Op-Eds and Speeches
-
Grand Forks Herald: Minnesota needs federal action on railroads
Sen. Franken penned an op-ed for the Grand Forks Herald on addressing poor rail service across Minnesota.
-
Huffington Post: Tomorrow Could Be the Beginning of the End for Net Neutrality. You Should Be Worried.
Sen. Franken penned an op-ed for the Huffington Post on the future of the Internet and what the FCC's vote on net neutrality means.
-
Star Tribune: Closing the skills gap is a matter of partnership
-
Sen. Franken: Enacting a Five-Year Farm Bill is Vital to Keeping Our Farm Economy Strong
Click here to read Sen. Franken's op-ed for the Redwood Falls Gazette for FarmFest 2013.
-
CNN Op-Ed: We need transparency on domestic surveillance
-
Al Franken and Tim Walz: Cut the red tape between veterans and their benefits
Click here to read Sen. Franken and Rep. Walz's op-ed for the Rochester Post-Bulletin on their work to ease the backlog of benefits claims from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
-
Sens. Franken and Wicker Fight to Prevent Future Financial Collapse; Clean Up Credit Rating Agencies
Click here to read Sens. Franken (D-Minn) and Wicker's (R-Miss.) op-ed on their work to reform the credit rating industry and prevent another economic collapse like the one in 2008.
-
Sen. Franken and Michael Norby: Leveling the playing field for Main Street retailers
-
Sen. Franken: Its Time For Congress To Finish The Job on the Farm Bill
-
Sen. Franken: Wrestling should remain an Olympic sport
Click here to read Sen. Franken's op-ed opposing the International Olympic Committee's decision to remove wrestling from the games.
-
Al Franken, Jim Ramstad: Improving Care for Mental Illness
Click here to read the op-ed Sen. Franken co-authored with former Rep. Jim Ramstad on addressing national mental health challenges.
-
Sen. Franken Op-Ed: Bipartisan Farm Bill makes sense
Click here to read Sen. Franken's op-ed in the Rochester Post-Bulletin about the Farm Bill.
-
Sen. Franken Op-Ed: Let's keep our balance around this fiscal cliff
Click here to read Sen. Franken's op-ed in the Star Tribune about the fiscal cliff.
-
Sen. Franken: In memory of a friend: Wellstones passion, friendship still sorely missed
Sen. Franken with late Wellstone staffer Will McLaughlin and the late Sen. Wellstone
-
Sen. Franken Op-Ed: Minnesota needs a Farm Bill before Congress adjourns
Click here to read Sen. Franken's op-ed in the Rochester Post Bulletin about the need for Congress to pass the Farm Bill.
-
Sen. Franken's Speech to the Rochester Chamber of Commerce
Sen. Franken recently spoke to the Rochester Chamber of Commerece about education and creating jobs. Click here to read his speech.
-
Sen. Franken Op-Ed: Keep focus on veterans every day
Click here to read Sen. Franken's op-ed in the Fargo Forum about honoring our veterans and informing employers of incentives available to them if they hire veterans.
-
Sen. Franken Op-Ed: Speed up medical-device approval process to save lives
As Congress works to finalize medical-device policy, we must remember what we do will determine the future health and well-being of millions of patients in this country and across the world.
-
Commencement Address, Anoka-Ramsey Community College
It really is an honor to be here with all of you today. And I'd like to thank President Stumpf for inviting me to share some thoughts with you - and for all the great work she does to make this school a shining example of what a great college can be.
-
Sen. Franken Op-Ed: A college education shouldn't drive students toward bankruptcy
As more and more students take on debt to get through school, Congress must decide by July 1 whether it will allow the interest rate on subsidized Stafford Loans to double.
-
Star Tribune Op-Ed: Sen. Al Franken, Ron Antony: A one-stop shop to get back to work
We have very different ideas on many important issues -- but no one, Democrat or Republican, can ignore results. And investing in workforce development is a proven strategy for improving the economy -- not to mention a great Minnesota success story.
