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Senator Klobuchar Joins Ethics Reformers in Dialogue for Serious Legislation

January 8, 2007

(Washington, D.C.) Klobuchar Joins Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senators Obama and Feingold in Discussing First Legislative Action of the New Congress

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar today joined members of the Senate leadership team to discuss the need for serious ethics reform legislation and an honest dialogue among members of the Senate to get that done. Klobuchar joined Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid (D-NV), Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Barack Obama (D-IL), and members of her freshman class, Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Bob Casey (D-PA), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Jon Tester (D-MT) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) in a press conference outlining proposals the Senate will be considering.

“Ethics reform is the number one priority of this new Senate for a key reason: until we improve the way Congress does business, and until we make things fair again for all Americans, we can’t effectively tackle the big issues facing our country, like energy independence, affordable health care, or relief for the middle class.

“With the energy of our new freshman class, the leadership of Senator Reid, and the commitment of Senators Feingold and Obama, we will pass real ethics reform.”

Last month, Klobuchar discussed the ethics policy that she has adopted as U.S. Senator. Klobuchar’s ethics policy goes well beyond what current Senate rules require and is modeled on Minnesota's decade-old law that essentially bans any gifts or free meals from lobbyists or their clients. Klobuchar said that she will fight for a comprehensive ethics reform package in Congress, including additional restrictions on gifts, travel and meals; greater transparency and limits on “earmark” spending; stronger investigation and enforcement of violations; greater disclosure of all dealings between lobbyists and members of Congress; and tighter controls on the revolving door between Congress and the lobbying communities.