointed by the People’s Republic of China’s decision to halt its intercountry adoption program. This news is devastating for the hundreds of children and American families with adoption cases pending in China, many of whom have waited years for these adoptions to be completed. As co-chairs of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, the safety of adopted children and hundreds of would-be adoptees is our top priority, and the sudden termination of China’s adoption program has exacerbated our concern for these children’s well-being. Many of these children have special health care needs, and some will soon age out of care systems without the support of a permanent family. It is particularly critical that these children have access to the care and support that they need — which hundreds of American families approved for adoption are willing to provide. We request you seek further clarification from the Chinese government on the details and reasoning for its decision to end its intercountry adoption program, as well as the status of pending adoption cases, and share the information without delay with adoptive families and service providers. We urge you to press Chinese officials about finalizing adoption cases so these children may be united with their adoptive families in the United States. Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We are prepared to work closely with you to ensure these children are welcomed into safe and stable homes. ### Read less WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Klobuchar along with Leader Schumer (D-NY), Leader McConnell (R-KY), and Senators Bennet (D-CO), Blumenthal (D-CT), Boozman (R-AR), Cardin (D-MD), Cornyn (R-TX), Durbin (D-IL), Graham (R-SC), Hoeven (R-ND), Kelly (D-AZ), Murkowski (R-AK), Reed (D-RI), Risch (R-ID), Schatz (D-HI), Shaheen(D-NH), Sullivan (R-AK), and Wicker (R-MS) hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Capitol. Download photos here. “Despite Vladimir Putin’s relentless assault, Ukraine continues to stand strong and stand up for democracy. I came together with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to meet with President Zelensky for an update on Ukraine’s defense efforts. With tremendous fortitude, the Ukrainian people are fighting against authoritarianism and Russian
...Read more aggression, and together with democracies around the world, we will continue to stand with them.” ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced a $1,522,000 grant from the National Park Service (NPS) Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program to update Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Park in Rochester. This funding will restore the park with new and improved amenities. It will specifically be used to resurface the basketball courts, install accessible playground equipment, develop a splash pad, build a large picnic shelter, expand the community garden, construct a new restroom, build new lighting at the basketball courts, add electrical connections in a plaza area where food trucks can park, and introduce Wi-Fi services. “Public parks not only provide a place for recreation and relaxation, but they also strengthen our sense of
...Read more community," said Klobuchar. "This federal grant will upgrade Rochester’s Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park with improved greenspace, sports areas, and facilities so residents can take full advantage of the park’s amenities.” “Everyone should have access to safe outdoor spaces and recreational opportunities,” said Smith. “Thanks to the Biden-Harris administration, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park in Rochester is getting a grant to make the park safer and more accessible for the community. I am glad to see land conversation funds at work in Minnesota.” “We are grateful for the continued support and welcome this exciting news about the federal grant, which will provide the much-needed improvements to one of Rochester’s oldest and highly utilized parks, particularly by underrepresented communities,” said Rochester Mayor Kim Norton. “Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park has been and will continue to be a gathering space for robust community events, cultural gatherings, social meetups and a hub for health, wellness and belonging.” ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), a senior member of the Senate Commerce Committee, announced that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) at the U.S. Department of Commerce approved Minnesota’s plan for broadband infrastructure deployment. This development advances Minnesota to the next step in their planned affordable broadband rollout across the state. Klobuchar’s Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act was incorporated into the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and was the basis for the significant federal funding to Minnesota for expanding high-speed internet access. “Internet access is necessary for everything from education to healthcare, not to mention for keeping in touch with friends and family. However, many households in Minnesota
...Read more currently don’t have a reliable broadband connection,” said Klobuchar. “That is why I fought to secure this game changing investment that will deliver affordable and reliable high-speed internet to everyone in Minnesota. With the approval of Minnesota’s rollout plan, we are one step closer to connecting every corner of our state.” Klobuchar has long led efforts to expand broadband access, support rural broadband, and bridge the digital divide. In June 2023, Klobuchar announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce had awarded major federal funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to bring reliable, affordable, high-speed internet access to every household in Minnesota. The Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act, Klobuchar’s legislation with Former House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC) to expand high-speed internet nationwide, served as the basis for the program created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In March 2023, Klobuchar and Senators John Thune (R-SD), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), and Jerry Moran (R-KS) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to expand broadband access to rural communities. The Reforming Broadband Connectivity Act would strengthen funding mechanisms for the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Universal Service Fund (USF), which promotes universal access to broadband and other telecommunications services. Currently, the USF is primarily funded through landline fees, disproportionately impacting seniors, who are more likely to use landlines than other Americans. In February 2023, Klobuchar introduced bipartisan legislation with Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) to strengthen broadband access for rural communities. The Rural Broadband Protection Act would ensure that providers applying for federal funding can reliably deliver broadband to underserved, rural communities. In July 2021, Klobuchar introduced bipartisan legislation with Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to expand rural broadband access by streamlining the funding process and removing barriers for broadband connectivity in hard-to-serve rural areas. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) announced their Stop Campus Hazing Act to improve the reporting and prevention of hazing on college campuses has passed the House of Representatives. This bipartisan legislation would require colleges to include hazing incidents in their annual campus safety report and establish a campus-wide, research-based program to educate students about the dangers of hazing. In addition, the bill would increase transparency and accountability by providing parents and students with better information about a student organization’s history of hazing incidents. The bill is championed by Representatives Lucy McBath (D-GA) and Jeff Duncan (R-SC) in the House of Representatives. House passage of the Stop Campus Hazing Act comes
...Read more as the Senate passed Klobuchar and Cassidy’s bipartisan resolution to recognize National Hazing Awareness Week. The resolution designates this week, September 23 through 27, 2024, as “National Hazing Awareness Week,” recognizes the hundreds of students who have died or suffered severe, life-altering injuries as a result of collegiate hazing, and promotes efforts to prevent hazing. McBath and Duncan lead the companion resolution in the House of Representatives. “When parents send their kids away to college, they expect they will get a good education and make new friends. Unfortunately, too many are also exposed to hazing, a dangerous—and at times deadly—problem,” said Klobuchar. “Our bipartisan legislation will improve hazing prevention efforts on college campuses to make sure we have the information we need to stop this abuse and keep students safe.” “Students and families should feel safe no matter what college they choose,” said Dr. Cassidy. “By increasing transparency, the Stop Campus Hazing Act will ensure that hazing is never ignored. We must get this bill across the finish line and passed into law.” This Stop Campus Hazing Act is cosponsored by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Bob Casey (D-PA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), James Lankford (R-OK), Steve Daines (R-MT), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Angus King (I-ME), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV). The National Study of Student Hazing found that more than half of college students involved in extracurricular clubs, athletic teams, and organizations experience hazing. Since 2000, there have been more than 50 hazing-related deaths. The Stop Campus Hazing Act would: Improve hazing reporting by requiring colleges to include hazing incidents in their Annual Security Report;
Prevent hazing by establishing campus-wide, research-based hazing education and prevention programs; and
Help students and their parents make informed decisions about joining organizations on campus by requiring colleges to publish on their websites the institution’s hazing prevention policies and the organizations that have violated them. This bipartisan, evidence-informed legislation is supported by the Clery Center; StopHazing; Anti-Hazing Coalition including the Hazing Prevention Network, Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values, Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors, National Panhellenic Conference and its member sororities, the North American Interfraternity Conference and its member fraternities; National Pan-Hellenic Council, Inc.; Association of Big Ten Students; College Safety Coalition; SAFE Campuses, LLC; International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators; National Association of Clery Compliance Officers and Professionals; and the parents of hazing victims. Klobuchar has been a leader in the fight to end hazing. Last year, Klobuchar and Cassidy introduced the bipartisan Stop Campus Hazing Act and the first ever congressional resolution designating “National Hazing Awareness Week.” The 2024 National Hazing Awareness Week resolution is cosponsored by Bob Casey (D-PA), James Lankford (R-OK), Senators Angus King (I-ME), Susan Collins (R-ME), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chris Coons (D-DE), Steve Daines (R-MT), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Joe Manchin (I-WV). ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below on her vote to support the Continuing Resolution which would keep the government funded and avoid a shutdown through December 20, 2024.
“The Senate and the House just came together across the aisle to avoid a shutdown as we continue to negotiate on the budget. This means federal law enforcement pay will be uninterrupted, critical clinical trials and medical research can continue, small businesses will still be able to access financing, and our economy will not be subject to a preventable shockwave. Brinkmanship only hurts the American people and our economy, and I’m committed to working in a bipartisan way to get things done.”
###
WASHINGTON— U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar met veterans visiting Washington, D.C. through the Honor Flight Network program. The Honor Flight Network has flown approximately over 2,300 World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War veterans to Washington to see their memorials at no cost in recognition of their service and sacrifices. This flight consisted of 215 Minnesota and North Dakota-based veterans who served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. “It was an honor to meet these incredible Minnesota veterans on their trip to our nation’s capital for this important program,” said Klobuchar. “I am so thankful to all our veterans for their dedicated service to our country, and will continue fighting to ensure our servicemembers and veterans receive the full support they have
...Read more earned.” Veterans from Kittson, Roseau, Marshall, Beltrami, Polk, Red Lake, Pennington, Clearwater, Norman, Mahnomen, Hubbard, Clay, Becker, Wilkin, Otter Tail, Douglas, Grant, Traverse, Stevens, Swift, Big Stone, Pope, Todd and Wadena counties took part in this trip. Photos available HERE. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), a senior member of the Senate Commerce Committee, announced the U.S. Department of Commerce is awarding Polar Semiconductor $123 million in federal funding as part of the CHIPS and Science Act to expand its Bloomington manufacturing facility. Polar is the first company in the country to move from a preliminary agreement to the award stage. The funding will go toward expanding and modernizing the company’s manufacturing facility in Bloomington, doubling the company’s U.S. production capacity and creating new manufacturing and construction jobs in Minnesota. “America must stay on the cutting edge of manufacturing to maintain our economic edge on the world stage. This landmark federal investment in Polar Semiconductor’s Bloomington
...Read more facility is a major step toward strengthening domestic production of advanced semiconductors,” said Klobuchar. “I worked closely with Polar Semiconductor to secure this grant and ensure Minnesota continues to be a premier destination for business investment.” Polar produces high-voltage semiconductors for use in automotive, commercial and industrial applications at its 310,000-square-foot facility in Bloomington. The company produces 21,000 wafer semiconductors per month. Klobuchar voted to pass the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act to strengthen domestic semiconductor production and boost American competitiveness and innovation. The CHIPS and Science Act is providing significant resources to: Help companies build, expand, or modernize domestic facilities and equipment for semiconductor production;
Kickstart development of the domestic semiconductor workforce and address near-term labor shortages;
Make the largest five-year investment in public research and development in the nation’s history, including in critical technologies such as artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing, as well as boosting STEM education and regional technology hubs. In June 2023, Klobuchar hosted a roundtable discussion and press conference at Normandale Community College in Bloomington with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo to discuss the CHIPS and Science Act and how it can benefit Minnesota companies and workers. Polar Semiconductor VP of Business and Technology Development Rajesh Appat attended the roundtable. In August 2022, Klobuchar held a press conference in Bloomington with executives from leading U.S.-based semiconductor designers and manufacturers with operations or headquarters in Minnesota to highlight how the CHIPS and Science Act will strengthen American economic competitiveness and spur innovation. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced Beltrami County will receive federal resources to help law enforcement crack down on illicit drug trafficking and address the overdose epidemic through the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Program. The HIDTA Program, funded by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), coordinates and assists federal, state, local, Tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies to address regional drug threats and reduce illicit drug production and trafficking. This new designation will allow critical resources to be deployed to law enforcement in Beltrami County working to seize illicit drugs like fentanyl, prevent and reduce gun violence and other violent crime associated with drug
...Read more trafficking, improve interdiction efforts through enhanced data sharing and targeting, and dismantle illicit finance operations. “The opioid epidemic is taking lives and tearing families apart. We need to continue to provide law enforcement with the tools they need to fight drug trafficking and the violent crime that comes along with it,” said Klobuchar. “These federal resources will allow for greater coordination among all levels of law enforcement in Beltrami County so they can do their jobs even more effectively.” “Families across our state are hurting from the opioid epidemic — I want to make sure we’re doing all we can to help law enforcement crack down on drug trafficking in our communities,” said Smith. “These newly unlocked federal resources that will be deployed in Beltrami County will make a big difference in our fight against opioid overdoses.” ### Read less Senator Amy Klobuchar, Chair of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, Convened the Ceremony Washington, D.C. – Today the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC) and the Architect of the Capitol held the First Nail Ceremony for the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies. The event marks the launch of construction of the Inaugural Platform, where the next President and Vice President of the United States will take the oath of office on Monday, January 20, 2025. During the ceremony, JCCIC Chair Amy Klobuchar, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Rules Committee Ranking Member Deb Fischer, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Architect of the Capitol Thomas Austin drove
...Read more nails into a plank at the site of the future platform on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. The Senate Chaplain Barry C. Black also offered a blessing over the platform. Download photos HERE. “The Presidential Inauguration is a powerful symbol of American democracy and our country’s commitment to the peaceful transfer of power. Today’s ceremony marks the beginning of this cherished tradition,” said Chair Klobuchar. “As the Chair of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in organizing a successful 60th Presidential Inauguration.” “For each incoming president, the Inaugural Platform is built anew to symbolize new beginnings. In this remarkable ceremony, Republicans and Democrats place the first nails together to show support for our peaceful transfer of power, a sacred tradition we should never take for granted. It’s a great honor to participate, and I look forward to the 2025 inauguration,” said Senator Fischer. The 60th Presidential Inaugural Platform will be more than 10,000 square feet - the same size as every platform used since the 2005 inaugural ceremonies - which was the largest platform built for any inauguration. The platform is constructed entirely from scratch for each inaugural ceremony. The completed platform will hold approximately 1,600 inaugural guests, including members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, Supreme Court justices, former presidents, and the president and vice president and their families. The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies is charged with the planning and execution of the inaugural events of the President-elect and Vice President-elect of the United States at the U.S. Capitol since 1901. The nail used by Senator Klobuchar at the ceremony was made from iron ore mined and processed on Minnesota’s Iron Range by U.S. Steel at their facilities in Keewatin and Mountain Iron. The hammer used was made by Malco Tools of Annandale, Minnesota. ### Read less WASHINGTON - Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Peter Welch (D-VT) as well as Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Richard Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) filed an amicus brief in AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals v. Becerra; Bristol Myers Squibb Co. v. Becerra; and Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v. Becerra in the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit urging the court to uphold the constitutionality of Congress allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices for consumers. The brief focuses on the legislative history leading to the law's enactment.
...Read more It demonstrates that Congress, as entrusted by the Constitution, may enact policy reforms and improve federal programs. “In America, no one should be forced to choose between paying for life-saving medicine or paying their bills. Thanks to legislation we passed to end Big Pharma’s sweetheart deal, Medicare is starting to negotiate lower drug prices for consumers,” said Klobuchar. “It’s no surprise Big Pharma has been trying to stop this in the courts, and they’ve lost every case decided so far. I will continue fighting back against these absurd attempts to reinstate sky-high prices for prescription drugs.” “Big Pharma is once again refusing to accept that the power of the Biden-Harris Administration to negotiate drug prices is here to stay. Drug makers are again attempting to use the courts to undermine the Inflation Reduction Act–all to turn a bigger profit. And that’s despite the fact that the bill’s drug pricing provisions have the support of Americans—including 92% of Democrats and 77% of Republicans,” said Welch. “If Big Pharma thinks we’re going to stand by as they try to raise the prices of prescription drugs for seniors, they need a dose of reality.” An excerpt from the brief is below. The amicus brief is available HERE. “Appellants now attempt to accomplish through judicial action what they could not through the legislative process. Appellants’ position in this litigation boils down to the argument that the United States Constitution prohibits the federal government from negotiating the prices of the products it purchases. Appellants seek to prevent reform of a purchasing process that Congress itself made. They argue that, Congress having created this process, Congress now cannot unmake the process or even amend for the benefit of the American public and the American taxpayer. As the Appellees’ brief ably explains, this position is wrong as a matter of constitutional law. Congress improves laws all the time. Congress has the right and indeed the duty to do so. The Program takes nothing from the pharmaceutical industry—not its drugs and not its patents. And the Program does not coerce industry participants to do or say anything. Like every other market participant, manufacturers may sell their products at prices buyers think is fair (or not fair) and buyers may make market choices in turn.” Senator Klobuchar has been a leading voice in the Senate to lower prescription drug prices. Klobuchar’s bill to end the ban on Medicare negotiating lower prescription drug prices for Medicare’s 50 million seniors and help lower drug prices for all Americans was signed into law in 2022 as part of a larger legislative package. Klobuchar leads two bipartisan bills with Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to promote competition and reduce drug prices: the Preserve Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act and the Stop STALLING Act. Last February, they both unanimously passed the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Preserve Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act would limit anticompetitive “pay-for-delay” deals that prevent or delay the introduction of affordable generic drugs . Pay-for-delay deals happen when branded pharmaceutical companies pay generic drug companies to delay the introduction of cheaper substitutes – increasing the cost of prescriptions and imposing significant costs on our health care system. The Stop Significant and Time-wasting Abuse Limiting Legitimate Innovation of New Generics (Stop STALLING) Act would deter branded pharmaceutical companies from filing sham petitions with the Food and Drug Administration in order to interfere with the approval of generic and biosimilar medicines that would compete with their own branded products, a tactic that delays patient access to affordable medications. The bill would also give the Federal Trade Commission enhanced authority to take action against those companies that file sham petitions. Earlier this year, Klobuchar worked with Senators Peter Welch (D-VT) and Mike Braun (R-IN) to introduce bipartisan, bicameral legislation to streamline drug patent litigation, encourage fair market competition, and lower prescription drug prices by making it easier for generic and biosimilar companies to enter the market. In 2023, Klobuchar along with Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) led a group of their colleagues in filing an amicus brief in Merck & Co. v. Becerra in the District Court for the District of Columbia and in Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v. United States in the District Court for Connecting, urging the federal courts to uphold the constitutionality of Congress allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices for consumers. On July 9, 2024, a federal judge in Connecticut dismissed Boehringer Ingelheim’s lawsuit. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with oversight over federal elections, along with Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, sent a letter to the CEO of Meta, Mark Zuckerberg; CEO of X, Linda Yaccarino; CEO of Alphabet, Sundar Pichai; CEO of Twitch, Daniel Clancy; and CEO of Discord, Jason Citron to highlight the risks of election-related disinformation on their platforms, and to urge the companies to take decisive action, including bolstering content moderation resources, to combat deceptive content intended to mislead voters or sow violence. “Your companies are on the frontlines of the risks to our democracy posed by online disinformation and technology-
...Read more enabled election influence, and it is for these reasons that we urge you to prioritize taking action to ensure that you have the policies, procedures, and staff in place to counter and respond promptly to these threats,” said the lawmakers. As Chair of the Rules Committee, Senator Klobuchar has worked on a bipartisan basis to safeguard our elections and strengthen democracy. In May 2024, the Senate Rules Committee passed three Klobuchar-led bipartisan bills to address the impact of AI on our elections. The bills include the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act with Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Susan Collins (R-ME) joined by Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO), the AI Transparency in Elections Act with Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and the Preparing Election Administrators for AI Act with Senator Collins. In January 2024, Klobuchar and Collins called on the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to assist state and local election officials in combating the spread of AI-generated disinformation about our elections. Their letter followed the reports of AI-generated deepfake robocalls using President Biden’s voice to discourage voting in the New Hampshire primary election. In February, the EAC voted unanimously to allow election officials to use federal election funds to counter disinformation in our elections caused by AI. Klobuchar is a lead sponsor of the Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe (NO FAKES) Act of 2023. The NO FAKES Act is a bipartisan proposal that would protect the voice and visual likeness of all individuals from unauthorized recreations from generative AI. The full text of the letter is available HERE and below: Dear Mr. Zuckerberg, Ms. Yaccarino, Mr. Pichai, Mr. Clancy, and Mr. Citron: We write to express our persisting concerns about the spread of election-related disinformation on your platforms as the 2024 general election is quickly approaching and to call on your companies to prioritize taking decisive action, including bolstering content moderation resources, to combat deceptive content intended to mislead voters or sow violence. Election-related disinformation continues to go viral and reach millions of viewers on your platforms, and generative artificial intelligence (AI) has the capacity to turbocharge the spread of disinformation to greatly enable malign influence actors. As AI technology gets more sophisticated, voters will have an increasingly hard time knowing if what is being presented to them on your platforms about candidates or how to cast a ballot is real or fake. This kind of deceptive content has targeted candidates on both sides of the aisle, including a recent deepfake of Vice President Kamala Harris’ voice that reportedly received more than 130 million views in just four days and AI-generated images of former President Donald Trump spread online during the primary elections. The proliferation of hyper-realistic synthetic media may also erode public trust more broadly, particularly given the increasing prevalence with which influence actors utilize generative AI in the course of impersonating legitimate news organizations. Election officials from both parties and experts have testified in the Senate Rules Committee about how disinformation can deceive voters and erode trust and confidence in our democracy. National security officials have warned about these threats as well. The Department of Justice recently took action to disrupt Russian government-backed efforts to interfere in the election, including with AI-generated content to deceive people online. In May Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines testified before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence about the increase in foreign adversaries attempting to influence our elections and how emerging technologies, including AI, are making it easier to create and amplify deceptive content online. Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray echoed those concerns earlier this year when he said that “the U.S. will face more adversaries, moving at a faster pace, and enabled by new technology.” The Department of Homeland Security has warned about the misuse of AI technologies by both domestic actors and foreign adversaries to attempt to interfere in U.S. elections including through online disinformation campaigns. We have already seen these efforts in other countries’ elections across the globe this year. Equally concerning, the Intelligence Community has warned about growing efforts by Russia and Iran to sow discord using online platforms; these warnings are particularly alarming given declassified information from previous elections indicating that Russian and Iranian influence operatives have sought to sow violence among Americans. Recent reports have raised significant questions about the extent to which online platforms are prepared to combat the threats presented by election-related misinformation, disinformation, and foreign influence efforts. Particularly in the context of safeguarding elections, it is vital that your companies maintain trust and integrity teams devoted to a number of functions related to addressing malicious activity, including content moderators, incident responders, legal compliance personnel, digital forensic specialists, and investigators. Your companies are on the frontlines of the risks to our democracy posed by online disinformation and technology-enabled election influence, and it is for these reasons that we urge you to prioritize taking action to ensure that you have the policies, procedures, and staff in place to counter and respond promptly to these threats. We also ask that you provide answers to the following questions: What actions has your company taken to update its policies to address the spread of election-related misinformation and disinformation in advance of this year’s election? How are you measuring if these policies are effective?
Does your company plan to implement additional measures, policies, or procedures to counter election-related misinformation and disinformation on your platform in advance of the November election, and what processes does your company have in place to determine if additional actions to address these issues are needed?
How is your company addressing the rising proliferation of deceptive AI-generated content concerning candidates and elections on your platform?
What policies does your company have related to entities impersonating legitimate media organizations, including sharing plagiarized or manipulated content from legitimate media organizations? Did your company consult with or otherwise engage with legitimate media organizations in the development of the aforementioned policies?
Has or will your company share information with other companies that own or operate social media platforms on election-related misinformation and disinformation that your company identifies in advance of this year’s election? This could include sharing information on identified or suspected actors or entities, malicious usage patterns and other tactics, techniques, or procedures, technical data, or any other information to address election-related misinformation and disinformation.
How many employees at your company, including contractors, are dedicated to addressing election-related misinformation and disinformation for this year’s election, and how does that number compare to staffing in other recent election years? Do you believe you have sufficient staff to address these issues?
How is your company working to identify and combat election-related misinformation from foreign actors on your platforms? Thank you for your attention to these critical matters. We look forward to your responses by October 1, 2024. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved the delivery of Individual Assistance for Minnesotans affected by severe storms and flooding across Martin and Murray counties. The Individual Assistance programs provide disaster survivors with access to a range of programs and services to aid in the recovery process, including financial assistance to eligible individuals and households. Damage assessments by federal, state, and local emergency management teams are ongoing, and FEMA may designate more counties and additional forms of assistance as damage is assessed. “The flooding this summer inflicted serious damage across our state, and we must continue working together to recover,” said
...Read more Klobuchar. “FEMA continues to be an active partner in the recovery effort so that our state can receive critical federal disaster relief funds, and expanding assistance to Martin and Murray counties will ensure residents have the help they need to rebuild.” “Minnesotans are still struggling after this summer’s devastating floods, and every level of government is needed for our communities to recover,” said Smith. “FEMA is an important federal partner, and this new assistance for residents of Martin and Murray counties will help provide the support they need to get back on track.” In June, Klobuchar and Smith led the entire bipartisan Minnesota congressional delegation in securing President Biden’s approval of Minnesota’s request for federal assistance to help Minnesotans whose homes suffered damage from storms and flooding. This announcement follows the Administration’s previous round of Individual Assistance in July, which made 19 counties eligible for funding. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Laura Provinzino to serve as United States District Court Judge for the District of Minnesota. Currently serving as an Assistant United States Attorney with the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, Provinzino was one of the candidates sent to President Biden by Senators Klobuchar and Smith following the recommendation from a judicial selection committee. “As a federal prosecutor, Laura Provinzino has dedicated her career to upholding the rule of law and her work has earned her the respect of attorneys and law enforcement across the state,” said Klobuchar. “I am confident that she will make an
...Read more outstanding jurist, and I know she will make St. Cloud proud. As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I worked to advance her nomination and I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their support of this outstanding nominee.” “Laura Provinzino has spent her career in service to Minnesotans. Her decades of experience advancing justice and protecting the rule of law will make her an exceptionally well-qualified U.S. District Court Judge,” said Smith. “I congratulate her on her bipartisan confirmation.” Laura Provinzino was born and raised in St. Cloud, and attended St. Cloud Technical High School. Her mother taught at Apollo High School, and her father was a lawyer in St. Cloud. Provinzino has spent her entire legal career in Minnesota. She has served as an Assistant United States Attorney since 2010. As a prosecutor, she has led efforts to prosecute violent crime, human trafficking, child pornography, and crimes against Native American women. In 2023, Provinzino was awarded the Attorney General’s David Margolis Award for Exceptional Service for her work in prosecuting an international sex trafficking organization that victimized hundreds of women. This is the highest award given by the Justice Department to recognize employee achievement. Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Provinzino worked as an associate at Robins Kaplan LLP. She earned her B.A., with honors, from Lewis and Clark College in 1998 and Oxford University, as a Rhodes Scholar, in 2000. She received her J.D. from Yale Law School in 2002. She also served as a law clerk to the Honorable Diana Murphy on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit from 2003 to 2004. Laura Provinzino was recommended by the Judicial Selection Committee, which was chaired by Lucinda Jesson, former judge on the Minnesota Court of Appeals, and included Johnathan Judd, Judge on Minnesota’s Seventh Judicial Court; David Lillehaug, former Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court and former U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota; Miguel Pozo, Member at Cozen O’Connor and former President of the Hispanic National Bar Association; Kristine Weeks, Judge on Minnesota’s Fifth Judicial Court and former assistant public defender; and X. Kevin Zhao, partner at Greene Espel PLLP. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, along with Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Tina Smith (D-MN) sent a letter to Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan to highlight the risks that new generative artificial intelligence (AI) features pose to competition and innovation in digital content, including journalism, and to urge both agencies to investigate whether the design of these features violates the antitrust laws. “Recently, multiple dominant online platforms have introduced new generative AI features that
...Read more answer user queries by summarizing, or, in some cases, merely regurgitating online content from other sources or platforms. The introduction of these new generative AI features further threatens the ability of journalists and other content creators to earn compensation for their vital work. While a traditional search result or news feed links may lead users to the publisher’s website, an AI-generated summary keeps the users on the original search platform, where that platform alone can profit from the user’s attention through advertising and data collection,” wrote the lawmakers. “Moreover, some generative AI features misappropriate third-party content and pass it off as novel content generated by the platform’s AI.” “For the reasons outlined above, we urge the Department of Justice Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether the design of some generative AI features, introduced by already dominant platforms, are a form of exclusionary conduct or an unfair method of competition in violation of the antitrust laws,” concluded the lawmakers. Klobuchar is a leader in the Senate in pushing to ensure our competition laws are as sophisticated as the technologies used in today’s modern economy. In March 2023, Klobuchar and Senator Kennedy introduced the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act to allow news organizations to jointly negotiate fair compensation for access to their content by dominant online platforms. This legislation is cosponsored by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Steve Daines (R-MT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Susan Collins (R-ME), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), John Barrasso (R-WY), Angus King (I-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV). At a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing in January, Klobuchar asked Condé Nast CEO Roger Lynch and News/Media Alliance President and CEO Danielle Coffey about the impact of AI on journalism. The full text of the letter is available HERE and below: Dear Assistant Attorney General Kanter and Chair Khan: We write to highlight the risks that new generative artificial intelligence (“AI”) features pose to content creators, including journalists who report local news, and to urge you to investigate whether the design of these features violates the antitrust laws. It is crucial that we ensure that big tech platforms do not misappropriate content from journalists and other content creators, leading to less local news reporting and credible sources of information, along with lower levels of competition, investment, innovation in the digital marketplace. Local news is facing a crisis. A recent study found that the U.S. has lost approximately 2,900 newspapers, and that a third of the newspapers that existed in 2005 will have disappeared by the end of this year. At the same time, dominant online platforms, such as Google and Meta, generate billions of dollars per year in advertising revenue from news and other original content created by others. New generative AI features threaten to exacerbate these problems. Recently, multiple dominant online platforms have introduced new generative AI features that answer user queries by summarizing, or, in some cases, merely regurgitating online content from other sources or platforms. The introduction of these new generative AI features further threatens the ability of journalists and other content creators to earn compensation for their vital work. While a traditional search result or news feed links may lead users to the publisher’s website, an AI-generated summary keeps the users on the original search platform, where that platform alone can profit from the user’s attention through advertising and data collection. Although these features may provide partial citations or links to sources, they are often hidden behind tabs or at the bottom of a page where users are unlikely to scroll after already reading an answer. Moreover, some generative AI features misappropriate third-party content and pass it off as novel content generated by the platform’s AI. These products also have significant competitive consequences that distort markets for content. When a generative AI feature answers a query directly, it often forces the content creator—whose content has been relegated to a lower position on the user interface—to compete with content generated from their own work. For example, if a user searches for a recipe, a search engine would have previously directed the user to a content-creator’s website. But today, many generative AI features will instead copy information from those websites (without authorization) and present it as an AI-generated recipe directly to the user, in direct competition with those websites. Publishers who wish to avoid having their content summarized in the form of AI-generated search results can only do so if they opt out of being indexed for search completely, which would result in a materially significant drop in referral traffic. In short, these tools may pit content creators against themselves without any recourse to profit from AI-generated content that was composed using their original content. This raises significant competitive concerns in the online marketplace for content and advertising revenues. Dominant online platforms in areas like search, social media, e-commerce, operating systems, and app stores already abuse their gatekeeper power over the digital marketplace in ways that harm small businesses and content creators and eliminate choices for consumers. These platforms have long employed strategies to profit off users’ engagement with third-party content without fairly compensating the creators of that content. We are concerned about the potentially devastating impact of some new generative AI features, introduced by these same dominant platforms, on news organizations and other content creators. For the reasons outlined above, we urge the Department of Justice Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether the design of some generative AI features, introduced by already dominant platforms, are a form of exclusionary conduct or an unfair method of competition in violation of the antitrust laws. We look forward to your prompt response. ### Read less Video of Klobuchar’s Floor Remarks HERE WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below following the Senate passage of the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act (KOSPA), which combines the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and Children’s and Teens Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA, or COPPA 2.0). KOSA mandates that technology companies take reasonable measures to prevent and mitigate harm to anyone under the age of 17. COPPA creates strong privacy protections for anyone under the age of 17, bans targeted advertising to kids and teens, and creates an Eraser Button for parents and kids by requiring companies to permit users to delete information. Klobuchar is a cosponsor of both bills. “Big tech companies have repeatedly failed to protect children's data and
...Read more ensure their safety online,” said Klobuchar. “The Senate is taking a stand and passed legislation that I’ve long advocated for that will protect kids online and give parents more control of their children’s data privacy. Our work cannot and must not stop here. Congress also needs to pass the bipartisan SHIELD Act and Cooper Davis and Devin Norring Act to further expand protections for kids and ensure law enforcement has the tools they need to go after perpetrators.” Klobuchar leads the SHIELD Act with Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and is a cosponsor of the Cooper Davis and Devin Norring Act, KOSA, COPPA 2.0, Project Safe Childhood, STOP CSAM, DEFIANCE, and TAKE IT DOWN. Klobuchar has long called for stronger rules of the road in the technology sector. Senator Klobuchar is a cosponsor of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). This bipartisan legislation requires social media platforms to make safety the default and gives kids and parents tools to help prevent social media's destructive impact. KOSA also ensures that parents and policymakers can assess whether social media platforms are taking meaningful steps to address risks to kids. Senator Klobuchar is also a cosponsor of the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0), bipartisan legislation to update online data privacy rules for the 21st century to ensure children and teenagers are protected online. This legislation passed the Senate Commerce Committee in July. Earlier this month, Klobuchar and Cornyn’s bipartisan Stopping Harmful Image Exploitation and Limiting Distribution (SHIELD) Act passed the Senate. The bill addresses the online exploitation of explicit, private images. Current state laws offer incomplete and inconsistent protection for victims of non-consensual image exploitation and abuse. The SHIELD Act would provide federal law enforcement with the tools they need to crack down on serious privacy violations. Earlier this month, the Senate passed the bipartisan Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits Act of 2024 (DEFIANCE Act), legislation Klobuchar cosponsors that would hold accountable those responsible for the proliferation of nonconsensual, sexually-explicit “deepfake” images and videos. Senator Klobuchar is a cosponsor of the Cooper Davis and Devin Norring Act, which would require social media companies and other communication service providers to report to the DEA when they know of the sale or distribution of illicit drugs including fentanyl, methamphetamine, or counterfeit controlled substance on their platforms. Earlier this year, at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing titled “Big Tech and the Online Child Sexual Exploitation Crisis,” Klobuchar asked the CEO of Discord Inc., Jason Citron, CEO of TikTok Inc., Shou Chew, Co-founder and CEO of Snap Inc., Evan Spiegel, CEO of X, Linda Yaccarino, and Founder and CEO of Meta, Mark Zuckerberg about turning a blind eye when young children joined their platforms, the risk of sexual exploitation, using algorithms that push harmful content, and providing a venue for drug traffickers to sell deadly narcotics like fentanyl. ### Read less WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chair of the Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, issued the statement below following the announcement of the Department of Justice Antitrust Division’s lawsuit against RealPage for facilitating price fixing in rental housing markets. “Housing is the single biggest expense for American families and RealPage has used its algorithms to help landlords fix rental prices and limit competition, driving up the cost of housing and limiting supply. I have long called for common sense action to address this problem and now the Justice Department is taking it on,” said Klobuchar. “Today’s antitrust lawsuit by the Justice Department is a major step toward holding RealPage accountable and demonstrates how aggressive
...Read more enforcement of our antitrust laws helps American families. I’ll keep fighting to make sure our antitrust enforcers have resources they need to protect Americans from anticompetitive conduct and to close loopholes in our laws to prevent algorithmic tools from being used for price fixing.” Klobuchar is a leader in the Senate in pushing to ensure our competition laws are as sophisticated as the technologies used in today’s modern economy. In November 2022, Klobuchar, along with Senators Durbin and Booker, urged the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate potential anticompetitive conduct affecting apartment rent rates, voicing their concern that RealPage’s pricing algorithms could artificially inflate rental rates and facilitate collusion. As Chair of the Competition Policy, Antitrust and Consumer Rights subcommittee, Klobuchar held two hearings in late 2023 exploring how pricing algorithms can be used to harm consumers, including Examining Competition and Consumer Rights in Housing Markets and The New Invisible Hand? The Impact of Algorithms on Competition and Consumer Rights. Both hearings highlighted the problem of companies sharing competitively sensitive, non-public data with pricing algorithms, allowing competitors to increase profits by charging higher prices and reducing output. In February, Klobuchar introduced the Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act to strengthen the law to address algorithmic price fixing, requires transparency by companies that use algorithms to set prices, bans companies from using competitively sensitive information from their direct competitors to inform or train a pricing algorithm, and directs the FTC to study pricing algorithms’ impact on competition. Additionally, in February, Klobuchar joined Senator Wyden in introducing the Preventing the Algorithmic Facilitation of Rental Housing Cartels Act to ensure that large landlords cannot skirt antitrust law and collude to increase rent prices across the country. Klobuchar leads the American Innovation and Choice Online Act with Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA). This bipartisan legislation to restore online competition by preventing technology companies from abusing their market power to harm competition, online businesses, and consumers. Last year, the American Innovation and Choice Online Act made history as the first digital competition bill to advance in Congress since the dawn of the internet when it passed the Senate Judiciary Committee with a 16-6 vote. In May 2024, Klobuchar introduced the Competition and Antitrust Law Enforcement Reform Act to give federal antitrust enforcers the resources they need to do their jobs, strengthen prohibitions on anticompetitive conduct and mergers, and make additional reforms to improve enforcement. ### Read less Klobuchar has been a leader in the effort to restore Medicare’s ability to negotiate lower drug prices WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement on today’s announcement of the results of the first round of Medicare price negotiations. These negotiations, which are the result of the end of the nearly 20-year prohibition on Medicare negotiating lower drug prices, made possible after provisions based on Klobuchar’s legislation to end the ban were signed into law in 2022. “Exorbitant prices should never stand between Americans and the life-sustaining medications they need. That is why I worked to end the sweetheart deal that allowed Big Pharma to artificially raise prices at the expense of our seniors. This announcement will save patients and taxpayers
...Read more billions of dollars and these savings will grow as Medicare negotiates the prices of even more drugs. Seniors won’t be the only ones to benefit. These prices will give employers and commercial health plans important information they need to secure savings for Americans with private insurance too. This is a major turning point in our fight to bring down costs,” said Klobuchar. Klobuchar has long led efforts to lower drug prices. The Empowering Medicare Seniors to Negotiate Drug Prices Act, Klobuchar’s bill to end the ban on Medicare negotiating lower prescription drug prices, was signed into law last in 2022 as part of larger legislation. Today’s announcement marks a significant milestone in the implementation of this law, and the negotiated prices will take effect in 2026. When these lower prices go into effect, people on Medicare will save $1.5 billion in out-of-pocket costs for their prescription drugs and Medicare will save $6 billion in the first year alone. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid will publish its list of the next 15 drugs that will be subject to negotiation by February 1, 2025. Due to this first round of negotiations, these drugs will have the following discount off the 2023 list price: 56% lower for Eliquis, which prevents and treats blood clots and was taken by 3,928,000 Medicare Part D enrollees last year;
66% lower for Jardiance, which treats diabetes and heart failure and was taken by 1,883,000 Medicare Part D enrollees last year;
62% lower for Xarelto, which prevents and treats blood clots and reduces risks for patients with coronary or peripheral artery disease. This drug was taken by 1,324,000 Medicare Part D enrollees last year.
79% lower for Januvia, which treats diabetes and was taken by 843,000 Medicare Part D enrollees last year;
68% lower for Farxiga, which treats diabetes, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease, and was taken by 994,000 Medicare Part D enrollees last year;
53% lower for Entresto, which treats heart failure and was taken by 664,000 Medicare Part D enrollees last year;
67% lower for Enbrel, which treats rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and psoriatic arthritis, and was taken by 48,000 Medicare Part D enrollees last year;
38% lower for Imbruvica, which treats blood cancers and was taken by 17,000 Medicare Part D enrollees last year;
66% lower for Stelara, which treats psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and Ulcerative Colitis, and was taken by 23,000 Medicare Part D enrollees last year;
And 76% lower for Fiasp, Fiasp FlexTouch, Fiasp PenFill, Novolog, Novolog Flexpen, and Novolog Penfill which treat diabetes and were taken by 785,000 Medicare Part D enrollees last year. In April 2023, Klobuchar and Peter Welch (D-VT) introduced the Strengthening Medicare and Reducing Taxpayer (SMART) Prices Act, which would make more drugs eligible for Medicare price negotiations more quickly. Klobuchar is also leading the fight against big pharma’s lawsuits attempting to dismantle Medicare negotiations. In late 2023, Klobuchar and her Senate colleagues filed an amicus brief in Merck & Co. v. Becerra in the District Court for the District of Columbia and another in Boehringer Ingelheim v. United States Department of Health and Human Services in the District Court for the District of Connecticut urging the federal court to uphold the constitutionality of Congress allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices for consumers. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Jerry Moran (R-KS), co-chairs of the Senate Travel and Tourism Caucus, led a bipartisan group of 19 Senators in calling President Biden to establish a White House Task Force on Global Sporting Events in preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 2028 and 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the 2031 Rugby World Cup, all of which will take place in various cities and states across the U.S. The Task Force would oversee the preparation and securing of the games including efforts to improve international visa processing and coordinating and securing the games. “The United States will host a number of major international sporting events over the next decade, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 2028 and 2034 Olympic and Paralympic
...Read more Games, and the 2031 Rugby World Cup,” wrote the senators. “We urge the White House to establish a White House Task Force on Global Sporting Events to oversee preparation and securing the games, specifically through international visa processing, security scenario training, incident response, transportation, diplomatic security, intelligence gathering and dissemination, and securing critical protective assets.” “To ensure the success of these events, preparations must be made to facilitate smooth and secure travel to the United States for our international guests,” the senators continued. “Similarly, the success of these events are dependent on the ability of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to work together to ensure the safety of the games and, if necessary, respond to critical incidents.” In addition to Klobuchar and Moran, the letter was also signed by Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Susan Collins (R-ME), Ron Wyden (D-OR), James Lankford (R-OK), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Michael Bennet (D-CO), John Boozman (R-AR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH). The full text of the letter is available HERE and below: Dear President Biden, As you know, the United States will host a number of major international sporting events over the next decade, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 2028 and 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the 2031 Rugby World Cup. These events have the potential to deliver tremendous economic and diplomatic benefits for our nation. We urge the White House to establish a White House Task Force on Global Sporting Events to oversee preparation and securing the games, specifically through international visa processing, security scenario training, incident response, transportation, diplomatic security, intelligence gathering and dissemination, and securing critical protective assets. Major global sporting events are opportunities to strengthen our nation’s economy and demonstrate America’s leadership on the world stage. The 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be the largest sporting event in U.S. history and held across Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, and Seattle, will attract more than 5 million international visitors and is expected to generate $5 billion in economic activity. Similarly, the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games are expected to generate another $5 billion in economic activity, while attracting millions of visitors from all over the world. To ensure the success of these events, preparations must be made to facilitate smooth and secure travel to the United States for our international guests. One challenge that must be an immediate and top priority is streamlining interview wait times for visitor visas. Currently, wait times for visitor visa interviews, particularly for first-time applicants, remain unacceptably high in many countries. As of June 2024, in the largest non-Visa Waiver Program countries, average interview wait times were nearly 300 days, with some locations reaching nearly two years. These wait times must be lowered in advance of these global sporting events. Consistent with the goals set by previous administrations, we encourage your Administration to target wait times of fewer than 31 days for 80 percent of applicants by the end of 2025. Similarly, the success of these events are dependent on the ability of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to work together to ensure the safety of the games and, if necessary, respond to critical incidents. As we saw with the Centennial Olympic Park Bombing during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, major sporting events pose an elevated risk for terrorist attacks, and require heightened precautions and public safety presence. As we prepare for these upcoming events, a White House Task Force on Global Sporting Events could facilitate the interagency planning necessary to keep participants and visitors safe. The creation of a White House Task Force on Global Sporting Events would help lead and coordinate federal efforts to address these and other concerns critical to the success of these marquee events. There is ample precedent for establishing such a task force for large-scale public events. In fact, previous administrations created these task forces years before the start of the event itself. For example, in 1998, then-President Clinton announced “the creation of the White House Task Force on the 2002 Olympic and Paralympic Games.” Official federal government preparation for the 1994 FIFA World Cup began in June 1987 with Congress passing S.J. Res. 175 to provide support to meet the requirements of a host country. We thank your administration for efforts already underway to prepare for the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 and 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Games and appreciate your attention to ensuring the success of these historic events. We stand ready to work with your administration in any capacity to achieve our shared goals. ### Read less WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with oversight over federal elections, Peter Welch (D-VT), Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 19 of their colleagues sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco urging the Department of Justice to take further action to counter threats targeting election workers ahead of the upcoming election. “We write to express serious concern about ongoing and persistent threats against election workers and to call on the Department of Justice to take additional steps to protect election officials, workers, and volunteers as we approach the election in November,” wrote the
...Read more senators. “In recent years, we have seen an ongoing barrage of threats and abusive conduct targeting election workers, and, as noted in the Department’s Election Threats Task Force briefing in May, these threats to our public servants ‘endanger our democracy itself.’” “We appreciate the steps that the Department has taken to address these concerning threats, including establishing the Election Threats Task Force and working to raise awareness of federal resources, but more must be done to counter these persistent threats and ensure that election workers can do their jobs,” the senators continued. “It is for these reasons that we urge the Department to continue to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of threats against election workers, including by allocating sufficient resources to meet these threats head on.” In addition to Klobuchar, Welch, and Durbin, the letter was signed by Senators Mark Warner (D-VA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Laphonza Butler (D-CA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Bob Casey (D-PA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and Angus King (I-ME). As Chairwoman of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, Klobuchar has long led efforts to improve election security and administration. In February, Klobuchar led a letter with 37 of her colleagues successfully urging President Biden to include significant funding for election security grants in the upcoming Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 federal budget. In December 2023, Klobuchar and Rules Committee Ranking Member Deb Fischer (R-NE) called on the Department of Justice to prioritize its review of incidents involving anonymous letters – some containing fentanyl and other unidentified substances – that were reportedly sent to several election officials in six states, and to work with the United States Postal Service and state and local officials to guard against similar incidents. In November 2023, Klobuchar and Fischer held a hearing on “Ongoing Threats to Election Administration,” where officials from both parties testified about threats and other challenges that election workers are facing. In April 2023, Klobuchar and Durbin reintroduced comprehensive legislation to address the rise in threats targeting election workers. The Election Worker Protection Act would provide states with the resources to recruit and train election workers and ensure these workers’ safety, while also instituting federal safeguards to shield election workers from intimidation and threats. In March 2023, Klobuchar and Fischer held a hearing on “State and Local Perspectives on Election Administration,” including the impact of increasing threats directed at election officials on the ability of states and local governments to administer elections. Full text of the letter is available HERE and below: Dear Attorney General Garland and Deputy Attorney General Monaco: We write to express serious concern about ongoing and persistent threats against election workers and to call on the Department of Justice to take additional steps to protect election officials, workers, and volunteers as we approach the election in November, because violence has no place in our democracy. In recent years, we have seen an ongoing barrage of threats and abusive conduct targeting election workers, and, as noted in the Department’s Election Threats Task Force briefing in May, these threats to our public servants “endanger our democracy itself.” According to a survey released earlier this year, more than one in three election officials have experienced threats, harassment, or abuse, and a survey last year found that more than half who received threats have been threatened in person. Last November, more than a dozen threatening letters—some containing fentanyl—were sent to election offices in at least six states, resulting in evacuations and delays in ballot counting. Earlier this year, a New Mexico man was convicted for his role in a series of shootings targeting local election officials. And as Deputy Attorney General Monaco has noted, these threats are being supercharged by new technologies like artificial intelligence that can expand the reach and further conceal the identities of those seeking to do harm. Our election officials and workers are public servants working on the frontlines of our democracy to make sure that every vote is counted. Election officials from both parties have testified before the Senate Rules and Judiciary Committees about threats that have been made against their lives and their families. Many election workers are leaving their jobs, impacting the ability of state and local governments to administer future elections. For example, in the past four years, 80 percent of Arizona’s counties have lost their chief local election official, and, during the same time period, close to 70 senior local election officials in Pennsylvania have resigned. The continued threat to election worker safety is happening as the number of election official resignations and retirements is growing, resulting in a significant loss of institutional knowledge. We appreciate the steps that the Department has taken to address these concerning threats, including establishing the Election Threats Task Force and working to raise awareness of federal resources, but more must be done to counter these persistent threats and ensure that election workers can do their jobs in light of the Department’s acknowledgment that the law enforcement response to threats in 2020 was “inadequate.” It is for these reasons that we urge the Department to continue to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of threats against election workers, including by allocating sufficient resources to meet these threats head on. We respectfully request an update on the Department’s efforts and plans to combat these threats as this year’s election approaches, in addition to providing the following information: 1. The number of threats against election workers, officials, volunteers, or their families that have been identified by the Department’s Election Threats Task Force, by state. 2. The number of completed and ongoing investigations and prosecutions based on those identified threats and actions taken to prioritize investigations and prosecutions. 3. A summary of the Department’s efforts to conduct outreach to election officials and workers to make them aware of the process for reporting threats and resources provided by the Task Force. 4. Actions taken by the Department to address the use of new technologies—including artificial intelligence—to target election workers. 5. Actions taken by the Department to inform local law enforcement agencies and election workers about the Department’s National Extreme Risk Protection Order Resource Center. 6. A summary of any new plans the Department has for the 2024 election cycle, including staff increases or new training for existing staff members. Thank you for your efforts to protect our election workers who administer our free and fair elections. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below following the unanimous Senate Commerce Committee passage of the bipartisan Rural Broadband Protection Act. The bill, which Klobuchar leads with Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish a more thorough vetting process to ensure that providers applying for federal funding are capable of delivering reliable broadband access to underserved, rural communities. “We should be able to bring high-speed internet to every family in Minnesota— regardless of their zip code,” said Klobuchar. “This bipartisan legislation will help Americans connect to work, school, health care, and business opportunities by ensuring the companies that apply for federal
...Read more funding to build out broadband infrastructure can get the job done. As co-chair of the Senate Broadband Caucus, I’ll keep fighting to close the digital divide and ensure Minnesota families can reliably access the high-speed internet they need.” “I have long been dedicated to making sure West Virginians have the broadband connectivity they need and deserve. This legislation expands on my previous broadband efforts, and is a product of many discussions I’ve had with small rural service providers and local leaders in West Virginia. As we continue our efforts to close the digital divide in West Virginia – this bill will make sure that Universal Service Fund dollars are not wasted, and ensure that funding is being used properly to fund broadband deployment in rural areas. Advancing the RBPA for full Senate consideration is another positive step in connecting every last home, school, and business in West Virginia,” Capito said. Klobuchar has long led efforts to expand broadband access, support rural broadband, and bridge the digital divide. In June 2023, Klobuchar announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce had awarded major federal funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to bring reliable, affordable, high-speed internet access to every household in Minnesota. The Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act, Klobuchar’s legislation with Former House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC) to expand high-speed internet nationwide, served as the basis for the program created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In March 2023, Klobuchar and Senators John Thune (R-SD), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), and Jerry Moran (R-KS) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to expand broadband access to rural communities. The Reforming Broadband Connectivity Act would strengthen funding mechanisms for the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Universal Service Fund (USF), which promotes universal access to broadband and other telecommunications services. Currently, the USF is primarily funded through landline fees, disproportionately impacting seniors, who are more likely to use landlines than other Americans. In February 2023, Klobuchar introduced bipartisan legislation with Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) to strengthen broadband access for rural communities. The Rural Broadband Protection Act would ensure that providers applying for federal funding can reliably deliver broadband to underserved, rural communities. In July 2021, Klobuchar introduced bipartisan legislation with Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to expand rural broadband access by streamlining the funding process and removing barriers for broadband connectivity in hard-to-serve rural areas. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee and co-chair of the Senate Travel and Tourism Caucus, announced her bipartisan Hotel Fees Transparency Act passed the Senate Commerce Committee unanimously. This legislation will improve transparency for consumers by requiring anyone advertising a hotel room or short-term rental to clearly show upfront the final price a customer will pay to book lodging. Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) cosponsor the legislation. The No Hidden FEES Act of 2023, companion legislation led by Representative Young Kim (R-CA), passed the House of Representatives last month. “Too often, Americans making reservations online are being met with hidden fees that make it difficult to
...Read more compare prices and understand the true cost of an overnight stay,” said Klobuchar. “The Senate passed my bipartisan legislation to improve transparency so that travelers can make informed decisions.” “The Hotel Fees Transparency Act gives customers the transparency they deserve while booking travel and planning expenses,” said Moran. “I appreciate the opportunity to work with Sen. Klobuchar on this legislation and its clearance through the Commerce Committee and encourage Sen. Schumer to quickly consider this bill so that individuals across the nation can make informed travel decisions.” As co-chair of the Congressional Tourism Caucus, Klobuchar has long led efforts to support the travel and tourism industry. As a member of the Senate Commerce Committee and Chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, Klobuchar has been a leader in the fight to protect consumers. In August 2019, Klobuchar and Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) introduced bipartisan legislation to protect consumers from online booking scams. The Stop Online Booking Scams Act makes it unlawful for a third party online hotel reservation seller who is not affiliated with the hotel to advertise, promote, or sell a reservation if they state or imply that they are the actual owner or operator of the hotel. It ensures that companies that fail to comply with the law are liable for unfair and deceptive acts under the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Act. Further, it gives state Attorneys General the authority to bring a civil action against companies who violate this provision. In May 2024, a number of Klobuchar-backed provisions passed the Senate and were signed into law as part of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act. One of these provisions is the Families Fly Together Act, Klobuchar’s bill with Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), to require airlines to allow children to sit together with their family members on flights at no additional charge. Under current law, parents who want to confirm a seat next to their children – including young infants – are often required to pay extra fees for advance seating, purchase more expensive tickets, or simply rely on the kindness of strangers. This will help keep kids safe while traveling and provide parents with much-needed peace of mind. In April 2022, Klobuchar received the U.S. Travel Association’s 2022 Travel Champion Award. The Travel Champion Award is an annual honor presented to Members of Congress that work to boost travel to and within the United States. In March 2022, the Restoring Brand USA Act, Klobuchar and former Senator Roy Blunt’s bipartisan legislation to provide support for Brand USA was signed into law by President Biden. Brand USA—a public-private partnership that promotes tourism to the United States—is not funded by taxpayer money, but rather through international visitors and private sector funding. In December 2022, Klobuchar’s bipartisan legislation with former Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO), the Protecting Tourism in the United States Act, to support and promote the travel and tourism industry, was signed into law. The legislation directs the U.S. Department of Commerce, in consultation with the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board and other relevant federal agencies, to study the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on different sectors of the travel and tourism industry. The bill also requires the Commerce Department to provide policy recommendations for promoting and assisting the travel and tourism industry. The Hotel Fees Transparency Act is supported by Consumer Reports, the Travel Tech Association, and the American Hotel & Lodging Association. ### Read less WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chair of the Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, issued the statement below following the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruling in favor of the Department of Justice, finding that Google is a monopolist in the online search market and has illegally abused its monopoly power in violation of the Sherman Act. “For years Google has used its dominance in online search markets to undermine rivals and limit competition. I have long been calling for action. The Justice Department took this on and won,” said Klobuchar. “This is a huge victory for the American people and shows the importance of enforcing our antitrust laws and why I am advocating for competition rules of the road for big tech companies.
...Read more If they keep fighting any sensible rules of the road they will keep getting sued - and will keep losing.” Klobuchar has long been the leading Senate advocate for taking on Big Tech monopolies. Klobuchar introduced and passed bipartisan legislation through the Senate Judiciary Committee to limit Big Tech’s monopoly power. In addition, Klobuchar has led hearings on Google’s online dominance. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Representative Pete Stauber (R-MN-08) announced new legislation to rename the Pengilly Post Office after First Lieutenant Richard A. Koski, a Pengilly resident who was killed in action at age 25 during the Vietnam War. First Lieutenant Koski was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Bronze Star, Silver Star, and First Oak Leaf Cluster for battlefield valor. Pengilly resident Brian Walker, who was saved from drowning when he was a child by First Lieutenant Koski, worked with Klobuchar on the naming effort. Representative Pete Stauber (R-MN-08), along with Representatives Brad Finstad (R-MN-01), Angie Craig (D-MN-02), Dean Phillips (D-MN-03), Betty McCollum (D-MN-04), Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05), Tom Emmer (R-
...Read more MN-06), and Michelle Fischbach (R-MN-07), introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives. “First Lieutenant Richard A. Koski has long been admired in Pengilly for his heroic actions both before and during his military service,” said Klobuchar. “By naming the Pengilly Post Office in his honor, we are paying tribute to his sacrifice and keeping his memory alive for generations to come.” “Lieutenant Koski was an American hero who we are proud to call Minnesotan,” said Smith. “He is remembered by those who knew him as a man of bravery and decency and has been recognized for his selfless service in the Vietnam War. By naming the Pengilly Post Office after him, we hope this building will serve as a reminder of his service to Minnesota and the United States.” “First Lieutenant Richard A. Koski is an American hero. On March 8, 1968, his exemplary bravery saved the lives of his brothers-in-arms but ultimately cost him his life. First Lieutenant Koski’s sacrifice, like those of so many other Americans, must not be forgotten. The freedoms we enjoy are made possible by those who make this sacrifice. That is why it is my privilege to introduce this legislation to rename the post office in his hometown of Pengilly in his honor,” said Stauber. First Lieutenant Richard A. Koski was born in Itasca County and served during the Vietnam War. First Lieutenant Koski is honored at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., and buried at the Nashwauk Cemetery in Itasca County. ### Read less Representatives Brad Finstad (R-MN) and Angie Craig (D-MN) are leading companion legislation in the House of Representatives. WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced their bipartisan legislation to designate the bald eagle as the National Bird of the United States has passed the Senate. “The bald eagle is a symbol of our country’s freedom and strength. In Minnesota, we are proud to call ourselves home to one of the largest populations of bald eagles in the country as well as the National Eagle Center in Wabasha,” said Klobuchar. “Now that my bipartisan legislation has passed the Senate we are one step closer to officially designating the bald eagle as our country’s National Bird.” “For more than
...Read more 240 years, the bald eagle has been synonymous with American values, yet it is still not officially our national bird,” said Lummis. “Today’s bipartisan passage brings us one step closer to solidifying the eagle’s place as an enduring symbol of our freedom, and I look forward to seeing this legislation pass the House and signed into law soon.” “I am thrilled our bill has just passed the U.S. Senate,” said Mullin. “The bald eagle is a strong symbol of patriotism for our nation, and it’s past time we make this designation official. Thank you to my colleagues in the Senate who supported it.” “The Bald Eagle has been a universally recognizable symbol of patriotism in this country for centuries, and they thrive in Minnesota because of our lakes and forestry,” said Smith. “I am proud to be a cosponsor of this bipartisan legislation designating the Bald Eagle as the official bird of the United States.” “As an undisputed symbol of our Nation, the bald eagle represents the strength and independence that we hold in our hearts as American citizens and it is past time that the bald eagle is rightfully recognized as the national bird,” said Finstad. “I am happy to see that this legislation has passed in the Senate, and I look forward to its passage on the House Floor.” “While most people assume the Bald Eagle is our nation’s official bird, the fact is our country doesn’t have an official bird,” said Preston Cook, Co-Chair of the National Bird Initiative for the National Eagle Center. “The bison is the national mammal, the rose is the national flower, and the oak is the national tree. It’s time the Bald Eagle, long revered as our national symbol, finds its rightful place as our country’s official national bird.” The bald eagle has proudly been depicted as the national symbol of the United States since June 20, 1782, when our country’s Founding Fathers at the Second Continental Congress approved the Great Seal of the United States. Since that time, the bald eagle design has gone on to appear on official documents, currency, flags, public buildings, sports teams, and other government-related items. Today, the bald eagle is synonymous with American life and this legislation will officially designate it as the National Bird of the United States. Companion legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives by Representatives Brad Finstad (R-MN), Angie Craig (D-MN), Dean Phillips (D-MN), Tom Emmer (R-MN), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Michelle Fischbach (R-MN), Pete Stauber (R-MN), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Derrick Van Orden (R-WI), and Don Beyer (D-VA). ### Read less WASHINGTON—At a Senate Rules Committee hearing titled “Senate Procedures to Confirm Nominees”, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Committee, led the discussion on the increasing amount of time it has taken for the Senate to confirm nominees from presidents of both parties, the impact of these delays, and how to address them. “The Framers recognized the importance of the Senate's role to provide a check on the Executive Branch by requiring advice and consent over key positions in our government. As the Rules Committee, it's important that we take a close look at Senate procedures and how they are working and that we are willing to partner across the aisle on common sense measures to improve how we do our work on behalf of the American people,” said Klobuchar. In May
...Read more 2023 Senators Klobuchar, Angus King (I-ME), and Ben Cardin (D-MD) introduced a resolution to change the rules of the Senate to streamline the confirmation process by allowing up to 10 nominees to be considered at the same time, excluding certain positions like Circuit Judges, Supreme Court Justices, and Cabinet Secretaries, on the Senate floor. A rough transcript of Klobuchar’s full opening statement is available below. Video is available HERE for download. Sen. Klobuchar: Good afternoon. I call to order this hearing of the Rules Committee on Senate procedures to confirm nominees — or get them confirmed, that is our goal. I'd like to thank Ranking Member Fischer and our colleagues for being here, as well as our witnesses Jenny Mattingley from the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service as well as Sean Stiff and Elizabeth Rybicki of the Congressional Research Service. Thank you all for joining us. Today we're going to hear from these three nonpartisan experts about the increasing amount of time it has been taking for the Senate to confirm nominees from presidents of both parties. We want to make that clear from the beginning: this isn't actually any kind of a partisan fight we're engaging in. Senator Fischer and I get along quite well. We're looking at this in the context of now and in the future and how this has been getting worse and worse and worse, regardless of party and the impact these delays have on our government, have on the people that we want to recruit to be in our government, and what we can do to address it. The facts speak for themselves. In recent decades, it has taken longer to confirm nominees for each successive president. According to the Partnership for Public Service, in the first two years of the current administration, it took more than 156 days on average to confirm each executive branch nominee, up from 107 days during the Trump administration, 92 days under President Obama, and nearly three times as long as during the Clinton administration, which was 56.8 days. As the Senate spends more of its time working on nominations, this leaves less time for legislating on issues that are important to the American people — difficult issues that sometimes take days to resolve. More than 55 percent of Senate votes in the first two years of both President Biden's and President Trump's terms were on nominations, which is over a six-fold increase compared to the average under the four previous presidents, which was 8.5 percent of votes. The number of cloture votes — the votes we take to end debate on a nomination — has also skyrocketed, with more than 200 so far for executive branch nominees under our current president and 170 under his predecessor, a dramatic increase from the total of just 20 under both Presidents George W. Bush, who had nine, and Clinton at 11. That's 20 for two presidents, and now we are at over 200 and before that, the last administration had 170. There are a lot of other statistics that I know you want to hear me roll off here, but one thing is clear and it's very straightforward: under both parties, we're spending a lot more time voting on nominations than in the past, and it's taking more time under each administration. Pretty soon we are going to become a full time employment agency. Although we don't really even discuss the applicants, we just go in and vote and go in and vote. The time the Senate is spending to confirm nominees not only impacts our work and legislation, but also delays a president — no matter his or her party — from filling important positions. Here's what that looks like. While the Secretary and Deputy Secretary for five key Cabinet departments (Commerce, Defense, Energy, State and Treasury) took an average of 18 and 67 days respectively, to confirm during this administration, other positions at those departments like undersecretaries and assistant secretaries — the people that you may not read about in the newspaper —they took more than 350 days. Significantly, it's taking longer for nominees during a president's first year in office, when they're trying to jumpstart their work on key issues, to get confirmed. The average time taken to confirm these nominees in the current and previous administrations was nearly triple what it was under President Reagan. We know that there are qualified people interested in serving in government regardless of party, and you can leave talented people in limbo for literally a year, years, or at least months creating uncertainty in their lives. It's a reason a lot of people don't even want to try doing it. And that's not what we want in our country. The good news is there are actions we can take to improve things. One idea is to change the rules of the Senate so we could consider multiple nominees at the same time. We would still have a vote, but we would do what we call blocking them together. And we wouldn't do the top cabinet people that way, but you could do a group within a department that way. That’s something that Senators King and Cardin and I have been working on to bundle up to 10 nominees at once — we're not talking about 100 — 10 nominees at once. This would’ve allowed the 27 Department of Defense positions we confirmed in the first year of the current administration — not including the Secretary of Defense — to be confirmed in three sets of votes during a single week. What a game changer for the Defense Department and our country's security. We could also consider an idea such as one Senators Lankford and Blunt proposed in 2019 so that either side could yield back time on the Senate floor if they wanted final votes to happen more quickly by dividing the two hours of time after cloture equally between the parties. There are also ideas like reducing the number of positions that require Senate confirmation, which is now more than 1,200. I know Chairman Peters on Homeland Security has been interested in this topic. There is precedent for bipartisan efforts in this area like in 2011 when the Senate passed two proposals with overwhelming support from a bipartisan working group led by Senator Collins and Schumer with Senators Lieberman and Alexander: one to expedite consideration of certain nominations by a vote of 89 to 8 and one to reduce the number of Senate-confirmed positions by 163 by a vote of 79-20. No, it’s not much when you're dealing with 1,200 but it's still 163 people that can actually get into the jobs. I supported both these proposals at the time, as did Leader McConnell and Senator Wicker who is on this committee. What we're here to discuss today is not about giving an advantage to one party or the other. That’s why it's good to do it when the election is in flux, and with bipartisan support. These options could be designed to take effect in the future when you don't know who's going to be the president, regardless of the outcome of this election. The Framers recognized the importance of the Senate's role to provide a check on the Executive Branch by requiring advice and consent over key positions in our government. And as the Rules Committee, it's important that we take a close look at Senate procedures and how they are working and that we are willing to partner across the aisle on common sense measures to improve how we do our work on behalf of the American people. The only other possibility, if we're not able to do this together, is that one party the other can just do it by invoking what we call the nuclear option — that has happened in the past. I'd rather do this together, but of course, that's also a possibility and it would at least speed things up. Whatever it is, what we're doing now isn't working on and we're spending all our time on being a full-time employment agency, when there are so many pressing issues before the U.S. Senate. Thank you for our witnesses for being here. And I'll now recognize Ranking Member Deb Fischer for her opening. Thank you. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved the delivery of Individual Assistance for Minnesotans affected by severe storms and flooding across 19 counties: Blue Earth, Cook, Cottonwood, Faribault, Freeborn, Goodhue, Itasca, Jackson, Lake, Le Sueur, Mower, Nicollet, Nobles, Rice, Rock, St. Louis, Steele, Waseca, and Watonwan Counties. The Individual Assistance programs provide disaster survivors with access to a range of programs and services to aid in the recovery process, including financial assistance to eligible individuals and households. Damage assessments by federal, state, and local emergency management teams are ongoing, and FEMA may designate more counties and additional
...Read more forms of assistance as damage is assessed. “The recent flooding inflicted serious damage across our state, and we must continue working together to recover,” said Klobuchar. “FEMA continues to be an active partner in the recovery effort so that our state can receive critical federal disaster relief funds. This latest round of assistance will ensure individual Minnesotans are supported as they rebuild.” “Minnesotans are still struggling with the aftermath of the severe flooding in June, and I appreciate the swift declaration from President Biden following our request for aid,” said Smith. “Minnesota continues to need help, and the federal government is answering. These expanded resources for individuals in more counties in Minnesota will make a huge difference as communities work to rebuild.” In June, Klobuchar and Smith led the entire bipartisan Minnesota congressional delegation in strongly urging President Biden to approve Minnesota’s request, highlighting the need for federal assistance to help Minnesotans whose homes suffered damage from storms and flooding. This announcement follows the Administration’s initial Major Disaster Declaration in June, which made 22 counties eligible for funding to repair public infrastructure under FEMA’s Public Assistance program. ### Read less WATCH KLOBUCHAR’S FULL REMARKS HERE WASHINGTON - At a joint Senate Judiciary Committee and Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing titled the “Examination of the Security Failures Leading to the Assassination Attempt on Former President Trump” U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) asked Acting Director of the United States Secret Service Ronald L. Rowe, Jr., and Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Paul Abbate about the security protocol failures at the Butler, Pennsylvania rally. “At today’s hearing, I asked Acting Secret Service Director Rowe about the security failures and communications breakdowns that led to the horrific attempt on former President Trump’s life,” said Klobuchar. “I’ll continue pressing the Secret Service to redouble its
...Read more efforts to ensure the security of presidential candidates, and in turn the security of our democracy.” A transcript of Klobuchar’s questions is available below. Video is available HERE for download. Senator Amy Klobuchar: Thank you very much. Thank you to all of you for holding this hearing. I appreciate it. Acting Director Rowe, we had the classified briefing, and also today, there was taking responsibility for the agency, and your own personal emotion and reaction to your visit and what had gone wrong. For the people in my state that keep asking me, “I just don't get how he got on the roof,” I know we've gone through great details and a lot of examination — could you just give a minute on what went wrong and how you think it can be fixed? Because I think it's just going to help to dispel the conspiracy theories. There's some people that think it didn't really happen, which of course, is completely ridiculous. It did. There are some people that think all kinds of conspiracies went on within the government, which is also false, but could you just tell them what went wrong so they understand? Ronald L. Rowe Jr.: Thank you, Senator. I thought long and hard about this. I think this was a failure of imagination. A failure to imagine that we actually do live in a very dangerous world where people do actually want to do harm to our protectees. I think it was a failure to challenge our own assumptions. The assumptions that we know our partners are going to do everything they can and they do this every day. But we didn't challenge our own assumptions of, “we assume that someone's going to cover that. We assume that there's going to be uniform presence.” We didn't challenge that internally during that advance. So moving forward, I’ve directed that when we're talking to people and we're making requests, we are very specific about what we want. We are providing explicit instructions on exactly what our expectation is, and what we need them to do, and what we want them to do. That's the only way that we're going to be able to move forward beyond this. And let me just tell you that our state and local law enforcement partners are the best. So this belief that somehow they are less than federal law enforcement, or they’re less than the Secret Service. They're out there patrolling communities every day. They're the ones out there going into hazardous conditions every day. They know their communities. They have the ability to enforce state and local laws. Our advance agents do not. Klobuchar: Right. Rowe: We need them. And we need them to be partners with us. And I think we need to be very clear to them, and that may have contributed to this situation. Klobuchar: Yeah. I appreciate that and I have the same respect. Next, one of the things you mentioned to me, and to all of us, in this other briefing was the texting protocol. And I think a lot of us think about this in non-security settings, about how people are just texting all the time instead of talking and how it takes our eyes off, in your case, the target. Could you talk about what might have gone wrong there and how you think things could change when the hope is that their eyes are constantly on the scene and on the potential targets and risks? Rowe: Thank you, Senator. So, again, we need people focused on the problem or on their area of responsibility. It was great that there was a text chain, but that communication needs to go over the net, it needs to go over a radio channel so that everyone has situational awareness of it. The point I was making in the in the closed-door briefing is that we have to get to a point now where we are using our radio systems to have that collective awareness of this. One of the things that I've directed is that in addition to the interoperability, we're gonna roll out common operating picture, a common operating platform that we utilize for national special security events. We have the ability to roll that out to the field that has a blue force tracker in it that's able to… where you can put where all your state local assets are, where our federal assets are. But in addition to that, I want people using the radio. So it's great that the tactical elements are talking to each other. It's great that the shift is talking to each other but we have to be able to make sure that whenever we come across a situation, that everyone has situational awareness of this. You know, in my time when I was operational in the President's detail, you know, we were given the explicit instruction, “Hey, if it's if you're gonna pass it, if it's relevant enough that you feel like you need to pass that information, do it over the radio,” and that was the protocol that we had. And I think over the years, perhaps with the advent of technology and smartphones, perhaps we've gotten away from that, but we need to get people back on the scope, back on mission, back focused on what they need to be responsible for. Klobuchar: Okay, and the next question, I'll put in writing. Thank you very much, Mr. Abbate, but it's just pointing out that we've seen this rise in threats against Members of Congress, which of course is relevant to this. [There were] 8000 just last year, more than four times [the number] over the past seven years. I'll want to ask you in writing about the steps that the Justice Department is taking to prioritize these cases. I know there's been some changes made. Paul Abbate: Yes, Senator, it's of our highest priority and we're urgently working on it 24/7 a day every day to protect each and everyone here. Klobuchar: Appreciate it. Thank you both. ### Read less WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) and U.S. Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Doris Matsui (D-CA), co-chairs of the bipartisan Rare Disease Congressional Caucus (RDCC), applaud the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announcement of the creation of a Rare Disease Innovation Hub. The Rare Disease Innovation Hub will serve as a single point of connection and engagement within the FDA to spur and support the development of treatments and products for rare diseases. The Hub will be co-led by the Directors of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) and the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER). Klobuchar, Wicker, Bilirakis, and Matsui have led the Rare Disease Congressional Caucus in calling on the FDA to improve and centralize
...Read more the process of reviewing rare disease therapies. “Rare diseases are not a rare problem. Over 30 million Americans live with a rare disease but most have no FDA-approved treatment available,” said Klobuchar. “Too often, applications for new and innovative products for ultra-rare diseases get bogged down or lost due to misunderstanding or needless red tape. The new Rare Disease Innovation Hub is a welcome step forward to provide a more transparent process for applicants by consistently incorporating expertise and best practices across the agency as well as the experience of patients living with rare diseases.” “The FDA approval process for new treatments is a complicated and time-consuming process, leaving patients with rare diseases in an untenable spot and their voices unheard. Not only will this hub give them better access to resources and medication options, but it will also provide them with hope. Milestones like this one make me proud to be a co-chair of the caucus,” said Wicker. “The Rare Disease Innovation Hub is an important step forward in providing hope to the millions of Americans suffering with a rare disease,” said Bilirakis. “As Co-Chairs of the Rare Disease Caucus, we have long called on the FDA to improve its policies, streamline processes, and strengthen intercenter collaboration efforts to accelerate the development of treatments and cures for rare diseases. I am glad to see the agency do the right thing for the rare disease community by recognizing the unique challenges of rare development and the need for a new innovative approach to review of therapies. I look forward to working closely with my colleagues in the Caucus and with the FDA as it implements this new Hub to ensure its success for patients.” “For the millions of Americans with rare diseases, any step towards receiving the most advanced medical care is a huge step in the right direction,” said Matsui. “Rare disease patients face countless challenges to receiving the care they need, from a long diagnostic journey to the lack of FDA-approved medications specific to their condition. The Hub would provide alignment within the FDA in the critical points that impact patients the most, helping rare diseases get the attention they need to deliver life-changing solutions for patients. As Co-Chair of the Congressional Rare Disease Caucus, I know the Hub will ensure that the future is bright for patients with rare and ultra-rare diseases and their families.” “The EveryLife Foundation is grateful for the unwavering dedication of our Rare Disease Congressional Caucus leadership in working alongside scientific and policy leaders, as well as the thousands of rare disease community members whose experiences informed their collective advocacy,” said Michael Pearlmutter, CEO of the EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases. “The FDA Rare Disease Innovation Hub is a positive and meaningful step forward in addressing the regulatory science challenges unique to rare disease therapy development and will be instrumental in bringing approved therapies to patients faster." “The FDA’s Rare Disease Innovation Hub is an exciting step forward to help speed up the development of new treatments for rare diseases,” said Pamela Gavin, CEO of the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). “NORD is grateful to the Rare Disease Congressional Caucus for their long-standing leadership in ensuring the FDA’s regulatory process can capitalize on this new era of science and technology. The more than 30 million Americans living with a rare disease are desperate for treatment options and this initiative provides new hope. NORD has been a steadfast partner to the FDA for decades and hopes the Hub is a continuation of this collaboration. This program further prioritizes patient input into the process at FDA, and we are thankful for the strategic thinking and leadership behind it.” In May 2023, Klobuchar, Wicker, Bilirakis, and Matsui led the Rare Disease Congressional Caucus in calling on the FDA to bring more reliability and consistency to the process of reviewing rare disease therapies. Following the lead of patients and advocates who had detailed how FDA divisions and offices can differ in how they treat applications for rare diseases, the lawmakers urged FDA to improve the reliability and consistency in how it reviews applications for rare disease products. In March 2021, then-RDCC co-chairs Klobuchar, Wicker, Bilirakis, and former Representative G. K. Butterfield (D-NC) introduced the Speeding Therapy Access Today (STAT) Act of 2021, calling for the creation of an FDA Center of Excellence for Rare Diseases. The fiscal year 2023 omnibus included a provision of the STAT Act creating a grant program focused on regulatory science pertaining to products used to treat individuals with rare diseases. In June 2020, Klobuchar, Wicker, Bilirakis, and Butterfield led the Rare Disease Congressional Caucus in calling on the FDA led a bipartisan group of lawmakers in calling on the FDA to create a Center of Excellence for Rare Diseases. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) and Representatives Brad Finstad (R-MN) and Angie Craig (D-MN) joined a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers in urging the U.S. Department of the Treasury to issue timely guidance on the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit to give farmers, blenders, retailers, and fuel users certainty and the time needed to make additional clean fuel projects a reality. The 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit consolidates and replaces several fuel-related credits currently scheduled to expire at the end of the year. While 45Z was written to increase the domestic production of clean, homegrown biofuels, guidance is still needed from the Treasury on how farmers and renewable fuel producers can participate in this new market. “The 45Z
...Read more credit should be leveraged to provide a forward-looking, technology-neutral market signal to increase our country’s production capacity for low-carbon, domestic renewable fuels and for existing biofuel production to invest in decarbonization,” the lawmakers wrote. “Lack of regulatory certainty is already putting thriving businesses at risk as fuel producers are unable to make important business decisions regarding their fuel.” “If properly implemented, this credit can fully mobilize the biofuel industry, growing our domestic manufacturing base, creating jobs, diversifying the U.S. energy portfolio, adding value to crops grown by American farmers, and offering consumers better, more affordable, and lower carbon options at the fuel pump and in the skies,” the lawmakers concluded. Full text of the letter is available HERE and below: Dear Secretary Yellen: We write today to request that the Treasury Department take immediate action to finalize the rules to implement the Section 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit. The 45Z credit should be leveraged to provide a forward-looking, technology-neutral market signal to increase our country’s production capacity for low-carbon, domestic renewable fuels and for existing biofuel production to invest in decarbonization. The effective, timely, and scientific implementation of 45Z is essential to realize the credit’s full potential. To that end, we ask that the Treasury Department: Publish the proposed 45Z rulemaking (including any carbon models) and safe harbor guidance by September 1, 2024, and complete the final rulemaking no later than November 1, 2024;
Ensure that the 45Z credit is available only to domestic fuel producers;
As the statute requires, use the Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions and Energy use in Technologies (GREET) model without the additional indirect effects that were added to Section 40B GREET;
Include a suite of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices and without a “bundling” requirement; and
Include a broader array of industrial decarbonization technologies, feedstocks, and agricultural practices. Lack of regulatory certainty is already putting thriving businesses at risk as fuel producers are unable to make important business decisions regarding their fuel. Capital investment remains uncommitted, threatening certain projects and expansion plans, including the administration’s stated goals to support new markets like sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and low-carbon transportation fuels. To provide a clear market signal to the industry, the CSA rules included in the Section 40B GREET model must be revised for 45Z. Limiting the choices to just three CSA practices, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) CSA and Forestry Mitigation Activities List for FY2024 includes over 50 practices and 100 activities, disincentivizes CSA investment. The “bundling” requirement for farmers to adopt multiple CSA practices before getting credit for any single practice creates a barrier to entry and will exclude many acres of farmland. In 45Z, more CSA practices must be included and farmers must be permitted to adopt them in a practice-by- practice fashion without a “bundling” requirement. Furthermore, Treasury must recognize a broader array of industrial technologies, power sources, and biofuel feedstocks that lower the lifecycle emissions of transportation fuels and reflect the innovation and ingenuity of America’s farmers and biofuel producers. Such industrial technologies should include energy (thermal and power) storage, both on-site and over-the-fence combined heat and power, mechanical vapor recompression, biomass to heat, advanced yeasts and enzymes, thermal vapor recompression, on-farm energy use reductions, and biogenic and non-biogenic carbon capture and storage (CCS). Power sources should include waste, solar, and nuclear. Moreover, additional biofuel feedstocks, such as sorghum, corn wet mills, additional oilseeds, and corn kernel fiber should be recognized. We urge you to address these issues related to 45Z and look forward to receiving your response not later than thirty days from the date of this letter. If properly implemented, this credit can fully mobilize the biofuel industry, growing our domestic manufacturing base, creating jobs, diversifying the U.S. energy portfolio, adding value to crops grown by American farmers, and offering consumers better, more affordable, and lower carbon options at the fuel pump and in the skies. Thank you for taking immediate action to accelerate and finalize the Section 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, released the statement below following the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies issuing Fiscal Year 2025 appropriation bill text regarding the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. The proposed funding is a 24% increase over the previous year and brings the bill into compliance with the law and congressional intent codified by the passage of the Klobuchar-led Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act. “In 2022, I passed bipartisan legislation to boost antitrust enforcement funding. Earlier this year, those funds were diverted away from the Antitrust Division’s essential work to protect American
...Read more consumers, workers, and entrepreneurs,” said Klobuchar. “I'm proud to have worked with Senator Shaheen to reverse that decision in the Senate and secure a 24% increase for next year to protect consumers and small businesses from anticompetitive behavior that increases prices, eliminates choices for consumers, and deters innovation.” In March 2024, Klobuchar led 27 of her colleagues in calling for the restoration of Antitrust Division funding. The letter urged the Senate and House Committees on Appropriations, Subcommittees on Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS), and Related Agencies to strike parts of the CJS appropriation bill text regarding Antitrust Division funding in order to bring the bill into compliance with the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act. In December 2022, Congress enacted the bipartisan Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act to update the funding formula for premerger filing fees as part of the year-end government funding package. The legislation updated the merger filing fees for the first time since 2001 - lowering fees on smaller acquisitions and increasing them for the largest mergers - raising additional revenue that Congress intended to be used to strengthen enforcement of the antitrust laws. The Antitrust Division has been partially funded through these merger filing fees since 1989 when Congress amended the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced a modification in new rules for bringing a dog into the U.S. The CDC was set to require travelers bringing a dog into the U.S. to provide numerous certifications for each entry, even from a rabies-free country like Canada. With the new announcement, the CDC will allow dogs that have spent the prior six months in rabies-free or low-risk rabies countries to enter the U.S. with only minimal documentation. This change comes after Senators Klobuchar and Susan Collins (R-ME) led a bipartisan group of 14 Senators in calling on the CDC to delay the implementation of new regulations that would create obstacles for dog owners in the U.S. and Canada who
...Read more frequently travel to and from the United States with their rabies-free dogs. “As chair of the U.S.-Canada Inter-Parliamentary working group, I have long advocated for eliminating barriers to cross-border travel between Canada and the United States,” said Klobuchar. “The delay in implementing these regulations will enable both countries to collaborate on a permanent, realistic solution so Americans and Canadians can travel across the border with their dogs without burdensome disruptions. I will continue working with Senator Collins, the CDC, and representatives of the Canadian government to come to a long term resolution as soon as possible.” ### Read less MINNEAPOLIS - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) issued the following statement on President Joe Biden’s announcement:
“President Biden has served with integrity and delivered results that will strengthen our country for generations to come. He passed historic legislation investing in our infrastructure, manufacturing and lowering the cost of prescription drugs. I am deeply grateful for his service, dedication, and commitment to our country and our democracy. President Biden is choosing the honorable path today.”
