Minnesota farmers received some good news today:
http://www.southernminn.com/...
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken and Representatives Collin Peterson, Tim Walz, and Rick Nolan announced this week that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved a federal disaster declaration to provide assistance for Minnesota farmers hurt by the shortage of animal feed. The announcement comes after the members urged the department to issue a disaster declaration in a letter earlier this week. Last year’s drought, along with this year’s late spring and heavy rains have led to exceptional losses to the alfalfa crop that Minnesota dairy and cattle producers rely on as a high-protein animal feed.
“The recent cases of extreme weather and resulting feed shortages have hurt too many farmers and ranchers throughout Minnesota,” Klobuchar said. “This support will help dairy and cattle producers get through these challenging times and ensure our rural economies remain strong.”
The declaration designates Carver, Dakota, Dodge, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston, Jackson, Le Sueur, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Rock, Scott, Steele, Wabasha, Waseca, Washington, and Winona counties as primary disaster counties. Anoka, Blue Earth, Chisago, Cottonwood, Hennepin, McLeod, Martin, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Pipestone, Ramsey, Sibley, Watonwan, and Wright counties. The declaration makes producers in these counties eligible for emergency loan assistance to help address crop losses and high feed costs. - Kenyon Leader, 7/18/13
Here's what Franken had to say about the USDA's need for action:
http://www.franken.senate.gov/...
"Minnesota's livestock producers have a hard job, and that's without having to worry about feed shortages threatening their livelihoods," Franken said. "While I have pressed USDA for more robust relief, this will offer some help to producers whose operations are taking serious hits. This assistance is important for Minnesota and our ag industry."
Here's a little more background info:
http://farmprogress.com/...
USDA designated 20 counties as primary natural disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by the combined effects of heavy rainfall followed by freezing temperatures and multiple periods of thawing and refreezing, resulting in winterkill that occurred from January 1 through May 15.
The announcement came after the lawmakers sent a letter to USDA, urging it to issue a disaster declaration.
Last year's drought, along with this year's late spring and heavy rains have led to exceptional losses to the alfalfa crop that Minnesota dairy and cattle producers rely on as a high-protein animal feed. - Farm Progress, 7/15/13
Franken and his colleagues have been pushing hard for this disaster relief for a while now. Here's the letter Franken sent to Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack:
http://www.franken.senate.gov/...
The Honorable Tom Vilsack
Secretary
United States Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, D.C. 20250
Dear Secretary Vilsack:
I am writing to seek your assistance regarding the recent feed and forage shortage in southeastern Minnesota. Because of an extensive alfalfa winterkill and severe weather conditions that have prevented spring planting, producers in southeastern Minnesota are experiencing a shortage of feed for their livestock.
I have been working with farmers, farm organizations, and officials from your agency to find a solution that could address this serious problem. The solution we have identified requires your agency to waive the requirement that prevented planting acres not be harvested until November 1st. Waiving this requirement will allow affected producers to harvest cover crops earlier and utilize them to help alleviate feed and forage shortages.
I therefore respectfully request that you take immediate action to waive the November 1st prevented planting harvest date, or any other action that would similarly benefit affected producers.
I appreciate your consideration of this request.
Franken has also been checking in on the recovery efforts:
http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/...
U.S. Senator Al Franken was in Duluth on Tuesday to take a look at where the city is on its on going flood recovery efforts.
Sen. Franken said he was impressed with how so many organizations have come together in this disaster to help in the flood recovery efforts.
The focus of the discussion was on how well individuals and families are doing a year after the flood.
Representatives from Lutheran Social Service gave an update on its assistance programs for individuals.
Within the next month LSS has arranged for 90 volunteers to come to Duluth to help work on 20 flood ravaged homes. - Northland's News Center, 7/2/13
Glad to see Franken and his colleagues deliver on this. Off topic, Franken got a shout from President Obama today:
http://www.startribune.com/...
With his signature health care law under attack, President Obama used the White House podium Thursday to extol a provision authored by U.S. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., that he said has already paid dividends to millions of Americans.
The so-called Medical Loss Ratio, has been credited with putting money back into the pockets of over 8.5 million Americans by requiring that health insurers spend at least 80 percent of premium dollars on actual health services, as opposed to administrative overhead.
Obama said the provision has lowered premiums and provided rebates averaging $100 each. Much of that money, however, goes to employers who provide insurance. - Star Tribune, 7/18/13
And for you comedy fans, Franken clarified something:
http://www.thespec.com/...
Know what else I learned? Jack Handey, the genius behind Saturday Night Live's Deep Thoughts (circa 1990s), who I always assumed was a made-up person, is not. He's a real guy, you guys! And based on the photo that accompanied the New York Times story about him, he looks exactly as you might have imagined — like Al Franken. Which is exactly how I'd imagined Jack Handey to look when I was imagining him at all. And I guess I'm not alone on that one because Dan Crois, the dude who wrote the story, had this to say in one of the opening paragraphs:
'"I hope your article can clear up all the confusion,' Senator Al Franken told me when I contacted him. 'Jack Handey is a real person, and he wrote all the 'Deep Thoughts.' Not me.'"
There you go. - The Spec, 7/17/13
And be on the look out for this from Franken:
http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/...
In the years since Sept. 11, 2001, Congress has repeatedly allowed the executive branch to expand its power, even as it encroached upon American citizens’ civil liberties. It stood by or even cheered as President Obama claimed the power to order Americans killed abroad, without any independent review, and permitted extensive wiretapping.
But Congress may finally have tired of playing the part of enabler. A number of lawmakers have demanded disclosure of the legal claims behind the National Security Agency’s data-mining program, as well as more openness from the court that approves surveillance requests.
Some of the objections come from fairly unsurprising quarters — like Senator Al Franken, Democrat of Minnesota, who told The Times in an interview that he planned to file legislation requiring more disclosure of the National Security Agency’s data collection. - New York Times, 7/18/13
By the way, Franken had a great fundraising quarter:
http://www.twincities.com/...
Democratic Sen. Al Franken has added significantly to his campaign stockpile in the last three months, leaving him with $3 million in reserve as the 2014 Minnesota Senate race takes shape.
Franken reported April-to-June figures on Thursday, during which he says he raised nearly $2 million. It is similar to his haul for the first three months of 2013. His available cash accounts for what's left after campaign expenses. - AP, 7/11/13
Franken isn't a top target for the GOP but the campaign cash will come in handy, especially if Franken goes up against this guy:
http://www.startribune.com/...
Republican businessman Mike McFadden says he has raised $700,000 in the first month of his campaign to unseat U.S. Sen. Al Franken.
McFadden announced the news in a YouTube video to supporters Tuesday, well ahead of the campaign’s mid-July finance report to the Federal Election Commission.
“It’s hard to believe that it’s been more than a month since I filed the paperwork to run for the U.S. Senate,” McFadden said in the video. “In one month, we’ve gained approximately 27,000 Facebook ‘likes,’ which my kids tell me is a good thing. I’ve also been humbled by the outpouring of financial support. In the first four weeks of this campaign, we’ve raised more than $700,000.”
An executive at the Lazard finance firm, McFadden launched his Senate campaign on May 29. He faces first-term Democratic incumbent Franken, who raised nearly $2 million in the first three months of this year. - Star Tribune, 7/2/13
State Rep. Jim Abeler, R-Anoka, also launched his campaign for the U.S. Senate last month. If you would like to get involved with Senator Franken's campaign, you can do so here:
http://www.alfranken.com/