Al Franken's Blog, page 144

Sen. Al Franken is voicing concern over the treatment of 4,500 Hmong refugees forced from Thailand to Laos last December. Franken went to Laos this week to observe their living conditions and voiced disappointment with the access he received during his trip. He did take a helicopter tour of the village for refugees, and spoke to a group of about 150 Hmong.

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Read the rest of 12 Fox: Franken Visits Laos (88 words)

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HANOI — The United States has urged Laos to allow 158 minority Hmong people, who are internationally recognised as refugees, to leave the country, a US senator said Wednesday after talks in the communist nation.

Senator Al Franken said he spoke "at some length" during his visit to the country this week with the Laotian deputy foreign minister.

"We certainly urged them to get the documents of these 158 people so they can go to the countries the UN said they can go to," Franken, of Minnesota...

WASHINGTON – One year ago, watchful eyes – some skeptically – were on Al Franken as he made the transition from being a former "Saturday Night Live" staple to becoming Minnesota's freshman U.S. senator.

Many, from national political pundits to average Minnesotans, wondered what to make of the comedian-turned-lawmaker and how the Democrat might approach his role among the powerful elite in the U.S. Congress.

But such doubts have dissipated as Franken demonstrates a focused approach to lawmaking ...

WASHINGTON — Debate on the health care bill was coming to a close on a cold day in December when a senator speaking on the floor overshot his allotted time.

The man occupying the chair's seat that day was a Democratic freshman, who had arrived in Washington some months earlier after besting a Republican incumbent in a tough, bitter race. The health care bill was in a race against the clock; required cloture motions needed to be squeezed in so a vote could take place in time for lawmakers to...

WASHINGTON — Sen. Al Franken met with a group of about 150 repatriated Hmong in Laos today in a village built by the Laotian government for them.

"I went there today to see their circumstances now," Franken said, and to "let them know that we in the United States care about their fate and their conditions." About 4,500 Hmong have been repatriated to Laos, despite concerns from many in Minnesota and other Hmong-heavy populations that they could face political persecution.

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St. Paul, Minn. — Senator Al Franken is in Southeast Asia Tuesday where he said Laotian officials prevented him from seeing first-hand how 4,500 forcibly-repatriated Hmong refugees there are living.

Minnesota has one of the largest Hmong populations in the nation. Franken traveled to Laos to check on the refugees and their living conditions.

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Read the rest of MPR: Franken visits Laos to see repatriated Hmong refugees (108 words)

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St. Paul, Minn. — One year ago, Democrat Al Franken was finally sworn in as Minnesota's newest U.S. Senator after a nine-month long recount and legal battle. The Minnesota Supreme Court determined Franken defeated Republican Senator Norm Coleman by just 312 votes.

…

"My whole goal has been to be an effective member of the Senate for the people of Minnesota," Franken said. "That's really been my goal, and to come up with commons sense solutions to problems and to fight for working people...

WASHINGTON — Sen. Al Franken will vote to confirm Solicitor General Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court, he confirmed today.

Speaking with reporters via phone from Hanoi, Vietnam, Franken confirmed what had been widely expected.

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Read the rest of MinnPost: Franken confirms he'll back Kagan (96 words)

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You could almost imagine it as a Saturday Night Live routine. Open with a shot of the U.S. Capitol. A senator is droning on about some horribly boring subject. Cut to Al Franken sitting in the Senate chairman's seat, gavel in hand. Antics ensue. It could be a funny skit, except that for the past year, Al Franken actually has been spending a lot of time in the Senate chairman's seat—off the air, avoiding jokes, studying the job of senator and his new colleagues as they take their turns on the ...