Sen. Franken Announces “True Cost Of College” Act

An offer for a college loan and financial aid should be easy to understand. But it’s not, according to Senator Al Franken (DFL-MN) since colleges sometimes send out letters offering a loan, that never even use the word “loan” in the letter.

So today, surrounded by college students who borrow money to pay for their education, Senator Franken announced the “Understanding The True Cost Of College Act” that would require colleges to use easier to understand language in their financial aid package offers to students.

Senator Franken also said he is backing legislation to keep federally subsidized Stafford student loan interest rates at 3.4 percent. Those interest rates are scheduled to double on July 1st.

Press release from Senator Al Franken … Continue Reading

Sen Franken: Bullying LGBT Kids Is Discrimination

Senator Al Franken (D- Minnesota) says the relentless bullying of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transexual children is discrimination, but our laws fail to protect them. That is why he has introduced legislation to protect LGBT kids and that legislation now has the endorsement of President Brarack Obama.

Senator Franken said Minnesota’s proposed “anti-marriage” constitutional amendment should be defeated. He likened the discrimination against same-sex marriage to the discrimination against mixed-race marriage in the 1960s.
Franken recounted the case of Loving vs. Virginia where the state argued a mixed race couple could not get married because their races came from different continents. In 1967 the US Supreme Court ruled against the state 9-0 and said the couple did indeed have the right to get married.

Franken made his remarks during the Minneapolis White House LGBT Conference on Families. More video from the conference. … Continue Reading

“Being a Woman Shouldn’t be a Pre-existing Condition”

“There should be no cost to a human life; there should be no price tag,” Abby Schanfield, a teary-eyed University of Minnesota student born with a “pre-existing condition” said Friday morning on the two-year anniversary of the passage of the Affordable Care Act — the Obama administration’s landmark health care legislation. “With the implementation of the law, I can stay on my parents’ (insurance) plan until I’m 26, which is a huge relief, because facing that uncertainty is extremely scary.”

The Affordable Care Act will face what could be its ultimate test this week when the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments against, and in defense of, the controversial health care legislation. The high court’s decision, expected in June, is expected to play a huge role in this year’s presidential campaign.

Schanfield was born with a rare parasitic congenital disease called Toxoplasmosis, which forced her to have brain surgery when she was 10 months old and caused her to begin losing the vision in one eye when she was 17 years old. She and other women whose families have faced precarious health care predicaments gathered at the home of Minnesota Nurses Association president Linda Hamilton to share their stories about experiencing health care insecurity, worrying about gaps in coverage for themselves, a spouse, parent or child, and facing financial hardship and discrimination from insurance companies.

Seated on Hamilton’s couches around the living room were U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, U.S. Senator Al Franken, Congresswoman Betty McCollum and Governor Mark Dayton. For her part in the conversation, Secretary Sebelius highlighted how the Affordable Care Act has put many Americans back in charge of their health care since it was signed into law on March 23, 2010. Sebelius discussed how women in particular are disproportionally impacted by insurance company abuses such as discrimination on pre-existing conditions, coverage recessions and lifetime limits on care. She added that, as a result of the Affordable Care Act, being a woman will no longer be considered a pre-existing condition.

Another Close One For Sen. Al Franken- Ties In Hotdish Cookoff

Senator Al Franken is used to close elections. This time he didn’t beat his opponents, but had to settle for a tie with Representative Chip Cravaack in the second annual Minnesota Congressional delegation hotdish cookoff.

No, there will not be a recount.

Press release from Senator Franken’s office with silly quotes from everyone involved and links to photos and recipes. … Continue Reading

MN Somalis Set Deadline To Pull Money From Wells Fargo

The only way that most people in Somalia survive is from money wired to them from relatives in Minnesota. That life line was cut when the US Government pressured banks to stop accepting the wire transfers, fearing the money could be going to terrorist organizations. Now the Somali community is threatening to take its money out of those banks unless they allow wire transfers to famine areas in Somalia.

Saturday night, members of the Somali community and allied partners hosted a large-scale public meeting regarding the ongoing funds-transfer crisis. Elected officials, faith leaders and community members talked about the urgent need for a solution in order to alleviate hardship caused by the continued inability for Somali Americans to send money to their loved ones in the East Africa nation.

One organizer of the event told the UpTake that Minnesota Somalis will start taking their money out of Wells Fargo Bank on May 11th unless the bank agrees to help send money to Somalia. He says more than 1,000 people attended Saturday night’s event.

Video of the entire event … Continue Reading

Netflix Facebook App Would Be Legal In US

Netflix’s top lawyer tries to convince a US Senate committee that laws need to be changed so it can offer a video sharing app on Facebook. Netflix General Counsel David Hyman told the Senate judiciary subcommittee on privacy that the 1988 Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA) had “ambiguities” preventing it from offering a Facebook video sharing act.

“We have been offering our members outside the United States the opportunity to share and discover movies with their friends on the Facebook platform.” Hyman says there are more than a half-million Netflix subscribers outside of the United States that use their Facebook app.