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Letter follows continued public concern that CDC rule would negatively affect U.S-Canada border communities nationwide. WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Susan Collins (R-ME) led a bipartisan group of 14 Senators in calling on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Mandy Cohen to delay the implementation of new regulations for the importation of dogs into the United States. These regulations will create obstacles for dog owners in the U.S. and Canada who frequently travel to and from the United States with their rabies-free dogs. “As Senators representing states that border Canada, a country considered rabies-free for canine rabies by the CDC, we have heard from many constituents in our states who are concerned about the burdensome
...Read more effects of this rule,” the lawmakers wrote. “In order to give affected parties more time to comment on proposed changes and for the CDC to consider much-needed adjustments, we request that the CDC grant an extension of the August 1, 2024, effective date until a regulation can be drafted that both appropriately protects public health and allows the importation of dogs from Canada and other low-risk countries.” “While we support the CDC’s stated goal of preventing the spread of canine rabies, the rule is overly broad and would be onerous for dog owners, breeders, truckers, and sportsmen and women who frequently cross the U.S.-Canadian border for work, veterinary care, canine events, breeder collaborations, or simply to visit friends and family.” continued the lawmakers. “The unprecedented requirements included in the final rule, such as the six-month minimum age requirement for dogs to enter the United States and the need for a microchip before a rabies vaccination and additional documentation and certification, would create significant barriers to low-risk entry from Canada into the United States and have a disproportionate effect on border communities in our states.” The full text of the letter is available HERE and below: Dear Director Cohen: We write to express concerns regarding the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) recently finalized rule on the importation of dogs into the United States. As Senators representing states that border Canada, a country considered rabies-free for canine rabies by the CDC, we have heard from many constituents in our states who are concerned about the burdensome effects of this rule. In order to give affected parties more time to comment on proposed changes and for the CDC to consider much-needed adjustments, we request that the CDC grant an extension of the August 1, 2024, effective date until a regulation can be drafted that both appropriately protects public health and allows the importation of dogs from Canada and other low-risk countries. While we support the CDC’s stated goal of preventing the spread of canine rabies, the rule is overly broad and would be onerous for dog owners, breeders, truckers, and sportsmen and women who frequently cross the U.S.-Canadian border for work, veterinary care, canine events, breeder collaborations, or simply to visit friends and family. The unprecedented requirements included in the final rule, such as the six-month minimum age requirement for dogs to enter the United States and the need for a microchip before a rabies vaccination and additional documentation and certification, would create significant barriers to low-risk entry from Canada into the United States and have a disproportionate effect on border communities in our states. Prior to this rulemaking, the CDC’s importation policy appropriately focused on high-risk countries for dog rabies and aimed to avoid unnecessary burdens on dog owners and importers of dogs from countries not considered high risk. Instead of maintaining this distinction, the final rule applies restrictions to all dogs. Notably, the final rule also differs significantly from the proposed rule and there was no opportunity yet for a second comment period. The proposed rule included a limited exception to the six-month minimum age requirement that would allow owners to import a maximum of three personal pet dogs under six months of age in the same calendar year, if arriving via a land port through Canada or Mexico, and if the dog had not been in a high-risk canine rabies country. This limited exception was intended to reduce the burden on travelers who frequently travel between the U.S. and Canada. In fact, the proposed rule explicitly stated, “CDC notes that both Canada and Mexico are currently DMRVV-free countries, and a limited exception to accommodate personal pet owners who travel by land between the U.S. and Canada or Mexico is unlikely to threaten the public's health.” The final rule, however, does not maintain this critical exception. Affected groups have also expressed concern that the CDC’s use of the term “import” to refer to all transit of dogs across borders will be misunderstood by the general public based on the more common interpretation of the term to mean a single, permanent relocation. This lack of clarity means that many travelers who regularly cross the border with their animals, including cross-border commuters, did not understand that the rule would affect their activities, and therefore did not weigh in with their comments. We are concerned that the CDC’s analysis of the economic effects of the rule does not consider the views of these stakeholders. Additionally, as recently expressed in a formal letter to the CDC from the airline industry, the CDC’s final rule will significantly affect airline passengers who travel with service animals, particularly those who live in and are traveling directly from no-risk countries like Canada. Under the final rule, a passenger seeking to travel to the United States on short notice, such as to obtain medical care, without the requisite sequencing of microchip and then rabies vaccination or certified forms would not be permitted to travel with their service animal despite posing little to no risk of importing a dog-maintained rabies virus variant. The Canadian Truck Association also formally expressed concerns about potential impacts on truck drivers who travel with their dogs while carrying goods into the U.S. CDC’s final rule would have unintended, detrimental consequences. The financial and regulatory burdens this new rule would place on U.S. and Canadian dog owners would undoubtedly restrict travel between the two countries. The economies of the United States and Canada are highly intertwined in border areas. The new requirements for entry could affect participation in significant events held in our states, such as major sledding competitions, that contribute to our regional economies. Sled dogs are often transported through Canada to participate in races in various parts of the United States, and the new restrictions could make it more expensive and difficult to travel to these races. Sporting enthusiasts would also be prohibited from bringing puppies into the United States at the prime age to begin training, and Canadian breeders would be unable to release young puppies to American owners prior to vaccination, which would limit development of skills learned at a young age. Additionally, Canadian dog owners who take their dogs for veterinary services in the U.S. would face unnecessary challenges in receiving care. We formally request that the CDC not implement the flawed final rule as planned on August 1, 2024, and instead work with interested parties to consider workable solutions to address the concerns of responsible dog owners and visitors who demonstrate little risk of importing canine rabies. Thank you for your attention to this important matter. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below on the rally in Pennsylvania:
“I am horrified by what happened at the rally today. My thoughts and prayers are with former President Trump, his family, those injured, and the family of the rally participant who was killed. Violence has absolutely no place in our democracy.”
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chairman of the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, along with co-sponsors Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Senator Wyden (D-OR), introduced the Housing Acquisitions Review and Transparency (HART) Act which requires corporations and private equity firms that snap up large amounts of housing to report those transactions to antitrust enforcers so enforcers can stop anticompetitive transactions that could increase rents, decrease services, and push homebuyers out of the market. Currently, even the largest
...Read more transactions of residential property are exempted from reporting to the Federal Trade Commission and Justice Department for antitrust review. “Like far too many parts of our economy, housing is becoming increasingly concentrated in the hands of large corporations. As we’ve seen in other cases of unchecked consolidation, consumers often end up paying higher prices for fewer options,” said Klobuchar. “My legislation with Senator Brown will ensure antitrust reporting rules are applied to residential housing so commercial transactions of these properties no longer fly under the radar.” “In too many communities in Ohio, big private equity investors buy up homes, manufactured housing communities, and apartments, raising local housing prices and raking in profits by jacking up the rent and neglecting repairs while hiding behind opaque holding companies,” said Senator Sherrod Brown, Chair of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. “Our bill will bring much-needed transparency and help place a check on private equity’s predatory behavior.” “As millions of Americans struggle to make ends meet amidst sky-high housing costs, corporate landlords and private equity firms are taking advantage of the ongoing housing crisis by buying up millions of units and raising rents on families. By removing exemptions used to obscure investments in residential properties by giant corporations, Senator Klobuchar’s legislation empowers antitrust agencies to uphold fair market practices and cut down on unfair price gouging plaguing American families,” said Caroline Ciccone is President of Accountable.US. “Greater transparency is key to ensuring corporate landlord monopolies do not thrive in secret at the expense of tenants.” The Housing Acquisitions and Transparency Act has been endorsed by the American Antitrust Institute, National Low Income Housing Coalition; the American Economic Liberties Project; P Street; Accountable.US; and the Open Markets Institute. As Chair of the Competition Policy, Antitrust and Consumer Rights subcommittee, Klobuchar is a leader in the Senate in pushing to ensure our competition laws protect consumers across all aspects of our economy. In May, Klobuchar sent a letter to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan urging the agency to include commercial real estate acquisitions in antitrust reporting requirements intended to protect consumers. In October of 2023, U.S. Senator Klobuchar held a hearing titled Examining Competition and Consumer Rights in Housing Markets, which explored how competition laws can protect consumers and lower prices in housing markets. Among other issues, the hearing exposed how unchecked acquisitions of housing by private equity firms can hurt consumers by driving up rents, boxing out first-time buyers, and reducing services. In February 2024, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) along with Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Peter Welch (D-VT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), introduced the Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act to prevent companies from using algorithms to collude to set higher prices. In February 2024, Klobuchar joined Senator Wyden in introducing the Preventing the Algorithmic Facilitation of Rental Housing Cartels Act to ensure that large landlords cannot skirt antitrust law and collude to increase rent prices across the country. In December 2023, Klobuchar held a hearing that explored how algorithms can be used to harm consumers, titled, The New Invisible Hand? The Impact of Algorithms on Competition and Consumer Rights, which highlighted the potential for laundering nonpublic competitor data in a pricing algorithm to raise prices and included calls for the reforms in the Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act. In November 2022, Klobuchar, along with Senators Durbin and Booker, urged the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate potential anticompetitive conduct affecting apartment rent rates, voicing their concern that RealPage’s pricing algorithms could artificially inflate rental rates and facilitate collusion. ### Read less Legislation ensures criminals who exploit adults or children by sharing intimate images online are held accountable WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Cornyn (R-TX) announced their bipartisan legislation to address the online exploitation of explicit, private images has passed the Senate. Current state laws offer incomplete and inconsistent protection for victims of non-consensual image exploitation and abuse. The Stopping Harmful Image Exploitation and Limiting Distribution (SHIELD) Act would provide federal law enforcement with the tools they need to crack down on serious privacy violations. “Current laws are not sufficient to protect victims of online abuse and harassment,” said Klobuchar. “We need to provide victims, including children, with the legal
...Read more protection they need when intimate images are shared without their consent. My SHIELD Act with Senator Cornyn does just that and will help ensure that exploiters will be held accountable.” “Those who have had their digital privacy violated shouldn’t have to fear that their abusers will go unpunished,” said Cornyn. “Our legislation will help ensure criminals who share private images of others online, including explicit photos of children, are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.” “The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) applauds Senator Klobuchar and Senator Cornyn for their leadership on Senate passage of the SHIELD Act. This essential piece of legislation protects children and closes a gap in current law by criminalizing the distribution of sexually explicit images of a child. Over the past 3 years, NCMEC has seen a 300% increase in reports of online enticement, including sextortion, to our CyberTipline. The SHIELD Act will provide a crucial legal remedy for children in many of these cases. We look forward to working with Representatives Dean, Plaskett, Fitzpatrick, and Mace to ensure that the SHIELD Act passes the House and is enacted this term. NCMEC is appreciative of all Congressional supporters of the SHIELD Act who are working to prioritize child safety online,” said Michelle DeLaune, President and CEO of NCMEC. “In a world where smart phones and other devices are used to record and share every moment in life, it is vital to protect against the malicious, nonconsensual sharing of private, explicit images. These privacy violations disproportionately target women and minors. By establishing federal liability for those who share private images without consent, the SHIELD Act will help law enforcement bring justice to the victims of these crimes. We thank Senator Klobuchar for her leadership and stand with her in support of this important bill,” said Bill Johnson, Executive Director of the National Association of Police Organizations. “As technology advances at a rapid pace, so too does the exploitation of some of our most vulnerable victims in our communities—children. The Stopping Harmful Image Exploitation and Limiting Distribution (SHIELD) Act takes an important step to hold those who prey on children and others accountable. The legislation also addresses the challenges of "sextortion" and closes a loophole where child pornography falls short of meeting the definition of sexual content. We appreciate Senator Klobuchar and Senator Cornyn's efforts to provide the necessary tools to law enforcement and prosecutors to keep our communities safe,” said Nelson Bunn, Executive Director of the National District Attorneys Association. The SHIELD Act would: Ensure that the Department of Justice has an appropriate and effective tool to address serious privacy violations;
Establish federal criminal liability for individuals who share private, sexually explicit, or nude images without consent;
Fill in gaps in existing law that prevent prosecutors from holding those who share explicit images of children accountable;
Address the threat of sexual extortion scams, many of which target young people; and
Protect the victims of serious privacy violations, while leaving room for sharing consensual images and images of public concern. Earlier this year at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing titled “Big Tech and the Online Child Sexual Exploitation Crisis,” Senator Klobuchar was part of a hearing that questioned the CEO of Discord Inc., Jason Citron, the CEO of TikTok Inc., Shou Chew, the Co-founder and CEO of Snap Inc., Evan Spiegel, the CEO of X (formerly Twitter), Linda Yaccarino, and the Founder and CEO of Meta (formerly Facebook), Mark Zuckerberg, about their companies turning a blind eye when young children joined their platforms, the risk of sexual exploitation, using algorithms that push harmful content, and providing a venue for drug traffickers to sell deadly narcotics like fentanyl. In 2017, Klobuchar and former Senators Richard Burr (R-NC) and Kamala Harris (D-CA), introduced the first version of this legislation, the bipartisan Ending Nonconsensual Online User Graphic Harassment (ENOUGH) Act. ### Read less WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and a bipartisan group of her colleagues met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and European heads of state to mark the 2024 NATO Summit. European leaders in attendance included Finnish President Alexander Stubb, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, and the United Kingdom’s new Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Download a photo here. “For 75 years, the NATO Alliance has been guided by our shared commitment to defending human rights, democracy, and freedom. As our adversaries attempt to undermine our security, we must continue to stand together to counter this threat,” said Klobuchar. “This bipartisan meeting was a critical opportunity to discuss a range of important issues with Alliance leaders,
...Read more from bolstering our cooperation in the Baltic Sea to supporting the Ukrainian people in their fight for freedom. We must remain steadfast in strengthening our security relationships to ensure democracy prevails in Europe and beyond.” In addition to today’s meeting, Senator Klobuchar met with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide. ### Read less WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) issued the following statement on Independence Day: “As we mark the Fourth of July, we honor our country’s founding and come together to celebrate democracy and the promise of the American dream. Throughout the centuries, Americans have fought and given what President Lincoln called ‘the last full measure of devotion’ for our unalienable rights and freedoms. These rights and freedoms—and our constant drive to create a more perfect union—are what define our nation. Minnesotans are able to gather with friends and family for barbecues, parades, and fireworks because of the brave men and women in uniform who defend our country. We thank the members of our Minnesota National Guard who always answer the call to serve. We’re
...Read more seeing this in real time as they support the flood relief efforts across our state. And we thank our reservists who are ready to drop everything to defend our country. This Fourth of July, let’s celebrate the freedoms we hold dear and remember that we can never take these freedoms for granted. Today and every day, let us recommit to writing the next chapter in the story of America.” ### Read less MINNEAPOLIS - Today, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) announced a $200,000 federal grant to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety to install carbon monoxide (CO) alarms in homes and a public safety awareness campaign. The funding was authorized by the Klobuchar-led Nicholas and Zachary Burt Memorial Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act, named for two young brothers from Kimball, Minnesota, who died from CO poisoning. The bill was signed into law in 2022. “Carbon monoxide poisoning can be deadly, yet this colorless, odorless gas is far too easily released by many common household items,” said Klobuchar. “That’s why I fought to expand access to lifesaving alarms, equipment, and education. Thanks to my bipartisan legislation with Senator Hoeven that created this federal grant
...Read more program, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety will be able to enhance our state’s alarm installation program so families in Minnesota can sleep safer.” According to the Centers for Disease Control, each year, more than 400 Americans die from unintentional CO poisoning not linked to fires, more than 100,000 visit the emergency room, and more than 14,000 are hospitalized. Klobuchar has long been a leader on carbon monoxide poisoning awareness and prevention. Klobuchar and former Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) first introduced the Nicholas and Zachary Burt Memorial Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act in 2012 to direct the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to ensure CO detectors are safe and reliable. In addition to encouraging states to require residential CO detection devices, the law authorizes the CPSC to establish a federal grant program to help states, local governments, and Tribal nations install alarms and carry out CO education programs. Klobuchar and Senator John Hoeven (R- ND) reintroduced the legislation in 2021 and it was signed into law in 2022. ### Read less MINNESOTA - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar announced that the Biden administration has approved Minnesota’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration. Right now, it applies to 22 counties with that list expected to grow as more damage estimates are accounted for. This week, Klobuchar and Smith led the entire bipartisan Minnesota congressional delegation in strongly urging President Biden to approve Minnesota’s request, highlighting the need for federal assistance to help Minnesota communities recover from storms and flooding.
“Across our state, these floods have inflicted serious damage and we must all work together to recover,” said Senator Klobuchar. “I am glad the Administration swiftly took action on our request so that our state can receive critical federal disaster relief funds.”
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MINNEAPOLIS - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) and U.S. Representatives Brad Finstad (R-MN-01), Angie Craig (D-MN-02), Dean Phillips (D-MN-03), Betty McCollum (D-MN-04), Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05), Tom Emmer (R-MN-06), Michelle Fischbach (R-MN-07), and Pete Stauber (R-MN-08) urged the Biden Administration to approve Minnesota’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration to help communities that are working to recover from severe weather and flooding. Once this disaster declaration is approved, the federal government will be able to provide disaster assistance for various recovery and rebuilding efforts. “We write to you in strong support of the state of Minnesota’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration under the Stafford Act to assist communities that are working
...Read more to recover from severe storms and flooding. These natural disasters have caused significant damage, and we ask that you quickly grant approval for federal disaster assistance,” said the lawmakers. The lawmakers continued, “Time and time again, Minnesotans have stepped up to support their neighbors after natural disasters. When flood waters rise and homes are damaged, volunteers and neighbors are quick to fill sandbags, clean up debris, and lend a hand to those in need. Impacted communities will repair the damage and rebuild following these disasters, but rapid federal assistance will speed up this recovery effort. We strongly support Minnesota’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration and ask that you grant its approval without delay.” Full text of the letter is available HERE and below: Dear Mr. President: We write to you in strong support of the state of Minnesota’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration under the Stafford Act to assist communities that are working to recover from severe storms and flooding. These natural disasters have caused significant damage, and we ask that you quickly grant approval for federal disaster assistance. Since May, Minnesota has experienced extreme wet weather patterns including historic rain, tornadoes, and hailstorms. Starting on June 11, Northern Minnesota endured large rainstorms with some areas receiving as much as six inches of rain in a 12-hour period. In recent weeks, severe storms with heavy and continued precipitation has caused major flooding throughout the state. Rivers throughout the state are expected to remain in major flood stage for at least one to two weeks, and the Mississippi River is expected to crest this weekend at a record level in Saint Paul. State and local emergency management teams and the Minnesota National Guard have responded to impacted areas. While the full impact of the damage is not yet known, a number of counties have provided initial damage estimates, and the state emergency management teams have determined that response efforts and damages will exceed the threshold for federal assistance under the Stafford Act through a Major Disaster Declaration. Governor Walz has submitted an official request for disaster assistance for an ongoing incident period starting June 16, 2024. The request, dated June 26, 2024, covers 42 counties and statewide hazard mitigation. In addition to public infrastructure assistance, it is critical that Minnesotans receive strong federal support to recover from serious damages to their homes, farms, and businesses. Time and time again, Minnesotans have stepped up to support their neighbors after natural disasters. When flood waters rise and homes are damaged, volunteers and neighbors are quick to fill sandbags, clean up debris, and lend a hand to those in need. Impacted communities will repair the damage and rebuild following these disasters, but rapid federal assistance will speed up this recovery effort. We strongly support Minnesota’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration and ask that you grant its approval without delay. ### Read less WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below following the Supreme Court’s decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo and Relentless, Inc. v. Department of Commerce, which overturned Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council, the long-standing precedent that courts provide deference to an agency’s interpretation of ambiguous federal statutes. “This is a seismic shift. Congress passes laws and then federal agencies use their deep knowledge and expertise to implement them. In overturning decades of settled law, this extreme Court has given itself the power to second guess even the most complex regulatory decisions. This decision will result in chaos and undermine our ability to protect the health and safety of all Americans.” As a member
...Read more of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Klobuchar has emphasized the importance of the Chevron doctrine, and specifically asked each of Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominees, all of whom joined today’s decision to overturn the landmark decision, if they would respect Chevron as precedent. In 2017, during Justice Neil Gorsuch’s Senate confirmation hearing, Klobuchar pressed Gorsuch on his view, articulated as a lower court judge, that Chevron should be overturned. His views on Chevron were part of the reason Klobuchar did not vote to confirm Gorsuch. In 2018, during Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s Senate confirmation hearing, Klobuchar questioned Kavanaugh on his views, wherein he stated that “Chevron serves good purposes… [AND] courts should not be unduly second-guessing agencies.” In 2020, during Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation process, in response to written questions submitted by Klobuchar, Barrett affirmed that Chevron was “a precedent of the Supreme Court entitled to respect under the doctrine of stare decisis.” Gorsuch Hearing SENATOR KLOBUCHAR: OK. On to another policy that's pretty important. It's the Chevron case. And in your Gutierrez concurrence, and this is where you wrote the actual opinion and then wrote your own concurring opinion, which I noted is better than writing a dissent to your own opinion, but you wrote a concurrence to your opinion, and to me, this move, as you imply in your concurrence, or you don't even imply, you say, it could have titanic real world implications when it comes to rules -- 13,500 cases on the books since 1984. In your book, you say you don't overturn precedent unless it is universally accepted, affirmed by courts repeatedly, and people have extensive reliance on the decision. So my question is, why in your concurring -- and Senator Feinstein asked you about the facts of the case. I do not want to talk about that because she already did and I got your answer, that was good. But in the concurring opinion, you say, there is an elephant in room with us today. Sorry guys, he wasn't referring to the Republican Party. There is an elephant in the room with us today. We have studiously attempted to work our way around it and even left it unremarked. But the fact is, Chevron and Brand X permit executive bureaucracies to swallow huge amounts of core judicial and legislative power and concentrate federal power in a way that seems more than a little difficult to square with the Constitution of the framers' design. Quote, maybe the time has come to face the behemoth, end quote. That sounds to me like again, you are going a step further and talking about overturning a major precedent. I want to know if that's what you mean, if you think it should be overturned, and if you've considered the ramifications of that when Justice Scalia himself was the original champion of the Chevron doctrine. GORSUCH: Senator, all I can do is explain to you why I was concerned about Chevron in that case. And I was concerned because again, we had an undocumented immigrant who was following judicial precedent -- KLOBUCHAR: I really do understand the facts. But I want to know why you did a concurring opinion to your own opinion in order to make this broader sweep, and talk about you said, the time has come to face the behemoth. You were clearly talking about overturning Chevron. GORSUCH: Senator, I'm trying to answer your question as best I can. And I was concerned about the due process implications that arise in cases like Mr. Gutierrez, where an individual, who isn't aided by an army of lawyers or lobbyists -- can they anticipate changes in law by agencies back and forth willy-nilly, even to the point of overruling judicial precedent. And that's a due process concern I raised. I raised an equal protection concern about the ease with which individuals like Mr. Gutierrez can be singled out by political branch in a way that judges are supposed to protect. I raised a separation of powers concern about whether judges should be the ones saying what the law is. KLOBUCHAR: But as a Supreme Court justice, if you were to make this decision to overturn Chevron, would you consider the implications on an all of the cases in the U.S. and in the rules and the uncertainty it would create? GORSUCH: Oh, goodness Senator -- yes. KLOBUCHAR: Would you overturn it? Is that what you're -- is that what this means when you talk about, maybe it's time to face the behemoth? GORSUCH: Senator, my job as a circuit judge is when I see a problem, I tell my bosses about it. Like any good employee. And my job is there, as I conceived it, was to say hey, listen, look at some of the implications, the real world implications of what we're doing here. KLOBUCHAR: OK, but you would be the boss if you were the Supreme Court justice. And what rule do you think should replace it? Should we have de novo review? Is that better? What do you think should replace Chevron, deference? GORSUCH: Senator, I don't prejudge it. I can tell what did preexist it was Skidmore deference, which was written -- an opinion written by Justice Jackson, actually. That's what preexisted. So there was deference before. And we had the administrative state for 50 years. And agencies would issue rules and decisions. I don't know what all the consequence would be, and I would pledge to you, I wasn't thinking about being a Supreme Court justice then. I was identifying an issue for my bosses. If I be so fortunate as to become a justice, I would try and come at it with as open a mind as man can muster. And I would tell you, remind you, what I bear in mind, David Sentelle -- when I was with him as law clerk, issued a panel opinion at the beginning of my year with him going one way, and then by the end of the year, wrote for the en banc court, the full court, reversing himself. Now some people think that's -- that doesn't show a lack of sufficient steel. I think that shows an open mind and a lack of ego that a judge should bring to bear when he or she puts on the robe. And that's what I would commit to you. Kavanaugh Hearing SENATOR KLOBUCHAR. One last question in this area on consumers. The major rules doctrine actually raises questions to me about your view of Chevron, and as you know, it is that 1984 case—I would think it is settled law, but I will ask you that— where courts generally defer to reasonable interpretations of agencies. And what would you replace it with if you are not going to uphold it? JUDGE KAVANAUGH. The precedent says that courts should defer to reasonable agency interpretations of ambiguous statutes, and the whole question of ambiguity has become a difficult inquiry. At least it has been in my 12 years of experience in the D.C. Circuit. How much ambiguity is enough? And I wrote a law review article in the Harvard Law Review about that problem of judges disagreeing about ambiguity and how much is enough. But I also said in that article that Chevron serves good purposes in cases where it is somewhat of an overlap with the State Farm doctrine, so statutory terms like ‘‘feasible’’ or ‘‘reasonable’’ are terms of discretion that are granted to agencies and that courts should be careful not to unduly second-guess agencies. And I have written an opinion, American Radio Relay League, where I made clear that courts should not be unduly second-guessing agencies. Barrett Questions for the Record Chevron U.S.A. Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council (1984) is a landmark decision that has been referenced in more than 15,000 decisions, and has been reaffirmed by courts and judges across the ideological spectrum, including Justice Scalia. Was Chevron correctly decided? RESPONSE: It would not be appropriate for me to opine on this question; as Justice Kagan explained, it is not appropriate for a judicial nominee to “grade” or give a “thumbs-up or thumbs down” to particular cases. Is Chevron settled law? RESPONSE: Chevron, U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., 467 U.S. 837 (1984), is a precedent of the Supreme Court entitled to respect under the doctrine of stare decisis. Is Chevron a superprecedent? RESPONSE: As I explained at the hearing, the term “super-precedent” means different things to different people. I have previously discussed the work of legal scholars who use “superprecedent” to refer to cases that are so well settled that no one seriously proposes overruling them. Chevron was not among the list of six cases that have been identified as superprecedents” in this scholarly context. You wrote in Precedent and Jurisprudential Disagreement (2013) that the doctrine of stare decisis serves many goals but that “the protection of reliance interests is paramount.” Do you believe that the reliance interests of federal agencies and regulated entities counsel against disturbing Chevron? RESPONSE: Chevron is a precedent of the Supreme Court entitled to respect under the doctrine of stare decisis. As a sitting judge and as a judicial nominee, it would not be appropriate for me to offer an opinion on abstract legal issues or hypotheticals relating to that precedent. If the Chevron doctrine were to be modified, what test should replace it? Should courts give any deference to agency interpretations? And if so, how much deference? RESPONSE: Chevron, U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., 467 U.S. 837 (1984) is a precedent of the Supreme Court entitled to respect under the doctrine of stare decisis. As a sitting judge and as a judicial nominee, it would not be appropriate for me to offer an opinion on abstract legal issues or hypotheticals. Agencies routinely handle complex blended questions touching on technical and legal issues. In your article, Countering the Majoritarian Difficulty (2017), you suggest that courts should have “humility about the capacity of judges to evaluate the soundness of scientific and economic claims.” Do you believe that it is preferable for Article III judges to defer to agency expertise and judgment if it is within the reasonable bounds of the relevant statute? RESPONSE: Numerous decisions of the Supreme Court have addressed when judges should defer to an agency. The question whether it is preferable for judges to defer calls for my views on a matter of public policy. As a sitting judge, it would be inappropriate for me to offer an opinion on the matter. ### Read less MINNEAPOLIS, MN – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below following the Opportunity Crossing affordable housing complex’s groundbreaking located near the corner of Nicollet Avenue and Lake Street in Minneapolis. The complex received significant federal investment through the Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) program. LIHTC is a federal program providing tax credits to developers who build new housing for low-income renters. The complex received funding from the Department of the Treasury and the Department of Energy. “Minnesota families should have access to safe, affordable homes,” said Klobuchar. “The groundbreaking on this complex is an exciting milestone for Lake Street and will deliver much needed affordable housing to the community. We need to build
...Read more more housing like Opportunity Crossing to improve affordable and energy-efficient options in our state, which is why I’ll continue working to secure federal resources for affordable housing developments.” ### Read less WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below following the Supreme Court’s dismissal of Idaho and Moyle, et al. v. United States. This reinstates the lower court order preventing Idaho from enforcing its abortion ban when the termination of a pregnancy is needed to prevent serious harm to a woman’s health. “While today’s decision will allow women in Idaho to receive the emergency stabilizing care they need, it is far from a victory. This ruling is just a delay and continues to leave women who need life saving medical care across the country with an uncertain future. Since the disastrous Dobbs decision was handed down by this same court two years ago, we have seen its effects across the country, including women being forced away from emergency
...Read more rooms and left to travel hundreds of miles for health care. But our current reality doesn’t need to be our future. Our fight continues to codify the protections of Roe v. Wade into law and ensure that women can get the healthcare they need.” ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has awarded $15,140,000 in federal funding for the Highway 59 Worthington Complete Streets Project in Worthington. The project will reconstruct Oxford Street and Humiston Avenue (Hwy 59) to include enhancements such as sidewalks, shared-use paths, roundabouts, and Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons. “Worthington is overdue for improvements to Oxford Street and Humiston Avenue. These are heavily traveled areas that need new infrastructure to reduce congestion and car accidents,” said Klobuchar. “This federal funding will make this portion of Highway 59 safer and easier to navigate by building roundabouts, sidewalks, and other infrastructure.” “Humiston Avenue
...Read more and Oxford Street are crucial roadways in Worthington with direct access to I-90 and Highway 59. It’s routes like this that keep rural communities connected,” said Smith. “Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and President Biden’s leadership, we’re finally able to make the investments needed to create safer, more accessible roads for everyone.” RAISE grants can be used by communities across the country for a wide variety of projects with significant local or regional impact. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Klobuchar and Smith supported and was signed into law in 2021, delivered a 50 percent increase in the amount of available funding for the RAISE grants, as well as resources for improving the state’s roads, bridges, public transportation, and water infrastructure. ### Read less MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Today, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar spoke with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Regional Administrator Tom Sivak about the flooding in Minnesota. Klobuchar emphasized the need for swift and comprehensive relief for the communities impacted by the flooding. “We will need all hands on deck to ensure Minnesota recovers as quickly as possible in the face of this major flooding. Today I spoke to FEMA Regional Administrator Tom Sivak who has been on the ground in Minnesota surveying the damage. We discussed the need to help communities across the state rebuild and recover. All public infrastructure damage is being documented so when the federal threshold for FEMA disaster relief is reached, that relief will be delivered quickly,” said Klobuchar.
...Read more Regional Administrator Sivak heads the FEMA Region 5 office, which oversees federal emergency management for Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin, and 34 Tribal Nations. ### Read less WASHINGTON—At a Senate Committee on Rules and Administration hearing titled “Oversight of the Smithsonian Institution,” with Secretary of the Smithsonian Lonnie G. Bunch III testifying, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, led the discussion about the Smithsonian’s ongoing priorities and future plans. A rough transcript of Klobuchar’s full opening statement is available below. Download a recording HERE. Senator Klobuchar: Good afternoon. I call to order this hearing of the Rules Committee on oversight of the Smithsonian. I would like to thank Ranking Member Fischer and our colleagues for being here, as well as Secretary of the Smithsonian Lonnie Bunch….And we welcome you once again to the Committee, Secretary. I know that
...Read more you've planned the announcement of the return of the pandas to coincide with our hearing, so thank you. Today's hearing is an opportunity to discuss the ongoing priorities and what's next for the Smithsonian as it works to maintain and share with the public its vast collection of treasures, including some that you brought for us today–including from a Minnesota perspective. Everyone should go over and see these items when we’re done here, a comic book about Minnesota’s own Hubert Humphrey. These are just part of the Institution's nearly 157 million artifacts, in addition to the 2.25 million volumes in its 21 research libraries. Its collection is just part of what makes the Smithsonian a global leader. In fact, since its founding in 1846, the Smithsonian has grown to become the world's largest museum, education, and research complex, and its researchers are tackling cutting-edge questions at the frontiers of science. Earlier this year, Deputy Secretary of the Smithsonian Park testified in this Committee about the impact that AI is having on the Institution and the work researchers are doing to harness its potential – from astrophysics to conservation efforts – while guarding against risks. Importantly, the Smithsonian is reaching people in all 50 states and across the globe. In recent years, it has broadened public access to its online resources, welcoming nearly 170 million visitors to its website last year. This has expanded the Smithsonian’s reach, building on the many millions of in-person visits – 17.7 million last year – that it hosted in its 21 museums and the National Zoo, sites that have remained popular – and in some cases, far more popular than expected – over time. To cite one example, the National Air and Space Museum was originally designed for 2 million visitors annually, but it's so popular that it has welcomed many more visitors – up to 7 million a year. We look forward to the completion of the Air and Space Museum’s needed renovations – and to it fully reopening in time for the country’s 250th anniversary in July 2026, along with other cultural activities that Secretary Bunch is planning to honor 250 years that will be taking place on the National Mall. I also look forward to hearing about the ongoing efforts with the two new museums established with bipartisan support after the legislation passed this Committee unanimously in 2020: the American Women's History Museum and the National Museum of the American Latino. Progress is well underway, with fundraising for both new museums at over $65 million each, that’s $65 million each, in private money, for the two museums. There are two open sites on the National Mall that would look even better with the new museums, as the Smithsonian Board of Regents has determined, and the work to develop these museums is ongoing. Dr. Elizabeth Babcock started work as Director of the Women's Museum this month, joining Jorge Zamanillo, founding director of the Latino Museum, and staff are working hard to build these collections. These museums represent a critical opportunity to help families visiting Washington learn about the remarkable contributions of Latino Americans and women to the fabric of our country and our shared American story. At the same time, we know that addressing the backlog of maintenance projects at the Institution must remain a priority. I look forward to hearing about the Smithsonian’s work to assess its facilities and what else is needed to complete ongoing maintenance and repair projects to protect collections for future generations. The Smithsonian will continue to play a critical role in preserving and telling our country's history, and at the same time, it will write new chapters through its groundbreaking research. I know I forever cherish my photo, which is in a little black-and-white Polaroid from eighth grade. I made my first visit to Washington and posed in what is now, I know, an antiquated astronaut costume with my face in it. That went right in my scrapbook, probably displayed on the first page. So many kids are having that same experience, maybe a little more modernized. Thank you, Secretary, for being here. And I will now recognize Ranking Member Fischer for her opening statement. In January, Klobuchar held a Rules Committee hearing titled “The Use of Artificial Intelligence at the Library of Congress, Government Publishing Office, and Smithsonian Institution,” where she highlighted how AI has affected the three agencies. ### Read less WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar issued the statement below on the second anniversary of the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning Roe v. Wade.
“Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago, women have been at the mercy of a patchwork of laws. One third of women of reproductive age now live under extreme and dangerous bans, doctors are threatened with prosecution for just doing their jobs, and the miracle of IVF could be taken away from millions of families. This may be our current reality, but it doesn’t have to be our future. That is why I am fighting to codify the protections of Roe v. Wade into law. This cannot be a country where our daughters have fewer rights than their mothers and grandmothers.”
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Last year, Klobuchar filed a bipartisan amicus brief in United States v. Rahimi urging the Supreme Court to uphold the constitutionality of existing protections for domestic violence survivors WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below following the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the law 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(8), which prohibits the possession of firearms by persons subject to domestic-violence restraining orders. “Victims of domestic abuse and their families deserve peace of mind and certainty that their abuser will not have access to firearms. There is a decades-long history of bipartisan support for these common sense and lifesaving protections, which is why I submitted a bipartisan amicus brief in this case urging the Court to uphold the
...Read more law. This was the right decision that upholds a common sense law that has been in place for 30 years. Even with today’s outcome, we know there is more work to be done, including passing my bill to fully close the boyfriend loophole and preventing convicted stalkers from buying or owning firearms.” Klobuchar has long led efforts to prevent gun violence and secure protections for domestic violence survivors. In August 2023, Klobuchar was joined by Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI) in filing an amicus brief in United States v. Rahimi urging the Supreme Court to uphold the constitutionality of existing protections for victims of domestic violence. The brief which was filed highlights the history of bipartisan support for common sense limits on the ability of domestic abusers to access firearms and the harms that invalidating those restrictions would cause. The full brief is available HERE. Provisions from her bill with Rep. Dingell to close the ‘boyfriend loophole’ and prevent abusive dating partners from buying or owning firearms were included in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act signed into law by President Biden last year. In February 2023, Klobuchar, Dingell, and Fitzpatrick introduced updated bipartisan, bicameral legislation to strengthen provisions closing the ‘boyfriend loophole.’ The Strengthening Protections for Domestic Violence and Stalking Survivors Act prevents convicted stalkers and all former dating partners convicted of a domestic violence offense from buying or owning firearms, regardless of when the relationship occurred. ### Read less MINNEAPOLIS, MN – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar released the following statement regarding the flooding in Minnesota: “I’m working closely with officials throughout the state as we continue to see rising flood waters cause damage and threaten the safety of Minnesotans. All public infrastructure damage is being documented so that if and when the federal threshold for FEMA disaster relief is reached, that relief will be delivered quickly.” The FEMA disaster declaration process is set by law. A disaster declaration will be triggered when there is $10.5 million in damage to public infrastructure across Minnesota. Individual counties then qualify for funding to repair public infrastructure when damage thresholds based on their population are reached. For example: Cook County, $25,760;
...Read more Lake County, $50,163; and St. Louis County $921,062. ### Read less Representatives Brad Finstad (R-MN) and Angie Craig (D-MN) are leading companion legislation in the House of Representatives. WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), and Tina Smith (D-MN) introduced bipartisan legislation to designate the bald eagle as the National Bird of the United States. “The bald eagle is a symbol of our country’s freedom and strength. In Minnesota, we are proud to call ourselves home to one of the largest populations of bald eagles in the country as well as the National Eagle Center in Wabasha,” said Klobuchar. “My bipartisan legislation will officially designate the bald eagle as our country’s National Bird.” “There is nothing more American than a bald eagle soaring across the Wyoming sky,” said Lummis.
...Read more “These majestic creatures have long been viewed as the official bird of this country and it is past time we made it official without costing taxpayers a single cent. As we approach the Fourth of July, I am thrilled to partner with Senator Amy Klobuchar to make the bald eagle the National Bird of the United States.” “The bald eagle has long been a symbol of freedom and patriotism for our nation,” said Mullin. “It’s only fitting we officially designate the bald eagle the national bird of the United States. I am glad to join my colleagues on this introduction.” “The Bald Eagle has been a universally recognizable symbol of patriotism in this country for centuries, and they thrive in Minnesota because of our abundant lakes and forestry across North Country,” said Smith. “I’m proud to support this legislation designating the Bald Eagle as the official bird of the United States under federal law.” “Since the founding of our nation, the bald eagle has existed as a symbol of our country’s independence, strength, and freedom. Prominently displayed on our official currency, military uniforms, and our government buildings, the bald eagle stands as the undisputed representative of the United States of America,” said Finstad. “I am proud to work alongside the National Eagle Center in Wabasha to introduce this legislation which will officially classify the bald eagle as the national bird – its proper place of honor as an integral part of our national identity.” “While most people assume the Bald Eagle is our nation’s official bird, the fact is our country doesn’t have an official bird,” said Preston Cook, Co-Chair of the National Bird Initiative for the National Eagle Center. “The bison is the national mammal, the rose is the national flower, and the oak is the national tree. It’s time the Bald Eagle, long revered as our national symbol, finds its rightful place as our country’s official national bird.” The bald eagle has proudly been depicted as the national symbol of the United States since June 20, 1782, when our country’s Founding Fathers at the Second Continental Congress approved the Great Seal of the United States. Since that time, the bald eagle design has gone on to appear on official documents, currency, flags, public buildings, sports teams, and other government-related items. Today, the bald eagle is synonymous with American life and this legislation will officially designate it as the National Bird of the United States. Companion legislation is being introduced in the House of Representatives by Representatives Brad Finstad (R-MN), Angie Craig (D-MN), Dean Phillips (D-MN), Tom Emmer (R-MN), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Michelle Fischbach (R-MN), Pete Stauber (R-MN), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Derrick Van Orden (R-WI), and Don Beyer (D-VA). ### Read less WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced a bipartisan resolution to commemorate Social Media Harms Victim Remembrance Day on June 23, 2024. Social Media Harms Victim Remembrance Day is observed annually to reflect on the need to create safe digital spaces for young people. “Big tech companies have repeatedly shown an inability to safeguard children's data, ensure online safety, and prevent illicit fentanyl trafficking on their platforms,” said Klobuchar. “We must work together to address these longstanding issues and remember those we have lost.” “While the internet has had many great benefits for communication, health care, and education, social media’s dark and addictive rabbit holes have harmed too many young people,” said Blackburn. “
...Read more By designating June 23rd as ‘Social Media Harms Victim Remembrance Day,’ the Senate honors the young people who have lost their lives and have suffered harms on social media platforms.” Social Media Harms Victim Remembrance Day was put forward by the families of Carson Bride, Alexander Neville, and Devin Norring. Carson was 16 when he was viciously cyberbullied by his high school classmates who were using anonymous apps on Snapchat. It was eventually too much to bear, and he took his own life. Alex was 14 when a drug dealer connected with him on Snapchat and sold him the pill that took his life. Devin was 19 when he bought what he thought was percocet on Snapchat for his dental pain and migraines. The pill turned out to be pure fentanyl. Earlier this year, at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing titled “Big Tech and the Online Child Sexual Exploitation Crisis,” Klobuchar asked the CEO of Discord Inc., Jason Citron, CEO of TikTok Inc., Shou Chew, Co-founder and CEO of Snap Inc., Evan Spiegel, CEO of X, Linda Yaccarino, and Founder and CEO of Meta, Mark Zuckerberg about turning a blind eye when young children joined their platforms, the risk of sexual exploitation, using algorithms that push harmful content, and providing a venue for drug traffickers to sell deadly narcotics like fentanyl. Senator Klobuchar is a cosponsor of the Cooper Davis Act, which would require social media companies and other communication service providers to report to the DEA when they know of the sale or distribution of illicit drugs including fentanyl, methamphetamine, or a counterfeit controlled substance on their platforms. Senator Klobuchar is a cosponsor of the Strengthening Transparency and Obligations to Protection Children Suffering from Abuse and Mistreatment Act of 2023 (STOP CSAM Act). The legislation cracks down on the proliferation of child sex abuse material online, supports victims, and increases accountability and transparency for online platforms. Senator Klobuchar is a cosponsor of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). This bipartisan legislation to require social media platforms to make safety the default and to give kids and parents tools to help prevent the destructive impact of social media. KOSA also ensures that parents and policymakers can assess whether social media platforms are taking meaningful steps to address risks to kids. Senator Klobuchar is also a cosponsor of the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0), bipartisan legislation to update online data privacy rules for the 21st century to ensure children and teenagers are protected online. This legislation passed the Senate Commerce Committee in July. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) issued the statements below after the Senate passed the Fire Grants and Safety Act, bipartisan legislation to continue providing federal funding for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant programs. This bill now goes to the President’s desk to be signed into law. “Firefighters put their lives on the line every day to save lives. We need to invest in our local fire departments and ensure that they have the funding they need to hire and train firefighters and purchase life-saving equipment,” said Klobuchar. “That’s why I worked to pass the bipartisan Fire Grants and Safety Act which will support fire departments in Minnesota and across the country.
...Read more ” “Firefighters do one of the most difficult jobs possible, often at the risk of immense personal injury, to keep our families and loved ones safe. This funding is our way of giving them the support they need to do their jobs as safely and effectively as possible,” said Smith. “This bill means better equipment to protect firefighters on the job, increased funding for departments to hire additional firefighters, and ensures departments get the staff and resources they need to be ready to go in the case of an emergency. I am proud to support this legislation.” “These programs are vital to us. Fire Grants and Safety Act programs give our cities and fire departments the funding we need to provide firefighters with equipment and staffing to keep people safe. It’s crucial to us that it is in effect and fully funded,” said Thomas Thornberg, 5th District Vice President of the International Association of Fire Fighters. The Assistance to Firefighters Grant program helps firefighters and other first responders obtain critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training and other resources. Since 2015, fire departments in Minnesota have received over $59 million in AFG grants. The SAFER Grants program provides direct funding to fire departments and volunteer firefighter organizations to increase or maintain the number of trained "front line" firefighters and enhance their capacity to comply with staffing, response, and operational standards. Since 2015, fire departments across Minnesota have received over $33 million in SAFER grants. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and a bipartisan group of 16 colleagues sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan urging the EPA to raise Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volumes for biomass-based diesel and advanced biofuels to levels that are consistent with production and availability. “America’s environmental and energy security depend on the widespread production, availability, and use of biofuels. Biofuels play a particularly critical role in emissions reduction for heavy-duty transportation — including aviation, shipping, rail, and trucking — while opening up economic opportunities for American farmers. A strong RFS and broad availability of homegrown agricultural feedstocks are critical for
...Read more ensuring we keep up the progress we have made in decarbonizing our roads, seas, railways, and skies,” wrote the lawmakers. “Since the volumes were set last summer, RIN values have decreased by an average of 66 percent, sending a discouraging market signal to farmers, feedstock producers, biofuel producers, blenders and investors. Domestic fuel production facilities are closing as a result, putting Americans out of work and disrupting local economies. The negative signal to renewable fuel producers threatens billions of dollars of investment in feedstock and fuel production, including for Sustainable Aviation Fuel. Without EPA action, America will miss out on the carbon reductions delivered by advanced biofuels,” continued the lawmakers. In addition to Klobuchar and Grassley, the letter was also signed by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Thune (R-SD), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Gary Peters (D-MI). Klobuchar has long been a strong advocate for investing in renewable fuel infrastructure, increasing American biofuel production, and upholding the Clean Air Act’s RFS. Last year, Klobuchar and Grassley led a bipartisan letter urging the EPA to strengthen the RFS by maintaining the blending requirements for 2023; denying all pending Small Refinery Exemptions (SREs); eliminating proposed retroactive cuts to the renewable volume obligations (RVOs); and setting RFS volumes at the statutory levels. In February 2024, Klobuchar and Senators John Thune (R-SD) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) led a group of 40 bipartisan members of Congress urging the Biden Administration to act quickly to ensure that the model used to determine eligibility for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) tax credits unlocks the potential held by farmers, ethanol producers, and airlines to reduce carbon emissions from aviation. In January 2024, Klobuchar, along with Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL.) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced the Farm to Fly Act. This legislation would help accelerate the production and development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) through existing U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs and allow further growth for alternative fuels to be used in the aviation sector, creating new markets for American farmers. In 2023, Klobuchar and Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE), both members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, reintroduced bipartisan legislation to make E15 available year-round. The Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2023 would enable the year-round, nationwide sale of ethanol blends higher than 10 percent, helping to lower fuel prices and provide certainty in fuel markets for farmers and consumers. In June 2021, Klobuchar announced the introduction of a new package of bipartisan bills to expand the availability of low-carbon renewable fuels, incentivize the use of higher blends of biofuels, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In 2021, Klobuchar and Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to create a renewable fuel infrastructure grant program and streamline regulatory requirements to help fuel retailers sell higher blends of ethanol. The full text of the letter is available HERE. ### Read less WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced they secured significant federal funding for the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Terminal 2 expansion project. The grant provides $20 million to fund two new gates and related infrastructure at the north end of Terminal 2. “Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is among the busiest airports in the country and supports tens of thousands of jobs,” said Klobuchar. “This funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will expand Terminal 2, home to Minnesota’s hometown airline, Sun Country. This expansion will increase the terminal’s capacity, improve the travel experience for passengers, bolster competition, and strengthen MSP’s position as a top-ranking airport. ” “MSP is a critical transportation
...Read more hub, an economic driver for communities across Minnesota and consistently ranked one of the best airports in the United States,” said Smith. “I’m so glad to have helped secure this funding for the building of two new gates, adding more flights, more choices for travelers, and ensuring MSP has the capacity to meet demand.” This funding was awarded through the Airport Terminal Program, one of three aviation programs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The program funds safe, sustainable and accessible airport terminals, on-airport rail access projects and airport-owned traffic control towers. ### Read less WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below following the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision in the FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine case to uphold full access to the abortion pill Mifepristone. In this decision, the Court ruled that the doctors and groups that had challenged access to the drug did not have standing to sue.
“The Supreme Court made the right call. This case was an extreme overreach as a result of the Court’s earlier decision to throw out Roe v. Wade. The reality is that the women of America continue to grapple with a chaotic patchwork of laws governing what healthcare they can access. This cannot stand. We must protect reproductive freedom at the federal level and we can do that by codifying Roe v. Wade.”
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Provinzino was born and raised in St. Cloud WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that President Biden nominated Laura Provinzino to serve as a judge on the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota. Currently serving as an Assistant United States Attorney with the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, Provinzino was one of the candidates sent to President Biden by Senators Klobuchar and Smith following the recommendation of a judicial selection committee. “As a widely respected Assistant United States Attorney with over twenty years of legal experience, Laura Provinzino is extremely qualified to serve as a U.S. District Court Judge,” said Klobuchar. “Born and raised in St. Cloud, she is dedicated to
...Read more serving all Minnesotans and has a demonstrated commitment to justice and the rule of law. I look forward to working with my Judiciary Committee colleagues on both sides of the aisle to confirm her.” “Laura Provinzino has spent her career serving Minnesotans, advancing justice and protecting the rule of law.” said Smith. “She will make an exceptional U.S. District Court Judge and I want to congratulate her on her nomination.” Laura Provinzino was born and raised in St. Cloud, and attended St. Cloud Technical High School. Her mother taught at Apollo High School, and her father was a lawyer in St. Cloud. Provinzino has spent her entire legal career in Minnesota. She has served as an Assistant United States Attorney since 2010. As a prosecutor, she has led efforts to prosecute violent crime, human trafficking, child pornography, and crimes against Native American women. In 2023, Provinzino was awarded the Attorney General’s David Margolis Award for Exceptional Service for her work in prosecuting an international sex trafficking organization that victimized hundreds of women. This is the highest award given by the Justice Department to recognize employee achievement. Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Provinzino worked as an associate at Robins Kaplan LLP. She received a B.A., with honors, from Lewis and Clark College in 1998 and Oxford University, as a Rhodes Scholar, in 2000. She received her J.D. from Yale Law School in 2002. She also served as a law clerk to the Honorable Diana Murphy on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit from 2003 to 2004. Laura Provinzino was recommended by the Judicial Selection Committee, which was chaired by Lucinda Jesson, former judge on the Minnesota Court of Appeals, and included Johnathan Judd, Judge on Minnesota’s Seventh Judicial Court; David Lillehaug, former Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court and former U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota; Miguel Pozo, Member at Cozen O’Connor and former President of the Hispanic National Bar Association; Kristine Weeks, Judge on Minnesota’s Fifth Judicial Court and former assistant public defender; and X. Kevin Zhao, partner at Greene Espel PLLP. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Mike Lee (R-UT), Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, sent a letter to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan, requesting an update on the agency’s efforts to address anticompetitive and illegal restrictions on repairing electronic equipment. “We write regarding the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) efforts to stop unlawful restrictions on product repairs,” the lawmakers wrote. “These restrictions can increase repair and replacement costs for owners of products ranging from smartphones to farm equipment, prevent consumers and businesses from repairing equipment they own, impact consumers’ rights under existing law, limit opportunities for small and
...Read more independent repair businesses, and create unnecessary harmful electronic waste.” The lawmakers explained “A variety of institutions, such as public schools, hospitals, public safety agencies, libraries, and state and local governments all rely on repaired and refurbished electronic equipment. In recent years, many consumer products have become more difficult to repair and maintain, often requiring proprietary repair tools; parts that are difficult to find; or access to diagnostic software, product guides, and repair manuals.” In December 2022, Klobuchar’s bipartisan Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act was enacted by Congress to update the funding formula for premerger filing fees as part of the year-end government funding package. The legislation updated the merger filing fees for the first time since 2001 - lowering fees on smaller acquisitions and increasing them for the largest mergers - raising additional revenue that Congress intended to be used to strengthen enforcement of the antitrust laws. The full text of the letter is available HERE and below: Dear Chair Khan: We write regarding the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) efforts to stop unlawful restrictions on product repairs. These restrictions can increase repair and replacement costs for owners of products ranging from smartphones to farm equipment, prevent consumers and businesses from repairing equipment they own, impact consumers’ rights under existing law, limit opportunities for small and independent repair businesses, and create unnecessary harmful electronic waste. A variety of institutions, such as public schools, hospitals, public safety agencies, libraries, and state and local governments all rely on repaired and refurbished electronic equipment. In recent years, many consumer products have become more difficult to repair and maintain, often requiring proprietary repair tools; parts that are difficult to find; or access to diagnostic software, product guides, and repair manuals. As you know, Congress passed the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act in 1975, which includes an anti-tying provision that prohibits conditioning a warranty on the use of a specific brand’s replacement parts or service providers. The law ensures that consumers cannot void a product’s warranty by fixing the product themselves, using third-party replacement parts, or using an independent repair shop to fix and maintain their product. Unlawful repair restrictions, such as tying arrangements, refusals to deal, exclusive dealing may also violate the antitrust laws. We appreciate the FTC’s work with many state legislators and other federal agencies on raising awareness and highlighting the importance of “right to repair” for consumers. In 2019, the FTC called for public comment on repair restrictions, and in 2021 the FTC issued its report to Congress, Nixing the Fix, examining antitrust and consumer protection issues related to repair restrictions. That same year, the President’s Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy encouraged the FTC to take action against repair restrictions, and the FTC unanimously issued a Policy Statement on Repair Restrictions Imposed by Manufacturers and Sellers, explaining it would devote more enforcement resources to combat unlawful repair restrictions. As Chair and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, we ask that you provide the following information to help Congress understand what steps the FTC is taking to enforce existing laws against unlawful and anticompetitive repair restrictions, and what additional tools or authorities the agency may need to effectively carry out that mission. In 2022, the FTC took action against Harley-Davidson, Westinghouse, and Weber for illegally restricting customers’ right to repair. How have these actions, and others, such as the FTC’s 2021 Policy Statement, eased or eliminated repair restrictions for consumers?
What other actions has the FTC taken to stop or deter product manufacturers and sellers from voiding or limiting their product warranties, or threatening to do so, when owners repair products themselves or use an independent repair shop?
Has the FTC taken action to determine whether product manufacturers and sellers make replacement parts, repair tools, software, and manuals and schematics available to consumers and independent repair shops?
What actions has the FTC taken to stop product manufacturers or sellers from blocking, degrading product performance, or discouraging consumers and independent repair shops from using third-party replacement parts in repairs?
What additional tools or authorities does the FTC need from Congress to effectively police illegal and anticompetitive repair restrictions? Thank you very much for your efforts to protect consumers and small businesses in repair markets and to eliminate unlawful and anticompetitive repair restrictions. ### Read less MINNEAPOLIS – Today, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar attended the memorial service for Minneapolis police officer Jamal Mitchell and released the following statement: “Officer Jamal Mitchell was a hero who dedicated his life to serving our community and keeping Minnesotans safe. At his funeral, we all saw once again the enormous outpouring of support for him and his family. From his fellow law enforcement officers to people he had never met, to those whose lives he directly touched. He embodied the highest ideals of public service and we owe him and his family a debt of gratitude we can never repay. This tragedy underscores the danger law enforcement officers face every day. Now more than ever, we must stand with Officer Mitchell’s loved ones, his colleagues, and all first
...Read more responders across our state.” ### Read less Senator Klobuchar is highlighting the importance of supporting local economies and businesses across rural Minnesota. MINNEAPOLIS, MN – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) is in Southwestern Minnesota Sunday, June 9th, through Monday, June 10th, to meet with local leaders and businesses in Pipestone, Murray, Rock, Nobles, and Cottonwood counties. At each stop, Klobuchar discussed infrastructure and economic development priorities. These visits are part of Klobuchar’s annual 87 county tour. “It is great to be in Southwestern Minnesota to meet with leaders and residents to discuss the importance of supporting local economies and businesses in these communities,” said Klobuchar. “Whether it is increasing access to affordable child care, taking steps to strengthen our
...Read more workforce, or expanding access to broadband, I am working to ensure rural communities across our state are thriving and able to unlock more opportunities for families and businesses.” During the economic tour on Sunday, Klobuchar stopped by: Pipestone, MN to discuss a grant from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport Improvement Program for the Pipestone Municipal Airport. The grant will be used to replace navigational aids (NAVAIDS) on the airport’s runway. Senator Klobuchar was joined by Pipestone Mayor Dan Delaney and other city leaders. Following the visit, Klobuchar stopped by the 8th Avenue Diner in Pipestone for some lunch.
Currie, MN to visit the Painted Prairie Vineyard to discuss the importance of supporting small business and entrepreneurs that create jobs and bolster the local economy. Klobuchar met with owners Krista and Andy Kopperud, Currie Mayor Eugene Short, and Murray County Commissioner Molly Malone. During the economic tour on Monday, Klobuchar will stop by: Luverne, MN to visit the Kids Rock Child Care Center, a community based child care center currently under construction. Klobuchar secured a federal grant for the center during the Fiscal Year 2023 federal budget. Klobuchar will be joined by Luverne Mayor Pat Baustain and other officials involved in the project.
Worthington, MN to meet with Nobles County leaders and Community & Economic Development Associates (CEDA) to hear about CEDA and the county’s work on child care solutions. CEDA convenes a weekly meeting with county leaders to discuss child care.
Windom, MN to visit the Red Rock Rural Water Systems water treatment plant, which has received funding from the USDA Rural Development Program. Klobuchar will meet with Red Rock General Manager and Windom Mayor Dominic Jones. Klobuchar will also discuss the federal funding she secured for a new water reservoir and other infrastructure improvements in Murray County. ### Read less Klobuchar Opening Remarks at Antitrust Subcommittee Hearing on Consolidation WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, held a hearing titled “Strengthening U.S. Economic Leadership: The Role of Competition in Enhancing Economic Resiliency.” The hearing focused on the dangers of consolidation, especially in critical supply chains, which can make the economy vulnerable to disruptions and supply shortages that can endanger U.S. economic resiliency and national security. “Over 75% of U.S. industries have become more concentrated since the late 1990s. Since 2008, American firms have engaged in more than $10 trillion in acquisitions [...]. We see this consolidation in everything from
...Read more ticketing to cat food to caskets. High levels of consolidation are almost never good. It often leads to fewer choices, higher prices, and less innovation,” said Klobuchar. “But consolidation in our economy doesn't just add to the cost of a concert ticket or the latest iPhone. It also weakens our nation's economic resiliency.” Last month, Klobuchar reintroduced the Competition and Antitrust Law Enforcement Reform Act to reinvigorate America’s antitrust laws and restore competition to American markets. This legislation will give federal enforcers the resources they need to do their jobs, strengthen prohibitions on anticompetitive conduct and mergers, and make additional reforms to improve enforcement. A rough transcript of Klobuchar’s full opening statement is available below and you can download the video here. Senator Klobuchar: I call to order this hearing of the Subcommittee on Competition, Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights on the role of competition in enhancing economic resiliency. I'd like to welcome our witnesses and thank Ranking Member Lee and his staff for helping to plan this hearing. Over 75% of U.S. industries have become more concentrated since the late 1990s. Since 2008, American firms have engaged in more than $10 trillion in acquisitions—that's “trillion” with a “T.” We see this consolidation in everything from ticketing to cat food to caskets. High levels of consolidation are almost never good. It often leads to fewer choices, higher prices, and less innovation. But consolidation in our economy doesn't just add to the cost of a concert ticket or the latest iPhone. It also weakens our nation's economic resiliency. When just a handful of companies control our supply chains, our entire system becomes susceptible to disruptions that can put our economy and even our national security at risk. Over the last decade, we've seen real-world consequences that consolidation within supply chains, what they can do to Americans. Let me give you a few examples. Medical supplies. The production of generic prescription drugs, which the FDA estimated saved Americans more than 53 billion from 2018 to 2020 alone are reliant on tenuous supply chains that leave little room for error and can result in shortages when errors do occur. Fully one-third of active ingredients necessary for cost-effective generic drugs are manufactured in a single facility almost always located overseas, with no backup; only 14% of active ingredients used for domestic generic drugs are manufactured in the United States. Another example, after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017, the US faced a shortage of IV bags because one company had consolidated the majority of IV bag production into a single facility on the island. Stop and think about that. There was a shortage of plastic bags filled with saltwater on an island because the market had become so consolidated. Consolidation in supply chains can also create tempting targets for cybercriminals as we now know well. For example, this winter cybercriminals broke into the Change Healthcare network owned by UnitedHealth Group, and they stole data, demanded ransom, and forced more than one hundred, one hundred, electronic systems vital to the US healthcare system to be shut down. Of course, a ransomware attack is disastrous for any firm, but its consequences were far more widespread because of Change Healthcare's position in the healthcare supply chain. Change Healthcare processes more than 15 billion transactions and accounts for 1.5 trillion in healthcare claims each year. It also touches at least a third of U.S. patient records. As such health care providers depend on one company to file insurance claims and receive payment. When those systems failed, doctors and hospitals could no longer get paid and especially those with no backup, putting many small practices at risk of going out of business and some patients were unable to get the medical care that they needed. Another example, today, less than 10% of semiconductor chips are currently manufactured domestically compared to 37% in the 1990s. As a result of outsourcing and consolidation, most of the world's advanced semiconductors are manufactured by a single company, creating an especially vulnerable chokepoint. Consumers felt the dire effects of chip shortages during the pandemic from cars to refrigerators and it cost the US economy what is estimated to be over $200 billion in a single year. This of course led us to pass the CHIPS and Science Act, which makes landmark investments to increase domestic semiconductor production by building, expanding, and modernizing state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities here in the US, including a $120 million investment to boost manufacturing at Polar Semiconductor in Bloomington, Minnesota, which will now be the only domestic manufacturer of the kind of chips that they make. Now solutions. These examples raise a simple question, do we want to be a country where markets are dominated by a few giants and where manufacturing is so consolidated, that our supply chains and entire sectors of our economy are at risk? Or do we want an economy where competitive markets drive growth, innovation, and resilience where small independent businesses as well as larger corporations can coexist, and an economy where supply chains are diverse enough and strong enough to ensure that consumers have access to the best products? I think it is an obvious choice. It is one of the reasons that we have been trying to keep up with the times. Over the years, Congress first passed the Sherman Act and then updated the laws as new challenges came along. That has not happened yet. There's a lot of good ideas out there. One of them is the Competition and Antitrust Law Enforcement Reform Act that I lead. The bill would update the Clayton Act to stop harmful consolidation including by shifting the legal burden in some cases, in the mega-merger cases, to merging parties to simply prove not that it'll even enhance competition, but that the merger won't hurt competition. This bill would also allow antitrust enforcers to take a closer look at the efficiencies that companies may claim justify a merger. Often, so-called efficiencies are really just cost-cutting measures that strip out investments in supply chain protections. Our enforcement agencies also need the resources they must have to fully enforce America's antitrust laws at a time where these companies have gotten larger and larger and larger, at a time where the issues become more and more complex. It's one of the reasons that Senator Lee and I joined forces. I had a bill with Senator Grassley and the merger fees to update how they are charged, less fees for small mergers, bigger ones for big. And then Senator Lee had a venue bill involving state enforcement supported by every attorney general in the country. And we were able to join forces and get this through as an amendment at the end of 2022. So that is the two things I look at right now. Just generically, we can look at industry by industry, certainly pharma, certainly tech, certainly healthcare but when you look at the big picture, you look at one the antitrust enforcers have to have the resources they need to do their jobs. And two, we need to look at some changes, reforms to our laws, so they fit the world that we live in, not the world that we lived in 100 years ago. So with that, I turn it over to my colleague, Senator Lee. Thank you. ### Read less MINNEAPOLIS – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below following the shooting in Minneapolis:
“I’m devastated by the loss of life from last night’s shooting in Minneapolis. Officer Jamal Mitchell was a hero who put his life on the line to keep our community safe. Every single day, first responders bravely and selflessly respond to emergency situations to save lives and we owe them a great debt of gratitude. Today we mourn Officer Mitchell and the other victim of this shooting. My heart goes out to their loved ones and to the other first responders and bystanders who were injured.”
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Representative Pete Stauber (R-MN) announced the introduction of the Rural Mail Delivery Improvement Act. This legislation would require the United States Postal Service (USPS) to implement all of the recommendations made by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) following their audit of the Bemidji Post Office, which uncovered operational problems at the facility. “Minnesotans rely on the Postal Service to deliver their prescriptions, Social Security checks, and more, and they need and deserve timely service. The recent Inspector General’s report that I called for confirmed significant delays and service disruptions for those who rely on the Bemidji Post Office,” said Klobuchar. “That’s why Rep. Stauber and I are leading
...Read more bipartisan legislation that requires the Postal Service to act on all of the Inspector General’s recommendations, which will improve operations for Bemidji residents, those in the surrounding communities and beyond.” “I have been deeply concerned by the reports about postal issues in Bemidji and Greater Minnesota,” said Stauber. “Rural Minnesotans rely heavily on mail delivery and any disruption in this service is unacceptable because it can have a detrimental impact on people’s businesses, livelihoods, and health. The USPS has been having problems for a while and I have repeatedly asked their leadership to fix these issues, but my requests seem to fall on deaf ears. Enough is enough. Decisive action must be taken immediately to improve the efficiency and reliability of mail delivery, which is why I am proud to introduce legislation requiring USPS to enact all five of the recommendations made by the OIG after their comprehensive audit of the Bemidji Post Office. I thank Senator Klobuchar for joining me in this effort.” The OIG performed an audit of the Bemidji Post Office during the week of December 12, 2023, to evaluate mail delivery in northern Minnesota after community members and postal employees in the area publicly expressed concerns about the disruptions in mail delivery. According to the audit report, the OIG found 78,948 pieces of delayed mail in the mail processing area, which was attributed to the lack of an adequate training program for staff. According to the OIG report, USPS headquarters also failed to ask the Bemidji Post Office if they could handle the expected increase in volume due to third-party shipments folding into operations. They also failed to tell the Bemidji Post Office about this agreement until eight days before third-party packages would start arriving. The recommendations from the OIG report are as follows: Develop and execute a plan to verify that all delayed mail volume is entered into the proper system for the Bemidji Post Office.
Obtain and consider district and local management input on their ability to deliver all mail when assessing new opportunities for new projected drop shipment package volume.
Develop and implement procedures to promptly communicate to district and local management any expected new drop shipment mail volumes and start dates for large shippers.
Coordinate with Headquarters and Central Area Human Resources personnel to identify and implement additional strategies to fill carrier vacancies at the Bemidji Post Office.
