LAS VEGAS — The liberal base is dissatisfied with the Democratic establishment, but Sen. Al Franken told them at the closing of the Netroots Nation conference: “No matter how frustrated you are, you can’t check out now.”

“It only took a few years for progressives to establish a foothold in Congress, but it’s going to take a little further” to enact a progressive agenda, he said.

Throughout the Netroots conference, the year’s largest gathering of progressive activists and bloggers, attendees lamented the lack of a public option in health care reform, the prospect of watching Democrats scale back Social Security and other liberal let downs.

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The race for funding to expand Minnesota’s public transit systems cleared a huge hurdle Thursday.

The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a request by Senator Al Franken for $48 million in federal funding for transit projects.

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WASHINGTON D.C. — Elena Kagan is now one step closer to securing a lifetime seat on the highest court in the land.

President Obama’s nominee for the Supreme Court sailed through a committee vote this week, receiving “aye” votes from both Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken.

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WASHINGTON — Sen. Al Franken warned today against weakening newly passed health-care reform regulations that aim to steer more health insurance dollars to actual medical costs.

A Franken amendment to the new health-care law requires insurers to spend at least 85 percent of premiums in large group plans and 80 percent of premiums in small group or individual plans on actual health care costs (with the rest able to go to things like administrative costs, advertising and profits).

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Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) on Wednesday called on Congress to create extra incentives for medical device makers to tackle rare diseases.

“I’m concerned that we still don’t have equivalent incentives for devices as we have for drugs,” Franken said in opening remarks at a Senate health committee hearing on ways to promote new treatments and cures for rare and neglected pediatric diseases. “I think we can do more and I look forward to exploring this issue with the panel.”

Minnesota is home to several medical device giants, such as Medtronic.

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WASHINGTON D.C. — The United States Senate voted 59-39 Wednesday night to reinstate unemployment benefits for people who have been out of work and had their benefits expire.

Senate Republicans spent most of the day blocking the vote that would restore jobless benefits to millions of Americans.

The legislation, which will cost $34 billion, promises to extend benefits for those who have already used their standard 26weeks of unemployment.

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Lake Superior College in Duluth has received a $200,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education for the school’s center for Advanced Aviation.

The money will bolster the school’s efforts to train new pilots, specifically to upgrade capabilities of one of the center’s existing flight simulators.

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Minnesota’s two senators, Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar, both voted in the Senate Judiciary Committee today to support Solicitor General Elena Kagan’s nomination to the Supreme Court, which passed 13-6 along near-partisan lines.

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham was the lone Republican to vote in favor of Kagan, just as he did with last year’s Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. All other Republicans voted against Kagan and every Democrat supported her.

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WASHINGTON — Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee today on a largely party-line vote.

South Carolina’s Sen. Lindsey Graham was the only Republican on the committee to support her. Every Democrat, including Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, voted for approval.

“I’m glad to support her,” Klobuchar said in today’s hearing. “In every job she’s had she’s worked very hard and she’s done very well. She has a lot of practical experience reaching out to people who hold very different beliefs.

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Sen. Al Franken announced his staff will hold public meetings in 17 cities across Minnesota. Staff will meet with seniors about the Older Americans Act, which funds many of the local services used by seniors. Sen. Franken said the meetings will allow his office to hear from Minnesota seniors about what is working and what needs to be changed to ensure these programs are cost-effective and allow Minnesota seniors to thrive in their retirement years.

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