U.S. Sen. Al Franken on Friday released a free recipe book featuring hotdishes created by members the Minnesota Congressional delegation.

The book includes Rep. Tim Walz’s “Hermann the German” concoction, which won Franken’s third annual hotdish competition at the Capitol last month.

Franken started the event as a way to build cooperation among the delegates, and it’s become a popular event.

Read the full article >>

Sen. Al Franken took time to huddle with reporters before his presentation at a Beyond the Yellow Ribbon luncheon. But his ears — and focus — kept being diverted to the conversations among the 50 or so women in the room.

In the past dozen years, hundreds of kids in the Rochester area have become what is known as “military kids.” An entire generation of kids has grown into adults, too young to fully remember what happened to the country on Sept. 11, 2001.

It’s proven difficult for parents in these families to connect with each other. Nobody actually knows how many members of the military there are in southeastern Minnesota because most who have been deployed in recent years, often multiple times, are members of Reserve units.

Another part of that disconnect is because there are no military bases in Minnesota, Franken later said during his keynote address on Saturday at the Canadian Honker Event Center at Ramada Inn. Beyond the Yellow Ribbon became a way for those who stay behind to find one another.

During his presentation, Franken acknowledged the experiences of those who stay at home and try to carry on while members of the military are on deployment.

“I want to thank all of you for your service, and for your sacrifice,” Franken told about 50 women who attended. “Your sacrifices are not recognized often enough.”

Franken explained that his experience entertaining with USO shows in places like Kosovo, Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan before he became a senator helped him understand the sacrifices members of the military and their loved ones make. That’s something Franken said few Americans understand these days…

When Minnesotans need to find support with others in similar situations, it’s difficult, Franken said, because there’s no centralized system to make that possible.

“I want you to think of me as a partner of Beyond the Yellow Ribbon,” he said.

Read the full article >>

If your investment broker committed fraud and you lost money or worse, most often you would be forced to accept an arbitration agreement. In other words, you wouldn’t be able to pursue a civil or criminal complaint against the bankster who screwed you over.

Sen. Al Franken (DFL-MN) wants to eliminate this protection for banksters.

Franken and a group of key Senate and House colleagues urged the SEC to use its existing authority to prevent mandatory arbitration clauses in broker-investor contracts. The need for the SEC to act increased after one of the country’s largest brokerage firms decided to dramatically expand its mandatory arbitration provisions in a way that would harm investors.

“We are deeply concerned that the Commission’s failure to respond to the dangers posed by widespread forced arbitration will weaken existing investor protections,” wrote Sen. Franken and his colleagues in their letter. “We urge the Commission to act quickly to exercise its authority…to prevent this practice and protect investor rights.”

Read the full article >>

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar will be in our area today to discuss boosting the number of doctors in the country…

U.S. Senator Al Franken will also be in our area to tour local businesses.

He’ll meet employees at Arkema Industries in Blooming Prairie just after noon.

He’ll then speak to students and faculty at Austin High School. Then wrap up his trip with a stop at Hormel and the Spam Museum.

Read the full article >>

Military overseas will now use Minnesota-built generators, U.S. Sen. Al Franken and a Department of Defense official announced at TCF Bank Stadium on Wednesday.

The new generators, built by Cummins Power Generation Inc. in Fridley, Minn., are lighter and 21 percent more energy-efficient than current generators. They will be used in Afghanistan and the Korean Peninsula, Franken said.

Many soldiers are killed or injured in convoys delivering fuel, so using the more fuel-efficient Advanced Medium Mobile Power Sources will put fewer troops in harm’s way, Franken said.

Department of Defense Assistant Secretary Sharon Burke, the department’s top energy official, said President Barack Obama’s 2014 budget will include more than $112 million for the AMMPS generators, which will be immediately deployed in Afghanistan.

“Our supply lies completely on the field of battle. They are targets, and we’ve paid a high price for that,” Burke said. “If we can get our forces to get their jobs done with lower risk, we really need to do that.”

About 400 AMMPS generators are already on the ground in Afghanistan, and the military might add about 150 more, depending on operational needs, Lt. Col. Michael Foster said.

Foster said generators provide energy for communications, fuel and basic necessities for troops.

About 400 of the generators will also be sent to South Korea combat outposts and contingency bases, Burke said.

“I know this will be an important benefit for our troops there,” she said.

The DOD is the nation’s largest consumer of energy, Franken said.

