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2007 Accomplishments: A Year in Review
Minnesotans sent me to Washington to get things done. My guiding philosophy is to focus on the things Minnesotans talk about at our dinner tables every night – things like healthcare, the war in Iraq, jobs, education, public safety and gas prices. Looking back on 2007, I'm proud of what we've been able to accomplish, and also energized about the work left to do.
AGRICULTURE/ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT
Ag Disaster Relief: $3 billion in emergency disaster assistance finally passed as part of the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act in May 2007. I helped lead the fight for this funding for well over a year in response to flooding and drought experienced by MN farmers in 2005 and 2006.
SE MN Flood Response: Following the devastating floods across southeast MN, I pushed federal agencies to respond as quickly as they did to the I-35W bridge disaster and was pleased they came through. I visited the region four times following the flood and my staff has been in the region consistently and kept in close contact with local leaders. We worked hard with FEMA to ensure public and individual assistance was available to cities and their residents affected by the floods.
Farm Bill: I worked hard to break the stalemate on the 2007 Farm Bill – it had been held up for weeks without a single vote due to disagreements over amendments. In the end, the Senate moved the bill forward and ultimately enabled us to get the bill done. While we still need to go through a conference with the House, this bill delivers for MN farm families, energy security, and the neediest among us. For example, I secured provisions to extend and enhance the sugar program, including a new sugar-to-ethanol program. I also worked to extend the MILC program through the life of the Farm Bill and increase the payment rate as well as maintain the farmer safety net, establish a permanent disaster assistance program, increase conservation funding, make key investments in nutrition for school children and low income families, and boost funding for renewable energy and basic infrastructure for rural Minnesota communities. The bill also includes my biorefinery local ownership provision which will give local communities near where a biorefinery is built the opportunity to become partial owners of that facility.
Energy: In December we passed a landmark energy bill that will increase the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) to require 36 billion gallons of biofuels to be blended with gasoline by 2022, and increase in the CAFE fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks to 35 miles per gallon by 2020. The bill also contains other key provisions of my DRIVE Act, including an E-85 infrastructure corridors grant program, loan guarantees for cellulosic ethanol plants, and a requirement for federal and state fleets to reduce petroleum use 20% by 2016.
Notable Appropriations: I also secured a number of key provisions for MN in the Omnibus Appropriations bill. Some of these include:
• $3,445,400,000 for the Koochiching Forest Legacy Project
• $1,230,500 for the Superior National Forest to maintain Long Island in Burntside Lake
• $3,423,000 to prevent the closure of the Mississippi Headwaters Campgrounds
• $984,000 for the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute Center for Producer-Owned Energy
• $984,000 for the White Earth Wind Energy project
• $492,000 for the Minnesota Center for Renewable Energy
TRANSPORTATION/INFRASTRUCTURE
I-35W Bridge dollars: Immediately after the collapse of the I-35W bridge, Senator Klobuchar and I worked with other members of the MN delegation to authorize Department of Transportation Emergency Response (ER) dollars for reconstruction. Since then, DOT released more than $178 million. In December the Omnibus Appropriations bill contained the final $195 million for the bridge, which brings the total federal funds for bridge reconstruction to $373 million.
Northstar: On December 11th, Northstar leaders and the Department of Transportation finalized an agreement paving the way for $156.8 million in federal funding. I have worked extremely hard on Northstar over the years – securing appropriations dollars, accelerating the federal approval process particularly in light of the I-35W disaster, and passing a legislative fix to save the program from changes in the DOT’s cost effectiveness calculations. In addition, we secured $53 million for Northstar in the Omnibus Appropriations bill.
WRDA: In November 2007, the Water Resources Development Act became law when I joined my colleagues in Congress voting to override the President’s veto. WRDA, which had not been reauthorized since 2000, authorizes water infrastructure projects I secured for Roseau, Goodview, Willmar, Grand Rapids and Douglas County among others, along with navigational improvements and ecosystem restoration of the Upper Mississippi River, including the construction of an Asian carp barrier in Iowa.