Provide mail processing training that includes proper mail staging processes, managing critical mail entry and clearance times, scheduling extra trucks, staffing policies, and reporting delayed mail for all district and local managers who are responsible for mail processing operations in a delivery unit. The USPS disagrees with recommendations 2 and 3. Senator Klobuchar previously called on Postmaster General DeJoy to address staffing shortages and mail delays at the Bemidji Post Office in November 2023. Senators Klobuchar and Smith requested an audit of the USPS’s Minnesota-North Dakota District operations in December 2023. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, and 23 of her colleagues called on Attorney General Merrick Garland and Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust Jonathan Kanter to prevent and prosecute collusion and price fixing in the oil industry. The letter calls for the launch of an industry-wide investigation into possible violations of the Sherman Act to hold any bad actors accountable for illegal conduct and to redress any harms to competition and consumers. The letter also outlined how Big Oil’s alleged collusion with OPEC is a national security concern that aids countries looking to undermine the U.S., like Iran and Russia. “From pre-pandemic times to current day, industry
...Read more collusion may have contributed to the 49% decrease in the U.S. oil production growth rate,” wrote the lawmakers. “Pioneer’s and its co-conspirators’ collusion may have cost the average American household up to $500 per car in increased annual fuel costs – an unwelcome tax that is particularly burdensome for lower-income families. Meanwhile, Western oil majors collectively earned more than $300 billion in profits over the last two years, a surge that many market experts believe cannot be explained away by increased production costs from the pandemic or inflation.” The letter follows a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigation into the Exxon-Pioneer merger that uncovered evidence of price fixing involving American oil executives and OPEC officials that have resulted in higher energy costs for American families and businesses. The lawmakers continued, “Corporate malfeasance must be confronted, or it will proliferate. These alleged offenses do not simply enrich corporations; hardworking Americans end up paying the price through higher costs for gas, fuel, and related consumer products. The DOJ must protect consumers, small businesses, and the public from petroleum-market collusion, and an important part of that mission means seeking full restitution and imposing all penalties supported by the facts and the law.” The letter was led by Majority Leader Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Klobuchar and signed by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Bob Casey (D-PA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). The full text of the letter is available HERE and below: Dear Attorney General Garland and Assistant Attorney General Kanter: We write regarding our serious concerns about alleged collusion and price fixing in the oil industry. While investigating ExxonMobil’s (Exxon) proposed $60 billion acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources (Pioneer) – the largest oil-and-gas deal of the 21st century – the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) uncovered evidence that founder and former Pioneer CEO Scott Sheffield colluded with the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Companies (OPEC) to “reduce output of oil and gas, which would result in Americans paying higher prices at the pump, to inflate profits for his company.” These reports are alarming and lend credence to the fear that corporate avarice is keeping prices artificially high. This is also a national-security concern: this alleged collusion with OPEC may have served to enrich countries like Iran and Russia that are actively seeking to undermine the United States and our allies. The federal government must use every tool to prevent and prosecute collusion and price fixing that may have increased gasoline, diesel fuel, heating oil, and jet fuel costs in a way that has materially harmed virtually every American household and business. We therefore urge the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate the oil industry, to hold accountable any liable actors, and to end any illegal activities. According to the FTC’s complaint, Mr. Sheffield worked to orchestrate “anticompetitive coordinated output reductions” between and among U.S. crude oil producers and OPEC, ultimately to “pad Pioneer’s [and OPEC’s] bottom line[s]…at the expense of U.S. households and businesses.” Mr. Sheffield, it seems, was determined to pull off this collusion even if it meant ignoring opportunities to drill more oil and sell it at lucrative high prices, which would create more chances for rivals to undercut the industry equilibrium and compete on price. For example, on April 16, 2024, Mr. Sheffield said at a conference: “Even if oil gets to $200/bl, the independent producers are going to be disciplined.” It also appeared that Mr. Sheffield was certain that he and his allies could enforce that discipline. He warned competitors that they should be “disciplined” about capacity growth and “stay[] in line,” even threatening that “[a]ll the shareholders that I’ve talked to said that if anybody goes back to growth, they will punish those companies.” In private WhatsApp communications with senior OPEC officials, Mr. Sheffield assured his company’s competitors that “Pioneer and its Permian Basin rivals were working hard to keep oil output artificially low.” These private assurances from Mr. Sheffield stretched back to beginning of the COVID pandemic as Pioneer and other American producers sought to “limit Permian oil production in the face of falling oil prices globally.” The strategy appears to have worked. From pre-pandemic times to current day, industry collusion may have contributed to the 49% decrease in the U.S. oil production growth rate, the increase of $23.41 in the average crude oil price per barrel, and the $0.94 increase in the average price of retail gasoline. That means Pioneer’s and its co-conspirators’ collusion may have cost the average American household up to $500 per car in increased annual fuel costs – an unwelcome tax that is particularly burdensome for lower-income families. Meanwhile, Western oil majors collectively earned more than $300 billion in profits over the last two years, a surge that many market experts believe cannot be explained away by increased production costs from the pandemic or inflation. By banning Mr. Sheffield from serving on Exxon’s board following its acquisition of Pioneer, the FTC has taken an important proactive step to prevent further collusive activity. However, only the DOJ can prosecute and fully redress the alleged anticompetitive behavior in the oil sector. Section 1 of the Sherman Act proscribes price fixing and stipulates a fine of up to $100,000,000 for corporations and a fine of up to $1,000,000 and 10 years in prison for individuals. Corporate malfeasance must be confronted, or it will proliferate. These alleged offenses do not simply enrich corporations; hardworking Americans end up paying the price through higher costs for gas, fuel, and related consumer products. The DOJ must protect consumers, small businesses, and the public from petroleum-market collusion, and an important part of that mission means seeking full restitution and imposing all penalties supported by the facts and the law. If any oil corporations or executives have violated the Sherman Act, we urge you to follow the law and seek appropriate punishment. We appreciate your attention to this serious matter. ### Read less Congress Passed Funding Bills with Resources for Minnesota Projects Secured by Klobuchar, Smith WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that they secured federal funding in the Fiscal Year 2024 federal budget for projects benefiting Red Wing. These projects will help support Sorin's Bluff Reservoir and the Red Wing Hill Street Triplex Project. “These projects will improve critical water infrastructure and housing options for communities in Red Wing,” said Klobuchar. “With this federal funding, these projects will have the resources to move forward.” “Without a safe place to live - including clean drinking water – nothing in your life works,” said Smith. “These investments in Red Wing will directly benefit the community and improve public
...Read more health by making housing safer and protecting access to clean drinking water.” Klobuchar and Smith have successfully secured: $500,000 for Drinking Water Storage at Sorin's Bluff Reservoir Rehab in Red Wing. This Grant will replace the concrete roof of the reservoir.
$175,000 for the Red Wing HRA—Hill Street Triplex Project. This grant will make the Triplex significantly safer by replacing its heating source, windows, and sidewalk area. Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. Projects are expected to receive funding over the next several months. ### Read less Congress Passed Funding Bills with Resources for Minnesota Projects Secured by Klobuchar, Smith WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that they secured federal funding in the Fiscal Year 2024 federal budget for projects to benefit Scott County and surrounding areas. These projects will invest in public trails, workforce development, and mental health services. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Angie Craig (D-MN). “From building a trail in Prior Lake to investing in workforce development in Shakopee, we worked with local leaders to secure resources for important community initiatives,” said Klobuchar. “Once completed, these projects will improve career opportunities, mental health care, and public outdoor
...Read more recreation for Scott County.” “Those closest to an issue have the best solutions, and these projects were developed and designed to fit the specific needs of Scott County,” said Smith. “From promoting economic development to supporting neighbors living with mental illness, these projects will help strengthen our communities.” Klobuchar and Smith have successfully secured: $1,000,000 for the Prior Lake Trail Connection Project to construct a 0.85-mile multi-use trail segment along the west side of Trunk Highway 13 in Prior Lake.
$1,000,000 for the construction of the Shakopee Regional Innovation Hub that will promote entrepreneurship, innovation and workforce development.
$1,000,000 to St. Francis Regional Medical Center and Allina Health to open a facility with a robust continuum of mental health and addiction out-patient services. Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. Projects are expected to receive funding over the next several months. ### Read less Congress Passed Funding Bills with Resources for Minnesota Projects Secured by Klobuchar, Smith WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that they secured $250,000 in funding in the Fiscal Year 2024 federal budget for the Boys & Girls Club of Rochester’s Off-site Program Expansion project. This expansion will double the number of K-12 students served by the Rochester Boys & Girls Club. “Nonprofits like the Boys & Girls Club of Rochester offer important resources for kids to improve their academics and lead healthy lives,” said Klobuchar. “With the resources we secured, the Boys & Girls Club will be able to fund their expansion project to meet the needs of the community.” “Developments in community outreach are crucial for
...Read more strengthening Minnesota communities,” said Smith. “Investing in the Boys and Girls Club in Rochester will connect kids to the resources they need to lead healthy lives and are crucial to protecting the safety and future of our communities.” Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. Projects are expected to receive funding over the next several months. ### Read less Congress Passed Funding Bills with Resources for Minnesota Projects Secured by Klobuchar, Smith WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that they secured $550,000 in funding in the Fiscal Year 2024 federal budget to implement the Stratis Health CIRCLE of Care program in Hubbard and Beltrami Counties. The project is a substance use treatment program aimed at reducing morbidity and mortality for those with opioid use disorder (OUD). “The opioid epidemic has been hurting communities across Minnesota for far too long,” said Klobuchar. “With this funding, Stratis Health will have resources to expand proven treatment programs to additional counties to bolster access to treatment for those who are living with substance use disorder.” “Supporting mental
...Read more health and substance use disorder services is essential—mental health is health, and we need to make sure more people get the care they need,” said Smith. “This funding will help people in Hubbard and Beltrami access life-saving substance use treatment.” Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. Projects are expected to receive funding over the next several months. ### Read less Congress Passed Funding Bills with Resources for Minnesota Projects Secured by Klobuchar, Smith WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that they secured $75,000 in funding in the Fiscal Year 2024 federal budget to support mental health services in Detroit Lakes. The funding will provide A Place to Belong with resources for outreach and recruitment of persons with mental illness. A Place to Belong is a social club for adults who are diagnosed with a serious mental illness. “We need to make mental health care more accessible, especially in rural communities,” said Klobuchar. “With this funding, A Place to Belong will have additional resources to ensure local residents who are experiencing a mental illness can get the care they need.” “A Place to
...Read more Belong helps create a community for people tackling serious mental illness, things like peer support and shared meals," said Smith. “Everyone should feel like they have a place to belong, and I’m proud to have brought necessary resources to support that work.” Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. Projects are expected to receive funding over the next several months. ### Read less WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, convened an organizational meeting for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC). Joined by Rules Committee Ranking Member Deb Fischer (R-NE), the meeting marked the official start of the planning process for the 60th Presidential Inauguration Download a photo here. “The presidential inauguration is a powerful symbol of American democracy and our country’s commitment to the peaceful transfer of power,” said Klobuchar. “As the Chairwoman of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, I look forward to organizing a successful 60th Presidential Inauguration with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle.” “The U.S. Presidential Inauguration
...Read more Ceremony is a powerful symbol of our democracy in action. On January 20, people from across the globe will watch as thousands of Americans come together to celebrate this incredible, and yet ordinary, transfer of power. I look forward to working with the committee and our partners to carry out a successful 60th Presidential Inauguration,” said Fischer. The agenda for the meeting included electing Klobuchar to serve as the JCCIC chairwoman, designating the West Front of the Capitol as the 2025 Inaugural site, approving the Committee budget, and designating the official staff representative for each member of the Committee. In accordance with tradition, the Senate appointed Senator Klobuchar, Chairwoman of the Committee on Rules and Administration; Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer; and Senator Deb Fischer, Ranking Member of the Committee on Rules and Administration. By tradition, the House appointed Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. The JCCIC is created every four years by Congress to plan and oversee the Presidential inaugural events that take place at the U.S. Capitol, including the swearing-in ceremonies for the President and Vice President. The JCICC has been responsible for these inaugural ceremonies since 1901. More information can be found at www.inaugural.senate.gov. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, issued the statement below following the Department of Justice filing a lawsuit against Live Nation alleging the company has violated antitrust laws. “Consolidation and unlawful conduct in the ticketing market has left buyers with fewer choices and higher prices. The hidden fees, the messed up processes, and the stranglehold on competition has long hurt fans. As a result, the live event entertainment experience has become increasingly out of reach for many Americans,” said Klobuchar. “The Justice Department is doing the right thing today by seeking to break up this monopoly that has long harmed fans, artists, and venues. In addition to
...Read more holding Live Nation accountable, I’ve also fought to create common sense guardrails to promote healthy competition in the ticketing market, and I will continue to work towards passing my bipartisan legislation that would do just that.” As Chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, Senator Klobuchar is a leading voice in the Senate on antitrust enforcement and consumer protection. In January 2023, Klobuchar held a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the problems in America’s ticketing markets. Klobuchar highlighted the need to promote competition in the ticketing industry to protect consumers. In February 2023, Klobuchar sent evidence from the hearing to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and called on the DOJ to continue examining Live Nation and Ticketmaster’s anticompetitive conduct. In November 2022, Klobuchar wrote a letter to Live Nation expressing concern about the lack of competition in the ticketing industry and questioning whether the company is taking necessary steps to provide the best service it can to consumers. In December 2023, Klobuchar and Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced the Fans First Act, which would help address flaws in the current live event ticketing system by increasing transparency in ticket sales, protecting consumers from fake or dramatically overpriced tickets, and holding bad actors who engage in illegal ticket sale practices accountable. In October 2023, Klobuchar wrote a letter to Live Nation Entertainment CEO Michael Rapino requesting an update on price transparency efforts and highlighted the critical need for an honest consumer experience when purchasing tickets. In April 2023, Klobuchar and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced the Unlock Ticketing Markets Act to improve competition in live event ticketing markets by empowering the Federal Trade Commission to prevent the use of excessively long multi-year exclusive contracts that lock out competitors, decrease incentives to innovate new services, and increase costs for fans. In April 2020, Klobuchar, and Senators Blumenthal (D-CT), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division to take action to ensure small and independent venues can compete on a level playing field in the live entertainment marketplace. In August 2019, they called on the DOJ Antitrust Division to investigate the state of competition in the ticketing marketplace, given news reports that Ticketmaster-Live Nation was not adhering to the conditions of the antitrust consent decree governing its merger. ### Read less WASHINGTON - Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Majority Leader; Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate Republican Leader; Representative Mike Johnson (R-LA), Speaker of the House; Representative Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), House Democratic Leader; Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Deb Fischer (R-NE), Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee; Representatives Bryan Steil (R-WI) and Joe Morelle (D-NY), Chair and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Administration; Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) Chair and Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee; and Representatives Tom Cole (R-OK) and Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on their unanimous decision
...Read more to appoint Thomas Austin to be the next Architect of the Capitol: “The Architect of the Capitol plays a vital role in welcoming millions of visitors to our Capitol and ensuring it is a functional workplace. Thomas Austin has managed construction projects and facilities of all sizes, maintained one of our nation’s most hallowed landmarks, and served our country in the military. We are confident that with his extensive experience, Thomas Austin will be an adept and capable Architect of the Capitol.” This appointment follows the passage of the Architect of the Capitol Appointment Act in December 2023. This legislation, led by Senators Klobuchar and Fischer and Representatives Steil and Morelle, empowered a congressional commission to appoint and remove the Architect by a bipartisan, majority vote. Thomas Austin will assume the role of Architect of the Capitol on June 24. Austin has 30 years of engineering and facilities management experience, including four years as Director of Engineering for Arlington National Cemetery and previously serving as Chief of the Facility Programs Division for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. In 2023 Austin retired from the U.S. Army as a Colonel, having served for nearly three decades in engineering and leadership roles, including serving overseas in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Bosnia, and as a Battalion Commander in the 18th Engineer Brigade. He is currently a Senior Program Manager for the construction consulting firm McDonough Bolyard Peck. Austin is a licensed Professional Engineer and Certified Construction Manager, and earned his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan, Master of Engineering Management from the Missouri University of Science and Technology, Master of Business Administration from Webster University, and Master of National Resource Strategy from the Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, issued the following statement on reports that the Department of Justice will file a lawsuit against Live Nation alleging the company has violated antitrust laws. “I have long advocated for robust competition in live events ticketing markets and I called on the Justice Department to investigate the state of competition in the live entertainment industry, including anticompetitive and anti-consumer actions by Live Nation. Our hearing last year provided important evidence of the impact of Live Nation’s monopoly on fans, artists, venues, and other ticketing platforms for the Justice Department to use in its case. If the reports are correct, the
...Read more Justice Department is doing the right thing by bringing this suit against Live Nation. This is about ensuring fair treatment for fans everywhere and reinvigorating competition in ticketing markets.” As Chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, Senator Klobuchar is a leading voice in the Senate on antitrust enforcement and consumer protection. In January 2023, Klobuchar held a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the problems in America’s ticketing markets. Klobuchar highlighted the need to promote competition in the ticketing industry to protect consumers. In February 2023, Klobuchar sent evidence from the hearing to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and called on the DOJ to continue examining Live Nation and Ticketmaster’s anticompetitive conduct. In November 2022, Klobuchar wrote a letter to Live Nation expressing concern about the lack of competition in the ticketing industry and questioning whether the company is taking necessary steps to provide the best service it can to consumers. In December 2023, Klobuchar and Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced the Fans First Act, which would help address flaws in the current live event ticketing system by increasing transparency in ticket sales, protecting consumers from fake or dramatically overpriced tickets, and holding bad actors who engage in illegal ticket sale practices accountable. In October 2023, Klobuchar wrote a letter to Live Nation Entertainment CEO Michael Rapino requesting an update on price transparency efforts and highlighted the critical need for an honest consumer experience when purchasing tickets. In April 2023, Klobuchar and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced the Unlock Ticketing Markets Act to improve competition in live event ticketing markets by empowering the Federal Trade Commission to prevent the use of excessively long multi-year exclusive contracts that lock out competitors, decrease incentives to innovate new services, and increase costs for fans. In April 2020, Klobuchar, and Senators Blumenthal (D-CT), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division to take action to ensure small and independent venues can compete on a level playing field in the live entertainment marketplace. In August 2019, they called on the DOJ Antitrust Division to investigate the state of competition in the ticketing marketplace, given news reports that Ticketmaster-Live Nation was not adhering to the conditions of the antitrust consent decree governing its merger. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Mike Lee (R-UT), Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, along with Gary Peters (D-MI), Todd Young (R-IN), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Mike Braun (R-IN) called on the Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice Antitrust Division Jonathan Kanter and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan to investigate the exclusion of Andretti Formula Racing, LLC (“Team Andretti-Cadillac”) from entering the Formula One (F1) Championship series. Team Andretti-Cadillac is an American racing team backed by General Motors trying to break into a competition dominated by European teams. Despite meeting all requirements to join Formula One set
...Read more forth by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), Andretti-Cadillac was refused entry into Formula One by its commercial arm, which was tasked to negotiate commercial terms of entry after approval by the FIA. This has raised substantial concerns that Formula One’s members and sponsors may have colluded to exclude Andretti-Cadillac to insulate themselves from competition on the track and in the European car market. “We write because we are concerned that Formula One is acting at the behest of its independent teams and other “key stakeholders,” including foreign automakers, to exclude Andretti Formula Racing, LLC’s partnership with General Motors (GM) (“Team Andretti-Cadillac”) from entering the Formula One Championship series,” wrote the lawmakers. “It is possible that such a refusal to deal—especially if orchestrated through a group boycott—could violate U.S. antitrust laws.” “[W]e have serious concerns that the rejection of Team Andretti-Cadillac was based on a desire to exclude a rival from the racetrack, marketing opportunities, and prestige that competing in F1 can lend to a car manufacturer competing to sell cars across the globe.” they continued. As Chair of the Competition Policy, Antitrust and Consumer Rights subcommittee, Klobuchar is a leader in the Senate in pushing to ensure our competition laws protect consumers across all aspects of our economy. In December 2022, Congress enacted the bipartisan Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act to update the funding formula for premerger filing fees as part of the year-end government funding package. The legislation updated the merger filing fees for the first time since 2001 - lowering fees on smaller acquisitions and increasing them for the largest mergers - raising additional revenue that Congress intended to be used to strengthen enforcement of the antitrust laws. The Antitrust Division has been partially funded through these merger filing fees since 1989 when Congress amended the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act. The full text of the letter is available HERE and below: Dear Assistant Attorney General Kanter and Chair Khan, We write because we are concerned that Formula One is acting at the behest of its independent teams and other “key stakeholders,” including foreign automakers, to exclude the team formed by Andretti Formula Racing, LLC’s partnership with General Motors (“Team Andretti-Cadillac”) from entering the Formula One Championship series. It is possible that such a refusal to deal—especially if orchestrated through a group boycott—could violate U.S. antitrust laws. The Formula One Championship series (“F1”) currently has 10 teams; however, none of the teams drive an American-made car with American-made components driven by an American. Eleven teams competed in F1 as recently as 2016 and 12 teams competed in 2012. In February of 2023, a comprehensive application process was opened by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (“FIA”), the governing body for F1 and other motorsports, to allow prospective teams to fill the vacant spots on the F1 grid. Among applicants, only Team Andretti-Cadillac was deemed to have met the stringent criteria set by FIA. Upon approval, the commercial terms of Team Andretti-Cadillac’s participation in F1 were to be negotiated with Formula One Management (“FOM”). Instead of negotiating commercial terms, FOM unilaterally rejected Team Andretti-Cadillac’s application. FOM posited that Team Andretti-Cadillac would not benefit F1 financially and would not be competitive, “in particular for podiums and race wins.” This is in stark contrast with the technical approval granted prior to commercial negotiations. Moreover, the vast majority of F1 teams fail to win races in a given season. In 2023, a single team won all but one race, and half the teams in F1 have failed to win a race in the past 4 seasons combined. This competitive balance has not been the hallmark of F1 racing and adding a team backed by a major U.S. car manufacturer is likely to enhance competitiveness, not reduce it. FOM also expressed concern about Team Andretti-Cadillac’s need to secure a “power unit” (the engine), despite stating that “GM ha[s] the resource[s] and credibility to be more than capable of attempting this challenge [of developing a power unit].” Notably, there are only four manufacturers that make power units and the addition of GM would bring increased competition to that highly specialized market. Most striking, however, was FOM’s determination that bringing Team Andretti-Cadillac into F1 would not “add value to the Championship.” While F1 currently does not have an American-based team, F1 has been determined to increase its presence in the U.S. market. Over the past few years, more than 1 million Americans have tuned into each F1 race, more than doubling over the past few seasons. Last year, F1 hosted three races in America, in Miami, Las Vegas, and Austin, while no other country hosted more than a single race. Even individual teams, such as Red Bull, are courting U.S. fans by hosting events in U.S. cities to “get up close and personal with the marvel of Formula One engineering, bringing together F1 fans.” Clearly there is a financial incentive to adding an American team to F1’s roster, and there is no reason Team Andretti-Cadillac should be blocked unless FOM is trying to insulate its current partners from competition. Given these facts, we have serious concerns that the rejection of Team Andretti-Cadillac was based on a desire to exclude a rival from the racetrack, marketing opportunities, and prestige that competing in F1 can lend to a car manufacturer competing to sell cars across the globe. While the FOM claims that it did not consult with current teams before rejecting Team Andretti-Cadillac, it notably references consultations with “key stakeholders,” which likely include team sponsors, including car manufacturers that directly compete against General Motors and Cadillac. That F1 stakeholders may have engaged in concerted action to exclude Team Andretti-Cadillac—especially after it met all technical requirements to join F1—that merits Investigation. We appreciate your attention to this important issue. ### Read less WASHINGTON – At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing titled “Ensuring Affordable & Accessible Medications: Examining Competition in the Prescription Drug Market”, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, discussed the need to bring greater competition to prescription drug markets to reduce costs and improve choices for consumers by bringing her bipartisan bills to the Floor for a vote. “Anticompetitive pay-for-delay settlements where a branded pharma company pays off a generic or biosimilar company to delay the introduction of the competing drug product is sadly a common practice. Our bill called Preserve Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act strikes a balance between
...Read more anticompetitive settlements while allowing pro-competitive patent settlements to proceed, and saving the estimated $1.6 billion over 10 years,” said Klobuchar. Klobuchar continued, “[Sham FDA petitions] risk delaying the approval of generic drugs and biosimilars and pose [] unnecessary burdens on FDA resources. Senator Grassley and I introduced a bill, the Stop STALLING Act, to give the FTC enhanced authority to crack down on abuses of this process while allowing petitions submitted in good faith to raise legitimate health and safety concerns. CBO estimates the bill would save taxpayers $400 million over 10 years.” Senator Klobuchar has been a leading voice in the Senate to lower prescription drug prices. Klobuchar’s bill to end the ban on Medicare negotiating lower prescription drug prices for Medicare’s 50 million seniors and help lower drug prices for all Americans was signed into law in 2022 as part of a larger legislative package. Klobuchar leads two bipartisan bills with Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to promote competition and reduce drug prices: the Preserve Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act and the Stop STALLING Act. Last February, they both unanimously passed the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Preserve Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act would limit anticompetitive “pay-for-delay” deals that prevent or delay the introduction of affordable generic drugs . Pay-for-delay deals happen when branded pharmaceutical companies pay generic drug companies to delay the introduction of cheaper substitutes – increasing the cost of prescriptions and imposing significant costs on our health care system. The Stop Significant and Time-wasting Abuse Limiting Legitimate Innovation of New Generics (Stop STALLING) Act would deter branded pharmaceutical companies from filing sham petitions with the Food and Drug Administration in order to interfere with the approval of generic and biosimilar medicines that would compete with their own branded products, a tactic that delays patient access to affordable medications. The bill would also give the Federal Trade Commission enhanced authority to take action against those companies that file sham petitions. Earlier this year, Klobuchar worked with Senators Peter Welch (D-VT) and Mike Braun (R-IN) to introduce bipartisan, bicameral legislation to streamline drug patent litigation, encourage fair market competition, and lower prescription drug prices by making it easier for generic and biosimilar companies to enter the market. A rough transcript of Klobuchar’s full remarks is available below. Download video here. Senator Klobuchar: Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. And thank you for the work that we've done together on the negotiation of Medicare prices. We're so pleased, I heard you talk, Mr. Mitchell, about Eliquis. One of the drugs, as you know, that's now being negotiated, of the ten blockbusters, with many more to come. I want to start, though, with one of the issues of a bill that still hasn't passed that Senator Grassley and I have been working on for a really long time, which I know he mentioned – pay-for-delay. As you know, Mr. Mitchell, anti-competitive pay-for-delay settlements–where a branded pharma company pays off a generic or biosimilar company to delay the introduction of the competing drug product–is sadly a common practice. Our bill, it's called the Preserve Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act, strikes a balance between targeting anti-competitive settlements while allowing pro-competitive patent settlements to proceed and saving an estimated $1.6 billion, $1.6 billion over 10 years. Mr. Mitchell, you mentioned the drug that you depend on, Revlimid, which was caught up in a pay-for-delay settlement, as I understand. How did that affect the cost of the drug for you personally? How do pay-for-delay deals keep the cost of prescription drugs high for patients generally? David Mitchell: I took Revlimid for five and a half years, and during the time that I took the drug, both the price, underlying price, and my out of pocket rose dramatically. When, by the way, Revlimid was the second most expensive drug for Medicare until it began to have competition last year to treat only 39,000 patients. The second most expensive drug for Medicare at $5.4 billion. When the drug company that owns the patent decided to let competition come on the market, it limited the generics to a lower market share, 10% each for the first two competitors. If you have a limited market share as part of the deal, you will not lower your price because you cannot gain market share. What happens then is the brand drug company and the two generics, in the case of Revlimid, shared the monopoly, and the price didn't come down. This is a pay-for-delay deal. This is making an arrangement to say we won't fight you in court. Instead, we'll give you a market share limited deal, and you will make a whole lot of money for a few years, while we delay real competition. Klobuchar: Very good description. Thank you. Turning to another issue that has been discussed today, is sham FDA petitions. Dr. Feldman, this practice risks delaying the approval of generic drugs and biosimilars, and imposes unnecessary burdens on FDA resources, to add to everything else when they have so much to do. Senator Grassley and I introduced a bill, the Stop STALLING Act, to give the FTC enhanced authority to crack down on abuses of this process while allowing petitions submitted in good faith to raise legitimate health and safety concerns. CBO estimates that the bill would save taxpayers $400 million over 10 years. As you know, both of these bills have gone through this committee on a voice vote. Which types of entities filed the majority of citizen petitions challenging FDA approval of generic or biosimilars Dr. Feldman? Dr. William Feldman: Brand name drug companies. Klobuchar: Okay, and can you elaborate on the harm to patients and competition caused when pharma companies use a citizen petition process to delay entry of competing drugs? I just find it ironic, indeed. When it's a citizen petition process, and the citizens are getting screwed by it, but continue on. Feldman: I have felt that same irony myself. So, first of all, we should say that companies are doing this because every day of delay for some of these blockbuster drugs can be worth millions or tens of millions of dollars for the company. So there's a strong incentive to do this. And basically, what happens is the brand name firms will wait until the right moment to put a question to the FDA to request that they not approve a generic medication. And it slows things down. And every day that we slow things down is more revenue for the brand name manufacturers. But, it's one less day that patients get access to generic drugs. And we know that generic drugs are the number one way to lower prices in this country. It is a way to bring down costs for patients. So I think -it's a good bill. And as you said, these are not citizen petitions, they are -put out there by the companies for economic gain. Klobuchar: Last, Professor Rai. The price of 25 brand name medications that Medicare spends the most on, some of which are negotiated, of course, right now or in negotiations and have, on average, tripled in price since they hit the market. You have written that Medicare price negotiations will promote the entry of new drugs by reducing the incentives for brand drug companies to engage in anti-competitive patent strategies that can allow for these price increases. So this is kind of where our Medicare [drug price] negotiations, that are almost an outcome of all of this bad activity, sort of hits the road and combines with this patent problem. How will requiring drug companies to negotiate prices with Medicare… as I said, with more on the road, despite lawsuits going on right now all over the country to try to stop us, which seems unbelievable to me given that Congress is the one that made the deal and Congress can change a deal. How will requiring drug companies to negotiate prices with Medicare deter pharma companies from playing patent lifecycle games to preserve high prices and facilitate the entry of competitors and further reduce prices? Professor Arti Rai: So I think the Inflation Reduction Act is one of the most important patent reforms of the 21st century, and the reason is this: it finally places a time limit, at least for Medicare, on how long you can extend an old drug, which means that you have to come up with new drugs, truly new drugs, and that is a game changer, it seems to me, and I wish it was only more than 10 drugs, and it is increasing, fortunately. But I think that's how it spurs innovation, and Dr. Feldman noted this as well, or Mr. Mitchell noted this point as well that it spurs innovation to prevent patent abuse. Klobuchar: Very good. Thank you. I'll turn it back to the Chair. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Todd Young (R-IN), along with U.S. Representatives Brad Finstad (R-MN) and Angie Craig (D-MN), introduced bipartisan legislation to reduce medical costs for civilians as they apply to join our armed services. The Applicant Medical Reimbursement Act would authorize the Department of Defense to reimburse applicants for co-pays up to $100 for visits to civilian medical providers seen as part of the military application process. “When Americans answer the call to serve, they shouldn’t face barriers and prohibitive costs. I have heard from the Minnesota National Guard about recruits who want to join the military but drop out of the process once it's clear there are medical costs they will have to shoulder on their own,” said Klobuchar.
...Read more “This bipartisan bill will enable the Department of Defense to reimburse for co-pays from civilian medical visits associated with the application process.” “When enlisting to serve our country in uniform, many applicants are forced to choose between paying for certain required medical appointments out-of-pocket, which can result in long wait times, or ending their enlistment process. Our bipartisan bill would address current gaps in coverage and better ensure that those who desire to serve our country are not hindered or prohibited by medical costs,” said Young. “As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I have heard from military officials about the challenges they face when it comes to recruitment,” said Finstad. “I am proud to introduce the Applicant Medical Reimbursement Act because it is commonsense legislation that makes it easier for men and women to serve our country.” “We should be doing everything in our power to make life easier for the patriotic men and women who choose to join our armed forces – that’s what this common sense, bipartisan bill will do. I’ll keep working with this bipartisan coalition to get our bill passed and remove barriers to enlistment for all those who choose to step up and serve our country,” said Craig. “No military applicant should incur a cost to enlist. The military medical screening system often involves applicant out of pocket expenses to see civilian providers,” said Army Maj. Gen. Shawn Manke, Minnesota National Guard’s adjutant general. “This Congressional effort helps remove barriers to the enlistment process for all future service members across the nation.” During 2023, the military services collectively missed recruiting goals by about 41,000 recruits. The Applicant Medical Reimbursement Act will minimize cost barriers for eligible and interested applicants. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that they secured $1,500,000 in funding in the Fiscal Year 2024 federal budget for infrastructure improvements for Life Link III’s Willmar base. Life Link III is a hospital owned nonprofit organization representing 10 major health systems providing critical care and specialized air medical transportation. “In emergency situations, every second counts and air medical transportation networks are important resources for first responders to deliver quick assistance in hard-to-reach areas,” said Klobuchar. “With this funding, Life Link III will be able to make infrastructure improvements to its Willmar base to bolster its ability to service the area.” “Life Link III has played a critical role in helping Minnesotans
...Read more experiencing emergencies,” said Smith. “The infrastructure improvements from this funding will help meet necessary safety standards and ensure that patients receive high quality emergency medical care when they need it." Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. Projects are expected to receive funding over the next several months. ### Read less WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that they secured federal funding in the Fiscal Year 2024 federal budget for projects benefiting Le Sueur County. These projects will help support the Le Sueur County Broadband Initiative, the Le Sueur Water Treatment Facility, and the implementation of a Records Management System, Computer Aided Dispatch, and Jail Management Software Program in the Le Sueur County Sheriff's Office. Last month, Klobuchar met with Le Sueur County Sheriff Brett Mason and other county officials to discuss the technology upgrades for the Sheriff’s Office. “From expanding access to broadband to bolstering law enforcement, these projects will make a big difference in Le Sueur County,” said Klobuchar. “We worked with local
...Read more leaders to secure these resources and move the projects forward.” “From building out affordable and accessible broadband access, to ensuring our water is clean and safe, and keeping our local law enforcement offices up-to-date, the funding heading to Le Sueur County is going to have a real, substantive impact in people’s lives," said Smith. “These are exactly the type of projects the federal government should be a partner in and I’m proud of the work we did with local leaders to make it possible.” Klobuchar and Smith have successfully secured: $1,000,000 for the Le Sueur County Broadband Initiative. These funds will be used to expand broadband access throughout the county. $500,000 for implementing a Records Management System, Computer Aided Dispatch, and Jail Management Software Program in the Le Sueur County Sheriff's Office. $959,752 for the Le Sueur Water Treatment Facility. These funds will be used to optimize and expand the existing water treatment plant. Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. Projects are expected to receive funding over the next several months. ### Read less WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced that two bills she leads to bolster benefits for first responders and increase investigation resources for carjackings and other crimes unanimously passed out of the committee. The bipartisan Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act would expand access to federal support for the families of first responders who passed away from cancer caused by carcinogenic exposure during their service. The bill would also extend disability benefits in cases where they become permanently and totally disabled due to service related cancer. Currently, first responders are only eligible for support under the Public Safety Officer Benefits (PSOB) program for physical injuries sustained in the line-of-duty, or for deaths
...Read more from duty-related heart attacks, strokes, mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, and 9/11 related illnesses. “Our first responders put their lives on the line to keep our communities safe and it’s unacceptable that officers who succumb to cancer from work-related exposure or become permanently and totally disabled don’t receive the same treatment as others who die in the line of duty,” said Klobuchar about the Honoring our Fallen Heroes Act. “My bipartisan bill to ensure that first responders and their families get the benefits they deserve has now passed out of committee. I’ll keep fighting to get it over the finish line to honor the memory of St. Paul Fire Department Captain Michael Paidar and so many others who risk their lives in service of their communities.” “Firefighters and first responders put their lives and health on the line every day and have an increased risk of receiving devastating diagnoses many years after exposure to carcinogens,” said Cramer. “Our bill expands benefits to include occupationally-connected cancers to care for those who protect our communities. I applaud the bill’s passage out of committee today and implore Leader Schumer to take it up on the Senate floor.” The legislation was introduced in honor of Michael Paidar, a Maple Grove and St. Paul fire captain who died of an aggressive form of Acute Myeloid Leukemia on August 26, 2020. In 2021, after strong advocacy from the Paidar family, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety awarded line-of-duty benefits to Captain Paidar’s widow Julie, the first time that a firefighter’s family had received benefits for cancer incurred in the line-of-duty through Minnesota’s state public safety benefits program. The Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act would ensure that first responders across the country are eligible to receive similar benefits under the federal PSOB program. In addition to the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act, Klobuchar and Senator Chuck Grassley’s (R-IA) bipartisan Retired Law Enforcement Officers Continuing Service Act passed the committee. The bill will enable law enforcement agencies to hire retired law enforcement officers to perform civilian law enforcement tasks. Their skills can be used by police departments to improve investigations of carjackings and other crimes and train the next generation of law enforcement officers. “Carjacking doesn’t just rob people of their vehicles—it robs them of their sense of security. We need to take action to address the problem head on,” said Klobuchar. “Our bipartisan bill will allow local police departments to get experienced law enforcement professionals to work on investigations for carjacking and other crimes, train the next generation of law enforcement officers, and strengthen public safety.” “Criminal trends threaten Americans’ peace and safety and strain law enforcement resources," Grassley said. "Retired officers who are willing and able to continue working to protect our communities should have our support to do so. I'm glad to see this innovative and commonsense measure move forward amid National Police Week." The bipartisan Retired Law Enforcement Officers Continuing Service Act will fund grant programs to help state and local law enforcement agencies hire retired law enforcement officers to train new law enforcement officers and perform civilian tasks that don’t require a sworn officer with police powers. This includes helping with carjacking investigations by reviewing camera footage, helping with crime scene analysis, as well as investigations into financial and cyber-crimes. This bill is supported by the Fraternal Order of Police, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, Major Cities Chiefs Association, and Minnesota Peace and Police Officers Association. The Judiciary Committee also passed legislation to reauthorize the Supporting and Treating Officers in Crisis (STOIC) Act, which Klobuchar supports, to provide grant funding for law enforcement family-support services and establish suicide-prevention programs and mental health services for law enforcement officers. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, reintroduced legislation to reinvigorate America’s antitrust laws and restore competition to American markets. The Competition and Antitrust Law Enforcement Reform Act will give federal enforcers the resources they need to do their jobs, strengthen prohibitions on anticompetitive conduct and mergers, and make additional reforms to improve enforcement. “Our economy has a major competition problem and it's hurting consumers, workers, and businesses. Our antitrust laws have not kept pace with the times, and as a result, consolidation and exclusionary conduct have run rampant.” said Klobuchar. “The Competition and Antitrust Law Enforcement Reform Act
...Read more will be an important step toward overhauling and modernizing our laws so competition can flourish and American consumers are treated fairly.” This bill is cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Peter Welch (D-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), and Tina Smith (D-MN). Many industries are consolidating as large mergers and acquisitions increase. Big companies are buying out upstart rivals before they can become a competitive threat. Harmful exclusionary practices by dominant companies – such as refusals to deal with rivals, restrictive contracting, and predatory pricing – squelch competition. U.S. antitrust law enforcement against powerful firms has lagged behind efforts in other developed countries, particularly when it comes to enforcement against the dominant digital platforms and other large corporations. To remedy these longstanding issues, the Competition and Antitrust Law Enforcement Reform Act will: 1. Increase Enforcement Resources For years, enforcement budgets at the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and Federal Trade Commission have failed to keep pace with the growth of the economy, the steady increase in merger filings, and increasing demands on the agency's resources. To enable the agencies to fulfill their missions and protect competition by bringing enforcement actions against the richest, most sophisticated companies in the world, this bill would authorize increases to each agency’s annual budget and ensure enforcers retain all fees generated from mergers for enforcement work. 2. Strengthen Prohibitions Against Anticompetitive Mergers The bill would restore the original intent of Section 7 of the Clayton Act, which was designed to stop anticompetitive mergers in order to address competitive problems in their “incipiency” before they ripened and caused harm. As the law stands today due to court decisions, enforcers can block only the most egregious acquisitions, which has allowed many harmful mergers to escape scrutiny. To remedy this, the Competition and Antitrust Law Enforcement Reform Act will: Update the legal standard for permissible mergers. The bill amends the Clayton Act to forbid mergers that “create an appreciable risk of materially lessening competition” rather than mergers that “substantially lessen competition,” where “materially” is defined as “more than a de minimus amount.” By adding a risk-based standard and clarifying the amount of likely harm the government must prove, enforcers can more effectively stop anticompetitive mergers that currently slip through the cracks. The bill also clarifies that mergers that create a monopsony (the power to unfairly lower the prices a company it pays or wages it offers) violate the statute.
Shift the burden to the merging parties to prove their merger will not violate the law. Certain categories of mergers pose significant risks to competition, but are still difficult and costly for the government to challenge in court. For those mergers, the bill shifts the legal burden from the government to the merging companies, which would have to prove that their mergers do not create an appreciable risk of materially lessening competition or tend to create a monopoly or monopsony. These categories include:
Mergers that significantly increase market concentration
Acquisitions of competitors or nascent competitors by a dominant firm (defined a 50% market share or possession of significant market power)
Mega-mergers valued at more than $5 billion 3. Prevent Harmful Dominant Firm Conduct Decades of flawed court decisions have weakened the effectiveness of Section 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act to prevent anticompetitive conduct by dominant companies. The bill creates a new provision under the Clayton Act to prohibit “exclusionary conduct” (conduct that materially disadvantages competitors or limits their opportunity to compete) that presents an “appreciable risk of harming competition.” 4. The legislation would establish a new, independent FTC division to conduct market studies and merger retrospectives. 5. Implement Additional Reforms to Enhance Antitrust Enforcement The Competition and Antitrust Law Enforcement Reform Act will also implement a series of reforms to seek civil fines for antitrust violations, study the effect of past mergers, strengthen whistleblower protections, forbid forced arbitration in class action lawsuits, and more. “Senator Klobuchar continues to be a wellspring of smart and constructive antitrust reforms that would strengthen the U.S. economy and afford critical protections to American consumers, workers and businesses. This bill would marry wisdom with boldness to curb anticompetitive mergers and monopolistic abuses using nimble, well-chosen enhancements to the substance, process, and resources essential to effective antitrust enforcement. Attentive legislation of this sort will give U.S. market competition a badly needed boost,” said Randy Stutz, President of the American Antitrust Institute. “CALERA is a much needed reset to address market concentration in the American economy. It proposes well thought out and balanced changes to our antitrust laws to stop further concentration of market power and to stop the largest corporations from denying opportunities to others to compete fairly. It also recognizes the need and provides more resources to enforce our antitrust laws. We look forward to working with Senator Klobuchar and others to revive our antitrust laws to deliver a more competitive marketplace for consumers,” Sumit Sharma, Senior Researcher, Consumer Reports. “We applaud Sen. Klobuchar for reintroducing this essential bill. It codifies necessary updates to the Clayton Act’s merger review and exclusionary conduct provisions, enables plaintiffs to get their day in court for anticompetitive harms, and ensures that merger filing fees are rightfully granted to both the DOJ’s Antitrust Division and to the FTC. This will help both agencies better protect consumers from anticompetitive abuses,” said Elise Phillips, Policy Counsel at Public Knowledge. “The Committee to Support the Antitrust Laws (COSAL) applauds Sen. Klobuchar for introducing the Competition and Antitrust Law Enforcement Reform Act. The range of reforms in CALERA will strengthen public and private antitrust enforcement, making our economy stronger and our marketplace fairer. Among its many excellent provisions, the legislation would curb forced arbitration and provide incentives to whistleblowers, which would help empower consumers and small businesses to hold big companies accountable for abusing their market power,” Kellie Lerner, COSAL President and Partner at Robins Kaplan, LLP. This legislation is endorsed by the American Antitrust Institute, Consumer Reports, Open Markets Institute, Public Knowledge, and COSAL. It is also endorsed by antitrust scholars including, Professor (emeritus) Jonathan Baker of American University Washington College of Law; Professor Nancy Rose of Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Professor (emeritus) Steven Salop of Georgetown University Law Center; Professor Fiona Scott Morton of the Yale University School of Management; Bill Baer, former Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust; Gene Kimmelman, former Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust; and John Newman Professor of Law, University of Miami and former Deputy Director of the FTC Bureau of Competition. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) issued the statement below following the release of the bipartisan AI Policy Roadmap released by Leader Schumer and Senators Mike Rounds (R-SD), Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Todd Young (R-IN). “As AI continues to advance at a rapid pace, we need to make sure our laws are sophisticated enough to keep up. Leader Schumer and Senators Rounds, Heinrich, and Young’s strong bipartisan roadmap details where we must take action and highlights priorities I’m focused on including safeguarding our elections, supporting journalism, increasing transparency and accountability for high-risk, non-defense uses of AI, and protecting people’s voice and likeness from being replicated without permission. It’s critical we act to establish common sense guardrails.”
...Read more Today, Klobuchar, Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with oversight over federal elections, chaired a markup of her three bipartisan bills to address the impact of AI on our elections the Preparing Election Administrators for AI Act, AI Transparency in Elections Act, and AI Transparency in Elections Act. All three bills passed out of committee. In March 2024, Klobuchar introduced the bipartisan Preparing Election Administrators for AI Act with Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, to require the Election Assistance Commission, in consultation with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, to develop voluntary guidelines for election offices. These guidelines will address the use and risks of AI in election administration, cybersecurity, information sharing about elections, and the spread of election-related disinformation. In March 2024, Klobuchar introduced the bipartisan AI Transparency in Elections Act with Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) to require disclaimers on political ads with images, audio, or video that are substantially generated by AI. The legislation requires political ads created or altered by AI to have a disclaimer, except when AI is used for only minor alterations, such as color editing, cropping, resizing, and other immaterial uses. The bill also requires the Federal Election Commission to address violations of the legislation quickly. In September 2023, Klobuchar introduced the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act with Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO), Chris Coons (D-DE), Susan Collins (R-ME), and joined by Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO). The bipartisan legislation would ban the use of AI to generate materially deceptive content falsely depicting federal candidates in political ads to influence federal elections. Last November, Klobuchar with Senators John Thune (R-SD), Roger Wicker (R-MS), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) introduced the AI Research, Innovation, and Accountability Act. The bipartisan legislation establishes a framework to bolster innovation while bringing greater transparency, accountability, and security to the development and operation of the highest-impact applications of AI. In March 2023, Klobuchar and Senator Kennedy introduced the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act to allow news organizations to jointly negotiate fair compensation for access to their content by dominant online platforms. This legislation is cosponsored by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Steve Daines (R-MT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Susan Collins (R-ME), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Roger Wicker (R-MS). Klobuchar is a lead sponsor of the Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe (NO FAKES) Act of 2023. The NO FAKES Act is a bipartisan proposal that would protect the voice and visual likeness of all individuals from unauthorized recreations from generative AI. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with oversight over federal elections, released the statement below following the Rules Committee passing three bipartisan bills to address the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on our elections. The bills include the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act, AI Transparency in Elections Act, and Preparing Election Administrators for AI Act. “AI can have serious consequences for our democracy and we must work with urgency to put guardrails in place. That is why we advanced three bipartisan bills out of the Rules Committee today to take on the use of AI in our elections. Whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, no one wants to see fake ads or robocalls where you
...Read more cannot even tell if it’s your candidate or not, and I will continue to work across the aisle to pass these bills,” said Klobuchar. As Chair of the Rules Committee, Senator Klobuchar has worked on a bipartisan basis to address the threat of misleading AI-generated content in our elections and safeguard our democracy. In September 2023, Klobuchar introduced the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act with Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO), Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law; Chris Coons (D-DE), Chair of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Intellectual Property; and Susan Collins (R-ME), Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee and former Chair of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and joined by Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO). The bipartisan legislation would ban the use of AI to generate materially deceptive content falsely depicting federal candidates in political ads to influence federal elections. In March 2024, Klobuchar introduced the bipartisan AI Transparency in Elections Act with Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) to require disclaimers on political ads with images, audio, or video that are substantially generated by AI. The legislation requires political ads created or altered by AI to have a disclaimer, except when AI is used for only minor alterations, such as color editing, cropping, resizing, and other immaterial uses. The bill also requires the Federal Election Commission to address violations of the legislation quickly. In March 2024, Klobuchar introduced the bipartisan Preparing Election Administrators for AI Act with Senator Collins to require the Election Assistance Commission, in consultation with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, to issue guidelines that will help election administrators address AI’s impact on election administration, cybersecurity, and election disinformation. It also requires a report on AI’s impact in the 2024 elections. A rough transcript of Klobuchar’s full opening statement is available below. Download video here. Senator Klobuchar: Today, we're going to consider three important bipartisan bills. This comes on a very important day, not only the day after primary day but also because this is the day that the bipartisan framework on AI was released by our colleagues, Senator Schumer and Senator Young, Senator Rounds, and Senator Heinrich. And many of us had input into the framework, practically anyone that wanted to did, and it's very, very important for the future. I like the words used to explain it – that they do it with urgency, with bipartisanship, and with humility. It's David Brooks that once said how he had trouble writing about AI. I'll quote him exactly. He said a few months ago, “The people in AI seem to be experiencing radically different brain states all at once. I found it incredibly hard to write about AI,” he said, “because it is literally unknowable whether this technology is leading us into heaven or hell.” It can lead us into heaven in so many ways. As the Chair of this Committee and as a state which is proud to include the Mayo Clinic, I know the innovations that are possible with this. I know where we can go with this, and it's very exciting for our country, but only if we're willing to put some guardrails in place. All of the platforms involved in this, American companies, have been very clear that we need to have some rules of the road in place. This bill that we are first considering on political deepfakes that Senator Hawley and I put together with Senator Collins and others with input from election experts. Both Democrat and Republican lawyers combed through this bill carefully, of course, because it's so important to look at it for constitutional implications and make sure it followed the Constitution, as well as for the impact that it would have in a positive way. So the fact that a number of the platforms have said yes, this is what we need to do because we can't have people tuning into TV or seeing ads or videos or get robocalls and not actually know if it's their candidate or the other. That's the first bill we're going to vote on, the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act. Which was introduced with Senator Coons as I mentioned, Senator Hawley is the lead Republican and Senator Collins. Senator Bennet on this Committee is also an original cosponsor. The kinds of things we have already seen are chilling. We had, in the Republican primary, used against Donald Trump, an ad showing him hugging Dr. Fauci. It was not true. It was created by AI. There was one that got a lot of attention: robocalls made in New Hampshire that sounded exactly like Joe Biden. They were played by Senator Tillis and Senator Coons in a recent hearing in Judiciary, and you couldn't tell the difference. It was his voice telling people not to vote in the Democratic primary. That was recorded by a magician. And it just kind of goes to show you how we are going to see this resurgence of fakery and scams going on in our elections, and whether you're a Democrat or Republican, whether you're a conservative or a liberal, we cannot have our democracy undermined by ads and by videos and by robocalls when you literally don't know if it's the candidate you love or the candidate you dislike, we cannot have that happen to our democracy. And that is why so many states have come to the rescue, but they can only do their own state ads, and their own state robocalls, and their own state videos. At least 14 states have now enacted some form of labeling so that at least the viewers of these videos know if they're real or not. If it's the real person or not. And several have looked at or adopted bans, including the state of Texas, which unanimously, in their legislature, passed a ban with the support of Governor Abbott. So to date, the states have been doing their work because they get the urgency, in the words of the authors of our bipartisan framework, they get that “they must act urgently by bipartisanship and humility.” And so, as we head into this election, I would argue the “hair on fire moment” is that we actually take this on immediately and not wait. So the three bills are the first that I've mentioned here, which again, the states are doing different versions of this for state activity. Only on us, the Senate Rules Committee and the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House, and all these bills have or will have soon bipartisan companions. The first one I mentioned is led by Derek Kilmer, Democrat, and then Representative Gonzales of Texas. They have bipartisan counterparts in the House, and I spoke to the Speaker directly about this a few weeks ago, they are actually moving on bipartisan legislation as well. So, so far, this has not gotten into this partisan milieu, and we need to keep it there because we don't have much time left to get this done. So we've got this Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act, which is Senate 2770. We also have the AI Transparency in Elections Act. So I think of these as how they work together. We've got the ban bill for the most egregious example of people pretending to be the candidates. And then we have this other bill which requires labeling—disclaimers—so you actually know if it was prepared by AI. That does not cover things like changing the colors in an ad or making your hair look better, maybe hiding some of the gray. We did not include any of this in the bill, Senator Murkowski and I, because we get there's going to be practical uses of AI with cropping and the like, and we're not going to stand in the way of science. So we made this specific, and this idea actually came out of the hearing that we had with one of the Republican witnesses, that we don't want to put it on everything for every use of it, or it's going to become ridiculous to have the disclaimer. The disclaimer will truly help in places – As Senator Collins and I were talking about this weekend – where the ban bill cannot, because of the Constitution, apply to things like satire or parody. And we've made that very clear, Senator Hawley and Senator Collins and I in our bill, but the labeling bill, the disclaimer bill is gonna really help in those kinds of incidents. So you have a parody that looks exactly like the Senator’s opponent or a Senator themselves in a political thing, at least it will say prepared using AI, in a statement on the ad. That way, at least, people won't be fooled into thinking it's the actual person. So that's the second bill. The third bill, Senate 3897, with Senator Collins, is the Preparing Election Administrators for AI Act, which is actually, I'll get to that in a minute, but it is helping with the Election Assistance Commission and giving them some guidance on this. So we know this is going to become one of the most significant, if not already, technological advances of our time. We know there are risks. That's why we have a major effort going on in the Senate. We want these bills or some form of them, and I'm always open to changes, as we have done with all our bills. This is the Committee that got the Electoral Count Act through the U.S. Senate, and I note, we did that and we did that on a strongly bipartisan basis. And we made changes and we got to the right place on it. I'm hopeful we can do that with these bills as well. The bipartisan roadmap signed off by the four leaders on this includes references to all three of these bills that involve common sense rules of the road. In the last week, this Committee has heard from a bipartisan group of more than 40 national security experts and election officials calling on us to come together and advance the very bills that are before us today. That group includes former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, a Republican, and Leon Panetta, a Democrat of California. Along with current and former Secretaries of State from both parties, including former Republican Secretaries Trey Grayson of Kentucky and Kim Wyman of Washington. As I note, this is a “hair on fire” moment, and here's why AI has the potential to turbocharge the spread of disinformation and deceive voters. Like the robocalls, as I mentioned, used in New Hampshire, like the video, which was not true of President Trump hugging Dr. Fauci. Whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, no one wants to see these fake ads or robocalls. I note the states that have embarked on either ban or labeling bills include Texas, Mississippi, and Minnesota – these are ban bills – in New York, Oregon, and California. Other states that have been involved in labeling bills are Florida, Idaho, these are not exactly bright blue states, as everyone knows. Utah, Wisconsin, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, Washington. It's all over the board. It's just simply that these governors in these states said we're not going to tolerate deepfakes of our elected officials or those that are opposing them in political ads, and they were willing to stand up and say that. Some companies are also taking action because they know that this technology has the capacity to sow chaos in elections if it is not addressed now, but we cannot rely on a patchwork of state laws and voluntary commitments. Our bill doesn't touch the state laws. Our bill is very clear that those laws will be allowed to go on. This is about federal ads. Today, we will consider the three bills. It is supported, as I noted, by experts across the spectrum, including Republican Secretary of State David Scanlan of New Hampshire, whose state, as I noted, had the deepfake robocall and that's being investigated right now of who's behind that. And he was a recent witness at a hearing. And while we must ban deep fakes, as I note, we also need disclaimers and that's the bill with Senator Murkowski. Finally, we need to make sure those on the frontlines of our elections are prepared to respond to AI. So we're going to take up the bill with Collins to require the Election Assistance Commission to issue guidelines. That bill also includes a proposal, a very good proposal, from Senator Butler to require a report next year on AI's impact in the 2024 elections. With more primaries this spring and summer and the general election in November, today, we have the opportunity to pass these bipartisan bills. I look forward to a productive markup. And I will now turn it over to Ranking Member Fischer. Thank you. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) introduced bipartisan legislation to bolster training for primary care providers so they can better diagnose Alzheimer’s and other dementia and deliver high-quality, person-centered care in community-based settings. The Accelerating Access to Dementia & Alzheimer’s Provider Training (AADAPT) Act would provide Alzheimer’s and dementia education and training to more primary care providers, improving detection, diagnosis, and treatment of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. “Detecting Alzheimer’s and other dementia early can reduce stress for patients and families, reduce unnecessary health costs, and improve access to care,” said Klobuchar. “Primary care providers have been calling for more training
...Read more resources to improve early detection, accurate diagnosis, and care. This bipartisan legislation will deliver those tools and improve patients' quality of life and health outcomes.” “With the introduction of new drug therapies for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia over the past few years, the need for access to early and accurate diagnosis of the disease is more important than ever,” Capito said. “I’m pleased to help introduce the AADAPT Act, which will extend and expand the existing successful Project ECHO program to train health care professionals to make these vital diagnoses. This is especially important for rural states like West Virginia where access to specialized care is often limited.” “We are grateful for the bipartisan leadership of Sens. Klobuchar and Capito introducing the AADAPT Act in the Senate. This bipartisan bill focused on accelerating dementia workforce preparedness will increase access to early diagnosis and quality dementia care in communities across the nation while reducing geographic barriers and the cost of care. On behalf of the Alzheimer’s community, thank you,” said Robert Egge, Alzheimer’s Association chief public policy officer and Alzheimer’s Impact Movement (AIM) president. The House companion bill is led by Representatives Buddy Carter (R-GA) and Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-CA). Klobuchar is a longtime leader in combating Alzheimer’s disease and a member of the bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer’s Disease. In September 2022, Klobuchar and Senator Chuck Grassley’s (R-IA) bipartisan Kevin and Avonte’s Law to help locate missing loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease, autism, and other related conditions was reauthorized. In May 2021, Klobuchar and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced the bipartisan Alzheimer’s Caregiver Support Act to provide grants to expand training and support services that improve caregiver health and delay long-term care facility admissions by helping individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias continue living in their homes. AADAPT Act Fact Sheet AADAPT Act bill text ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), a senior member of the Senate Commerce Committee, and the U.S. Department of Commerce announced that Polar Semiconductor will receive up to $120 million in federal funding as part of the CHIPS and Science Act to expand its Bloomington manufacturing facility. “If we want our country to continue leading the global economy, we must stay on the cutting edge of manufacturing. This landmark investment in Polar Semiconductor’s Bloomington facility will be a game changer for domestic semiconductor manufacturing,” said Klobuchar. “I’m proud to have worked with Polar Semiconductor to secure the resources needed to ensure Minnesota continues to be a leader in advanced manufacturing for decades to come.” Polar produces high-voltage
...Read more semiconductors for use in automotive, commercial and industrial applications at its 310,000-square-foot facility in Bloomington. The company produces 21,000 wafer semiconductors per month. These new investments will allow Polar to expand the facility, which could double its U.S. production capacity. Klobuchar voted to pass the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act to strengthen domestic semiconductor production and boost American competitiveness and innovation. The CHIPS and Science Act is providing significant resources to: Help companies build, expand, or modernize domestic facilities and equipment for semiconductor production;
Kick start development of the domestic semiconductor workforce and address near-term labor shortages;
Make the largest five-year investment in public research and development in the nation’s history, including in critical technologies such as artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing, as well as boosting STEM education and regional technology hubs. In June 2023, Klobuchar hosted a roundtable discussion and press conference at Normandale Community College in Bloomington with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo to discuss the CHIPS and Science Act and how it can benefit Minnesota companies and workers. Polar Semiconductor VP of Business and Technology Development Rajesh Appat attended the roundtable. In August 2022, Klobuchar held a press conference in Bloomington with executives from leading U.S.-based semiconductor designers and manufacturers with operations or headquarters in Minnesota to highlight how the CHIPS and Science Act will strengthen American economic competitiveness and spur innovation. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) sent a letter to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan urging the agency to include commercial real estate acquisitions in antitrust reporting requirements intended to protect consumers. Recently corporate landlords, including private equity firms, have acquired large swaths of housing and raised rates on consumers without antitrust enforcers having the notice or tools to stop them. Under the current rules, when a company of a sufficient size makes a large acquisition, parties are required to report the sale to government antitrust enforcers. However, purchases of residential properties, even in large quantities, are exempted from these rules. This means there is a significant lack of oversight over major transactions that are
...Read more costing consumers. Klobuchar wrote, “In Minnesota, institutional investors own more than 20 percent—and as high as 30 percent—of all residential properties in multiple Minneapolis neighborhoods. Like far too many sectors in our economy, housing is becoming more concentrated in the hands of large corporations.” “When institutional investors, including private equity firms, control large swaths of residential housing in a market, consumers pay the price,” continued Klobuchar. “[A] survey by the National Association of Realtors found that institutional investors typically charged higher rents and were more likely to tack on fees for the same quality property than individual landlords. Institutional investors are also more likely to evict tenants than individual landlords…Commercial transactions of residential and rental properties should no longer fly under the radar.” As Chair of the Competition Policy, Antitrust and Consumer Rights subcommittee, Klobuchar is a leader in the Senate in pushing to ensure our competition laws protect consumers across all aspects of our economy. In October of 2023, U.S. Senator Klobuchar held a hearing titled Examining Competition and Consumer Rights in Housing Markets, which explored how competition laws can protect consumers and lower prices in housing markets. Among other issues, the hearing exposed how unchecked acquisitions of housing by private equity firms can hurt consumers by driving up rents, boxing out first-time buyers, and reducing services. In February 2024, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) along with Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Peter Welch (D-VT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), introduced the Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act to prevent companies from using algorithms to collude to set higher prices. In February 2024, Klobuchar joined Senator Wyden in introducing the Preventing the Algorithmic Facilitation of Rental Housing Cartels Act to ensure that large landlords cannot skirt antitrust law and collude to increase rent prices across the country. In December 2023, Klobuchar held a hearing that explored how algorithms can be used to harm consumers, titled, The New Invisible Hand? The Impact of Algorithms on Competition and Consumer Rights, which highlighted the potential for laundering nonpublic competitor data in a pricing algorithm to raise prices and included calls for the reforms in the Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act. In November 2022, Klobuchar, along with Senators Durbin and Booker, urged the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate potential anticompetitive conduct affecting apartment rent rates, voicing their concern that RealPage’s pricing algorithms could artificially inflate rental rates and facilitate collusion. The full text of the letter is available HERE and below: Dear Chair Khan: I write to urge you to use all existing authority to require parties that meet the size and value requirements for commercial acquisitions of residential and investment property to report those acquisitions to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) pursuant to the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements (HSR) Act. Typically, when a company of sufficient size makes a large acquisition, the HSR Act requires the parties to report it to government antitrust enforcers so that the FTC or Department of Justice (DOJ) may investigate the transaction to determine whether it may substantially lessen competition or creates a monopoly under the Clayton Act. But the FTC does not require parties that buy up residential properties, including private equity firms that may buy thousands of homes in a single area, to report those transactions for antitrust review because section 7A of the HSR Act exempts “acquisitions of goods or realty transferred in the ordinary course of business” from these reporting requirements. The FTC has interpreted this to exempt acquisitions of all residential and other property used solely to generate rental income from reporting requirements in the HSR Act regardless of the size or effect of the transaction. These exemptions were created nearly 30 years ago when it was widely believed that such acquisitions could never violate the antitrust laws. This is no longer the case. Today, more than half of rental units are owned by institutional investors. One report recently found that a quarter of single-family rental homes in the United States are owned by institutional investors, and that more than 200,000 families pay rent to only nine Wall Street-backed firms. In Minnesota, institutional investors own more than 20 percent—and as high as 30 percent—of all residential properties in multiple Minneapolis neighborhoods. Like far too many sectors in our economy, housing is becoming more concentrated in the hands of large corporations. Given this reality, commercial acquisitions of housing-related properties should not be exempt from antitrust reporting requirements intended to protect consumers from harms that can occur when markets consolidate, such as high prices, reduced service, and less innovation. When institutional investors, including private equity firms, control large swaths of residential housing in a market, consumers pay the price. Last year, I held a hearing on competition issues in housing markets. In that hearing, I heard testimony about how corporate landlords contributed to sky-high housing costs, raised rents, inundated tenants with junk fees, and used algorithmic tools to collude to set even higher rents. The Department of Housing and Urban Development has found that “because investors tend to concentrate their purchases in particular markets, even particular ZIP Codes or neighborhoods, they can significantly affect home prices, rents, and options for prospective homebuyers.” And a survey by the National Association of Realtors found that institutional investors typically charged higher rents and were more likely to tack on fees for the same quality property than individual landlords. Institutional investors are also more likely to evict tenants than individual landlords. And while private equity firms typically purchase properties to rent, their acquisitions also affect prospective home buyers. One study found that institutional investors in the single-family residential market were responsible for 9 percent of the increase in housing prices and 28 percent of the changes in homeownership rates. These are exactly the type of harm to consumers that antitrust laws were intended to stop. Commercial transactions of residential and rental properties should no longer fly under the radar. They should be reported to the FTC when they meet the size and value requirements just like any other acquisition and investigated under the antitrust laws when appropriate. I strongly urge you to revisit the FTC’s rules exempting commercial transactions of residential and rental properties and request the FTC to identify in a response any legal barriers to doing so that should be addressed by Congress by June 7. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) introduced legislation to limit the levels of harmful heavy metals allowed in commercial food for infants and toddlers. Heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury or other contaminants, if regularly consumed by babies through their food, can impact a child’s lifelong health and development. The Baby Food Safety Act of 2024 would allow the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to enforce scientifically-established limits on heavy metals in commercial infant and toddler food. The bill would also increase standards for food manufacturer sampling and testing for contaminants in imported and domestic processed food, and bring greater transparency to the rate of food facility inspections by FDA in the U.S.
...Read more and abroad. The House companion bill is led by Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Tony Cárdenas (D-CA). “Parents want what’s best for their children, and they deserve peace of mind knowing the food they purchase for their babies and toddlers is safe,” said Klobuchar. “This legislation will boost food safety standards and require more complete testing by manufacturers to prevent heavy metals from poisoning our kids.” “Even three years after the release of my groundbreaking report that found dangerously high levels of toxic heavy metals in leading baby foods, those same neurotoxins are still present at levels that risk the health and well-being of our children,” Krishnamoorthi said. “My legislation will empower the FDA to set limits for the levels of lead, cadmium, mercury, and inorganic arsenic in baby food with meaningful deadlines, while mandating sampling, testing, and reporting requirements for baby food manufacturers. I urge our colleagues from both parties to pass this bicameral legislation to address the dangers of heavy metals in baby food and keep our kids safe.” “All parents deserve to have confidence that the baby and toddler food they feed their children is safe and nutritious, but reports that many commonly sold products could contain harmful substances like lead that pose risks to our babies are deeply troubling,” said Duckworth. “I’m proud to help introduce legislation alongside Senator Klobuchar to address this issue, and I look forward to working with my colleagues and the FDA to make sure that what we feed our children will help them grow up safe and healthy.” “As a father, I understand the immense responsibility we have to protect our children,” said Cárdenas. “That's why I'm proud to join this bicameral common-sense effort that will lead to more thorough oversight and will demand accountability from baby food manufacturers. Every American parent deserves the peace of mind of knowing that the baby food they provide is safe and free from harmful substances that could impact their child's health in the long term.” The Baby Food Safety Act of 2024 would:
1. Raise standards for baby foods to protect infants and toddlers from toxic heavy metals (i.e., lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury) and other potential contaminants and mandates that baby food have no more than the maximum allowable limits for toxic heavy metals, including lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury, as determined by FDA. 2. Set standards for sampling and testing of commercial food products for contaminants, including toxic heavy metals in baby food. 3. Strengthen the FDA’s ability to enforce higher safety standards for commercial baby food as well as imported food products. In February, Klobuchar called on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate potential criminal conduct within the supply chains of WanaBana, Schnucks, and Weis brand cinnamon applesauce food pouches. These apple cinnamon puree pouches were recalled last year after hundreds of children who had consumed these products showed extremely high blood levels of lead during routine check-ups. In December 2023, Klobuchar, along with Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Tony Cárdenas (D-CA), Katie Porter (D-CA), Sean Casten (D-IL), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to use the authority of the agency’s new Human Foods Program to swiftly address the high levels of toxic heavy metals in these cinnamon-flavored applesauce pouches. In January 2023, Klobuchar, Duckworth, Krishnamoorthi, and Cárdenas called on the FDA to reduce high levels of toxic heavy metals—including lead, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium—in baby food and help ensure that the baby food provided to our nation's infants and young children is safe. In June 2022, Klobuchar, Duckworth, Krishnamoorthi, and Cárdenas and 19 of their colleagues called on the FDA to provide better oversight and regulation of baby food. In February 2022, Klobuchar and Krishnamoorthi led a group of lawmakers in responding to a Consumer Reports investigation which revealed high levels of the neurotoxin inorganic arsenic in 3 popular rice cereal baby foods. In 2021, Klobuchar and Duckworth introduced the Baby Food Safety Act to strictly limit the levels of harmful heavy metals in baby food. This legislation — written in response to a House Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy report showing that some baby foods are tainted with dangerous levels of lead, arsenic, mercury and cadmium — was aimed at holding manufacturers accountable for reducing harmful heavy metals in infant and toddler food. In 2009, Klobuchar led the bipartisan Food Safety Rapid Response Act to strengthen federal, state, and local officials’ ability to detect and investigate food safety outbreaks, which was signed into law as part of the Food Safety and Modernization Act of 2012. Her legislation also established food safety centers of excellence, including the Minnesota Integrated Food Safety Center of Excellence. In 2011, Klobuchar called on the FDA to issue a federal limit on inorganic arsenic found in fruit juices popular with kids, leading to the agency releasing final guidance in 2023 on action level for this heavy metal in apple juice. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) announced that several of her aviation priorities passed the Senate today as a part of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2024. The bipartisan legislation includes provisions Klobuchar pushed for to address aviation workforce shortages, require airlines to allow children to sit together with their family members at no additional charge, improve runway safety, improve air traffic control staffing and more. The legislation now heads to the House of Representatives for a final vote. “Americans deserve to have air travel that is safe, dependable, and efficient,” said Klobuchar. “I secured several provisions in the FAA Reauthorization to improve aviation by boosting workforce training, modernizing
...Read more technology, strengthening consumer protection, and updating safety standards. This legislation will ensure our transportation system is on the cutting edge.” Klobuchar successfully included: The Aviation Workforce Development and Recruitment Act, Klobuchar’s bipartisan bill with Senators Jerry Moran’s (R-KS), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), John Thune (R-SD), and others, to address aviation workforce shortages by boosting resources to help recruit and train pilots, aviation manufacturing workers, and mechanics.
The Families Fly Together Act, Klobuchar’s bill with Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), Leader Schumer, and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), to require airlines to allow children to sit together with their family members on flights at no additional charge. Under current law, parents who want to confirm a seat next to their children – including young infants – are often required to pay extra fees for advance seating, purchase more expensive tickets, or simply rely on the kindness of strangers. This will help keep kids safe while traveling and provide parents with much-needed peace of mind.
The Air Traffic Controllers Hiring Act, Klobuchar’s bill with Senator Braun (R-ID) to help address air traffic controller shortages and improve the safety of our airways. The bill requires the FAA to conduct maximum hiring of air traffic controllers at the FAA Academy, which is equivalent to approximately 1,800 individuals at the Academy per year.
Provisions to improve runway safety and prevent runway incursions. These provisions direct the FAA to ensure commercial planes are equipped with state-of-the-art technology that would nearly eliminate the risk of runway collisions. These include technologies to detect nearby planes on the runway and alert pilots to help them avoid collisions, as well as technologies that help pilots determine the required landing distance for a safe landing.
A provision with Senators Duckworth, Lujan, and Warnock to require the FAA to revise and implement improved air traffic control staffing standards to better address staffing shortages and meet increasing demand.
