WASHINGTON — A dramatic expansion of the federally issued student loan program will be included in the same reconciliation bill as health reform, House Democratic officials and the White House officials have confirmed.

“The current plan is to also have the higher education bill that also passed the House be part of the reconciliation package,” said Dan Pfeiffer, White House communications director.

Federally subsidized private loans would be eliminated and replaced with the federal Direct Loans program. Money saved would be used in part to offer more Pell grants and reduce the cost of the health care package. The plan — which already passed the House as a stand-alone bill — would affect most higher education institutions, though not the University of Minnesota, which made the switch to Direct Loans about 15 years ago.

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WASHINGTON – Plan B in the Democrats’ endgame strategy on health care could be an arcane legislative maneuver that makes the so-called nuclear option sound like a firecracker: National health care reform could pass without a direct vote.

With a still-uncertain vote tally in the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she might forgo a showdown vote on the Senate-passed health legislation that has been a tough sell with fellow Democrats.

Instead, in an act of legislative jujitsu, she might have the House vote only on a separate package of amendments that “fix” some unpalatable Senate side deals, such as the infamous Cornhusker Kickback to Nebraska. Voting on those amendments would “deem” the House to have passed the underlying health bill. Democrats are calling it “deem and pass.” Republicans call it “deem and scheme.”

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If his colleagues choose Sen. Al Franken as “most popular” Senator, it will probably be because of his wife’s baked-goods charm offensive.

Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee were spotted chowing down on a giant apple pie that the Minnesota Democrat’s wife, Franni, baked for their Thursday meeting. Franni Franken made a “Paul Bunyan” (i.e. enormous) version of the apple pie that she became famous for during her husband’s campaign. The sweet treat was delivered to the committee’s anteroom, where Members eagerly noshed on it.

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U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) urged Ambassador Ron Kirk, the U.S. Trade Representative, to pay careful attention to the concerns of dairy farmers in the upcoming meetings with the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Sen. Franken joined 29 of his colleagues, including Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), in a letter to Ambassador Kirk outlining the potentially devastating effect of phasing out trade restrictions with New Zealand.

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Sens. Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar both saw positive approval ratings from Minnesotans in a poll released by Rasmussen on Friday. Also in the poll results: 49 percent of respondents said Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s presidential aspirations have affected his performance as governor.

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ST. PAUL – Farmers in 16 Minnesota counties will be eligible for emergency loans and other help after dealing with multiple weather problems.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Thursday announced the farmers, mostly in northern Minnesota, are due federal aid because their farms have sustained excessive rain, flooding, frost and cold.

“Many farm operations are already struggling with low farm prices, and these weather disasters have made it even harder for them to operate,” said Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn.

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Sens. Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar are among several cosponsors of legislation aimed at cleaning up the Great Lakes. Introduced in the Senate last week, the Great Lakes Ecosystem Protection Act of 2010 would commit $500 million over the next 7 years on cleanup and restoration of the Great Lakes ecosystem.

Along with Minnesota’s Senate delegation, Democratic Sens. Carl Levin, Sherrod Brown, Dick Durban, Debbie Stabenow and George Voinovich have signed on to support the legislation. In the House, none of Minnesota’s delegation are listed as supporters of the companion bill.

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(CNN) – Sen. Al Franken, D-Minnesota, will headline the upcoming Netroots Nation convention, organizers announced Thursday.

Netroots Nation is the most prominent gathering of liberal bloggers each year. The three day convention begins July 22 in Las Vegas and Franken will deliver the keynote address on July 25.

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Duluth, Mn (KDAL) U-S Senator from Minnesota, Al Franken, has brought back some “Duluth Answer Man” video clips that he did 20 years ago in support of the Twin Ports Google Fiber Initiative. The “Duluth Answer Man” campaign was first used by the Convention and Visitors Bureau to promote tourism to the city in the 1980′s.

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Washington, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) today (Thursday, March 11) joined Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-Calif.) at a press conference to push for including student loan reform as part of the reconciliation bill.

The student aid reform package would make historic investments in our economic future by eliminating the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFEL), a wasteful loan program that gives away billions to banks.

The University of Minnesota dropped the FFEL program in favor of direct lending to students 14 years ago. The billions saved can be used to increase Pell Grants, making college more affordable and helping more students graduate.

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