Al Franken

a U.S. Senator from the State of Minnesota

But on this one we are getting it wrong, consistently.

I rise this evening in opposition to the tax bill before us. I think the problem in our country isn't that wealthy people in this country aren't wealthy enough; the problem is, the wealth gap has grown to the highest levels in my lifetime…

This whole area of criminal justice in the 21st Century Cures Act was proud to pass the Comprehensive Justice and Mental Health Act.

It feels to me that everything that this Administration has been doing is basically aimed at undermining the markets, and undermining the ACA, and undermining it so that we can throw away these gains.

If you repeal this, 13 million more people will be uninsured and premiums will rise.

I think that in Medicare Part D, we should be able to do the same thing they do in the V.A.

I share their concerns especially in regard to Eli Lilly's actions to spike insulin prices.

If the individual mandate is repealed, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that 13 million more people will be uninsured and that premiums will go up by 10 percent.

Over the last few months, all of us -- including and especially men who respect women -- have been forced to take a good hard look at our own actions and think perhaps shamefully, for the first time, about how those actions have affected…

Yes, I definitely agree with that, and in Minnesota, we have--we cut in half the numbers that were uninsured.

I think is just--it's not helpful. It poisons the well on cooperation on healthcare.

The best results, to me, are when we do things in a bipartisan way.

The more people insured, the healthier we are.

If we want to keep those businesses there and we want to keep those professionals there who are working on that, we need to build a much, much better grid that is not run on diesel.

We need to build a resilient grid because these are going to be happening again.

I thank Senator Leahy, my good friend. New developments in the ongoing investigation into Russian interference in the election have, once again, raised concerns about the accuracy of statements made by Attorney General Jeff Sessions during…

the Federal Government must do everything it can to assist.

Thank you, Mr. President. Like the Senator from Illinois, I rise to voice my opposition to the nomination of Bill Wehrum to serve as the Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation at the Environmental Protection Agency. The Office of…

I rise today to talk about the importance of bipartisan action on healthcare, as the Senator from New Hampshire just did. Over the past year, I have traveled all around Minnesota to talk with individuals and families and community leaders…

I ask unanimous consent that my energy policy fellow, Shuchi Talati, be granted floor privileges for the remainder of this Congress. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

You know, one of the first things that he did as president was signed a bill that got rid of a provision that made it harder for people with mental illness to get guns. This is a gun issue.

If someone has committed domestic violence they should not be able to purchase a gun.

As President Obama said, thoughts and prayers aren't enough and people have to continue to make their voices heard.

This is important. This is a foreign power interfering in our elections. That goes at the very core of who we are as a country, as a democracy.