A provision with Senator Cantwell to extend eligible expenses for 529 plans, allowing them to be used to pay for flight and aviation maintenance programs certified by the FAA. A 529 plan is a tax-advantaged account that can be used to pay for the qualified education expenses including tuition, room and board. Last year, Klobuchar’s bipartisan legislation to help prevent FAA system outages was signed into law. The NOTAM Improvement Act requires the FAA to establish a task force to strengthen the resiliency and cybersecurity of the NOTAM system, which alerts pilots of safety and location hazards on flight routes. The law now requires the FAA to upgrade the NOTAM system and create a backup system by September 2024. The bill followed the January 2023 NOTAM system outage that grounded flights nationwide, and was sponsored in the House by Rep. Stauber (R-MN) and Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA). ### Read less WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), co-chair of the bipartisan Senate Broadband Caucus, was presented the Smart Rural Community Champion Award at the NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association Breakfast for her leadership in expanding affordable broadband access. Klobuchar’s Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act was incorporated into the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and has delivered significant federal funding to Minnesota for expanding high-speed internet access statewide. Download a photo here. “It’s an honor to be recognized by the NTCA, an organization committed to ensuring high-speed internet reaches rural communities across our country,” said Klobuchar. “Internet access is necessary for everything from education to healthcare, not to mention for keeping in touch with
...Read more friends and family. However, millions of Americans currently don’t have a reliable broadband connection in their homes. That’s why I worked to secure historic funding to deliver high-speed internet to every zip code in America.” Klobuchar has long led efforts to expand broadband access, support rural broadband, and bridge the digital divide. In June 2023, Klobuchar announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce had awarded major federal funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to bring reliable, affordable, high-speed internet access to every household in Minnesota. The Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act, Klobuchar’s legislation with Former House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC) to expand high-speed internet nationwide, served as the basis for the program created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In March 2023, Klobuchar and Senators John Thune (R-SD), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), and Jerry Moran (R-KS) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to expand broadband access to rural communities. The Reforming Broadband Connectivity Act would strengthen funding mechanisms for the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Universal Service Fund (USF), which promotes universal access to broadband and other telecommunications services. Currently, the USF is primarily funded through landline fees, disproportionately impacting seniors, who are more likely to use landlines than other Americans. In February 2023, Klobuchar introduced bipartisan legislation with Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) to strengthen broadband access for rural communities. The Rural Broadband Protection Act would ensure that providers applying for federal funding can reliably deliver broadband to underserved, rural communities. In July 2021, Klobuchar introduced bipartisan legislation with Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to expand rural broadband access by streamlining the funding process and removing barriers for broadband connectivity in hard-to-serve rural areas. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) issued the following statement following Governor Tim Walz signing legislation to require all-in pricing when tickets are sold or resold, banning speculative tickets, and banning bots from circumventing buying up tickets before fans. In the U.S. Senate, Klobuchar co-leads the bipartisan Fans First Act to strengthen transparency in live event ticketing markets at the federal level. Like the Minnesota law, the Fans First Act ensures fans know the total price of tickets, stops bad actors from using bots to buy tickets before real fans and bans other deceptive practices. In addition, the Fans First Act gives the FTC significant enforcement authority, requires refunds for canceled shows, and allows fans that buy resold tickets to opt-in to
...Read more get communications about safety and scheduling. “Buying a ticket to see your favorite artist in concert is like going through a gauntlet for too many Americans, and it’s hurting both fans and artists,” said Klobuchar. “With this legislation, Minnesota is leading the country in improving the ticketing experience but more must be done at the federal level to strengthen these protections. That’s why I continue to push for my Fans First Act with Senator Cornyn to increase transparency in ticket sales and enact other common sense safeguards. Our bill has growing support, including hundreds of major musicians, and I will keep working to pass this legislation.” Klobuchar introduced the Fans First Act with Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) to address flaws in the current live event ticketing system by increasing transparency in ticket sales to reduce fees, protecting consumers from fake tickets, and holding bad actors who engage in illegal ticket sale practices accountable. Other co-sponsors include Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Peter Welch (D-VT), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV). Last month, the Fix the Tix Coalition released a letter expressing support for the Fans First Act. Over 250 artists including Billie Eilish, Cyndi Lauper, Green Day, and more signed the open letter, which urges the Senate Commerce Committee’s consideration of the Fans First Act to improve consumer protections and transparency in ticket sales. In 2023, Klobuchar led a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing highlighting the need to promote competition in the ticketing industry to protect consumers. Klobuchar organized this hearing after significant service failures and delays on Ticketmaster’s website in November 2022 left fans unable to purchase concert tickets for Taylor Swift’s new tour. This legislation is endorsed by the Fix the Tix Coalition, Consumer Reports, National Independent Venue Association, Seattle Theatre Group, Recording Academy, Recording Industry Association of America, National Independent Talent Organization, Eventbrite, Performing Arts Alliance, North American Performing Arts Managers and Agents, International Association of Venue Managers, Songwriters of North America, Americans for the Arts, Americans for the Arts Action Fund, Future of Music Coalition, Artists Rights Alliance, Music Managers Forum, Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, Association of Performing Arts Professionals, and Open Markets Institute. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Cornyn (R-TX), along with 16 other senators sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack in response to the recent outbreak of avian flu. In the letter, the senators urge the USDA, Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other necessary agencies to continue to provide the public and state agencies with coordinated, up-to-date, and accurate information on the spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), also known as H5N1, particularly around the safety of the U.S. commercial milk or meat supply, and the risk to farmworker health. “The spread of the strain to livestock, including goats and cattle, and a farmworker in Texas, underscores the urgency required
...Read more to confront this outbreak through a collaborative federal response, heightened surveillance, and additional resources to support vaccine research,” wrote the lawmakers. “As the wild bird migration continues this spring, we stand ready to work with you and department staff to contain and stop this outbreak and minimize harm to rural America,” continued the lawmakers. The letter was signed by Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), John Boozman (R-AR), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), John Thune (R-SD), John Fetterman (D-PA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Jerry Moran (R-KS), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). Klobuchar has long worked to provide Minnesota farmers with the resources to weather livestock diseases and economic disruptions. Earlier this year, Klobuchar and Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) introduced legislation to offer producers fairer market prices for livestock disaster assistance programs. The Livestock Indemnity Program Improvement Act would require the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to make quarterly updates to Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) payment rates that reflect livestock market prices. In May 2022, Klobuchar and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) led their colleagues in a bipartisan push for more federal funding to help address the last outbreak of HPAI. In April 2022, she urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help Minnesota farmers respond to the 2022 avian flu outbreak. During the 2015 outbreak, Klobuchar led bipartisan efforts to ensure USDA had the resources necessary to fight the outbreak and compensate farmers for lost birds. In 2018, she successfully pushed to include a provision within the Farm Bill that created an animal disease and disaster response grant program to help fund projects to address risks to animal health, livestock export markets, and industry economic stability. The full text of the letter is available HERE and below: Dear Secretary Vilsack, As you are aware, every state in the nation has been hit with a recent outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) due to its spread from migratory waterfowl to domestic bird populations and commercial poultry. The spread of the strain to livestock, including goats and cattle, and a farmworker in Texas, underscores the urgency required to confront this outbreak through a collaborative federal response, heightened surveillance, and additional resources to support vaccine research. The evolving risk this outbreak poses demands a broad, coordinated approach from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, state and local partners, and researchers. Previous outbreaks have benefited from a consortium strategy wherein the USDA brought together the brightest minds in epidemiology and animal health research to lessen the potential economic and societal cost of the spread. We ask that the USDA take a similar approach — including additional research on wild bird deterrents, vaccines, and advanced biosecurity practices — when combating the current outbreak. A successful response to this outbreak demands a commitment to keeping farmers, ranchers, and veterinarians informed of the latest developments while efficiently coordinating mitigation efforts. This includes increasing genomic pathogen surveillance and rapid dissemination of genomic sequence data. It is critical that the USDA, FDA, CDC, and other agencies as necessary continue to provide the public with coordinated, up-to-date, and accurate information on the spread of HPAI, particularly around the safety of the U.S. commercial milk or meat supply and the risk to human health. As the wild bird migration continues this spring, we stand ready to work with you and department staff to contain and stop this outbreak and minimize harm to rural America. Thank you for your attention to this important matter. ### Read less WASHINGTON - At a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing titled “The NO FAKES Act: Protecting Americans from Unauthorized Digital Replicas,” U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) spoke about her support of the NO FAKES Act and urged action to protect individuals from the impact of unauthorized artificial intelligence (AI)-generated replicas. The NO FAKES Act is a bipartisan proposal that would protect the voice and visual likeness of all individuals from unauthorized recreations from generative AI. Senator Klobuchar is a lead sponsor of the legislation. A rough transcript of Klobuchar’s remarks is available below. Video is available HERE for download. Senator Klobuchar: Professor Ramsey, since you ended there, [I will] pick up where you were about some of these and some of the other
...Read more witnesses mentioned, about this deepfakes and how some of these things, whether it's sexually explicit images or whether it is the political robo calls or videos or ads, and I wasn't going to start this way but makes sense here because of what you just said. To me, some of this we just have to get off there. They're not going to be able to listen to a major candidate for president for three minutes and then look and see a label, and I think that in other countries, that's what they've done. That's why Senator Hawley, and Senator Coons, and Collins, and a number of other senators have come together. We're marking up this bill along with a labeling bill and the Rules Committee on elections. Could you talk about why that kind of targeted approach to some of these, like hair on fire things is very important, given the timing of all of this? Lisa P. Ramsey: So, as you can expect, I love the fact that you're working on these targeted laws, but again, one of the things we need to do is protect ordinary people from impersonation. Over Thanksgiving, someone called my dad when I was standing right next to him, it sounded just like my brother, and he said he was in jail and he needed money to get out of jail. And my dad was not duped by this, but you know, the fact–some people have been as the senators have noted, so I think it's a great idea, but I think that, you know, we still need, over the more broad act, to deal with these kinds of issues, for folks that are not politicians, etc. Klobuchar: Exactly. My state director’s son is in the Marines, and her husband got a call where it was an [impersonation,] they scraped his voice. They didn't know where he was stationed, so we're going to see all of this deployed against military families as well. Really, all these kinds of scams, so it's going to be. I see this, you know, [AI] having some of [] great uses, especially in health care of AI, but then there's the hell part, and that should be our job to try to put in the guardrails in place, which is why I'm so honored to be working with Senator Coons and Tillis and Blackburn on this bill. One of the things that interests me during the testimony you, Mr. Sheffner, and Mr. Crabtree-Ireland, you kind of got to this, but both the No FAKES Act and this election bill include exemptions, exceptions for the use of digital replicas to ensure the bills do not show speech protected by the First Amendment. Can you talk a little bit more as we look at how we can write these in a way? And I have tried with exceptions for satire in the elections bill, with Senator Hawley. How we can do this to ensure that common sense safeguards do not show protected speech and that this is upheld in court? Ben Sheffner: Right. So, Senator Klobuchar, I just want to say, agreeing with Professor Ramsey, that I think your approach of having specific legislation on pornographic deepfakes, other legislation on election-related defects is really the right way to go. When you have a broad bill that essentially says you need permission to use digital replicas and then let courts kind of sort it all out, that's where you get into trouble, and you have an overbroad bill that is going to necessarily end up encompassing, protected speech, makes it vulnerable to being struck down on overbreadth grounds. So these kinds of exceptions, I think are specific to the type of legislation. In the world of movies, our studios, the studios that we represent at the MPA make a lot of movies that are based on or inspired by real people and events. [I] went through this morning the last five years of all the Best Picture nominees. Over the last five years, approximately half were based on or inspired by real people and events. Our studios want to make sure that legislation like this doesn't interfere with their ability to do that. When you're talking about, say, non-consensual pornographic deep fakes, you don't need those exceptions for biopics and satire and parody. That stuff is bad in almost every circumstance you can think of, and I think this narrow, targeted approach is really the right way to go. Klobuchar: Okay, so Mr. Duncan Crabtree-Ireland. You’ve got the best long name in the world. Duncan Crabtree-Ireland: Thank you. Klobuchar: Could you talk about balancing that right of creators with the right of those whose voice or likeness may be at risk? You are sitting next to one of them right there with Twigs. And how do you believe we should balance that? Crabtree-Ireland: Absolutely. I think we all agree that, obviously, the First Amendment has to be protected and that expressive speech is important. I think, you know, the exceptions that are written into this discussion draft now are not that far off. But I think it's important that they not be expanded upon nor that they be broader than necessary. Because the fact is, we can't anticipate what this technology is going to do tomorrow. We cannot anticipate every iteration of this, and while there are certain specific uses or concerns that are being addressed by legislation, like the legislation you've referenced, there is a broader need for protection. The example I gave in my opening statement is one, Twigs has given examples as they applied to her, and so we do need to have that proper balance. And so I am concerned that we are only looking at one side of the First Amendment consideration here. The other side of the First Amendment consideration is the right that each of us has to our own freedom of speech to be able to communicate our ideas, to associate ourselves with ideas that we want to associate with, and not be associated with ideas we disagree with. And that is being really trampled on right now by this unfettered ability of people without a federal right to do things like the deepfake I experienced that she experienced, etc. And so I do feel like the committee is going to have to work on you know, defining these exceptions, making sure they are no broader than necessary to keep the legislation viable. But also to make sure it doesn't swallow up the rule like the Chairman said. If we make them so broad that they swell up the rule that all of this work will have been for naught. And the reality is, today is not like 10 years ago. It's not like 30 years ago. This technology is fundamentally different, and what it can do with all of our faces and voices, calls out, it screams out for a remedy that's actually effective. Klobuchar: And do you see, and maybe anyone, Twigs, any of you, Mr. Kyncl, to get this need for a national standard? Just because Senator Blackburn has worked with us on this bill and is going to be a co-sponsor. And they just did the Elvis act. Of course, in Minnesota, we have the Dylan Act and the Prince Act. No, I just made that up. But we do have people, as you know, who are fiercely, fiercely, independent, and protective of their incredible music in our state. But we have a common law in Minnesota, that's helpful. There's like this state, this state. Talk about a few if you if you want to. Just this need to have this national standard and why it's so important. Robert Kyncl: Maybe if I can chime in? Klobuchar: Okay, Mr. Kyncl. Kyncl: So I just want to comment on some of the things from before, which is, as someone who grew up without the First Amendment, I value that probably more than those who have because I do not take it for granted at all. And it seems like it's well and alive in America because half of the movies who are nominated for Oscars were based on existing folks. So saying that any, you know, AI regulation that is respectful of the existing First Amendment is not reducing it [First Amendment protections]. It's keeping it as it is, and it's alive and well. So I do think that we need to stay within the limits of the First Amendment and not go beyond. As to national regulation, we work with global platforms. We're talking about global payments, not even national. We're talking about global platforms. Doing anything state by state is a very cumbersome process to access content getting on the platform unauthorized if we have to fight that on a state by state by state, it's untenable. It just doesn't work. Klobuchar: Very good. Mr. Davies, that will be my last one, and then we'll go ahead. Graham Davies: Thank you. I just need to reinforce what Rob has just said. Absolutely right. You know, music streaming is global. The success of this is having access to Twigs music from the UK or from Tennessee or wherever. So it's high volume. Anything that adds complexity on a state-by-state level is anathema to this industry. So, we were very strongly in favor of preemption. Klobuchar: Very good. Just the last thing kind of along those lines is… don't laugh I heard you Coons. Just, it'll be very fast and can put it in writing, you, Mr. Davies. In January, we heard testimony that generative AI has been used to create unauthorized digital replicas of news anchors making comments, and we have a number of things going on in the journalism area. I have a vested interest. My dad was a journalist for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, but also Senator Kennedy and I have to build to push for negotiation of the content and to get them reimbursed mainly from Google and Facebook for the use of this content. Something that's going on in Australia and Canada, and I will not go on. But what steps can streaming services take to ensure that unauthorized digital replicas of journalists are now posted on the streaming platform? Davies: Senator, if I could follow up with you after I’m not briefed on that? Klobuchar: Okay, excellent. Thank you. Klobuchar is a lead sponsor of the Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe (NO FAKES) Act of 2023. The NO FAKES Act is a bipartisan proposal that would protect the voice and visual likeness of all individuals from unauthorized recreations from generative AI. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) sent a letter to Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan urging both agency leaders to investigate potentially anticompetitive conduct by the health data company MultiPlan. MultiPlan sells services to help insurance companies determine how much to pay providers for out-of-network medical care, and how much of that cost is passed directly to patients. The company is under scrutiny for allegedly using algorithms to suppress payments to health providers, which has increased costs for patients. Senator Klobuchar wrote, “While it is common for patients to pay different rates for out-of-network care, I am concerned that—rather than competing for business from employers by reducing these costs to
...Read more employees—algorithmic tools are processing data gathered across numerous competitors to subvert competition among insurance companies. The result is that instead of competing with each other, insurance companies are pushing additional hidden costs onto employees and patients.” As Chair of the Competition Policy, Antitrust and Consumer Rights subcommittee, Klobuchar is a leader in the Senate in pushing to ensure our competition laws are as sophisticated as the technologies used in today’s economy. In February 2024, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) along with Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Peter Welch (D-VT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), introduced the Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act to prevent companies from using algorithms to collude to set higher prices. In February 2024, Klobuchar joined Senator Wyden in introducing the Preventing the Algorithmic Facilitation of Rental Housing Cartels Act to ensure that large landlords cannot skirt antitrust law and collude to increase rent prices across the country. Klobuchar held two hearings in late 2023 exploring how algorithms can be used to harm consumers, including Examining Competition and Consumer Rights in Housing Markets and The New Invisible Hand? The Impact of Algorithms on Competition and Consumer Rights. Both hearings highlighted the potential for laundering nonpublic competitor data in a pricing algorithm to raise prices and included calls for the reforms in the Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act. In November 2022, Klobuchar, along with Senators Durbin and Booker, urged the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate potential anticompetitive conduct affecting apartment rent rates, voicing their concern that RealPage’s pricing algorithms could artificially inflate rental rates and facilitate collusion. The full text of the letter is available HERE and below: Dear Assistant Attorney General Kanter and Chair Khan, In today’s modern economy, algorithms frequently dictate the prices consumers pay, wages workers earn, or levels and quality of service people receive. Consumers are constantly interacting with algorithms as part of their daily lives—whether they’re shopping online, paying rent, booking a flight, hailing a ride, looking for a new app to download, or accessing the healthcare system. Given the significant role that algorithms play in our everyday economic lives, it is imperative that the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ensure that algorithms are not used to corrupt the competitive process, increase prices, or otherwise harm consumers. In December of last year, I held a hearing on the dangers that algorithmic pricing tools pose to free and competitive markets. After learning about the emerging danger that certain pricing algorithms may pose to consumers, I introduced the Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act to ensure that the use of pricing algorithms is clearly disclosed, that the DOJ and FTC have adequate tools to audit pricing algorithms, and that there are no loopholes in enforcement authority when it comes to prosecuting anticompetitive behavior that occurs through an algorithm. Recent reporting has indicated that firms may be using algorithmic tools to undermine competition and push additional costs onto patients that receive healthcare out of their insurance network. The New York Times reported on one such firm, MultiPlan, which sells data to help insurance companies determine how much they should pay providers for out-of-network medical care, and how much of that cost is passed directly to patients. While it is common for patients to pay different rates for out-of-network care, I am concerned that—rather than competing for business from employers by reducing these costs to employees—algorithmic tools are processing data gathered across numerous competitors to subvert competition among insurance companies. The result is that—instead of competing with each other—insurance companies are pushing additional hidden costs on to employees and patients. In 2009, a settlement agreement with the New York Attorney General required health insurers to shift out-of-network pricing decisions to a non-profit entity. But this provision lasted only five years. After the settlement expired, there was a concerted shift by numerous insurance companies toward MultiPlan’s for-profit services. Freed from the constraints of the settlement, MultiPlan has now positioned itself as a central hub that gathers out-of-network payment data across the industry and uses algorithmic tools to process this data to recommend artificially low payments to physicians potentially at the expense of employees or patients. This business model appears to be a product of ownership by numerous private equity firms and at least two acquisitions of rival service providers. MultiPlan reportedly collects fees commensurate with how little its insurance-company clients pay to doctors. In other words, the more money MultiPlan forces patients to pay for out-of-network care, the more money it makes. The New York Times even reported that MultiPlan sometimes “told insurers what unnamed competitors were doing.” This has put some doctors in the impossible position of depriving patients of care or providing that care at a significant loss. Algorithms should be used to make decisions more accurate, appropriate, and efficient, not to allow competitors to collude to make healthcare more costly for patients. The use of algorithmic tools to push costs away from insurance companies to patients, potentially by using algorithms to process sensitive data from competitors throughout industry, is similar to conduct by algorithmic price-setting firms in rental and hotel markets that the DOJ and FTC have argued violate the antitrust laws. In one brief, the agencies jointly declared that “[a]lgorithms are the new frontier” for anticompetitive acts, and that “[c]oncerted action can take many different forms, including competitors’ jointly delegating key aspects of decision making to a common entity, such as an algorithm provider.” The reporting around MultiPlan indicates it may have used algorithmic tools to co-opt and coordinate insurance payment decisions in much the same way. I encourage you to investigate the use of algorithms that collect and process data in the out-of-network insurance payment industry to determine payments for physicians and out-of-pocket costs for patients to determine whether any of this conduct violates the law. I appreciate your prompt attention to these issues. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement on the death of former District of Minnesota U.S. Marshal Sharon Lubinski. Lubinski was also the Assistant Chief of Police at the Minneapolis Police Department. “During my years as Hennepin County Attorney, I worked with Sharon Lubiski on an almost daily basis. I observed firsthand the strength of her character and the respect she commanded from people at every level of law enforcement and across our state. Because of this, I recommended Sharon be nominated to serve as the U.S. Marshal for the District of Minnesota. I will never forget Sharon’s swearing-in ceremony. Hundreds of her colleagues were there to show their support and friendship. As U.S. Marshal, Sharon led a successful effort in the state to
...Read more reduce violent crime and was instrumental in the manhunt to capture the murderer of Mendota Heights Police Officer Scott Patrick. Minnesota is a safer place because of Sharon. Sharon was also a trailblazer. She was Minnesota’s first female and our country’s first openly gay U.S. Marshal. She is an inspiration whose story and actions have encouraged more people from all backgrounds to serve. John and I send our deepest condolences to Sharon’s spouse Fran and to Sharon’s family, friends, and all those who are grieving this tremendous loss.” ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) issued the following statement following the release of Fix the Tix Coalition’s letter expressing support for the Fans First Act. Over 250 artists including Billie Eilish, Cyndi Lauper, Green Day, and more signed the open letter, which urges the Senate Commerce Committee’s consideration of the Fans First Act to improve consumer protections and transparency in ticket sales. “Buying a ticket to see your favorite artist in concert is like going through a gauntlet for too many Americans,” said Klobuchar. “This is hurting music fans and it's hurting artists. That’s why our bipartisan legislation to improve the ticketing experience has growing support, including hundreds of major musicians. I will keep working to pass this legislation.”
...Read more Klobuchar introduced the Fans First Act with Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) to address flaws in the current live event ticketing system by increasing transparency in ticket sales, protecting consumers from fake or dramatically overpriced tickets, and holding bad actors who engage in illegal ticket sale practices accountable. Other co-sponsors include Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Peter Welch (D-VT), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), and Mark Kelly (D-AZ). In 2023, Klobuchar led a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing highlighting the need to promote competition in the ticketing industry to protect consumers. Klobuchar organized this hearing after significant service failures and delays on Ticketmaster’s website in November 2022 left fans unable to purchase concert tickets for Taylor Swift’s new tour. This legislation is endorsed by the Fix the Tix Coalition, Consumer Reports, National Independent Venue Association, Seattle Theatre Group, Recording Academy, Recording Industry Association of America, National Independent Talent Organization, Eventbrite, Performing Arts Alliance, North American Performing Arts Managers and Agents, International Association of Venue Managers, Songwriters of North America, Americans for the Arts, Americans for the Arts Action Fund, Future of Music Coalition, Artists Rights Alliance, Music Managers Forum, Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, Association of Performing Arts Professionals, and Open Markets Institute. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement following the Army Review Boards Agency’s decision to award St. Peter native Earl Meyer the Purple Heart for his service in the Korean War. Senator Klobuchar worked with the Army and the Meyer family to secure this recognition after it was initially denied. “Earl Meyer put his life on the line in defense of our freedoms, and we are forever indebted to him for his service. Earl earned this Purple Heart, and I am so glad that we were able to work with his family and the Army to get him the recognition he deserves,” said Klobuchar. Earl Meyer served in World War II as a Merchant Mariner and in the Korean War as a member of the U.S. Army. Mr. Meyer received the Congressional Gold Medal for his service as a member
...Read more of the Merchant Marines. In 2022, Klobuchar helped pass the Merchant Mariners of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act, which recognized the merchant mariners for their service in the war. There are roughly 12,000 surviving merchant mariners, each of whom is eligible to receive the bronze replica of the award. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement following the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s announcement that lake sturgeon does not warrant listing under the Endangered Species Act. This announcement comes on the heels of Senator Klobuchar's April 18, 2024 letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Martha Williams. In her letter, Klobuchar urged the agency to consider the data and feedback provided by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources on the success and ongoing progress of managing lake sturgeon populations ahead of making the final determination on the species’s status. “From a Minnesota standpoint, this decision was based on the facts and the numbers and was the right call. Minnesota has had decades-long success managing
...Read more lake sturgeon populations and this will allow that to continue,” said Klobuchar. After conducting a thorough species status assessment using the best available science, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 12-month finding shows ongoing management efforts, such as fish stocking, have contributed to the conservation and resiliency of the species. The Fish and Wildlife Service also credited many partners, including states, Tribes, an local organizations across the country for coming together to successfully conserve this species. The full text of the letter is available HERE and below: Dear Director Williams: As the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service considers the determination of lake sturgeon protections under the Endangered Species Act, I ask for careful consideration of the impact that an endangered listing may have on Minnesotans. Thanks to the hard work by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), local advocacy groups, anglers, and many others interested in protecting this unique fish, Minnesota’s sturgeon population is growing. Areas such as Lake of the Woods and Rainy River have seen the population grow to about 92,000 in 2014, nearly six times the estimate from the late 1980s. Since the lake sturgeon was listed as a special concern species in Minnesota in 1984, the Minnesota DNR worked hard to restore the population’s stability, maintain a consistent supply of fingerlings in basin lakes and tributaries, restore habitat, and modify dams and barriers to improve fish migration and spawning. Minnesota biologists have joined with those in Wisconsin and Michigan to share data with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that demonstrates the best course of action for protecting and supporting the lake sturgeon. In addition, anglers play an important economic role in many communities near areas that are open to fishing sturgeon during the late spring. Including the sturgeon in species protection could have economic impacts for the local fishing industry including resorts, restaurants, fishing guides, retail stores and bait suppliers. During this determination period, I urge you to adhere to widely accepted scientific principles, embrace the data and feedback provided by the Minnesota DNR, and consider the decades-long success and ongoing progress of managing lake sturgeon populations. I look forward to working with you to identify and advance practical solutions that will protect the lake sturgeon while also minimizing economic impacts. Thank you for your attention to this important issue. ### Read less WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an emergency fuel waiver to allow E15 gasoline, gasoline blended with 15% ethanol, to be sold during the summer driving season. “With the peak summer driving season approaching, we need to expand the use of E15 gasoline to improve fuel options at the pump and reduce our reliance on foreign oil,” said Klobuchar. “This waiver for summer sales of E15 will do just that, but we must get this done on a permanent basis. I will continue working to establish the year-round use of E15 to bolster our economy, farmers, and national security.” Klobuchar has long supported legislation to bolster sustainable fuels. In 2023, Klobuchar and Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE),
...Read more both members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, reintroduced bipartisan legislation to make E15 available year round. The Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2023 would enable the year-round, nationwide sale of ethanol blends higher than 10 percent, helping to lower fuel prices and provide certainty in fuel markets for farmers and consumers. In February 2024, Klobuchar led a bipartisan group of lawmakers urging the Biden Administration to act quickly to ensure that the model used to determine eligibility for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) tax credits unlocks the potential held by farmers, ethanol producers, and airlines to reduce carbon emissions from aviation. In January 2024, Klobuchar, along with Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL.) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced the Farm to Fly Act. This legislation would help accelerate the production and development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) through existing U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs and allow further growth for alternative fuels to be used in the aviation sector, creating new markets for American farmers. In June 2023, Klobuchar joined Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) in introducing the Sustainable Aviation Fuels Accuracy Act, comprehensive bipartisan legislation to identify the standards required to meet the definition of SAF at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In June 2021, Klobuchar announced the introduction of a new package of bipartisan bills to expand the availability of low-carbon renewable fuels, incentivize the use of higher blends of biofuels, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In 2021, Klobuchar and Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to create a renewable fuel infrastructure grant program and streamline regulatory requirements to help fuel retailers sell higher blends of ethanol. ### Read less Klobuchar announced that the Rules Committee will mark up her bills to address AI in our elections. WASHINGTON - At a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing titled “Oversight of AI: Election Deepfakes,” U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) urged action to address the impact of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated deepfakes on elections. “Like any emerging technology, AI has great opportunities but also significant risks,” said Klobuchar. “This is the one right before us [...] and we have to put rules in place.” A rough transcript of Klobuchar’s remarks and questions is available below. Video is available HERE for download. Senator Klobuchar: Thank you. Well, thank you, Chairman, and thank you, Ranking Member Hawley, for this important hearing, [and] this opportunity to
...Read more keep this on the front burner. As Senator Hawley just said, we cannot wait. We are scheduling a markup of our bill, and we are going to have to work… it's the only committee that both leaders are on… fun committee to chair, and so I will seek Senator Hawley's help and others on our bill, which includes Senator Coons and Collins, Senators Bennet and Ricketts, and a whole lot more support on both sides of the aisle to get the votes. Not just to, you know, we can obviously pass it, but I'd like to get a really strong vote coming out of committee so we can immediately get this thing heard, because we really can't wait. The elections are upon us. And like any emerging technology, AI has great opportunities but also significant risks. And this is the one right before us, as well as other issues related to scams, and we have to put rules in place, and we can't let the same thing happen as every one of the four of us has been out front on this. As happened with Section 230, and what happened when they just acted like these companies were things in a garage, and now they're humongous monopolies, and now we are all challenged and trying to get these bills forward. Whether it's on fentanyl, whether it is on child pornography, whether it is on competition policy. We have to move these. The fake robocall. I hadn't actually heard it myself, so thank you for that. And it is just impossible to tell that that's not Joe Biden as it was impossible to tell one video that ran during the Republican primary that wasn't accurate involving Donald Trump. That also wasn't accurate. Or we had an Elizabeth Warren video in which she says “Republicans shouldn't vote,” that wasn't her, but you couldn't tell. We had in Minnesota, and this is not AI, but it just shows how devastating this can be. We had a photo the day after the heroes, the two police officers in Burnsville, Minnesota, were killed after rescuing seven kids, and then the paramedic was killed who was performing CPR. A photo of an actual rally picture from 2022 that I was kind of in the background on started going around. At the same time, there's some kind of Russian photo going around saying that I fund Nazis in Ukraine. That's been going around for three years. This photo had a red circle around me in the background, and then they put “defund the police" signs in the hands of the people at the rally that were never there. So they were literally using, the people who did this, I personally think it was foreign interests, took a photo and put those “defund the police” signs, after these officers have been killed. And to their credit, X and Meta, put “altered content” with the big sign, but it took us about, you know, a day to get all this down. It was going all around the internet. That is actually not AI. That's a real photo that they doctored, and people thought it was real. It looked real. And so this kind of thing is just going to keep happening and keep happening unless we take immediate, immediate action. Eleven states, including my own, have enacted laws to address these threats to our elections, and that's great, but it doesn't cover federal. Some of these states are–they're not all blue states, purple states, people are taking action as seen by the bipartisan nature of our legislation. And we also need disclaimers on other ads that aren't deepfakes, and that's a bill that we will also be marking up in the Rules Committee. So I want to thank my colleagues for doing this. I want to thank them for their willingness to stand up on this issue, and [I] look forward to hearing the testimony of the witnesses. Thank you. … Senator Klobuchar: Right now, I'm going to focus on elections, but I will say those were startling numbers, Mr. Colman, and I think it is just what we're seeing both real people and AI-created people, it's one of the reasons that we got the SHIELD Act through here, which is not the liability issue that I also support, that Senator Hawley was mentioning, but also getting the information to law enforcement and the like, to be able to make it easier to go after these perpetrators. And we can just sit here and do nothing, we can pass resolutions, but unless we empower people to go after these cases and then equally make liability, it's just gonna get worse and worse, and at some point, the public will have had it. I don't know if that's what–this year–but it's going to happen. And so, I keep telling my colleagues this. So let's go to a few things here, the bill that I mentioned that Senator Hawley and Coons and Collins and Bennet, Ricketts, others [and] I have. Could you tell me, Mr. Colman, how AI has this potential to turbocharge election-related disinformation and why we can't just rely on the disclaimers and watermarks? I think you can do that for a set of it. I don't think you should do it for all uses of AI, and we have a labeling bill that I think differentiates that, but for this really bad stuff that Secretary of State Scanlon was referring to, tell us why it's not enough. This is softball but to run the whole thing and have a little label underneath when they think it's the actual candidate, but it's not. Ben Colman: We agree on that. I think that to paint the larger picture, what we saw during the primaries was a single static deepfake, pre-recorded, kind of a one-to-many attack. It didn't change. It wasn't even live. Imagine a world where that was a one-to-one attack where instead of it being pre-recorded, it was actually live, and instead of being from one-to-many, it was one-to-one where it's coming from your husband, your wife, your boss, saying “Hey, Ben, we need you in the office of 6 am, I know it's a voting day” or to an election official “Hey, we're moving your precinct, we need you to be across town three hours away.” And that's where this is gonna go. It's not going to be a single pre-recorded, you know, arguably medium-level deepfake. It's going to be a real-time custom deepfake in conversational language. Have people do all kinds of things at all levels of the election system. So, on our side, we see this as a massive issue, not just in the U.S. but globally, and what's great here is on the dais we have different technologies, all solving very much the same issue. It's all possible now. We have large companies. We work with large banks, large government groups, large media organizations that are thinking long-term and already solving for this. We have banks scanning incoming phone calls, every single phone call. We don't have anyone protecting average consumers, my parents, my grandparents, they just don't stand a chance. With other technologies, whether it's CSAM or, for example, a computer virus, they don't have to be experts. They don't have to tell ransomware or an APT, they just know that their email provider will actually block it for them. We're looking for the bare minimum there, which is just letting us know that maybe something might be fake and then allowing us to decide maybe we don't want to see it, maybe it won't go viral. But right now, the things that are most extreme go the most viral, and platforms that do think about this are already solving that using technology like ours. Klobuchar: Right. Very good. And I do want to note that drafting this bill, the deepfake bill wasn't easy. We had to look at allowing satire, right? And all these kinds of things within the framework of the Constitution, and having Democratic and Republican lawyers look at this, to figure out what gave us a chance. I just think if the platform can point to something, as opposed to laws that aren't quite on point, which eleven states have done for states, but not for federal and say, “we've got to take this down.” We're going to be in a much better place than we are with a little label that they may not even notice. Also the labels, you know, I think it's important for some of this, but I don't think it can be the only answer. Mr. Scanlan, you know, birthplace of democracy, no kidding, I spent a little time in your state there. I know you cherish democracy very much. Could you talk about what other federal support will be helpful in taking this on in addition to stronger laws? David Scanlan: Secretaries of State, for a good decade now, have been dealing with misinformation and disinformation generally, and that takes on many different forms. And there's no question that today, voters receive their news in different formats than they did twenty years ago, and a lot of that news is electronic. It's on your cell phone. Many voters believe exactly what they see on that tech, on that format, on that media without question. So, in addition to whatever might be appropriate to help states recognize and put brakes on malicious technology in terms of deepfakes, I think we have to spend a real strong effort on the fundamentals of transparency, and helping voters, and educating voters on the election systems, and how they run, and what the checks and balances are that are protecting them in the polling place. Klobuchar: I've always found it interesting, like those Baltic states on the border with Russia, they were putting up misinformation, lying, things, and they, over time, because of education, they kind of have seen through some of it. It is possible, but it can’t be our only answer because of what everyone's being exposed to, but I think it's a good point, and we have the election assistant, of course, commission, but I did want to say appreciate as a Republican Secretary of State how seriously you and the Attorney General and others in New Hampshire took this egregious breach with the guy that did an interview afterward. Maybe they should have hired a mime instead of a magician. But in the end, I just think that we've got to make clear there's consequences when this happens as well. I have other questions. I don't want to go over my colleagues' time, I already have–I’ll ask you on the record, Mr. Ahmed and Mr. Gupta, thank you so much for being witnesses today. But I just..we have to be as sophisticated as the people that are messing around with our democracy and our laws, and that's why we’ve got to get these bills done. Thank you. Klobuchar, Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with oversight over federal elections, has led efforts to address the threat of misleading AI-generated content and to increase transparency in our elections. In September 2023, Klobuchar and Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO), Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law; Chris Coons (D-DE), Chair of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Intellectual Property; and Collins, introduced the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act, bipartisan legislation to ban the use of AI to generate materially deceptive content falsely depicting federal candidates to influence federal elections. This legislation has also been cosponsored by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE). Klobuchar also held a Senate Rules Committee hearing in September 2023 titled “AI and the Future of Elections,” highlighting the need to address the risks posed by AI to our democracy. In March, Klobuchar and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, introduced the bipartisan Preparing Election Administrators for AI Act to require the Election Assistance Commission (EAC), in consultation with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, to develop voluntary guidelines for election offices. These guidelines will address the use and risks of artificial intelligence (AI) in election administration, cybersecurity, information sharing about elections, and the spread of election-related disinformation. In March, Klobuchar and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced the bipartisan AI Transparency in Elections Act to require disclaimers on political ads with images, audio, or video that are substantially generated by artificial intelligence (AI). The bill also requires the Federal Election Commission to address violations of the legislation quickly. In February, the EAC voted unanimously to assist state and local election officials in combating the spread of AI-generated disinformation about our elections by allowing election officials to use federal election funds to counter disinformation in our elections caused by artificial intelligence. This decision came after Klobuchar and Collins’ letter calling on the EAC to take action to address AI-generated disinformation in elections following the fake AI-generated robocalls using the president’s voice to tell people not to vote in New Hampshire. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has awarded $13,736,000 in federal funding for the I-94 Blowing and Drifting Snow Control Project in West Central Minnesota. The project will install 24 miles of snow fence across 38 sites to address snow control along nearly 120 miles of I-94 between the cities of Moorhead and Alexandria. The project will reduce snow traps along the economically vital I-94 corridor, enhancing safety, minimizing winter maintenance, and boosting the reliability of the heavily traveled highway. “I-94 is one of the most heavily used highways in our state but its driving conditions can be impacted during winter storms,” said Klobuchar. “With this federal grant, the Minnesota
...Read more Department of Transportation will install snow fences to reduce snow traps along the highway and ensure I-94 remains safe for drivers.” “In Minnesota, we have to keep moving even when there’s snow, and this stretch of I-94 is notoriously unsafe in snowy conditions,” said Smith. “This grant from the Federal Highway Administration will help keep Minnesotans safe on I-94 in snowy conditions.” The funding was secured through the USDOT Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation (PROTECT) Grant program. PROTECT provides funding to ensure surface transportation resilience to natural hazards including climate change, sea level rise, flooding, extreme weather events, and other natural disasters through support of planning activities, resilience improvements, community resilience and evacuation routes, and at-risk coastal infrastructure. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides funding for PROTECT. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that they secured federal funding in the Fiscal Year 2024 federal budget for the Hennepin County Emergency Shelter System and Sheriff’s Forensic Science Lab. This funding will be used to purchase two light comparison microscopes and one 3D virtual comparison microscope for the laboratory Firearm Section. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Dean Phillips (D-MN). “Ensuring Hennepin County has access to the equipment and resources they need to keep Minnesotans safe is a top priority,” said Klobuchar. “We secured these federal grants so Hennepin County can purchase much-needed tools for the Sheriff’s forensic lab and make important upgrades to emergency shelters.” “
...Read more Improving public safety infrastructure is critical to ensuring the safety of our communities,” said Smith. “This new Emergency Shelter System and Forensic Science Lab will streamline and improve processes in Hennepin County, directly benefiting constituents.” Klobuchar and Smith have successfully secured: $750,000 for the Hennepin County Emergency Shelter System; and
$425,000 for the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Forensic Science Lab. Hennepin County will use the $750,000 to build a new emergency shelter that will better serve guests in a safer sleeping layout. The Sheriff’s Office will use the $450,000 to purchase two light comparison microscopes and one 3D virtual comparison microscope for the laboratory Firearm Section. Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. Projects are expected to receive funding over the next several months. ### Read less Congress Passed Funding Bills with Resources for Minnesota Projects Secured by Klobuchar, Smith WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that they secured federal funding in the Fiscal Year 2024 federal budget for projects to benefit Anoka County. These projects would help create a Criminal Diversion program and make key infrastructure upgrades. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representatives Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Tom Emmer (R-MN). “From upgrading the Columbia Heights wastewater system to improving highway infrastructure, these projects will address key issues impacting Anoka County. We worked with local leaders to secure resources for these projects, and now they’re one key step closer to completion,” said Klobuchar.
...Read more “One of the best parts of my job is helping Minnesotan communities turn their dream projects into reality,” said Smith. “Infrastructure and public safety measures have daily impacts on the lives of Minnesotans. I’m proud of our work to secure these investments that will be transformational for people across Anoka County.” Klobuchar and Smith have successfully secured: $4,000,000 to improve Minnesota Trunk Highway 65 at 117th Avenue;
$1,000,000 to create an emergency tornado shelter in Hilltop;
$400,000 to make upgrades to the Columbia Heights wastewater system; and
$89,000 to create a Pre-Charge Diversion program within the Anoka County Attorney’s office. Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. Projects are expected to receive funding over the next several months. ### Read less Congress Passed Funding Bills with Resources for Minnesota Projects Secured by Klobuchar, Smith WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that they secured federal funding in the Fiscal Year 2024 federal budget for projects to benefit Minnetonka Beach, Medicine Lake, Excelsior, and Mound. These projects will help upgrade water infrastructure and improve water quality. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Dean Phillips (D-MN). “We worked with local leaders to secure resources for these projects to upgrade water infrastructure and improve water quality, and now they’re one key step closer to completion,” said Klobuchar. “Minnesota takes pride in its history of ensuring access to clean, healthy drinking water for
...Read more Minnesota families,” said Smith. “Upgrading these water systems will allow us to continue that legacy.” Klobuchar and Smith have successfully secured: $959,752 to support removing PFAS from the drinking water in Minnetonka Beach;
$959,752 to construct a new public water system for Medicine Lake;
$959,752 to improve infrastructure at the Excelsior Drinking Water Treatment Plant;
$959,752 to build a water treatment plant in Mound. Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. Projects are expected to receive funding over the next several months. ### Read less Congress Passed Funding Bills with Resources for Minnesota Projects Secured by Klobuchar, Smith WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that they secured $850,000 in funding in the Fiscal Year 2024 federal budget for a project to complete the Mississippi River Greenway. This greenway will be a major recreational amenity serving Dakota County residents and connecting communities, parks, schools, employers, and natural areas along the river. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Angie Craig (D-MN). “Investments in our infrastructure serve as down payments on the long-term economic well-being of our state,” said Klobuchar. “This federal funding will support work to complete the Mississippi River Greenway, providing more
...Read more opportunities for hiking and biking along the Mississippi River and boosting tourism in local communities along this path.” “This project will not only enhance safety for Mississippi River Greenway users, but also help to ensure that all Minnesotans are able to enjoy the beauty of the river and its surrounding areas,” said Smith. “I am so glad to have the chance to secure federal investments for vital infrastructure projects for our state like this one that will directly improve the lives of Minnesotans.” Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. Projects are expected to receive funding over the next several months. ### Read less WASHINGTON—Today, the Justice Department finalized a rule to close a loophole that allowed people to sell firearms online, at gun shows, and at other informal venues without conducting background checks on those who purchase them. This final rule implements provisions of bipartisan legislation Senator Klobuchar has long championed that became law in 2022. “In 2022, I worked across the aisle to pass bipartisan gun safety legislation to expand background checks, keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers, boost mental healthcare, and more. The domestic abuse provision was a bill I led for years. Today we are implementing a crucial part of the law by expanding when sellers must conduct background checks for guns, including online or at gun shows.” Klobuchar has long led efforts to
...Read more prevent gun violence. Provisions from her bill with Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) to close the ‘boyfriend loophole’ and prevent abusive dating partners from buying or owning firearms were also included in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act signed into law in 2022. ### Read less Congress Passed Funding Bills with Resources for Minnesota Projects Secured by Klobuchar, Smith WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that they secured $1,200,000 in funding in the Fiscal Year 2024 federal budget for a project to construct the Fourth Street Southeast and 19th Avenue roundabout in Rochester. This grant will help transform this controlled 4-way intersection into a roundabout, improving traffic operations and increasing safety for all users. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Brad Finstad (R-MN). “This project to build a new roundabout in Rochester will improve traffic flow and enhance safety for drivers and pedestrians. With this federal funding, we’re on track to get this project done,” said
...Read more Klobuchar. “This is a crucial intersection for Rochester residents and it needs to be made safer,” said Smith. “I am so glad to have the chance to secure federal investments for vital infrastructure projects for our state like this one that will directly improve the lives of Minnesotans.” Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. Projects are expected to receive funding over the next several months. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has awarded $2,560,000 in federal funding for the City of Loman’s Highway 11 Rainy River Slide Realignment and Resiliency Project. The project addresses two critical slope failures that threaten to close portions of Highway 11 along the Rainy River. The project will realign 1.2 miles of the highway about 150 feet to the west, removing the roadway from the slide areas and completing work to stabilize the slopes. “Highway 11 is a vital part of Northern Minnesota’s transportation system,” said Klobuchar. “With this grant, the City of Loman will make critical infrastructure improvements to make Highway 11 resilient and improve driving conditions.” “Minnesotans
...Read more deserve to drive on safe, reliable roads,” said Smith. “Highway 11 along the Rainy River in Northern Minnesota is a danger to drivers, and this project will realign the highway on safer, more stable ground to protect and improve drivers’ safety.” The funding was secured through the USDOT Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation (PROTECT) Grant program. PROTECT provides funding to ensure surface transportation resilience to natural hazards including climate change, sea level rise, flooding, extreme weather events, and other natural disasters through support of planning activities, resilience improvements, community resilience and evacuation routes, and at-risk coastal infrastructure. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides funding for PROTECT. ### Read less Congress Passed Funding Bills with Resources for Minnesota Projects Secured by Klobuchar, Smith WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that they secured $4,889,000 in funding in the Fiscal Year 2024 federal budget for the Western Mesabi Mine Planning Board. The funds would be used to help complete the unfinished 8.4 miles of the Cross Range Expressway from east of Taconite to Pengilly, MN. It is the only highway that connects many cities and their estimated 50,000 population from Grand Rapids to Virginia. “The Cross Range Expressway will provide an important link for communities along the project’s corridor, from Taconite to Pengilly,” said Klobuchar. “With this federal grant, the expressway is a key step closer to completion.” “This funding
...Read more will be transformational in the completion of the Cross Range Expressway,” said Smith. “Finally, the only highway that connects many cities and their residents from Grand Rapids through Taconite will be safe and functional. I am so glad to have the chance to secure federal investments for vital infrastructure projects for our state like this one that will directly improve the lives of Minnesotans.” Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. Projects are expected to receive funding over the next several months. ### Read less WASHINGTON—At a Senate Commerce Committee hearing to examine the renomination of Jennifer L. Homendy to be Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) discussed the current NTSB investigation into the Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse and asked how to prevent future disasters. Senator Klobuchar said to Ms. Homendy, “I will say a lot of my focus is on the bridge because, as you may know, Ms. Homendy, I was the principal author of the bridge refunding bill, along with Senator Coleman, a Republican, a former Republican Senator from Minnesota, to get the I-35 W bridge rebuilt. And so all of this came back to the people of our state who remember exactly where they were when the 35 W bridge collapsed. An eight-lane highway eight blocks from my
...Read more house. A bridge that I took my family over every single day. And as I said that day, when a bridge fell down in the middle of America, we rebuild it. And we did that in Minnesota in 339 days.” In the three days immediately following the Interstate 35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis, Klobuchar and Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN) led the bipartisan effort in the Senate to secure emergency bridge reconstruction funding. Representative Jim Oberstar (D-MN) led the effort in the House. A rough transcript of Klobuchar’s questions is available below. Download video HERE. Senator Klobuchar: I will say a lot of my focus is on the bridge because, as you may know, Ms. Homendy, I was the principal author of the bridge refunding bill, along with Senator Coleman, a Republican, a former Republican Senator from Minnesota, to get the I-35 W bridge rebuilt. And so all of this came back to the people of our state who remember exactly where they were when the 35 W bridge collapsed. An eight-lane highway eight blocks from my house. A bridge that I took my family over every single day. And as I said that day, when a bridge fell down in the middle of America, we rebuild it. And we did that in Minnesota in 339 days. We got the cap lifted on the emergency funding in two days. President Bush was out there, and just like President Biden [was] a few days later. And in our state, it was 140,000 cars a day using that bridge, Baltimore's 31,000, but they have the added issue of the port and how important the economic value is not just to Maryland, but to the entire country. We mourn the loss of those construction workers and for their families. And also the two tragedies had something else in common, and that was the investigation. So important to figure out what went wrong, but also the heroes. In Baltimore, the immediate response to the mayday, with the first responders blocking traffic, so many more could have been killed. In our case, 13 people died, but there were dozens of other vehicles submerged in that river, and the first responders ran in there they got people out. I think of the driver of the Taystee truck who could have rammed into a school bus of kids, the miracle bus that was hanging precariously on the side of the road instead veered off and lost his life. He burned alive in his truck. I think about Mr. Hernandez, who was the school officer, who was the summer camp counselor on the bus of 50-some kids, and instead of running off that bus, which looked like it was going to go right over into the Mississippi River, he got every single kid off of that bus, calmly and got them all off the bus. Those are heroes. So, I want to thank you for the work your investigators are doing to be there on that thing. It's also dangerous. I know how difficult this must be. And so my first question is, how is the NTSB coordinating with the Coast Guard and other partners to clear the wreckage and reopen the channel as soon as possible? Jennifer Homendy: Senator, I worked for Chairman Oberstar at the time that occurred, so I know it well. And are many of our personnel who worked on that investigation who continue their work at the NTSB. So what I will say for our role in this investigation, our role is the safety investigation. We have a team from our Office of Marine Safety, a team from our Office of Highway Safety, and our Family Assistance team, as well as a team from our Research and Engineering Office. Our role is to determine what happened, why it happened, to prevent it from reoccurring and we are still on scene on the vessel. As for the removal of any sort of debris and, more importantly to find those loved ones who are unaccounted for. That is something that the Coast Guard and many other federal partners are working on. Klobuchar: Do you have any recommendations at this time, does NTSB that would prevent future collisions like what we saw? Are you just finishing the investigation, or any open recommendations? Homendy: We have investigated for many years, back to 1967, many bridge strikes by vessels, and we've issued recommendations, including one I will point out for the U.S. Coast Guard to evaluate U.S. waterways, the type of vessel vessels and shipping on the waterway, any volume of traffic on a bridge, any strikes to bridges and pier protection that should be in place. At the time this was in the early 1980s. At the time, the U.S. Coast Guard responded and said they did not have the authority to do that. They submitted a study from the late 70s providing four types of pier protection, but there's still action that needs to occur to look, frankly, at how shipping has changed over the years, how transportation has changed in our waterways, the types of vessels that we are seeing, the types of container ships that we are seeing, the volume of traffic, and looking at bridge designs. If I were a state and the Department of Transportation, that's what I would be looking at now–are these bridges protected for the types of traffic that are going through now? Klobuchar: Okay, thank you. Quickly moving to the train derailment in Raymond, I thank you for your work there in Minnesota. NTSB determined that the derailment was caused by a broken rail. Do you agree that we must pass the Railway Safety Act immediately? Homendy: On the Railway Safety Act, I will say it addresses several of NTSB's open safety recommendations, including information for emergency responders. We still have work to do to conclude our East Palestine investigation and issue those recommendations. That will conclude at the end of June, and we will provide that information for the committee, but we do have 190 open rail recommendations that can be acted on today. Klobuchar: Okay, very quickly, thanks to the Chair’s good work, the Senate FAA reauthorization bill includes a requirement that all aircraft be equipped with a 25-hour recorder. Will that help you in your investigation? Homendy: Absolutely. And it will help operators improve safety. Klobuchar: Okay, thank you very much. ### Read less WASHINGTON—On the Senate Floor, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) called for urgent funding to support the rebuilding of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, MD. In her speech, Klobuchar emphasized the importance of securing this funding quickly to fully reopen the Port of Baltimore and to provide passage over the Patapsco River for thousands of individuals daily. “Everyone saw [the I-35W bridge collapse] as the tragedy it was. They knew there would be investigations. They didn't mess around just because it was in a purple state, our state, or a blue state, or a red state. We all came together to get it done,” said Klobuchar. “Rebuilding and recovering from the [Francis Scott Key] Bridge collapse demands that same bipartisan collaboration. On the day of the collapse, President Biden
...Read more said he would move heaven and earth to reopen the port and rebuild the bridge as soon as humanly possible. And it's on Congress to help.” In the three days immediately following the Interstate 35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis, Klobuchar and Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN) led the bipartisan effort in the Senate to secure emergency bridge reconstruction funding. Representative Jim Oberstar (D-MN) led the effort in the House. A rough transcript of Klobuchar’s remarks is available below. Download video HERE. Senator Klobuchar: Mr. President, I rise today to address the urgent need to support the people of Baltimore in the wake of the tragic Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. This is near and dear to my heart because of the 35W bridge collapse, and I am well aware of the response of Congress at that moment many years ago. I think it is relevant to some of the discussions that have come out of the Baltimore bridge collapse, and I thought I would share them with my colleagues today. First, my heart is with the entire city of Baltimore, especially the families and loved ones of the six workers who died and the workers still trapped on the boat that struck the bridge. I know our colleagues, Senator Cardin and Senator Van Hollen, are working around the clock to support the victims' families. President Biden was just at the bridge and has pledged his support to get this rebuilt, and to open the port, and to do everything necessary, and we must stand with them. I thank the heroic first responders, the Coast Guard, the National Transportation Safety Board, and the Maryland officials, including, of course, Governor Moore, who acted swiftly and made sure that lives were saved. Yes, you think about the story of the immediate response to the Mayday and the first responders in the middle of the night, who made sure other cars didn't get on that bridge. And you also think of the governor there the next day, making sure people knew what had happened and what their plans were. I'm thankful for the efforts of brave workers leading the cleanup process, which we know poses serious risks to their safety. The Key Bridge wasn't just a way to get from Hawkins Point to Sparrows Point. It was a unifying force for the people of Baltimore from all walks of life. As one longtime resident, a doctor, and son of immigrants put it: “Every single Baltimorean felt that bridge fall down. That's our London Bridge. That's our Golden Gate Bridge. It was like a friend constantly saying hello to me in the morning. The bridge was a lifeline to schools and work; it was a bridge to the American dream.” In addition to the devastating human tragedy of the collapse, the lack of a bridge that carried over 31,000 vehicles across the river every day will have economic repercussions, and we know it now; [a] major artery for the city, [a] critical point of access for the Port of Baltimore, which handles more cars and trucks than any other port in our country, supporting more than 15,000 jobs and indirectly supporting 140,000 more. Every day that port is closed could cost our economy up to $15 million. That's why we have no time to waste. Baltimore's recovery and our entire economy depend on Congress stepping up and working together. So here's our story in Minnesota and why it's relevant. On August 1, 2007, in the middle of the most beautiful day, both here in Washington and in Minnesota, the eight-lane I-35W bridge collapsed into the Mississippi River; it took the lives of 13 people and injured many more. Just like in Baltimore, it would have been so much worse if those first responders had fled away from danger, but [they instead] fled to it. They literally didn't know in Minnesota what had happened. In Baltimore, you could see a ship had hit it, but in Minnesota, we didn't know what had happened. But they ran into those waters of the Mississippi River and got survivor's out and helped people. Our bridge actually carried more traffic than Baltimore, over 140,000 vehicles a day. Eight blocks from my house, a bridge that I would take all the time to bring our daughter to visit her friend. As I said that day when it happened, a bridge just shouldn't fall down in the middle of America, but when it does, we rebuild it. Here are the heroes very similar to what you see in Baltimore. Shannon Hanson, the off-duty Minneapolis firefighter diving in and out of the water, searching for survivors up and down the river. Paul Eickstadt, the Taystee truck driver who veered off the bridge to save a school bus full of kids and then burned to death in his truck, which caught fire because of how he avoided that school bus. Jeremy Hernandez, the worker on that school bus, it was a bus of kids that were at a summer program. That bus, which they called the “miracle bus," was just hanging on the edge of the bridge, and instead of running off that bridge, he got every single kid off that bridge to safety by kicking open the emergency door and one by one getting those 52 kids off the bus. Our job in Washington was, yes, to go there and stand with our first responders. And the minute we got there the next morning, former Senator Coleman, a Republican senator, and I saw the emergency work. We had big billboards up everywhere within 12 hours telling people where to drive and how the traffic was diverted. But our job was to rebuild the bridge, to get the funding immediately to get it done. We worked together, and within two days after that bridge collapse I came here and got a waiver of the cap of how much money that could be spent on a bridge like that. It was a record. We got the waiver done. Everyone joined with us in the Senate. As I look at what was my chair over there as a freshman senator, I remember the procedural hiccups involved in all of this, and I remember deciding my best bet was to sit in my chair and say I wouldn't leave until it got done. And when the Senate started one morning, Senator Durbin came over to me and said as they're saying the prayer, “Somehow I think you're here to do more than pray,” and I said, “Yes, I'm not gonna get up from this chair until we get this done.” And he helped me to get that bridge done and included in a major bill that we had pending at the time, which was fortunate. So we got the funding immediately. President Bush went back to the bridge several times. We were able to get it done. Not one senator in this chamber or one House member in this Congress played a blame game. Everyone saw it as the tragedy it was. They knew there would be investigations. They didn't mess around just because it was in a purple state, our state, or a blue state, or a red state. We all came together to get it done. And that bridge got built in record time. 339 days from start to finish. 13 months later. An eight-lane highway, a humongous bridge, the most traveled-on bridge in the state of Minnesota, got done. Rebuilding and recovering from the Key Bridge collapse demands that same bipartisan collaboration. The day of the collapse, President Biden said he would move heaven and earth to reopen the port and rebuild the bridge as soon as humanly possible. And it's on Congress to help. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Commerce Committee to get to the bottom of what caused the collapse. But I also stand ready to support Senators Cardin and Van Hollen as they work to secure the funding to rebuild the bridge. And I call on all of our colleagues to join us and not mess around. In Minnesota, we stand with the people in Maryland, where the lights on our own I-35W bridge were lit in Maryland state colors of red, white, yellow, and black immediately after the collapse. There's plenty of time for investigations and what went wrong with that large, large ship. That's happening right now. But the immediate focus of our country, because of the economic repercussions, not only on Baltimore but on the entire country, is to get this rebuilt and to call people out when they're just trying to play politics with it and say things that are completely inappropriate when six people died on the bridge. It wasn't that long ago that the I-35W bridge [collapsed], and our colleagues joined us; many of the people in this chamber are still here. We need to do the same now. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor. ### Read less Congress Passed Funding Bills with Resources for Minnesota Projects Secured by Klobuchar, Smith WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that they secured $1,000,000 in funding in the Fiscal Year 2024 federal budget for the Rice Street Visioning and Reconstructing project in Ramsey County. The funding will enable right-of-way acquisition, corridor reconstruction, utility replacements and upgrades, transit amenities, and streetscape enhancements. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Betty McCollum (D-MN). “Rice Street is a hub for residents, visitors, and businesses in Saint Paul but the current roadway is aging and in need of upgrades,” said Klobuchar. “With this federal grant, Ramsey County and the city of Saint
...Read more Paul will have the resources needed to advance the reconstruction project to improve Rice Street.” “In order to build an economy that works for everyone, we must invest in crucial infrastructure,” said Smith. “This project for Rice Street will make the area safer, more efficient, and more functional for residents and businesses.” Beginning just north of the Minnesota Capitol, CSAH 49 (Rice Street) connects downtown Saint Paul to Maplewood, Roseville, and other suburbs. It is a major transportation corridor and activity hub in Ramsey County, connecting 8,500 residents and 7,500 employees to 300 businesses, services, and institutions. It's a regionally significant route that carries 15,000 vehicles a day, including significant heavy freight traffic. Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. Projects are expected to receive funding over the next several months. ### Read less Congress Passed Funding Bills with Resources for Minnesota Projects Secured by Klobuchar, Smith WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that they secured $500,000 in funding in the Fiscal Year 2024 federal budget for the Merriam Junction Trail and Riverbank Stabilization project. The project will convert 2.2 miles of abandoned rail bed, swampland, and shoreline trails to a resilient regional multi-use, accessible destination trail connecting Scott and Carver Counties across the Minnesota River. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Angie Craig (D-MN). “The Merriam Junction Trail project will expand outdoor recreation opportunities for residents in Scott and Carver Counties,” said Klobuchar. “This federal grant will
...Read more provide more opportunities for hiking and biking and boost economic growth and tourism in the area.” “Minnesota is a proud outdoors state, and our trails are second to none,” said Smith. “I’m glad to have secured this funding that will help expand our trails network, bring more tourists and economic development to Scott and Carver County, and create even more recreation opportunities for families in the area.” Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. Projects are expected to receive funding over the next several months. ### Read less Congress Passed Funding Bills with Resources for Minnesota Projects Secured by Klobuchar, Smith WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that they secured $1,666,279 in funding in the Fiscal Year 2024 federal budget for a project to rebuild Saint Paul Fire Station 7. This project would allow the Fire Department to improve fire and EMS coverage to the East Side of Saint Paul. The new station will be a five-bay station that could accommodate additional fire and emergency medical response vehicles. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Betty McCollum (D-MN). “This project will rebuild Saint Paul Fire Station 7, improving the effectiveness of fire and emergency response to the East Side of the city. With this federal
...Read more grant, the new fire station is now one step closer to completion,” said Klobuchar. “Emergency responders put themselves in harm’s way to keep our communities safe and they deserve our support,” said Smith. “Saint Paul Fire Station 7 is 91 years old and is in need of serious repairs to include anti-carcinogen features. This project will make the station safer and more equipped for firefighters to do their jobs.” Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. Projects are expected to receive funding over the next several months. ### Read less Congress Passed Funding Bills with Resources for Minnesota Projects Secured by Klobuchar, Smith WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that they secured $800,000 in funding in the Fiscal Year 2024 federal budget for a project to construct a regional public safety training facility in Lakeville. The project will help ensure that safety personnel have the highest degree of training to serve the public. A public safety training facility does not currently exist for use by public safety personnel in the south metro area and adjacent cities and counties. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Angie Craig (D-MN). “Investing in public safety continues to be a top priority,” said Klobuchar. “We secured this federal grant so
...Read more the city of Lakeville can begin to build a training facility to ensure their safety personnel have the highest degree of training possible.” “Every day first responders leave their families and put their lives on the line to go to work and protect their communities,” said Smith. “The first responders in the south metro deserve a safe, up-to-date facility where they can get training on how to best serve the community.” Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. Projects are expected to receive funding over the next several months. ### Read less Congress Passed Funding Bills with Resources for Minnesota Projects Secured by Klobuchar, Smith WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that they secured $3,000,000 in federal funding in the Fiscal Year 2024 federal budget for a project to improve Interstate 94 and Trunk Highway 24 in Clearwater. The project includes reconstruction of Highway 24, adding roundabouts at County Road 7 and County Road 75, a diverging diamond intersection at I-94, among other improvements to help improve safety and efficiency around the intersection. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Tom Emmer (R-MN). “Our highways and roads are important links for our communities and it’s critical we continue to invest in them,” said Klobuchar. “With
...Read more this federal grant, Clearwater will upgrade Interstate 94 and Trunk Highway 24 to improve traffic conditions.” “I always say that the best ideas come from those closest to the work, and these projects are exactly that,” said Smith. “Upgrading this section of 94 will mean less congestion and safer trips for Minnesotans traveling through Wright County.” Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. Projects are expected to receive funding over the next several months. ### Read less Congress Passed Funding Bills with Resources for Minnesota Projects Secured by Klobuchar, Smith WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that they secured federal funding in the Fiscal Year 2024 federal budget for projects to benefit Dayton, Corcoran, Champlin, and Osseo. These projects will help make critical infrastructure upgrades. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Dean Phillips (D-MN). “From upgrading infrastructure to improving local parks, these projects will support our communities. We worked with local leaders to secure resources for these projects, and now they’re one key step closer to completion,” said Klobuchar. “I always say that the best ideas come from those closest to the work, and these
...Read more projects are exactly that,” said Smith. “These are direct investments in families and are going to make life easier for people across the Northwest Metro.” Klobuchar and Smith have successfully secured: $1,466,279 to reconstruct and expand 109th Avenue North in Champlin to reduce vehicle congestion and enhance pedestrian mobility, promoting safety for all users;
$850,000 to help upgrade the Dayton Water Trail to provide safe, all-inclusive and ADA-compliant river accesses on the Crow and Mississippi Rivers;
$500,000 to update Corcoran City Park including constructing a new street section, making parking improvements, adding additional amenities, and replacing existing playground equipment;
$500,000 to conduct a complete reconstruction and expansion of Osseo’s main downtown park, Boerboom Veterans Memorial Park, expanding the park from a half block to a full block to add community gathering spaces, ADA-compliant playground equipment, open green space, and a new community bandshell. Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. Projects are expected to receive funding over the next several months. ### Read less Congress Passed Funding Bills with Resources for Minnesota Projects Secured by Klobuchar, Smith WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that they secured $1,000,000 in funding in the Fiscal Year 2024 federal budget for a project to construct a new drinking water supply well in Bloomington. This project will help maintain an uninterrupted supply of safe, high-quality drinking water for homes and businesses alike. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Dean Phillips (D-MN). “We worked with local leaders to secure resources for this project to upgrade water infrastructure in Bloomington, and now it’s one key step closer to completion,” said Klobuchar. “People need to know that the water they are drinking is clean
...Read more and safe, and updating the drinking water supply well helps do that for Bloomington residents," said Smith. “I’m glad to bring federal dollars back home for important local projects that will help make our communities in Minnesota healthier and stronger.” Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. Projects are expected to receive funding over the next several months. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar released the following statement following the Senate passage of the final six of twelve funding bills at 2 a.m. this morning. The package now goes to the President’s desk to be signed into law. “The Senate worked in a bipartisan way to avoid a major blow to our economy and keep the government funded. In this package, we secured funding to improve the detection and seizure of fentanyl at our borders, give well-deserved pay raises to our servicemembers, and help law enforcement and firefighters to keep our communities safe. In addition, I secured crucial resources for Minnesotans, including bolstering emergency medical services, expanding child care access, and increasing health care workforce training.” This package includes the following funding
...Read more bills: Defense; Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Programs; Legislative Branch; Financial Services and General Government; State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs; and Homeland Security. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below following the announcement of 12,000 additional Afghan Special Immigrant Visas and program reauthorization being included in the Fiscal Year 2024 State and Foreign Operations funding package. “Giving our Afghan allies a chance to apply for legal status is the right and necessary thing to do,” said Klobuchar. “That is why we continue to work to pass the bipartisan Afghan Adjustment Act, and why I welcome the inclusion of 12,000 additional Afghan Special Immigrant Visas and reauthorization of the program through 2026 in the funding bill that will help our Afghan allies find safety and build a life in America.” Klobuchar joined Senator Shaheen and a dozen Senate colleagues in a March 13 letter to Senate leadership
...Read more calling for the inclusion of these visas in the State and Foreign Operations appropriations bill. Klobuchar leads the bipartisan Afghan Adjustment Act which would allow Afghans who sought refuge in the United States to apply for permanent legal residency after undergoing additional vetting. ### Read less Senator Amy Klobuchar, Chair of the Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, issued the following statement on the Department of Justice’s new lawsuit against Apple alleging the company has violated antitrust laws by using its monopoly power to harm competition and reduce consumer choice, quality, and innovation in smartphone markets. “Tech monopolies impede competition, harming consumers and small businesses. As the gatekeeper controlling the smartphones used by more than half of all Americans, Apple has restricted consumer choice, raised prices, and preferenced its own products and services — reducing quality and innovation across the digital economy. I strongly support today’s action by the DOJ to put a stop to Apple's anticompetitive conduct.
