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Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)

Klobuchar’s office helped secure an expedited visa for Valentyna to leave Kharkiv and join her daughter, Anna, in Minnesota in time for Mother’s Day

MINNEAPOLIS – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) met today with Anna Hansen and her mother, Valentyna Zinchenko, a Ukrainian mother and daughter who have been reunited in Minnesota.

“This is an amazing Mother’s Day story of a daughter making sure her mom got to safety,” said Klobuchar. “I am so pleased that we were able to help. So much of Minnesota’s growth has been fueled by refugees and immigrants coming in, and we’ve always had open hearts.”

“After February 24, everybody’s lives have changed. For me it won’t be the same – ever,” said Anna Hansen. “I knew that Amy was one of the first politicians in America who actually ran to the border and welcomed Ukrainian women and kids, and asked them their stories…I was like: ‘She knows, she’s seen these people, she knows what they had to go through.’ I am so thankful for everything Senator Klobuchar did to bring my mom to safety in the United States.”

Last month, Hansen, an immigrant from Ukraine who recently graduated from Minnesota State University Mankato with a Master’s in Accounting, reached out to Klobuchar’s office asking for assistance in expediting her mother’s pending visa petition. Her mother, Zinchenko, was living in Kharkiv, a city in northeastern Ukraine which has been targeted by Russian forces since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Following a 36-hour train ride from Kharkiv via Poland to Germany, Zinchenko and Hansen were reunited in Frankfurt, where Hansen helped her mother apply for the immigrant visa at the U.S. Consulate. Klobuchar’s office reached out to the U.S. Consulate in Frankfurt, Germany and successfully secured approval for Zinchenko’s visa petition. Zinchenko traveled to Minnesota on April 28 in time for her daughter’s graduation and Mother’s Day.                                                                                                                                  

Klobuchar has actively worked to help Minnesotans affected by Putin’s senseless invasion of Ukraine. In March, she helped secure the release of Tyler Jacob, a Winona native unjustly detained by Russian forces. Her office worked closely with Tyler’s family, the State Department, and the U.S. Embassy in Moscow to locate Tyler and facilitate his safe return to Minnesota.

In March, Klobuchar also successfully pushed the Biden administration to grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ukrainians living in the U.S., to prevent them from being forced to return to Ukraine during the ongoing conflict.

Photos can be downloaded HERE.

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Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)

 Grants will provide resources and equipment for students in meat processing career pathways

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN), both members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, announced that the Economic Development Administration (EDA) has awarded $2.9 million in federal funding through the American Rescue Plan to strengthen local meat processing in Central Minnesota.

Specifically, the funding grants will help provide mobile meat slaughtering and processing equipment for students enrolled in meat processing career pathways at Central Lakes College and Ridgewater College. 

“A healthy meat processing industry is critical to the economic success of Central Minnesota,” said Klobuchar. “By giving students access to valuable resources and training, this grant will help strengthen our state’s meat processing sector.”

“Just a handful of large companies have come to dominate the meat and poultry processing industry, which means higher prices for consumers and shrinking earnings for farmers,” said Smith. “This new investment will make Minnesota’s meat processing sector more dynamic and competitive while supporting hundreds of jobs. I am proud of our work to pass the American Rescue Plan, which made this program possible.”

Klobuchar and Smith have long worked to support local meat processing. Last month, they secured major federal funding through the Congressionally-Directed Spending (CDS) process to increase meat cutting and butchery career pathways in Central Minnesota. 

In December 2020, Klobuchar and Senator Jerry Moran’s bipartisan RAMP-UP Act, which Smith co-sponsored, was signed into law. This legislation provided grants to meat processors to make the improvements necessary for federal inspection, a prerequisite for being authorized to sell produce across state lines. The bill created the Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grant (MPIRG), which helps small and midsized processors increase production capacity and access new market opportunities.

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Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)

 The Rural Broadband Protection Act would ensure providers applying for federal funding can reliably deliver broadband access to underserved, rural communities

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen broadband access for rural communities. The Rural Broadband Protection Act would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish a more thorough vetting process to ensure that providers applying for federal funding are capable of delivering reliable broadband access to underserved, rural communities.

