Getting A Veteran His Medals

Recently, I had the honor of presenting Erick Skoglund, a U.S. Army veteran from St. Paul, with medals he had earned serving in Vietnam. Mr. Skoglund lost several of his medals in a tragic fire nearly 30 years ago. A few months ago he called my office to see if we could replace them, so my staff got in touch with the National Personnel Records Center in Washington and discovered that not only was Mr. Skoglund eligible for the medals he lost in the 1981 fire, but also for service medals he had never received. It was an honor and a privilege to meet Mr. Skoglund and present him with the medals he so honorably earned.

What Today's Tax Cut Vote Means for Minnesotans

Today I took my hardest vote yet, in favor of President Obama's tax cut compromise. I don't like extending the excessive Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, I don't like the explosion in deficits it will create, and I don't like how the President made this deal. But I would hate even more to see Minnesota families get hurt. There's a lot in here to help create jobs and to help middle-class Minnesotans weather this recession: tax cuts for working families, a payroll tax holiday, energy tax credits, and the extension of Recovery Act initiatives that are already making a difference. And a lot of harm would come to working families if their unemployment insurance isn't renewed. I voted for this reluctantly and will continue to fight passionately to get our economic policies on the right track.

Food Safety Bill Clears Senate Hurdle

The Senate recently passed the Food Safety Modernization Act with strong bipartisan support. This bill will protect Minnesotans and help guarantee that the food you buy is safe and won't make you sick. I worked to make sure that the bill enables us to track where food comes from and where it's going, so we can recall it quickly when a problem arises. Although the bill passed the Senate, it hit a procedural snag in the House. We're still hoping to get it to the President's desk this year.

But I've received a lot of questions from Minnesotans who are concerned about how this legislation will affect their farms. The bill includes exemptions for small farms and small facilities from increased FDA regulation to ensure that they'll be able to continue operating as they always have. Below is a fact sheet that clears up some of the common concerns about the bill.

Photographs!

I'm happy to announce that we've redesigned the photo section of my website. We are still working out the kinks, but I hope the new format will help all of you stay abreast of my events around the state. Please take a look and let me know what you think. We will continue to improve it in the coming weeks.

I'd specifically like to highlight photos from my recent trip to the Cedar Park Elementary Magnet School in Apple Valley. While I was there I met with School and District officials about the importance of science, technology, engineering, and math. I also had the opportunity to talk with Principal John Garcia who has done a great job at Cedar Park Elementary and is an example of someone who really made a big difference.