...Read more This case demonstrates why we must reinvigorate competition policy and establish clear rules of the road for Big Tech platforms. I will continue to push for updates to the antitrust laws, including the bipartisan American Innovation and Choice Online Act, to promote competition and innovation, strengthen our economy, and make sure consumers and small businesses benefit from free and fair competition.” In 2021, Senator Klobuchar held a hearing on mobile app store competition and heard evidence that Apple harms consumers and innovation by extracting exorbitant fees from small businesses and distorting and destroying competition in the mobile app market. In October 2021, Klobuchar and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced the American Innovation and Choice Online Act to set common sense rules of the road for major digital platforms to ensure they cannot abuse their dominance to unfairly preference their own products and services and distort competition. In January 2022, the legislation passed the Senate Judiciary Committee by a bipartisan vote of 16-6, making it the first major bill on technology competition to advance to the Senate floor since the dawn of the internet. The bill was reintroduced in June 2023. The American Innovation and Choice Online Act has been endorsed by the National Federation of Independent Business, Small Business Majority, Center for American Progress, Consumer Reports, the Consumer Federation of America, Public Knowledge, Public Citizen, leading national security experts, leading antitrust legal scholars, startup and small business organizations, and over 60 small and medium-sized companies and trade associations, including Spotify, Wyze, FuboTV and Quora. Signed into law as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act updated merger filing fees for the first time since 2001, lowering fees on smaller acquisitions and increasing them for the largest mergers, raising additional revenue that Congress can use to fund antitrust enforcement, including cases like the one filed against Apple today. The legislation also included the State Antitrust Enforcement Venue Act, Klobuchar’s legislation with Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) to empower state antitrust enforcement by making it easier for state attorneys general litigating antitrust cases to remain in their selected courts. Introduced in August 2021 by Klobuchar and Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), the Open App Markets Act will promote increased competition and innovation in the software applications and app store markets. The bill will protect app developers’ rights to tell consumers about lower prices and offer competitive pricing; open up competitive avenues for startup apps, third party app stores, and payment services; make it possible for developers to offer new experiences that take advantage of consumer device features; give consumers more control over their devices; and prevent app stores from disadvantaging developers who compete with them, all while enabling companies to continue to protect privacy, security, and safety of consumers. ### Read less WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) cosponsored the Protecting Access to Ground Ambulance Medical Services Act, Emergency Medical Services Reimbursement for On-Scene Care & Support (EMS ROCS) Act, and VA Emergency Transportation Access Act to protect access to emergency medical services (EMS) in communities across Minnesota. “Improving emergency medical services is critical for access to health care and protecting public safety,” said Klobuchar. “These bills would support access to emergency ambulance services in all communities, regardless of their zip code, and allow EMS providers to receive adequate reimbursement for the services they provide.” The bipartisan Protecting Access to Ground Ambulance Medical Services Act would ensure that all communities, especially those in
...Read more rural and underserved areas, have access to quality emergency ground ambulance services by extending and increasing the temporary Medicare ambulance add-on payment rates for an additional three years. The Emergency Medical Services Reimbursement for On-Scene Care & Support (EMS ROCS) Act would allow ground ambulance services to be reimbursed by Medicare for providing care to patients regardless of whether they were transported to a hospital. The bipartisan VA Emergency Transportation Access Act would prohibit the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from reducing rates of pay and reimbursement for ground and air ambulance services unless the VA can ensure rate reductions would not reduce veterans’ access to this emergency service. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with oversight over the Library of Congress, delivered remarks honoring legendary songwriting duo Sir Elton John and Bernie Taupin and presented them with a certificate and an American flag flown over the U.S. Capitol for being awarded the 2024 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. “For more than half a century, your music has brought people together, been part of people's lifelong memories, and made our world a better place. So I'm going to try my best with the lyrics here that I have, and that is something you wrote, Bernie, and Sir Elton sang: ‘My gift is my song. And this one's for you.’ Those words from 1970 ring as true now as they did 54 years ago. Your gift
...Read more of song has changed the landscape of music and influenced generations of artists,” said Klobuchar. The Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, the nation’s highest award for influence, impact, and achievement in popular music, celebrates the work of an artist whose career reflects lifetime achievement in promoting song as a vehicle of musical expression and cultural understanding. Previous recipients include Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Sir Paul McCartney, songwriting duo Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Carole King, Billy Joel, Willie Nelson, Smokey Robinson, Tony Bennett, Emilio and Gloria Estefan, Garth Brooks, and Lionel Richie. The last Gershwin Prize was given in 2023 to Joni Mitchell. A transcript of Klobuchar’s remarks as delivered is below: Senator Klobuchar: [...] I want to thank–so many of my colleagues who are here–Deb Fischer, who is the ranking Republican on the Rules Committee. Thank you. I think I saw Jacky Rosen, as well as Senator Markey was here. And then also, while Senator Schumer was just a little busy tonight, his wife Iris is here. And not only is she Senator Schumer's wife, most importantly, she is the chief operating officer of the New York Public Library. We are so honored to present both of you with these certificates and these flags. Both flags were flown over the Capitol building. My friends have mentioned how important this Gershwin Prize is, and I cannot think of a duo more deserving than these recipients. It is exciting to see the icon and symbol of our resilience, last year's winner, Joni Mitchell. For many years, your songs have become part of the soundtrack of our lives. Whether it's dancing to “Tiny Dancer” at weddings, belting out “I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues” on the drive to work, or blasting “I'm Still Standing” after the Senate Judiciary Committee or a presidential campaign. We all know those songs, and they've defined our lives and one of the most amazing parts of your epic story is how you met more than 50 years ago, and it makes us think of, yes, the role of hard work and talent, but also sometimes the luck of the draw. As many of you may know, the man overseeing Sir Elton's audition at Liberty Records pulled out an envelope with lyrics from thousands that were submitted for him to work with, and the name on that envelope was Bernie Taupin. In the fifty years since, the generation-defining combination of Sir Elton’s music and Bernie’s lyrics have given us songs that are not only smash hits on multi-platinum-selling albums but one-of-a-kind reflections on life. That brilliance has always defined your partnership, and you haven't only entertained and inspired generations of fans, you’ve changed what rock and roll sounds like, what it looks like, and what it means to be a rock star. And that you can be one well into your seventies. We like that in this town. I was at your White House event, and you both have become beacons of hope, champions for change, ambassadors of acceptance, and through your charity work, including Sir Elton's decades of dedication to the fight against AIDS, including your friendship with Indiana teenager Ryan White, and now his family. You have shattered stigma, and you've saved lives. For more than half a century, your music has brought people together, been part of people's lifelong memories, and made our world a better place. So I'm going to try my best with the lyrics here that I have, and that is something you wrote Bernie and Sir Elton sang: “My gift is my song. And this one's for you.” Those words from 1970 ring as true now as they did fifty-four years ago. Your gift of song has changed the landscape of music and influenced generations of artists. And so for all that you have given us if we were better singers in this room, but I know there's a few “I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind that I put down into words, how wonderful life is while you're in the world.” ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement following the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) actions to address cable and satellite TV hidden fees. The new rules require cable and satellite TV providers to specify the “all-in” price clearly and prominently for video programming service in their promotional materials and on subscribers’ bills. “The advertised price for a cable or satellite TV subscription should be the price you see on your bill. That’s why I’ve long called for eliminating predatory fees that unfairly hide the actual cost of goods and services like TV, event tickets, hotel rooms, and housing,” said Klobuchar. “This action will remove hidden fees on cable and satellite bills and bolster transparency from service providers. I
...Read more will continue to build on this progress by pushing to eliminate hidden fees on other products.” Senator Klobuchar is a leader in pushing for stronger consumer protections across our economy. Last month, Klobuchar sent a letter to the Chairwoman of the FCC, Jessica Rosenworcel, to urge the FCC to finalize rules to prohibit early termination and billing cycle fees imposed on subscribers by cable operators and direct broadcast satellite service providers. In February 2024, Klobuchar wrote in support of the Federal Trade Commission’s “Trade Regulation Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees.” The proposed rule would prohibit unfair or deceptive practices relating to fees for goods or services, specifically, misrepresenting the total costs of goods and services by omitting mandatory fees from advertised prices and misrepresenting the nature and purpose of fees. In December 2023, Klobuchar worked with Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) to introduce the bipartisan Fans First Act, which would help address flaws in the current live event ticketing system by increasing transparency in ticket sales, protecting consumers from fake or dramatically overpriced tickets, and holding bad actors who engage in illegal ticket sale practices accountable. In July 2023, Klobuchar and Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS), co-chairs of the Senate Travel and Tourism Caucus and members of the Senate Commerce Committee, introduced the bipartisan Hotel Fees Transparency Act. This legislation will improve transparency for consumers by requiring anyone advertising a hotel room or short-term rental to clearly show up front the final price a customer will pay to book lodging. In February 2023, Klobuchar joined Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) in introducing the Families Fly Together Act, legislation to prohibit airlines from imposing any monetary charges on families that want to sit together during a flight. ### Read less WASHINGTON—At a Senate Committee on Rules and Administration hearing titled the “Administration of Upcoming Elections,” U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with oversight over federal elections, led the discussion about the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on elections, the need for election administration funding, and protections for state and local election officials. Download a recording of Senator Klobuchar’s opening statement here. “More Americans than ever have cast a ballot in recent elections, and it is in large part because of the work of state and local officials. These elections have run smoothly, and top security officials in both Republican and Democratic administrations alike have confirmed the security of
...Read more recent elections, including last week's primary elections,” said Klobuchar. “Eighteen states have already held primaries this year. With voting already underway, we are here to discuss the key issues facing the state and local election officials on the front lines of our democracy.” Witnesses included: The Honorable Jocelyn Benson – Secretary of State of the State of Michigan
The Honorable Wes Allen – Secretary of State of the State of Alabama
Mr. Isaac Cramer – Executive Director at the Charleston County, South Carolina Board of Voter Registration and Elections
Mr. Brian Kruse – Election Commissioner, Douglas County, Nebraska Election Commission
Ms. Janai Nelson – President and Director-Counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. Klobuchar has continuously worked to safeguard free and fair elections. Earlier this week, Klobuchar and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced the bipartisan Preparing Election Administrators for AI Act to require the Election Assistance Commission (EAC), in consultation with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, to develop voluntary guidelines for election offices. These guidelines will address the use and risks of AI in election administration, cybersecurity, information sharing about elections, and the spread of election-related disinformation. Earlier this month, Klobuchar and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced the bipartisan AI Transparency in Elections Act to require disclaimers on political ads with images, audio, or video that are substantially generated by AI. The bill also requires the Federal Election Commission to address violations of the legislation quickly. In February 2024, Klobuchar and Collins successfully called on the EAC to assist state and local election officials in combating the spread of AI-generated disinformation about our elections by allowing election officials to use federal election funds to counter disinformation in our elections caused by artificial intelligence. This decision comes after Klobuchar and Collins’ letter calling on the EAC to take action to address AI-generated disinformation in elections. In November 2023, Klobuchar and Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, held a hearing on “Ongoing Threats to Election Administration,” where election officials from both parties testified about threats and other challenges that election workers are facing. In September 2023, Klobuchar and Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO), Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law; Chris Coons (D-DE), Chair of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Intellectual Property; and Collins, introduced the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act, bipartisan legislation to ban the use of AI to generate materially deceptive content falsely depicting federal candidates in political ads to influence federal elections. This legislation has also been cosponsored by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE). In July 2023, Klobuchar introduced the Freedom to Vote Act, legislation to improve access to the ballot for Americans, advance commonsense federal election standards and campaign finance reforms, and protect our democracy. In July 2023, Klobuchar, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján, and Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) wrote to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) encouraging it to begin a rulemaking to regulate fraudulent AI-generated campaign ads. In March 2023, Klobuchar and Fischer held a hearing on “State and Local Perspectives on Election Administration,” including the impact of increasing threats directed at election officials on the ability of states and local governments to administer elections. In February 2023, Klobuchar reintroduced the Honest Ads Act with U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Mark Warner (D-VA), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, to improve the transparency and accountability of online political advertising by requiring online political advertisements to adhere to the same disclaimer requirements as TV, radio, and print ads. A rough transcript of Klobuchar’s full opening statement is available below. Download a recording HERE. Sen. Klobuchar: Good afternoon. I would like to thank Ranking Member Fischer and our colleagues for joining us. Our witnesses, who I will introduce shortly, are Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Isaac Cramer, Executive Director of Charleston, South Carolina's Board of Voter Registrations and Elections, and Janai Nelson, President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. We are also going to hear from our other witnesses. I left them last not because of omission, but because Senator Fischer will be introducing them, and that includes Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen and Brian Kruse, Election Commissioner for Douglas County, Nebraska’s Election Commission. More Americans than ever have cast a ballot in recent elections, and it is in large part because of the work of state and local officials that these elections have run smoothly, and top security officials in both Republican and Democratic administrations alike have confirmed the security of recent elections, including last week's primary elections. Eighteen states have already held primaries this year. In fact, three of our witnesses, Secretary Benson, Secretary Allen, and Mr. Cramer, have overseen primary elections this year already, and there are many more to go before the general election in November, including three states, Georgia, Mississippi, and Washington, in which voters are casting ballots today. With voting already underway, we are here to discuss the key issues facing the state and local election officials on the front lines of our democracy. One area of particular urgency is artificial intelligence. We have already seen how AI can be used to spread disinformation about elections, like the fake robocalls using the President's voice telling people not to vote in New Hampshire, which is now under investigation by the state's Republican attorney general. We must work across the aisle to protect our elections from these threats. And all of the witnesses at our hearing last fall agreed that we need to put guardrails in place when it comes to AI. That is why I am leading a bipartisan bill with Senators Hawley, Coons, and Collins; we’ve been joined by Senators Bennet and Ricketts, and it has broad support on both sides of the aisle to prohibit fraudulent AI-generated deepfakes in our election. We do this within the framework of the Constitution, which, of course, allows satire and the like. But we are very concerned with what we have seen with snippets of ads that attack candidates on both sides of the aisle, but they are deepfakes and not the actual candidate, and you cannot even tell it is not the candidate. We need to, in addition to banning deceptive deepfakes, we also need disclaimers when AI is used in other ways. Last week, I introduced a bipartisan bill with Senator Lisa Murkowski to require transparency in ads substantially generated by AI so that whether you are a Republican or Democrat, voters will know if the ads they see are making use of this technology. We got some guidance from the hearing we had earlier last year in that we don't want those labels to apply to every single thing when AI is used. So, we have defined that in a way that I think will pass muster and make it easier to pass that bill. But I cannot emphasize how important I believe it is to also pass the deepfake bill. Finally, since AI can make it so much easier to spread disinformation about things like voter registration, deadlines, or polling locations, I myself called ChatGPT or wrote in a question, I should say, and asked: “Well, what about this polling place in Bloomington, Minnesota? They often have lines. Where should they vote?” And it answered -- I’m making up the numbers now -- 123 Elm Street. It didn't even exist. Clearly, they have work to do. So we have concerns about that as well. We must tackle these issues head-on. One way is the work Senator Collins and I are doing to require the Election Assistance Commission to issue guidelines so election officials are prepared to meet these challenges. Six states, including my state of Minnesota and Secretary Benson's state of Michigan, have passed new laws to address AI in elections, and more than three dozen states have bills pending, both red and blue states. But we cannot rely on a patchwork of state laws, and Congress must act. Election workers, including volunteers, also continue to face a barrage of threats and intimidation. We have heard testimony in this committee from officials from both parties about threats targeting them and their families. It is no surprise that a survey last year found that nearly one in three election officials said they had been abused, harassed, or threatened, and one in five said they know someone who left their job due to safety concerns. This has a real impact on how elections are run, including efforts to recruit poll workers and volunteers. Last November, more than a dozen anonymous letters, some containing fentanyl, were sent to election offices in at least six states, leading to evacuations and delays in ballot counting. That is why Senator Fischer and I called on the Justice Department to prioritize investigating these incidents and why I lead a bill with Senator Durbin and 26 cosponsors to protect election workers from intimidation and threats. In addition, it is critical as ever that state and local governments have reliable federal funding to maintain election infrastructure, keep pace with the new technology, and combat cyber security threats. Election security is truly national security. These investments must be prioritized as our intel agencies continue to warn about foreign adversaries trying to influence our elections. I have heard from officials in red, blue, and purple states about the need to get steady funding when it comes to elections. Finally, I will note that in many states, voters continue to face new laws that make it harder to vote. We had a major hearing on that this morning in the Judiciary Committee with Senator Warnock launching off the hearing to talk about the John Lewis Voting Rights bill. We also need basic federal standards like those contained in the Freedom to Vote Act that I lead, along with many of my colleagues, including the Democrats on this committee. I will not give up until these bills become the law of the land because I believe we truly need to have federal voting rights protections for the citizens of this country. I want to thank our witnesses for being here, and I look forward to hearing your testimony about your work year-round to prepare for our elections. I will now turn it over to Ranking Member Fischer. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced a $851,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development grant and a $1,494,000 loan to make improvements to the City of Taconite’s water system. The funding will advance the construction of a new water storage tank, a water pump house, and a replacement water tower. The project will also install individual water meters for customers and develop a meter-reader system. “To ensure families are getting quality water out of their taps, it’s important to upgrade water infrastructure once the equipment reaches the end of its useful life,” said Klobuchar. “With this federal support, Taconite can rebuild the water system to better serve residents.” “Updating the water system will make a real difference
...Read more for people living in Taconite,” said Smith. “This loan from the USDA will help to construct a new water storage tank and provide safe, clean water for the city’s residents.” Senators Klobuchar and Smith are members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, which oversees the USDA. This federal funding was secured through the USDA Rural Development Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program. Program grants can be used by communities across the country to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community in a primarily rural area, such as health care facilities, public safety services, educational services, and more. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced a $497,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development grant and a $651,000 loan to make improvements to the water treatment plant and water tower in Osakis. Specifically, the funding supports a project that will convert the iron filter to a biological ammonia-removal filter to allow chlorine to better clean the lines during water treatment which will help protect the distribution system. The project will also renovate Osakis’s water tower, which hasn't been repaired since its construction in 1997. “The water treatment plant and water tower in Osakis require major repairs to ensure residents have access to quality water,” said Klobuchar. “This federal funding will advance the Osakis treatment
...Read more plant and water tower modernization project and strengthen the city’s water infrastructure.” “Keeping our water clean and safe is important for safeguarding public health,” said Smith. “Securing this loan will benefit the residents of Osakis by better filtering their water of contaminants and updating their 15-year-old water tower.” Senators Klobuchar and Smith are members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, which oversees the
USDA. This federal funding was secured through the USDA Rural Development Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program. Program grants can be used by communities across the country to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community in a primarily rural area, such as health care facilities, public safety services, educational services, and more. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced a $906,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development grant and an $8,310,000 loan to make improvements to the Red Lake Falls’s water, wastewater, and sewer infrastructure. Specifically, this project will construct a new water tower and pump station and install new water meters. “Red Lake Falls’s current water, wastewater, and sewer infrastructure no longer meets the needs of the city,” said Klobuchar. “Using this federal funding, Red Lake Falls can make the necessary improvements to enhance these critical public services.” “Minnesotans deserve to have safe, clean water,” said Smith. “The city of Red Lake Falls is no exception, and this investment from the USDA will update the city’s water and
...Read more wastewater infrastructure system, directly impacting all of its residents.” Senators Klobuchar and Smith are members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, which oversees the USDA. This federal funding was secured through the USDA Rural Development Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program. Program grants can be used by communities across the country to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community in a primarily rural area, such as health care facilities, public safety services, educational services, and more. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the House of Representatives passed legislation that included $963,000 in funding for a project to secure airboats and a digital evidence management system for Washington County Sheriff's Office to support public safety. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Betty McCollum (D-MN). The bill now goes to the Senate for final passage. “This project will help upgrade the Washington County Sheriff’s Office’s technology, ensuring our law enforcement officers have the tools they need to keep our communities safe. The project is now one key step closer to completion,” said Klobuchar. “Public safety is a priority for the federal government and local police departments
...Read more alike,” said Smith. “Thanks to this federal funding, Washington County will receive new airboats used to operate on waterways and implement a new case management software to safely store and process digital evidence, promoting public safety in the field and the office.” Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the House of Representatives passed legislation that included $7,300,000 in funding for projects to construct an interchange at County State Aid Highway 44 and U.S. Highway 14 as well as an associated flyover structure at 7th Street NW. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Brad Finstad (R-MN). The bill now goes to the Senate for final passage. “This project will make essential upgrades to the Highway 14 and County State Aid Highway 44 interchange in Olmsted County to improve safety and efficiency for drivers and pedestrians. With this federal funding, this project is one step closer to completion,” said Klobuchar. “Our economy can only move as fast as our
...Read more roads and bridges allow, and our roads and bridges have been outdated for way too long,” said Smith. “33,000 vehicles rely on this interchange every day to take kids to school, bring goods to market and ensure Minnesotans can get where they need to go, and this investment makes sure Minnesotans can do all those things safely.” Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the House of Representatives passed legislation that included $670,000 in funding for a project to upgrade Woodbury Police Department’s in-vehicle, body-worn, and interview room cameras. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Betty McCollum (D-MN). The bill now goes to the Senate for final passage. “This project will help upgrade the Woodbury Police Department’s technology, ensuring our law enforcement officers have the tools they need to keep our communities safe. The project is now one key step closer to completion,” said Klobuchar. “Every day police officers leave their own families to go to work and protect their communities. Thanks to this federal funding,
...Read more the Woodbury Police Department will replace old in-vehicle and body-worn cameras,” said Smith. “This investment will promote the efficiency of the departmental procedures as well as public safety for Woodbury’s residents.” Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below following the Department of Veterans Affairs announcement that all veterans who were exposed to toxins and hazards are eligible to enroll directly in VA Health Care. This means that all Veterans who served in the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, the Global War on Terror, or any other combat zone after 9/11 will be eligible to enroll directly in VA health care without first applying for VA benefits. Additionally, Veterans who never deployed but were exposed to toxins or hazards while training or on active duty in the United States will also be eligible to enroll. This announcement accelerates the phased-in approach called for by the PACT Act — meaning that millions of Veterans are becoming eligible for
...Read more VA health care up to eight years early. “It’s always been my belief that when our servicemembers and veterans signed up to serve, there was no waiting line, so when they come home, there shouldn’t be a waiting line to access the benefits they deserve,” said Klobuchar. “That is why I spent years working alongside Minnesota veterans and families to make sure veterans suffering from exposure-related illnesses could get care through the VA. This announcement will accelerate the rollout of these new benefits and allow millions of veterans who bravely served our country to receive care from the VA up to eight years earlier than previously possible.” Senator Klobuchar has been a leader in the fight to give veterans and their families quality health care. In 2022, Klobuchar helped pass the Honoring our PACT Act, which expands VA health care eligibility to nearly 3.5 million veterans who were exposed to toxic substances and adds 23 burn pit and toxic exposure-related conditions to the VA’s list of service presumptions, covering veterans who served from Vietnam to the present. The legislation also included the Toxic Exposure in the American Military (TEAM) Act, which she co-led with Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH). Those provisions expanded the population of veterans who could receive eligibility for VA hospital care to include those who were exposed to toxic substances and radiation. Before the PACT Act, Klobuchar led and passed several bills to help veterans with burn pits, including the Toxic Exposure Training Act, which will improve the training of VA health care and benefits personnel so they can better treat veterans exposed to burn pits and accurately process their claims. This legislation was also included in the PACT Act. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the House of Representatives passed legislation that included $500,000 in funding for a project to help preserve the historic water tower in Brainerd. The bill now goes to the Senate for final passage. “Brainerd's water tower is a landmark, and last summer I stopped by the site with Brainerd Mayor Dave Badeaux and other city leaders to discuss the city's preservation efforts. Now that the federal grant for this project has been secured, the city will finally be able to make the necessary upgrades to preserve the tower," said Klobuchar. “Water systems are an essential part of our infrastructure, and the historic Brainerd Water Tower represents an important piece of the community's local
...Read more history,” said Smith. “This water tower is deteriorating, and this project would help to preserve and restore this landmark in the Brainerd community.” Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the House of Representatives passed legislation that included $750,000 for the construction of a new water tower and $2,100,000 to improve the wastewater infrastructure in Waseca. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Brad Finstad (R-MN). The bill now goes to the Senate for final passage. “By upgrading the water infrastructure, this project will help boost the health and safety of families in Waseca and surrounding communities. The new water tower and improved wastewater system is a step forward in making our infrastructure resilient,” said Klobuchar. “Clean water is non-negotiable for a quality standard of living,” said Smith. “Constructing a new water tower
...Read more and rehabilitating the wastewater system in Waseca would provide access to clean water necessary to protect the health and safety of the city’s nearly 10,000 residents.” The federal funds would be used to advance the construction of a 1 million gallon water tower and associated site improvements. In addition, Waseca is facing chronic water inflow to its deteriorating sanitary sewer system during prolonged wet periods and large rainfall events, causing damage to homes and businesses. The federal funding will help prevent these issues by making upgrades to Waseca’s wastewater system. Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the House of Representatives passed legislation that included $3,111,000 in funding for a workforce housing development project in Hubbard County. These projects would expand access to housing through the Heartland Lakes Development Commission. The bill now goes to the Senate for final passage. “Employers in Hubbard County are reporting that the housing shortage is impacting their ability to recruit and retain talent. I worked to secure resources for the Heartland Lakes Development Commission to expand access to workforce housing in Hubbard County,” said Klobuchar. “Without a safe, decent and affordable place to live, nothing in your life works and it becomes nearly impossible to hold a job,
...Read more go to school, or stay healthy,” said Smith. “This project would build 50 new affordable housing units, bolstering economic opportunities in the area and supporting working families.” Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the House of Representatives passed legislation that included $1,186,000 in funding for a project to construct a new building that will be used to house community events in Raymond. Currently, community events are held in a facility that is shared with the Raymond Fire Department. The bill now goes to the Senate for final passage. “This project will help create a new community event space in Raymond and allow the local fire department to have its own dedicated building, improving the effectiveness of fire and emergency response. With this federal grant, the new facility is now one step closer to starting construction,” said Klobuchar. “When I visited Raymond after the train derailment last
...Read more year, it was clear they needed a better facility for their government and community,” said Smith. “I'm proud to help them make that happen.” Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the House of Representatives passed legislation that included $1,750,000 in funding for a water infrastructure project to benefit Norman County. The project would help Norman County develop a preliminary engineering report to help them make decisions on future water needs and address arsenic contamination to ensure communities have access to safe and reliable drinking water. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Michelle Fischbach (R-MN). The bill now goes to the Senate for final passage. “As Norman and surrounding counties look for ways to improve the delivery of clean drinking water, we must invest in the water supply system to ensure future demand is met. This federal
...Read more grant secures resources for this project to update Norman County’s water infrastructure and ensure families have access to a safe, reliable supply of water,” said Klobuchar. “Cities in Norman County need safe drinking water,” said Smith. “Over 40% of water wells in the County currently exceed harmful arsenic contamination levels, and this project would support important progress towards a regional water system that would provide safe, clean drinking water for residents in Shelley, Halstad, Hendrum and Perley.” Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the House of Representatives passed legislation that included $3,048,000 in funding for a project to replace the water tower in Buhl. Specifically, the funds will be used to replace the city's water tower and construct new water and sewer lines that will provide basic utility services for the development of the City of Buhl's South Industrial Park. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding and U.S. Representative Pete Stauber (R-MN) led the effort in the House. The bill now goes to the Senate for final passage. “Buhl is attracting new businesses and the city’s infrastructure needs to be updated to meet the growing demand for utility services. The federal grant I secured will deliver resources for
...Read more the water tower replacement project and expand other key infrastructure in Buhl,” said Klobuchar. “Access to clean water is critical for safeguarding public health and keeping our communities strong. Thanks to this federal funding, Buhl’s residents and businesses are getting a major upgrade to their water infrastructure, ensuring a reliable and safe supply of clean water for decades to come,” said Smith. “It’s also going to help boost the local economy. Adding new lines to support the city’s South Industrial Park will help pave the way to growing and attracting new businesses and bringing in more jobs to the area. This is a win-win for the people of Buhl.” Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with oversight over federal elections, and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced the bipartisan AI Transparency in Elections Act to require disclaimers on political ads with images, audio, or video that are substantially generated by artificial intelligence (AI). The legislation requires political ads created or altered by AI to have a disclaimer, except when AI is used for only minor alterations, such as color editing, cropping, resizing, and other immaterial uses. The bill also requires the Federal Election Commission to address violations of the legislation quickly. “As AI continues to evolve into a powerful and widely available tool, Congress must put guardrails
...Read more in place on the use of AI-generated content in elections so that people know if what they are seeing is real or AI-generated,” said Klobuchar. “As we work to ban deceptive deepfakes of candidates, we also need disclaimers to improve transparency in our elections so that whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, voters will know if the political ads they see are made using this technology.” “This bipartisan bill is pretty simple. As we navigate new technology, like AI, we should have confidence that what we are hearing and seeing—especially when it comes to our elections—is factual, and real. Our bill only requires a disclaimer when political ads use AI in a significant way – something I think we can all agree we’d like to know,” said Murkowski. Klobuchar has led efforts to address the threat of misleading AI-generated content and to increase transparency in our elections. In February 2024, Klobuchar and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee, successfully called on the EAC to assist state and local election officials in combating the spread of AI-generated disinformation about our elections by allowing election officials to use federal election funds to counter disinformation in our elections caused by artificial intelligence. This decision comes after Klobuchar and Collins’ letter calling on the EAC to take action to address AI-generated disinformation in elections. In October 2023, Klobuchar and Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY) sent a letter to the CEOs of Meta Platforms, Inc. and X Corp., Mark Zuckerberg and Linda Yaccarino, respectively, seeking information on how their organizations are addressing AI-generated content in political ads hosted on their social media platforms, and in November, Meta announced that it will bar the use of its generative AI tools in political ads and will require disclaimers on AI-generated political ads. In September 2023, Klobuchar and Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO), Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law; Chris Coons (D-DE), Chair of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Intellectual Property; and Collins, introduced the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act, bipartisan legislation to ban the use of AI to generate materially deceptive content falsely depicting federal candidates to influence federal elections. This legislation has also been cosponsored by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE). Klobuchar also held a Senate Rules Committee hearing in September 2023 titled “AI and the Future of Elections,” highlighting the need to address the risks posed by AI to our democracy. In February 2023, Klobuchar reintroduced the Honest Ads Act with U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Mark Warner (D-VA), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, to improve the transparency and accountability of online political advertising by requiring online political advertisements to adhere to the same disclaimer requirements as TV, radio, and print ads. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar announced that Ann Bussey from Side Lake, Minnesota will be her guest at the 2024 State of the Union address. Bussey is a senior who has focused on lowering prescription drug prices and expanding high-speed internet access. “Ann Bussey has fought to improve the lives of seniors in Minnesota, and I’m proud to have her join me at this year’s State of the Union address,” said Klobuchar. “Ann understands the challenges faced by older Americans in our state, especially rural areas, and her advocacy will be critical as we continue to bring down prescription drug costs for seniors and expand broadband access.” Bussey was awarded the Minnesota Department of Health Rural Health Hero Award in November 2023. In 2021, Bussey was accepted to the University of
...Read more Minnesota Project REACH Program, a year long program pairing research scientists with community advocates to improve rural health outcomes. Bussey developed a policy proposal promoting digital inclusion and digital literacy for Minnesota’s seniors. Bussey continues to serve as the community leader and advocate for the Hibbing Silver Sneakers program, now sponsored by the Duluth Area YMCA. In 2022, Congress passed legislation with provisions led by Senator Klobuchar to allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices directly with pharmaceutical companies. This year, negotiations began on 10 of the most costly and widely-used medications in Medicare, and the number of prescription drugs with negotiated prices will continue to grow. In 2021, Congress passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law which included provisions based on Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act, Klobuchar’s legislation to expand high-speed internet nationwide. This year Senator Klobuchar announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce awarded $651,839,368 in federal funding through the law to bring reliable, affordable, high-speed internet access to every household in Minnesota. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), along with Representatives Ken Buck (R-CO), Joe Neguse (D-CO), and Jerry Nadler (D-NY) sent a letter to Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Susan Collins (R-ME), Chair and Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations, as well as to Representatives Kay Granger (R-TX) and Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Chair and Ranking Member of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, to urge them to support antitrust enforcement by ensuring the Department of Justice Antitrust Division can fully access the premerger filing fees as envisioned under the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act. In
...Read more December 2022, Congress enacted the bipartisan Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act to update the funding formula for premerger filing fees as part of the year-end government funding package. The legislation updated the merger filing fees for the first time since 2001 - lowering fees on smaller acquisitions and increasing them for the largest mergers - raising additional revenue that Congress intended to be used to strengthen enforcement of the antitrust laws. The Antitrust Division has been partially funded through these merger filing fees since 1989 when Congress amended the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act. “While we appreciate the work of the Appropriations Committee, as written, the bill would undermine the intent of the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act, which was supported in the Senate by a vote of 88-8 and was enacted in 2022 as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023.” wrote the lawmakers. “The Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act restructured premerger filing fees, raising fees for the largest mergers and reducing them for smaller transactions, and was explicitly intended to provide additional funding, through access to the merger filing fees, to strengthen enforcement of the antitrust laws.” “Unfortunately, the 2024 appropriations bill does not provide the Antitrust Division with full access to the premerger filing fees.” continued the lawmakers. “We urge you to support the enforcement work of our antitrust agencies by committing to ensure the DOJ Antitrust Division can fully access the premerger filing fees as envisioned under the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act. This will allow the Antitrust Division to use those additional resources to more effectively to fulfill its mission to protect competition and consumers.” Full text of the letter is available HERE and below: Dear Chairs Murray and Granger and Ranking Members Collins and DeLauro: We write in strong opposition to the funding levels for the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in the recently-circulated 2024 appropriations package. While we appreciate the work of the Appropriations Committee, as written, the bill would undermine the intent of the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act, which was supported in the Senate by a vote of 88-8 and was enacted in 2022 as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. The Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act restructured premerger filing fees, raising fees for the largest mergers and reducing them for smaller transactions, and was explicitly intended to provide additional funding, through access to the merger filing fees, to strengthen enforcement of the antitrust laws. Unfortunately, the 2024 appropriations bill does not provide the Antitrust Division with full access to the premerger filing fees. Specifically, the bill prohibits the Antitrust Division from using filing fees collected in excess of $233,000,0000. This provision is in direct conflict with the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act and forces any additional funding from the merger fees into a separate appropriations process before those funds can go to the Antitrust Division. This limitation will hamper the ability of the Antitrust Division to utilize those additional funds to enhance its enforcement activities. While the American economy has grown significantly in size, the funding for our federal antitrust agencies has failed to keep pace. As an example, the Antitrust Division at the Department of Justice had 352 fewer employees in 2022 than it did in 1979. While there has long been a strong commitment to fully enforce our antitrust laws, we must ensure the DOJ has ample resources to take on cases that have become more complex and involve some of the largest companies the world has ever known. We urge you to support the enforcement work of our antitrust agencies by committing to ensure the DOJ Antitrust Division can fully access the premerger filing fees as envisioned under the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act. This will allow the Antitrust Division to use those additional resources to more effectively to fulfill its mission to protect competition and consumers. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, along with 27 of her colleagues sent a letter to Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Susan Collins (R-ME), Chair and Vice Chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations; Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Jerry Moran (R-KS), Chair and Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice Science and Related Agencies; Representatives Kay Granger (R-TX) and Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Chair and Ranking Member of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations; and Representatives Hal Rogers (R-KY) and Matt Cartwright (D-PA), Chair and Ranking Member of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on
...Read more Appropriations, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies urging them to strike parts of the Commerce, Science, and Justice (CJS) appropriation bill text regarding Antitrust Division funding in order to bring the bill into compliance with the law and congressional intent codified by the passage of the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act. In December 2022, Congress enacted the bipartisan Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act to update the funding formula for premerger filing fees as part of the year-end government funding package. The legislation updated the merger filing fees for the first time since 2001 - lowering fees on smaller acquisitions and increasing them for the largest mergers - raising additional revenue that Congress intended to be used to strengthen enforcement of the antitrust laws. The Antitrust Division has been partially funded through these merger filing fees since 1989 when Congress amended the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act. The letter was signed by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Representatives Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Becca Balint (D-VT), Hank Johnson (D-GA), Pramilla Jayapal (D-WA), Katie Porter (D-CA), Summer Lee (D-PA), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA), Greg Casar (D-TX), Chris Deluzio (D-PA), Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IL), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Lori Trahan (D-MA), Nydia Velázquez (D-NY), Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Glenn Ivey (D-MD), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Alma Adams (D-NC), Cori Bush (D-MO), Ilhan Omar (D-MN). “We write with regard to the Commerce, Science, and Justice (CJS) appropriation language released on March 3, 2024, which undermines the Congressional intent codified by the passage of the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act, a bill originally introduced in the Senate by Senators Grassley and Klobuchar and in the House by Representatives Neguse and Spartz,” wrote the lawmakers. “The newly-released CJS bill caps appropriations to the Antitrust Division at $233 million for FY2024, regardless of fees collected. This is $45 million below the original FY2024 Congressional Budget Office fee estimate of $278 million and fails to provide any additional appropriations for non-fee-generating work, such as criminal price fixing cases and crucial monopolization cases, including the Antitrust Division’s challenges to Google’s search and online advertising monopolies.” “It was Congress’s intent, and consistent with decades-old precedent to allow the Antitrust Division to retain the increase in merger filing fees.” continued the lawmakers. “Ahead of Wednesday’s vote in the House of Representatives, we urge appropriations leadership to (1) strike the phrase “not to exceed $233,000,000 to be derived from” from the first proviso of the bill text regarding Antitrust Division funding, and strike the final proviso that states the same, and (2) strike all but the first sentence of the conference report section regarding Antitrust Division funding.” Full text of the letter is available HERE and below: Dear Chairs and Ranking Members, We write with regard to the Commerce, Science, and Justice (CJS) appropriation language released on March 3, 2024, which undermines the Congressional intent codified by the passage of the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act, a bill originally introduced in the Senate by Senators Grassley and Klobuchar and in the House by Representatives Neguse and Spartz. The Act—along with the State Antitrust Enforcement Venue Act—was passed on an 88-8 vote in the Senate in 2022 as an amendment by Senators Klobuchar and Lee to the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. The bill then passed the Senate on December 22, 2022 on a vote of 68-29. It passed the House a day later on a vote of 225-201 and was signed into law by the President on December 29, 2023. The Act increases the amount that merging parties are required to pay to the government for review of most mergers above $500 million in value and decreases the fees required of merging parties under $500 million. Since Congress amended the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act to add merger filing fees in 1989, the Antitrust Division of the Justice Department has received a budget made up partially of fees and partially of appropriated funds from Congress. The purpose of the recently passed legislation was to provide additional fees from merger filings to the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice. The 2022 amendment received significant bipartisan support in the Senate and the clear intent of the provision was best captured by the title which states it is “to increase antitrust enforcement resources,” in order to “protect competition and promote antitrust enforcement.” The newly-released CJS bill caps appropriations to the Antitrust Division at $233 million for FY2024, regardless of fees collected. This is $45 million below the original FY2024 Congressional Budget Office fee estimate of $278 million and fails to provide any additional appropriations for non-fee-generating work, such as criminal price fixing cases and crucial monopolization cases, including the Antitrust Division’s challenges to Google’s search and online advertising monopolies. By diverting these fees from the Antitrust Division, appropriators are also imperiling the viability of future cases, including that which might stem from the reported investigation into anticompetitive behavior by Live Nation-Ticketmaster. It is also important to note that the Antitrust Division has been active in many areas outside of tech. It has secured more than $90 million in restitution in agricultural antitrust actions and brought multiple major criminal prosecutions resulting in forty criminal convictions in just the last two years. Yet, the cap on merger fees available to the Antitrust Division will tie its hands to do this work in the event of a significant increase in merger and acquisition activity because the work would increase without any commensurate increase in funds. It was Congress’s intent, and consistent with decades-old precedent to allow the Antitrust Division to retain the increase in merger filing fees. During the first year of implementation, the process designated by Congress brought in significantly more in merger fees than the original merger fee formula. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the new fee structure passed by Congress would increase $88 million in FY2024 when compared to the FY2023 estimate. These additional fees, should they materialize, should go to the Antitrust Division for enforcement activities, but the newly released appropriations language will divert these fees away from the Antitrust Division to be used for purposes unrelated to antitrust enforcement. And contrary to congressional intent, the newly released appropriations language appears to wall off merger fees collected over the $233 million cap, making them unavailable for the Antitrust Division’s use unless Congress passes a new appropriations law. This unacceptable limitation contradicts the 2022 amendment and reverses decades of precedent on how the Antitrust Division is funded and how merger fees are allocated. In addition, the conference report text includes language noting the amount appropriated to the Antitrust Division but then ties that amount to the Antitrust Division’s projected merger fee collection for FY2024. The report then claims the Antitrust Division is a “fee-funded agenc[y]” which has never been entirely the case. The report is presented as “indicat[ing] congressional intent,” and that is not true based on the 88-8 Senate vote and the on-the-record discussion leading up to the vote. The misleading report could set a harmful precedent that can be used to further divert merger fees from the Antitrust Division in the future. Ahead of Wednesday’s vote in the House of Representatives, we urge appropriations leadership to (1) strike the phrase “not to exceed $233,000,000 to be derived from” from the first proviso of the bill text regarding Antitrust Division funding, and strike the final proviso that states the same, and (2) strike all but the first sentence of the conference report section regarding Antitrust Division funding. This will bring the bill into compliance with the law and congressional intent. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Mike Braun (R-IN) reintroduced a bill to increase access to skills training. The Skills Investment Act would expand Coverdell Education Savings Accounts (ESAs)—tax advantaged savings accounts for educational expenses—so American workers can use the accounts to pay for skills training, career-related learning, adult education, and professional development. Companion legislation for the Skills Investment Act was introduced in the House of Representatives by U.S. Representatives Derek Kilmer (D-WA) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA). “Now more than ever, innovation is key to moving the American economy forward. With technological advancements in advanced manufacturing and many other parts of our economy, it is critical that American workers are
...Read more positioned for success. That means increasing access to the specialized training and education needed to pursue good-paying, high-demand careers,” said Klobuchar. “My bipartisan Skills Investment Act will expand tax advantaged savings accounts so workers can build skills for the 21st century economy.” “You don’t need a four-year degree to land a great job and we need to make education savings accounts more flexible so they can also be used for trade schools and other skills training programs. This commonsense and bipartisan bill is a win-win for students pursuing career and technical education and businesses looking to fill high-demand jobs,” said Braun. “In recent years – even before the pandemic – we’ve seen massive, disruptive economic change. It’s crucial that we don’t leave workers behind,” said Kilmer. “The Skills Investment Act is designed to equip American workers so they can navigate economic change rather than being victimized by it. The bipartisan bill offers workers the opportunity to use lifelong learning accounts to acquire essential skills so they can get new jobs and higher wages while also enabling employers to attract top talent. It’s a win-win and a step toward maintaining America’s competitive edge in the global economy of the 21st Century.” The Skills Investment Act will allow workers to use tax-advantaged savings accounts to pay for skills training programs throughout an account holder’s lifetime. The bill would eliminate the age-based contribution limit on Coverdell ESAs and expand the scope of allowable distributions to cover a broad array of career and technical education services. These savings accounts would now be eligible for pretax contributions and mid-career workers would be allowed to contribute up to $4,000 tax-free each year, with a maximum contribution limit of $10,000. Employers would receive a 25 percent tax credit for contributions to a worker’s account. Klobuchar has long led efforts to boost workforce development and skills training. In March 2023, Klobuchar and Braun reintroduced the Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act, bipartisan legislation to allow Americans to use ‘529’ education savings accounts for skills training, credentialing, and certification programs. Current law only permits workers and families to use ‘529’ accounts to pay for college, vocational school, K-12 education, and apprenticeship expenses. The Senate Commerce Committee reported the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act with an amendment led by Klobuchar and Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) to allow 529 plans to be used to pay for flight and aviation maintenance programs certified by the FAA. In January 2023, she and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) reintroduced the American Apprenticeship Act, which would provide states with tuition assistance funding to support apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs. She also partnered with Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) to reintroduce the Apprenticeships to College Act, bipartisan legislation to allow workers to earn college credits for completed apprenticeships. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) and U.S. Representative Angie Craig (D-MN) announced they introduced a resolution to honor Burnsville police officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge and firefighter/paramedic Adam Finseth who were killed in the line of duty, and Sergeant Adam Medlicott who was injured and hospitalized. In addition, the resolution recognizes law enforcement and first responders in Minnesota and across the country for their dedication to protecting and serving their communities. Craig leads the resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives which is also co-sponsored by U.S. Representatives Brad Finstad (R-MN), Dean Phillips (D-MN), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Tom Emmer (R-MN), Michelle Fischbach (R-MN), and Pete Stauber (R-MN). “
...Read more Officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge, firefighter/paramedic Adam Finseth, and Sergeant Adam Medlicott are heroes who selflessly responded to the call for help,” said Klobuchar. “This resolution honors their bravery and recognizes the dedication of our country's law enforcement and first responders.” “Since I heard the news, I’ve found myself thinking a lot about the sacrifices made by the first responders who lost their lives, officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge and firefighter/paramedic Adam Finseth, and about Sergeant Adam Medlicott as he recovers from his injuries,” said Smith. “Every day they left their families and put their lives on the line to go to work and protect the Burnsville community. I am sending my heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives. This resolution can’t take away their pain and grief but is one small way that we can honor their sacrifices and uplift their dedication to protecting their neighbors.” “There are no words to describe the void that this loss has left – for their families, Minnesota’s law enforcement community and for the city of Burnsville. Nothing we say today will bring Paul, Matthew and Adam back,” said Craig. “But these three men are heroes, and we must honor their lives by giving the police officers and first responders who keep our communities safe the support they need to do the job.” Full text of the resolution is available HERE and below: Whereas Burnsville Police Officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge and Firefighter/Paramedic Adam Finseth died in the line of duty on February 18, 2024, while responding to a domestic situation in Burnsville, Minnesota; Whereas Officer Paul Elmstrand dedicated over 6 years of service to the Burnsville Police Department, joined the department in 2017 as a Community Service Officer and was promoted to Officer in 2019, and served as part of the department’s mobile command staff, peer team, honor guard, and field training unit; Whereas Officer Matthew Ruge dedicated over 3 years of service to the Burnsville Police Department, joining the department in 2020, where he was a physical evidence officer and a member of the crisis negotiation team; Whereas Firefighter/Paramedic Adam Finseth dedicated 5 years of service to the Burnsville Fire Department, served as a water rescue trainer and on Burnsville’s Health and Wellness Committee, and was an Army veteran serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom; Whereas Officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge and Firefighter/Paramedic Adam Finseth will be remembered as heroes who protected their community and loved their families and friends; Whereas Police Sergeant Adam Medlicott was injured and hospitalized while responding to the call; and Whereas Sergeant Adam Medlicott has served with the Burnsville Police Department since 2014 in various roles, including as a patrol officer, drug recognition specialist, and field training officer, and was promoted to sergeant in 2022: Now therefore be it Resolved, That the Senate— (1) expresses deep condolences to the families and colleagues of Burnsville, Minnesota, Police Officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge and Firefighter/Paramedic Adam Finseth, who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty and whose sacrifice will not be forgotten; (2) honors the bravery of Police Sergeant Adam Medlicott; (3) recognizes all of the countless selfless and heroic actions carried out by local law enforcement and first responders; (4) expresses strong support for law enforcement and first responders in Minnesota and across the United States who protect and serve their communities; and (5) acknowledges the importance of honoring and remembering fallen law enforcement and first responders killed in the line of duty. ### Read less WASHINGTON - Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) called on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate potential criminal conduct within the supply chains of WanaBana, Schnucks, and Weis brand cinnamon applesauce food pouches. These apple cinnamon puree pouches were recalled last year after hundreds of children who had consumed these products showed extremely high blood levels of lead during routine check-ups. Klobuchar sent the letter amidst the continuing joint investigation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention into how these fruit puree products led to the most widespread toxic exposure in food marketed to young children in decades. “I write to urge the Department of Justice to investigate potential criminal conduct by foreign suppliers or
...Read more parties within the supply chain sourcing severely contaminated cinnamon applesauce WanaBana, Schnucks, and Weis brand food pouches that were shipped into the United States,” wrote Klobuchar. “These food pouches are regularly consumed by toddlers and children, making their severe contamination especially dangerous.” “FDA officials have said their ongoing investigation has led the agency to suspect “economically motivated” adulteration, otherwise known as fraud,” Klobuchar continued. “This raises serious concerns that the cinnamon-flavored applesauce pouches that so far have been confirmed to have severely sickened nearly 90 Americans were deliberately contaminated or sold despite knowledge of their toxicity.” In December 2023, Klobuchar, along with Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Tony Cárdenas (D-CA), Katie Porter (D-CA), Sean Casten (D-IL), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to use the authority of the agency’s new Human Foods Program to swiftly address the high levels of toxic heavy metals in these cinnamon-flavored applesauce pouches. In January 2023, Klobuchar, Duckworth, Krishnamoorthi, and Cárdenas called on the FDA to reduce high levels of toxic heavy metals—including lead, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium—in baby food and help ensure that the baby food provided to our nation's infants and young children is safe. In June 2022, Klobuchar, Duckworth, Krishnamoorthi, and Cárdenas and 19 of their colleagues called on the FDA to provide better oversight and regulation of baby food. In February 2022, Klobuchar and Krishnamoorthi led a group of lawmakers in responding to a Consumer Reports investigation which revealed high levels of the neurotoxin inorganic arsenic in 3 popular rice cereal baby foods. In 2021, Klobuchar and Duckworth introduced the Baby Food Safety Act to strictly limit the levels of harmful heavy metals in baby food. This legislation — written in response to a House Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy report showing that some baby foods are tainted with dangerous levels of lead, arsenic, mercury and cadmium — was aimed at holding manufacturers accountable for reducing harmful heavy metals in infant and toddler food. In 2009, Klobuchar led the bipartisan Food Safety Rapid Response Act to strengthen federal, state, and local officials’ ability to detect and investigate food safety outbreaks, which was signed into law as part of the Food Safety and Modernization Act of 2012. Her legislation also established food safety centers of excellence, including the Minnesota Integrated Food Safety Center of Excellence. In 2011, Klobuchar called on the FDA to issue a federal limit on inorganic arsenic found in fruit juices popular with kids, leading to the agency releasing final guidance in 2023 on action level for this heavy metal in apple juice. Full text of the letter is available HERE and below: Dear Attorney General Garland: I write to urge the Department of Justice to investigate potential criminal conduct by foreign suppliers or parties within the supply chain sourcing severely contaminated cinnamon applesauce WanaBana, Schnucks, and Weis brand food pouches that were shipped into the United States. These food pouches are regularly consumed by toddlers and children, making their severe contamination especially dangerous. Working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) investigation of the contamination of now-recalled cinnamon-flavored fruit puree pouches found lead and chromium toxicity well beyond naturally occurring levels — in some cases 2,000 times higher than a maximum level proposed by the FDA and 1,000 times higher than the lead level standards the international standard-setting body (Codex Alimentarius Commission) is considering adopting for other food products. FDA officials have said their ongoing investigation has led the agency to suspect “economically motivated” adulteration, otherwise known as fraud. This raises serious concerns that the cinnamon-flavored applesauce pouches that so far have been confirmed to have severely sickened nearly 90 Americans were deliberately contaminated or sold despite knowledge of their toxicity. Lead can be toxic to people of all ages but is especially harmful to infants and young children. High levels of lead exposure in children can cause significant and irreversible damage to the brain and nervous system and slow growth and development. In the interest of food safety and our homeland security, I urge you to partner with FDA and CDC to swiftly investigate whether criminal charges are appropriate, identify those responsible for the poisoning of U.S. consumers, and take appropriate action. I look forward to working with you on this important matter so consumers can remain confident in the safety of our food supply. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement following the funeral service for Burnsville officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge and firefighter/paramedic Adam Finseth:
“Officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge and firefighter/paramedic Adam Finseth exemplified the meaning of public service. They answered the call for help and saved the lives of seven children. Today, we honor and remember them as heroes who selflessly served their community. In the wake of this tragedy, we must come together to support their loved ones and the Burnsville Police and Fire Departments as they mourn the loss of these three brave first responders.”
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NBC News By Berkeley Lovelace Jr. and Kenzi Abou-Sabe About four months after WanaBana announced a nationwide recall of its cinnamon applesauce pouches, parents of lead-poisoned children say they’re still living in constant fear of the potential long-term health issues that could develop in their young ones. Alyssa Magnuson, 29, from Braham, Minnesota, was in “disbelief and shock” when a routine blood test last fall revealed that her then-11-month-old daughter's blood lead levels were 23.4 micrograms of lead per deciliter, far higher than what’s seen in most children. “I literally didn’t think there was any possible way lead could have gotten into her system,” Magnuson said. It wasn’t until a week later that she learned about the WanaBana recall. Magnuson had bought the applesauce
...Read more pouches from a Dollar Tree store, something she said other people judged her for at the time. Magnuson said that her daughter, Stevie, began acting fussy around the time she started eating the applesauce, something Magnuson now attributes to lead exposure. “Now that her lead levels are lower, she’s acting entirely differently,” she said. But the worry and guilt haven’t gone away. “It’s always going to be a thing,” Magnuson said. “If something’s wrong with her when she’s older, I’m gonna wonder if it’s that.” Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said that the WanaBana contamination is "absolutely outrageous" and has renewed her call on the Food and Drug Administration to take action on heavy metals in foods for babies and young children. “This is heavy metals that are ingested by toddlers, by little kids,” Klobuchar said in an interview. “You think you’re safe when you use a cinnamon-flavored applesauce pack. And it turns out, you’re basically giving your child poisons.” She plans to introduce a bill that would call for inspections on food imports meant for babies and young children and said that going forward, there need to be changes to laws that have restricted the FDA from taking action against foreign food manufacturers that don't meet the agency's standards for safety. No safe levels of lead WanaBana announced a recall of its apple cinnamon pouches in late October, after detecting elevated lead levels in the children’s food. The following month, in November, the recall was expanded to include two other products made by the company: the supermarket brands Schnucks applesauce pouches with cinnamon and Weis cinnamon applesauce. As of Feb. 23, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has received 468 confirmed, probable and suspected reports of elevated blood lead levels linked to the pouches across 44 states. The Food and Drug Administration, which is investigating the source of the lead, said it has identified cinnamon as the likely source of contamination, tracing it back to a single cinnamon processor in Ecuador. The FDA and WanaBana did not immediately respond to a request for comment. There is no known safe blood lead level in children, said Dr. Laura Breeher, an occupational and environmental medicine physician at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The CDC uses a level of 3.5 micrograms per deciliter to identify kids with higher blood lead levels than most. Lead exposure can cause a large variety of symptoms, Breeher said, including: Irritability Abdominal pain Loss of appetite Fatigue It can also cause damage to the brain and nervous system, slowed growth and issues with hearing and speech, and lower IQ, according to the CDC. How long — and how much — lead exposure it takes before a child develops these issues is still an open question. Breeher said some children may show no symptoms, underscoring the importance of parents getting their children’s blood lead levels tested. Some may not develop symptoms until much later, she said. 'I feel terrible that I fed that to my son' Sarah Callahan, 39, of Port Republic, Maryland, said doctors told her that her 18-month-old son, Rudy, is showing signs of a speech delay. Callahan said she had no idea Rudy had been exposed to lead until a blood test last fall during his one-year check-up. His blood lead levels were 19.8 micrograms of lead per deciliter. He had been eating the WanaBana pouches since the spring. As of early February, Callahan said that Rudy’s blood lead levels are trending downward, now at 5.7 micrograms. Callahan said she worries about the possibility of his levels spiking again or another health issue emerging. “With his lead poisoning, it’s just like, his development at any point could stop or be delayed because of it,” said Callahan, who filed a lawsuit against WanaBana USA in November. “It’s always a worry, always a fear. But we’re trying to live in the present and just take one day at a time.” Courtney Akin, 30, of Folkston, Georgia, has also noticed signs of a speech delay in her 18-month-old son, Jaxson. Akin first purchased WanaBana applesauce pouches from a Dollar Tree store in July. In September, a test revealed Jaxson’s blood lead levels were 5.2 micrograms of lead per deciliter. (A spokesperson for Dollar Tree has previously said the retailer has since removed the product from its shelves and locked registers to prevent sales.) It wasn’t until the recall, however, that Akin realized Jaxson’s elevated blood levels could be linked to the applesauce and she removed them from his diet. She still feels an immense amount of guilt about feeding her son the pouches and remains concerned about health issues in the future. “It’s very scary,” Akin said. “Working as hard as I did nursing him that long, and then I go and purchase lead pouches. I feel terrible that I fed that to my son.” Not all parents have noticed symptoms in their children. Mariah Piazza, 27, of Tonawanda, New York, said her 1-year-old son, Caiden, appears to be doing well after he stopped eating the applesauce pouches. Caiden had been eating the cinnamon applesauce pouches almost every day for about a month. Last March, a blood test revealed that Caiden had a blood lead level of 13 micrograms per deciliter. He’s since had several lead tests done and they’ve come back undetectable for lead, she said. Others have noticed physical symptoms. Arielle Tevault, 26, of Indianapolis, Indiana, said her 3-year-old son Asher started looking pale and developed dark circles around his eyes around the time he started eating the WanaBana pouches early last year. The dark circles, Tevault said, still haven’t gone away, even several months after he stopped eating them. “He just looks sick,” said Tevault. Asher’s blood level levels were at 4.9 micrograms of lead per deciliter in early November, she said, but have since gone down. Still, Tevault said she’s worried about potential neurological problems. “Theoretically, there could be long-term effects that develop over time,” she said. She expressed frustration over WanaBana’s marketing of the cinnamon applesauce, which was labeled as gluten and sugar-free and without artificial flavors. “What do you do as a parent, as a young parent in 2024? The world is falling apart. You can’t even trust the food in stores,” she said. Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Deb Fischer (R-NE) released the statements below after the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued guidance that property owners will not owe taxes for lead service line replacement projects, including those funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The clarification was made after Klobuchar and Fischer led a letter calling on the IRS to clarify the tax status of the grants so property owners could move forward with their replacement projects. “Our country has an estimated 9.2 million service lines leaching lead into drinking water, which is putting Americans’ health at risk,” said Klobuchar. “Following Senator Fischer and my calls to the IRS, the agency is issuing new guidance so that state and local governments can begin to
...Read more work with residents to remove these dangerous lead service lines across the country.” “I’m pleased that the IRS has listened to our concerns and acted swiftly. Now, state and local governments across the country can start the critical work of removing dangerous lead service lines,” said Fischer. Earlier this month, Klobuchar and Fischer led a bipartisan letter to IRS Commissioner Werfel urging the agency to make clear that property owners will not owe taxes on the cost of having their lead service lines replaced through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and other state and local programs. Many lead pipe replacements have been on hold due to concerns that the IRS could treat lead pipe replacement grants as income, potentially creating significant tax liabilities for property owners. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was signed into law in 2021 and delivered a 50 percent increase in the amount of available funding for grants and resources for improving the state’s roads, bridges, public transportation, and water infrastructure. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar was awarded the 2024 Distinguished Public Service Award from the American Legion for her leadership on a range of issues championed by the organization. She was honored for her work ensuring Department of Veterans Affairs benefits include comprehensive care for veterans who were exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances; supporting the Afghan allies who stood with our troops; and pushing to end the blockade of military promotions in the Senate. The award was presented to Klobuchar by the American Legion National Commander Daniel J. Seehafer during the organization’s Washington Conference. Download a photo here. “It’s an honor to receive the Distinguished Public Service Award from an organization as esteemed as the American Legion,” said
...Read more Klobuchar. “I believe that public service and patriotism are about putting our differences aside to stand with those who have stood up for our nation. From breaking through unnecessary blockades of military promotions to pushing for more legal certainty for the Afghan allies who supported our troops, I am proud to work in partnership with the American Legion to advance our national security priorities.” “On behalf of our 1.5 million dues-paying members of The American Legion, I am honored to recognize Senator Amy Klobuchar with our 2024 Distinguished Public Service Award. We are grateful for Sen. Klobuchar’s leadership on key legislative priorities of The American Legion and the veteran service organization community. Her consistent efforts to bring colleagues on both sides of the aisle together to fight for veterans and for our nation’s security interests are highly appreciated by our organization,” said The American Legion National Commander Daniel J. Seehafer. The Distinguished Public Service Award is given annually to an elected official who has established an outstanding record in support of principles advanced by The American Legion. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, released the statement below after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it would take action to block the proposed merger between the Kroger Company and Albertsons Companies, Inc. “In late 2022, I held a bipartisan hearing with Senator Lee on the proposed Kroger-Albertsons merger, where we heard concerns that the transaction would reduce competition and consumer choice,” said Klobuchar. “The FTC’s announcement today is an important step toward ensuring there is continued competition in the grocery market.” In November 2022, Senator Klobuchar and Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) held a Subcommittee hearing on Examining the Competitive Impact
...Read more of the Proposed Kroger-Albertsons Transaction. As Chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, Senator Klobuchar is a leading voice in the Senate on antitrust enforcement and consumer protection. In December 2022, Klobuchar’s Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act, her bipartisan legislation with Senator Grassley (R-IA) to reform merger filing fees passed Congress as part of the government funding package. The bill would update merger filing fees for the first time since 2001, lowering fees on smaller acquisitions and increasing them for the largest mergers, raising additional revenue that Congress can use to fund antitrust enforcement. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with oversight over federal elections, and 37 of her colleagues sent a letter urging President Biden to include significant funding for election grants in the upcoming Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 federal budget. These resources would help state and local governments with the administration and security of federal elections, including to maintain and improve election infrastructure, keep pace with emerging technology such as artificial intelligence, and enhance cybersecurity to combat new threats. “With the 2024 elections now underway, state and local officials are already spending significant resources so that every eligible American can make their voices heard when they cast their
...Read more ballots,” wrote the senators. “This funding is critical for hardworking officials to prepare and plan effectively for their ongoing responsibilities on the frontlines of our democracy.” “These resources are also important to hire and train new election officials and poll workers, as well as to protect the security of election officials who are facing ongoing threats and harassment for simply doing their jobs,” the senators continued. “One survey of local election officials last year found that nearly one in three said they have been abused, harassed, or threatened and one in five know someone who left their job over safety concerns.” In addition to Klobuchar, the letter was signed by Senators Mark Warner (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Peter Welch (D-VT), Laphonza Butler (D-CA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Bob Casey (D-PA), Angus King (I-ME), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Ed Markey (D-MA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Chris Coons (D-DE), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Martin Heinrich (D-NM). As Chairwoman of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee with oversight over federal elections, Klobuchar has long led efforts to improve election security and administration. Last month, Klobuchar and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, successfully called on the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to take action to combat the spread of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated disinformation about elections, and last week the EAC voted unanimously to allow election officials to use federal election funds for this purpose. In December 2023, Klobuchar and Rules Committee Ranking Member Deb Fischer (R-NE) called on the Department of Justice to prioritize its review of incidents involving anonymous letters – some containing fentanyl and other unidentified substances – that were reportedly sent to several election officials in six states, and to work with the United States Postal Service and state and local officials to guard against similar incidents. In September 2023, Klobuchar and Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO), Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law, Chris Coons (D-DE), Chair of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, and Susan Collins (R-ME), introduced the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act, bipartisan legislation to ban the use of AI to generate materially deceptive content falsely depicting federal candidates to influence federal elections. This legislation has also been cosponsored by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE). In July 2023, Klobuchar reintroduced the Freedom to Vote Act, which would set basic national standards to make sure all Americans can cast their ballots in the way that works best for them, regardless of what zip code they live in, including by improving voting access, expanding early-in person voting and voting by mail, and modernizing election systems. All Senate Democrats cosponsored this legislation. The Freedom to Vote Act has received the full support of Senate Democrats for the Congress in a row. In April 2023, Klobuchar and Senate Judiciary Chair Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) reintroduced comprehensive legislation to address the rise in threats targeting election workers. The Election Worker Protection Act would provide states with the resources to recruit and train election workers and ensure these workers’ safety, while also instituting federal safeguards to shield election workers from intimidation and threats. In March 2023, Klobuchar and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-WA) reintroduced the Sustaining Our Democracy Act, which provides significant mandatory federal funding over the next decade to help state and local governments support election administration, including resources for training and recruiting nonpartisan poll workers and election officials and for increasing voting access in underserved communities. In February 2023, Klobuchar and Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Gary Peters (D-MI) led a letter with 22 of their colleagues that successfully called on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to prioritize funding for election security through DHS’ existing grant programs. In February 2023, Klobuchar led 34 of her colleagues in a letter successfully urging President Biden to include significant funding for election security grants in the upcoming Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 federal budget. In June 2022, Klobuchar and former Senate Rules Committee Ranking Member Roy Blunt (R-MO) led successful efforts to call on the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to expand the use of federal Help America Vote Act funding to protect election workers and officials against threats. Klobuchar and Blunt had also requested an update from the EAC in April 2022 on its efforts to support state and local election officials with administering the 2022 midterm elections. Full text of the letter is available HERE and below: Dear Mr. President: We write to urge you to prioritize funding to support our free and fair elections in your budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025, including by providing the highest possible funding level for grants to be distributed to states by the Election Assistance Commission. With the 2024 elections now underway, state and local officials are already spending significant resources so that every eligible American can make their voices heard when they cast their ballots. This funding is critical for hardworking officials to prepare and plan effectively for their ongoing responsibilities on the frontlines of our democracy. The continued successful administration of our elections requires a steady stream of resources to support this year-round work. This funding is needed to maintain and improve election infrastructure, keep pace with emerging technology like artificial intelligence, and enhance cybersecurity to combat new threats. Election security is integral to national security and it is critical that we invest meaningfully to ensure that they continue to run smoothly. These resources are also important to hire and train new election officials and poll workers, as well as to protect the security of election officials who are facing ongoing threats and harassment for simply doing their jobs. One survey of local election officials last year found that nearly one in three said they have been abused, harassed, or threatened and one in five know someone who left their job over safety concerns. Last fall over a dozen letters were reportedly sent to election offices or government buildings in six states, some containing fentanyl and other unidentified substances, that not only threatened the health and safety of election officials but also caused some delays in ballot counting. While we are also working to strengthen our democracy and are committed to advancing legislation to expand access to the ballot and improve the security of election officials and workers, we recognize that the critical work being done to administer our elections successfully is happening now, despite years of underinvestment. We urge you to include in your budget the funding that is needed to not only maintain the safe and secure administration of our elections, but also to address emerging threats and to invest in future elections. Thank you for your attention to this critical issue. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it will approve a request to allow summer month sales of E15 gasoline with high blends of ethanol. The expansion will have an effective date of April 28, 2025. The request was made in 2022 by the governors of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. “Using higher ethanol blends in our gasoline is good for our farmers, our economy, and our national security,” said Klobuchar. “The EPA’s approval of summer sales of E15 gasoline in Minnesota and other states is a good first step to accelerate the adoption of ethanol, and I will continue working to expand the year-round use of sustainable fuels across the nation.”
...Read more Klobuchar has long supported legislation to bolster sustainable fuels. Earlier this month, Klobuchar led a bipartisan group of lawmakers urging the Biden Administration to act quickly to ensure that the model used to determine eligibility for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) tax credits unlocks the potential held by farmers, ethanol producers, and airlines to reduce carbon emissions from aviation. In January 2024, Klobuchar, along with Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL.) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced the Farm to Fly Act. This legislation would help accelerate the production and development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) through existing U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs and allow further growth for alternative fuels to be used in the aviation sector, creating new markets for American farmers. In June 2023, Klobuchar joined Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) in introducing the Sustainable Aviation Fuels Accuracy Act, comprehensive bipartisan legislation to identify the standards required to meet the definition of SAF at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In June 2021, Klobuchar announced the introduction of a new package of bipartisan bills to expand the availability of low-carbon renewable fuels, incentivize the use of higher blends of biofuels, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In 2021, Klobuchar and Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to create a renewable fuel infrastructure grant program and streamline regulatory requirements to help fuel retailers sell higher blends of ethanol. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Laphonza Butler (D-CA), Chairwoman and Member of the Senate Rules Committee with oversight over federal elections, introduced the Redistricting Reform Act of 2024 to help end partisan gerrymandering and reform the nation's patchwork redistricting process. “Partisan gerrymandering undermines our democracy and puts political parties before the American people,” said Klobuchar. “Congress must act to protect the Constitutional principle of ‘one-person, one-vote.’ This legislation would protect this principle by eliminating gerrymandering once and for all so every vote is counted equally.” “The Redistricting Reform Act of 2024 establishes standardized rules to make sure congressional districts represent communities instead
...Read more of political parties,” said Butler. “By creating a clear framework for the redistricting process, we help increase the transparency and accountability needed to ensure the voices of citizens are better represented.” The Redistricting Reform Act of 2024: Sets specific criteria that states must follow for congressional redistricting, which include ensuring that districts comply with the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, are drawn to represent communities that share common interests, and are not drawn to favor or disfavor political parties.
Prevents states from engaging in redistricting until after the next U.S. Census by banning mid-decade redistricting.
Requires the development and adoption of a congressional redistricting plan to use an open and transparent process that takes into consideration comments from the public.
Creates judicial remedies if a state fails to enact a final congressional redistricting plan. As Chairwoman of the Rules Committee, Klobuchar has been a leading advocate for protecting the right to vote, increasing access to the ballot, and safeguarding election workers and the electoral process. In July 2023, Klobuchar introduced the Freedom to Vote Act, legislation to improve access to the ballot for Americans, advance commonsense federal election standards and campaign finance reforms, and protect our democracy. Butler co-sponsored the Freedom to Vote Act. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced a $975,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development grant to advance the city of Dilworth’s fire station replacement project. The city's existing fire station is approximately 40 years old and co-located with the community center. This project will help remodel an old fire hall to house the fire department and provide adequate space for all emergency service providers and equipment to efficiently provide fire rescue services to residents. This grant follows funding Klobuchar and Smith secured for the project in March 2022. “Dilworth is long overdue for a new fire station so emergency service providers have the space and equipment they need to continue serving the community,” said Klobuchar. “
...Read more This federal grant will advance the fire station construction project to address Dilworth’s public safety needs.” “Emergency service providers put themselves in harm’s way to keep our communities safe and they deserve our support,” said Smith. “After almost 40 years of sharing a building with the city’s community center, Dilworth is receiving a federal investment I helped to get to construct a new standalone fire station. This new fire station will help make sure that firefighters and EMS providers have the space and equipment they need to do their jobs effectively and respond to emergencies in Dilworth and the surrounding communities.” Senators Klobuchar and Smith are members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, which oversees the USDA. This federal funding was secured through the USDA Rural Development Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program. Program grants can be used by communities across the country to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community in a primarily rural area, such as health care facilities, public safety services, educational services, and more. In March 2022, Klobuchar and Smith secured a $975,000 congressionally directing spending (CDS) grant for the Dilworth fire station replacement project. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced a $50,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development grant to replace the roof on Aitkin’s Public Safety Building. Aitkin’s Public Safety Building houses the local law enforcement department. “The City of Aitkin’s Public Safety Building needs a new roof so emergency service providers have the facilities they need to continue serving the community,” said Klobuchar. “The federal grant will advance this project.” “Federal investment is quite literally helping our small towns build a roof overhead for essential community services like public safety,” said Smith. “Our local law enforcement officers deserve to be in buildings that are safe and in good condition. This investment to replace the roof
...Read more of the Aitkin public safety building will improve the city’s infrastructure and help keep Minnesotans safe.” Senators Klobuchar and Smith are members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, which oversees the USDA. This federal funding was secured through the USDA Rural Development Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program. Program grants can be used by communities across the country to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community in a primarily rural area, such as health care facilities, public safety services, educational services, and more. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced a $50,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development grant to purchase public safety security cameras and related equipment for the city of Mahnomen. This funding will help replace outdated and inoperable cameras, allowing for effective and efficient safety monitoring and providing law enforcement with direct access to footage for future use. "Investing in public safety equipment is crucial to keeping our communities safe," said Klobuchar. "This federal grant will upgrade the City of Mahnoman’s security camera system and provide law enforcement with the tools they need to do their job.” “Improving public safety infrastructure is critical to ensuring the safety of our communities,” said Smith. “
...Read more This project will replace public safety and security cameras in Mahnomen to effectively monitor public safety, directly benefitting the community.” Senators Klobuchar and Smith are members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, which oversees the USDA. This federal funding was secured through the USDA Rural Development Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program. Program grants can be used by communities across the country to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community in a primarily rural area, such as health care facilities, public safety services, educational services, and more. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced a $32,300 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development grant to purchase school equipment for the Nicollet Independent School District. Nicollet Public Schools is a K-12 public school district that also owns and operates an Early Childhood center, which has old playground equipment. The federal funding will help replace outdated equipment to ensure children have a safe space to play. “Kids need up-to-date playground equipment to play safely,” said Klobuchar. “With this federal funding, Nicollet Public Schools will be able to make needed replacements at the Early Childhood center playground so kids can keep having fun.” “Everyone should have access to outdoor spaces and recreational opportunities,”
...Read more said Smith. “This investment in Nicollet will replace outdated and aged playground equipment to ensure families and children have a new, safe place to play.” Senators Klobuchar and Smith are members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, which oversees the USDA. This federal funding was secured through the USDA Rural Development Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program. Program grants can be used by communities across the country to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community in a primarily rural area, such as health care facilities, public safety services, educational services, and more. ### Read less This bipartisan vote follows Klobuchar and Collins urging the Election Assistance Commission to take action to counter threats from AI-generated election disinformation WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with oversight over federal elections, and Susan Collins (R-ME), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the statements below after the Democratic and Republican members of the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) voted unanimously to allow election officials to use federal election funds to counter disinformation in our elections caused by artificial intelligence (AI). This decision comes after Klobuchar and Collins’ letter calling on the EAC to take action to address AI-generated
...Read more disinformation in elections. “Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our democracy, which is why I’ve been leading bipartisan efforts to stop the deceptive use of AI-generated content in the election process,” said Klobuchar. “This unanimous ruling by the Election Assistance Commission after Senator Collins and I called on it to take action is an important step in the right direction to protect American voters and the integrity of our democratic system, but more must be done to prevent the fraudulent use of AI. I’m continuing to push to pass my bipartisan bill to ban deceptive AI-generated deepfakes in our elections and counter the spread of election-related disinformation.” "This unanimous decision from the EAC will help protect Americans from scammers who are using artificial intelligence to attempt to corrupt our electoral processes,” said Collins. “Congress has a responsibility to carefully consider and address the challenges associated with artificial intelligence. That is why I am continuing to support the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act. This bill would strengthen the integrity of our elections while also protecting First Amendment rights. I will continue to work to advance this important bipartisan legislation.” Klobuchar, Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, and senior member of the Senate Committees on the Judiciary and Commerce, Science, and Transportation, has long been committed to combating fraud and addressing the threat of misleading AI-generated content. In January 2024, Klobuchar and Collins called on the EAC to assist state and local election officials in combating the spread of AI-generated disinformation about our elections. Their letter followed the reports of AI-generated deepfake robocalls using President Biden’s voice to discourage voting in the New Hampshire primary election. In September 2023, Klobuchar and Collins, along with Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO), and Chris Coons (D-DE), introduced the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act, bipartisan legislation to ban the use of AI to generate materially deceptive content falsely depicting federal candidates to influence federal elections. This legislation has also been cosponsored by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE). Klobuchar is a lead sponsor of the Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe (NO FAKES) Act of 2023. The NO FAKES Act is a bipartisan proposal that would protect the voice and visual likeness of all individuals from unauthorized recreations from generative AI. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar released the following statement following the shooting in Burnsville, Minnesota:
“I’m devastated that two Burnsville police officers and a first responder were killed in the line of duty. Our police officers and first responders put their lives on the line to keep all of us safe. We will never forget their sacrifice. My heart goes out to the loved ones of the victims and to the Burnsville community.”
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WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Tim Scott (R-SC), co-chairs of the bipartisan Senate Entrepreneurship Caucus, announced that their bipartisan resolution commemorating National Entrepreneurship Week passed the Senate on February 9, 2024. National Entrepreneurship Week, a non-partisan, congressionally-chartered initiative, has taken place annually during the third week in February since 2006. This year, National Entrepreneurship Week is between February 10 to 17. “Entrepreneurs move our country forward, transforming today’s new ideas and side-projects into tomorrow’s booming businesses. Our bipartisan resolution celebrates the innovation, creativity, and courageous spirit of the entrepreneurs who are leading our economy into the future,” said Klobuchar. “As co-chair of
...Read more the bipartisan Senate Entrepreneurship Caucus, I’ll continue working to ensure that America remains the best place in the world to start and grow a business.” “The entrepreneurial spirit is the foundation of the American Dream,” said Scott. “As a former small business owner, I understand the hard work and dedication the American people put in every day to make their dreams a reality. During National Entrepreneurship Week, I’m proud to recognize our entrepreneurs for their unrelenting commitment to creating incredible economic opportunity in our country!” Klobuchar and Scott formed the bipartisan Senate Entrepreneurship Caucus in 2019 to address the most pressing issues facing entrepreneurs and serve as a forum for collaboration and coordination. Members include Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), John Hoeven (R-ND), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Gary Peters (D-MI), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), Tina Smith (D- MN), and Bob Casey (D-PA). Full text of the resolution is available HERE and below: Designating the week of February 10 through February 17, 2024, as “National Entrepreneurship Week” to recognize the importance and contributions of entrepreneurs and startups to the economic prosperity of the United States and the well-being of every community across the United States. Whereas National Entrepreneurship Week is a congressionally chartered event taking place annually during the third week of February for the purpose of democratizing and promoting entrepreneurship across the United States through education, connection, and collaboration; Whereas the United States is the most entrepreneurial country in the world, and the entrepreneurial spirit woven into the national consciousness is central to the identity of the United States; Whereas that entrepreneurial spirit and the countless new businesses it has spawned have built the most innovative and productive economy in the history of the world; Whereas the United States is a nation of entrepreneurs, with new and small businesses comprising 99 percent of all businesses in the United States and employing nearly \1/2\ of all workers in the United States; Whereas, given the importance of entrepreneurship to innovation, productivity gains, job creation, and expanding opportunity, a thriving entrepreneurial spirit is critical to economic growth in the United States; Whereas National Entrepreneurship Week celebrates the initiative, drive, creativity, and commitment embodied in the entrepreneurial spirit of the United States; Whereas National Entrepreneurship Week inspires students and the next generation of entrepreneurs by encouraging educators in grade schools, colleges, and universities across the United States to integrate entrepreneurship education into the classroom; and Whereas research has demonstrated that students who participate in entrepreneurship education programs have better attendance records, perform better in core subjects, and have lower drop-out rates than students who do not participate in such programs: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate— (1) designates the week of February 10 through February 17, 2024, as “National Entrepreneurship Week”; (2) celebrates the importance of entrepreneurs and startups to the economy of the United States; (3) recognizes the contributions entrepreneurs make to expand opportunity, provide more inclusive prosperity, and increase the well-being of every community across the United States; (4) affirms the importance and urgency of enacting policies that promote, nurture, and support entrepreneurs and startups; and (5) encourages Federal, State, and local governments, schools, nonprofit organizations, and other civic organizations to observe National Entrepreneurship Week annually with special events and activities— (A) to recognize the contributions of entrepreneurs in the United States; (B) to teach the importance of entrepreneurship to a strong and inclusive economy; and (C) to take steps to encourage, support, and celebrate future entrepreneurs. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and U.S. Representative Pete Stauber (R-MN) announced they secured significant federal funding for Duluth International Airport’s Air Traffic Control Tower Relocation project. The grant provides $10 million to fund the relocation of an Air Traffic Control Tower, a non-standard tower commissioned in 1963. The project includes design, project formulation, site preparation, line of sight obstruction removal, and other related actions. The grant is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Klobuchar supported. “Duluth International Airport’s air traffic control tower is one of the oldest in the country and needs an upgrade, which is why I pushed for this funding,” said Klobuchar. “With this major federal grant, Duluth
...Read more International Airport will be able to relocate the air traffic control tower, which will boost efficiency and safety.” “I am thrilled that the Duluth International Airport has been awarded $10 million in funding to go towards the replacement of the air traffic control tower, funding I have been advocating for since 2019. An upgrade is desperately needed as the air traffic control tower was constructed in the 1950s and is the third oldest in the country. The Duluth International Airport is a key driver for our local economy, and these funds will go a long way in making it safer and more competitive for the 21st century in addition to creating a suitable environment for the next generation of aircraft for the 148th Fighter Wing. I am grateful to have worked with both Senator Klobuchar and Duluth Airport Authority Executive Tom Werner for this funding, and I will continue to work to secure full funding for this vital project in order to ensure a brighter and safer aviation future for the Northland,” said Stauber. “Our Congressional Delegation has worked tirelessly to secure this initial round of funding for our air traffic control tower project. We couldn’t ask for better champions for our aviation economy in Northeast Minnesota. Air commerce at DLH has grown exponentially since the tower was constructed. As it continues to grow, air traffic control services must have a modern facility from which to operate. We are looking forward to continuing to work with our Congressional Delegation to secure additional funding to replace the 70-year-old tower at DLH,” said Tom Werner, Executive Director of the Duluth Airport Authority. This funding is from the Airport Terminal Program, one of three aviation programs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In 2023, Klobuchar and Stauber led the Minnesota delegation in sending a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requesting that they expedite reviews and approvals required for Duluth International Airport (DLH) to apply for grant funding to build a new air traffic control tower. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), John Thune (R-SD), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and a group of 40 bipartisan members of Congress, including Senators Baldwin (D-WI), Brown (D-OH), Durbin (D-IL), Ernst (R-IA), Fischer (R-NE), Grassley (R-IA), Marshall (R-KS), Moran (R-KS), Peters (D-MI), Ricketts (R-NE), Rounds (R-SD), Smith (D-MN), and Stabenow (D-MI), as well as Representatives Craig (D-MN), Johnson (R-SD), Pocan (D-WI), Smith (R-NE), Alford (R-MO), Bacon (R-NE), Bost (R-IL), Budzinski (D-IL), Crockett (D-TX), Davids (D-KS), Estes (R-KS), Feenstra (R-IA), Finstad (R-MN), Flood (R-NE), Hinson (R-IA), Kaptur (D-OH), Kelly (D-IL), LaHood (R-IL), LaTurner (R-KS), Miller (R-OH), Miller-Meeks (R-IA), Nunn (R-IA), Panetta (D-CA), Slotkin (D-MI), Sorensen (D-IL), and Van Orden (R-
...Read more WI) sent a letter urging the Biden Administration to act quickly to ensure that the model used to determine eligibility for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) tax credits unlocks the potential held by farmers, ethanol producers, and airlines to reduce carbon emissions from aviation. Specifically, the letter urged the Members of the Sustainable Aviation Fuels Lifecycle Analysis Interagency Working Group (IWG) at the Department of Energy to update the current Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Technologies (GREET) model for the SAF tax credit program by the March 1 deadline. “Biofuels drive economic growth, create good-paying manufacturing jobs, and strengthen economies across rural America,” wrote the lawmakers. “As you continue to develop a model to determine eligibility for tax credits under 40B GREET, we ask that you consider the following information to allow every participant in the SAF lifecycle to appropriately participate in the carbon reduction process. “We request that you adopt the updated GREET model as your methodology for determining this eligibility as soon as possible,” continued the lawmakers. “This will accelerate efforts to decarbonize aviation — in line with the Administration’s stated goals — by accurately crediting emissions reductions from regenerative farming, climate-smart agriculture, and carbon capture and storage.” Klobuchar has long supported legislation to bolster sustainable aviation fuel. In January 2024, Klobuchar, along with Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL.) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced the Farm to Fly Act. This legislation would help accelerate the production and development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) through existing U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs and allow further growth for alternative fuels to be used in the aviation sector, creating new markets for American farmers. In June 2023, Klobuchar joined Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) in introducing the Sustainable Aviation Fuels Accuracy Act, comprehensive bipartisan legislation to identify the standards required to meet the definition of SAF at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In June 2021, Klobuchar announced the introduction of a new package of bipartisan bills to expand the availability of low-carbon renewable fuels, incentivize the use of higher blends of biofuels, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In 2021, Klobuchar and Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to create a renewable fuel infrastructure grant program and streamline regulatory requirements to help fuel retailers sell higher blends of ethanol. Full text of the letter is available HERE and below: Dear Members of the Sustainable Aviation Fuels Lifecycle Analysis Interagency Working Group (IWG): We write regarding the implementation of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) updated Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Technologies (GREET) model for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). As you know, homegrown SAF has the potential to drive economic growth and create jobs across America. We recognize your recent decision to allow the GREET model to serve as a secondary model for sustainable aviation fuel as a step in the right direction. This announcement has the potential to bring us closer to scaling up domestic production of SAF as America looks to fortify its domestic energy supply and decarbonize the aviation fuels sector. Biofuels drive economic growth, create good-paying manufacturing jobs, and strengthen economies across rural America. As you continue to develop a model to determine eligibility, we ask that you take measures to permit every participant in the SAF lifecycle to appropriately participate in the carbon reduction process. We request that you adopt the updated GREET model as your methodology for determining this eligibility as soon as possible. We also ask that, in the process of doing so, you adhere to the rigorous science on which the model is based. This will accelerate efforts to decarbonize aviation — in line with the Administration’s stated goals — by accurately crediting emissions reductions from regenerative farming, climate-smart agriculture, and carbon capture and storage. Specifically, we ask that you make the following commitments: The updated GREET model must be completed and implemented by the IWG’s stated deadline of March 1, 2024. Biofuel producers are eager to begin making investments in production capacity. If the modeling update misses this deadline, these investments will remain on hold. Any proposed modifications to GREET should be subject to the normal scientific, agency, and public processes. Any modifications to the model must be governed by the latest science at the DOE’s Argonne National Lab, who have been recognized as the leaders in developing models to calculate carbon life-cycle analyses. Any modifications must ensure that the model will continue to accurately credit conservation practices and emissions reductions from regenerative farming as well as carbon capture and storage. Exclusion of these factors would omit critical efforts by American farmers to reduce emissions and would represent a missed opportunity to include rural America in the diversification of the aviation fuel sector. Ensure that valuations of indirect land-use changes recognize the contributions of American agriculture and reward modern practices like precision agriculture that lead to higher per-acre yields. While we recognize your ongoing work to support the production of SAF, the actions above are crucial for ensuring the long-term stability and growth of this field. We stand ready to work with you to implement the updated GREET model as soon as possible, which will unleash the full potential of domestic SAF production and ensure American farmers can fuel the future. Thank you for your attention to this important issue. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced they secured significant federal funding for Two Harbors Helgeson Municipal Airport, which will contribute to the construction of a general aviation terminal. The grant provides $1,140,000 to fund the construction of their new terminal, replacing the existing 640 square foot terminal built in 1976. The grant is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Klobuchar and Smith supported. “This major grant is going to be a gamechanger for the airport,” said Klobuchar. “This new terminal will upgrade the travel experience at Two Harbors Helgeson Municipal Airport for passengers and bring more economic activity to the area.” “The terminal at TWM airport hasn’t been updated for over 40 years, and
...Read more I’m glad to see the airport receive funding to begin construction on a brand-new terminal that will bring a safer, faster passenger experience. Thanks to President Biden’s historic infrastructure package, we are finally bringing our air travel infrastructure into the 21st century, so Minnesotans traveling can focus on the important thing – getting where they need to go,” said Senator Smith. This funding is from the Airport Terminal Program, one of three aviation programs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Tina Smith (D-MN), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Gary C. Peters (D-MI), and Raphael Warnock (D-GA), along with Representatives Daniel T. Kildee (D-MI), Don Bacon (R-NE), Angie Craig (D-MN), Mike Flood (R-NE), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and Dean Phillips (D-MN) called on Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Danny Werfel to make clear that property owners will not owe taxes on the cost of having their lead service lines replaced through funding provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. “There are an estimated 9.2 million service lines across the country leaching lead into drinking water, putting the health of children and families at risk,” the
...Read more lawmakers wrote. “Unfortunately, many state and local governments have been unable to use these critical federal resources to begin replacing lead service lines due to the uncertain tax status of lead pipe replacement projects in our states. The IRS must act expeditiously to remedy this issue.” “We understand the IRS is working on guidance clarifying that lead pipe replacement projects will be considered non-taxable under the General Welfare Exclusion,” continued the lawmakers. “While we appreciate the IRS’s attention to this issue, it is critical that the agency act as swiftly as possible so state and local governments can begin working with residents to remove dangerous lead service lines from housing units of all types.” The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which Klobuchar supported, was signed into law in 2021 and delivered a 50 percent increase in the amount of available funding for grants and resources for improving the state’s roads, bridges, public transportation, and water infrastructure. The law also provided significant resources for state and local governments to replace lead service lines at no cost to property owners in communities across the country. However, many state and local governments have been unable to move forward with lead service line replacement projects because the IRS has not clarified whether property owners must report the cost of lead service line replacement as gross income, and could in turn owe thousands of dollars in taxes. The full text of the letter is available HERE and below: Dear Commissioner Werfel: We write to urge the Internal Revenue Service to clarify the tax status of lead pipe replacement grants as soon as possible. As you know, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provided long-overdue federal funding to replace dangerous lead water pipes. There are an estimated 9.2 million service lines across the country leaching lead into drinking water, putting the health of children and families at risk. Unfortunately, many state and local governments have been unable to use these critical federal resources to begin replacing lead service lines due to the uncertain tax status of lead pipe replacement projects in our states. The IRS must act expeditiously to remedy this issue. Through its General Welfare Exclusion, the IRS has a long history of exempting taxpayers from reporting legislatively provided payments that promote public health as taxable income. This policy should apply to property owners receiving funds for lead pipe replacements as well. However, the cost of removing and replacing lead service lines through programs in our states currently must be reported as taxable income. As a result, property owners who have lead pipes replaced through this funding will be taxed for the cost of the replacement work and could in turn owe thousands of dollars in taxes. We understand the IRS is working on guidance clarifying that lead pipe replacement projects will be considered non-taxable under the General Welfare Exclusion. While we appreciate the IRS’s attention to this issue, it is critical that the agency act as swiftly as possible so state and local governments can begin working with residents to remove dangerous lead service lines from housing units of all types. Thank you for your urgent attention to this matter. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar released the following statement on the passage of the U.S. Senate’s bipartisan national security package. The FEND Off Fentanyl Act, which Klobuchar cosponsors, was passed as part of this package. It declares the international trafficking of fentanyl as a national emergency and targets the criminal organizations that traffic fentanyl into the U.S. “This bipartisan package we passed in the Senate is an important step to protecting our national security and keeping fentanyl out of our communities. It provides support for the ongoing battle for democracy in Ukraine and makes it clear to Vladimir Putin that the United States will not cower in the face of tyranny. It also includes legislation I cosponsor to declare international fentanyl
...Read more trafficking a national emergency and allows the U.S. to impose tough sanctions on suppliers and cartels in China, Mexico, and other fentanyl hubs. The House should move quickly to pass this legislation into law and we must work together to get something done on border security.” ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) sent a letter to the Chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Jessica Rosenworcel, to urge the FCC to finalize rules to prohibit early termination and billing cycle fees imposed on subscribers by cable operators and direct broadcast satellite service providers. “Competitive markets work best when consumers have the ability to make the best decisions for themselves and their families,” wrote Klobuchar. “I am pleased the FCC has voted to advance rules to prohibit these billing practices, including early termination fees and billing cycle fees, that penalize subscribers for terminating video service or switching providers. I strongly urge the Commission to adopt these rules and create a fairer marketplace for consumers.”