Notable Appropriations: I also secured a number of key provisions for MN in the Omnibus Appropriations bill. Some of these include:
• $1,313,200 for the interchange of CSAH 12 and TH 14 near Mankato
• $1,102,500 for land acquisition for the St. Cloud Airport
• $803,600 for the St. Cloud Metrobus project
• $656,000 for U.S. Highway 212 Expansion in Norwood
• $490,000 for Trunk Highway 14 between Waseca and Owatonna
• $490,000 for TH 610 Corridor from TH 169 in Brooklyn Park to I-94 in Maple Grove
• $490,000 for improvements to Minnesota State Highway 241 in St. Michael
• $10 million for the Central Corridor rail project
• $3,936,000 for the Breckenridge flood control project
• $3,444,000 for Montevideo flood control project
• $1,265,000 for the Stillwater flood control project
• $986,000 for Lock and Dam 3 in Red Wing
• $984,400 for Grand Rapids for its wastewater treatment plant
• $936,000 for Mille Lacs Regional Water Treatment System
• $394,000 for Ada flood control project
• $295,320 for a drinking water plant in New Auburn
• $735,000 to help in rebuilding after a major flood earlier this year and $98,000 for a flood control study for Browns Valley
• $93,000 for Harriet Island Lower Harbor dredging in St. Paul
• $26,568,000 for the Lewis and Clark Rural Water System, which will provide treated water from the Missouri River to over 300,000 people in MN, SD and IA through its 20 member cities and rural water systems, including the cities of Luverne and Worthington and the Lincoln-Pipestone and Rock County rural water systems.
EDUCATION
America COMPETES: In one of the most bipartisan bills of the year, in August 2007 President Bush signed into law the America COMPETES Act, of which I was a coauthor and conferee. This bill aims to increase research investment, strengthen educational opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics from elementary through graduate school, and develop an innovation infrastructure. The measure also included my amendment to provide incentive grants to elementary and secondary schools for improved achievement in math and science.
Higher Education: In September, the President signed into law the College Cost Reduction Act, legislation that provided an additional $21.57 billion over 5 years for federal student aid programs, including an increase in the maximum Pell Grant award to $5,400 by 2012 from its current level of $4,310, and a reduction in interest rates on subsidized Stafford loans from the current level of 6.8% to 3.4% in 2012. It creates incentives for good teachers to teach in high-need schools by establishing new TEACH scholarships of $4,000/year for undergraduate and graduate students who commit to teaching a high-need subject in a high-need school. Further, the bill includes my amendment to encourage teen adoption by allowing foster children adopted in their teens to apply for financial aid as “independent students,” so they no longer have to choose between a loving family and additional financial aid for college.
Head Start: In November, the President signed into law the Head Start Reauthorization Act, with my support. The bill authorizes over $7 billion for Head Start and makes a number of changes from the previous authorization back in 1998, including: expanding Head Start’s reach to serve additional children from families with an income up to 130 percent of the federal poverty level, rather than the current level of 100 percent, as well as strengthened quality performance standards.
ECONOMY/HOUSING/COMMUNITY NEEDS
Minimum Wage: For the first time since 1996, a minimum wage increase was enacted into law in May 2007 as part of the Supplemental Appropriations bill. Since taking office, I have voted 10 times to increase the minimum wage.
LIHEAP: I have been a long-time champion of LIHEAP, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps ensure that low-income families are not forced to make the impossible choice of paying for the necessities of daily life and heating their homes, particularly given the high energy costs we are faced with today. I have worked with Senators Bernie Sanders, Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins and others to increase LIHEAP funding, and am pleased that the Omnibus Appropriations bill contains $2.6 billion for LIHEAP, including an emergency allocation of $250 million. I am also a cosponsor with Senator Sanders of the Keep America Warm Act, to provide $1 billion in additional LIHEAP funding.
