Press Releases
PHOTOS: Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies Kicks Off Planning for 59th Presidential Inauguration
<<< Click here for more photos>>>WASHINGTON - Yesterday, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, convened an organizational meeting for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC). Joined by Rules Committee Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), the meeting marked the official start of the planning process for the 59th Presidential Inauguration. “The U.S. Presidential Inaugural Ceremony is an … Continue Reading
July 01, 2020
Ranking Member Klobuchar, Udall, Colleagues, Urge Department of Justice to Address Mass Closure of Polling Locations in Tribal Communities
Closures due to COVID-19 concerns risk disenfranchising many Native American voters WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee with jurisdiction over federal elections, and Senator Tom Udall (D-NM), Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, led a letter with Senate colleagues to Attorney General Barr expressing serious concern regarding the mass closures of polling locations in Tribal communities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. … Continue Reading
June 30, 2020
On Senate Floor: Ranking Member Klobuchar Leads Call to Protect Americans’ Right to Vote During The Pandemic
→ VIDEO AVAILABLE HERE ← Klobuchar leads legislation - the Natural Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act - to help state election officials meet the pandemic head-on Rules Committee Chairman Roy Blunt on Senate Floor: We must be "sure that money is not an obstacle in states being able to have successful elections this year" WASHINGTON - Today, just 126 days before the November election and right before the Senate's July 4 recess, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of … Continue Reading
June 26, 2020
Ranking Member Klobuchar Statement on News that FEC will Lose Quorum, Just 29 Days After it was Restored
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee with jurisdiction over federal elections, made the following statement upon the news that Commissioner Caroline Hunter will resign from the Federal Election Commission (FEC) next week. "This resignation means that the FEC will once again lose its quorum and be unable to hold meetings, promulgate rules, or vote on enforcement matters. In other words, the FEC will be unable to take any substantive … Continue Reading
June 26, 2020
Ranking Member Klobuchar and Colleagues Urge Intelligence Agencies to Take Further Action to Combat Disinformation Campaigns Aimed at Disenfranchising Voters
As our country grapples with systemic racism and inequality, we cannot allow foreign adversaries to further divide our country and undermine our democracy WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member on the Senate Rules Committee with oversight over federal elections, led a letter with her colleagues to the Department of Defense, Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), and … Continue Reading
June 23, 2020
After Ranking Member Klobuchar Push to Pass Legislation on Protecting Voters from COVID-19, Blunt Agrees to Hearing and Additional Funding for Election Safety
Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, Klobuchar has led effort to ensure Americans can vote safely during the health crisis Today on the Senate floor, as voters cast ballots in six states, Klobuchar asked for unanimous consent to pass the Natural Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act, legislation that would expand vote by mail, early voting, and provide funding for poll workers; Republicans objected WATCH VIDEO OF KLOBUCHAR'S FLOOR REMARKS HERE WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Roy … Continue Reading
June 12, 2020
Ranking Member Klobuchar, Colleagues, Urge Federal Election Commission to Act Now to Require Transparency for Online Political Advertisements
Americans have the right to know who is paying for advertisements placed to influence their vote WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee with jurisdiction over the Federal Election Commission (FEC), urged the FEC to act quickly to complete the rulemaking process to provide clear rules concerning disclaimers on online political advertisements. The letter follows a nearly ten month period where the FEC lacked a quorum and was unable to … Continue Reading
June 11, 2020
Following Chaos in Georgia Primary, Ranking Member Klobuchar, Senators Feinstein, Peters, Call For Hearings on How to Safely Vote during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Changes in primary dates, election rules and practices, present the threat that disinformation will disenfranchise voters WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee with jurisdiction over federal elections, led her colleagues in calling on Chairman Roy Blunt (R-MO) of the Senate Rules Committee, Ron Johnson (R-WI) of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security, and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) of the Senate Judiciary Committee, in calling for hearings … Continue Reading
June 09, 2020
Ranking Member Klobuchar Statement on Problems with Georgia’s Primary Elections
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee with oversight jurisdiction over federal elections, issued the following statement in response to reports of widespread problems facing primary voters in Georgia today. Reports from the metro Atlanta area indicate that voters faced hours-long lines and malfunctioning machines. Additionally, some voters never received the mail-in ballot they requested so they could safely vote from home. "Today in … Continue Reading
May 20, 2020
Ranking Member Klobuchar Statement in Response to the President’s Tweet
Klobuchar: "The President's tweet amounts to a ransom note. In the middle of a pandemic, he wants to hold our democracy hostage." WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee with oversight jurisdiction over federal elections, issued the following statement in response to tweets from President Trump on funding for vote-by-mail. "The President's tweet amounts to a ransom note. In the middle of a pandemic, he wants to hold our democracy hostage. … Continue Reading