...Read more Senator Klobuchar is a leader in pushing for stronger consumer protections across our economy. In December 2023, Klobuchar worked with Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) to introduce the Fans First Act, which would help address flaws in the current live event ticketing system by increasing transparency in ticket sales, protecting consumers from fake or dramatically overpriced tickets, and holding bad actors who engage in illegal ticket sale practices accountable. In July 2023, Klobuchar and Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS), co-chairs of the Senate Travel and Tourism Caucus and members of the Senate Commerce Committee, introduced the bipartisan Hotel Fees Transparency Act. This legislation will improve transparency for consumers by requiring anyone advertising a hotel room or short-term rental to clearly show up front the final price a customer will pay to book lodging. In February 2023, Klobuchar joined Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) in introducing the Families Fly Together Act, legislation to prohibit airlines from imposing any monetary charges on families that want to sit together during a flight. Full text of the letter is available HERE and below: Dear Chairwoman Rosenworcel: I write to urge the FCC to finalize rules to prohibit early termination and billing cycle fees imposed on subscribers by cable operators and direct broadcast satellite service providers. The FCC receives hundreds of complaints from consumers each year about billing practices, and Minnesotans have repeatedly contacted my office about unexpected price increases and high fees on their cable and satellite bills. In particular, early termination fees, which require subscribers to pay a fee for terminating a video services contract prior to its expiration date, and billing cycle fees, which require subscribers to pay for a complete billing cycle even if the subscriber terminates service prior to the end of that billing cycle, place an undue burden on consumers. Due to circumstances outside one’s own control — like moving to a new home or discovering that the quality of service is poorer than expected — subscribers often need to end their longterm television contracts early. They may also find that their plan offers more channels than needed or be surprised by a bill that, after hidden fees are added, raises the price of service beyond their budget. These fees make it costly for subscribers to switch services during the contract term and force consumers to pay for services they choose not to receive. This can place financial strain on subscribers and limit competition and consumer choice. I have long fought against early termination fees. During my first year in office, I introduced the Cell Phone Consumer Empowerment Act to place limits on early termination fees in wireless contracts. The following year, I testified at an FCC hearing with experts on the use of early termination fees by communications service providers. Competitive markets work best when consumers have the ability to make the best decisions for themselves and their families. I am pleased the FCC has voted to advance rules to prohibit these billing practices, including early termination fees and billing cycle fees, that penalize subscribers for terminating video service or switching providers. I strongly urge the Commission to adopt these rules and create a fairer marketplace for consumers. ### Read less Momentum grows for provisions to allow Afghans who sought refuge in the United States to apply for permanent legal residency after undergoing additional vetting. WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) announced the introduction of their bipartisan amendment to provide a path to permanency for Afghans who supported the United States’ mission in Afghanistan after undergoing additional vetting. The amendment is cosponsored by Senators Wicker (R-MS), Coons (D-DE), Cassidy (R-LA), Blumenthal (D-CT), Mullin (R-OK), Shaheen (D-NH), Tillis (R-NC), King (I-ME), Murkowski (R-AK), Crapo (R-ID), Graham (R-SC), Rounds (R-SD), and Capito (R-WV). “As we work to pass legislation supporting our allies across the world, we cannot forget the Afghans who stood with
...Read more us and our military,” said Klobuchar. “We have growing support for our effort to provide our Afghan allies more legal certainty as they seek refuge in the United States. That is why I am introducing this bipartisan amendment to the security package. We must get this done.” “After the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, veterans extended the creed “leave no man behind” and helped their Afghan partners flee to the United States for safety,” said Moran. “Unfortunately, many of our Afghan partners are still overseas, and those who made it to the U.S. face uncertainty as to whether they will be granted permanent residency. I urge my colleagues to support the inclusion of the Afghan Adjustment Act in the National Security supplemental to grant Afghan refugees stability, bolster our national security and send a message to U.S. partners and allies that we will honor our word.” “As we debate a bill that will determine whether we stand by our partners and allies in the year ahead, we cannot forget about our partners and allies who stood by us for 20 years of war. Now is the time for the Senate to stand beside the Afghan allies and their families who bravely supported our servicemembers by passing the Afghan Adjustment Act. I’m proud to support this bipartisan amendment, and I hope the Senate will swiftly do the right thing and pass it,” said Coons. The amendment is based on the bipartisan Afghan Adjustment Act, which would allow Afghan allies to apply for permanent legal residency to provide certainty as they build their lives in the United States after undergoing thorough vetting. Currently, Afghans who were admitted on temporary humanitarian status can only gain permanent legal status through the asylum system or Special Immigrant Visa process (SIV), which face severe backlogs and long processing times. This amendment is supported by a broad coalition including The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, With Honor Action, No One Left Behind, the Chamber of Commerce, and many others. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) declared the use of artificial intelligence-generated voice technology in robocalls to be illegal under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. In November 2023, Senator Klobuchar called on the FCC to take action to protect Americans from AI voice cloning scams. “Fraudsters are using artificial intelligence voice cloning technology to deceive voters, impersonate public figures, and trick people into giving up their personal information or money. As these tools become more sophisticated, I’ve been calling for federal action to prevent the exploitative use of this powerful technology. This unanimous ruling by the FCC is a big step toward protecting Americans and
...Read more holding scammers accountable, but more needs to be done to prevent the fraudulent use of artificial intelligence. I’m pushing to pass my bipartisan bill to ban deceptive artificial intelligence-generated deepfakes in our elections and counter the spread of election-related disinformation, and I will continue working across the aisle to secure additional common sense guardrails so our country can benefit from the best of artificial intelligence while mitigating the risks.” Klobuchar’s bipartisan Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act would build on this progress and more broadly prohibit deceptive AI-generated audio, images, or video of federal candidates from influencing an election. Klobuchar, Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, and senior member of the Senate Committees on the Judiciary and Commerce, Science, and Transportation, has long been committed to combating fraud and addressing the threat of misleading AI-generated content. In November 2023, Klobuchar and Collins called on the FCC and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to continue efforts to prevent artificial intelligence voice cloning scams in order to protect Americans from this growing fraud. Klobuchar is a co-sponsor of the FCC Legal Enforcement Act, legislation that would provide the FCC with litigation enforcement authority for violations contained in the Telephone Consumer Protection Act regarding robocalls. In January 2024, Klobuchar and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) called on the Election Assistance Commission to assist state and local election officials in combating the spread of AI-generated disinformation about our elections. Their letter followed the reports of AI-generated deepfake robocalls using the President’s voice to discourage voting in the New Hampshire primary election. In November 2023, Klobuchar questioned witnesses on how criminals are using deceptive tactics through robocalls to defraud Americans across the United States at a Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband hearing titled “Protecting Americans from Robocalls”. In September 2023, Klobuchar and Collins, along with Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO), and Chris Coons (D-DE), introduced the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act, bipartisan legislation to ban the use of AI to generate materially deceptive content falsely depicting federal candidates to influence federal elections. This legislation has also been cosponsored by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE). Klobuchar is a lead sponsor of the Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe (NO FAKES) Act of 2023. The NO FAKES Act is a bipartisan proposal that would protect the voice and visual likeness of all individuals from unauthorized recreations from generative AI. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, announced that a number of her aviation priorities passed the Commerce Committee as part of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act. “Americans deserve safe, dependable, and efficient air travel service. This bipartisan bill includes several provisions I worked on to improve our whole aviation system by boosting workforce training, modernizing technology, strengthening consumer protection, and updating safety standards. This vote in the Senate Commerce Committee brings us one step closer to ensuring that our aviation transport is better, stronger, and safer than before,” said Klobuchar. Klobuchar successfully included: The Aviation Workforce Development and Recruitment Act,
...Read more Klobuchar’s bipartisan bill with Senators Jerry Moran’s (R-KS), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), John Thune (R-SD), and others, to address aviation workforce shortages by boosting resources to help recruit and train pilots, aviation manufacturing workers, and mechanics.
The Families Fly Together Act, Klobuchar’s bill with Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), to require airlines to allow children to sit together with their family members on flights at no additional charge. Under current law, parents who want to confirm a seat next to their children – including young infants – are often required to pay extra fees for advance seating, purchase more expensive tickets, or simply rely on the kindness of strangers. This will help keep kids safe while traveling and provide parents with much-needed peace of mind.
Two amendments to improve runway safety and prevent runway incursions. These amendments direct the FAA to ensure commercial planes are equipped with state-of-the-art technology that would nearly eliminate the risk of runway collisions. These include technologies to detect nearby planes on the runway and alert pilots to help them avoid collisions, as well as technologies that help pilots determine the required landing distance for a safe landing.
An amendment with Senators Duckworth, Lujan, and Warnock to require the FAA to revise and implement improved air traffic control staffing standards to better address staffing shortages and meet increasing demand.
An amendment with Senator Cantwell to extend eligible expenses for 529 plans, allowing them to be used to pay for flight and aviation maintenance programs certified by the FAA. A 529 plan is a tax-advantaged account that can be used to pay for the qualified education expenses including tuition, room and board. Last year, Klobuchar announced that her bipartisan legislation to help prevent FAA system outages was signed into law. The NOTAM Improvement Act requires the FAA to establish a task force to strengthen the resiliency and cybersecurity of the NOTAM system, which alerts pilots of safety and location hazards on flight routes. The law now requires the FAA to upgrade the NOTAM system and create a backup system by September 2024. The bill followed the January 2023 NOTAM system outage that grounded flights nationwide, and was sponsored in the House by Rep. Stauber (R-MN) and Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA). ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Representative Michelle Fischbach (R-MN) sent a letter to the Director of the U.S. Census Bureau, Robert Santos, to urge the Bureau to work with the City of Marshall to resolve the reported undercount in the 2020 Census results. The City opened a case with the Bureau due to an undercounted student population at Southwest Minnesota State University. The Census Bureau informed the City in December 2023 that it had resolved its case, but the City has still not received an updated census figure or any additional details. “An accurate and comprehensive census is fundamental to our democracy and the well-being of communities across the country,” wrote the lawmakers. “The City of Marshall is home to Southwest Minnesota State University, which
...Read more enrolled 6,660 students in the fall of 2019, including 427 who lived on campus. Very few of these students were present on campus on April 1, 2020 due to a shift to remote learning necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the population of the City of Marshall was undercounted during the 2020 Census.” “Accurate population counts are critical for cities for municipal planning and applications for grants and other resources. We strongly urge the U.S. Census Bureau to work with the City of Marshall to resolve this undercount and update the City’s population count to reflect the college student population that lives there,” continued the lawmakers. Full text of the letter is available HERE and below: Dear Director Santos: We write to request an update on the 2020 Post-Census Group Quarters Review case submitted by the City of Marshall, Minnesota. An accurate and comprehensive census is fundamental to our democracy and the well-being of communities across the country. The City of Marshall is home to Southwest Minnesota State University, which enrolled 6,660 students in the fall of 2019, including 427 who lived on campus. Very few of these students were present on campus on April 1, 2020 due to a shift to remote learning necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the population of the City of Marshall was undercounted during the 2020 Census. Following the release of 2020 Census results, the Census Bureau created the 2020 Post-Census Group Quarters Review (PCGQR) to allow local governments to request that the Census Bureau review population counts of group quarters, including college dormitories, believed to have not been correctly counted as of April 1, 2020. The City of Marshall submitted a case through the 2020 PCGQR on November 3, 2022. The Census Bureau informed the City in December 2023 that it had resolved their case, but the City has still not received an updated census figure or any additional details. Accurate population counts are critical for cities for municipal planning and applications for grants and other resources. We strongly urge the U.S. Census Bureau to work with the City of Marshall to resolve this undercount and update the City’s population count to reflect the college student population that lives there. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) delivered remarks at the Minnesota Newspaper Association’s (MNA) 157th Annual Convention. MNA is a state-wide trade association that represents local newspapers from across the state. The two-day convention took place on Thursday, February 1, and Friday, February 2, and featured newspaper publishers and editors from across the state. Approximately 250 news industry professionals attended, including Mankato Free Press editor Joe Spear, who was honored with the 2024 Distinguished Services to Journalism Award. An excerpt from her remarks can be found below: “You are telling the stories that maybe not everyone knows about, that they don't read on Facebook. Many of your stories uncover what happened at the city council meeting and tell people
...Read more which business is opening and closing. There are a lot of stories of joy, positive stories of our communities – whether they're big or small…” said Klobuchar. “So I just want you to remember that piece of it, of telling the stories of regular citizens in your communities. That brings strength and brings people together in a big way, just as much as your role of uncovering the truth for us. So don't let us forget that piece that we're losing right now in our nation and the role you play in finding that thread that brings people together.” Senator Klobuchar, Chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust and Consumer Rights, leads the bipartisan Journalism Competition and Preservation Act to address the power of dominant online platforms over news organizations. In June 2023, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed the bill by a vote of 14-7. In November 2023, Klobuchar sent a letter to the Postal Regulatory Commission regarding recent high, twice-per-year postage rate hikes and their effects on local newspapers, small businesses, and nonprofits. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement on the U.S. Senate’s bipartisan border security and foreign aid package. The package includes language based on Klobuchar’s bipartisan Afghan Adjustment Act to allow Afghans who sought refuge in the United States to apply for permanent legal residency after undergoing additional vetting. The package also includes major funding to combat fentanyl trafficking, including funding for inspection equipment at the ports of entry. The Klobuchar-supported FEND Off Fentanyl Act is incorporated to declare the international trafficking of fentanyl as a national emergency and allow the U.S. Department of the Treasury to use special measures to combat fentanyl-related money laundering. “This is a bipartisan step
...Read more forward to securing our border, standing with Ukraine, keeping our promise to the Afghans who worked alongside our troops, and offering aid to those who need it across the world,” said Klobuchar. “This package will provide important assistance to communities along our borders and stem the flow of fentanyl; ensure critical humanitarian aid is reaching Palestinians; and deliver needed support to U.S. allies across the world. It will also provide more legal certainty to the Afghans who risked their own lives to protect our service members.” Provisions in the supplemental which are based off of Senator Klobuchar’s Afghan Adjustment Act, would allow Afghan allies to apply for permanent legal residency to provide certainty as they build their lives in the United States after undergoing thorough vetting. Currently, Afghans who were admitted on temporary humanitarian status can only gain permanent legal status through the asylum system or Special Immigrant Visa process (SIV), which face severe backlogs and long processing times. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, along with Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Peter Welch (D-VT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), introduced the Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act to prevent companies from using algorithms to collude to set higher prices. “Price fixing is illegal under our antitrust laws, but the development of automated price-setting algorithms can create loopholes in current law that could be used to unfairly raise prices on everything from rent to rideshares,” said Klobuchar. “My bill will strengthen antitrust law and guarantee needed transparency to prevent companies from using algorithms to fix prices to ensure
...Read more consumers are able to get the full benefits of competition.” “Collusion is collusion, whether you do it over the phone or using an algorithm. This legislation, along with my Preventing the Algorithmic Facilitation of Rental Housing Cartels Act, will send a strong message to corporations that they won’t get away with coordinating to ratchet up prices on consumers,” said Wyden. “Businesses are increasingly turning to algorithms to determine pricing for their products. In a technology-based world, we need to prevent businesses from using these tools to reduce competition,” said Durbin. “That’s why I’m joining my colleagues in introducing the Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act, which would ensure that pricing algorithms aren’t being used to take advantage of consumers and inflate prices.” “Transparency is a key tenet of doing good business, and consumers expect businesses to treat them fairly. But increasingly we've seen competitors throw antitrust laws to the wind by using pricing algorithms to avoid competition, leaving consumers to suffer the consequences. The Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act works to close existing loopholes and increase transparency around how companies use pricing algorithms to make sure consumers aren’t getting a raw deal,” said Welch. “Healthy, transparent competition is critical to making sure consumers and small businesses are treated fairly in the market, but algorithmic price fixing stifles competition and empowers big businesses to raise prices by hiding their collusion behind technology,” said Hirono. “This legislation will encourage transparent competition on price, prevent big business from manipulating the market, and drive down prices for consumers and small businesses.” “Predatory algorithms significantly suppress competition in today's markets and allow companies to collude to raise prices to unaffordable levels. The Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act will eliminate coercive anticompetitive software and empower consumers,” said Blumenthal. Price fixing and other forms of collusion are illegal under current antitrust laws. However, current antitrust laws may be insufficient when competing companies delegate their pricing decisions to an algorithm. Current law requires proof of an explicit agreement to fix prices before condemning the conduct. When pricing decisions of multiple competitors are delegated to a single algorithm, that agreement may not exist even though the use of the algorithm may have the same effect as a traditional agreement to fix prices. This type of conduct has already occurred in rental housing, and we must ensure that it does not spread to other sectors of our economy with the proliferation of algorithmic pricing. To strengthen current price fixing law, Klobuchar’s legislation will: Close a loophole in current law by presuming a price-fixing “agreement,” when direct competitors share competitively sensitive information through a pricing algorithm to raise prices;
Increase transparency by requiring companies that use algorithms to set prices to disclose that fact and give antitrust enforcers the ability to audit the pricing algorithm when there are concerns it may be harming consumers;
Ban companies from using competitively sensitive information from their direct competitors to inform or train a pricing algorithm;
Direct the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to study pricing algorithms’ impact on competition. The Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act is endorsed by the Open Markets Institute and American Economic Liberties Project. Klobuchar is a leader in the Senate in pushing to ensure our competition laws are as sophisticated as the technologies used in today’s modern economy. As Chair of the Competition Policy, Antitrust and Consumer Rights subcommittee, Klobuchar held two hearings in late 2023 exploring how algorithms can be used to harm consumers, including Examining Competition and Consumer Rights in Housing Markets and The New Invisible Hand? The Impact of Algorithms on Competition and Consumer Rights. Both hearings highlighted the potential for laundering nonpublic competitor data in a pricing algorithm to raise prices and included calls for the reforms in this bill. This month, Klobuchar joined Senator Wyden in introducing the Preventing the Algorithmic Facilitation of Rental Housing Cartels Act to ensure that large landlords cannot skirt antitrust law and collude to increase rent prices across the country. In November 2022, Klobuchar, along with Senators Durbin and Booker, urged the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate potential anticompetitive conduct affecting apartment rent rates, voicing their concern that RealPage’s pricing algorithms could artificially inflate rental rates and facilitate collusion. Klobuchar leads the American Innovation and Choice Online Act with Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA). This bipartisan legislation to restore online competition by preventing technology companies from abusing their market power to harm competition, online businesses, and consumers. Last year, the American Innovation and Choice Online Act made history as the first digital competition bill to advance in Congress since the dawn of the internet when it passed the Senate Judiciary Committee with a 16-6 vote. In February 2021, Klobuchar introduced the Competition and Antitrust Law Enforcement Reform Act to give federal antitrust enforcers the resources they need to do their jobs, strengthen prohibitions on anticompetitive conduct and mergers, and make additional reforms to improve enforcement. ### Read less The Housing Supply and Affordability Act will create a competitive grant program to increase housing supply and affordability WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) reintroduced the Housing Supply and Affordability Act to create a new grant program that would provide funding to help localities develop and implement comprehensive housing policy plans. This program will provide technical assistance to help states, localities, and regional coalitions increase housing supply, improve housing affordability, and reduce barriers to new housing development while avoiding the displacement of current residents. Companion legislation in the House of Representatives is led by Representatives Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Joyce Beatty (D-
...Read more OH). “Access to stable, quality housing is key to expanding economic opportunities for families but right now, the housing market is inaccessible for far too many,” said Klobuchar. “This legislation will give state and local governments critical resources to improve affordability and expand access to quality housing where it’s needed the most.” “Everywhere I go in Virginia, I hear about how difficult it is to find affordable housing,” said Kaine. “But the housing needs in one part of the country aren’t necessarily the same as another. That’s why this legislation would enable localities to engage with their residents to identify the strategy to boost housing supply that works for their community. As a former fair housing attorney, I’ve seen the difference a reliable, safe roof overhead can make for a family, and I urge my colleagues to join us in working to make affordable housing more accessible for all.” Between 2001 and 2018, median rent increased by 13%, while wages increased only 0.5%. Now, the average American needs to earn $19.56 per hour for a modest one-bedroom rental home and $23.96 per hour for a modest two-bedroom rental home. Prior to the pandemic, more than 7.7 million extremely low-income renters were spending more than half of their incomes on housing expenses. Not only is affordable housing inaccessible for many Americans, there is a general shortage of houses. From 2000 to 2015, the United States fell 7.3 million homes short of meeting housing demand. The Housing Supply and Affordability Act: Creates a $300 million competitive grant program each year over 5 years available to state and local governments that demonstrate rising housing costs or projected rising housing costs to develop a housing plan that would increase housing supply in an area while avoiding the displacement of residents in the area;
Ensures that at least 10% of funds are awarded to rural areas;
Prioritizes grants by housing plans that would increase affordable housing access for individuals of every race and income level, reduce barriers to affordable housing development; and avoid the displacement of residents;
Requires the HUD Secretary to issue guidance with recommended policies, strategies, and reforms to encourage repurposing land for housing development, allow for a greater variety of housing types, revise land use policies to allow for the development of more housing, streamline the approval process for housing development, provide financial incentives to support affordable housing development, and support inclusive engagement of community members; and
Requires routine reporting from applicants regarding the use of these grant funds. Klobuchar is a consistent advocate for lowering housing costs. Klobuchar joined Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) on legislation to extend the loan window for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Section 524 Rural Housing site loan program. This legislation passed the U.S. Senate last week, and now goes to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration. In October 2023, Klobuchar and Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), Chairwoman and Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, held a hearing titled “Examining Competition and Consumer Rights in Housing Markets” where witnesses were asked about the challenges facing renters and home buyers in today’s housing market. Kaine, a former fair housing attorney, has long supported efforts to expand access to affordable housing. He introduced legislation to help first-time, first-generation homebuyers through more friendly mortgage rates. Kaine also introduced bicameral legislation with Klobuchar to protect low-income families and veterans from housing discrimination by banning discrimination based on source of income. In the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 federal budget, Klobuchar and Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) secured significant federal funding to address affordable housing needs. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement on prosecutors, agents, and staff from the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office receiving the U.S. Attorney General’s David Margolis Award for Exceptional Service from Attorney General Merrick Garland. This is the Department of Justice’s highest award for employee performance and recognizes their efforts to enforce the nation's laws. Senator Klobuchar met with U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Andy Luger and the award recipients and their families in her office in Washington, D.C. to congratulate them. "I congratulate the dedicated public servants in the Minnesota U.S. Attorney General's Office on this national recognition of their work dismantling a sex trafficking ring and upholding civil rights,” said Klobuchar.
...Read more "As a former prosecutor, I take immense pride in the work accomplished by these devoted civil servants and am thankful for everything they do to keep Minnesotans safe.” ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) announced the passage of their bipartisan resolution designating January as National Stalking Awareness Month. The resolution raises awareness of the dangers of stalking and highlights the need for law enforcement to prevent this predatory behavior. Approximately 1 in 3 women in the U.S. have experienced stalking at some point in their lives. Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI) introduced a companion resolution in the House of Representatives. “As a former prosecutor, I have seen firsthand the serious emotional and physical toll stalking can take on victims,” said Klobuchar. “This resolution will raise awareness about the dangers of stalking, underscore the need to protect victims, and
...Read more highlight the resources available to help survivors get their lives back on track.” “Far too many Americans have suffered physical and psychological trauma as a result of stalking. Often, these individuals are forced to significantly alter their daily lives to preserve their own safety. This month, we reflect on the pervasiveness of stalking and the serious hardships and dangers faced by victims. The work of advocates raising awareness, of law enforcement and courts taking preventive and punitive action and of service workers in providing help to victims are all worthy of our thanks,” said Grassley. This resolution is cosponsored by the three other woman senators on the Judiciary Committee—Senators Laphonza Butler (D-CA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)—along with Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mike Crapo (R-ID). As the former Hennepin County Attorney and a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Klobuchar is a national leader in the fight to prevent domestic violence. Provisions from Klobuchar and Dingell’s legislation to close the “boyfriend loophole” and prevent abusive dating partners from buying or owning firearms were signed into law as part of the landmark Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. Last year, Klobuchar, Fitzpatrick, and Dingell introduced updated bipartisan, bicameral legislation to strengthen provisions closing the ‘boyfriend loophole.’ The Strengthening Protections for Domestic Violence and Stalking Survivors Act prevents convicted stalkers and all former dating partners convicted of a domestic violence offense from buying or owning firearms, regardless of when the relationship occurred. In August 2023, Klobuchar, Fitzpatrick, and Dingell filed an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to uphold the constitutionality of existing protections for victims of domestic violence. The brief, which was filed in United States v. Rahimi, highlights the history of bipartisan support for common sense limits on the ability of domestic abusers to access firearms and the harms that invalidating those restrictions would cause. In March 2022, Klobuchar’s bipartisan legislation to establish trauma-informed training programs for law enforcement was signed into law. The Abby Honold Act, which Klobuchar led with Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and Representative Tom Emmer (R-MN), was inspired by Abby Honold, a former student of the University of Minnesota and rape survivor, who has worked to promote the use of trauma-informed techniques by law enforcement when responding to sexual assault crimes. ### Read less WATCH KLOBUCHAR’S FULL REMARKS HERE WASHINGTON - At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing titled “Big Tech and the Online Child Sexual Exploitation Crisis,” U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) asked the CEO of Discord Inc., Jason Citron, CEO of TikTok Inc., Shou Chew, Co-founder and CEO of Snap Inc., Evan Spiegel, CEO of X, Linda Yaccarino, and Founder and CEO of Meta, Mark Zuckerberg about turning a blind eye when young children joined their platforms, the risk of sexual exploitation, using algorithms that push harmful content, and providing a venue for drug traffickers to sell deadly narcotics like fentanyl. Klobuchar is a leader in the fight to protect kids online. In February 2023, Senator Klobuchar introduced bipartisan legislation with Senator John Cornyn, the Stopping Harmful Image
...Read more Exploitation and Limiting Distribution (SHIELD) Act. The bill would establish federal criminal liability for people who knowingly distribute intimate images of individuals without consent or threaten to do so and addresses gaps in current law dealing with child images. Senator Klobuchar is a cosponsor of the Cooper Davis Act, which would require social media companies and other communication service providers to report to the DEA when they know of the sale or distribution of illicit drugs including fentanyl, methamphetamine, or a counterfeit controlled substance on their platforms. Senator Klobuchar is also a cosponsor of the Strengthening Transparency and Obligations to Protection Children Suffering from Abuse and Mistreatment Act of 2023 (STOP CSAM Act). The legislation cracks down on the proliferation of child sex abuse material online, supports victims, and increases accountability and transparency for online platforms. “When a Boeing plane lost a door in mid-flight several weeks ago, nobody questioned the decision to ground a fleet of over 700 planes. So why aren't we taking the same type of decisive action on the danger of these platforms when we know these kids are dying? We have bills that have passed through this incredibly diverse committee when it comes to our political views that have passed through this committee, and they should go to the floor,” said Klobuchar at the hearing. A rough transcript of Klobuchar’s opening remarks is available below. Video is available HERE for download. Senator Klobuchar: Thank you very much, Chairman Durbin. And thank you, ranking member Graham, for those words. I couldn't agree more. For too long, we have been seeing social media companies turn a blind eye when kids have joined these platforms in record numbers. They have used algorithms to push harmful content because that content got popular. They provided a venue, maybe not knowingly at first, but for dealers to sell deadly drugs like fentanyl. Our own head of our Drug Enforcement Administration has said they basically, been captured by the cartels in Mexico and in China. So I strongly support, first of all, the Stop C-SAM bill. I agree with Senator Graham that nothing is going to change unless we open up the courtroom doors. I think the time for all of this immunity is done because I think money talks even stronger than we talk up here. Two of the five bills, as noted, are my bills with Senator Cornyn. One has actually passed through the Senate but is waiting for action in the House. But the other one is the Shield Act. And I do support and appreciate those supportive of that bill. This is about revenge porn. The FBI director testified before this committee, there have been over 20 suicides of kids attributed to online revenge porn in just the last year. But for those parents out there and those families, this is for them about their own child. But it's also about making sure this doesn't happen to other children. I know because I've talked to these parents, parents like Bridgette Norring from Hastings, Minnesota, who is out there today. Bridgette lost her teenage son after he took a fentanyl lace pill that he purchased on the Internet. Amy Neville is also here. Her son Alexander was only 14 when he died after taking a pill he didn't know was actually fentanyl. We're starting a law enforcement campaign, One Pill Kills in Minnesota, going to the schools with the sheriffs and law enforcement. But the way to stop it is, yes, at the border and at the points of entry, but we know that 30% some of the people that are getting the fentanyl are getting it off the platforms. Meanwhile, social media platforms generated 11 billion in revenue in 2022 from advertising directed at, ah, children and teenagers, including nearly 2 billion in ad profits derived from users aged twelve and under. When a Boeing plane lost a door in mid-flight several weeks ago, nobody questioned the decision to ground a fleet of over 700 planes. So why aren't we taking the same type of decisive action on the danger of these platforms when we know these kids are dying? We have bills that have passed through this incredibly diverse committee, when it comes to our political views that, have passed through this committee, and they should go to the floor. We should do something, finally, about liability, and then we should turn to some of the other issues that a number of us have worked on when it comes to the charges for App Stores and when it comes to some of the monopoly behavior and the self-preferencing. But I'm going to stick with this today. Facts. One-third of fentanyl cases investigated over five months had direct ties to social media. That's from the DEA. Facts. Between 2012 and 2022, cyber tip line reports of online child sexual exploitation increased from 415,000 to more than 32 million. And as I noted, at least 20 victims committed suicide in Sextortation cases. So I'm going to start with that, with you, Mr. Citron. My bill with Senator Cornyn, the SHIELD Act includes a threat provision that would help protection and accountability, for those that are threatened by these predators. Young kids get a picture, send it in. Think they got a new girlfriend, or a new boyfriend. Ruins their life. Or they think it's going to be ruined, and they kill themselves. So could you tell me why you're not supporting The SHIELD Act? Jason Citron: Senator, we think it's very important that teens have a safe experience on our platforms. I think that the portion to strengthen law enforcement's ability to investigate crimes against children and hold bad actors accountable is incredible. Klobuchar: So are you holding open that you may support it? Citron: We very much would like to have conversations with you. We're open to discussing further, and we do welcome legislation and regulation. This is a very important issue for our country, and we've been prioritizing safety for change. Klobuchar: Okay. Thank you. I'm much more interested in if you support it because there's been so much talk at these hearings and popcorn throwing and the like, and I just want to get this stuff done. I'm so tired of this. It's been 28 years, what, since the Internet. We haven't passed any of these bills because everyone's double talk, double talk. It's time to actually pass them. And the reason they haven't passed is because of the power of your company. So let's be really clear about that. So what you say matters. Your words matter. Mr. Chew, I'm a co-sponsor of chair Durbin’s Stop C-SAM Act of 2023, along with Senator Hawley, is the lead Republican, I believe, which, among other things, empowers victims by making it easier for them to ask tech companies to remove the material and related imagery from their platforms. Why would you not support this bill? Shou Chew: Senator, we largely support it. I think the spirit of it is very aligned with what we want to do. There are questions about implementation that I think companies like us and some other groups have, and we look forward to asking those. And, of course, if this legislation is law, we will comply. Klobuchar: Mr. Spiegel, I know we talked ahead of time. I do appreciate your company's support for the Cooper Davis Act, which will finally, it's a bill with Senator Shaheen and Marshall, that will allow law enforcement to do more. When it comes to fentanyl, I think you know what a problem this is. Devin Norring, a teenager from Hastings, I mentioned his mom is here, suffered from dental pain and migraines, so he bought what he thought was a Percocet over Snap, but instead, he bought a counterfeit drug laced with a lethal dose of fentanyl. As his mom, who's here with us today, said, all of the hopes and dreams we as parents had for Devin were erased in the blink of an eye. And no mom should have to bury their kid. Talk about why you support the Cooper-Davis Act. Evan Spiegel: Senator, thank you. We strongly support the Cooper Davis Act, and we believe it will help the DA, go after the cartels and get more dealers off the streets to save more lives. Klobuchar: Okay. Are there others that support that bill? No. Okay. Last, Mr. Zuckerberg, in 2021, the Wall Street Journal reported on internal Meta research documents asking, “Why do we care about tweens?” These were internal documents. I'm quoting the documents and answering its own question by citing meta internal emails, “they are a valuable but untapped audience.” At a commerce hearing, I'm also on that committee, I asked Meta's head of global safety why children aged ten to twelve are so valuable to Meta. She responded, “We do not knowingly attempt to recruit people who aren't old enough to use our apps.” Well, when the 42 state attorneys general, Democrat, and Republican, brought their case, they said this statement was inaccurate. Few examples. In 2021, she received emails, Ms. Davis, from Instagram's research director, saying that Instagram is investing in experiencing targeting young age, roughly ten to twelve. In a February 2021 instant message, one of your employees wrote that Meta is working to recruit Gen Alpha before they reach their teenage years. A 2018 email that circulated inside Meta says that you were briefed that children under 13 will be critical for increasing the rate of acquisition when users turn 13. Explain that with what I heard at that testimony at the commerce hearing that they weren't being targeted. And I just ask again, as the other witnesses were asked, why your company does not support the Stop C-SAM Act or the SHIELD Act. Mark Zuckerberg: Sure, senator, I'm happy to talk to both of those. We had discussions internally about whether we should build a kid's version of Instagram. Klobuchar: I remember that Zuckerberg: Like the kid's version of YouTube and other services. We haven't actually moved forward with that, and we currently have no plans to do so. So I can't speak directly to the exact emails that you cited, but it sounds to me like they were deliberations around a project that people internally thought was important and we didn't end up moving forward with. Klobuchar: Okay, and the bills, what are you going to say about the two bills? Zuckerberg: Sure. Overall, my position on the bills is that I agree with the goal of all of them. There are most things that I agree with within them. There are specific things that I would probably do differently. We also have our own legislative proposal for what we think would be most effective in terms of helping the Internet, in the various companies, give parents control over the experience. So I'm happy to go into the details on any one of them. Klobuchar: But ultimately, again, I think these parents will tell you the stuff hasn't worked. To just give parents control. They don't know what to do. It's very hard. And that's why we are coming up with other solutions that we think are much more helpful to law enforcement. But also this idea of finally getting something going on liability, because I just believe with all the resources you have, that you actually would be able to do more than you're doing, or these parents would be sitting behind you right now in this Senate hearing. Zuckerberg: Senator, can I speak to that, or do you want me to come back later? Senator Durbin: Please go ahead. Zuckerberg: I don't think that parents should have to upload an ID or prove that they're the parent of a child in every single app that their children use. I think the right place to do this and a place where it'd be actually very easy for it to work is within the App Stores themselves. Where my understanding is Apple and Google already, or at least Apple already, require parental consent when a child does a payment within an app. So it should be pretty trivial to pass a law that requires them to make it so that parents have control anytime a child downloads an app and offers consent to that. And the research that we've done shows that the vast majority of parents want that, And I think that that's the type of legislation, in addition to some of the other ideas that you all have, that would make this a lot easier for parents. Klobuchar: Just to be clear, I remember one mom telling me with all these things she could maybe do that she can't figure out. It's like a faucet overflowing in a sink, and she's out there with a mop while her kids are getting addicted to more and more different apps and being exposed to material. We've got to make this simpler for parents so they can protect their kids. And I just don't think this is going to be the way to do it. I think the answer is what Senator Graham has been talking about, which is opening up the halls of the courtroom so that puts it on you guys to protect these parents and protect these kids and then also to pass some of these laws that makes it easier for law enforcement. Background Senator Klobuchar is a strong supporter of online safety for children. In the past, she previously pressed these issues at Senate hearings with technology sector leaders from Meta, Snap, TikTok, and YouTube. In September 2021, during questioning by Klobuchar at the Senate Commerce Committee hearing titled “Protecting Kids Online: Internet Privacy and Manipulative Marketing,” Facebook’s Global Head of Safety Antigone Davis admitted knowing about internal research findings that Instagram worsens eating disorders for teenage girls before it was reported on in the press. In October 2021, during the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security hearing titled “Protecting Kids Online: Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube,” Klobuchar demanded answers from Snap on the tragic deaths of Devin Norring and Ryan McPherson, two young Minnesotans who died after taking drugs bought on Snapchat through messages. In the same hearing, Klobuchar asked both Snap and TikTok representatives on their views on competition policy and her legislation to set commonsense rules of the road for major digital platforms to ensure they cannot unfairly preference their own products and services. In December 2021, at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing titled “Protecting Kids Online: Instagram and Reforms for Young Users,” Klobuchar highlighted the urgent need for reforms to stop Instagram from profiting off of kids’ and teenagers’ data. In February 2022, Klobuchar and Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) sent a letter to TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew demanding information about the company’s algorithms that promote content glorifying eating disorders to users, particularly teenage girls. Klobuchar is a leader in pushing for legislation to hold technology companies accountable for keeping kids safe online. In February 2023, Senator Klobuchar introduced bipartisan legislation with Senator John Cornyn, the Stopping Harmful Image Exploitation and Limiting Distribution (SHIELD) Act. The bill provides federal law enforcement with the tools they need to crack down on serious privacy violations. It establishes federal criminal liability for people who distribute others’ private or explicit images online without consent. The bill also fills in existing gaps in federal law so that prosecutors can hold all those who exploit children accountable. Klobuchar and Cornyn’s SHIELD Act closes a large gap in federal criminal law by criminalizing the distribution of sexually intimate images of adults knowingly or recklessly disregarding that the person depicted did not consent to such distribution. The bill also criminalizes the distribution of sexual images of minors with a malevolent intent. Senator Klobuchar is a cosponsor of the Cooper Davis Act, which would require social media companies and other communication service providers to report to the DEA when they know of the sale or distribution of illicit drugs, including fentanyl, methamphetamine, or a counterfeit controlled substance on their platforms. The Cooper Davis Act was reported favorably out of the Judiciary Committee in July 2023 by a bipartisan vote of 16-5. This legislation honors the memory of Cooper Davis, a 16 year-old from Kansas, and many other teenagers such as Devin Norring of Hastings, Minnesota, who were tragically killed by counterfeit drugs that were laced with fentanyl. Senator Klobuchar is a cosponsor of the Strengthening Transparency and Obligations to Protection Children Suffering from Abuse and Mistreatment Act of 2023 (STOP CSAM Act). The legislation cracks down on the proliferation of child sex abuse material online, supports victims, and increases accountability and transparency for online platforms. Senator Klobuchar is a cosponsor of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). This bipartisan legislation to require social media platforms to make safety the default and to give kids and parents tools to help prevent the destructive impact of social media. KOSA also ensures that parents and policymakers can assess whether social media platforms are taking meaningful steps to address risks to kids. Senator Klobuchar is also a cosponsor of the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0), bipartisan legislation to update online data privacy rules for the 21st century to ensure children and teenagers are protected online. This legislation passed the Senate Commerce Committee in July. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Deb Fischer (R-NE), Chairwoman and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with oversight over federal elections, introduced a resolution to recognize January 30, 2024, as “Help America Vote Day” to honor the service of poll workers, encourage more people to volunteer, and raise awareness about how to register and cast a ballot. The resolution passed the Senate today by unanimous consent. “Our elections depend on Americans who serve their communities as poll workers,” said Klobuchar. “On Help America Vote Day, we honor our country’s poll workers, recognize them for administering our free and fair elections, and encourage more Americans to sign up. As the 2024 election season gets underway, I’ll continue working
...Read more to ensure they receive the support they need to safely do their jobs.” “Elections are an opportunity for Americans to make their voices heard on local, state, and national issues. I encourage every eligible voter to ensure that they CAN take part in this sacred tradition that has made the United States one of the most admired democracies in the world,” said Fischer. Help America Vote Day was established by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission to encourage people across the country to sign up to be poll workers and share information on how to register and cast a ballot. Klobuchar has consistently worked to expand voting access and support poll workers. In December 2023, Klobuchar and Fischer called on the Department of Justice (DOJ) to prioritize its review of incidents involving anonymous letters – some containing fentanyl and other unidentified substances – that were recently sent to several election officials in six states, and to work with the United States Postal Service and state and local officials to guard against similar incidents. In August 2023, Klobuchar and Fischer honored the service of poll workers in recognition of National Poll Worker Recruitment Day which encourages more people to volunteer to help Americans vote. In March 2023, Klobuchar held a Rules Committee hearing on election administration, including the impact of increasing threats directed at election officials on the ability of states and local governments to administer elections. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with oversight over federal elections, and Susan Collins (R-ME), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, called on the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to assist state and local election officials in combating the spread of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated disinformation about our elections. Their letter follows reports of AI-generated deepfake robocalls using the President’s voice to discourage voting in the New Hampshire primary election. “We are already seeing AI being used to target candidates and voters from both parties,” the Senators wrote. “Last week there were reports of AI-generated robocalls using the President’s voice to tell people not to vote
...Read more in the primary election in New Hampshire, and AI-generated deepfakes have also impacted multiple Republican presidential candidates by deceptively showing them saying things that they never said.” “We have introduced bipartisan legislation to address the challenges that this kind of deceptive AI-generated content poses to our democracy,” the Senators continued. “As this year’s primary elections are now underway, it is critical that those who administer our elections have the information necessary to address these emerging threats in a timely and effective way.” Klobuchar has led efforts to address the threat of misleading AI-generated content in our elections. In September 2023, Klobuchar and Collins, along with Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO), Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law, and Chris Coons (D-DE), Chair of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, introduced the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act, bipartisan legislation to ban the use of AI to generate materially deceptive content falsely depicting federal candidates to influence federal elections. This legislation has also been cosponsored by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE). In October 2023, Klobuchar and Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY) sent a letter to the CEOs of Meta Platforms, Inc. and X Corp., Mark Zuckerberg and Linda Yaccarino, respectively, seeking information on how their organizations are addressing AI-generated content in political ads hosted on their social media platforms. In July 2023, Klobuchar and U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján and Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) wrote to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) encouraging the Commission to begin a rulemaking to regulate fraudulent AI-generated campaign ads. In June 2023, Klobuchar and U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-VT) and Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called on Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, and Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino for answers after reporting highlighted a significant reduction of staff dedicated to countering misinformation. In light of these layoffs, the senators expressed concerns about these companies’ ability to effectively respond to election-related disinformation, including deceptive AI-generated content about elections and campaigns. In May 2023, Klobuchar and U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced the REAL Political Ads Act. This legislation would require a disclaimer on political ads that use images or video generated by artificial intelligence. Companion legislation is led in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congresswoman Clarke (D-NY). In February 2023, Klobuchar reintroduced the Honest Ads Act with U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Mark Warner (D-VA), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, to improve the transparency and accountability of online political advertising by requiring online political advertisements to adhere to the same disclaimer requirements as TV, radio, and print ads. The full text of the letter is available HERE and below: Dear Commissioners: We write to express serious concerns about the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content to spread disinformation about our elections and to urge the Election Assistance Commission to take additional steps to help state and local officials combat these threats. We are already seeing AI being used to target candidates and voters from both parties. Last week there were reports of AI-generated robocalls using the President’s voice to tell people not to vote in the primary election in New Hampshire, and AI-generated deepfakes have also impacted multiple Republican presidential candidates by deceptively showing them saying things that they never said. We have introduced bipartisan legislation to address the challenges that this kind of deceptive AI-generated content poses to our democracy. As this year’s primary elections are now underway, it is critical that those who administer our elections have the information necessary to address these emerging threats in a timely and effective way. It is for these reasons that we urge the Election Assistance Commission to provide comprehensive guidance to state and local election administrators about how they can defend against AI-generated disinformation. We also ask that you take further action to ensure that officials are aware of the support and information that the Commission makes available, following the initial guidance that it released in August as the technology becomes more sophisticated and voters continue to cast ballots in this year’s elections. Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We look forward to your response. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced the formation of a judicial selection committee to assist them in making recommendations to President Biden to fill a vacancy on Minnesota’s federal district court. The vacancy was created by Judge Wilhelmina Wright’s decision to retire. The Committee will be chaired by Lucinda Jesson, former judge on Minnesota’s Court of Appeals and will include Johnathan Judd, Judge on Minnesota’s Seventh Judicial Court; David Lillehaug, former Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court and former U.S. Attorney for the state of Minnesota; Miguel Pozo, Member at Cozen O’Connor and former President of the Hispanic National Bar Association; Kristine Weeks, Judge on Minnesota’s Fifth Judicial Court in Blue Earth County and
...Read more former assistant public defender; and X. Kevin Zhao, partner at Greene Espel PLLP. “Minnesota’s federal judges have a long track record of being fair-minded, conscientious and even-handed in their application of the law, and this distinguished selection panel committee will find a jurist worthy of this tradition,” said Klobuchar. “Judge Wright is a true trailblazer who, in addition to serving on the U.S. District Court in Minnesota, also served on the Minnesota Supreme Court, Minnesota Court of Appeals, and as a state trial court judge in Ramsey County. Throughout her many years as a jurist, Judge Wright demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the law and I thank her for her service.” “Judge Wilhelmina Wright’s trailblazing career will serve as an inspiration to generations of Minnesota lawyers. She not only served as Minnesota’s first Black woman federal judge, but is the only jurist to serve at all three levels of Minnesota’s state court system. I can’t thank her enough for her exemplary service and dedication to justice,” said Smith. “As the committee undertakes the important work of recommending potential judicial nominees to fill Judge Wright’s seat, they will look for someone who embodies the same commitment to fairness and the pursuit of equal justice under the law for all Minnesotans. I want to thank each of our distinguished committee members for contributing their time and expertise in service of facilitating this important process.” Those wishing to be considered for the position of Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, should submit a letter of interest and resume by February 29, 2024 to the Judicial Selection Committee. Application materials may be emailed to the Committee at MNCommittee@judiciary-dem.senate.gov or mailed to the Office of Senator Amy Klobuchar, 1200 Washington Avenue South, Suite 250, Minneapolis, MN, 55415. References will be requested at a later date. Read less The legislation would ensure Americans reach help when dialing 9-1-1 during natural disasters and make important updates to the classification of 9-1-1 dispatchers. WASHINGTON – Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and John Thune (R-SD) introduced the Enhancing First Response Act, which would make important updates to our 9-1-1 emergency reporting system to ensure Americans can reach help when they dial 9-1-1 during natural disasters. The legislation will also ensure 9-1-1 dispatchers are recognized as protective service workers to ensure their job classification appropriately recognizes the lifesaving nature of their work. This legislation is also co-sponsored by Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Ted Budd (R-NC). This bill combines two bills:
...Read more the 911 SAVES Act, led in the House by Representative Norma Torres (D-CA), and the Emergency Reporting Act, led in the House by Representative Doris Matsui (D-CA). “During natural disasters, reliable communications networks save lives. This bipartisan legislation will ensure people are able to connect to 9-1-1 during major disasters and improve the resiliency of our 9-1-1 system against outages and disruptions,” said Klobuchar. “This legislation also makes important updates to the classification of 9-1-1 dispatchers, recognizing their critical roles during times of crisis.” “Ensuring Americans can reach help when they dial 9-1-1 during natural disasters is paramount,” said Blackburn. “The Emergency Reporting Act takes necessary steps to prevent 9-1-1 service disruptions, properly recognize dispatchers for their lifesaving work, and further study how we can make improvements to the 9-1-1 emergency response system.” “When an emergency happens, 911 dispatchers are the very first people to respond, providing critical assistance to callers in real time and coordinating the response," said Heinrich. "Our 911 workers are essential, and we must provide them with the resources that they need to work quickly and efficiently. That includes revising their federal Bureau of Labor Statistics classification to properly recognize them as first responders. This will ensure they can access the important benefits they need and deserve.” “During natural disasters, it is especially important that folks who are in need of emergency assistance are able to contact 9-1-1 for help, ” said Thune. “Our bill would provide some much-needed reforms to the emergency response system by increasing its resiliency, classifying 9-1-1 professionals as first responders, and reducing obstacles for those attempting to call 9-1-1.” “In the face of a life-threatening emergency, the ability to call 911 is often a matter of life and death. That’s why we must ensure those in danger can rely on our emergency communications networks to get help when and where it is needed,” said Matsui. “The Emergency Reporting Act gives the FCC the tools to support our state and local partners as they prepare for, respond to, and learn from major disasters – strengthening the resiliency of these networks to handle the worst disasters.” “America’s 9-1-1 dispatchers are vital to creating strong, safe communities. and they deserved to be rightfully recognized as first responders. As a former 9-1-1 dispatcher, I know that these heroes are first responders in every sense of the phrase, often answering the phone during the worst moments of a person’s life. My bipartisan 9-1-1 SAVES Act reclassifies 9-1-1 professionals as first responders and recognizes them for the work they do every day to save lives and keep the public safe. I am glad to see my bill is included in the Senate’s Enhancing First Response Act, which will make our nation’s 9-1-1 emergency response system more responsive to the needs of all Americans. I urge all my colleagues in both the House and Senate to join us in giving 9-1-1 professionals the resources they need and the recognition they earn every day,” said Torres. “It is vital that we review the communication infrastructure in place after a major weather event to maximize coordinated public safety information during a future crisis,” said Bilirakis. “These systems must be reliable and standardized to allow for an effective response from local, state and federal leaders as they recover. Our legislation helps to ensure we are ready to achieve that paramount goal.” “The EFRA is a multi-pronged approach to improving public safety communications and supporting the dedicated professionals operating 9-1-1 systems,” APCO CEO Mel Maier said. “Correcting the federal classification of 9-1-1 professionals, improving resilience and situational awareness during outages, and examining improvements to MLTS 9-1-1 calls are all worthy objectives. APCO thanks Senators Klobuchar, Blackburn, Heinrich, and Thune for their leadership on this. We look forward to working with them, as well as co-sponsors of the 9-1-1 SAVES Act and Emergency Report Act in the House, to achieve these improvements for public safety.” “9-1-1 has come a long way since the days when it was primarily a call-intake-and-referral function. Today, 9-1-1 professionals rely on highly specialized protocols, training, and equipment to provide life-saving triage to citizens and critical information to field responders. They are certainly ‘first responders’ and should be recognized as such. We applaud Senators Klobuchar, Blackburn, Thune, and Heinrich for their bipartisan leadership on this important issue,” said NENA CEO Brian Fontes. Specifically, the Enhancing First Response Act would: Require the FCC to issue a report after major natural disasters on the extent to which people were unable to reach 9-1-1 during the disaster and subsequent recovery efforts, and make recommendations to improve the resiliency of 9-1-1 systems to prevent future service disruptions;
Require the FCC to study the unreported 9-1-1 outages and develop recommendations to improve outage reporting and communication between mobile carriers experiencing network outages and 9-1-1 centers;
Update the classification of 9-1-1 dispatchers from clerical workers to protective service workers in the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) to better reflect the life-saving work they perform each day. The SOC is a tool used by federal agencies to classify the workforce into useful, occupational categories;
Require the FCC to report on the extent to which multi-line telephone system manufacturers and vendors have complied with Kari’s Law, which Senator Klobuchar worked to pass into law in 2018 and requires the manufacturers of multi-line telephone systems to create systems that allow callers to reach 9-1-1 without dialing a prefix or postfix. Klobuchar has long advocated for improving the 9-1-1 system. In 2018, Klobuchar and Senator Deb Fischer’s (R-NE) bipartisan legislation, Kari’s Law, was signed into law. Its passage required the manufacturers of multi-line telephone systems (MLTS) to create systems that allow callers to reach 9-1-1 without dialing a prefix or postfix and on-site notification to make it easier for first responders to locate 9-1-1 callers in large buildings. In 2019, Klobuchar and Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) introduced the bipartisan Supporting Accurate Views of Emergency Services Act, or the 9-1-1 SAVES Act, which would update the classification of 9-1-1 dispatchers from clerical workers to protective service workers in the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) to better reflect the life-saving work they do. In 2021, Klobuchar and Burr (R-NC) reintroduced the bipartisan Emergency Reporting Act would help ensure the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) provides resources to state and local governments preparing for and responding to natural disasters and improve communication between mobile carriers experiencing network outages and 911 centers. ### Read less WASHINGTON - At a Senate Rules Committee hearing titled “The Use of Artificial Intelligence at the Library of Congress, Government Publishing Office, and Smithsonian Institution,” U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with oversight over these agencies, highlighted how AI has affected the three agencies. “While it is important that our three witnesses today speak to measures they are taking to safeguard against potential harms, it is also important to note that they are using AI technology in their work to protect our country's greatest treasures, advance scientific research, and improve public access to information,” said Klobuchar. Klobuchar continued, “We must continue working to stay ahead of the curve, and I am
...Read more committed to working in a bipartisan way with Senator Fischer so our country can benefit, and your agencies can benefit, from the best of AI while protecting against any threat.” Video of Klobuchar’s opening statement is available for download HERE. Klobuchar has led efforts to address the threat of misleading AI-generated content. In November 2023, Klobuchar and Senators John Thune (R-SD), Roger Wicker (R-MS), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), introduced the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research, Innovation, and Accountability Act to establishes a framework to bolster innovation while bringing greater transparency, accountability, and security to the development and operation of the highest-impact applications of AI. In November 2023, Klobuchar and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) called on the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission to continue efforts to raise awareness about and prevent artificial intelligence voice cloning scams in order to protect Americans from this growing fraud. In October 2023, Klobuchar and Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY) sent a letter to the CEOs of Meta Platforms, Inc. and X Corp., Mark Zuckerberg and Linda Yaccarino, respectively, seeking information on how their organizations are addressing AI-generated content in political ads hosted on their social media platforms, and in November, Meta announced that it will bar the use of its generative AI tools in political ads and will require disclaimers on AI-generated political ads. In September 2023, Klobuchar and Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO), Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law; Chris Coons (D-DE), Chair of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Intellectual Property; and Susan Collins (R-ME), Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee and former Chair of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, introduced the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act, bipartisan legislation to ban the use of AI to generate materially deceptive content falsely depicting federal candidates in political ads to influence federal elections. This legislation has also been cosponsored by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE). In May 2023, Klobuchar and U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced the REAL Political Ads Act. This legislation would require a disclaimer on political ads that use images or video generated by artificial intelligence. Companion legislation is led in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY). A transcript of Klobuchar’s full opening statement is available below. Senator Klobuchar: Today, we're going to talk about the very important topic of artificial intelligence and the agencies that play such a critical role in serving the American people. AI has the potential, as we know, to lead to incredible innovation by supercharging scientific research, improving access to information, and increasing productivity. But like any emerging technology, AI comes with significant risks. And our laws need to be as sophisticated as the potential [threats] ... to our own democracy. Understanding these risks and benefits has been a major bipartisan focus of the Senate. With Senator Schumer, Rounds, Young, and Heinrich leading a new series of nine forums since the fall. And a number of us on various committees working on proposals so that we're going to be ready when this hits, and I think, as you all saw from the reports of the robocalls in New Hampshire with the fake voice of the President or other things that have also occurred to candidates on the Republican side of the aisle. This is not going to be one side or another. It is something that we, as a Congress have to deal with and put up some guardrails. And that includes, of course, the work that goes on in these agencies. At our hearing in September, all the witnesses agreed that AI poses risks to our elections. And we've heard testimony on why we must work to put guardrails in place. That is why I'm leading a bipartisan bill with Senators Hawley, Coons, and Collins, and also joined Senators Bennet and Ricketts to prohibit fraudulent AI content in our elections within the framework of the Constitution. For instance, allowing for satire and the like and why we need to take other steps, like disclaimers on ads that use AI so that the citizens of this country can actually believe that it is their own candidate or their opposing candidate who's speaking. Another example of legislation going on is Senator Thune and I have joined together in introducing a bill to put in place commonsense safeguards for the highest-risk, non-defense applications of AI and improve transparency. I see that Senator Capito is here. She's also joined us on this important bill that's mostly coming out of the Commerce Committee. So, let's get to your stuff. AI and how it affects the work of the three agencies before us: the Library of Congress, the Government Publishing Office, and the Smithsonian. While it is important that our three witnesses today speak to measures they're taking to safeguard against potential harms, they are also, I think it is important to note, using AI technology in their work to protect our country's greatest treasures, advance scientific research, and improve public access to information. For example, the Library of Congress is testing emerging AI technology to expand how researchers can better use the resources they already housed in their collections, which make up the largest library in the world – we note with much humbleness – such as a new AI tool that lets users instantly search through 1.56 million images from digitized historical newspapers to assist in archival research. GPO is working to harness the efficiencies offered by AI to modernize how it makes information from all three branches of government more usable for the public, since much of its work has expanded to digital publishing; hence their new name from “printing” to “publishing”. And as part of its work producing government documents GPO is using AI to ensure quality control of items such as the material you use to print passports. It printed 22 million of them, as we learned at the last hearing last year. Finally, at the Smithsonian, which is the world's largest museum, education, and research complex, researchers are exploring how to use AI to do things like tackle some of the most challenging problems in astrophysics, classify species of fish in the Amazon, and make collections more accessible, accurately identifying the contribution of women – I like this one – in historical text in which they were often identified in writing by only their husbands' names. That'll be interesting, what you discover with AI. We must continue working to stay ahead of the curve. And I'm committed to working in a bipartisan way with Senator Fischer so that our country can benefit and your agencies can benefit from the best of AI while protecting against any threat. Thank you again, and I'll turn it over to Senator Fischer. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced a $24.7 million federal grant for the US 169 Rural Safety and Mobility Interchange Project in Sherburne County, which will eliminate the signal-controlled intersection at County Road 4 and replace it with a grade-separated, hybrid diamond interchange. The current intersection has crash rates at nearly five times the state average and has been ranked the second most dangerous intersection in central Minnesota. This project will also reduce traffic congestion and accommodate anticipated growth on this important regional highway. In addition, the new interchange will have a multi-use trail for pedestrian and bike access. Funding for this project comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s INFRA (Nationally
...Read more Significant Multimodal Freight & Highway Projects) grant program. “Highway 169’s signal-controlled intersection has been ranked as one of the most dangerous intersections in central Minnesota. Drivers who use this intersection every day deserve a safer alternative,” said Klobuchar. “This federal grant will make much-needed improvements to make the interchange secure for drivers and pedestrians.” “Revitalizing our infrastructure is about more than just fixing roadways and bridges; it’s about improving people’s lives, which is precisely what this project will do,” said Smith. “This intersection on Highway 169 is dangerous in its current form. Now, Minnesota has the federal investment to make this vital corridor safer for everyone.” INFRA grants can be used by communities across the country for multimodal freight and highway projects of national or regional significance to improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of freight and transit mobility. The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which Klobuchar and Smith supported and was signed into law in 2021, delivered a 50 percent increase in the amount of available funding for INFRA grants, as well as resources for improving the state’s roads, bridges, public transportation, and water infrastructure. In the 2023 government funding law, Klobuchar secured a $7 million federal grant to support the US 169 Rural Safety and Mobility Interchange Project. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement in response to the United States Postal Service (USPS) Inspector General’s report that uncovered operational problems at the St. Paul Processing and Distribution Center and regional post offices in Eagan, New Brighton, and Apple Valley. The Inspector General is now expanding to other areas of the state as requested by Senators Klobuchar and Smith in December. “Minnesotans rely on the Postal Service to receive their paychecks, prescriptions, and more, but I have gotten reports about delays and issues with mail delivery across the state,” said Klobuchar. “The findings of this audit are deeply concerning, but not surprising, and I am glad the Inspector General is now expanding its investigation to the whole state
...Read more as I requested. We need answers so we can find solutions that work.” ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced significant federal funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to install E15 dispensers at fueling stations located in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, and South Dakota to increase the availability of domestic biofuels and give drivers cleaner, more affordable fuel options. Gas stations and distribution facilities in Alexandria, Annandale, Belgrade, Crookston, Hoffman, Moorhead, Paynesville, and Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, will receive funding. The Department is making the awards through the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP), which was made possible with funding from Klobuchar and Senator Joni Ernst’s (R-IA) Biofuel Infrastructure and Agricultural Product Market Expansion Act, which
...Read more was included as part of a larger legislative package in 2022. “Domestically produced biofuel strengthens our energy independence, supports farmers, and cuts costs for families,” said Klobuchar. “My bill with Senator Ernst, the Biofuel Infrastructure and Agricultural Product Market Expansion Act, unlocked this funding to help bring affordable biofuels to more local gas stations and help drivers save money.” “Biofuels offer us a clean, renewable, and homegrown pathway to transition away from fossil fuels,” said Smith. “Minnesota is already a leader in biofuels production, and this investment from the Inflation Reduction Act will further spur an industry that America relies on for energy independence, drivers rely on for lower gas prices, and farmers rely on for new streams of income. We’re reducing harmful emissions while creating more economic opportunity in rural areas.” These grants will reduce out-of-pocket costs for transportation fueling and distribution facilities to install and upgrade biofuel-related infrastructure such as pumps, dispensers, and storage tanks. Blending ethanol into gasoline has helped reduce fuel costs by approximately 25 percent. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with oversight over federal elections, issued the following statement following reports of a fake robocall that used President Biden’s voice to tell recipients not to vote in New Hampshire. “These AI-created deepfakes of candidates are dangerous to our democracy, and we’re already starting to see this happen with the reported fake robocall using the President’s voice to tell people not to vote in New Hampshire. Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, no one wants to see fake ads or robocalls where you cannot even tell if it’s your candidate or not. That’s why I’m leading a bipartisan bill in the Senate to ban deceptive AI-generated content in our elections. We need
...Read more federal action to ensure this powerful technology is not used to deceive voters and spread disinformation.” As Chair of the Rules Committee, Senator Klobuchar has worked on a bipartisan basis to safeguard our elections and strengthen democracy. In September Klobuchar introduced the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act with Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO), Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law; Chris Coons (D-DE), Chair of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Intellectual Property; and Susan Collins (R-ME), Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee and former Chair of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. The bill was later joined by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE). The bipartisan bill would amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA) to prohibit the distribution of materially deceptive AI-generated audio, images, or video relating to federal candidates in political ads or certain issue ads to influence a federal election or fundraise. The bill allows federal candidates targeted by this materially deceptive content to have content taken down and enables them to seek damages in federal court. This ban extends to a person, political committee, or other entity that distributes materially deceptive content intended to influence an election or raise money fraudulently. Consistent with the First Amendment, the bill has exceptions for parody, satire, and the use of AI-generated content in news broadcasts. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) and Governor Tim Walz (D) announced a $1.05 billion federal grant to replace the Blatnik Bridge, which connects Duluth to Superior. The Blatnik Bridge opened in 1961 and has reached the end of its useful life. Bridge users experience lane closures and other disruptions multiple times each year due to inspections and maintenance work. This new bridge will be safer and boost the regional economy, as the Blatnik Bridge is integral to helping transport Minnesota goods for export to global markets. “For over 60 years, the Blatnik Bridge has connected commuters, businesses, and communities in Minnesota and Wisconsin, but it’s in serious need of a replacement,” said Klobuchar. “The significant federal grant we secured for the
...Read more Blatnik Bridge replacement project will bolster safety and reliability for the thousands of people who use this bridge every day.” “The Blatnik Bridge is not only an essential connector for commuters in the Upper Midwest region—our national economy depends on this Bridge to deliver goods and services and for proper functioning of national supply chains,” said Smith. “Without this funding, the Blatnik Bridge would soon become unsafe, and thanks to President Biden and Minnesota Democrats in Congress, we finally have the necessary resources to make the bridge safer, more reliable, and more efficient.” “This is big news for Minnesota. This investment will make it possible for Minnesota and Wisconsin to rebuild a critical connection between our states that will foster regional economic growth, strengthen our national supply chains, and improve the safety and reliability of our transportation network,” said Walz. “This is a project that will serve hundreds of communities between our states. I am grateful for the partnership of Governor Evers, our Congressional leaders, and the White House in making this project happen.” The Governor has long advocated for federal funding for the project, including making grant applications and meeting with Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg in October. INFRA (Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight & Highway Projects program) grants can be used by communities across the country for multimodal freight and highway projects of national or regional significance to improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of freight and transit mobility. The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which Klobuchar and Smith supported and was signed into law in 2021, delivered a 50 percent increase in the amount of available funding for INFRA grants, as well as resources for improving the state’s roads, bridges, public transportation, and water infrastructure. In December 2023, Klobuchar and Smith, along with Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Representative Pete Stauber (R-MN), sent a bipartisan letter urging Transportation Secretary Buttigieg to support Minnesota and Wisconsin’s application for federal funding to rebuild the Blatnik Bridge. In September 2023, Klobuchar, Smith, Baldwin, and Representative Stauber sent a letter to President Biden urging him to fund this project. In August 2023, Klobuchar and Smith sent letters to Secretary Buttigieg in support of the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT)’s applications for funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including the U.S. Department of Transportation National Infrastructure Project Assistance Program and its Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) Program. In 2022, Klobuchar, Smith, and Baldwin sent a letter to President Biden urging him to fund this project. President Biden visited the Blatnik Bridge in 2022 with Klobuchar, Baldwin, and Smith, to discuss how the bridge could benefit from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In 2021, Klobuchar, a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, highlighted the importance of the Blatnik Bridge and its need for safety improvements at Secretary Buttigieg’s nomination hearing to be Secretary of Transportation. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, passed into law in November 2021, is the single largest dedicated investment for the repair and reconstruction of bridges since the construction of the Interstate Highway System. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) sent letters to six pharmaceutical companies, Abbvie, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, GlaxoSmithKline, Mylan-Viatris, and Teva, requesting the removal of all patents identified by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) as improperly or inaccurately listed in the FDA Orange Book by the end of the month. In November, the FTC sent warning letters to 10 pharmaceutical companies identifying more than 100 patents that the recipients improperly listed on the Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations (commonly known as the Orange Book). The Orange Book identifies approved drug products and patents covering them. Improperly listing patents in the Orange Book can prevent generic - often less expensive - drugs from entering the
...Read more market. A number of pharmaceutical companies have removed these patents from the Orange Book in response to the FTC’s warning letters, but most have failed to act. The FTC found that improperly listing patents in the FDA Orange Book to deter generic competition can violate antitrust laws. “As you know, improperly listing a patent in the Orange Book can harm consumers, raise prices, and stifle competition by preventing cheaper generic drugs from entering the market for up to 30 months, and drives up the cost of entry by generic drug manufacturers by pushing them into expensive litigation before entering the market,” wrote Klobuchar. Klobuchar continued, “While your inventions that benefit consumers deserve strong patent protections, those patents should not be used to box out generic drug competition long after legitimate patent protections have expired. I urge you to remove all remaining patents identified in the FTC’s November 7 letter as quickly as possible.” The full text of the letters can be found HERE. In February 2023, two of Klobuchar’s bipartisan bills with Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to promote competition and reduce drug prices - the Preserving Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act and the Stop STALLING Act - passed the Senate Judiciary Committee. Like Klobuchar’s letters demanding pharmaceutical companies remove improperly listed patents from the Orange book, these bills too would remove barriers to competition from generic drugs. The Preserving Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act would limit anticompetitive “pay-for-delay” deals that prevent or delay the introduction of affordable follow-on versions of branded pharmaceuticals. Pay-for-delay deals happen when pharmaceutical drug companies pay brand name companies to delay the introduction of cheaper substitutes – increasing the cost of prescriptions and imposing significant costs on our healthcare system. The legislation covers pay-for-delay deals affecting biosimilar and interchangeable biologics in addition to generic drugs. The Stop Significant and Time-wasting Abuse Limiting Legitimate Innovation of New Generics (Stop STALLING) Act would deter pharmaceutical companies from filing sham petitions with the FDA in order to interfere with the approval of generic and biosimilar medicines that compete with their own brand products, a tactic that delays patient access to affordable medications. The bill would also give the FTC enhanced authority to take action against those who file sham petitions. In February 2023, the Klobuchar-supported Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act also passed the Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill would help lower drug prices by preventing bad actors from using patents to block generic and biosimilar competition from coming to market. ### Read less MINNESOTA – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement on the passing of former Vice President Walter Mondale's Deputy Chief of Staff and Counsel, Mike Berman: “Mike Berman lived an incredible life dedicated to public service. From a modest background growing up in Duluth, where his father ran a family dry cleaning store, Mike rose to become a longtime close, trusted adviser to Vice President Walter Mondale and, later, to President Bill Clinton. For decades, Mike was among the most influential figures in Washington, DC, and Democratic politics. He was a mentor to so many of us in Minnesota politics, including myself and Tom Nides, former U.S. ambassador to Israel. We could always count on Mike for his wry sense of humor, his honesty and his Minnesota common sense.
...Read more Mike was never one to seek publicity, but it’s important for people to know that he left a large, positive imprint on Minnesota and our country.” ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Edward Markey (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) called on the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration to provide an update on provisions passed in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and additional efforts to end distracted driving. “Distracted driving has become among the most significant factors contributing to traffic deaths. In the past decade, traffic deaths increased over 25 percent,” the Senators wrote. “Given the impact of distracted driving on safety and the economy, Congress passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which included the SAFE to DRIVE Act to ensure more states can enforce distracted driving laws, educate drivers, and keep our roads safe. Congress also granted NHTSA new
...Read more regulatory authorities based on the Stay Aware for Everyone (SAFE) Act to prevent distracted driving,” the Senators continued. “We request an update on your implementation of these provisions of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, as well as an update about your other activities to end distracted driving.” In 2021, provisions based on the SAFE to DRIVE Act, Klobuchar’s legislation to combat distracted driving, passed as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This legislation helps ensure more states are able to access critical funding to enforce distracted driving laws and educate drivers to help keep our roadways safe. The full letter is available here and below. Dear Acting Administrator Carlson, We write to request additional information from the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration on its efforts to implement provisions passed in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to prevent distracted driving. Distracted driving has become among the most significant factors contributing to traffic deaths. In the past decade, traffic deaths increased over 25 percent. A study published earlier this year by NHTSA found that distraction was a factor in 29 percent of all motor vehicle crashes in 2019, resulting in 10,546 fatalities. Moreover, distracted driving contributed to 1.3 million nonfatal injuries, costing the economy $98.2 billion. Given the impact of distracted driving on safety and the economy, Congress passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which included the SAFE to DRIVE Act to ensure more states can enforce distracted driving laws, educate drivers, and keep our roads safe. Congress also granted NHTSA new regulatory authorities based on the Stay Aware for Everyone (SAFE) Act to prevent distracted driving. Specifically, the law directs NHTSA to study driver monitoring systems that minimize driver distraction and disengagement, and, if warranted based on the results of the study, require a rulemaking. The law also directs NHTSA to issue minimum performance standards for crash avoidance technologies and to require that all cars be equipped with a forward collision warning system, an automatic emergency braking system, a lane departure warning system, and a lane keeping system. We recognize the work NHTSA has done to ensure the safety of our nation’s roads. We request an update on your implementation of these provisions of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, as well as an update about your other activities to end distracted driving. Please respond by November 21, 2023 with answers to the following questions: When does NHTSA expect to finalize research— and subsequent final rules for driver monitoring systems— required under Section 24209 of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law?
How has NHTSA implemented the new grant opportunity for states that ban distracted driving?
How is NHTSA measuring the effectiveness of state distracted driving law enforcement activities conducted with grants awarded under Section 405(e)?
What other activities or rulemakings is NHTSA undertaking to prevent distracted driving?