FHA Reform: As part of our response to the mortgage crisis, the Senate passed the Federal Housing Administration Reform bill. This bill increases FHA single-family loan limits across the board, at both the high and low ends, allowing more people to refinance into safer mortgages. It also increases penalties for fraud and ensures pre-purchase counseling demonstrations are available for first time home buyers. The bill now moves to a conference with the House.
Mortgage Cancellation Relief: To help the hundreds of thousands of American homeowners who are faced with the prospect of losing their homes, I cosponsored the Mortgage Cancellation Relief Act that would make mortgage debt forgiveness tax-free. The bill covers restructured mortgage agreements entered into after January 1, 2007 and before December 31, 2009. The tax forgiveness is available on mortgage indebtedness of up to $1 million. Clearly it is my hope that with the President’s mortgage relief plan, fewer homeowners will need to avail themselves of this relief. But even with the President’s plan, it’s important to also make available this last-resort form of relief. The measure, which passed the Senate, will ahead to a conference with the House.
Notable Appropriations: I also secured a number of key provisions for MN in the Omnibus Appropriations bill. Some of these include:
• $50 million for security at the Republican convention in St. Paul
• $1,222,000 for the National Child Protection Training Center at Winona State University
• $648,600 for the White Earth Reservation Meth Cleanup project
• $383,186 for services to runaway, homeless, and other at-risk youth and their families by Lutheran Social Services in Duluth
• $286,898 for Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency in Virginia, MN for Family-to-Family community based mentoring program to assist low-income families
• $147,000 for the Red Lake Criminal Justice Complex
• $147,000 for the Mesabi Academy of KidsPeace in Buhl
• $141,000 to fund a Gang Enforcement Team and $23,500 for a meth education program in Willmar
• $118,886 for the Sheriff’s Youth Program in Inver Grove Heights for chemical dependency treatment services
DEFENSE/VETERANS
Defense Authorization: In December, we passed the Defense Authorization bill, which includes my amendment to make Minnesota’s Beyond the Yellow Ribbon National Guard reintegration program national. It also includes my amendments to give the Secretary of Defense the flexibility to increase mental health reimbursement rates for TRICARE, study the effects of extended deployments on professional reservists like nurse aides, and allow the Secretary of Defense to increase the authorized end strength of the Guard during times of national need. The bill authorizes a 3.5 percent across-the-board pay raise for all uniformed service personnel, and includes important provisions from the Dignified Treatment for Wounded Warriors Act. Finally, the bill includes an important provision I coauthored to allow National Guard and reservists who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan to use their education benefits for up to ten years after their service.
National Guard Education Benefits: There is no question that the Minnesota National Guard went above and beyond the call of duty during their extended tour in Iraq. But when they came home, due to some discrepancies in their orders, about half of them were slated to receive full education benefits while the other half, who served just as long, were not. Together, the members of the Minnesota delegation elevated the importance of this issue, and a process has been established for Guardsmen who missed out to apply for a waiver. To date, more than 90 percent of these troops are on the way to updated education benefits.
Notable Appropriations: I also secured a number of key provisions for MN in the Omnibus Appropriations bill. Some of these include:
• $17,450,000 for the Combined Arms Collective Training Facility (CACTF) at Camp Ripley
• $1,500,000 for a wing storage facility for the 148th Fighter Wing in Duluth
• $1,099,452 for a state-wide veterans re-entry education program by Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
HEALTHCARE
Healthcare Listening Sessions: Healthcare is one of the top concerns I’m hearing about from my constituents right now – and we’ve spent the past year seeking ways to strengthen quality, access and affordability in our healthcare system. I began the year by introducing a comprehensive rural health initiative – which stemmed from conversations with the Minnesota Hospital Association and visits I made across the state to our Critical Access Hospitals. The plan put forth would harness technologies like remote monitoring, strengthen reimbursement rates that rural hospitals depend on, address nursing shortages and invest in our nation’s Critical Access Hospital infrastructure. Additionally, I have hosted listening sessions around the state to discuss the best ways to reform our healthcare system. From Rochester to St. Cloud to HCMC in Minneapolis, I’ve heard about the need to insure every American – but to do it in a way that does not result in the government choosing your doctor. The bottom line is everyone should access to affordable health insurance, and I am continuing to work towards that end.
