Al Franken

I believe there needs to be more transparency.

There is no question that the American people need more information about these programs.

If those had been required earlier, we would have found out 3 years earlier that Americans were unconstitutionally being surveilled and presumably would have put a stop to it.

Senator Franken's bill would take important steps to increase the transparency of government requests for information.

In fact, the opposite is true, that it is a tiny, tiny number.

This bill is urgently necessary. Americans understand that we need to give due weight to privacy, on the one hand, and national security, on the other.

It is very important that the users of our services understand that we are stewards of their data, we hold it responsibly, we treat it with respect.

We know those technologies.

I rise today in strong support of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. In many towns, cities, and States across our country, it is still perfectly legal to fire someone simply because they are gay. One can be a hard worker who shows up…

But the hub didn't work flawlessly the first week.

Those laws have limited effect if the procedures necessary to enforce them are eroded.

I want to thank you, Chairman Coons, for holding this hearing.

I think that the need for [Federal Arbitration Act reform] has become clearer since the Italian Colors decision last term.

I believe it's been working a lot better.

I suggest that there is a role for this political body in thinking about revising the 1925 statute.

MNsure is almost entirely separate from Healthcare.gov.

I think it is time for Congress to consider removing the word 'general' from the Rules Enabling Act.

I have legislation, the Community College to Career Act Fund which would incentivize partnerships between employers and 2-year community and technical colleges to rapidly train workers and students for those skilled jobs.

What it doesn't need is yet another 'plan' that is dated before it is printed.

We need to be prepared and that means that VA has to make sure that rural health care providers are identifying their clinical capacity and have a contingency plan for how to handle emergencies that exceed that capacity.

VA needs to plan strategically about recruiting and retaining practitioners for rural areas, for instance.

I think a Conservation Corps for veterans is a great thing, and I think those health records, obviously those electronic health records need to be done as expeditiously as possible.

Our bill, the Rural Veterans Health Care Improvement Act, is on a subject that I know the Chairman cares deeply about, improving the access to quality health care for our Nation's veterans who live in rural areas.

We in good faith cannot support S. 1411, even though it embraces some very good ideas.

I rise today to talk about the cost of the Federal Government shutdown, including a cost we don't talk about-- the opportunity cost. The fact is we are paying a huge price for what we are not doing here in Washington while so much of our…