Does NHTSA need any additional resources to prevent distracted driving? ### Read less Klobuchar led the bipartisan Senate effort to recognize the patriotism and the commitment of Capitol Police and other law enforcement officers in service of our country on January 6 WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, issued the following statement on the display in the Capitol Visitor Center of one of four Congressional Gold Medals recognizing the service and sacrifice of the United States Capitol Police and other law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol on January 6. Klobuchar, along with former Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO), introduced legislation to award the Congressional Gold Medals and successfully led efforts for it to be signed into law. President Biden signed an identical House version of the
...Read more bill in August 2021. The other three medals will be displayed by the U.S. Capitol Police, District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department, and Smithsonian Institution. “The January 6th attack was more than an assault on the U.S. Capitol building, it was an actual life or death situation for the law enforcement officers on duty that day and many other officers who rushed to the Capitol to join in its defense,” said Klobuchar. “These officers performed heroically under unimaginable circumstances, suffering many injuries and loss of life, and it is only fitting that we recognize them in our nation’s Capitol with the Congressional Gold Medal so Americans can remember their sacrifice for generations to come.” Download photographs of the display here. ### Read less WATCH KLOBUCHAR’S FULL REMARKS HERE WASHINGTON - At a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) asked Condé Nast CEO Roger Lynch and News/Media Alliance President and CEO Danielle Coffey about the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on journalism. “When you look at what's happened with newspaper advertising revenue….from 2008 to 2020, it went down from $37 billion to $9 billion. I am very concerned that these trends will only worsen with the rise of generative AI,” said Klobuchar. “That is why [we need] the bill that Senator Kennedy and I have led for years, the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act.” Klobuchar is a vocal advocate for journalism and enacting common sense guardrails for emerging AI technologies. In March of 2023, Klobuchar and
...Read more Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) reintroduced the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act, their bipartisan legislation to address dominant online platforms’ power over news organizations. In June 2023, the Act was reported out of the Judiciary Committee on a bipartisan 14-7 vote. Klobuchar and Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Thom Tillis (R-NC) introduced a discussion draft of the Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe (NO FAKES) Act to protect the voice and visual likenesses of individuals from unfair use through generative AI. In May of 2021, Klobuchar and Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced legislation to create a committee to study the state of local journalism and offer recommendations to Congress on the actions it can take to support local news organizations. In July of 2021, Klobuchar and Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced the Local Journalism Sustainability Act to help financially support local news organizations through tax credits to incentivize hiring more journalists, subscriptions, and advertising from local small businesses. A transcript of Klobuchar’s questions is available below. Video is available HERE for download. Senator Amy Klobuchar: Why don't we start with you, Ms. Coffey? So numbers I have: Pew Research Center found that we lost about 40,000 newsroom jobs between ‘08 and ‘20. Why are these newspapers shutting down? Is it because we're so perfect that you have nothing to cover? Or perhaps there's a lot to cover, but there's not enough reporters. Could you answer why they're shutting down? Danielle Coffey: So you’re right to recognize that there is plenty to cover, and the value in the audience is exponentially increasing every year, like I said, it's the opposite trajectory when it comes to the revenue that returns to us because we have two dominant intermediaries who sit in between us and our readers. 70% of our traffic is relied upon, so we have no choice but to acquiesce to their terms of letting them crawl, scrape, and place our content within their walled gardens where users are ingesting, right now, images, snippets, featured snippets, and now soon AI, which will make them just never leave the platform because it's by design personalized to get personal information to then target users or with advertising using our content to engage those users in the first place. And so if there's no return to those who create the original content that's distributed by the monopoly dominant platforms, then … we're just not going to be able to pay journalists who create the quality in the first place. Klobuchar: Exactly. Mr. Lynch. Do you have any choice over whether you're able to decide whether your content is used to train AI models, and do you have a choice about whether to let them scrape your content or not? Roger Lynch: It is a somewhat complicated issue. When you hear some of the AI companies say that they are creating opt-outs, it's great. The only thing that will do is to prevent a new competitor from training new models to compete with them, so the opt-out of the training is too late, frankly. The other side of the equation is the outputs. The models need to be trained and then they need access to content, current content to respond to queries. So, in the case of search companies, if you opt-out of the output, you have to opt-out of all of their search. Search is the lifeblood of digital publishers. Most digital publishers, half or more of their traffic originates from a search engine. If you cut off your search engine, you cut off your business. So, there is not a way to opt-out of the output side of it, letting it have access to your content for the outputs, retrieval, argumentation, and generation, without opting-out of search. Klobuchar: So you have a dominant search engine when like 90%? Google. And so then you pay fees, right, to get this content to get to you, is that right? You said in your testimony, Ms. Coffey, you explained that when users click through to news sites, Big Tech gets fees for web traffic, is that right? Coffey: Yes, the Ad Tech Tax, that's correct. Klobuchar: For the Ad Tech, right? Coffey: Right. Klobuchar: And so, but then if you want to opt-out of the AI model, you'll be opting-out of the, what is for many news organizations, now, the monopoly model that you're forced to use is the only way to get to your site. Lynch: Correct, you opt-out of search. Klobuchar: Got it down. Okay. So last question. In addition to the licensing issues, my colleagues have raised in ways we can clarify that, is the bill that Senator Kennedy and I have. Mr. Lynch, in your testimony, you explain that Australia's news media bargaining code has been successful in leading to negotiations between tech platforms and news organizations. People have to understand these are trillion-dollar companies, and you'll have a tiny newspaper for a town of a thousand people, and they won't even return their calls. Can you talk about how the success of the new laws in Australia, and actually in Canada, have supported journalism and led to the hiring of additional journalists? Lynch: Yeah, so there's been reporting out of Australia that the $140 million dollars that has flowed back to news organization publishers there have resulted in hiring or rehiring of journalists. So, you know, the first thing we have to do is you heard from Ms. Coffey earlier about the decline, what was the cause of the decline, the number of reporters in his last year alone 8,000 journalists have lost their jobs in the in the US, Canada, and UK. So the first thing is to stop that decline because that decline, I would argue, undermines democracy, undermines the Fourth Estate, and in the way to do that is to ensure there's compensation for the use of this content. There's adequate, I think, evidence now from what's happened in Australia and now in Canada that the Big Tech companies didn't fall over, their business models continued on, and now journalism is starting to flourish again in these markets. Klobuchar: And just Ms. Coffey, anything you want to add to that, and I'm done. Coffey: We can send something. It’s background on the labor index, it shows the journalist job spiked afterward, and it plateaued and then have steadily rose. Klobuchar: Okay, thank you. ### Read less WASHINGTON - This month, Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Shelley Capito (R-WV) introduced the Increasing Access to Quality Cardiac Rehabilitation Care Act of 2023. The bipartisan legislation would expand and expedite patient access to cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation services by authorizing physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and clinical nurse specialists to order patients to cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation under Medicare. Cardiovascular disease is the second leading cause of death in Minnesota. According to a study by the Minnesota Department of Health, less than half of eligible Minnesotans initiated life-saving cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation (cardiac rehab) after a heart attack, heart surgery, or other heart event. Cardiovascular and Pulmonary
...Read more rehabilitation helps patients manage their symptoms, enhance their overall mental health and well-being, reduce the risk of hospitalization and death, improve heart function, and prevent future heart events. “Ensuring timely access to cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation programs is critical to improving the lives of people who need cardiovascular care, especially in rural areas,” Senator Klobuchar said. “Our bipartisan legislation will expand who can refer patients to these programs, helping connect more people to the care they need and ensuring they get that care faster.” “As states across our country – especially in rural areas – face shortages of health care professionals, we must take steps to ensure patients are able to receive the care that they need,” Senator Capito said. “By reducing barriers to accessing cardiac rehabilitation and pulmonary rehabilitation, we can help improve the health of those living with heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This is particularly important in places like West Virginia, where these diseases impact the lives of far too many residents. I’m proud to introduce this legislation and put forward solutions that increase the level of health services available to West Virginians who need them most.” The Increasing Access to Quality Cardiac Rehabilitation Care Act of 2023 builds upon legislation Klobuchar passed as part of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 to authorize physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and clinical nurse specialists to supervise cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation beginning in 2024. The Increasing Access to Quality Cardiac Rehabilitation Care Act of 2023 is supported by several leading healthcare organizations, including: American Heart Association; American Lung Association; American Nurses Association; National Rural Health Association; American Academy of Physician Assistants; American Association of Nurse Practitioners; American Association for Respiratory Care; American College of Cardiology; American Thoracic Society; Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association; and WomenHeart. Klobuchar has continually - advocated for increased access to cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitative care. In October, Klobuchar, along with Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), introduced the Sustainable Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Services in the Home Act, which would permanently allow patients to receive in-home cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation telehealth services under Medicare. In June, Klobuchar and Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) introduced the SOS: Sustaining Outpatient Services Act that would enable hospitals to relocate or open new pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation outpatient clinics, without jeopardizing the financial viability of providing these services. In 2019 and 2021, Klobuchar and Capito introduced the Increasing Access to Quality Cardiac Rehabilitation Care Act of 2019 and 2021, authorizing physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and clinical nurse specialists to order cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation under Medicare. ### Read less MINNESOTA – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement on the passing of former U.S. Senator Herbert H. “Herb” Kohl (D-WI): “John and I are mourning the loss of former U.S. Senator Herb Kohl. We worked together during my early years in the Senate, including on funding the construction of the St. Croix River bridge, and he preceded me as chair of the Antitrust Subcommittee. Herb was known for his generosity, his fierce devotion to Wisconsin sports, and his steadfast commitment to serving the people of his state. Herb was never one to seek the spotlight, but he never had to — his accomplishments, from his philanthropic contributions to his work supporting dairy farmers and improving access to affordable healthcare, speak for themselves. My thoughts are with his
...Read more loved ones during this time.” ### Read less WASHINGTON - Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Representatives Betty McCollum (D-MN), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Angie Craig (D-MN), and Dean Phillips (D-MN) sent a letter urging United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power to support Somalia as it rebuilds from widespread and disastrous flooding. “We write to express concern for the victims of the ongoing flood disaster in Somalia and urge USAID to focus its efforts on assisting the affected population,” wrote the lawmakers. “As of November 29, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that at least 2 million people have been affected, including 746,000 who have been displaced.” “Minnesota is home to one of the world’s largest populations of
...Read more Somali immigrants and refugees, and many in the community have family in Somalia who have been affected by the flooding,” the lawmakers continued. “Our Somali community is working hard to send aid back to Somalia and bring national and international attention to the country’s plight, but federal assistance is needed.” Over 86,000 Minnesota residents claim Somali heritage and connection, one of the largest concentrations within the United States. Full text of the letter is available HERE and below: Dear Administrator Power: We write to express concern for the victims of the ongoing flood disaster in Somalia and urge USAID to focus its efforts on assisting the affected population. As you know, October to December is the traditional rainy season in East Africa, where it is known as Deyr. This year, the Deyr has been exacerbated by the El Nino and Indian Ocean Dipole weather phenomena, causing widespread flooding and devastation in the Horn of Africa. Somalia has been hit particularly hard. As of November 29, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that at least 2 million people have been affected, including 746,000 who have been displaced. Thousands of people have been cut off from markets and supplies or marooned in isolated villages. Roads, bridges and airstrips are in ruins. In addition, a growing number of flood victims lack access to safe water and proper sanitation, which increases the risk of water-borne diseases. The catastrophic flooding in Somalia comes only six months after the country endured one of the worst droughts in recorded history, which spanned two years and pushed millions to the brink of starvation. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, an estimated 1.5 million children under the age of 5 are expected to face acute malnutrition by July 2024. The crisis is exacerbated by the ongoing military conflict that continues to drive people from their homes. Minnesota is home to one of the world’s largest populations of Somali immigrants and refugees, and many in the community have family in Somalia who have been affected by the flooding. Our Somali community is working hard to send aid back to Somalia and bring national and international attention to the country’s plight, but federal assistance is needed. We urge the Department to keep aid to Somalia at the forefront of your operations as you work to provide disaster relief around the world. With that, we request that you provide answers to the following questions about your operations in Somalia: How has USAID provided assistance to Somalia in past years, and how has USAID bolstered its efforts after the recent flooding?
How can the Somali community in the United States best support USAID to send relief back to Somalia?
How can Congress best equip USAID with the resources and authorities it needs to respond to climate disasters in Somalia and the Horn of Africa? We are eager to work with you on ensuring that Somalia receives the humanitarian aid it needs to rebuild after these devastating natural disasters. Thank you for all that you and your organization do to respond to disasters and conflicts around the world. Your aid saves lives. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) announced that their bipartisan Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Respect Act of 2023 passed the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. This legislation reauthorizes programs to help individuals and families impacted by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders or prenatal alcohol exposure. The FASD Respect Act was introduced in June of this year. “Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders can have devastating impacts on families, and too many lack access to prevention and treatment services,” said Klobuchar. “Our bill will renew programs that support evidence-based services for families struggling to access care and help put impacted children on the best path forward towards a successful future.”
...Read more “Too many Alaskans living with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder lack sufficient support and services,” said Murkowski. “The FASD Respect Act will work to help those with FASD and their families access programs and support services, and provide education and awareness for prenatal alcohol exposure. From identification and medical intervention at earlier ages, to promoting substance free pregnancies--I’m pleased that this bill was included in the reauthorization of the SUPPORT Act that passed out of the HELP Committee this week, and want to thank Senator Klobuchar for her partnership.” “The passage of the FASD Respect Act as part of the SUPPORT Reauthorization bill by the Senate HELP Committee is truly historic and the need could not be greater for those living with an FASD and their families. This bipartisan legislation would not have happened without the leadership of our co-sponsors, Senators Amy Klobuchar and Lisa Murkowski, and the united effort of so many advocates around the country. It truly gives families hope that a greater national commitment to FASD will lead to increased recognition and understanding of this all too prevalent disability,” said FASD United Board Chair and former First Lady of Minnesota, Susan Shepard Carlson. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders include diagnoses such as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (pFAS), Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND), Neurobehavioral Disorders Associated with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure (ND-PAE), alcohol-related birth defects (ARBD) as well as possibly severe physical, mental, behavioral, and learning disabilities. FASD is caused by prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE), an enduring public health issue throughout the United States. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association identified as many as 1 in 20 first graders across the country impacted by FASD. There is no cure for FASD, but research shows that FASD-specific early intervention services can improve developmental outcomes. PAE is the leading known cause of developmental disabilities, and those with FASD may face many social, cognitive, and emotional challenges throughout their lifespan. U.S. Representatives Betty McCollum (D-MN) and Don Bacon (R-NE) lead bipartisan companion legislation in the House. The FASD Respect Act calls for a prompt, coordinated response to PAE, and all prenatal substance exposures to preserve the health and well-being of our nation’s children and families. Specifically, the FASD Respect Act: Reauthorizes federal FASD programs by directing the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish or continue a comprehensive FASD awareness, prevention, identification, intervention, and services delivery program which may include:
Educational and public awareness outreach targeting professionals in systems of care;
Screening, assessment, identification, and diagnosis;
Developing and expanding screening and diagnostic capacity for FASD;
Developing, implementing, and evaluating targeted FASD-informed intervention programs;
Research on FASD as appropriate; and
Building State and Tribal capacity for the awareness, prevention, identification, intervention, treatment, and support of individuals with FASD and their families.
Establishes Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Centers for Excellence to build local, Tribal, State, and national capacities to prevent and identify the occurrence of FASD and other related adverse conditions, and to respond to the needs of individuals with FASD and their families. Centers of Excellence may:
Conduct outreach activities to raise public awareness of the risks associated with alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
Act as a clearinghouse for evidence-based resources on FASD prevention, identification, and culturally aware best practices.
Disseminate ongoing research and information and develop resources on FASD to help inform systems of care for individuals with FASD across their lifespan.
Increase awareness and understanding of efficacious, evidence-based FASD screening tools and culturally- and linguistically-appropriate evidence-based intervention services and best practices across systems of care.
Improve capacity for State, Tribal, and local affiliates dedicated to FASD awareness, prevention, and identification and family and individual support programs and services (technical assistance provided by FASD Center of Excellence). ### Read less Klobuchar is a long-time advocate in Congress for biofuels MINNESOTA - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement on the U.S. Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) new guidelines on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) tax credits. Under the new guidance, numerous fuels will qualify for the credit, including valid biomass-based diesel, advanced biofuels, cellulosic biofuel, or cellulosic diesel that have been approved by EPA under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). “Homegrown sustainable aviation fuel is not only an economic driver for communities across the state, it’s also an important tool to help us reduce our carbon footprint and our dependence on foreign oil,” said Klobuchar. “The Administration’s recognition of the value of the GREET
...Read more model to determine what fuels can qualify for the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Credit is significant, but further action is needed to ensure this critical fuel realizes its full potential. I will be pushing the Administration to ensure that it provides the sustainable aviation fuel industry with the certainty it needs to be competitive as we work to decarbonize the aviation sector.” SAF is made from renewable biomass and waste resources and has the potential to deliver performance jet fuel with a carbon footprint at least 50 percent lower than traditional fuel. Klobuchar has long supported legislation to bolster sustainable aviation fuel. In June 2023, Klobuchar joined Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) in introducing the Sustainable Aviation Fuels Accuracy Act, comprehensive bipartisan legislation to identify the standards required to meet the definition of SAF at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In June 2021, Klobuchar announced the introduction of a new package of bipartisan bills to expand the availability of low-carbon renewable fuels, incentivize the use of higher blends of biofuels, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In 2021, Klobuchar and Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to create a renewable fuel infrastructure grant program and streamline regulatory requirements to help fuel retailers sell higher blends of ethanol. ### Read less This letter follows letters to President Biden, most recently in September, urging the Administration to fund this project WASHINGTON - Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Tina Smith (D-MN) and Representative Pete Stauber (R-MN) sent a bipartisan letter urging Transportation Secretary Buttigieg to support Minnesota and Wisconsin’s application for federal funding to rebuild the Blatnik Bridge. “We write to reiterate our strong support of the Minnesota and Wisconsin Department of Transportations’ application for federal funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” wrote the lawmakers. “By replacing the Blatnik Bridge, the project would exemplify the type of critical infrastructure project that was envisioned by Congress.” “As noted in our previous letter to
...Read more President Biden in September 2023, the Blatnik Bridge, located over St. Louis Bay on Lake Superior, is one of two bridges that connects the cities of Duluth, Minnesota with Superior, Wisconsin,” the lawmakers continued. “It is an essential economic engine in the region and a key link in the global supply chain.” In September, Klobuchar, Smith, Baldwin, and Representative Stauber sent a letter to President Biden urging him to fund this project. In August, Klobuchar and Smith sent letters to Secretary Buttigieg in support of the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT)’s applications for funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including the U.S. Department of Transportation National Infrastructure Project Assistance Program and its Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) Program. In 2022, Klobuchar, Smith, and Baldwin sent a letter to President Biden urging him to fund this project. President Biden visited the Blatnik Bridge in 2022 with Klobuchar, Baldwin, and Smith, to discuss how the bridge could benefit from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In 2021, Klobuchar, a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, highlighted the importance of the Blatnik Bridge and its need for safety improvements at Secretary Buttigieg’s nomination hearing to be Secretary of Transportation. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, passed into law in November 2021, is the single largest dedicated investment for the repair and reconstruction of bridges since the construction of the Interstate Highway System. The full text of the letter is available HERE and below. Dear Secretary Buttigieg: We write to reiterate our strong support of the Minnesota and Wisconsin Departments of Transportation’s application for federal funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This federal funding will improve the condition of major bridges across the country. By replacing the Blatnik Bridge, the project would exemplify the type of critical infrastructure project that was envisioned by Congress. As noted in our letter to President Biden in September 2023, the Blatnik Bridge, located over St. Louis Bay on Lake Superior, is one of two bridges that connects the cities of Duluth, Minnesota with Superior, Wisconsin. The Bridge carries Interstate Highway 535 and over 33,000 vehicles per day. It is an essential economic engine in the region and a key link in the global supply chain. Each year, 265,000 trucks transporting nearly $4 billion in goods pass over the bridge. Many businesses and industries in the region also rely on the bridge to reach the Port of Duluth-Superior, the largest U.S. port on the Great Lakes and North America’s farthest-inland freshwater seaport. However, the bridge is over sixty years old and has reached the end of its useful service life. It is in poor condition with significant structural deterioration, creating serious capacity, mobility, and safety concerns. Funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law would be used to replace the Blatnik Bridge. Specifically, the project would replace all structural elements of the bridge, address safety concerns at bridge interchanges, and restore the bridge to its original operational condition. These improvements to the bridge would significantly enhance the safety, efficiency, and reliability of this key regional connection. Completing this project would support the needs of Minnesotans and Wisconsinites by improving and modernizing the regional transportation network in northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin. Thank you again for your attention to the Minnesota and Wisconsin Departments of Transportation’s application for funding. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN), along with House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) and Representative Angie Craig (D-MN), announced that a provision to maintain a fleet of 271 C-130 aircraft across the Air Force fleet passed the Senate and House as part of the bipartisan Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The legislation now heads to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law. “C-130 aircraft are the backbone of Minnesota’s 133rd Airlift Wing and support the Air Force’s readiness to carry out essential missions,” said Klobuchar. “We need to maintain the full fleet for our servicemembers who demonstrate a steadfast commitment to our nation’s values every single day. That’s why it’s so important that the bipartisan defense bill
...Read more included our provision to ensure there are at least 271 C-130 aircraft in the Air Force fleet.” “Our C-130s are vital to Minnesota’s 133rd Airlift Wing and the Air Force’s capability to carry out their missions,” said Smith. “I am glad to see them included in our defense policy bill. Ensuring the Department of Defense maintains enough of these aircraft means stability for the men and women of Minnesota’s National Guard as they carry out their duties at home and overseas.” “With the passage of this year’s National Defense Authorization Act, we support the mission of the 133rd Airlift Wing and Minnesota National Guard. We have worked with our congressional delegation and the Minnesota National Guard for years to secure the future of the C-130 and are thrilled to have played a role in this team effort. The Minnesota National Guard’s future is bright,” said Emmer. “I’m committed to doing everything I can in Congress to give American troops the equipment and resources they need to keep our country safe – and that’s why I was proud to help secure a win for the 133rd Airlift Wing in the NDAA today. This could not happen without bipartisan work from the entire Minnesota delegation, and I’ll keep pushing to secure results like this that protect our national security,” said Craig. The National Defense Authorization Act authorizes significant funding to support our armed forces, including resources for military acquisitions, military construction projects, security assistance, and implementation of the National Defense Strategy. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) and Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has awarded $20,004,000 in federal funding for the City of Minneapolis to implement its Vision Zero Action Plan. The Plan addresses the three leading causes of severe and fatal traffic accidents in Minneapolis: speeding, left-turn conflicts, and red-light running. “We have an obligation to ensure our roads are safe for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians,” said Klobuchar. “These infrastructure upgrades will save lives.” “We need to build a transportation system that prioritizes safety. This important investment will help make progress toward eliminating pedestrian injuries in Minneapolis,” said Smith. “Sometimes smaller
...Read more things like pedestrian refuge islands, high-visibility crosswalks and protected bicycle lanes are the most effective tools to create safer roads. I appreciate the work of local leaders to make Minneapolis safer for everyone.” “Investing in pedestrian and traffic safety measures will help protect the lives of Minnesotans. I’m glad to see federal dollars coming back home to Minneapolis to implement proven improvements that will make streets safer for all users, especially our most vulnerable. We know speeding, red light violations and turn conflicts cause serious accidents, and this funding will directly address those dangers. I applaud Mayor Frey and city leaders for prioritizing residents’ wellbeing through Vision Zero, and I’ll keep working to secure federal infrastructure dollars that help communities across Minnesota thrive,” said Omar. The Vision Zero Action Plan components include pedestrian safety features, including intersection medians, protected bicycle lanes, and systematic traffic signal Proven Safety Countermeasures at 526 intersections. The project will also implement high-visibility crosswalks, rectangular rapid-flashing beacons (RRFB), intersection lighting upgrades, and pedestrian crosswalk signs. Additional supplemental planning and demonstration activities include speed data collection, reduced speed limit and roundabout evaluation, and quick-build pilot projects and analysis. ### Read less Bill follows up on the Federal Election Commission’s top bipartisan legislative recommendation to Congress WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Deb Fischer (R-NE), Chairwoman and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with oversight over federal elections and campaign finance law, announced that their bipartisan legislation to improve the accountability of our campaign finance system passed the House today and is headed to the President's desk to be signed into law. The bill previously passed the Senate in September. This bill would reauthorize the Federal Election Commission (FEC)’s program to issue administrative fines for late or missing financial disclosure reports for 10 years. Extending this program before its expiration at the end of this
...Read more year follows up on the FEC’s highest priority bipartisan legislative recommendation in its 2022 annual report to Congress. “Transparency is fundamental to our democracy, which is why it is critical that campaign finance disclosure requirements are followed,” said Klobuchar. “I’m glad my bipartisan bill with Senator Fischer has passed so that this essential program that encourages accurate and timely reporting continues.” “This bipartisan legislation will improve accountability and transparency of our campaign finance system. Our bill will extend the FEC’s administrative fine program and ensure that the agency’s rules are followed. I’m glad to see this measure heading to the President’s desk,” said Fischer. Since the FEC’s administrative fine program was first created in 1999, Congress has passed bipartisan legislation six times to extend the program before today, most recently in 2018. The FEC has described the administrative fine program as “one of the most cost-effective and successful programs in its history,” with the number of late financial disclosure reports decreasing from around 21 percent before the program’s inception to less than 10 percent today. Representatives Bryan Steil (R-WI) and Joe Morelle (D-NY), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on House Administration, led a companion bill in the House of Representatives. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has awarded $25 million in federal funding for the Highway 210 Brainerd Multimodal Connectivity Project. Specifically, the grant, provided through USDOT’s Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant (MPDG) program, will allow MnDOT to address critical safety concerns in the historic Brainerd Lakes Area. “As one of the busiest corridors in Crow Wing County, Highway 210 is an important link for local residents and businesses,” said Klobuchar. “These federal dollars will fund essential safety improvements for drivers and pedestrians, while making much-needed upgrades to public utility infrastructure.” “Infrastructure is the backbone of a strong, resilient economy,”
...Read more said Smith. “Highway 210 helps connect families and businesses across the Brainerd Lakes area and is critical for shipping and commerce in northern Minnesota. Investing in projects like these not only makes our roads safer, but helps support local economies across the state.” Highway 210 through Brainerd is an important corridor for local residents, commuters, tourists, and freight. It has the highest traffic volumes in Crow Wing County and is the only continuous east?west corridor in Brainerd. The $25 million grant will fund improvements to reduce the risk of fatal and serious injury crashes; create a network of multi-use sidewalks, crosswalks and trails; rehabilitate the Washington Street bridge; and allow the city of Brainerd to make critical improvements to aging public utility and stormwater systems. The MPDG Rural Surface Transportation Grant (Rural) program supports projects that improve and expand our nation’s surface transportation infrastructure in rural areas in order to increase connectivity, improve the safety and reliability of the movement of people and freight, and generate regional economic growth and improve quality of life. The MPDG Rural program is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Klobuchar and Smith supported and was signed into law in 2021. ### Read less WASHINGTON – Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, issued the following statement regarding the jury verdict in Epic Games v. Google, which found that Google violated antitrust laws with its business practices related to its mobile app store. “I am not surprised by this verdict. Google effectively has a 30 percent app store tax on small businesses and innovators that bring new products and services to our smartphones. Our fight for fairer competition and rules of the road for mobile app stores and other online marketplaces is gaining momentum. Now, we must take the next step in Congress to finally update our consumer laws for the digital age.” Klobuchar is a co-sponsor of the Open App
...Read more Markets Act alongside Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). This bill will protect developers’ rights to tell consumers about lower prices and offer competitive pricing; open up competitive avenues for startup apps, third party app stores, and payment services; make it possible for developers to offer new experiences that take advantage of consumer device features; give consumers more control over their devices; and prevent app stores from disadvantaging developers who compete with them, all while enabling companies to continue to protect privacy, security, and safety of consumers. Klobuchar and Senator Grassley also introduced the American Innovation and Choice Online Act to set commonsense rules of the road for major digital platforms to ensure they cannot unfairly preference their own products and services. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced the Fans First Act, which would help address flaws in the current live event ticketing system by increasing transparency in ticket sales, protecting consumers from fake or dramatically overpriced tickets, and holding bad actors who engage in illegal ticket sale practices accountable. The Fans First Act was introduced by Senators Amy Klobuchar and John Cornyn (R-TX). Other co-sponsors include Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Peter Welch (D-VT). “Buying a ticket to see your favorite artist or team is out of reach for too many Americans,” said Klobuchar. “Bots, hidden fees, and predatory practices are hurting consumers whether they want to catch a home
...Read more game, an up-and-coming artist or a major headliner like Taylor Swift or Bad Bunny. From ensuring fans get refunds for canceled shows to banning speculative ticket sales, this bipartisan legislation will improve the ticketing experience.” “The current ticketing system is riddled with problems and doesn’t serve the needs of fans, teams, artists, or venues,” said Cornyn. “This legislation would rebuild trust in the ticketing system by cracking down on bots and others who take advantage of consumers through price gouging and other predatory practices and increase price transparency for ticket purchasers.” “Fans have become increasingly frustrated with how difficult it has been to obtain affordable tickets to see their favorite artists perform,” said Blackburn. “Bots are snatching up tickets and selling them for exorbitant prices on secondary markets, while some ticketing companies are selling speculative event tickets that don’t even exist. This bipartisan legislation builds upon my work to safeguard artists and their fans in the online ticket marketplace.” “Live entertainment serves as a form of enjoyment and community for concert-goers and sports fans everywhere. However, the current ticketing system is limiting access to live entertainment, eroding consumer trust, and hurting fans and local venues,” said Luján. “That’s why I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing the Fans First Act to ensure the sale of tickets is accessible to all consumers. This bill builds upon my work to improve ticket sale transparency by strengthening the FTC to enforce consumer protections. This is one step forward in making live entertainment accessible for all to enjoy.” “Deceptive ticketing practices have become far too common. This bipartisan effort would result in more transparency and less price gouging,” said Wicker. “The pro-consumer legislation would benefit fans of sports, music, theatre, or any other kind of live entertainment.” “Live concerts and sporting events are beloved American pastimes and pay dividends to our local economy. It’s important that every ticketholder can access these events without fear of exploitation by scammers,” said Welch. “The Fans First Act will help protect American consumers from the financial harms of price gouging by banning speculative tickets and deceptive URLs, in addition to requiring all-in pricing be listed up front. This legislation will strengthen consumer protection by establishing refund requirements for customers impacted by fraud, helping to ensure that everyone can enjoy live events without worrying about the security of their ticket.” The current ticketing system hurts fans, communities, sports teams, artists, and venues, many of which are small businesses. Fans are getting boxed out by bots, unauthorized resellers, and big conglomerates when they purchase tickets or need to resell a ticket. These bad actors have the ability to quickly purchase tickets on a large scale and then sell them on the secondary market at a higher cost with huge processing fees. This generates a profit for entities that have no stake in the event, show, or performance that is usually much higher than what the performer, artist, or venue receives. Often, consumers unknowingly pay more for tickets on secondary markets even when a ticket may be available at face value directly from the venue due to a lack of transparency from these sellers. Unauthorized resellers also sell speculative or “spec” tickets that don’t exist and face no accountability if the ticket purchased isn’t actually delivered to the buyer. This legislation will work in concert with other efforts to reform the live events ticketing process. The Fans First Act would help address the following areas of reform in the current ticketing system: Ticket Sales Transparency: Requires all live event ticket sellers and resellers to disclose: The total cost of the ticket, including fees, when the fan initially selects a ticket for purchase; A breakdown of the ticket cost; Clear terms and conditions of purchase; Which seat or section they are selling in to avoid ticket misrepresentation; And whether or not they are the original seller. Consumer Protection: Strengthens the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act, signed into law in 2016, to further prohibit the use of bots to purchase tickets online. Requires sellers and resellers to provide proof of purchase to consumers within 24 hours of purchase. Requires sellers and resellers to refund consumers the full cost of the ticket when events are canceled. Requires a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study to further study the marketplace and make recommendations. Stopping Bad Actors: Imposes civil penalties on resellers engaging in illegal ticket sale practices, creates a reporting website for fans to file complaints, and tasks the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and state attorneys general with enforcement. Prohibits the sale of a ticket that the reseller represents they possess but actually do not, known as a speculative or “spec” ticket. Prevents the use of deceptive websites and bad actors masquerading as legitimate sellers. Requires reporting of BOTS Act violations from ticketing companies to the FTC and requires the FBI to share ticketing violations with them. Earlier this year, Klobuchar led a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing highlighting the need to promote competition in the ticketing industry to protect consumers. Klobuchar organized this hearing after reports of significant service failures and delays on Ticketmaster’s website in November 2022 left fans unable to purchase concert tickets for Taylor Swift’s new tour. This legislation is endorsed by the Fix the Tix Coalition, National Independent Venue Association, Seattle Theatre Group, Recording Academy, Recording Industry Association of America, National Independent Talent Organization, Eventbrite, Performing Arts Alliance, North American Performing Arts Managers and Agents, International Association of Venue Managers, Songwriters of North America, Americans for the Arts, Americans for the Arts Action Fund, Future of Music Coalition, Artists Rights Alliance, Music Managers Forum, Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and Association of Performing Arts Professionals. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) sent a letter to Rising Pharmaceuticals President and CEO Vimal Kavuru calling on the company to explain Rising’s recent pricing decision on Edetate Calcium Disodium Injection, a drug used to treat lead poisoning. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave Rising approval to manufacture and commercially produce this drug to alleviate a shortage of this critical treatment. Recent media reports indicate that Rising Pharmaceuticals has set the price for this critical medication at a higher price than the average name-brand injectable sold in the U.S. and ten times the amount of the same generic product in France, leading to shortages as hospitals cannot afford to keep it in stock. “Rising’s decision to price this generic injectable
...Read more at $32,000 per course of treatment — ten times the price of the imported version from France — has left hospitals reportedly unable to afford to keep the drug in stock,” wrote Klobuchar. “Unfortunately, your company’s pricing decision is not supportive of Americans diagnosed with elevated blood lead levels who now must wait days, an intolerably long time, before their hospital is able to source this critical drug,” continued Klobuchar. As Chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, Klobuchar has long led efforts to lower drug prices. Provisions from Klobuchar’s bill to empower Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices and unleash the power of Medicare Part D’s 50 million seniors to help lower drug prices for all Americans were signed into law as part of landmark legislation passed last year. This past August, Klobuchar released a statement following the announcement of the first ten drugs subject to Medicare price negotiations. In May 2023, Klobuchar and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) reintroduced the Cutting Medicare Prescription Drug Prices in Half Act, which would allow Medicare to pay the same prices for prescription drugs as the Veterans’ Administration (VA). The VA's prices for prescription drugs are roughly half the amount paid by Medicare Part D for the same products. This past April, Klobuchar, Senator Peter Welch (D-VT), and 28 of their colleagues introduced the Strengthening Medicare and Reducing Taxpayer (SMART) Prices Act which would allow the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to expand its program to negotiate lower drug prices for Medicare Part D beneficiaries. In March, Klobuchar and Senator Cortez Masto (D-NV) introduced the Lower Drug Costs for Families Act, legislation to lower prices by extending the inflation rebates in the Inflation Reduction Act and further protecting consumers from price-gouging by pharmaceutical companies. In February, two of Klobuchar and Senator Chuck Grassley’s (R-IA) bipartisan bills that promote competition and reduce drug prices - the Preserving Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act and the Stop STALLING Act - passed the Senate Judiciary Committee by voice vote. The Preserving Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act would limit anticompetitive “pay-for-delay” deals that prevent or delay the introduction of affordable follow-on versions of branded pharmaceuticals. The Stop Significant and Time-wasting Abuse Limiting Legitimate Innovation of New Generics (Stop STALLING) Act would deter pharmaceutical companies from filing sham petitions with the FDA in order to interfere with the approval of generic and biosimilar medicines that compete with their own brand products, a tactic that delays patient access to affordable medications. In June 2022, Klobuchar and Representative Katie Porter (D-CA) urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to examine the parallel price increases for two commonly-used blood thinner medications: Janssen Pharmaceuticals’ Xarelto and Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS)-Pfizer’s Eliquis. The lawmakers expressed concern that lockstep pricing practices and the general lack of competitive behavior exhibited by these drug sellers may constitute potential unlawful conduct. Full text of the letter is available HERE and below: Dear Mr. Kavuru: I write regarding reports of a pricing decision made by Rising Pharmaceuticals that is leading to compromised patient care for those suffering from the most severe cases of lead poisoning. Specifically, Rising has priced its Edetate Calcium Disodium Injection, a generic drug to treat elevated blood lead levels, at $32,000 per course of treatment, reportedly leading to hospitals no longer being able to afford to stock this drug. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave Rising Pharmaceuticals approval to manufacture and commercially produce this drug to alleviate a shortage of this critical treatment. Rising’s decision to price this generic injectable at ten times the price of the imported version from France is leading to avoidable and dangerous delays in patient treatment and compromising patient care. Your company’s September 19 announcement of the opening of its previously closed U.S. manufacturing facility, which produces calcium disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), stated that “Rising Pharmaceuticals is proud to play a significant role supporting the healthcare system.” However, Rising’s pricing decision does not appear to support this goal. As a result of Rising’s actions, Americans diagnosed with elevated blood lead levels must wait days - an intolerably long time - before their hospital is able to source this critical drug. Rising Pharmaceuticals boasts one of the broadest portfolios of any U.S. generics company, producing more than 180 commercialized generic medicines. Rising’s website states that the company is “always looking ahead to continue providing new and affordable generic medications of the highest quality.” Given the company’s broad revenue base and apparent focus on the affordability of its products, please explain the reasoning behind Rising Pharmaceuticals’ decision to adopt a price for its generic that well exceeds the price of many expensive brand products on the U.S. market. In your response, please answer the following questions: What were the biggest factors influencing Rising Pharmaceuticals’ decision to price its calcium disodium EDTA at $32,000 per course of treatment, a higher price than the average name-brand injectable sold in the U.S.? Is Rising Pharmaceuticals pricing its calcium disodium EDTA to capitalize on the shortage of this drug in the United States? Does Rising Pharmaceuticals’ pricing decision of $32,000 per course of treatment compromise timely access to treatment for patients with elevated blood lead levels who need treatment? Is Rising Pharmaceuticals surprised by this outcome and does the company find this pricing ensures efficacious distribution to the public? Why has Rising Pharmaceuticals chosen to not follow a similar U.S. pricing strategy as that of a manufacturer of calcium disodium EDTA in France selling the same product in the U.S. market? Would Rising Pharmaceuticals be able to make a healthy profit off of its U.S. production of calcium disodium EDTA if it followed a similar U.S. pricing strategy for calcium disodium EDTA as that of its competitor product made in France? As a company with such a broad and large product portfolio, please explain why Rising’s calcium disodium EDTA product must be priced at ten times the price of the competitor generic imported from France. Does Rising Pharmaceuticals believe they are helping to provide timely access to Edetate Calcium Disodium Injection, as stated in the September 19 announcement, compared to before there was a shortage of this medication? In deciding its price that is reportedly leading to dangerous delays in patient access to calcium disodium EDTA, how did Rising Pharmaceuticals factor in the circumstances that maximize the clinical effectiveness of the drug? Why is this generic drug that was developed decades ago priced at ten times the amount of the same generic product in France? France pays more for generics on average than other comparable European countries. I know from the statements on your website that your company understands the importance of prescription drugs being affordable and accessible. We must optimize the market for patients and our health system. I look forward to your response. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Deb Fischer (R-NE), Chairwoman and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with oversight over the Architect of the Capitol, released the following statement on the advancement of the Architect of the Capitol Appointment Act in the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Klobuchar and Fischer introduced the bipartisan, bicameral legislation earlier this year to strengthen congressional oversight of the Architect of the Capitol by empowering a congressional commission to appoint and remove the Architect by a bipartisan, majority vote. “The Architect of the Capitol oversees one of our country’s most cherished landmarks and the congressional workplaces housed within it,” said Klobuchar. “Given
...Read more the far-reaching scope of the role, it’s essential for Congress to have the authority to appoint and remove the Architect through a bipartisan, majority vote. This legislation will strengthen congressional oversight of the office of the Architect of the Capitol and ensure it is accountable to Congress.” “The Architect of the Capitol manages the grounds and buildings Congress occupies, and yet Congress lacks the tools to hold the Architect of the Capitol accountable. Our bill will bring much needed accountability to AOC, boost transparency, and improve service for Americans visiting the Capitol,” said Fischer. Klobuchar and Fischer introduced the Architect of the Capitol Appointment Act with U.S. Representatives Bryan Steil (R-WI) and Joe Morelle (D-NY), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on House Administration, the House committee with oversight over the Architect of the Capitol. The Architect of the Capitol Appointment Act: Establishes a congressional commission for the appointment of the Architect made up of the Senate majority and minority leaders, Speaker of the House and minority leader, and the chairs and ranking members of the Senate Rules Committee, Committee on House Administration, Senate Appropriations Committee, and House Appropriations Committee. Authorizes the commission, by majority vote, to appoint, re-appoint, or remove an Architect, rather than the President. Requires the Architect to appoint a Deputy Architect within 120 days of a vacancy in the position, and authorizes the commission to do so by majority vote if the Architect does not do so. In the instance of an absence in both the Architect and Deputy Architect roles, authorizes the commission, by majority vote, to designate an Acting Architect. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement on the inclusion of two Klobuchar-led amendments in the bipartisan 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The Senator’s amendments would improve training for Veterans Affairs (VA) personnel overseeing PTSD claims and mandate the U.S. Air Force maintain a minimum of 271 C-130 aircraft. The Senate will vote later today to advance the bill. “The men and women who answered the call to serve our country need the best tools to do their jobs and timely access to the care they need after they finish their service,” said Klobuchar. “I worked to secure these provisions in the defense bill to strengthen our military readiness and support our country’s veterans. They will ensure the Air Force maintains C-130
...Read more aircraft, which are vital assets to Minnesota’s 133rd Airlift Wing, and improve the VA’s post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) claims process so veterans experiencing PTSD can access essential care. I will continue working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass a strong defense bill that protects our national security and does right by our troops.” The 2024 NDAA includes Klobuchar and Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), and Tina Smith’s (D-MN) bipartisan amendment to ensure the Air Force maintains at least 271 C-130 aircraft. These planes are used to carry out critical missions at home and overseas and are essential to the Minnesota National Guard’s 133rd Airlift Wing. In last year’s NDAA, Klobuchar secured language that required the Air Force and Reserves to operate at least 271 C-130 aircrafts, ensuring the Minnesota National Guard did not lose any C-130 aircrafts. In addition, the NDAA includes Klobuchar and Senator Rounds’s (R-SD) VA Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Processing Claims Improvement Act, which will ensure veterans experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are able to get the care and compensation they need, while improving training for those processing PTSD claims at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Klobuchar and Rounds reintroduced the legislation earlier this year. Klobuchar has long worked to support our veterans. Last year, Klobuchar worked to successfully pass the SFC Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act, historic legislation that will deliver comprehensive relief to all generations of veterans who were exposed to toxins for the first time in our nation’s history. The legislation, signed into law last August, included Klobuchar and Senator Mike Crapo's (R-ID) Toxic Exposure Training Act, a bipartisan bill to improve education and training for Department of Veterans Affairs health care personnel to treat illnesses related to exposure to burn pits and other toxic substances. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement in response to the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) decision to investigate ExxonMobil’s acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources (Pioneer). In October, ExxonMobil announced it would acquire Pioneer for $60 billion. Senator Klobuchar previously joined a letter with Senator Schumer and twenty-one other Senators requesting the FTC to carefully scrutinize the merger. “When the largest oil-and-gas company in the United States attempts to acquire a significant direct competitor in a deal that would allow it to dominate the country's most prolific oil-producing region, antitrust enforcers must thoroughly scrutinize the merger to protect competition and consumers from higher prices at the pump,” said Klobuchar. “The
...Read more Federal Trade Commission is right to open an in-depth investigation into this merger.” ### Read less WATCH KLOBUCHAR’S FULL REMARKS HERE WASHINGTON - At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) questioned Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray on the Bureau’s efforts to combat hate crimes, how the bipartisan Cooper Davis Act would improve federal law enforcement’s ability to stop fentanyl trafficking on social media, and outline how the Klobuchar-led SHIELD Act would better protect children from online predators. “[Hate crimes are] concerning for everyone … Democrat, Republican, Jewish, Muslim, Christian, anyone in this country,” said Klobuchar. “I know that you care about this very much because I saw the work that your agents did in Minnesota. And I want to get more details on what the FBI is doing and what the Justice Department
...Read more is doing to detect, deter, and investigate these crimes…” In January 2020, Senators Klobuchar and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced legislation to combat the rise of hate crimes. The Justice for Victims of Hate Crimes Act ensures that federal prosecutors can effectively enforce the federal hate crimes law. Klobuchar is also a cosponsor of the Cooper Davis Act, bipartisan legislation to hold social media companies accountable by requiring them to report to law enforcement illicit drug activity occurring on their platforms. The bill would require social media companies and other communication service providers to turn over information relating to illicit online drug activity to federal agencies to combat the illegal sale of fentanyl laced products and the distribution of counterfeit and controlled substances occurring on their platforms. In April, Klobuchar and Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) introduced bipartisan legislation to tackle the rise in illegal opioids entering the U.S. The STOP 2.0 Act builds on Klobuchar’s Synthetics Trafficking & Overdose Prevention (STOP) Act, which was signed into law in 2018. That legislation prevents fentanyl and synthetic drug shipments from being smuggled into the U.S. through the mail by requiring advance electronic data (AED) to be included on all inbound international packages shipped through the U.S. Postal Service. In February 2023, Klobuchar and Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced bipartisan legislation to address the online exploitation of explicit, private images. The Stopping Harmful Image Exploitation and Limiting Distribution (SHIELD) Act would provide federal law enforcement with the tools they need to crack down on serious privacy violations. The bill establishes narrow federal criminal liability for people who distribute others’ private or explicit images online without consent. The bill also fills in existing gaps in federal law so that prosecutors can hold all those who exploit children accountable. A transcript of Klobuchar’s questions is available below. Video is available HERE. Senator Amy Klobuchar: Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Thank you so much, Director Wray, for being here. I want to start out with hate crimes. You and I have talked about them before. I want to thank you and your agents in Minnesota for their work in solving what was a clear hate crime, with a prison sentence of [the perpetrator of] a bombing of the Dar al-Farooq Islamic Center in my home state back in 2017. And we know that since that time, we've seen increases in hate crimes. Reports show a 216% increase since October 7 in requests for help and reported bias incidents against Muslims. Another report showed a 388% rise in antisemitic incidents since this time last year. We know the facts. We know what happened in front of that restaurant in Philadelphia. We know that in Illinois, a six-year-old Muslim boy was targeted and fatally stabbed for being Palestinian American. In Los Angeles, a criminal broke into the home of a Jewish family, threatened them, and screamed about killing Jews. In Vermont, a Palestinian student from Brown University, whose parents had him stay in the US rather than returning home for safety reasons, was shot along with two of his friends. In New York, a woman was assaulted at Grand Central Terminal, and when confronted, the assailant said it was because [she was] Jewish. In Brooklyn, a father and his 18-year-old son were allegedly assaulted by another parent for being Palestinian. And last week, three suspects were arrested for a 40-minute spree of attacks on Jewish New Yorkers. This is concerning for everyone … everyone Democrat, Republican, Jewish, Muslim, Christian, anyone in this country. I know that you care about this very much because I saw the work that your agents did in Minnesota. And I want to get more details on what the FBI is doing and what the Justice Department is doing to detect, deter, and investigate these crimes and then also the effect of social media. And I know there are limitations on what we can do. I have some strong views on this. But could you also talk about that? FBI Director Christopher Wray: Well, I appreciate your longstanding interest in this topic. And I know how important it is to you. Not the least of which [is] because of the attacks that have occurred in your home state. Certainly, we have seen an increase in hate crimes. There are lots of different numbers out there, but I'll just give two for this purpose. You know, one is, in 2022, we saw the highest increase, I think, in hate crimes reported that we'd seen since maybe 2008. And we don't have full data for 2023 yet, but we expect it to keep going up. Second data point, post October 7, just since October 7, we have [opened,] I think, 60% more hate crimes investigations post-October 7 than compared to the comparable period pre-October 7, and that's on top of that already escalating increase that I mentioned. As I testified in my opening statement, the biggest chunk of those are threats against the Jewish community. But there are, of course, attacks, and you've mentioned several of them against others as well. What are we doing about it? A few different things. We've elevated civil rights, especially hate crimes, to national threat priority, and that's been true for the last couple of years, and so that brings with it more investigative resources of all shapes and sizes. Second, we're trying to do a lot to engage in outreach both to law enforcement and the communities. Because one thing we know about hate crimes is that they're chronically underreported, and there are lots of reasons for that. But, so trying to get better data, better fidelity of the data allows us to track the trend better, but also to ensure that we're finding the cases that need to be pursued. Even when a hate crime charge, a federal hate crime charge, is not available, the FBI doesn't just walk away from the case, we provide forensic support, in some cases, even testimony and other things in state prosecutions, if state charges are being used. So those are a few of the things in our outreach efforts. I would say we also have tried to do things that are targeted at specific communities. So for example, in New York, we tried to reach out to parts of the Jewish community in New York with outreach both in Yiddish and Hebrew and not just in English, for example. So that's just a flavor. Klobuchar: Thank you. I wanted to turn to fentanyl, we all know that there's so much work that has to be done on the border and so much work that has to be done, and the ports of entry, mail a bill that Senator Portman and I passed a while back. But we also know that 1/3 of drug cases have direct ties to social media. And we had a kid in Minnesota who died after taking a fentanyl-laced pill that he thought was Percocet to help his migraines [that was] purchased on Snapchat. And the Judiciary Committee actually voted with the Chairman's leadership to advance a bipartisan bill with Senator Shaheen and Marshall to require social media companies to report fentanyl and other dangerous drug sales on their platforms. It's called the Cooper Davis Act. And could you talk about how this could be helpful in taking on these cases? Wray: Well, I think what you've put your finger on is the degree to which online activity is inextricably intertwined with the fentanyl epidemic. And that's in a variety of ways, and I know Administrator Milgram at DEA, for example, has a number of initiatives focused on this as well. Certainly, we, on the FBI’s end, are focused on, for example, darknet marketplaces, and we have a whole something called J-CODE which is focused on dismantling darknet marketplaces of fentanyl and other dangerous narcotics. Klobuchar: Okay, thank you, and one other kid's issue. You noted the importance of protecting kids. You noted in your written testimony that the FBI has recently reported a massive increase in sextortion cases where kids and teens are being coerced into sending explicit photos and videos only to be blackmailed or threatened for financial gain. In 2022 alone, these scams resulted in at least 20 victims committing suicide. And my bill was Senator Cornyn, The SHIELD Act, includes a threat provision and other things that would update and modernize our laws when it comes to revenge porn and sextortion cases involving kids. While we are advancing this bill, sadly, we have been opposed by some members of this committee, and I found it incredibly frustrating because they won't meet with me to try to make any changes to it. And I'm trying to change that. What threats do young people receive? How do you think we could make the tools that you have to take on this crime better because I'm gonna just start going to the floor and taking this on, our colleagues can object if they would like, and I know Senator Cornyn has been very helpful, but I think it's just absolutely ridiculous when you look at these numbers. Please answer, thank you. Wray: Well, I can't speak to specific legislative proposals, but what I can tell you is that sextortion is a rapidly escalating threat. And as you say, there have been way too many teenagers victimized, and they don't know where to turn. And so having this discussion in a forum like this, people like you and Senator Cornyn, raising awareness about it, that by itself is hugely valuable. As to what we need, I will tell you, I come back to the answer I gave earlier to Chairman Durbin about the threat, if you will, of the proliferation of warrant-proof encryption. If companies are going to take responsibility for what happens on their platforms, and part of taking responsibility includes the ability to, when presented with a warrant, following all the due process that that entails, they will provide the information so that law enforcement, not just FBI, but other agencies can take action to rescue the kids and take down the predators. Klobuchar: Thank you very much. I'll ask my remaining questions on carjacking and 702- which I thank you for your work on that - we can't let it lapse, in writing. Thank you. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Deb Fischer (R-NE), Chairwoman and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with oversight over federal elections, called on the Department of Justice to prioritize its review of incidents involving anonymous letters – some containing fentanyl and other unidentified substances – that were recently sent to several election officials in six states, and to work with the United States Postal Service and state and local officials to guard against similar incidents. The Senators highlighted the importance of protecting election workers and preventing disruption of election operations as we approach the 2024 elections. “With the upcoming primary elections beginning early next year in most of these states, we ask that
...Read more the Department of Justice prioritize review of these concerning incidents and ensure that those affected have the resources and support that they need,” the Senators wrote to Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “We also urge the Department to take additional actions, including working with state and local officials and the United States Postal Service, to guard against similar incidents as we approach next year’s elections.” “More than a dozen letters have reportedly been sent to election offices or government buildings in California, Georgia, Kansas, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, leading to evacuations and some delays in ballot counting in local elections this November,” the Senators continued. “Given the risks to the safety of the election workers and volunteers who administer our free and fair elections, and the potential for disruption of election-related operations, we ask that the Department prioritize these cases and ensure that the impacted states have the resources that they need.” In November, Klobuchar and Fischer held a hearing on “Ongoing Threats to Election Administration,” where election officials from both parties testified about threats and other challenges that election workers are facing. In July, Klobuchar and Fischer introduced a resolution that passed the Senate unanimously to honor poll workers in recognition of National Poll Worker Recruitment Day. In March, Klobuchar and Fischer held a hearing on “State and Local Perspectives on Election Administration,” including the impact of increasing threats directed at election officials on the ability of states and local governments to administer elections. The full text of the letter is available HERE and below: Dear Deputy Attorney General Monaco: We write to express serious concerns following reports of anonymous letters – some containing fentanyl and other unidentified substances – that were sent to election offices in at least six states this month. With the upcoming primary elections beginning early next year in most of these states, we ask that the Department of Justice prioritize review of these concerning incidents and ensure that those affected have the resources and support that they need. We also urge the Department to take additional actions, including working with state and local officials and the United States Postal Service, to guard against similar incidents as we approach next year’s elections. More than a dozen letters have reportedly been sent to election offices or government buildings in California, Georgia, Kansas, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, leading to evacuations and some delays in ballot counting in local elections this November. Earlier this year, in August, a fentanyl-laced letter was sent to election officials in King County, Washington. At least four letters have tested positive for fentanyl, leading some election offices to obtain the antidote drug naloxone. Some letters reportedly included messages that read in part “end elections now.” In at least one instance, ballot processing and counting was delayed when local election officials evacuated their offices after receiving a letter containing an unknown substance. The Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, which we lead as Chair and Ranking Member, has jurisdiction over legislation concerning federal elections. Given the risks to the safety of the election workers and volunteers who administer our free and fair elections, and the potential for disruption of election-related operations, we ask that the Department prioritize these cases and ensure that the impacted states have the resources that they need. We appreciate your prompt attention to this issue. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, released the statement below following Senator Tommy Tuberville’s (R-AL) announcement that he is ending his hold on a majority of military promotions. “After nine long months, Senator Tuberville is finally lifting his hold on the majority of military promotions,” said Klobuchar. “He’s ending his obstruction for most of the promotions because our servicemembers, veterans, and military families persisted in pushing back, and because of the resolution that we passed in the Rules Committee to take this on. We are still ready to take our resolution to the floor if he backs down from lifting his blockade, and I call on Senator Tuberville to stop blocking our four star military
...Read more officers from moving forward too.” In November, the Rules Committee voted 9-7 to advance a resolution to break through Senator Tuberville’s blockade of military promotions on the Senate floor. The resolution, led by Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed (D-RI), would establish a standing order for the remainder of the 118th Congress to provide for the en bloc consideration of military promotions - with the exception of nominees to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and commanders of a combatant command - that have been favorably reported by the Senate Armed Services Committee. ### Read less Klobuchar led bipartisan effort to place statues of Justices O’Connor and Ginsburg on Capitol grounds WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below on the passing of former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. In 2022, Klobuchar’s bipartisan legislation to honor U.S. Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg with statues on U.S. Capitol grounds was signed into law. “Sandra Day O’Connor was a trailblazer. She rose from an Arizona cattle ranch to the highest court in the land. It was anything but easy. Even after graduating in the top of her law school class, she had a hard time finding work as a female attorney in the 1950s, but she never gave up. She took an unpaid job as a deputy county attorney in California just to
...Read more prove herself. Through the rest of her career, she did that and more. As the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court after being appointed by President Reagan, Justice O’Connor opened doors for women at a time when so many tried to keep them shut. For 24 years Justice O’Connor’s pragmatism and common sense approach to the law made her one of the Supreme Court’s most influential jurists. Even after leaving the bench, her commitment to our nation never wavered. She founded a nonprofit dedicated to civic education to share her love of democracy with the next generation. To this day, the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute is transforming today’s students into tomorrow’s civic leaders. Hers is a life worth celebrating. That’s why I led bipartisan legislation to honor Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg with statues on the Capitol grounds so the legacies of these groundbreaking women will be commemorated forever in the heart of our democracy. Justice O’Connor’s son Scott and his wife Joanie joined me in front of the Capitol to mark the bill’s passage and celebrate these remarkable women. Sandra Day O’Connor showed that anything and everything is possible in the United States of America. May her tenacity continue to inspire generations to come. My prayers are with her family, her friends, and everyone across our nation mourning her loss today.” ### Read less WASHINGTON - Following the recall of three brands of cinnamon applesauce pouches linked to elevated blood lead levels reported in over 50 children, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, U.S. Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, U.S. Representative Tony Cárdenas, U.S. Representative Katie Porter, U.S. Representative Sean Casten, U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro, and U.S. Representative Jared Moskowitz called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to use the authority of the agency’s new Human Foods Program to swiftly address high levels of toxic heavy metals in food for babies and young children. The lawmakers also called for food pouches, which are intended for toddlers and young children, to be held to the same heavy metal safety standards as baby food. “Lead
...Read more is toxic to people of all ages, but can be especially harmful to infants and young children,” wrote the lawmakers. “In light of recent harm caused by certain cinnamon applesauce and fruit puree products, it is clear that the agency must prioritize the work on heavy metal action levels.” “We… urge the Food and Drug Administration to swiftly finalize its Closer to Zero guidance for industry. We also request FDA include the potential source of these recent cases of reported lead poisoning in young children, food puree pouches, in the finalized Closer to Zero guidance for industry,” the lawmakers continued. In January, Klobuchar, Duckworth, Krishnamoorthi, and Cárdenas called on the FDA to reduce high levels of toxic heavy metals—including lead, arsenic, mercury and cadmium—in baby food and help ensure that the baby food provided to our nation's infants and young children is safe. In June 2022, Klobuchar, Duckworth, Krishnamoorthi, and Cárdenas and 19 of their colleagues called on the FDA to provide better oversight and regulation of baby food. In 2021, Klobuchar and Duckworth introduced the Baby Food Safety Act to strictly limit the levels of harmful heavy metals in baby food. This legislation — written in response to a House Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy report showing that some baby foods are tainted with dangerous levels of lead, arsenic, mercury and cadmium — was aimed at holding manufacturers accountable for reducing harmful heavy metals in infant and toddler food. Full text of the letter can be found below. Dear Commissioner Califf, In light of alarming recent reports of elevated levels of lead detected in certain food targeted at toddlers and young children, we write to urge the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to swiftly finalize its Closer to Zero guidance for industry, Action Levels for Lead in Food Intended for Babies and Young Children. We also request FDA include the potential source of these recent cases of reported lead poisoning in young children, food puree pouches, in the finalized Closer to Zero guidance for industry. Last year, we wrote to you, requesting an update on when FDA would finalize action levels for lead in juices and processed baby foods, as well as on FDA’s timeframe for its other Closer to Zero objectives. In light of recent harm caused by certain cinnamon applesauce and fruit puree products, it is clear that the agency must prioritize the work on heavy metal action levels. Lead is toxic to people of all ages, but can be especially harmful to infants and young children. Lead exposure in children can potentially cause significant and irreversible damage to the brain and nervous system and slow a child’s growth and development. All food manufacturers have a responsibility by law to meaningfully minimize or prevent chemical hazards, including through preventive controls to reduce or eliminate the presence of lead in their products. However, as a 2021 investigation by the House Oversight Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy revealed, foods commonly eaten by babies and young children must be subject to higher standards of reduced heavy metals because these consumers are more vulnerable to the harmful effects of contaminants. That is why it is particularly distressing to learn that elevated levels of lead recently have been detected in food puree pouches, which are intended for toddlers and young children. Specifically, 52 cases of elevated blood lead levels in children have been potentially linked to Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree pouches sold under WanaBana, Weis, and Schnucks brands. In fact, a finished product sample of WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Puree detected a lead level of 2.18 parts per million, which is 200 times greater than the action level the FDA has proposed in draft guidance for food products marketed and intended for babies and young children. While we are pleased that the FDA has taken initial steps to address elevated lead levels in food, including launching a reorganization of the newly-unified Human Foods Program this year and appointing its first Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods in September, these recent cases of child lead poisoning make clear that more must be done. The Closer to Zero initiative is critical to provide information to industry on actions needed to reduce lead levels in food, yet progress made under the Closer to Zero action plan remains slow. We remain committed to working with our colleagues to secure funding for this important program. We urge the Human Foods Program to use its new decision-making authority to swiftly finalize this guidance for industry regarding action levels for lead and other heavy metals in foods intended for babies and young children. Further, we request that food puree pouches similar to those recently recalled be included in the finalized guidance. Products such as these, which are heavily marketed to toddlers and children, must receive sufficient monitoring and testing for lead and other heavy metals. We stand ready to work with the FDA on achieving the Closer to Zero objectives and look forward to the finalized guidance. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), chair of the subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, released the following statement in response to Meta’s lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The lawsuit alleges that the agency’s internal adjudications process and the removal process for Commissioners violate the Constitution. The lawsuit follows the FTC’s allegations that Meta violated the terms of its 2020 privacy order with the Commission and a federal judge’s ruling that allows the FTC to modify the 2020 order. “Once again Meta (aka Facebook) is prioritizing profits over all else – over the safety of children, the privacy of its users, and compliance with the law. Repeatedly, Meta has violated its
...Read more users’ privacy and deceived them about protections their data would have on its platforms. Despite being forced to pay a $5 billion fine in 2020, the FTC found earlier this year that Meta has continued to violate the commitments it made to safeguard user privacy and misled parents about their children’s use of its apps. In response, rather than complying with the law, Meta has decided to run to court complaining that the 110-year old FTC is unconstitutional. The court must reject any argument that would weaken the FTC’s ability to enforce critical laws that protect consumers.” The Federal Trade Commission was established by the Federal Trade Commission Act in 1914 and is directed by Congress to enforce antitrust and consumer protection laws, protecting Americans from unfair and deceptive practices and unfair methods of competition. In 2012, the Federal Trade Commission entered into a privacy order with Meta (then known as Facebook), prohibiting the social media company from making misrepresentations about the privacy and security of users’ personal information and how it shares that information, as well as a requirement that Meta maintain a privacy program to protect user information. In 2019, the FTC announced a record-breaking $5 billion settlement with Meta to resolve allegations the firm violated the 2012 privacy order. The 2019 allegations explained Meta had violated its legal commitments by deceiving users about their ability to control the privacy of their personal information. In 2020 FTC and Meta finalized a settlement for an updated privacy order with stronger restrictions and requirements on Meta over the use of user data. Earlier this year, the FTC alleged Meta violated the 2020 privacy order and proposed further strengthening it to safeguard users, including children, on Meta’s platforms. Klobuchar is the sponsor of the American Innovation and Choice Online Act (AICOA), bipartisan legislation to stop dominant online platforms, like Meta, from favoring their own products and services, harming rivals, and engaging in anticompetitive and exploitative conduct against its users. AICOA promotes competition, innovation, and consumer choice in digital markets and gives antitrust enforcers updated tools to address market abuses by dominant big tech platforms. This legislation passed the Senate Judiciary Committee during the 117th Congress and was reintroduced in June. Klobuchar is a cosponsor of Kids Online Safety Act of 2022 (KOSA), bipartisan legislation to require social media platforms to make safety the default and to give kids and parents tools to help prevent the destructive impact of social media. KOSA also ensures that parents and policymakers can assess whether social media platforms are taking meaningful steps to address risks to kids. This legislation passed the Senate Commerce Committee in July. Klobuchar is also a cosponsor of the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0), bipartisan legislation to update online data privacy rules for the 21st century to ensure children and teenagers are protected online. This legislation passed the Senate Commerce Committee in July. ### Read less WASHINGTON - Amid reports of increased Amazon package volumes overwhelming post offices and delaying mail delivery in Bemidji and across the country, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) called on U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to ensure Minnesotans receive their mail and packages in a timely manner. Klobuchar also spoke with local postal leaders to raise concerns about the ongoing issues and discuss solutions. Klobuchar has also requested a meeting with Postmaster General DeJoy to ensure post offices are adequately staffed and that Amazon is not prioritized over other customers. “I write regarding recent reports of increased Amazon package volumes overwhelming post offices, with Amazon packages being prioritized over mail from other customers at the
...Read more Bemidji Post Office and across the country,” wrote Klobuchar. “Postal delays have real effects on the millions of Americans who rely on the USPS for deliveries that are critical to their health and livelihoods.” “Amazon cannot be allowed to cut in line ahead of Minnesota residents and small businesses. I have spoken with local Minnesota postal leaders who have agreed that all customers should be treated fairly and are working to fill positions in Bemidji,” Klobuchar continued. “I urge you to take the steps necessary to support our postal workers and ensure the timely delivery of mail.” Klobuchar has long worked to ensure Minnesotans can enjoy reliable postal service. In 2022, bipartisan legislation she supported to bolster the USPS’ long-term financial stability and help address delivery delays and other operational reforms was signed into law. Klobuchar also successfully pushed for a moratorium on the closing or consolidation of post offices and mail processing facilities, and she has advocated for preserving rural post offices. Full text of the letter is available HERE and below. Dear Mr. DeJoy: I write regarding recent reports of increased Amazon package volumes overwhelming post offices, with Amazon packages being prioritized over mail from other customers at the Bemidji Post Office and across the country Postal workers and customers have contacted my office to express their concerns about the resulting mail delays, stress on postal operations, and impact on postal workers. These delivery issues are unacceptable, and I urge you to take the steps necessary to support our postal workers and ensure the timely delivery of mail. Postal delays have real effects on the millions of Americans who rely on the USPS for deliveries that are critical to their health and livelihoods, including federal benefits, business mail, medications, paychecks, and more. For instance, the Eckles Township Rural Fire Association did not receive mail for three days, delaying $400,000 in checks sent by local governments that was needed to pay for recent fire equipment purchases. Other constituents are waiting on insurance payments and time-sensitive hospital bills, and business owners are concerned that they cannot rely on the USPS to deliver invoices, payments, checks, and other business mail on time. Amazon cannot be allowed to cut in line ahead of Minnesota residents and small businesses. I have spoken with local Minnesota postal leaders who have agreed that all customers should be treated fairly and are working to fill positions in Bemidji. I urge you to ensure post offices receive all the support possible to address the increased package volume. While the influx of Amazon packages in Bemidji has called attention to staffing shortages, post offices across Minnesota are struggling with inadequate staffing levels that have made postal workers’ jobs even more difficult. While USPS has provided flexibilities to improve worker recruitment and retention, these efforts have been insufficient at many post offices. The Rochester Post Bulletin recently reported that since 2017, the number of Rochester postal carriers decreased by 17 percent, even as the population and number of mailboxes in the area have increased. My constituents are concerned that postal workers are being assigned mandatory overtime, working 6 days per week, and frequently coming into work on Sundays and holidays to deliver additional packages. As we enter the peak holiday mailing season — when Minnesota postal workers often deliver through snow and winter storms — USPS must do everything in its power to support these workers and set them up to successfully serve their communities. With that, I ask you to answer the following questions by December 15, 2023: Will you commit to ensuring all postal customers receive equal service and that corporate customers like Amazon are not prioritized over local businesses and residents?
What steps is the U.S. Postal Service taking to ensure that rural routes allow for the delivery of mail in a timely fashion given the spike in package deliveries?
How has Amazon’s contract with USPS affected the ability to deliver other packages and mail?
What additional flexibilities can USPS provide post offices to address staffing shortages?
What steps is USPS taking to improve its hiring process, and how have these efforts reflected feedback from postal workers?
What is your plan to ensure Minnesota post offices reach full staffing levels, and when do you anticipate achieving this goal? Thank you for your attention to this important matter. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, released the statement below after a trade dispute panel established under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) rejected a complaint that Canada has overly restricted U.S. dairy imports and violated USMCA obligations.
“This decision fails to align with key principles of our trade agreement with Canada and puts Minnesota dairy producers at a disadvantage. We must hold our trade partners accountable and ensure the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement is enforced fairly. I will continue working to reduce trade barriers and ensure our dairy exporters have fair access to the Canadian market.”
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WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Tina Smith (D-MN) issued the following statements after the Senate confirmed Jeffrey Bryan to serve as a United States District Court Judge for the District of Minnesota. Currently serving on the Minnesota Court of Appeals in Saint Paul, Judge Bryan was one of the candidates sent to President Biden by Klobuchar and Smith following the recommendation from a judicial selection committee. Judge Bryan will be the first Latino federal judge in Minnesota. “As a former federal prosecutor and a current appellate judge with over two decades of legal experience, Jeff Bryan has spent his career serving the people of Minnesota. His dedication to justice and the rule of law has earned the respect and
...Read more support of judges, attorneys, and law enforcement officials across the political spectrum,” said Klobuchar. “As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I worked to advance his nomination and I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their support of this outstanding nominee. I’m confident that he will be an excellent U.S. District Court Judge.” “Judge Bryan’s confirmation is a testament to his considerable experience and commitment to the rule of law,” said Smith. “His distinguished record as an appellate judge, trial court judge, and Assistant U.S. Attorney in Minneapolis make him exceptionally well-qualified for this position. I congratulate him on his confirmation.” Judge Bryan was appointed to the Minnesota Court of Appeals in Saint Paul in 2019. Before becoming an appellate judge, Judge Bryan served on the Ramsey County District Court in the Second Judicial District in Saint Paul. He also served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Minneapolis for six years where he prosecuted violent gangs and large scale drug trafficking organizations, and won the Justice Department’s Case of the Year award for dismantling a nationwide cocaine trafficking network. Judge Bryan received his B.A, summa cum laude, from the University of Texas at Austin in 1998 and his J.D. from Yale Law School in 2002. He also served as a law clerk to Judge Paul Magnuson on the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota from 2002 to 2003. Judge Bryan was recommended by the Judicial Selection Committee, which included Leslie Beiers, Chief Judge of the Minnesota Sixth Judicial District and former Assistant St. Louis County Attorney; Susan Segal, Chief Judge of the Minnesota Court of Appeals; Abou Amara, Associate at Gustafson Gluek PLLC and Vice President of the Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers; Tadd Johnson, Professor Emeritus of the Department of American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota Duluth; Cecil Naatz, Managing Attorney of the Public Defender’s Office in Marshall, Minnesota; and Miguel Pozo, Member at Cozen O’Connor and former President of the Hispanic National Bar Association. # # # Read less Bipartisan Bill Would Award Hmong Veterans A Congressional Gold Medal WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Gary Peters (D-MI), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Thom Tillis (R-NC) introduced the bipartisan Hmong Congressional Gold Medal Act to recognize the distinguished service of the Hmong veterans who served alongside American troops in the Vietnam War by awarding them a Congressional Gold Medal. As the Vietnam War spread south and west into Laos, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) recruited and trained Hmong soldiers to help American troops fight back against the communist North Vietnamese and Pathet Lao. At great risk to the safety of themselves and their families, Hmong soldiers fought the ground war, flew combat missions, gathered intelligence
...Read more on North Vietnamese troop movements, interrupted the Ho-Chi-Min Supply Trail, and rescued American pilots downed behind enemy lines. The Hmong people suffered heavy casualties, and their soldiers died at a rate ten times as high as that of American servicemembers in Vietnam. “During the Vietnam war, the Hmong people were vital partners to the United States, putting their lives on the line to help our troops and offering courageous service and sacrifice," said Klobuchar. “Awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to Hmong veterans will provide them with a measure of recognition they’ve long deserved.” “More than 30,000 Hmong soldiers courageously stood with the American people during the Vietnam War, many of whom lost their lives in the fight against communism,” said Peters. “This bill seeks to provide long-overdue recognition to Hmong veterans for their incredible sacrifices and distinguished service.” “I’m happy to lead with Senator Peters to ensure the Hmong people get the recognition they deserve for their dedication to the fight against communism,” said Johnson. “Wisconsin is proud to be home to so many brave individuals who are dedicated to liberty and freedom and opposed to government tyranny.” “During the Vietnam War, the Hmong people risked their lives to help American servicemembers. Now, we owe it to them to recognize that service and sacrifice with the highest honor that can be bestowed upon civilians by Congress,” said Baldwin. “Wisconsin has a special bond with the Hmong people, and I am proud to honor and recognize their courageous service to our country.” “The Hmong bravely risked their lives to help our servicemembers during the Vietnam War,” said Tillis. “Today, more than 10,000 Hmong people call North Carolina home, and we are beyond grateful for their patriotic service and cultural contributions to our state. It is my honor to work to pass this bipartisan legislation to recognize Hmong veterans for their heroic actions.” Following the war, many Hmong were displaced from their villages as they were either bombed or burned down by the North Vietnamese and over 150,000 Hmong fled Laos when the nation fell to communist forces in 1975. Due to their ties with the American military, many Hmong came to the United States as refugees to start a new life. Currently, there are over 94,000 Hmong living in Minnesota. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement on Minnesota grown turkeys receiving the presidential turkey pardon.
“As the number one turkey producing state in the nation, Minnesota makes sure the rest of the country can celebrate Thanksgiving with a delicious meal. It’s an honor for our farmers and producers that two Minnesota grown turkeys - Liberty and Bell - received the presidential turkey pardon. I hope everyone has a happy and healthy Thanksgiving surrounded by family and friends!”
