Raising the Debt Ceiling

Congress recently resolved the gridlock over whether to raise the federal debt limit, narrowly avoiding what would have been the first default on our debt in history. Defaulting on our debt would have had grave consequences for the world economy and for Minnesota families, whose monthly interest payments would have gone up on credit cards, mortgages, and car loans. Not raising the debt limit would have hurt too many Minnesotans, so I reluctantly voted for the compromise package. This package was not the balanced, common-sense approach that I believe is necessary to address our fiscal crisis in the long-term. While it achieves the laudable goal of reducing the deficit, it does not close any tax loopholes or raise any additional revenue. Ultimately, the deal does ensure that people all over Minnesota who depend on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid will continue to receive their benefits, which is one of the main reasons I supported it. Now that we have raised the debt ceiling, it's time for Congress to focus on the most important responsibility we have: facilitating the growth of our economy and creating jobs.

Stillwater Bridge

The Stillwater bridge is structurally deficient and doesn't meet the needs of the area's residents and businesses, and I feel strongly that it needs to be replaced. However, any new bridge over the St. Croix will need a congressional exemption from the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act and I join Sen. Klobuchar in supporting that exemption. I have met with key stakeholders in Stillwater, and, while there is a lot of disagreement about the size and design of the proposed new bridge, I believe that it's time for Sen. Klobuchar's legislation to construct a new bridge to move forward. I want to make clear that this is a unique situation with unique needs, and that we are not declaring open season on the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. I believe very much in preserving Vice President Mondale's landmark legislation, but in this case, the people of Stillwater need a new bridge badly enough to warrant an exemption.

Congratulations to Bert Blyleven

Last month, Minnesota Twins pitcher Bert Blyleven was finally awarded baseball's highest honor and was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Minnesotans have been waiting for this for 14 years, since Bert first became eligible to be inducted, and for many of those 14 years Bert was considered the best player not inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Bert pitched 22 seasons in the major leagues — eleven of them for the Twins — and over his career he won 287 games, struck out 3,701 batters, and pitched 60 shutouts. He is unquestionably one of the all-time greats.

As a lifelong Twins fan, I offered Bert my hearty and well-deserved congratulations in a Senate floor statement in his honor.

Improving Rail Competition

For too long, Minnesota's farmers and businesses have been facing unfair shipping rates because there is not enough competition in the rail industry. This hurts the ability of Minnesota's businesses to compete in the global economy and forces companies to pass the costs onto consumers. But we're making progress. Last month, I testified before the Surface Transportation Board (STB) urging action to increase competition in the rail industry. The STB has since taken some promising steps, announcing that it is lowering the cost of filing a formal complaint from $20,000 to just $350. This will allow more producers to access the STB and have their complaints investigated. While lowering the cost of filing a complaint is a good first step, it isn't enough, and I will continue to push for competitive shipping rates.