WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. House narrowly passed historic health-care reform legislation late tonight, clearing the way for a possible vote in the Senate before the end of the year.

Minnesota Democratic Reps. Tim Walz, Betty McCollum, Keith Ellison and Jim Oberstar voted in favor of the bill.

Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., and Minnesota Republican Reps. John Kline, Erik Paulsen and Michele Bachmann voted against it. 

MinnPost will have additional coverage and analysis of the vote on Monday.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., extended her sympathies Friday to the family of U.S. Army Private First Class Kham Xiong, a resident of St. Paul who was killed during the Thursday shooting at the Fort Hood Army Base in Texas, which left at least 13 dead and 30 wounded.

“I wish to extend my deepest sympathies to the family of Private First Class Kham Xiong,” McCollum, who represents St. Paul, said in a statement.  “This senseless act of violence has resulted in a tremendous loss for the Xiong family, but also for residents of St. Paul, and indeed our entire nation. Private First Class Xiong was among the brave men and women in uniform who volunteer to serve and sacrifice in order to protect our nation’s freedom.  Congress and the entire country join the Xiong family in mourning this loss and we hold the memory of PFC Kham Xiong in our hearts.”

Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., who represents Minneapolis, also extended his “sincere condolences to the families of those killed or wounded in the horrific attack...

“My thoughts and prayers are with each and every one of them during this trying time. I join my fellow Members of Congress in saluting all the brave men and women who serve our country in uniform, and I am deeply saddened by this profound loss,” Ellison said in a statement. “I further want to recognize the heroic efforts on the part of those men and women who rose to the occasion in subduing the assailant.  Without their brave heroism, more lives might have been lost.  I would also like to thank the leadership of Fort Hood for their response to the tragedy and for maintaining calm and order. Right now, our top priority should be to support the victims and families and ensure the safety of all our military personnel.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., announced today that he will support the health care reform legislation in the House, which may come up for a vote on Saturday.

Up until Friday evening, Walz would not say definitively whether he would vote for the legislation or not. In recent weeks, however, he did indicate that he was leaning toward voting “yes” on the bill.

Key to his support were two studies that were recently added to the legislation, which will seek to update the Medicare formula that accounts for geographic differences in cost and implement a fee for quality system as opposed to the fee for service model that Medicare uses now.

“I’m voting for this bill because it solves two long-standing problems with how Medicare pays Minnesota doctors and hospitals,” Walz said in a statement. “The first change ends the fee-for-service payment model in Medicare that Mayo and other experts have said perversely encourages hospitals to perform unnecessary procedures and tests... The second change corrects the bone-headed fact that Medicare historically under-pays Minnesota doctors and hospitals simply because of geography -- simply because of where we live.”

But some have criticized the House plan for not being strong enough.

The changes would result from two studies, one of which would be subject to congressional disapproval.

Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., also formally came out in support of the legislation this week.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As unemployment numbers continued to climb this week, Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., accused the Democrats of focusing on a “government takeover of health care” at the expense of the economy.

“In their haste to put Washington bureaucrats in charge of vital medical decisions, Democrats have failed to deliver on their economic promises,” Kline said in a statement. “The American people were promised jobs and economic recovery. Instead, they’re getting bigger government and less freedom.”

The unemployment rate in the U.S. hit 10.2 percent in October, which marks a 26-year high.

The administration has said, however, that the economic picture would have been worse without the $787 billion stimulus package that it has claimed saved or created about 640,000 jobs.

Go here to read more.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. House voted this week to expedite credit-card consumer protections, which President Obama signed into law earlier this year, after credit card companies began raising interest rates in advance of the legislation’s start date.

 “Unfortunately, some credit card companies have abused the time that was given them to convert their computer software to meet the requirements of the law, to make last-minute rate hikes to bilk consumers of as much as they can before the law we passed kicks into gear,” Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., said in a statement.

The original legislation was slated to take effect in Feb. 2010. The expedited act that passed this week would have those reforms take effect upon signing of the new bill.

Minnesota Democratic Reps. Tim Walz, Collin Peterson, and Jim Oberstar and Minnesota Republican Rep. Erik Paulsen joined Ellison in voting for the measure.

Minnesota Republican Reps. Michele Bachmann and John Kline voted against it.

Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., was “unavoidably detained when the final vote was taken” but submitted a statement for the record expressing her strong support of the legislation, which she co-sponsored.

“Had I been present, I would have voted in favor of passage,” McCollum said in the statement.

Go here to read more about the bill.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., introduced the Justice for Survivors Sexual Assault Act this week, which aims to reduce the national backlog of untested rape kits.