Notable Appropriations: I also secured a number of key provisions for MN in the Omnibus Appropriations bill. Some of these include:
• $335,042 for a nurse training program, and $238,754 for equipment for an engineering technology center at Bemidji State University
• $283,951 for construction, renovation, and equipment to treat illnesses like Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy at the University of Minnesota
• $242,684 for the College of Saint Scholastica in Duluth to implement a rural health and technology demonstration project
• $240,719 for pediatric palliative care education and consultation services by Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota and $301,636 for facilities and equipment
• $95,305 for St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Wabasha to support a pilot program to reduce the incidence of heart disease
• $95,305 for the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center for a dual diagnosis outpatient treatment program.
OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS
87 Counties: Once again, during 2007 I visited every county in Minnesota, a tour that began with a January 3rd meeting at Millie's Deli in Chanhassen and ended in the seat of Swift County with a meeting at Benson City Hall on November 29th.
Hmong Material Support: Since learning about its unintended consequences, I have been leading the fight to ensure that the “material support” provisions designed to keep terrorists out of our country are not applied to the Hmong and other groups who are clearly not terrorists. After working with Senators Jon Kyl and Patrick Leahy on a compromise amendment, I am pleased that a provision was included in the Omnibus Appropriations bill to ensure that the Hmong are no longer classified as such.
WHTI: Since its announcement in April 2005, I have fought to bring rationality to the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, and am pleased that the Omnibus Appropriations bill extends the deadline for WHTI implementation until June 2009. In addition, I have been an early champion of a driver’s license approach, which the Department of Homeland Security finally embraced this year and is now moving ahead in several states. It’s also encouraging to learn about the Department’s phased approach to WHTI next year – rather than requiring passports on January 1, they will ask for border crossers to have a driver’s license and birth certificate, and will exempt children.
UN Accountability: I have long been a strong proponent of a United Nations (UN) that is efficient, transparent and accountable, and not focused solely on picking on Israel. For this reason, I worked to successfully pass two amendments to the Foreign Operations Appropriations bill on the UN that were included in the final Omnibus bill. One ensures that none of the funds appropriated in the bill can be used to support the UN Human Rights Council – after over a year of operation, the Council has proved that it is nothing more than a platform for shielding human rights violating regimes from scrutiny and launching spiteful attacks against Israel. The second requires that the UN Development Program (UNDP) implement a whistleblower policy before it can receive U.S. funding. This policy is critical for ensuring that UNDP is more transparent, and the need was highlighted by the scandal surrounding UNDP’s activities in North Korea.
Pool Safety: I am a cosponsor of the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, which would increase the safety of swimming pools and spas by requiring the use of proper anti-entrapment drain covers and pool and spa drainage systems. Injuries sustained in Minnesota over the summer by Abigail Taylor show the urgent need for this legislation, and it ultimately passed as part of the Energy Bill, which the President has recently signed into law.
Guatemala: After hearing serious concerns from so many Minnesota families in the process of adopting children from Guatemala, I traveled to the country just after Thanksgiving to stress how vital it was for the Guatemalan Congress to pass an adoption law that would ensure these families were protected in the transition to a new adoption system. After having been assured during my visit that these families would be protected, it was good news to hear that on December 11th the Guatemalan legislature passed this important law. While there will still be uncertainties to work through as the law is implemented, extremely encouraging that adoptions already in process will be protected for Minnesota families.
Passports: This year my staff helped over 3,000 Minnesota families get passports in time for their family vacations, honeymoons and business trips. Unfortunately the State Department had failed to make adequate preparations for new regulations under WHTI that now require a passport for air travel to Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. After personally meeting with a number of the involved State Department and contractor personnel to find solutions, we are now back on track in terms of passport processing times.