“In 2022, we should be able to bring high-speed internet to every community in our country, regardless of their zip code,” said Klobuchar. “This bipartisan legislation will help Americans connect to work, school, health care and business opportunities by ensuring the companies that apply for federal funding to build out broadband infrastructure can get the job done. As co-chair of the Senate Broadband Caucus, I’ll keep fighting to close the digital divide and ensure families across our state can reliably access the high-speed internet they need.” 

“This bill is a product of many conversations I’ve had with small rural service providers and state and local officials in West Virginia,” said Capito. “The discussions I had with them made it abundantly clear the FCC needs congressional direction to ensure taxpayer money is being used properly to fund broadband deployment in rural areas. By verifying that providers can actually deliver on the promises made to bring high-speed internet to specific areas, we can maximize the influx of broadband dollars coming to West Virginia and move closer toward our goal of closing the digital divide in communities of all sizes across our state.” 

“Rural Americans deserve high-quality broadband access from providers capable of delivering on the promises they make in taking government funding to do so. NTCA has long advocated for proper vetting of those seeking funding, and on behalf of our small, community-based providers who have a proven track record of offering robust and reliable broadband, I thank Senator Capito for making sure that accountability is top of mind before new funding decisions are made. NTCA endorses this legislation and looks forward to continuing to work with Congress and the FCC to ensure effective use of universal service fund resources,” said Shirley Bloomfield, CEO of NTCA, The Rural Broadband Association.

The legislation would:

• Direct the FCC to issue rules to establish a vetting process for providers applying to expand broadband access through high-cost federal funding programs such as the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) and Universal Service Fund;
• Require the FCC to collect and review supporting documentation included with provider applications that show that they are able to deliver the services they commit to. 

As co-chair of the Senate Broadband Caucus, Klobuchar has been a national leader in efforts to expand broadband access and bridge the digital divide. Her legislation with House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC) to expand high-speed internet nationwide served as the basis for major broadband funding included in the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act. 

In March, she and Senator John Thune (R-SD) led a bipartisan group of colleagues in urging the FCC to provide rural communities with guidance on their broadband funding status.She also secured significant federal funding as part of the government funding package to expand broadband access for rural communities in Northeast Minnesota, and led successful efforts to resolve a dispute regarding Red River Communications, helping bring high-speed Internet access to rural communities in the Red River Valley.

In November, she and Thune introduced bipartisan legislation to expand rural broadband access by strengthening the funding mechanisms for the USF, which promotes universal access to broadband and other telecommunications services. 

Last July, she introduced bipartisan legislation with Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to expand rural broadband access by streamlining the funding process and removing barriers for broadband connectivity in hard-to-serve rural areas.

In January 2021, Klobuchar and Thune led a bipartisan, bicameral of over 150 colleagues in pressing the FCC to ensure that broadband providers who received  RDOF funding were capable of delivering reliable broadband service.

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Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)

 Klobuchar: “The answer is a federal law passed to codify Roe v.Wade into law so it is the law of the land”

WATCH KLOBUCHAR FULL INTERVIEW HERE 

WASHINGTON – On The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, underscored the need to codify women’s right to make their own health care decisions, following the Supreme Court’s draft ruling overturning Roe v. Wade. 

Highlighting the need for Congress to take action and protect women’s right to access reproductive health care, Klobuchar noted: “When one branch is…taking positions that reverse 50 years of precedent and against 80 percent of the American people, yeah, the other branch of government is supposed to step in. That’s what our system of government was set to do. And not make women travel across state lines just to exercise their constitutional right to make decisions about their own healthcare.”

Emphasizing the dangerous consequences of the reported Supreme Court ruling, Klobuchar continued: “If this happens…We’ll have a patchwork of laws across the country. So the answer is not that. The answer is that a federal law is passed to codify Roe v. Wade into law so it is the law of the land.”

Klobuchar’s full interview is given below and available for online viewing HERE.

Noah: Welcome back to The Daily Show. Today, everyone is processing the shocking news that the Supreme Court is preparing to overturn Roe v. Wade. To discuss what that means and what can be done about that, we’re joined now by Senator Amy Klobuchar, who is live in Washington D.C. Senator Klobuchar, thank you so much for joining us on the show.

