Minnesotans sent me to the Senate to get things done, and I'm working hard in Washington to make meaningful reforms that will benefit Minnesota and the nation. With the second and final session of the 108th Congress now behind us, I wanted to take a moment to report back on what I’ve been able to get done for the State of Minnesota during this past congressional term. In an election year, the partisanship can get a little thick up here on Capitol Hill. Nevertheless, this was, quite frankly, a very productive session and one I was proud to be a part of. Getting things done for Minnesota has been, is, and will always be my top priority as your United States Senator.
I’ve been plenty busy in Washington, but have been moving at a fast pace here at home as well. During this session alone, I’ve held listening sessions in Grand Rapids, Pipestone, Brainerd, Duluth, Camp Ripley, Mankato, St. Cloud, Rochester, Fergus Falls, International Falls and the Twin Cities. I’ve heard from my constituents on issues ranging from methamphetamine use, to tax policy, to Medicare. I’ve listened a lot, but know my constituents expect more than an open ear - They expect action. What I learn here at home I take back with me to Washington, where I use these lessons to craft more meaningful policy.
In December, Congress passed, with my strong support, legislation that will reform and strengthen America’s intelligence capabilities. As a member of the congressional conference committee that crafted this legislation, I’m confident that America will be safer and more secure thanks to this bill. It builds on our progress over the last three years by creating a new Director of National Intelligence who will be the person in charge of and responsible for managing our intelligence capabilities and gives him the budget and personnel power needed to create a coordinated, strategic approach focused on the nation’s highest security priorities. It also includes provisions I personally worked hard to secure and knew would benefit Minnesota, such as adding 10,000 border security officers and provisions that ensure state and local officials will be involved in the development of an Integrated Command System that allows first responders to communicate with each other and access information about emergency situations. We must never rest in taking steps to enhance our national security. This week, I’m proud to say that we took a leap forward in this ongoing effort.
I have long fought to keep taxes low for hardworking Minnesotans, and I have continued that fight in Congress. One of the most important things we did this session was extend the Working Families Tax Relief Act, which maintains through 2010 the $1,000 child tax credit, the expanded 10-percent tax bracket, and the marriage penalty relief. This important piece of legislation stopped substantial tax increases on Minnesota moms and dads. For example, had we failed to renew these three provisions, a working family of four with a taxable income of $58,100 would have ended up paying $1,611 more in taxes next year. That’s a 26 percent tax increase! In addition to allowing families to keep more of their hard-earned money, these tax cuts have helped our economy grow millions of new jobs. I will continue to support the kind of tax policy that keeps America’s economy growing.
As Minnesota’s mayor in Washington, I am committed to bringing more of the federal dollars Minnesotans send to Washington back home and I have delivered on that promise. Just a couple weeks ago, we passed an Omnibus appropriations bill that alone includes well over $200 million for worthy Minnesota projects that I fought hard for, including $1 million for a runway extension at the Marshall Airport and $4 million for the 34th Street / I-94 Interchange in Moorhead. And although it represented only 1 / 20,000 of one percent of the total Omnibus, I was so proud that attached was my bill that provided $200,000 for Brian and Eric Simon, whose father tragically contracted AIDS while being treated for a service-related injury while in the National Guard in the early 1980s. It is truly an honor to be able to be an advocate for the people and communities of Minnesota here in the United States Senate.
One of my most important responsibilities as a United States Senator is to support our troops defending freedom here and overseas. I was pleased to vote for a well-deserved 3.5 percent pay raise for our service men and women this year. On a personal note, I was also proud that during this session of Congress, President Bush signed into law my legislation that calls for the Pentagon to pay the way home for troops on leave from service in Iraq. That’s common sense, but it wasn’t federal policy. Now, I’m pleased to report, it is. I also added an amendment to the Defense Reauthorization act that gets the ball rolling toward getting Camp Ripley re-designated as a training center for our troops. Currently, Minnesota service men and women have to travel out of the state to begin basic training. Thanks to my legislation, the day is nearer when Minnesota troops can train for duty right here at home, close by to family and friends.
I also serve as chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, where we’ve held some important hearings this session. We’ve looked into the safety concerns of ordering drugs over the Internet and tried to spotlight tax loopholes that cost taxpayers billions of dollars a year. Recently, I’ve been leading an investigation into the United Nation’s corrupt Oil for Food program, which allowed Saddam Hussein to personally profit over $21.3 billion that should have gone to the suffering Iraqi people.
Helping Minnesota farm families was one of my top priorities this session. With a bipartisan group of my colleagues, I worked hard to craft and pass over $3 billion in disaster assistance for farmers in Minnesota and across the nation. I also successfully led a bipartisan coalition of 18 senators in securing a strong renewable fuels package through the JOBS Bill, a volumetric ethanol excise tax credit giving Minnesota an 81 percent increase in highway funding, an improved small ethanol producer tax credit that will make farmer-owned ethanol plants more competitive, and a biodiesel tax credit essential to triggering Minnesota’s two percent requirement and getting this industry off the ground in the state.
I’m proud of what I was able to achieve for the people of Minnesota this session of Congress and am optimistic that the next session will be even more productive than the last.
I am deeply honored to serve as your United States Senator. I will continue to work hard to craft policy that benefits Minnesota and the nation.