Keeping Minnesota Post Offices Open

The Postal Service (USPS) is absolutely essential to commerce and communication in Minnesota. And local post offices are especially important to rural areas, where they are often the center of communities.

Unfortunately, because of serious budget problems, the USPS planned to close thousands of community post offices around the country—including 117 in Minnesota—and shutter five of the state's seven processing centers. Knowing this would have hurt communities throughout our state, I've spent the last several months working to prevent these closures.

I am proud to say that the final Senate bill included several provisions I put forward, which would save post offices and processing centers.

Shortly after the passage of this bill in the Senate, the Postmaster General abandoned his plan to close rural post offices, instead proposing a new plan that will keep rural post offices open at reduced hours. I'm pleased to hear that the Postmaster General heard the concerns of folks across Minnesota and decided to keep rural post offices open.

Now even thought the Postmaster General took this important step, Congress will still need to pass a final postal reform bill. And I will keep fighting to preserve postal facility jobs, restore financial stability, and make sure reliable postal service is available to all Minnesotans.

Working With Minnesota's Farmers

One out of five jobs in Minnesota depends on agriculture, so I'm very focused on the 2012 Farm Bill. My staff and I have been meeting with farmers and farm leaders across Minnesota. Two concerns I've heard about were rising energy costs, and proposed Department of Labor (DOL) regulations that would have restricted what kids could do on farms—including family farms. So when I returned to Washington, I introduced a provision to be included in the 2012 Farm Bill to improve the Rural Energy for America Program, which helps agriculture producers and businesses in rural areas invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.

I also began working with the DOL to communicate the genuine concerns from Minnesota farmers, and worked to make sure that we protect our proud tradition of family farming. While I know the DOL's regulations were well intentioned, I'm happy to announce that after hearing the concerns of family famers, the DOL decided to shelve the regulations.

Helping Make College More Affordable

Students are finding it harder and harder to pay for college. Last year, Minnesota students graduated with an average of $29,000 in student loan debt, the fourth highest in the nation. And that's exactly why I've been working to help make college more affordable, and to help families understand the true cost of college.

On July 1, the interest rate on many federal student loans is set to double, affecting some 200,000 Minnesota students. I've cosponsored a bill to make sure this rate doesn't double, and will be working with my colleagues to find a solution.

But we also need to help families understand the true cost of college. Currently, students must decipher a complicated system of grants, loans, and work-study funds. So I'll be introducing a bill to create a universal financial aid award letter that would allow students to easily compare financial aid packages from different schools.

Getting your degree shouldn't make you go bankrupt. And I'll continue to work to tackle this important issue.

Reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act

I was proud to support the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which passed the Senate on April 26. This important, bipartisan legislation increases the number of beds and shelters that are available to women who need refuge. It provides critical support to law enforcement officers and prosecutors so they can respond more effectively to domestic violence. And it funds support services and crisis centers for victims.

I authored two bipartisan provisions in the VAWA reauthorization bill, including one to make sure that survivors of sexual assault will never again will suffer the indignity of paying for their own rape kits and another to make sure that a woman can't be evicted from federally subsidized housing just because she is a victim of domestic violence. Both of these provisions passed with bipartisan support and I look forward to them becoming law.