Klobuchar: Thanks, Trevor.

Noah: Let’s jump straight into it. Everyone was shocked, appalled, just really, you know, blown away by the possibility that this could actually be a decision. Especially because for 50 years, people have thought that this was settled law. Where do you stand now? Where does America go from here, as a sitting Senator?

Klobuchar: Well, first, as a sitting Senator, let me say I am mad. I am pissed off. These justices, the nominees came before us– of course I voted against them– but they said, “Oh, this is the law of the land. Oh, this is a case that has been affirmed over and over and over again.” And then what do they do when they get a chance? They’re going to overturn it. And we predicted this was going to happen. But what this means right now, if this happens, over 20 states– many of them have laws already in place– will ban abortion. We’ll have a patchwork of laws across the country. So the answer is not that. The answer is that a federal law is passed to codify Roe v. Wade into law so it is the law of the land.

Noah: So, with that being said, how do you– how do you begin to do that? Because I’m sure many Republicans out there right now are going, “Well, that’s why we voted. That’s why we voted for Trump. That’s why we’re happy that McConnell is in power.” Because however they did it, they managed to get it done. And then I see a lot of Democrats, or people who voted for the Democrats saying, “Well, are we going to get what we voted for?” Are the women who voted for this party going to see actions being taken or is it going to be a case of “we don’t have the votes and we can’t figure out how to make it happen?”

Klobuchar: Well, two, people have to show where they stand and we have to have this vote. It’s critical. And as you know, the vast majority of Democrats in Congress – this has already passed the House – support this bill. So that is going to happen very quickly. I agree with you. We should get rid of the filibuster. I don’t know if you know, there are over 100 exceptions to that filibuster, where, like everyone else, like the House of Representatives, like democracies across the world, we have majority votes. They have majority votes on things like the Trump tax cuts. They have majority votes on space accidents. They have majority votes on things like arms sales. And so you’re going to tell me that we have to get 60 votes to change something that this right-wing Supreme Court has put in place, where in fact, they are against the wishes of nearly 80 percent of the American people? So if something’s worth getting rid of the filibuster for, or making an exception to the filibuster, this is it. And by the way, if that doesn’t work, you know that old line? “Don’t get mad, vote?” I say get mad and vote. We have to do both.

Noah: Let’s talk a little bit about strategy, then. There are two Republican Senators who have been on record as saying that they are pro-choice, Senator Collins and Senator Murkowski. And they said, “Hey, we’re pro-choice even though we voted for these conservative Justices.” Would this be a moment where you basically ask them to put their money where their mouth is, and say, “Well, if you said you are pro-choice, and now you see that these Justices have gone against what they said, do you think you can get them to vote with the Democrats?”

Klobuchar: I can’t predict what they’re going to do, but I can tell you, yes, this is a moment where people have to make a decision. When you look at the history, all kinds of exceptions to that filibuster. And this is a moment where, one, we have to codify Roe v. Wade into law, especially if they have been betrayed by these Justices who they claim made one claim to them and then voted another way. And then, secondly, they’ve got to make their own decision. They’re both independent thinkers, and so I don’t rule that out. But I also look to the fall as part of this strategy. You can’t just look at both things separately. As well as the fights that are going to happen in every single state legislature in the country. Because this is going to be battled out state by state by state. Because I think when these judges said — and we always thought they wanted to go back to the 1950s — I think what we didn’t realize when they said the 50’s, it was the 1850s. And when one branch is screwing up so bad in taking positions that reverse 50 years of precedent and against 80 percent of the American people, yeah, the other branch of government is supposed to step in. That’s what our system of government was set to do. And not make women get back-alley abortions and travel across state lines just to exercise their constitutional– and I believe it’s constitutional– right to make decisions about their own healthcare. 

Noah: Do you worry at all… do you worry at all that the Supreme Court has lost its neutrality as an institution in America? There was a time when people said, “The Supreme Court rules on the laws that have been passed and the interpretation of those laws.” And, yet, now it feels very much like a seesaw. Is there a way you can see America fixing this, or is this just how it’s going to be from now on?

