Al Franken

I can't agree with the Vice Chairman more that infrastructure creates economic development.

So we have relatively higher need in Indian Country.

I have just one basic question.

I rise today to talk about the urgent need for FEMA disaster funds, which is under this Burma joint resolution. I was very concerned when I heard some of my colleagues in the House of Representatives demanding that spending cuts be in…

I think you make sure to put in place a statutory scheme which levels the playing field between the good guys and the bad guys.

We need an explicit ban against discrimination in public schools based on sexual orientation.

So this means that we need to protect LGBT Americans in the same way we protect other vulnerable groups.

The kids are dying. Kids are being brutally assaulted. Kids are scared.

I think you should have checked it out.

When we compare how our kids are doing in school compared to other OECD countries, we see ourselves falling in comparison.

The strategies for teaching infants, toddlers and preschoolers are different.

That's just 15 percent of the low-income children who qualify.

Would it be wise to increase funding for these block grants and do it in quite a significant way?

Are we being penny-wise and pound-foolish by cutting investment in our children?

If you make the right investments at the right time and the right cuts at the right time, that's going to have an impact on our long-term sustainability more than just focusing on short-term cuts.

We pay no homage to the WTO. We are purely a U.S. court and we follow the U.S. law and what the Congress tells us to do.

As far as we're concerned, the Supreme Court of the United States, and that's it.

We said that the rate of growth of premiums would go down.

I'm extremely concerned that these waivers are being granted without sufficient evidence that these States would truly see a disruption of their insurance market without such a waiver.

Experts agree that rising health care costs in our country are unsustainable for the Federal Government, for States, and for consumers.

Based on Minnesota's experience, I introduced a bill that was ultimately included in the health reform requiring insurers to spend at least 80 in the small group and individual markets and 85 percent of insurance premiums on actual health…

I wrote a letter to Secretary Sebelius 2 months ago expressing my concern about the number of waivers being approved.

That's the whole purpose of the individual mandate, is so that we cover people with pre-existing conditions.

I rise today to give a voice to Minnesotans to relay their thoughts on how Congress should resolve this impasse and raise the debt ceiling to avoid a default. On Wednesday, I received an e-mail from a constituent in St. Louis Park, my…

I rise today to pay tribute to former Minnesota Twins pitcher Bert Blyleven, who this week received his sport's highest honor when he was inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. To Bert, I offer hearty and well-deserved…