May 14, 2020
On Senate Floor: Following Requests from Republican and Democratic Election Officials, Ranking Member Klobuchar Pushes to Pass Legislation to Make it Easier for States to Access Emergency Election Funding
Klobuchar asked for unanimous consent to lift restrictions that prevent states from accessing election funding designated to help them safely carry out elections during the pandemic, Republicans objected to Klobuchar's request WATCH VIDEO OF KLOBUCHAR'S REMARKS HERE WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee with jurisdiction over federal elections, spoke on the floor of the Senate and called on her Republican colleagues to pass … Continue Reading
May 13, 2020
Labor Presidents from AFL-CIO, AFSCME, AFT, NEA, SEIU Join Ranking Member Klobuchar For Discussion on Election Funding
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, the Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee with oversight jurisdiction over federal elections, hosted a call with labor union presidents including, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, AFSCME President Lee Saunders, AFT President Randi Weingarten, NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia and SEIU President Mary Kay Henry to discuss the need to pass funding immediately to protect Americans' right to safely vote during the coronavirus pandemic. "I … Continue Reading
May 07, 2020
Rules Committee Votes to Advance FEC Nomination to Full Senate
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, released the following statement after the committee voted to advance to the full Senate the nomination of James E. (Trey) Trainor III to serve as a member of the Federal Election Commission: “The FEC has been without a quorum since August of last year. Without a quorum, the FEC cannot fulfill its most important functions, including providing formal guidance to federal … Continue Reading
May 07, 2020
At Senate Rules Committee Hearing, Ranking Member Klobuchar Opposes Trainor and Abandonment of Bipartisan Process for Advancing FEC Nominees
At the Rules Committee markup, Klobuchar criticizes abandonment of the tradition of advancing Republican and Democratic nominees together in order to move forward an extreme nominee who doesn't believe in basic campaign finance law WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee with jurisdiction over federal elections, reiterated her opposition to the Senate abandoning the bipartisan tradition of considering Federal Election Commission … Continue Reading
March 18, 2020
With Unprecedented Disruptions From Coronavirus, Ranking Member Klobuchar and Senator Wyden Introduce Bill to Ensure Americans are Still Able to Vote
The Natural Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act of 2020 would expand early in-person voting and no-excuse absentee vote-by-mail to all states and would reimburse states for additional costs in administering elections during the coronavirus pandemic Confusion regarding Ohio's primary underscores need for federal action WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee with oversight jurisdiction over federal elections, and Senator Wyden (D-OR), … Continue Reading
March 10, 2020
On Senate Floor, Ranking Member Klobuchar Calls on Republican Colleagues to Bring For the People Act to the Senate Floor
Today marks one year since the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1 For The People Act, to restore ethics and transparency to government, which includes over a dozen Klobuchar provisions, including the Honest Ads Act and Election Security Act WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee with jurisdiction over federal elections, spoke on the floor of the Senate and called on her Republican colleagues to bring H.R. 1, the For the People … Continue Reading
March 10, 2020
At Senate Rules Committee Hearing, Ranking Member Klobuchar Calls on Colleagues to Restore Bipartisan Process for FEC Nominations
At the nomination hearing for only the Republican FEC nominee, Klobuchar urges the White House and Senate Republicans not to abandon bipartisan tradition and to move forward in nominating a Democratic candidate WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee with jurisdiction over federal elections, called on her colleagues to restore the Senate tradition of considering Federal Election Commission (FEC) nominees on a bipartisan basis. At … Continue Reading
March 04, 2020
Ranking Member Klobuchar Opposes Partisan Nomination to FEC
Following announcement that Republicans will hold nomination hearing only for the Republican FEC nominee, Klobuchar urges the White House and Senate Republicans not to abandon bipartisan tradition and to move forward in nominating a Democratic candidate WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee with jurisdiction over federal elections, pushed back on the White House and Senate Republicans today following the decision to proceed with a … Continue Reading
January 17, 2020
Ranking Member Klobuchar Renews Calls to Immediately Restore Quorum at the Federal Election Commission (FEC)
The FEC has not had a quorum since August and has thus been unable to fully enforce federal election laws Klobuchar is the Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee with jurisdiction over the FEC and federal elections WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee with jurisdiction over federal elections, led a letter to White House Counsel Pat Cipollone urging the Administration to immediately nominate the bipartisan pair of candidates that … Continue Reading
January 09, 2020
Ranking Member Klobuchar Statement on New Facebook Ad Policy
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released this statement following Facebook's announcement that they will introduce changes to their platform to allow users to control more of the ads they see, but won't limit political advertising. "Facebook is doubling down on a policy that hurts our democracy. It is wrong to take money from political campaigns in exchange for disseminating blatant lies to the American people. It is also wrong that Facebook is immune from any liability for the … Continue Reading