Klobuchar: First of all, I’ll note, I take this personally, because the Justice who was a Republican president appointed justice, that would be Justice Blackman was from Minnesota, and he is the one that maybe surprised those that had asked for him to be appointed by writing Roe v. Wade. That kind of independence is not what you’re seeing with these conservative Justices. Now, you have seen it from time to time with Justice Roberts who voted to uphold the Affordable Care Act, who has taken a number of votes. And as if he’s some radical liberal. Not really. But it has gone so extreme that he has been siding with some of the liberal Justices. Sadly, if this leaked opinion and what we’re hearing is true, that won’t even matter if he did that because it was 5-4. So, as I look to the future, what do we need to do? Well, I think the first thing we need to do is to make sure that we’re putting judges in place. And I will tell you, with the wonderful new appointment of Justice Jackson to that Supreme Court — she will be starting soon — that is a good beginning. And what a moment that was when she got out of the dark and musky Senate Judiciary cave that it was, and got out in that beautiful sunshine on the White House lawn. There was no Ted Cruz on that lawn. And that was her moment. But now, sadly, the Supreme Court has told us we will no longer allow women to make their decisions with their doctors, Trevor. It will be Ted Cruz that can make those decisions. But the bottom line right now is we are not going to be able to fix that Court before the fall. And I think your audience knows that right now. What we have to do is push these votes, show people where they are, show people where Democrats are and where Republicans are. And if we can’t get this done because we have a tied Senate at 50-50, then we go straight to the ballot box. We march to that box. People turn out in record numbers. That is how we beat this, Trevor. That will be the last stand. 

Noah: Well, I know you took a window of your time to come and talk to us. I appreciate you for that, Senator. Thank you so much.

Klobuchar: And you did a great job at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

Noah: Thank you very much.

Klobuchar: Thank you for calling out Washington. It was amazing. We want you back.

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Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)

 Klobuchar: “We have a winner here in terms of pushing the shipping industry and actually showing that the Congress speaks with one voice when it comes to shipping rates”

WATCH KLOBUCHAR FULL REMARKS HERE

WASHINGTON – At a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on the Department of Transportation’s proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 budget, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg voiced his support for the swift enactment of U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)’s bipartisan legislation to fix supply chains and ease shipping backlogs. The Ocean Shipping Reform Act, led by Klobuchar and Senator John Thune (R-SD), passed the Senate unanimously in March. 

Klobuchar emphasized the need to enact the Ocean Shipping Reform Act: “We have a winner here and we have a winner in terms of pushing the shipping industry and actually showing that the Congress speaks with one voice when it comes to shipping rates.” 

Buttigieg concurred, voicing his support for the swift enactment of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act: “Anything we can do to make shipping more efficient and effective is going to make a difference at a time when we’re fighting inflation with everything that we’ve got. I want to recognize your leadership…in moving the Ocean Shipping Reform Act and the sooner that it can be enacted and signed, the sooner the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) can get to work with support from my department in making good on those provisions.” 

The Ocean Shipping Reform Act was cosponsored by a bipartisan group of 29 senators and endorsed by more than 100 organizations, including the American Association of Port Authorities. The legislation will:

• Require ocean carriers  to certify that late fees —known in maritime parlance as “detention and demurrage” charges—comply with federal regulations or face penalties;
• Shift burden of proof regarding the reasonableness of “detention or demurrage” charges from the invoiced party to the ocean carrier;
• Prohibit ocean carriers from unreasonably declining shipping opportunities for U.S. exports, as determined by the FMC in new required rulemaking;
• Require ocean common carriers to report to the FMC each calendar quarter on total import/export tonnage and 20-foot equivalent units (loaded/empty) per vessel that makes port in the United States;
• Authorize the FMC to self-initiate investigations of ocean common carrier’s business practices and apply enforcement measures, as appropriate; and
• Establish new authority for the FMC to register shipping exchanges.

Klobuchar’s full remarks are given below, available for TV download HERE and for online viewing HERE.

Senator Klobuchar: Thank you, Secretary, for being here and for all your good work. You and I have discussed this bill a few times and I so appreciate your leadership on the shipping and supply chain. I think we know that we have to get this done. 

