Rebuilding After the Storm

My thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the tornado that hit North Minneapolis. I recently toured the disaster area and spoke with volunteers and organizers. I’ve been in close contact with state and local officials throughout the recovery effort, and Sen. Klobuchar and I, along with Congressman Ellison, have urged the President to expedite a Disaster Declaration for the storm-damaged area to ensure that we have the necessary resources to rebuild. I’ve been especially moved by the quick and generous community response to the tornado and the spontaneous outpouring of help and donations that has come in, not only from emergency organizations, but voluntarily from the friends and neighbors of those affected and displaced by the tornado’s destruction. It’s another example of how Minnesotans pull together in times of need.

Announcing Lisa Fobbe As My New Central Minnesota Representative

I am proud to announce that former State Senator Lisa Fobbe has joined my staff as the Field Representative for Central Minnesota, working out of the St. Cloud office. Lisa is an incredible addition to our team. In the state senate she served on the Agriculture and Veterans Committee, the Environment and Natural Resources Committee, and the Education Committee. Prior to that, she served on the Princeton school board for eight years, where she was chair for two years. She knows the people and communities of Central Minnesota and I know she will do an amazing job advocating for the region. I’m lucky to have her on my staff.

Helping Veterans with the VA

Last year, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recognized that Agent Orange was linked to Parkinson's disease, ischemic heart diseases, and B-cell leukemia. Unfortunately, veterans and their families who tried to apply for benefits under the new rules encountered lengthy processing delays and an unnecessarily confusing system, which prevented them from getting help. After hearing from veterans across the state I wrote to the Secretary of the VA urging him to make the necessary improvements. And recently, the VA announced it was updating its process and modernizing its services, significantly improving how it delivers benefits to Vietnam veterans suffering from exposure to Agent Orange. As a result, Minnesota Veterans who are eligible for retroactive benefits are having their cases processed more quickly.

Honoring Harmon Killebrew

Last month marked the passing of the great slugger and Minnesota icon Harmon Killebrew. Killebrew was the heart of the Minnesota Twins, not just because of his towering home runs, but because, on and off the field, he carried himself with such dignity and humility. I was nine when the Washington Senators moved to Minnesota and became the Twins, and I remember Killebrew at the heart of the franchise, batting cleanup, and cracking out homers.

I never did get to meet Harmon Killebrew. But, like all Twins fans, I felt I knew him. A gracious, humble man that we in Minnesota were privileged to watch, and who we were privileged to have represent our state.