Senate

Sen. Al Franken met on Thursday with leaders from several of Minnesota LGBT advocacy organizations, who “applauded” Franken’s work on LGBT issues, including his work towards repealing the military’s ban on openly gay and lesbian servicemembers and his support for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and the Student Non-Discrimination Act.

Sen. Al Franken took to the Senate floor Tuesday to criticize GOP use of the filibuster to slow down the work of the Senate, noting that at times Republicans will filibuster something only to later vote unanimously for it.

Minnesota Sens. Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar generally agree on the issues, but not on the vote to confirm Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke on Thursday. Klobuchar supported his confirmation while Franken was opposed, along with 30 other liberals and conservatives.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar announced on Monday that the United States Senate has confirmed Minneapolis Police Department Assistant Police Chief Sharon Lubinski as the nation’s newest United States Marshal. Lubinski is widely considered to be the first lesbian to hold that post and one of only a handful of women in history to serve as a [...]

Sen. Al Franken grilled his Republican colleague from South Dakota, Sen. John Thune, over what Franken said were inaccurate statements regarding the health care reform bill currently being debated in the U.S. Senate.
“You know, again, we are entitled to our own opinions; we’re not entitled to our own facts,” Franken said to Thune. “If you’re [...]

Sen. Al Franken spoke at a Senate hearing on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) on Thursday. ENDA, which is vociferously opposed by the religious right, would make it illegal to fire somebody because of their sexual orientation. Franken sits on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee which held the first hearing the bill has [...]

The U.S. Senate passed the 2010 National Defense Authorization Act on Thursday with the controversial Matthew Shepard Act attached. The act would add sexual orientation and gender identity to federal hate crimes laws. The bill now heads to the desk of President Obama, who at last week’s Human Rights Campaign dinner promised LGBT advocates he’d [...]

Dr. Miguel Diaz, a professor of theology at St. John’s University in Collegeville, was confirmed by the Senate on Tuesday to become ambassador to the Vatican.

Sen. Al Franken says his first bill in the Senate will be one to provide service dogs to veterans. A longtime USO entertainer for troops stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq, Franken said training service dogs to work with physically and emotionally wounded veterans is a cost-saving measure.

Unlike Norm Coleman, the Republican incumbent in Minnesota’s last great recount did not appeal to the state Supreme Court. Gov. Elmer L. Andersen faced, as Coleman has, a ruling by a specially empaneled court that his Democratic rival (Karl Rolvaag) had won more votes. But Andersen decided not to continue the legal battle. His full statement of [...]