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WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement on the passing of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter. “John and I are mourning the loss of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter. She will always be near and dear to the hearts of Minnesotans from the first time she stepped foot in our state. The “Grits and Fritz” Carter/ Mondale ticket was not just Jimmy and Walter, it was also Rosalynn and Joan! Rosalynn was dedicated to her country. She was dedicated to her church. But above all else, she was dedicated to her family including her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and of course, her husband, President Jimmy Carter, who called marrying her “the best thing” he ever did. An advocate for better mental health care and an
...Read more invaluable source of guidance and strength for President Carter, her life was one of service to the nation. I visited President Carter and Rosalynn at their home in Georgia a few years ago, where she made us Pimento Cheese sandwiches, and she was as endearing and wise as ever. America will miss her.” ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Senate co-chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Coalition on Adoption, introduced two pieces of bipartisan legislation - the Supporting Adopted Children & Families Act and a resolution to mark November as National Adoption Month and November 18 as National Adoption Day - to increase support for adoptive families and raise awareness about adoption. The resolution to mark November as National Adoption Month and November 18 as National Adoption Day passed the Senate on November 16. “We’re grateful for the dedication and commitment of adoptive families who open their homes and hearts to children,” said Klobuchar. “Every child deserves a safe, stable, and loving place to call home. That’s why as co-chair
...Read more of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, I will continue to work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to raise awareness about adoption and improve the adoption process for families and children across our country.” “As adoptive parents, my wife Kris and I are keenly aware of the many blessings of adoption. It is crucial to pass policies ensuring children receive the support and unconditional love of a permanent family,” said Cramer. “Recognizing National Adoption Month and Day is an important opportunity to promote adoption, and these pieces of legislation will offer adoptive families and their children the resources and support before, during, and after the process.” Klobuchar and Cramer introduced the Supporting Adopted Children & Families Act to provide pre- and post-adoption resources, including mental health treatment, to support adoptive families. This legislation will promote: Training and counseling on behavioral issues, including issues relating to emotional, behavioral, or developmental health needs;
Peer-to-peer mentoring and support groups that permit a new adoptive parent to communicate and learn from more experienced adoptive parents, including programs that enhance communication between adoptive parents with children of similar geographic, ethnic, or cultural backgrounds;
Treatment services specialized for adopted children, including psychiatric residential services, outpatient mental health services, social skills training, intensive in-home supervision services, recreational therapy, suicide prevention, and substance abuse treatment; and
Crisis and family preservation services, including crisis counseling and a 24-hour emergency hotline for adoptive parents. Klobuchar and Cramer also introduced a bipartisan resolution marking November as National Adoption Month and November 18 as National Adoption Day to raise awareness about adoption, recognize that every child should have a permanent and loving family, and encourage the people of the United States to consider adoption during the month of November and throughout the year. This resolution passed the Senate on November 16. The resolution is cosponsored by Senators Baldwin (D-WI), Barrasso (R-WY), Bennet (D-CO), Blackburn (R-TN), Blumenthal (D-CT), Booker (D-NJ), Boozman (R-AR), Braun (R-IN), Capito (R-WV), Casey (D-PA), Collins (D-ME), Cornyn (R-TX), Crapo (R-ID), Daines (R-MT), Duckworth (D-IL), Durbin (R-IL), Fischer (R-NE), Grassley (R-IA), Hagerty (R-TN), Hassan (D-NH), Hoeven (R-ND), Hyde-Smith (R-MS), King (I-ME), Lankford (R-OK), Lummis (R-WY), Manchin (D-WV), Mullin (R-OK), Risch (R-ID), Rosen (D-NV), Rubio (R-FL), Scott (R-FL), Scott (R-SC), Smith (D-MN), Stabenow (D-MI), Thune (R-SD), Tuberville (R-AL), Van Hollen (D-MD), Warren (D-MA), Whitehouse (D-RI), Wicker (R-MS), and Wyden (D-OR). The resolution is led in the House by Representatives Robert Aderholt (R-AL) and Adam Smith (D-WA), the House co-chairs of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption. Full text of the resolution is available HERE. As co-chairs of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, Klobuchar and Cramer have led efforts to give every child a permanent home and improve the adoption process. The Congressional Coalition on Adoption (CCA) is the largest bipartisan, bicameral caucus in Congress. CCA brings together members of Congress from both parties who share the goal of ensuring all children know the love and support of a family through legal permanency in the forms of adoption, guardianship, and kinship care. In March 2023, Klobuchar and Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) reintroduced the Tribal Adoption Parity Act to provide tribal governments with parity in accessing the adoption tax credit. In June 2021, provisions of Klobuchar and former Senator Roy Blunt’s (R-MO) legislation to protect adopted children from unregulated custody transfers passed the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. In November 2020, Klobuchar and Blunt’s legislation to provide updated and timely information to help American families trying to adopt internationally passed the Senate. Later that month, the senators encouraged the Department of State and the Department of Health and Human Services to raise awareness for National Adoption Month and for the importance of domestic and intercountry adoption. Klobuchar and Blunt also partnered on the Accuracy for Adoptees Act, which became law in early 2014. This legislation cuts red tape for adoptive families and ensures that corrections made to adoptees’ state vital records would be recognized by the federal government. ### Read less Senators’ bipartisan legislation would bolster innovation and increase transparency and accountability for higher-risk AI applications WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), John Thune (R-SD), Roger Wicker (R-MS), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), all members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, introduced the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research, Innovation, and Accountability Act. The bipartisan legislation establishes a framework to bolster innovation while bringing greater transparency, accountability, and security to the development and operation of the highest-impact applications of AI. “Artificial intelligence comes with the potential for great benefits, but also serious risks, and our laws need
...Read more to keep up,” said Klobuchar. “This bipartisan legislation is one important step of many necessary towards addressing potential harms. It will put in place common sense safeguards for the highest-risk applications of AI – like in our critical infrastructure – and improve transparency for policy makers and consumers.” “AI is a revolutionary technology that has the potential to improve health care, agriculture, logistics and supply chains, and countless other industries,” said Thune. “As this technology continues to evolve, we should identify some basic rules of the road that protect Americans and consumers, foster an environment in which innovators and entrepreneurs can thrive, and limit government intervention. This legislation would bolster the United States’ leadership and innovation in AI while also establishing common-sense safety and security guardrails for the highest-risk AI applications.” “Artificial Intelligence technologies hold incredible potential for the future of our country, and it is important for Congress to provide guidance to industry as new applications emerge,” said Wicker. “This legislation would provide a light-touch framework to help protect Americans and ensure this promising capability is not crushed by an overly burdensome and reactive approach.” “We’re entering a new era of Artificial Intelligence,” said Hickenlooper. “Development and innovation will depend on the guardrails we put in place. This is a commonsense framework that protects Americans without stifling our competitive edge in AI.” “I am glad to partner with my colleagues to introduce a bipartisan first step towards addressing the development of AI,” said Capito. “Our bill will allow for transparent and commonsense accountability without stifling the development of machine learning. I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance this important legislation.” “Artificial Intelligence is advancing faster than ever. AI presents immense opportunities, but these high-tech capabilities also pose significant risks,” said Luján. “That’s why I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bipartisan legislation to support research and innovation in AI, and approaches for accountability and safeguards for its use. Congress must keep pace with the development of AI systems with the American people in mind, and this bill will do just that through the creation of risk-based guardrails, transparency requirements and corporate accountability.” The AI Research, Innovation, and Accountability Act: Strengthens accountability by creating enforceable testing and evaluation standards for highest-risk AI systems.
Directs the Department of Commerce to issue standards for the testing and evaluation of AI systems that are used to make decisions that impact critical infrastructure, criminal justice, or biometric identification (“critical-impact AI systems”). Companies will be required to submit risk assessments to Commerce prior to deploying critical-impact AI systems outlining risks the company has identified in the AI system and what it is doing to mitigate or control those risks.
Boosts transparency by requiring transparency reports from companies using high-impact AI systems.
Requires transparency reports for companies using high-impact AI systems to make decisions about housing, employment, credit, education, healthcare, or insurance in a way that poses a significant risk to fundamental constitutional rights or safety. Transparency reports submitted to the Department of Commerce must describe, among other things, the intended purpose of the AI system, how it was tested and trained (e.g., what data was used), and the expected benefits.
Informs policymakers by directing NIST to make sector-specific recommendations for regulation of high-impact AI systems
Based on the risk assessments and transparency reports submitted to the Commerce Department, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will provide sector-specific recommendations tailored to each federal agency to conduct oversight of artificial intelligence systems to improve the safe and responsible use of such systems. Agencies must respond to the recommendations and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will monitor their progress in implementing them.
The bill also directs the Government Accountability Office to produce a report on best practices and barriers to use of AI by the Federal government.
Provides consumers with clearer distinctions between human and AI-generated content
Directs research on the development and standardization of ways to clearly and easily verify and label AI-generated content (e.g., watermarking) and also attribute credit to human creators.
Requires the large internet platforms to provide clear and easy to understand notice to users when the platform is using generative AI to create content the user sees.
Directs NIST to support standardization of methods for detecting and understanding how AI systems interact with one another in order to prevent any unanticipated behavior.
Requires the Commerce Department to develop recommendations for consumer education efforts about AI systems. Klobuchar has led efforts to address the threat of misleading AI-generated content. Earlier this month, Klobuchar and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) called on the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission to continue efforts to raise awareness about and prevent artificial intelligence voice cloning scams in order to protect Americans from this growing fraud. In October, Klobuchar and Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY) sent a letter to the CEOs of Meta Platforms, Inc. and X Corp., Mark Zuckerberg and Linda Yaccarino, respectively, seeking information on how their organizations are addressing AI-generated content in political ads hosted on their social media platforms, and in November, Meta announced that it will bar the use of its generative AI tools in political ads and will require disclaimers on AI-generated political ads. In September, Klobuchar and Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO), Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law; Chris Coons (D-DE), Chair of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Intellectual Property; and Susan Collins (R-ME), Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee and former Chair of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, introduced the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act, bipartisan legislation to ban the use of AI to generate materially deceptive content falsely depicting federal candidates in political ads to influence federal elections. This legislation has also been cosponsored by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE). In May, Klobuchar and U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced the REAL Political Ads Act. This legislation would require a disclaimer on political ads that use images or video generated by artificial intelligence. Companion legislation is led in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY). In July, Klobuchar and U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján and Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) wrote to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) encouraging the Commission to begin a rulemaking to regulate fraudulent AI-generated campaign ads. In June, Klobuchar and U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-VT) and Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called on Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, and Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino for answers after reporting highlighted a significant reduction of staff dedicated to countering misinformation. In light of these layoffs, the senators expressed concerns about these companies’ ability to effectively respond to election-related disinformation, including deceptive AI-generated content about elections and campaigns. In February, Klobuchar reintroduced the Honest Ads Act with U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Mark Warner (D-VA), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, to improve the transparency and accountability of online political advertising by requiring online political advertisements to adhere to the same disclaimer requirements as TV, radio, and print ads. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, released the statement below after the Rules Committee voted 9-7 to advance a resolution to break through Senator Tuberville’s blockade of military promotions on the Senate floor. The resolution, which is led by Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed (D-RI), establishes a standing order for the remainder of the 118th Congress to provide for the en bloc consideration of military promotions - with the exception of nominees to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and commanders of a combatant command - that have been favorably reported by the Senate Armed Services Committee. “We are making progress. On a 9-7 vote in the Senate Rules Committee, we advanced the resolution to
...Read more allow the 350-plus military promotions to be voted on in one bloc. Next stop, the Senate floor where we will work to pick up Republican votes.” ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, held a meeting to mark up a resolution to break through Senator Tuberville's blockade of merit-based military promotions on the Senate floor. The resolution, which is led by Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed (D-RI), establishes a standing order for the remainder of the 118th Congress to provide for the en bloc consideration of military promotions - with the exception of nominees to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and commanders of a combatant command - that have been favorably reported by the Senate Armed Services Committee. “This massive hold is hurting our military readiness and our national security. It's hurting the morale of our troops, and it's
...Read more causing major disruptions in the lives of our military families who have already sacrificed so much,” said Klobuchar. “Military spouses can't look for jobs if they don't know where they're going to move. Kids don't know where they'll be attending school. Military officers can’t take care of their aging parents or figure out where they should be in assisted living if they don't know where they're going to live.” “I'm a former prosecutor, I believe in evidence. I don't know how much more evidence we need to move on this,” Klobuchar continued. “Our country deserves better. Our military deserves better. The world is watching.” A rough transcript of Klobuchar’s full opening statement is available below. I call to order the meeting of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration to consider S.Res. 444, providing for the en bloc consideration of military nominations. I thank the military friends and families who are here, some of them with loved ones, who are awaiting their own decisions and promotions. As I thought about this and prepared for this this weekend, like many of my colleagues, I was at veterans events. And there was one in particular in a high school gym in Red Wing, Minnesota, which featured hundreds of kids in the bleachers and veterans, including four World War II veterans on the floor of the gym. And the speaker was an Iraq veteran who is really incredible, and she told the story of her life, how she had grown up with a single mom, in a very difficult circumstance, and that it was the Army that saved her. And she said as she got through that time, as she spoke to the high school students, she said she remembered words from the movie Heartbreak Ridge that actually had become an unofficial slogan of the Marine Corps. And it kept everything, every obstacle, that she encountered in life.She remembered these three words, and I thought about it with what we're doing today. And the words are improvise, adapt, and overcome. Improvise, adapt, and overcome. And simply, that's what we're doing here. We have come up with a narrow, focused solution. We have improvised, we are adapting to our circumstance and we will eventually overcome. And the first part of overcoming is to actually get this resolution through this Committee today. I want to thank Ranking Member Fischer and our colleagues for being here. And I want to thank Senator Reed for his work on this resolution,the Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, as well as Senator Sinema. I'd like to thank Senator Schumer and Senator McConnell. This is the only committee that both leaders serve on and I want to thank them for being here and again, to recognize the many members of the audience from military families who took time out of their day to be with us. Here with us are spouses and family members of service members. We are here today because one of our colleagues has used the Senate's rules to hold the entire military chain of command hostage. Here's our problem. Right now we have over 350 military positions in limbo because of Senator Tuberville’s hold and nearly 650 military leadership positions will be vacant by the year's end if this continues. This massive hold is hurting our military readiness and our national security. It's hurting the morale of our troops, and it's causing major disruptions in the lives of our military families who have already sacrificed so much. No one knows that better than those who are joining us today. Military spouses can't look for jobs if they don't know where they're going to move. Kids don't know where they'll be attending school. Military officers can’t take care of their aging parents or figure out where they should be in assisted living if they don't know where they're going to live. One Army General Officer is having to pay $10,000 a month to keep his mom in an assisted living facility while he waits to find out if they're going to move to a new house or not. A naval officer's wife left her job as a public school teacher because they're expecting a new assignment overseas, and now she's unemployed because she can't take a job in the new place or return to her old school. Instead, she simply waits. The Marine Corps had to cancel a coast-to-coast move for a senior officer and his family. Their belongings had already been shipped, but now they're in storage while the officer covers for another unfilled and more senior role. And yes, as we all know, the Commandant of the Marine Corps had a heart attack while holding down the number one and number two positions with the Marines. I'm a former prosecutor.I believe in evidence. I don't know how much more evidence we need to move on this. And while this colossal hold, which is truly an antiseptic word to describe what is essentially a blockade, is creating real costs for our military families. It's also creating real risk to our military readiness and our national security. Senator Tuberville is holding up the Commander of CYBERCOM at a time when threats to our national security don't always involve traditional weapons of war. He is holding up the head of the Pacific Air Command while China is saber rattling and North Korea sent Russia a million artillery shells. And he is holding up the Commander of the Fifth Fleet, which oversees our naval forces in the Persian Gulf. There are hundreds of others waiting, and the uncertainty is having a devastating impact. Our country deserves better. Our military deserves better. The world is watching. For months, Senator Tuberville has not listened to his Democratic or his Republican colleagues, and many of them have now spoken out on the Senate floor. He's not listening to those who run our military. He's not listening to former military officials. So we need to stand up for our military and our national security and allow these promotions to move forward. Because when our troops are on the battlefield, they don't ask if their commander is a Democrat or Republican. They don't ask what their views are on certain issues that they may not agree with. They just do their jobs. They don't ask if the person next to them voted for, who they voted for, and whether they hold a certain political position. Regardless of our own political views we need to do what it takes to make sure our military has its leaders in place to protect our country. I get back to my first three words that I learned in that high school gym. Improvise, adapt, and overcome. That is what this policy is about. It is temporary and it makes a change simply for the nominations in the military that are before us through the end of the Congress. It has the support of groups representing our service members and their families, Blue Star families, the National Military Family Association, and the Secure Family Initiative and the American Legion has also urged a bipartisan resolution as well. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in supporting it. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement on the death of Mankato native Sgt. Cade Wolfe, one of five U.S. Army Special Operations aviation soldiers killed in a helicopter crash on November 10, 2023 during a training exercise.
“My deepest condolences are with the loved ones of Mankato native Sgt. Cade Wolfe. Mankato is my husband’s hometown and I know this is particularly heartbreaking for those who grew up with and loved Sgt. Wolfe.
Sgt. Wolfe represented the very best of us. He answered the call of duty and put his life on the line to keep the American people safe. We will never forget his service and his sacrifice.”
###
MINNESOTA - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below in honor of Veterans Day. “Amid all of the uncertainty in the world right now, we remain grateful for those who have put their lives on the line to defend our freedom. It’s been said that “the nation which forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten.” I have long believed that when we ask our young men and women to defend and fight for our nation, we make a promise to take care of them when they return home. I have worked hard to ensure that we provide our veterans with the full benefits and support they deserve. Last year, we took critical steps toward delivering on that promise when the bipartisan PACT Act was signed into law. This historic legislation will ensure that Department of Veterans
...Read more Affairs benefits include comprehensive care for veterans who were exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances during their service. This is a big step toward honoring our commitment to veterans, but we all know there’s still more to do. We must ensure that our service members get the jobs, healthcare, and benefits they have earned when they get home. We must fight for them as they have fought for us. I was lucky to call the late Senator and war hero, John McCain, a colleague and a friend. While in Vietnam, John was a prisoner of war and he made the courageous decision to not be released and to allow others to be released before him. John was beaten and tortured because of that decision. Through it all, he had this incredible resilience — a true American hero. The last time I saw John was with my husband when we went and visited him and his wife Cindy at their ranch in Arizona. He pointed to a sentence in his book and told me ‘that’s all that matters.’ It said: ‘Nothing in life is more liberating than to fight for a cause larger than yourself.’ That’s what our country is all about — whether we agree on things or not, America is bigger than those disagreements. And that’s what our veterans signed up to serve for: something bigger than ourselves. To all of our Minnesota veterans and service members and the families who stood by their side — there is no limit to the respect you’ve earned, and there is no limit to the debt we owe you. You represent the best of America. Thank you for your service and dedication to our country.” ### Read less KFGO
By Ryan Janke
WASHINGTON – Sen. Amy Klobuchar is co-sponsoring the bipartisan Department of Veterans Affairs Billing Accountability Act.
“Too many veterans are receiving outdated or incorrect bills from the VA,” Klobuchar said. “Some veterans have even reported receiving medical bills years after they received care.”
The bill would give the VA the authority to waive veterans’ copayment requirements for medication, care, or certain services if the copayment notification was received more than 180 days after the appointments.
John Hoeven is also a co-sponsor of the bill.
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and John Hoeven (R-ND) introduced the Department of Veterans Affairs Billing Accountability Act, bipartisan legislation to protect veterans from outdated or incorrect Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) billing. This legislation is led in the House by U.S. Representatives Lloyd Smucker (R-PA) and Don Davis (D-NC). “When we ask our young men and women to defend our nation, we make a promise to be there for them when they return home, not make their lives more difficult,” said Klobuchar. "Too many veterans are receiving outdated or incorrect bills from the VA. Some veterans have even reported receiving medical bills years after they received care. That’s unacceptable. I’m working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle
...Read more to protect our veterans from these unfair practices and give them the peace of mind and relief they deserve." “This important legislation ensures that veterans receive affordable, quality healthcare by waiving late co-payment fees for medications and other healthcare services,” said Tillis. “I am proud to co-sponsor this legislation on behalf of the more than 600,000 veterans that call North Carolina home.” “Our veterans have earned the health care they receive through the VA, and they deserve to have certainty when accessing those benefits,” said Hoeven. “Our legislation would ensure veterans receive timely notification of any required copayments, helping to prevent surprise bills and holding the VA accountable for errors and delays in its billing system.” "Our veterans and their families have sacrificed so much to protect our country and we should be doing all we can to make their transition to civilian life as easy as possible. Forcing them to pay for bureaucratic errors and delays is no way to treat those who have risked everything and sacrificed to protect our country," said Smucker. "I encourage my colleagues in the House to pass this legislation again so we can bring our veterans peace of mind, stability, and financial security. " “In the greatest nation on earth, veterans deserve nothing short of the best medical treatment and the highest standard of transparency,” said Davis. “Far too often, our vets are stuck with surprise medical bills months or even years after receiving care from the VA or outside providers. With the introduction of the VA Billing Accountability Act, all veterans must receive a bill no later than 180 days after getting treated at a VA facility and no later than 18 months after seeing an outside provider. After years of bipartisan attempts, now is the time to get the job done for our vets by passing this bill and ensuring financial predictability and stability for our nation’s fearless heroes.” This legislation would give the VA the authority to waive veterans’ copayment requirements for medication, care, or certain services if the copayment notification was received more than 180 days after care or services. It would also require the VA to notify the veteran of copayment requirements no later than 180 days from when the veteran received care. Finally, the legislation would require the VA to review and improve its co-payment billing procedures. Klobuchar has long worked to support our military families, service members, and veterans. In May, Klobuchar and Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) introduced bipartisan legislation to improve training for those processing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) claims at the VA. By improving training for VA personnel who are responsible for processing disability claims, this bill would help ensure benefits are being correctly determined so veterans experiencing PTSD are able to access the health care, treatment, and compensation they need. This was included in the Senate version of the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act. In April, Klobuchar and Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Tom Carper (D-DE), and Steve Daines (R-MT) introduced the Servicemembers’ Credit Monitoring Enhancement Act, bipartisan legislation to provide free credit monitoring for all service members and their families. Currently, only active duty service members and members of the National Guard are eligible for free credit monitoring services. Last year, Klobuchar worked to successfully pass the SFC Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act, historic legislation that will deliver comprehensive relief to all generations of veterans who were exposed to toxins for the first time in our nation’s history. The legislation, signed into law last August, included Klobuchar and Senator Mike Crapo's (R-ID) Toxic Exposure Training Act, a bipartisan bill to improve education and training for Department of Veterans Affairs health care personnel to treat illnesses related to exposure to burn pits and other toxic substances. ### Read less Klobuchar leads bipartisan legislation to ban materially deceptive AI-generated content in political ads, as well as legislation to require a disclaimer on ads that use images or video generated by AI WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with oversight over federal elections, released the following statement on today’s bipartisan Senate AI insight forum on democracy. “We had a productive discussion at today’s Senate AI forum on democracy with election officials, researchers, democracy groups, and tech companies. There’s broad consensus that we need guardrails in place, and today we saw tech companies announce additional actions to address AI in elections, including Microsoft’s endorsement of my
...Read more bipartisan bill to ban deceptive AI in political ads and Meta’s announcement that they will require disclaimers on political ads that use AI-generated content starting next year. But as was discussed at the forum, we need laws in place and we can’t just rely on voluntary steps. Voters deserve full transparency, and I’ll keep pushing to ban deceptive AI-generated campaign ads in our elections to combat the spread of disinformation and pass stronger disclosure laws that account for AI-manipulated content.” Klobuchar has led efforts to address the threat of misleading AI-generated content in our elections. In October, Klobuchar and Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY) sent a letter to the CEOs of Meta Platforms, Inc. and X Corp., Mark Zuckerberg and Linda Yaccarino, respectively, seeking information on how their organizations are addressing AI-generated content in political ads hosted on their social media platforms. In September, Klobuchar and Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO), Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law; Chris Coons (D-DE), Chair of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Intellectual Property; and Susan Collins (R-ME), Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee and former Chair of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, introduced the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act, bipartisan legislation to ban the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to generate materially deceptive content falsely depicting federal candidates in political ads to influence federal elections. This legislation has also been cosponsored by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE). In May, Klobuchar and U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced the REAL Political Ads Act. This legislation would require a disclaimer on political ads that use images or video generated by artificial intelligence. Companion legislation is led in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY). In July, Klobuchar and U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján and Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) wrote to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) encouraging the Commission to begin a rulemaking to regulate fraudulent AI-generated campaign ads. In June, Klobuchar and U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-VT) and Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called on Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, and Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino for answers after reporting highlighted a significant reduction of staff dedicated to countering misinformation. In light of these layoffs, the senators expressed concerns about these companies’ ability to effectively respond to election-related disinformation, including deceptive AI-generated content about elections and campaigns. In February, Klobuchar reintroduced the Honest Ads Act with U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Mark Warner (D-VA), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, to improve the transparency and accountability of online political advertising by requiring online political advertisements to adhere to the same disclaimer requirements as TV, radio, and print ads. ### Read less Earlier this year, Klobuchar filed a bipartisan amicus brief in United States v. Rahimi urging the Supreme Court to uphold the constitutionality of existing protections for domestic violence survivors WASHINGTON - Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement on United States v. Rahimi as the Supreme Court begins to hear oral arguments. “As a former prosecutor, I’ve seen firsthand the serious emotional and physical toll domestic violence can take on victims, particularly when a gun is involved. Victims of domestic abuse and their families deserve peace of mind and certainty that their abuser will not have access to firearms. There is a decades-long history of bipartisan support for these common sense and lifesaving protections, which is why I submitted a bipartisan
...Read more amicus brief in this case with Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Dingell of Michigan. I am hopeful the Supreme Court will reject any argument that would pull the rug out from under these victims.” Klobuchar has long led efforts to prevent gun violence. Provisions from her bill with Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) to close the ‘boyfriend loophole’ and prevent abusive dating partners from buying or owning firearms were included in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act signed into law by President Biden last year. In February, Klobuchar, Dingell, and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) introduced updated bipartisan, bicameral legislation to strengthen provisions closing the ‘boyfriend loophole.’ The Strengthening Protections for Domestic Violence and Stalking Survivors Act prevents convicted stalkers and all former dating partners convicted of a domestic violence offense from buying or owning firearms, regardless of when the relationship occurred. Earlier this year, Klobuchar was joined by Fitzpatrick and Dingell in filing an amicus brief in United States v. Rahimi urging the Supreme Court to uphold the constitutionality of existing protections for victims of domestic violence. The brief which was filed highlights the history of bipartisan support for common sense limits on the ability of domestic abusers to access firearms and the harms that invalidating those restrictions would cause. The full brief is available HERE. ### Read less Meta’s announcement follows letter from Klobuchar and Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY) expressing concern about AI-generated political ads on Meta’s social media platforms Klobuchar leads legislation to require a disclaimer on ads that use images or video generated by AI and ban materially deceptive AI-generated content in political ads WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with oversight over federal elections, released the statement below following Meta’s announcement that the company will bar the use of its generative AI tools in political ads and ads in other regulated industries. Meta’s announcement follows an October 5 letter that Senator Klobuchar and Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY) sent
...Read more to the CEOs of Meta Platforms, Inc. and X Corp seeking information on how their organizations are addressing AI-generated content in political ads hosted on their social media platforms. “Deceptive AI has the potential to upend our democracy, making voters question whether videos they are seeing of candidates are real or fake. This decision by Meta is a step in the right direction, but we can’t rely on voluntary commitments alone. I’m continuing to push to pass stronger disclosure laws that account for AI-manipulated content in campaign ads, as well as to ban deceptive AI-generated content in our elections and counter the spread of election-related disinformation.” Meta’s announcement follows Google’s announcement in September that it will require disclosures on AI-generated content in political ads. Klobuchar has led efforts to address the threat of misleading AI-generated content in our elections. In October, Klobuchar and Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY) sent a letter to the CEOs of Meta Platforms, Inc. and X Corp., Mark Zuckerberg and Linda Yaccarino, respectively, seeking information on how their organizations are addressing AI-generated content in political ads hosted on their social media platforms. In September, Klobuchar and Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO), Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law; Chris Coons (D-DE), Chair of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Intellectual Property; and Susan Collins (R-ME), Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee and former Chair of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, introduced the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act, bipartisan legislation to ban the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to generate materially deceptive content falsely depicting federal candidates in political ads to influence federal elections. This legislation has also been cosponsored by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE). In May, Klobuchar and U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced the REAL Political Ads Act. This legislation would require a disclaimer on political ads that use images or video generated by artificial intelligence. Companion legislation is led in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY). In July, Klobuchar and U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján and Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) wrote to the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) encouraging the Commission to begin a rulemaking to regulate fraudulent AI-generated campaign ads. In June, Klobuchar and U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-VT) and Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called on Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, and Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino for answers after reporting highlighted a significant reduction of staff dedicated to countering misinformation. In light of these layoffs, the senators expressed concerns about these companies’ ability to effectively respond to election-related disinformation, including deceptive AI-generated content about elections and campaigns. In February, Klobuchar reintroduced the Honest Ads Act with U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Mark Warner (D-VA), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, to improve the transparency and accountability of online political advertising by requiring online political advertisements to adhere to the same disclaimer requirements as TV, radio, and print ads. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, announced that the Committee will hold a meeting on Tuesday, November 14 at 3:00 PM to mark up a resolution to allow the Senate to break through Senator Tuberville’s blockade of military nominations on the Senate floor. The resolution, which is led by Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed (D-RI), establishes a standing order for the remainder of the 118th Congress to provide for the en bloc consideration of military nominations - with the exception of nominees to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and commanders of a combatant command - that have been favorably reported by the Senate Armed Services Committee. “Senator Tuberville has put a hold on over 350 military
...Read more officers, from the head of the Pacific Air Command to the director of Cyber Command. He is holding our military chain of command hostage and threatening our national security,” said Klobuchar. “Senator Tuberville refuses to heed the warnings of our top military officials. He refuses to even cooperate with members of his own party who have pleaded with him to lift this hold. This vote in the Rules Committee will allow us to finally move forward with military confirmations, filling critical positions and protecting our military readiness.” ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) announced the passage of their bipartisan amendment to provide funding to upgrade the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system, which alerts personnel to potential safety hazards along a route. This amendment supports the implementation of the NOTAM Improvement Act, which was led by Senators Klobuchar, Moran, and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Representative Pete Stauber (R-MN), and signed into law in June. The law requires the FAA to upgrade the NOTAM system and create a backup system by September 2024. “The NOTAM Improvement Act is critical to making sure that travelers across the nation can rely on safe and dependable flights," said Klobuchar. “Our bipartisan amendment
...Read more will strengthen the resiliency and cybersecurity of this air travel system by ensuring it receives the necessary funding to prevent outages.” “The complete failure of the FAA’s NOTAM system stranded millions of Americans and was a warning of the need to strengthen and modernize our air travel system,” said Moran. “The FAA has a responsibility to make certain air travel in our country is as safe and efficient as possible. This amendment will make certain the FAA has the authority and resources it needs to make the necessary upgrades to the NOTAM system.” This amendment passed as part of bipartisan appropriations bills that will support America’s farmers and veterans and strengthen our infrastructure, housing, military bases, and more. The NOTAM Improvement Act was introduced by Klobuchar, Moran, and Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Representative Stauber (R-MN) following the NOTAM system failure in January 2023 that grounded all flights nationwide. In addition to requiring upgrades to the system, the NOTAM Improvement Act also creates a task force composed of representatives from air carriers, airports, and airline pilot, aircraft dispatcher, and FAA personnel unions, as well as aviation safety and cybersecurity experts. ### Read less Klobuchar, Collins Call on FTC, FCC to Address Rise in AI Voice Cloning Scams WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Susan Collins (R-ME) called on the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission to continue efforts to raise awareness about and prevent artificial intelligence voice cloning scams in order to protect Americans from this growing fraud. “Across the country, fraudsters are using artificial intelligence voice cloning technology to trick people into giving up their personal information or money,” wrote the lawmakers. “Recently in Minnesota, a father received a call from someone that sounded just like his son, crying “mom, dad, can you hear me?” He and his wife were terrified—they had not heard from their son, a Marine deployed
...Read more abroad, in weeks. Thankfully, the father was able to decipher that the call was not from his son, but was an impersonation of his son’s voice generated by AI technology.” “These scams are putting too many parents and grandparents through this emotional toll, and as technology improves, voice clones will only become more convincing,” continued the lawmakers. “More can be done to educate Americans about these frauds and to help prevent them from happening. Towards that end, we look forward to partnering with your agencies to prevent exploitative scams that use voice cloning technology.” Klobuchar and Collins have long been committed to combating fraud. Last week, Klobuchar questioned witnesses on how criminals are using deceptive tactics through robocalls to defraud Americans across the United States at a Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband hearing titled “Protecting Americans from Robocalls”. Over a period of seven years while serving as Chairman and Ranking Member of the Aging Committee, Collins held 25 hearings on a wide variety of scams defrauding seniors. In May, she introduced the bipartisan Senior Security Act to protect seniors from financial crimes and scammers. Last year, Klobuchar and Collins’ bipartisan legislation to prevent fraud targeting seniors was signed into law. The Seniors Fraud Prevention Act will help fight scams designed to rob seniors of their assets by directing the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to create an office to educate seniors about fraud schemes while also improving the agency’s monitoring and response to fraud complaints. The full text of the letter is available HERE and below: Dear Chair Khan and Chair Rosenworcel: We write to express our grave concerns about the rise of voice cloning technology that can be used to defraud and scam Americans by impersonating familiar voices. These scams prey on our best instincts to help our loved ones in need, cause great distress, and raise security concerns. Across the country, fraudsters are using artificial intelligence (AI) voice cloning technology to trick people into giving up their personal information or money. Recently in Minnesota, a father received a call from someone that sounded just like his son, crying “mom, dad, can you hear me?” He and his wife were terrified—they had not heard from their son, a Marine deployed abroad, in weeks. Thankfully, the father was able to decipher that the call was not from his son, but was an impersonation of his son’s voice generated by AI technology. One can only imagine the emotional toll on any parent thinking their child, particularly one abroad serving our country, was in peril. As generative AI advances, these stories are becoming far too common. Scammers only need a short sample of an individual’s voice to generate an authentic-sounding imitation. They can pull the sample and backstory from public sources like social media. This summer in Iowa, one couple received a panicked call from a voice that sounded like their son, who was on his way to basic training, saying he was in jail and needed $7,000 for bail. Luckily this couple was able to reach their son, who was safe at home, before wiring the money. In Utah, another man got a call from a voice clone that sounded like his grandson, claiming to need $5,000 in bail after a car crash. These scams are putting too many parents and grandparents through this emotional toll, and as technology improves, voice clones will only become more convincing. While we appreciate the informational notices on this topic that your agencies recently issued, more can be done to educate Americans about these frauds and to help prevent them from happening. Towards that end, we look forward to partnering with your agencies to prevent exploitative scams that use voice cloning technology. Please respond to the following questions by November 17. What steps are your agencies taking to educate the American people, prevent these frauds, and enforce current laws to crack down on fraudulent uses of voice cloning technology?
Based on the consumer alerts and investigations you have already done, what have you learned about this issue?
What resources are you devoting to combat this type of fraud, and are additional resources necessary?
Are current laws sufficient to prevent these frauds and punish perpetrators, or do you believe additional authority is needed? Thank you very much for your efforts to combat this distressing type of scam. We look forward to working with you to protect all Americans from this growing fraud. ### Read less WASHINGTON - At a Senate Rules Committee hearing titled, “Ongoing Threats to Election Administration,” U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with oversight over federal elections, emphasized the need to address threats to election workers and safeguard free and fair elections across the country. “Public servants who have been threatened over the last few years come from red, blue, and purple states, they are Democrats and Republicans. Many are volunteers, and they are essential to the administration of our free and fair elections,” said Klobuchar. “But persisting threats, which rose alarmingly in recent years as we've discussed in this Committee, have resulted in all too many of these workers leaving their jobs. At the same
...Read more time, it has made it harder to recruit more poll workers and other officials to run our elections.” “Protecting election workers should not be a partisan issue,” Klobuchar continued. “We must work together to find common ground to protect the people on the frontlines of our democracy.” A rough transcript of Klobuchar’s full opening statement is available below. Good afternoon. I’m honored to call this hearing of the Rules and Administration Committee to order. I’d like to thank Ranking Member Fischer, our colleagues, our staff, and all of our wonderful witnesses… I also know that, Senator Butler, this is her first hearing, and we welcome you to the Committee as a new member, thank you. I also note that you are going to be presiding, so we will try to accommodate that as well. We do want to [take] a moment to thank Senator Feinstein, a monumental figure in Congress and trailblazer and the first woman to chair this Committee, and she also chaired the inauguration. So we thank her. We know Senator Padilla knew her very well, and we miss her. Our witnesses, who I will introduce shortly, are Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt, who testified before this Committee in 2021. Elizabeth Howard, who is the Deputy Director of the Democracy Program for Elections at the Brennan Center. And I know Senator Fischer will be introducing Nebraska Deputy Secretary of State for Elections, Wayne Bena, and then Senator Hagerty will be introducing the Administrator of Elections for Rutherford County in Tennessee, Alan Farley. We are just over a year until the 2024 election. We're here to discuss the ongoing threats and abusive conduct targeting election workers across the country and the need for bipartisan solutions to counter these threats. Public servants who have been threatened over the last few years come from red, blue, and purple states, they are Democrats and Republicans. Many are volunteers, and they are essential to the administration of our free and fair elections. In all 50 states, they are now hard at work to ensure that the upcoming elections run smoothly, with some primary ballots actually going out as soon as next month. But persisting threats, which rose alarmingly in recent years, as we've discussed in this Committee, have resulted in all too many of these workers leaving their jobs. At the same time, it has made it harder to recruit more poll workers and other officials to run our elections. Here's what is at stake: In Arizona, Secretary, 80 percent of counties have lost their chief local election official in the last three years. And as Secretary Fontes noted in his written testimony, Arizona has lost a combined 176 years of expertise with those officials. In Pennsylvania, more than 50 top local election officials resigned over the same time period. In some states, county election offices have lost all of their staff, as we saw in Buckingham County, Virginia, earlier this year. This turnover is happening in states nationwide, resulting in a loss of valuable experience. According to one study, of 161 counties in 11 western states that have new chief election officials in the past three years, the median amount of experience has dropped from about eight years to one year. It's not hard to understand why election workers are leaving their posts and resigning. Their families have experienced horrific threats ass Secretaries Fontes and Schmidt are well aware. Secretary Fontes’ children had to vacate their home for days following serious threats to their safety, and last year in Maricopa County there were armed people, some dressed in camo, intimidating voters at drop boxes. When Secretary Schmidt last appeared before our Committee, he shared with us how his address, a picture of his house, and his kids’ names had been put out on the internet, along with the graphic messages he received threatening their lives. That was while he served as a Republican election official. We heard about several more harrowing experiences that election workers face while on the job during last year's midterms. One election worker in Oregon reported being almost run off the road while driving by a woman yelling “traitor” out of her window. And one Maricopa County official in Arizona shared that last November, he received a threat identifying his home address and threatening the lives of his four children. According to an April 2023 survey of local election officials from the Brennan Center, nearly one in three say they have been either threatened, abused, harassed and one in five say they know someone who left their job in elections due to safety concerns. Notably, the Department of Homeland Security released an advisory in May warning about violent extremism, including threats related to elections. In states such as Georgia, we have also seen efforts to remove election officials from their positions, including efforts targeting nonpartisan officials in Texas and Wisconsin. Protecting election workers should not be a partisan issue. And as we will hear from our witnesses about the ongoing threats, we must work together to find common ground to protect the people on the frontlines of our democracy. Last year, before Senator Fischer and I together chaired this Committee, Senator Blunt was the lead Republican, and he and I worked together on the Election Assistance Commission actions, we asked them to act, and they voted unanimously to allow election officials to use federal funding to protect election workers from threats and harassment. This was a step forward, but we need to do more to ensure election officials have the resources they need. I lead comprehensive legislation, the Freedom to Vote Act, that includes provisions to protect election officials from threats and harassment. I also introduced the Election Worker Protection Act with 26 co-sponsors to provide needed resources to states to recruit and train election workers, make safety improvements, and establish safeguards to shield election workers from intimidation and threats. The urgent need to protect election workers is clear. And we've had a number of Secretaries of States across the country endorse this bill. The Justice Department also must play a key role, as well as local law enforcement, in making sure that election workers are protected. I look forward to hearing from our witnesses about these serious issues and how we can work together to address them. With that I will turn it over to Senator Fischer. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, and 22 of her colleagues called on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate two newly announced proposed mergers by Exxon and Chevron, the two largest oil companies in the United States. ExxonMobil’s proposed $60 billion acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources and Chevron’s proposed $53 billion acquisition of Hess Corporation are two of the largest petroleum deals in history. These proposed acquisitions could be disastrous for Americans consumers – greatly reducing competition and driving up gas prices at the pump. “By allowing Exxon and Chevron to further integrate their extensive operations into important oil-and-gas fields, these
...Read more deals are likely to harm competition, risking increased consumer prices and reduced output throughout the United States,” wrote the lawmakers. Americans have felt the negative effects of unchecked petroleum industry mergers from the past few decades. A wave of nearly three thousand mergers in the 1990s has caused the number of major U.S. energy companies to plummet – creating a Big Oil oligopoly and enabling illegal collusive tactics. That decrease in competition led to higher prices up and down the supply chain, and any further consolidation risks hurting American consumers even more. The lawmakers continued, “By 2005, due to the wave of mergers, the top five controlled 55 percent of the market, and the largest ten had 81.4 percent. This increase in concentration enabled the largest players to manipulate the industry by withholding supply in order to drive up prices, and since most of the firms were also vertically integrated, they benefited from higher prices at the retail level, as well.” “In our view, the FTC should not have approved the ExxonMobil merger in 1999, which created the largest corporate successor of Standard Oil’s original illegal monopoly, or the merger between Chevron and Texaco in 2001,” the Senators said. “Lax enforcement during that period resulted in market manipulation, unstable supply, and price hikes for Americans. We must avoid similar mistakes going forward. It is incumbent upon the FTC to closely review the Exxon-Pioneer and Chevron-Hess acquisitions and take appropriate action should such reviews uncover any possible anticompetitive effects enabled by the acquisitions.” Full text of the letter is available HERE and below. Dear Chair Khan: We write regarding our concerns about two blockbuster oil-and-gas deals announced in October: ExxonMobil’s (Exxon) proposed $60 billion acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources (Pioneer) and Chevron’s proposed $53 billion acquisition of Hess Corporation (Hess) – two of the largest oil-and-gas deals of the 21st century. By allowing Exxon and Chevron to further integrate their extensive operations into important oil-and-gas fields, these deals are likely to harm competition, risking increased consumer prices and reduced output throughout the United States. At the regional level, the deals threaten to harm small operators and suppress wages. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) must carefully consider all of the possible anticompetitive harms that these acquisitions present. Should the FTC determine that these mergers would violate antitrust law, we urge you to oppose them. This Industry Is Already Too Concentrated, and Americans Are Already Paying the Price. In the 1990s, over 2,600 mergers occurred throughout all segments of the U.S. petroleum industry. Between 1990 and 2001, the number of major U.S. energy companies plunged by more than half, dropping from 19 to 9, due to merger activity. Most notably, Exxon merged with Mobil in 1999; Chevron merged with Texaco in 2001 (after Chevron had already acquired Gulf Oil and Texaco had already bought Getty Oil in the 1980s). Such consolidation enabled better industry coordination, and the remaining firms were well aware that they were members of an oligopoly with a “small number of companies involved, all of whom share[d] a motivation to recoup costs and not undermine the market.” For example, according to internal Mobil and BP documents, the majors understood that “[f]looding the market and depressing margins on the base volume” they marketed was unprofitable. Likewise, they knew that directing their individual supplies into, or away from, particular regions of the country enabled them to achieve “price uplift scenarios” and to “leverage up” prices. The Government Accountability Office found that five specific mergers from that time period – Marathon-Ashland, Shell-Texaco I (Equilon), BP-Amoco, MAP-UDS, and Exxon-Mobil – led to wholesale gasoline price increases ranging from 0.39 to 5.00 cents per gallon. Of those five, the price increase due to the Exxon-Mobil merger was the greatest. After these huge mergers took place, the majors’ upstream operations were skewed to the detriment of consumers. Studies at the time demonstrated that spending on drilling for new oil supplies by the merged giants fell significantly compared to the drilling budgets before their mergers. Strangely enough, the majors cut back on upstream production at a time when crude prices were sky high and exploration costs had fallen by more than half, “one of the biggest potential disconnects between supply and demand in the 150-year history of the oil business.” These anticompetitive tactics resulted in a fragile supply for the nation where isolated mishaps at refineries or broken pipelines caused enormous price spikes for consumers (as took place in 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2005) – all of which financially benefited the oligopolists, providing them no incentive to stabilize national supply. Consolidation in midstream operations hurt Americans consumers, as well. In 1993, the largest five oil refiners had a collective share of about one-third of the American market, and the largest ten controlled 55.6 percent. By 2005, due to the wave of mergers, the top five controlled 55 percent of the market, and the largest ten had 81.4 percent. This increase in concentration enabled the largest players to manipulate the industry by withholding supply in order to drive up prices, and since most of the firms were also vertically integrated, they benefited from higher prices at the retail level, as well. Similar market dynamics exist today. The oil-and-gas industry is still dominated by a handful of corporate giants, led by the top-two players Exxon and Chevron. Any further consolidation could harm American consumers. This is especially true given the inelastic demand for gas products; those who drive to work rarely have substitutes for gas, so as prices rise, people do not purchase less gas. In April 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic began, retail gasoline prices averaged $1.84. Prices steadily rose for two years, hitting a historic height of $4.93 in June 2022, and remain relatively high today at $3.84. Meanwhile, Exxon and Chevron posted their own historic heights in 2022: $56 billion in profits for Exxon and $36.5 billion for Chevron. They were not alone; Big Oil corporations collectively earned an industry high of nearly $200 billion last year. President Biden rightfully called for the FTC to investigate the oil industry for price gouging since such surges cannot be explained away by increased production costs from the pandemic or inflation, especially in light of these firms’ astronomical profits. The Deals Could Harm Competition and Lead to Even Higher Prices for Americans. Exxon is the largest oil-and-gas corporation in the United States, operating up and down the supply chain and across the entire industry. Its acquisition target, Pioneer, is an upstream petroleum operator drilling in Texas’s Permian Basin. Pioneer owns more drilling acreage than any other producer in the Permian where Exxon is also a top producer. A merged Exxon-Pioneer could produce a staggering 1.2 million barrels per day – more than twice the amount of the next competitor. Accordingly, this deal would enable the new Exxon to dominate the Permian – the most prolific oil-and-gas field in the world and America’s most important. Chevron is America’s 2nd largest oil-and-gas firm with integrated operations rivaling Exxon’s. Hess is one of the largest producers in North Dakota’s Bakken Shale, the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, and offshore Guyana. Supporters of the deals have argued that the global market for oil and gas is so enormous that dominant firms in the relevant basins would not have enough supply to restrict capacity or raise prices in any meaningful way. Focusing only on the global market is improper. Even if these energy firms represent a small fraction of the global petroleum market, the question before the FTC is whether these proposed transactions are likely to harm American consumers. Thus, the FTC must consider how Exxon’s or Chevron’s vertically integrated operations may harm American competition in spite of the global market. For example, Exxon owns extensive midstream operations in the Permian Basin, meaning Exxon controls storage, refining, and transportation for a significant amount of capacity in the region where it will acquire Pioneer’s drilling operations. Exxon has an extensive pipeline system that transfers crude supply from the Permian to the Texas Gulf Coast. Recently, Exxon expanded its refinery operations on the Texas Gulf Coast by an additional capacity of 250,000 barrels per day and announced plans to ramp up its exporting operations on the Texas Gulf Coast, suggesting that Exxon-Pioneer intends to move significantly more oil and gas out of the United States than the two companies exported separately. Exxon’s CEO Darren Woods put it more bluntly in 2020: “These projects are export machines, generating products that high-growth nations need to support larger populations with higher standards of living. Those overseas markets are the motivation behind our investments. The supply is here; the demand is there. We want to keep connecting those dots.” This export strategy – in the nation’s most important oil-and-gas field, no less – could reduce the amount of their capacity ultimately available to American consumers and thereby increase prices throughout the energy supply chain, including at the gas pump. Furthermore, as we described above, the major energy firms already have a history of artificially reducing supply and increasing prices following rounds of consolidation. If this “consolidation trend in the US” continues accelerating, competing exploration-and-production companies will find it increasingly difficult to operate without Exxon’s and Chevron’s networks, which creates new abilities and incentives for Exxon and Chevron to engage in anticompetitive tactics. Exxon’s and Chevron’s operations downstream would enable them to redirect Pioneer’s and Hess’s crude supply to themselves, away from (and possibly to the detriment of) their midstream competitors. These new market dynamics could result in price hikes for midstream customers, and such added costs are often passed downstream to retail customers, including drivers at gas stations. We also urge you to investigate how an Exxon-Pioneer merger might impact local operators in the Permian as well as oilfield employees such as geologists and engineers. Potential anticompetitive harms at any level of the supply chain and in any market merit consideration by the FTC. The FTC Must Protect Americans from Big Oil. These deals also demonstrate how corporate consolidation can frustrate self-governing democracy. At a time when Americans overwhelmingly support governmental efforts to clean up the environment and protect our nation from climate disasters, Exxon and Chevron are doubling down on fossil-fuel production. The proposed transactions would augment these corporations’ outsized political power, further enabling them to spend millions on lobbyists against climate legislation, litigation to slash environmental rules, and misinformation disputing scientific facts about climate change. Under President Biden, the FTC has been willing to stand up to Big Oil. Just last year, the FTC required an energy private-equity fund to divest its entire crude-oil business in Utah before allowing a similar transaction to close, expressing concerns that the deal would lead to higher prices for refiners and consumers at the pump. The fight against Big Oil is not new. When the Justice Department took on Standard Oil in the early twentieth century, the Supreme Court protected competition by breaking up Standard Oil into 43 different firms. Eventually, the global industry reorganized into seven dominant global players, including five prominent American companies – three of which (Standard Oil of California, Gulf Oil, and Texaco) combined into today’s Chevron, and two of which were Standard Oil of New Jersey (now known as Exxon) and Standard Oil of New York (now known as Mobil). In our view, the FTC should not have approved the ExxonMobil merger in 1999, which created the largest corporate successor of Standard Oil’s original illegal monopoly, or the merger between Chevron and Texaco in 2001. Lax enforcement during that period resulted in market manipulation, unstable supply, and price hikes for Americans. We must avoid similar mistakes going forward. It is incumbent upon the FTC to closely review the Exxon-Pioneer and Chevron-Hess acquisitions and take appropriate action should such reviews uncover any possible anticompetitive effects enabled by the acquisitions. If anything, the FTC should be investigating the past anticompetitive mergers of Big Oil conglomerates like ExxonMobil and Chevron to determine whether these energy giants should be broken up once again. We appreciate your attention to these serious matters. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) received the Courage Award from Tracy’s Kids for her work to address childhood cancer and for sharing her experience with stage 1A breast cancer. Tracy’s Kids is a nonprofit organization that offers art therapy to help support young cancer and blood disorder patients and their families. “It’s an honor to receive the Courage Award from Tracy’s Kids. Every kid deserves a happy, healthy childhood. That’s why I’m fighting to make sure children and their caregivers have the support they need to beat cancer,” said Klobuchar. “I'll continue to work with my colleagues across the aisle to support cutting-edge research and expand access to needed cancer treatments.” Klobuchar has long supported patients with cancer. Every year,
...Read more Klobuchar supports strong funding for the National Institutes of Health and Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs. In March, Klobuchar, Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Doris Matsui (D-CA), introduced the Finn Sawyer Access to Cancer Testing (ACT) Act to ensure patients with health coverage through Medicare, Medicaid (Medical Assistance), and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) have access to molecular diagnostic testing at the time of first diagnosis. In 2022, Klobuchar (D-MN) and a bipartisan, bicameral group of colleagues introduced the Screening for Communities to Receive Early and Equitable Needed Services (SCREENS) for Cancer Act to increase access to cancer screenings and reauthorize the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP). In 2021, Klobuchar, Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), John Thune (R-SD), and Tina Smith (D-MN) introduced the Preventative Care Awareness Act to promote the use of preventive health care services such as mammograms and other cancer screenings. In 2014 and 2020, Klobuchar, Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Representative Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL) led the reauthorization and expansion of the EARLY Act to increase education and outreach on the breast cancer risks facing young women and provide them with the needed tools to fight breast cancer. ### Read less WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement on the Administration’s executive order on artificial intelligence. “Like any emerging technology, AI comes with significant risks, and our laws need to keep up. The President took strong action today, but it is also critical that Congress pass legislation to establish common sense rules of the road, especially for the AI systems that pose the greatest risks and when it comes to safeguarding our democracy.” In September, Klobuchar, Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with oversight over federal elections, and Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO), Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law; Chris Coons (D-DE), Chair of the Judiciary
...Read more Committee’s Subcommittee on Intellectual Property; and Susan Collins (R-ME), Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee and former Chair of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, introduced the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act, bipartisan legislation to ban the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to generate materially deceptive content falsely depicting federal candidates in political ads to influence federal elections. In May, Klobuchar and U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced the REAL Political Ads Act to require a disclaimer on political ads that use images or video generated by artificial intelligence. Companion legislation is led in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY). ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) introduced bipartisan legislation to enhance the ability of the Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Products Assistance program to support the development of biofuels, renewable chemicals, and biobased products. The Agricultural Biorefinery Innovation and Opportunity Act will update the underlying loan guarantee program and restore a grant program to support public-private partnership investment in pilot and demonstration-scale facility development. “Developing America’s biomanufacturing capabilities is good for our farmers and good for our economy,” said Klobuchar. “This legislation will strengthen the Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Products Assistance program and will continue to create jobs
...Read more and solidify America as a leading manufacturer of these products.” “Investing in biofuels will provide new markets for our farmers while helping the U.S. to become more energy independent,” said Moran. “Developing innovative biofuels will provide new and better sources of energy to drive our economy forward.” “PBPC is grateful to Senators Klobuchar and Moran for introducing the Agricultural Biorefinery Improvement Act. For the U.S. to realize its potential in taking biobased products from idea to market, we need more research and development facilities to allow for viable scale-up opportunities. Promotion of the Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program – which provides loan guarantees and grants for the development and advancement of a variety of biobased products – is a critical step in the right direction,” said Plant Based Products Council Acting Executive Director Jamaica Gayle. “The corn refining industry applauds Senators Klobuchar and Moran for their leadership in introducing legislation that will advance the Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program. This program is vital to U.S. competitiveness in the ag bioeconomy and this legislation will provide much needed support to American innovators and entrepreneurs. Growing the ag bioeconomy will stimulate economic growth in rural America, create new manufacturing and STEM jobs, and improve circularity in the bioeconomy,” said Corn Refiners Association President and CEO John Bode. “ABC is delighted to hear that Senators Klobuchar and Moran are making strides to improve the Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program. Our abundant agricultural feedstocks and highly advanced supply chains make the U.S. the natural home of a strong, vibrant biomanufacturing sector. We can lead the world in advanced bioproducts if we leverage our strengths and invest in our rural communities. This legislation will improve the scalability of American bioproducts and speed up bringing new innovations to market,” said Ag Bioeconomy Coalition Robin Bowen “The Ag Energy Coalition applauds Senators Klobuchar and Moran for proposing bipartisan legislation to modernize the Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Manufacturing Assistance Program as part of the upcoming farm bill. Biorefineries are the lifeblood of rural America in terms of driving manufacturing innovations, building new agriculture markets, and creating jobs and economic opportunity. Revitalizing this program will help build and expand facilities to produce everything from SAF to biobased products and renewable chemicals. That is an essential investment in the nation's energy and bioeconomy transformation and in a rural economic renaissance," said Ag Energy Coalition Lloyd Ritter. Specifically, the biorefinery grant program would include: Cost-share grants to eligible entities for up to 50% of the cost of pilot scale facility construction.
$100 million over five years in mandatory funding, as well as a discretionary component. Klobuchar has been a long time supporter of biofuels and biomanufacturing. In July, Klobuchar and Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and Pete Ricketts (R-NE) introduced the Biomanufacturing and Jobs Act to strengthen the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) BioPreferred program. In June, Klobuchar with Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Ernst introduced the Sustainable Aviation Fuels Accuracy Act, to solidify the future of American-grown sustainable aviation fuels. In March, Klobuchar and Fischer reintroduced the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2023 which would enable the year-round, nationwide sale of ethanol blends higher than 10 percent. In November 2022, at a Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry hearing, Klobuchar highlighted the importance of biofuels and showed support for the BioPreferred Program. In February 2022, Klobuchar and Stabenow led a letter to the Secretary of Agriculture to invest in biobased products. ### Read less WASHINGTON – At a Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband hearing titled “Protecting Americans from Robocalls,” U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), questioned witnesses on how criminals are using deceptive tactics through robocalls to defraud Americans across the United States. “With advancements in technology, we are seeing a rampant rise in criminals using deceptive robocall and disruptive texting tactics,” said Klobuchar. “We need to develop rules of the road to ensure that these fraudulent and unwanted calls no longer take advantage of people across the country.” The witness at today's hearing included: Margot Saunders, Senior Attorney, National Consumer Law Center
Megan Brown, Partner, Wiley Rein, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
...Read more representative
Josh Bercu, Executive Director, Industry Traceback Group and Vice President Policy and Advocacy, USTelecom
Mike Rudolph, Chief Technology Officer, YouMail A transcript of Klobuchar’s questions are available below. Video is available for online viewing HERE. Senator Klobuchar: Lots of questions here I'll go fast. First of all, we know that after the TRACED Act passed in 2019, after new FTC rules were in place, the number of scam robocalls declined by almost half. Now we're having all kinds of new issues, and Mr. Bercu, who you noticed in your, noted in your testimony that we, that there is collaboration between industry and the FCC. How can we make sure that tracing illegal calls to their origin results in actual enforcement action? Josh Bercu: So I think what we've seen that the FCC is approach with the cease and desist, I think it's been highly effective. They targeted certain campaigns; they dropped off the face of the earth almost. So I think I think we're making great progress. I think the more we do, some of the rules the FCC did about know your provider, I think it's a process, and over time, that is going to keep going in the right direction. So I think we've done a lot of great work. Klobuchar: Okay, good. Ms. Saunders, why do you think, particularly these telemarketing calls, that these volumes are so high? I was, I mean, I was just looking [and] we've got so many people to under 221 million numbers registered on the Do Not Call list. And still, we're seeing a number of people call about violations. What solution should we prioritize here? Margot Saunders: First, let me say that I believe that the number of scam calls that have appeared to be reduced because there's been a reorganization or re-categorization of many of those calls. Many of the calls that had previously been identified as scams have now been identified as telemarketing calls. It is Mr. Bercu, who said most of the telemarketing calls originate in the United States. We think that what needs to be done is the FCC should adopt a quick-acting, temporary restraining order-type of methodology. And once a voice service provider is found to have repeatedly after notice, processed, scam, or telemarketing calls, they should be suspended immediately from the robocall mitigation database. That will cost them money. And even if they, after they… Klobuchar: That will be an incentive to be more careful. Margot Saunders: That's correct. Klobuchar: Okay. All right. Like it. AI voice cloning. Senator Vance mentioned this. We actually had, I had someone I know that got one of these calls. His son, serving in the Marines, deployed. So, they knew he was deployed but didn't know where. They get a call because they scraped his voice off the internet, asking for money to be delivered to somewhere in Texas. I've had two other military families tell me this story in Minnesota. I don't….this is unbelievable to me. So what are service providers, Mr. Bercu? What are they doing to get ahead of these robocalls using voice calling? These are obviously targeted ones with the person's voice, but all kinds of things could happen. And what can we do, Mr. Rudolph, to mitigate this? Bercu: Thank you….the voice service providers take protecting their customers very seriously. They are always looking at the greatest technology … they've implemented blocking and labeling they have analytics on running on their network. So I think they will continue to try to find out how they can identify those scams and how they can take action accordingly. One of the things with our traceback effort, whether it's a robocall or one of those calls, we can trace those back, we can find out whose making them, we can find out who put it on the network. So I think traceback will be a really important part of stopping those going forward as well. Mike Rudolph: Your specific use case is a targeted attack, and based on the investigations that we've done so far, and did similar attacks, those are threat actors who have gotten a personal phone and a personal phone number, just like anybody going into a store to get a device. So those are extremely hard for a communication provider to deal with. It looks just like a customer making those phone calls. Klobuchar: Right, I understand. Yeah, I'm not, actually, I'm just using an example; then it could get worse, right? Rudolph: Absolutely. Klobuchar: Or turn into the voice of a general that they know, or a famous commander or something, anything, and it would go to all the military families. Or it would go to people thinking in some political person turns into a robocall. So I do think this adds to the danger. Last thing, robo texts. There were over 12 billion spam texts to Americans just last month, I think I got half of them. And these texts often include links that install … malware, and spyware on a consumer's device. In March, the FCC adopted rules. Ms. Saunders, what other measures should they consider to go at these illegal robo texts? Saunders: We have recommended to the commission that it adopt special security rules for robo texts that include URLs just because of this significant damage. Congress could also pass regulations or statutes that provide more protection for consumers once they've had their money stolen from their bank accounts. There are, that would be a big help as well. Klobuchar: All right. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) wrote Live Nation Entertainment CEO Michael Rapino requesting an update on price transparency efforts. In the letter, Klobuchar highlighted the critical need for an honest consumer experience when purchasing tickets. “Millions of Americans rely on your company for the chance to see their favorite artist, band, or sports team. In return for their business and trust, your customers expect a transparent and honest ticket buying process free from hidden fees,” Klobuchar wrote. Klobuchar continued in the letter, “Live Nation-Ticketmaster committed to “roll out an upfront all-in pricing experience in September showing just one clear, total price.” In your own press release, Live Nation-Ticketmaster touted that it will “lead the industry
...Read more with new all-in pricing.” Yet, it is still too difficult for consumers to find the all-in price of a ticket before checkout.” Live Nation Entertainment, which owns and operates Ticketmaster, committed to all-in pricing for the venues they own and operate, and at the time this letter was sent, they were not upholding that commitment. The full text of the letter can be found HERE and below: As the CEO of the nation’s largest online ticketing platform, you know that millions of Americans rely on your company for the chance to see their favorite artist, band, or sports team. In return for their business and trust, your customers expect a transparent and honest ticket buying process free from hidden fees. Live Nation-Ticketmaster, however, has not yet made the all-in ticket price—including fees—the default setting for its platform. For many events, including those for its own venues, it is still too difficult to see the all-in price before checkout. In most instances, consumers must find and select a filter buried within a tab that gives no indication that it contains an option to display all-in pricing. The existence of this filter shows that Live Nation-Ticketmaster has the technical ability to display all-in prices but chooses not to display that price to consumers as the default setting. Although Live Nation-Ticketmaster does not set all of the fees charged on its platform, you have a responsibility to be upfront with customers about the full cost of their tickets. I support the Biden Administration’s work to eliminate junk fees. At a White House event in June, President Biden announced that, as a part of his campaign to eliminate junk fees, Live Nation-Ticketmaster committed to “roll out an upfront all-in pricing experience in September showing just one clear, total price.” In your own press release, Live Nation-Ticketmaster touted that it will “lead the industry with new all-in pricing.” Yet, it is still too difficult for consumers to find the all-in price of a ticket before checkout. I expect that Live Nation-Ticketmaster will take additional steps to honor your commitment by continuing to roll out transparent pricing tools that disclose all-in ticket prices to consumers prior to checkout. Please respond by November 15, 2023 with the status of your efforts to disclose the all-in ticket price to consumers up front. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Representatives Lucy McBath (D-GA) and Jeff Duncan (R-SC) introduced the Stop Campus Hazing Act to improve the reporting and prevention of hazing on college campuses. This bipartisan legislation would require hazing incidents be included in a college’s annual crime report and require higher education institutions to establish a campus-wide, research-based program to educate students about the dangers of hazing. In addition, the bill would increase transparency and accountability by providing parents and students with better information about a college’s history of hazing incidents. “When parents send their kids away to college, they expect they will get a good education and make new friends.
...Read more Unfortunately, hazing is a dangerous—and at times deadly—reality, and we must work to end it,” said Klobuchar. “Our bipartisan legislation will improve hazing prevention efforts on college campuses as well as reporting of hazing incidents to make sure we have the information we need to stop this abuse and keep students safe.” “Students should feel safe no matter what school they choose,” said Dr. Cassidy. “The Stop Campus Hazing Act improves transparency and ensures hazing is never ignored.” “The impacts of hazing across our country are heartbreaking and unacceptable. I know the pain of losing a child, and we must do everything we can so that families know their kids are being kept safe when they go off to college,” said McBath. “This bipartisan, bicameral legislation strengthens important national standards for data collection and reporting so that students, their families, and our nation are informed about these horrific instances. This bill is an important step as we protect the health, safety, and success of students.” “Hazing on college campuses has taken the lives of too many shining stars,” said Duncan. “Our district knows the pain of losing a son, and friend, to hazing. I’m proud to stand up for countless students like Tucker W. Hipps whose life was taken too soon. If we stand united, we can put an end to hazing and ensure no one is subjected to the horrific pain it brings.” This legislation is cosponsored by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Lindsay Graham (R-SC), Bob Casey (D-PA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Susan Collins (R-ME). The National Study of Student Hazing found that more than half of college students involved in extracurricular clubs, athletic teams, and organizations experience hazing. Since 2000, there have been more than 50 hazing-related deaths. The Stop Campus Hazing Act would: Improve hazing reporting by requiring colleges to include hazing incidents in their Annual Security Report;
Prevent hazing by establishing campus-wide, research-based hazing education and prevention programs; and
Help students and their parents make informed decisions about joining organizations on campus by requiring colleges to publish on their websites the institution’s hazing prevention policies and the organizations that have violated them. This bipartisan, evidence-informed legislation is supported by the Clery Center; StopHazing; Anti-Hazing Coalition including the Hazing Prevention Network, Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values, Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors, National Panhellenic Conference and its member sororities, the North American Interfraternity Conference and its member fraternities; College Safety Coalition; SAFE Campuses, LLC; International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators; and the parents of hazing victims. “Federal legislation to address hazing is long overdue, and while we wait, lives continue to be lost. The Stop Campus Hazing Act will standardize how hazing is defined, tracked, and responded to across colleges and universities. This common-sense bill has unprecedented support from organizations and families across the country- the time is now,” said Jessica Mertz, Executive Director of the Clery Center. “The National Association of Clery Compliance Officers and Professionals (NACCOP) strongly supports the primary tenants of the Clery Act as we believe the law has not only enhanced campus and student safety across the country, but it has also strengthened and professionalized campus police and security agencies, student affairs offices, and other compliance initiatives. It has been our privilege to provide feedback toward the “Stop Campus Hazing Act” in terms of helping refine some of the legislative language to reduce potential confusion and conflict for practitioners as they ensure proper implementation of the Act should it become law. We continue to support initiatives that strengthen institutional safety efforts at colleges and universities,” said Dolores Stafford, Executive Director, NACCOP. “Hazing is a critical issue facing campuses across all sports and student organizations. The behavior can quickly escalate causing mental or physical harm and often occurs when there is a differing power dynamic between people inside a group and those trying to join. We applaud the introduction of the Stop Campus Hazing Act which will bring more transparency to the issue allowing students and parents to make educated decisions when choosing to join a group,” said Todd Shelton, Executive Director, Hazing Prevention Network. “We must all work together to ensure far greater accountability for perpetrators of hazing and require far more transparency when these horrific acts occur on college campuses. Our organizations applaud the introduction of the Stop Campus Hazing Act and Panhellenic women across the country will continue to advocate for its passage as an urgent piece of legislation critical to the fight against hazing,” said Dani Weatherford, CEO, National Panhellenic Conference. “The Stop Campus Hazing Act is a critical tool providing much needed transparency about past instances of hazing on college campuses. We applaud the bi-partisan leadership in the House and Senate for helping to educate, inform and ensure students have a safe learning environment,” said Judson Horras, President and CEO, North American Interfraternity Conference. “October 19th marks two years since the horrific hazing event of our son Danny that has left him unable to walk, talk, or see. 2 years ago, it changed Danny’s future and the lives of our family forever. We think of how this bill would have saved Danny from this tragedy if it was passed before he entered college. As parents, we would have been so much more informed of what fraternity Danny was looking at. This bill will give transparency and insight to parents like us, who need to be informed of the organizations that are on college campuses today. This bill could have prevented Danny’s tragedy, and we are convinced it will save lives,” said Tom and Mary Pat Santulli, parents of Danny Santulli and Minnesota residents. “On March 30, 2007 (over 16 years ago) our oldest son Gary DeVercelly, Jr. died from a fraternity hazing ritual during Big/Little night at the age of 18. Since his death, the number of identified hazing tragedies and deaths has escalated at an alarming rate. We see the introduction of the Stop Campus Hazing Act as a giant step forward in our battle to eradicate hazing. By requiring accountability, transparency, and education this bill will transform the hazing culture on campuses. We know the Stop Campus Hazing Act will save lives and make campuses safer. Had this bill been in effect when Gary Jr. went to college, he’d be alive today,” said Gary and Julie DeVercelly, parents of Gary DeVercelly, Jr. “Since hazing accounts for and covers such a wide range of criminal acts on campus, it only makes sense for it to be reported with other crimes on campus. Transparency, education and accountability are important aspects of the "Stop Campus Hazing Act" in addition to tracking statistics. I feel this legislation is a no-brainer!” said Cindy Hipps, Mother of Tucker Hipps. "Our son Max died from hazing at his fraternity house on Sept. 14, 2017 at LSU. After considering several fraternities, he believed the Phi Delta Thetas at LSU were a good choice, but he was unaware they had multiple student code of conduct violations, including hazing, as recent as the semester before he joined. The Stop Campus Hazing Act would have provided this information so that our son could have made a more educated decision about the organization he was joining. Knowing this information would have saved Max’s life,” said Steve and Rae Ann Gruver, parents of Max Gruver. Klobuchar has been a leader in the fight to end hazing. Last month, Klobuchar and Senator Bill Cassidy’s legislation to designate the week of September 25 through September 29, 2023 as “National Hazing Awareness Week” passed the Senate. Representatives Lucy McBath (D-GA) and Jeff Duncan (R-SC) lead companion legislation in the House of Representatives. In 2021, Klobuchar and Senators Bill Cassidy, Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced the bipartisan Report and Educate About Campus Hazing (REACH) Act to address hazing on college campuses. This bill would require hazing incidents to be reported as part of a college’s annual crime report and establish a definition of hazing to clarify what constitutes a reportable offense. The legislation would also require institutions to establish a campus-wide, research-based program to educate students about the dangers of hazing. ### Read less WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Mike Lee (R-UT), Chairwoman and Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, held a hearing titled, “Examining Competition and Consumer Rights in Housing Markets.” “More and more of the cost of renting is hidden from view through the proliferation of junk fees. As a result, renters struggle to take advantage of price competition because the true costs of housing are not transparent,” said Klobuchar. “We now need to examine whether antitrust and consumer protection laws need to be updated to eliminate predatory junk fees from rental markets and [to] root out anti-competitive tools that facilitate price fixing instead of competition, and ensure the market is more
...Read more responsive to the increased demand for housing,” Klobuchar continued. A rough transcript of Klobuchar’s full opening statement is available below. This is a very important hearing, and I'm actually really excited to hear from our witnesses. I would like to thank Ranking Member Lee and his staff for working with us to plan this hearing. So, everyone looks back fondly, maybe, at the first place they ever lived. For me, in 1960, my parents wallpapered the last room in their house on a dirt road. 1315 Oakview Lane in Plymouth, Minnesota. I still remember that my whole time growing up, we lived in the same house. I had no dishwasher to the end, but it had exposed wood ceilings, and my grandma, who grew up on the Iron Range of Minnesota, would come down to the cities to see the house, and she would, every single time, say to my mom and dad, when are you going to finish the ceiling? And the brightly colored appliances, butter yellow colored oven, that was all part of our lives. My dad paid for that house with a GI loan. And today, I think we all know that houses are not available to many young families in the same way that my parents could afford them on a teacher's salary and a starting newspaper reporter's salary. In 1960, the median home value was $11,900. That is about $123,000 in today's dollars, and this was, of course, in the midst of the post-war housing boom. Today, the median single-family home costs more than $400,000. If you look at it across America, this is an increase of more than 500% since 1980 and more than 40% since 2020. I think we know why this is, affordable options are too few. Freddie Mac estimates that we need to build 3.8 million new homes to make up for the housing deficit. And according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the affordable housing gap for those with low incomes is more than 7.3 million rental units. We know rents have always gone up, jumping more than 12% since August of [20]22 alone. And in some 20 million households, they spend more than half of their income on housing. So what do we do? The affordable housing crisis is a result of complex, long-standing issues, many of which are the focus of our colleagues over in the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee chaired by Senator Sherrod Brown and Tina Smith, who chairs the Subcommittee on Housing.. We know there's issues of workforce to build housing, there's issues of the costs of building housing and the component parts. But today, we're going to focus on the role that competition policy changes to help address these market failures. So some of the issues I'll put on the table that are relevant to our committee. First, renters face real challenges to compare and contrast prices. More and more of the cost of renting is hidden from view through the proliferation of junk fees. As a result, renters struggle to take advantage of price competition because the true costs of housing are not transparent. Second, housing is an area in which we have seen the widespread use of algorithmic pricing tools designed to raise prices even at the expense of higher vacancy rates. A growing number of companies like RealPage and Yardi offer services that collect competitively sensitive pricing information from competing property management committees, feed that data through sophisticated algorithms, and recommend unit-by-unit prices so landlords can charge a certain rent. Landlords have figured out that it is better for them and their bottom lines to use these products to price units high so that some of them actually sit empty, but it is easier to have them priced high for them in the long term. And so, I believe landlords should be competing on price. And I don't think you see that happening when you have these algorithm-based games going on. Third, families are being boxed out of the market for single-family homes by institutional investors. There've been wide ranging news reports about this, where institutional investors will just buy up homes in a neighborhood, making them out of reach, especially for first-time homebuyers. The institutional buyers are often backed by large private equity funds, seeking reliable revenues through rental income instead of allowing families to achieve the dream of home ownership. The presence of these institutional actors drives up home prices because they can make all cash offers and wave inspections to outbid everyday people. And unlike Mom and Pop landlords, these absentee owners are more likely to charge junk fees, evict families, and increase instability in our communities. Finally, this is all made worse by the fact that we are not building enough affordable housing. The number of starter homes being built has plummeted since the 2008 financial crisis, which put hundreds of thousands of small builders out of business. This has left us reliant on fewer and fewer large corporate home builders that dominate home building in major metropolitan areas. The builders tend to focus on high-end homes rather than starter homes. The consolidation in the homebuilding market has been shown to reduce the number of new homes built by more than 100,000 houses every single year. So while we recognize that competition policy is no silver bullet, and I will emphasize that as we talk about some of the other issues at hand, while it is no silver bullet for solving our affordable housing crisis, we shouldn't dismiss its importance. We should at least explore it and look at what possible solutions we can agree on. The antitrust laws were actually used in the 1960s to make sure that there was fairness in the sales of homes. And we now need to examine whether antitrust and consumer protection laws need to be updated to eliminate predatory junk fees from rental markets, root out anti-competitive tools that facilitate price fixing instead of competition, and ensure the market is more responsive to the increased demand for housing. I look forward to exploring these issues with my colleagues and our esteemed witnesses today and now I turn it over to Senator Lee. ### Read less Klobuchar, a Member of the Senate Commerce Committee, Worked to Create the Tech Hubs Program through CHIPS & Science Act WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar announced that Minnesota MedTech 3.0 was designated by the U.S. Department of Commerce as one of the 31 inaugural Tech Hubs in the country which will receive federal support to accelerate technological innovation. The Tech Hubs designation was selected based on Minnesota’s leadership in healthcare and medical technology and its potential for rapid technology-led economic growth. “This Tech Hub designation is a tribute to our cutting edge Minnesota businesses and our incredible workers. It will provide federal support for partnerships between Minnesota hospitals, research institutions, and medical technology companies to
...Read more accelerate innovation, improve healthcare, and create good jobs,” said Klobuchar. “I pushed for this Tech Hub to ensure our state continues its global leadership in med tech for decades to come.” “A diverse and powerful team of leaders and organizations came together this summer to create a plan to build the global future of medical technology here in Minneapolis-Saint Paul,” said GREATER MSP Partnership CEO Peter Frosch. “Our MedTech 3.0 plan will increase Minnesota’s competitiveness, America’s economic security and opportunity for residents across the entire Greater MSP region.” “Medtronic is proud to be a leader in Minnesota MedTech 3.0 alongside so many other great partners,” said Medtronic Chairman & CEO Geoff Martha. “This is a tremendous opportunity for Minnesota, and we’re committed to using our resources to ensure the success of this Tech Hub.” Minnesota MedTech 3.0, led by the GREATER MSP Partnership, will bring together Minnesota hospitals, research institutions, and medical device manufacturers to integrate cutting edge technology, data science, and device manufacturing to position Minnesota as a global center in medical technology and healthcare. The Regional Technology and Innovation Hub Program was created by the CHIPS & Science Act, which Klobuchar worked to pass last year. This program is designed to drive regional technology- and innovation-centric growth by strengthening a region’s capacity to manufacture, commercialize, and deploy critical technologies while creating local jobs for workers at all skill levels. Klobuchar wrote letters of support for Minnesota’s application to be a Tech Hub. Designated Tech Hubs are eligible to receive millions of dollars in direct federal investment. The 31 Tech Hubs were selected from 198 applications from regional partnerships that include industry, academia, workforce, state and local governments, and economic development organizations. In June, Klobuchar, hosted a roundtable discussion and press conference at Normandale Community College with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo to discuss the recently passed bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act and how it can benefit Minnesota’s workers and economy. ### Read less 