Somalia Special Envoy: Since 2005 I have been pushing for the creation of a Special Envoy for Somalia so that the U.S. can conduct more robust diplomacy in Somalia, given the fact that we have not had an Ambassador to Somalia since the American Embassy was evacuated in 1991. The State Department heeded my call in May of this year and designated Ambassador John Yates for this position. While Somalia’s tremendous challenges continue, State Department focus remains vital.
PSI ACCOMPLISHMENTS
As Ranking Member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, I have worked in a bipartisan fashion with Chairman Carl Levin to address weighty problems in government, such as waste, fraud and abuse in government operations and vulnerabilities in homeland security, as well as matters affecting American consumers. The Subcommittee held 10 hearings and issued several reports this year, tackling problems including:
America’s Vulnerabilities to Dirty Bomb Attack: The Subcommittee continued its investigation into the government’s efforts to neutralize nuclear and radiological threats by examining gaps in the government’s procedures for granting licenses to handle radioactive materials. A sting operation, conducted by the Government Accountability Office at my direction, revealed how the Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued a valid radiological materials license to a bogus company – with little to no review – in just 28 days. Moreover, the license was later altered to remove any limit on the quantity or nature of the permissible radioactive materials, meaning that GAO’s bogus company could have obtained sufficient radioactive materials to make a dangerous dirty bomb.
Medicare Providers Who Cheat on Their Taxes: The Subcommittee revealed that more than 21,000 physicians and other providers received millions of dollars in Medicare payments, even though they collectively owe more than $1.3 billion dollars in federal taxes. I have introduced legislation, with Senator Levin, that would require Medicare to participate in the Federal Payment Levy Program to ensure that Medicare payments are levied in the future.
Medicaid Providers Who Cheat on Their Taxes: The Subcommittee revealed that more than 30,000 hospitals, nursing homes, physicians, health professionals and suppliers that received billions in Medicaid payments in 2006 owed more than $1 billion in unpaid Federal taxes. These results likely understate the problem because they reviewed only 43% of Medicaid expenditures, meaning the problem is likely significantly larger – like 60,000 Medicaid providers that owe $2 billion in back taxes. GAO estimated that, if Medicaid payments had been levied, the government could have recovered hundreds of millions of back-taxes in 2006 alone. I, along with Senator Levin, have been working with the relevant agencies to fix the problem so that Medicaid payments will be levied and we can recoup those unpaid taxes in the future.
Travel Abuse in the Federal Government: The Subcommittee released a GAO report revealing that roughly 67% of the premium travel (i.e., business and first class accommodations) in the federal government was either unjustified or unauthorized, amounting to roughly $146 million in waste and abuse each year. We have worked with the relevant government agencies (such as the Office of Management and Budget) to fix the problem, by clarifying the rules, limiting the opportunities for abuse and holding the agencies accountable.
Credit Card Practices: The Subcommittee held two hearings examining practices in the credit card industry and I have worked to make sure that American consumers have clear notice of their credit card’s policies. No one should be ambushed by rate changes and every cardholder should understand how their card works. The Subcommittee has worked with the issuers to ensure that their notices are user-friendly and understandable – designed to educate their customers, rather than stave off litigation.
High Prices and Extreme Volatility In The Natural Gas Market: In June 2007, after an exhaustive investigation, the Subcommittee issued a 130 page Report entitled Excessive Speculation In The Natural Gas Market, documenting how trading by a single hedge fund, Amaranth LLC, led to high prices and extreme price volatility in the U.S. natural gas market in 2006. Minnesota families, businesses and farmers rely on natural gas to heat their homes, run there factories and process their products. The report showed how Amaranth’s actions helped dramatically increased the price Minnesota pays for natural gas. The Report also formed the basis of legislation I helped draft to help ensure that Minnesota families, businesses and farmers do not again pay excessive natural gas prices because of improper trading in energy markets.