-
Wired Op-Ed: Privacy and Civil Liberties in the Digital Age
Our laws need to reflect the evolution of technology and the changing expectations of American society. This is why the Constitution is often called a “living” document.
-
Sen. Franken Op-Ed: Keeping Minnesota's Farm Economy Strong in 2012
In December, when the first new Massey Ferguson Tractor built in America in many years rolled off the Agco assembly line in Jackson, Minnesota, it was a sure sign that the farm economy is helping to lead the economic recovery in our state and across the country.
-
A divided Congress should agree on making our courthouses safe
In December, a defendant who had just been convicted of a crime retrieved a gun from his car and walked into the Cook County Courthouse in Grand Marais. He shot and wounded the prosecuting attorney and a witness; a bailiff was injured during the encounter. The courthouse did not have a metal detector, and the gunman was not screened.
-
Sen. Franken's Remarks to the Duluth Greater Downtown Council
We just marked the end of 2011 – a year lots of people are more than happy to put behind them. Even in Duluth, a place blessed with incredible natural resources and one that has fared relativelywell in the recession, families and businesses are feeling the hurt, and the anxiety.
-
Creating Jobs by Investing in Our Future
When Scott County partnered with Honeywell to upgrade insulation, lighting, windows and energy-management systems in six government buildings, everybody won.
-
Sen. Franken's Veterans Day Op-Ed
On Veterans Day in 1985, President Reagan spoke of those who laid down their lives for our country. “Most of them were boys when they died,” he said, “and they gave up two lives – the one they were living and the one they would have lived.”
-
Sen. Franken's Statement ON Net Neutrality
I rise today to urge my colleagues to vote against a motion to proceed to Senator Hutchison's joint resolution of disapproval, which would repeal the FCC's net neutrality rules. As many of you know, I have repeatedly said that net neutrality is the free speech issue of our time.
-
Huffington Post Op-Ed: Net Neutrality is Under Attack… Again
This week, the free and open Internet millions of Americans have come to depend on is under attack.
-
Star Tribune Editorial: Franken: In energy use, less is more -- much more
When Scott County partnered with Honeywell to upgrade insulation, lighting, windows and energy-management systems in six government buildings, everybody won.
-
Duluth News Tribune: Senator's view: No Child Left Behind can be fixed
If we want a stronger economy tomorrow we need to give our kids a good education today. That was the idea behind No Child Left Behind: to ensure that every American child can graduate from high school prepared for the jobs of the 21st century.
-
Remarks at the American Legion Conference
Minneapolis was the site of the very first American Legion Convention in 1919, and it was here that you adopted your Constitution and Preamble. We're very proud of that history, and proud to welcome you once again to Minnesota!
-
Sen. Franken Op-Ed Grad Forks Herald: Back to the Barganing Table
As a Minnesota Senator, I am a fervent supporter of the U.S. sugar program including the American Crystal Sugar Co-op here in the Red River Valley.
-
Sen. Franken Op-Ed CNN: "Wall Street rating agencies' corrupt system"
It was the incompetence and corruption by S&P and its peers, Fitch and Moody's, that played a pivotal role in our financial meltdown that cost Americans $3.4 trillion in retirement savings and triggered the Great Recession.
-
Remarks of Senator Al Franken Netroots Nation Conference 2011
This is the state that sent Hubert Humphrey, the middle-class son of a pharmacist, to the U.S. Senate, where he cheerfully waged—and usually won—great battles in the name of the young and the old, the poor and the vulnerable, the oppressed and the disenfranchised.
-
Sen. Franken Op-Ed: Ending Big Oil Subsidies
During these tough financial times everybody needs to honestly sit down at the table andwork together to address the economic and budgetary problems facing this nation.
-
Sen. Franken Op-Ed: Congratulations to the Graduating Class of 2011
It’s graduation season, and across Minnesota, students are taking big steps forward. Amidst all the congratulations and well wishes, they’re hearing a lot of advice on how to succeed in the world.