The past two years have highlighted significant supply chain disruptions. Price of shipping containers increased fourfold. Of course, that goes on the backs of consumers because the prices are passed down to them from manufacturers and farmers who are hurt by this. And that’s why Senator Thune and I are joined together, and I want to appreciate the leadership of the Chair and the ranking member on this as well, to get our bill passed The Ocean Shipping Reform Act through the Senate, not just this committee, thanks to the chair and rankings leadership but also through the Senate floor. And now it’s over in the House where there is a similar version. But I just want to get this done, as does Senator Thune, because I think the more that time ticks on, as we know anything can happen in this town, things get delayed, and we have a winner here and we have a winner in terms of pushing the shipping industry and actually showing that the Congress speaks with one voice when it comes to shipping rates. Could you talk about the urgency from your perspective of getting this done? 

Secretary Buttigieg: Thank you. Yes, we know we’re in an urgent moment when it comes to our supply chains. Anything we can do to make shipping more efficient and effective is going to make a difference at a time when we’re fighting inflation with everything that we’ve got. I want to recognize your leadership and that of others that you mentioned in moving the Ocean Shipping Reform Act and the sooner that it can be enacted and signed, the sooner the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) can get to work with support from my department in making good on those provisions. 

Senator Klobuchar: Exactly. And I mean, there is some talk of putting it in another bill. I just, you know, whatever. But months and months can go by. A bill that has like 60, 70 conferees, and we actually have all of the groups that have endorsed this bill. And I really think it’s time to move and work this through the House because the months go by and we don’t send the message that we want to the international shipping conglomerate.

The other thing I wanted to talk about was trucker shortages. You know, in addition to the congestion at our port. We’ve all faced a shortage of truck drivers. I think estimated the trucking industry was short a record 80,000 drivers in 2021. Could you talk about what the Department is doing on that front? 

Secretary Buttigieg: Yes, we view this as a major issue. We need to make sure we’re acting to both recruit and to retain truck drivers. On the recruiting side, we’ve been working with the Department of Labor on registered apprenticeships, we’ve seen a huge swell of trucking companies and consortium joining that, we’re working to recruit more veterans. We have the pilot for younger drivers to safely enter the workforce, and we need to do more to make sure more women thrive in trucking careers. So we have a whole body that’s been set up now to work on that. And there’s the retention piece. We lose about 300,000 truck drivers a year and so we need to look at everything from working conditions to compensation. Among the conditions I would mention, critically important truck parking, the sooner we can address those the sooner that we can not only bring people into the career, but have people stay and thrive in that vitally important part of our supply chains. 

Senator Klobuchar: Very good. Thank you for your emphasis on that. Distracted driving, I’ve long been working on that, including with Senator Hoeven. We’ve got, everyday eight people die and more than 1000 are injured in crashes. We’ve got money for it in the bipartisan infrastructure bill on that. Can you talk about the department’s plans when it comes to distracted driving? 

Secretary Buttigieg: We made such gains as a country when it came to impaired driving, only to see the rise of distracted driving especially since the advent of the smartphone. We need to recognize this as a major source of risk and major factor in fatalities. And as we roll out our new national roadway safety strategy, attention to this will be one of the core elements of our work to save lives on our roadways. 

Senator Klobuchar: Okay, very good. Going a little more local, the Blatnik Bridge, which connects Minnesota and Wisconsin. In fact, the President the day after the State of the Union visited the Blatnik Bridge and earlier this year, your Department announced significant funding for a number of grant programs including Mega projects, projects that are too large or complex for traditional funding programs.

How is the DOT coordinating and communicating with state departments of transportation to promote competitive grants. I appreciate the hope we’ve already gotten with the Congressionally initiated projects, as well as the grants you’re already giving out and in my mind, a rapid pace as we all know from being home. But talk about some of these bridge projects and how important they are. 

Secretary Buttigieg: Thank you. We’ve made over $70 billion available. There’s more where that came from in programs ranging from the bridge investment program to the award selections for programs like Mega which you cited. This is especially important for these large bridge projects that are simply bigger than what’s contemplated by a lot of our competitive grant programs. We’re in close touch with the state departments of transportation. I would add governors who are often enthusiastic about these major bridge projects and we’re committed to making sure that there’s a smooth process for those applications. 

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