Committee chair Senator Al Franken (DFL- Minnesota) asked University of Minnesota Law Professor William McGeveran if current US law prevents Netflix from having a Facebook app in the U.S. McGeveran said no.

“The statute requires (consumer) consent every time….that can be done simply by saying here’s a button to press when you play the movie, because presumably you have to press a button to play the movie, and right next to it here’s a button to both play and share. You can post, you just have to be asked every time you see a movie. Online that seems relatively easy to effectuate.”

Simpler for corporations not better for consumers says Senator Leahy … Continue Reading

Who Should Know Which Videos You Watch?

U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law, holds a hearing entitled “The Video Privacy Protection Act: Protecting Viewer Privacy in the 21st Century.” The hearing will examine how the Video Privacy Protection Act, passed into law in 1988, protects people’s fundamental right to control personal information about the movies and videos they watch. The hearing will also consider whether the law needs to be updated to continue to protect viewer privacy and will examine a bill that recently passed the House of Representatives that would make it easier for video companies to disclose viewer information to third parties.

The following witnesses testify before the committee: Rep. Mel Watt (D-N.C.), Ranking Member, House Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition, and the Internet; David Hyman, General Counsel, Netflix, Inc.; William McGeveran, Professor, University of Minnesota Law School; Marc Rotenberg, Executive Director, Electronic Privacy Information Center; and Christopher Wolf, Director, Privacy and Information Management Group, Hogan Lovells LLP.

Obama Praises The End Of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”

The US military today woke up to a less discriminatory era. A law that has forced gay and lesbian military members to lie about who they are is no longer in effect. In December, Congress approved the law’s repeal and it was signed into law by President Obama. In July, President Obama and Pentagon officials certified that the military was ready to implement the repeal after a 60 day waiting period, which will ended at midnight on Tuesday, September 20th, 2011.

President Obama praised the change.

“Today, the discriminatory law known as ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ is finally and formally repealed. As of today, patriotic Americans in uniform will no longer have to lie about who they are in order to serve the country they love. As of today, our armed forces will no longer lose the extraordinary skills and combat experience of so many gay and lesbian service members. And today, as Commander in Chief, I want those who were discharged under this law to know that your country deeply values your service.

“I was proud to sign the Repeal Act into law last December because I knew that it would enhance our national security, increase our military readiness, and bring us closer to the principles of equality and fairness that define us as Americans. Today’s achievement is a tribute to all the patriots who fought and marched for change; to Members of Congress, from both parties, who voted for repeal; to our civilian and military leaders who ensured a smooth transition; and to the professionalism of our men and women in uniform who showed that they were ready to move forward together, as one team, to meet the missions we ask of them.

“For more than two centuries, we have worked to extend America’s promise to all our citizens. Our armed forces have been both a mirror and a catalyst of that progress, and our troops, including gays and lesbians, have given their lives to defend the freedoms and liberties that we cherish as Americans. Today, every American can be proud that we have taken another great step toward keeping our military the finest in the world and toward fulfilling our nation’s founding ideals.”

US Senator Al Franken: “right thing to do” … Continue Reading

President Obama Speaks To US War Vets

“We cannot, and we must not, we will not, balance the budget on the backs of our veterans.” President Obama tells US military veterans gathered at the national American Legion convention in Minneapolis.

He drew great applause for his change in policy on military combat suicides.
“The days when depression and P-T-S-D were stigmatized must end. That’s why I made the decision to start sending condolence letters to the families of service members who take their lives while deployed in a combat zone. These American patriots did not die because they were weak. They were warriors. And every man and woman in uniform, and every veteran, needs to know that your nation will be there to help you stay strong.”

The President also talked about his “reverse boot camp” to help find returning vets jobs. He promoted his proposal to give tax credits to businesses that hired vets and disabled military personnel.

Video of Senator Amy Klobuchar, Senator Al Franken, Representative Keith Ellison, Governor Mark Dayton and Mayor RT Rybak plus a transcript of President Obama’s remarks … Continue Reading

Franken: What Took So Long For Blyleven To Get In Baseball Hall Of Fame?

Senator Al Franken knows about delay. It took about nine months from the time he was elected until he was sworn in as a US Senator. So he has sympathy for former Twins pitcher Bert Blyleven who had to wait 14 years to be voted into the baseball hall of fame.

In a speech on the Senate floor, Senator Franken offered congratulations and some ribbing to the baseball writers who who do the voting on the Hall of Fame and overlooked Blyleven’s storied career for so long. If you watch the video, you’ll see him rib the baseball writers some more about the omission of Twins great Tony Oliva from the Hall of Fame as well.

“To Bert, I offer hearty and well-deserved congratulations,” said Sen. Franken during his speech. “To the rest of the baseball world, I ask this question: what took so long?”

“In the 14 years since he first became eligible for the Hall of Fame, we in Minnesota all assumed that with his rare talent and Hall of Fame numbers, Bert was a shoo-in. And for many of those 14 years, he was considered the best player never to have been inducted.

“I am proud to say, as a Minnesotan and a lifelong Twins fan, that this year Bert Blyleven was officially voted into the Hall of Fame.”

Full text of Senator Franken’s speech congratulating Bert Blyleven … Continue Reading