-
Honoring a Minnesotan Legend
I would like to talk about a Minnesota icon. Minnesotans and baseball fans across the country are celebrating the life of Harmon Killebrew. We've lost the great slugger.
-
Commencement Address, University Of Minnesota's CFANS
"This school has come a long way from the days when it was called 'Moo U.'"
-
What Minnesota Knows About Clean Energy (And How We Can Explain It To Washington)
Sen. Franken's Speech to the Humphrey Center at the University of Minnesota.
-
Sen. Franken Op-Ed: Paying for our Wars
Over the last nine years, we've spent well over one trillion dollars on Iraq and Afghanistan, and we've had to borrow nearly every penny of it.
-
Open Internet: An Independent Producer's Last, Best Hope
On Monday, March 14, Sen. Franken Spoke about the importance of net neutrality at this year's South By Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Festival in Austin, Texas.
-
Faribault Daily News Op-Ed: Faribault shows vision for future
Sen. Franken on his Renewable Energy Listening Tour.
-
Rock County Herald Op-Ed: Adding A Little Rural Common Sense to Federal Rules
"When I visit farms and rural communities across Minnesota, I'm reminded how our producers, businesses, and residents approach problems with a lot of hard work and even more common sense."
-
Budget Op-Ed: Addressing the Budget
It's easy to agree that we should cut government spending. It's harder to agree on what government spending we should cut.
-
Sen. Franken Op-Ed: "The Small Business Lending Fund"
It's no wonder that Democrats and Republicans alike supported the Small Business Jobs Act that passed last year.
-
Huffington Post Op-Ed: The Most Important Free Speech Issue of Our Time
This Tuesday is an important day in the fight to save the Internet.
-
Star Tribune Op-Ed: An unseemly but necessary deal on taxes
My vote in favor of the tax deal was the hardest I've cast as a senator. I didn't like extending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans -- and I think President Obama punted on first down.
-
Sen. Franken Delivers Remarks at Metro State University's Veteran Center Dedication
Today, Sen. Franken addressed the importance of providing support for Minnesota's Veterans as they transition from military action to civilian life. In particular, he stressed the need to provide support systems for Veterans pursuing higher education and praised Metro State University for acknowledging that need by creating a Veteran's center on their St. Paul campus.
-
Sen. Franken Op-Ed: "Preparing Our Workforce for 21st Century Jobs"
As our economy continues to recover, manufacturers across Minnesota are facing a surprising challenge.
-
Huffingtonpost Op-Ed: "Preventing Tragedy in Our Schools"
Over the past year, the national spotlight has focused on the deeply tragic stories of young people who were so severely bullied based on their real or perceived sexual orientation that they took the desperate step of ending their own lives.
-
Star Tribune: Minnesotans Already Reaping Benefits of Health Reform Law
Just six months after President Obama signed health reform into law, Minnesotans are already beginning to reap its benefits.
-
Pioneer Press: "Al Franken: Looking out for a U.S. ally -- the Hmong in Laos"
Last December, when thousands of Hmong in Thailand were forcibly repatriated to Laos, some Minnesotans may not have fully understood why I took the actions of these two foreign governments so seriously.
-
Our Best Days Are Ahead: Why I'm Optimistic Even Though Times Are Tough
This year, we're commemorating the 100th anniversary of the St. Paul Rotary Club - and it's an honor to help you celebrate a century of service and civic participation.
-
Sen. Franken's Speech to Free Press Group in Minneapolis
"Today, a blog can load as fast as the Wall Street Journal — and, if the blog is good, it can get more traffic than any media conglomerate."
-
Keep Foreign Companies Out of Minnesota Elections
It was a bad day for democracy when, in January, the Supreme Court decided in Citizens United that corporations had the same free speech rights as human beings.
-
Op-Ed by Sen. Franken: The Importance of Unemployment Insurance Benefits
The Senate must show compassion toward those still out of work and support spending programs that will help us emerge from this downturn.