“These backlogs have serious consequences for law enforcement and public safety,” said Franken in a statement. “We just learned of a case where a rapist struck both a pregnant woman and a minor while the rape kit for one of his earlier victims sat unprocessed at a crime lab. It takes about a week to process a DNA evidence sample and there is no reason that every rape kit completed should not be tested in a timely manner.” 

According to Franken, there are currently over 180,000 untested rape kits in police storage around the country.

The legislation requires jurisdictions applying for federal funds to implement plans to cut rape kit backlogs by half in a two-year period and provides financial incentives for jurisdictions that do reduce backlogs.

The bill will also address the denial of free rape kits and the shortage of trained health professionals who are capable of administering rape kit exams.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Minnesota's entire U.S. House delegation voted Thursday to extend unemployment benefits for at least 14 weeks.

The legislation, which passed the Senate on Wednesday, would also extend and expand the homebuyer tax credit program.

“This is Main Street economic stimulus,” Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., said in a statement.  “Any time you can help 1.3 million Americans — including 20,530 Minnesotans — buy their groceries and pay their bills, we help families and fuel our economic recovery.”

The Senate bill extends unemployment for 14 weeks in states like Minnesota that have an unemployment rate below 8.5 percent and for 20 weeks in states with a rate of 8.5 percent or higher.

The original bill that passed the House would have limited the extension to the 31 states with the highest unemployment.

“A worker who is out of a job is just as unemployed and strapped for cash in a state with 8.4 percent unemployment as a worker in a state with 8.5 percent unemployment,” said Rep. Jim Oberstar, D-Minn., in a statement. “The benefits will provide an additional economic stimulus when these families use their benefits to buy groceries and pay their bills.”

The bill also extends and expands the Homebuyer Tax Credit program to allow first time homebuyers continued access to an $8,000 tax credit until April 30, 2010. The bill expands the program to make a tax credit of up to $6,500 available to homebuyers who have owned a home for five consecutive years and are purchasing a new primary residence, according to Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn.

“The recovery of our housing market is critically important and this extended and expanded incentive will help things continue to move in the right direction.  We’ve expanded this credit so some existing homeowners as well as first time home buyers will benefit,” Walz said in a statement.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Senate voted almost unanimously today to extend unemployment benefits for at least 14 weeks and expand a tax credit for homebuyers.

The final vote was 98 to 0 with Democratic Sens. Robert Byrd of West Virginia and Claire McCaskill of Missouri not voting.

“With each passing day without an extension, more and more Americans are losing the last lifeline they had to keep their heads above water in this difficult economy,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said on the Senate floor. “People in my state say: ‘The unemployment rate may be 7.3 percent in Minnesota, but in my house it’s 100 percent.'"

The Senate bill would extend unemployment benefits for 14 weeks in states like Minnesota, which have unemployment rates below 8.5 percent. In states with higher unemployment rates the benefits would be extended for 20 weeks.

“I talked to Minnesotans all over the state who told me they didn’t know what they would do when their unemployment benefits ran out,” said Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., in a statement. “Because we passed this unemployment insurance extension today, we can tell these folks they don’t have to worry about that this winter. These are good, hard-working people who aren’t looking for a handout. They’re looking for a way to take care of their families. Until the economy recovers and the job market is back, unemployment benefits are absolutely vital.”

The measure would also extend the $8,000 first-time homebuyers credit to April 30 and provide a new $6,500 tax break for homeowners who have been in their residences for at least five years. The tax credit only applies to home purchases of $800,000 or less.

“The expansion of the homebuyer tax credit will be a welcome break for many Minnesota families during this difficult economic time,” Franken said.  “It will extend the closing deadlines, add a new tax credit for non-first time homebuyers, and raise the income eligibility limits.”

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Politico is reporting that a top aide for Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., is leaving the congresswoman’s office.

According to Politico: “The aide who helped turn Rep. Michele Bachmann into a controversial mainstay of cable news has informed colleagues that she’s quitting - just as the firebrand Republican congresswoman prepares for her biggest media moment yet.”

The aide, Michelle Marston, declined to tell Politico why she was leaving.

Go here to read more.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As House Republicans ratchet up their opposition to the health-care reform bill that the Democratic leadership would like to vote on by the end of the week, Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., reiterated his concerns Tuesday on the landmark legislation.

“The Pelosi government takeover of health care is not the common-sense, bipartisan reform the American people need and deserve,” Kline said in a statement, adding that he was particularly concerned about planned cuts to Medicare Advantage.