Notable Initiatives That I’m Continuing to Push Forward
HOME Act and Community Foreclosure Assistance Act: As part of my on-going efforts to address the subprime mortgage crisis, I’ve introduced with Senator Martinez, the HOME Act which would temporarily allow homeowners penalty and tax-free access to their retirement savings in order to save their homes from foreclosure. I’ve also introduced with Senator Leahy, the Community Foreclosure Assistance Act which would provide $1 billion in emergency Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to communities to help address the fallout from the subprime crisis. The legislation will provide much needed support for efforts to help keep folks in their home.
Stem Cells - HOPE Act: In June, the Senate passed my Hope Offered through Principled and Ethical Stem Cell Research (HOPE) Act (S. 30) by a bipartisan vote of 70-28. The HOPE Act would authorize additional federal funding for stem cell research that does not harm human embryos. However, the House never acted on the HOPE Act, instead sending the President a bill that we all knew would be vetoed. The November discovery of a new method to produce pluripotent stem cells from skin cells is proof positive that we can move forward on stem cell research without engaging in the culture wars.
Fairness Doctrine: I have been a leader in trying to pass legislation to prevent the reinstatement of the “Fairness Doctrine,” an outdated policy which would require the government to monitor political discourse on American’s airwaves and regulate the expression of political views. In July, I offered an amendment to this end which failed to reach the required 60-vote threshold, instead garnering 49 votes in favor and 48 against. Going forward, I’m continuing to monitor any effort to reinstate this antiquated practice.
Immigration and Sanctuary Cities: The Senate debated but did not pass comprehensive immigration reform legislation this year, and I was among the Senators to vote against cloture when it became clear that the bill was flawed and could not be fixed. I had offered an amendment to ban the practice of sanctuary cities, where law enforcement officers are prevented from asking about the immigration status of the people with whom they come into contact, and therefore do not share information with federal authorities. My amendment failed by a single vote, but a revised version could have passed had not the bill itself fallen apart.
Childhood Cancer: For several years I have been working with Senator Reed (D-RI) on legislation to authorize $30 million per year for childhood cancer research, a childhood cancer database, and informational and educational services to patients and families affected by childhood cancer. Our bill was approved by the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee in November, and I am hopeful the full Senate can consider this bill in the New Year.
Mental Health Parity: We made significant progress in 2007 towards passage of mental health parity legislation. I voted for and the Senate passed its version of mental health parity on September 18, 2007, but the House was unable to pass its bill before Congress adjourned. I am hopeful that the House will act early in 2008, and I look forward to working with House and Senate negotiators to make sure we send the strongest bill possible to the President.
Walker Hospital: During 2007 I continued my efforts to allow the folks in Walker to build a Critical Access Hospital. Once again we came very close to success – it was included in a Senate version of a 2007 supplemental spending bill, but later dropped. It was also included in a Medicare tax package but was not passed into law. I will keep working on this vital priority.
Medicare Tax Cheats: An outcome of my PSI hearings into Medicare providers who don’t pay their taxes was legislation I introduced to set up an automated system to levy Medicare payments for tax-delinquent doctors. I was hopeful that this measure would be part of the Medicare bill this year, but unfortunately it was not included this time. It’s an effort I will continue to push in 2008.
Climate Change: In May Senator Lieberman and I agreed to work together on climate change legislation with certain protections for jobs and for the poor. Our legislation, the America’s Climate Security Act, is projected to reduce total U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions by as much as 19% below the 2005 level (4% below the 1990 level) in 2020 and by as much as 63% below the 2005 level in 2050. Among other things, America’s Climate Security Act includes a separate piece of legislation I had introduced earlier this year, the C02 Pipeline Study Act of 2007, to help address issues associated with the underground storage of carbon dioxide. The bill was approved by the Environment and Public Works Committee in December and now awaits consideration by the full Senate.
Part D Negotiating: I voted in favor of a bill on April 18, 2007 to allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services to act as an ombudsman for Medicare beneficiaries, and provide for greater transparency and information-gathering on drug prices. Unfortunately this bill failed in the Senate, so we were unable to go to conference with the House. As a strong and consistent supporter of providing seniors with low cost prescription drugs I’m hopeful we will revisit this important issue in 2008.
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