-
Op-Ed by Sen. Franken: How The Supreme Court Affects Minnesotans
On my fifth day in office, after I was sworn in, I found myself taking part in the confirmation hearings for now-Justice Sonia Sotomayor. And now almost exactly one year into my term I will be taking part in the confirmation hearings for Solicitor General Elena Kagan.
-
Sen. Franken's Speech to the Eighth Annual American Constitution Society National Convention
Video and full transcript after the jump.
Thank you all for being here tonight, and for the good work you do to defend the Constitution and the American values it represents.
It is an honor to address this convention.
Speakers at past ACS gatherings have included Supreme Court Justices, Attorneys General, other cabinet secretaries, federal judges, and distinguished legal scholars.
So tonight I guess we’ll finally get an answer to the question: “What do Stephen Breyer, Laurence Tribe, and Al Franken have in common?”
-
Credit Rating Agency Reform By Sen. Franken
Last week, the Senate passed an amendment I authored that ends the conflict of interest in Wall Street’s credit rating agency system. This problem was a key reason for our economic collapse and fixing it will go a long way toward ensuring it never happens again. Credit rating agencies are supposed to be independent, non-biased companies that evaluate the risk of complex investments so that investors can make informed decisions. Unfortunately, in recent years, credit rating agencies have faced a conflict of interest between making money and maintaining their independence.
-
Remarks to the Monticello Chamber of Commerce
I thought I’d start by telling you how I got here.
Not here today. Today I took 94.
But here to Minnesota. When I was four years old, my dad moved our family from New Jersey to Albert Lea to open a small business - a quilting factory. Quilting is the material that’s used for the lining of winter coats. My dad had never had a career as such – he didn’t graduate from high school. But my grandfather – my mom’s dad – had a quilting factory out East and wanted to open one in the Midwest, and we ended up in Albert Lea, where my dad started this company called Mid-Continent Quilting.
-
ECM Publishers Op-Ed: "Sen. Franken outlines numerous first-year benefits of health reform"
All of the benefits I’ve mentioned so far are available within the first year, but there are even more to come.
In the years ahead, we’ll begin to tackle one of the most flawed elements of the current system: Medicare reimbursement. Our current system punishes high-quality Minnesota providers, like the Mayo Clinic, by paying them less because they provide efficient, lower-cost care. The new law includes something I fought for with my colleagues Senator Klobuchar and Congresswoman McCollum to reward value – not volume – in Medicare. This is good for Minnesota and will help slow costs nationwide. -
Op-Ed on Student Loan Reform
There was a major legislative accomplishment in Washington last week, and it’s getting less attention than it deserves because it isn’t national health care reform. Last week, we made it less expensive for working families to send their kids to college. By cutting out the middleman from the student lending system, we were able to increase funding for Pell Grants and make it easier for college graduates to repay their loans. And, not only are these measures fully paid for, they’ll also reduce the deficit.
-
Sen. Franken Op-Ed St. Cloud Times: "'Cash for Jobs' bold, necessary"
From Sen. Franken's Op-Ed in the St. Cloud Times (full text below):
I want to talk about jobs.
Lately, it seems that everyone says they want to talk about jobs, and that we'll get around to tackling jobs next week, or the week after. But I'd like to kick off the discussion right now.
-
Remarks By Sen. Franken to the Innocence Project
Senator Franken delivered remarks to the Innocence Project on November 14th. The innocence Project was founded to assist prisoners who could be proven innocent through DNA testing. To date, 245 people in the United States have been exonerated by DNA testing, including 17 who served time on death row. These people served an average of 13 years in prison before exoneration and release.
-
Remarks on Net Neutrality
Speaking of the need for net neutrality, Sen. Franken delivered the keynote address to the Future of Music Conference on Monday.
-
Op-Ed: "Savings - and Saving On - Student Aid"
The Star Tribune published an op-ed by Sen. Franken and former Senator David Durenberger on reforming student aid.