Franken and Burke toured the Fridley Cummins plant to see where the generators are being produced and met privately with the company’s leaders after the press conference Wednesday afternoon.

Read the full article >>

It was one of the greatest seasons in the history of college sports, but was the University of Minnesota Women’s hockey team perfect season deserving of a White House visit?

The team finished the season 41-0-0 on their way to a second straight national championship.

“This needs to be done. We want justice,” Sen. Al Franken said, half joking.

Franken signed the same letter that his Senate counterpart Amy Klobuchar signed. In fact, all 8 of the state’s representatives also signed the bi-partisan request for a team meet and greet with the President.

“When I heard that, (I thought) it’s incredible. It’s quite and honor and an accomplishment towards us in giving us some recognition on that big of a stage,” Team Captain and Senior Megan Bozek told KARE 11.

Two seasons ago, the Gophers won the National Championship, but didn’t get an invite to the White House. If they ending up getting an invite this year, it wouldn’t be unprecedented.

In 2003, the men’s hockey team was invited to a presidential meet and greet. In 2004, the women’s team was welcomed into the White House where President Bush said “I was pleased to know the Minnesota Women’s hockey team slogan this year was get it done and meet George!”

So what can the team’s fans do to help urge the current President towards an invitation? Perhaps a letter or a couple thousand letters to Mr. Obama would be helpful.

“It couldn’t hurt. Write some letters to the White House. I think its 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but I’m not sure,” Franken said with a smile.

Read the full article >>

U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) met with Jackie Roehl at his Washington office to congratulate her on being awarded the 2012 Minnesota Teacher of the Year award by Education Minnesota.

“We all remember the teachers who helped shape our lives,” said Sen. Franken. “Minnesota is lucky to have many great teachers – like Ms. Roehl – who inspire their students to be the best they can be. I commend Jackie on winning this prestigious award.”

Ms. Roehl is a 10th-grade English teacher at Edina High School in Edina.

Read the full article >>

Nearly 60 years after the Korean War ended and after 15 years of struggle to change his military records, Duane Broten was recognized for his time spent as a prisoner of war in Korea.

About 30 people attended the ceremony at the Minnesota Capitol on Sunday afternoon, April 21. Three of Broten’s children and seven of his 12 siblings attended, as did grandchildren, nieces, nephews, neighbors and other veterans.

Democratic Sen. Al Franken stepped in last month and helped the family correct Broten’s military records to reflect his time spent under Korean and Chinese authority.

“We wanted to get things straightened out and straightened out quickly,” Franken said.

The 80-year-old Broten, who didn’t know about special POW recognition until recently, said he began the process so his wife would receive better benefits.

Broten was presented with a flag that had flown over the nation’s Capitol in his honor. He also received a certificate of proof and a prisoner of war service medal.

Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., visited here Saturday to get an update on Moorhead and Clay County flood-fighting efforts.

Franken toured areas considered flood hot spots after meeting separately with county and city leaders at the Clay County Courthouse and Moorhead City Hall.

Weather service forecasters on Wednesday predicted a crest on the Red River of between 38 and 41 feet. The chance for a record crest in Fargo-Moorhead is 40 percent, up from a 15 percent chance predicted in late March in what likely will be the latest spring flood on record.

Franken said he is impressed with how well-prepared city and county leaders are to fight flooding.

“We sort of discussed with the city really how down to a science it’s now gotten in terms of the planning,” he said.

“The only good thing about this happening every year is that you get very good at it. They’re very good at this,” Franken said.

The senator said this year’s flood-fighting effort seemed “more sophisticated,” with the LiDAR (light detecting and ranging) technology that uses lasers to map elevation every 6 inches. In 2009, cooperating agencies finished mapping all 53,000 square miles of the Red River Basin in the U.S. with LiDAR.

Read the full article >>

Closing the “skills gap” was the issue that brought U.S. Sen. Al Franken to meet with local industrial owners April 2 at Wyoming Machine in Stacy.

Franken, D-Minn., began with a tour of the business at 30680 Forest Blvd., where he met with laborers including metal finisher Laura Feaski of North Branch and Jerry Larson, a Class A welder who lives outside of Rush City. The visit concluded with a roundtable discussion with a number of other industrial leaders, including the president of Pine Technical College.

The senator said he’s seeing a pattern in Minnesota and across the country where manufacturers have jobs open but can’t find people with the right skills to fill the vacancies. As a result, Franken looks to build on and create new partnerships between schools and industries to help close this “skills gap”.

Read the full article >>