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Senator Klobuchar Gives Warm Welcome to Area Leaders at Her New Regional Office in Moorhead

Klobuchar Also Holds Moorhead Event on Toy Safety Issues

December 8, 2007

MOORHEAD, M.N. - With the morning temperature at nearly 20 degrees below zero, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar offered a warm welcome to area officials and community leaders during an open house get-together at her regional office in Moorhead.  The office, which serves northwestern and central Minnesota, recently moved into new space at 121 Fourth Street South.

During her visit to Moorhead, Klobuchar also held a roundtable discussion with local educators, health care providers and concerned parents about new efforts to ensure the safety of toys being sold in America.

At the open house, Klobuchar highlighted the role of Andy Martin, who is staffing the regional office in Moorhead.  A native of the area, Martin previously worked for U.S. Representative Collin Peterson and joined Klobuchar’s staff in the spring.

“With regional offices like this one in Moorhead -- as well as in Minneapolis, Rochester and Virginia -- we can provide the strongest possible service to Minnesota as a whole,” said Klobuchar.  “It’s very important to me that we have staff on the ground all around the state and that we’re working hard everyday to do what’s best for the people of Minnesota.”

Klobuchar noted her own statewide travels.  By the end of September, she had already visited all 87 counties in the state at least once during 2007.  “There is no better way to keep a Minnesota moral compass in Washington than to visit local communities and listen to what’s on people’s minds,” she said.

Moorhead Mayor Mark Voxland, who attended the open house, said:  “By establishing this regional office and having someone like Andy Martin here, Senator Klobuchar demonstrates her clear commitment to providing top-quality representation and service to the people, businesses and communities in our area.”

With the holiday shopping season in full swing, Klobuchar also held a toy safety roundtable discussion at the Probstfield Early Learning Center with the Safe Kids Fargo/Moorhead Coalition.

As a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, Klobuchar has become a leader on protecting consumers and reforming the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which is responsible for protecting the public from unsafe products. 

After a series of large-scale toy recalls earlier this year, Klobuchar introduced two bills in Congress to effectively ban lead in all children’s toys and to streamline the recall process for defective and dangerous products.  Both bills were included in the Consumer Product Safety Commission Reform Act, which was passed by the Senate Commerce Committee on October 30.  The legislation is currently pending before the full Senate.

Along with national consumer groups, Klobuchar has also been working with leading toy manufacturers and retailers to make sure they strengthen their own testing, inspections and other quality-control procedures to keep toxic toys out of the hands of children.

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