WASHINGTON, D.C. — As President Obama mulls a possible troop increase in Afghanistan, Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., cosponsored legislation this week that would impose a surtax to pay for the long-running war.

If passed, the measure would require President Obama to set a surtax to fully pay for the previous year’s war cost beginning in 2011.

McCollum was joined on the legislation by powerful members of the Democratic caucus, including the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Dave Obey of Wisconsin, and the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Barney Frank.

“For the last year, as we’ve struggled to pass health-care reform, we’ve been told that we have to pay for the bill - and the cost over the next decade will be about a trillion dollars,” Obey said in a statement. “Now the president is being asked to consider an enlarged counterinsurgency effort in Afghanistan, which proponents tell us will take at least a decade and would also cost about a trillion dollars.  But unlike the health-care bill, that would not be paid for.  We believe that’s wrong. Regardless of whether one favors the war or not, if it is to be fought, it ought to be paid for.”

Democratic lawmakers previously introduced similar legislation on the Iraq war. But it failed to pass through Congress.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., introduced two bills Wednesday that would direct more money to help homeless and foster children in school.

The measures would establish and bolster school liaison positions to work exclusively with homeless and foster children, allocate money to accelerate foster and homeless children’s enrollment and adjustment in school, and increase outreach and identification efforts for homeless children.

“A quality education can serve as a positive counterweight to the abuse, neglect and instability that homeless children and children in foster care have experienced,” Franken said in a statement.

“The loss of a home or the very placement of children in foster care has deprived many children of their opportunity to obtain a decent education,” he added. “It’s time that we listen to these youth and take steps to ensure that we don’t deprive homeless and foster children of their right to an equal education.”  

The legislation would also forbid states from segregating foster children in school, unless the student has a disability that must be addressed in a different educational setting and require states to allow foster children to transfer and recover credits when they change schools.

“Foster children have a right to the same educational opportunities as other children in their community,” said Franken. “Right now, many foster children are falling behind their peers in school, losing hope, and ultimately dropping out.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A food safety bill meant to improve the Food and Drug Administration’s food-borne illness prevention, detection and response in the wake of the widespread salmonella outbreak that killed at least three Minnesotans this year is headed to the Senate floor for a vote.

Minnesota’s senior Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who originally sponsored the legislation, called for swift floor action after the bill passed out of committee this week.

“Food safety is not only an issue of public safety but also consumer protection,” Klobuchar said in a statement.  “Ensuring a rapid response to outbreaks of contaminated food is critical to maintaining public trust in our food supply.  This bill gives the tools and the authority needed to improve the current inspection and recall system.”

Klobuchar said the bill:

•Requires all facilities to have in place preventive plans to address identified hazards and prevent adulteration, and gives FDA access to these plans and relevant documentation.

•Allows FDA to recognize laboratory accreditation bodies to ensure U.S. food testing labs meet high quality standards and requires food testing performed by these labs to be reported to FDA.

•Allows FDA to enable qualified third parties to certify that foreign food facilities comply with U.S. food safety standards.

•Requires importers to verify the safety of foreign suppliers and imported food.

•Allows FDA to require certification for high-risk foods, and to deny entry to a food that lacks certification or that is from a foreign facility that has refused U.S. inspectors.

•Increases FDA inspections at all food facilities, including annual inspections of high-risk facilities and inspections of other facilities at least once every four years.

•Enhances food-borne illness surveillance systems to improve the collection, analysis, reporting and usefulness of data on food-borne illnesses.

•Requires the secretary of HHS to establish a pilot project to test and evaluate new methods for rapidly and effectively tracking/tracing fruits and vegetables in the event of a food-borne illness outbreak.

•Gives FDA the authority to order a mandatory recall of a food product when a company fails to voluntarily recall the product upon FDA’s request.

•Empowers FDA to suspend a food facility’s registration if there is a reasonable probability that food from the facility will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.

•Directs FDA to help food companies protect their products from intentional contamination and calls for a national strategy to protect our food supply from terrorist threats and rapidly respond to food emergencies.

•Increases funding for FDA’s food safety activities through increased appropriations and targeted fees for domestic and foreign facilities.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Minnesota’s House delegation unanimously voted on Tuesday to extend a $2.2 billion a year fire department grant program.

The final vote on the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act was 395 to 31.

Minnesota received $13 million through the program in 2008.

“Many of these grants went to volunteer fire departments,” said Rep. Jim Oberstar, D-Minn., in a statement.  “The pleasure, the pride and joy these volunteer firefighters have in getting this small bit of assistance is overwhelming to me.  These first responders are our first line of defense against any emergency, and they deserve to have the tools and training they need to do their jobs.”

The legislation also moves to simplify the grant application process, according to Oberstar.

“Small fire departments where having to hire grant application writers to fill out complex forms; that’s absurd,” Oberstar said.  “We’ve changed that in this legislation and taken away the need to show a connection to terrorism, our terror in Northeast Minnesota is fire.”

The bill will now be sent to the Senate.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., co-sponsored legislation Wednesday that would guarantee up to seven days of paid sick leave for U.S. workers infected by the H1N1 virus.

“We know that staying home is the best way to combat the spread of the H1N1 virus,” Franken said in a statement. “And in this tough economy, we know folks can’t get by without a paycheck.”

Under the bill, which would sunset after two years, workers would be given paid leave for their own illness or to take care of a sick child or child whose school has been closed due to H1N1.  Medical certification could be required through regulation by the Department of Labor, according to Franken.

The senator’s announcement followed a House hearing Tuesday where Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., advised Congress to be mindful of the unintended consequences of such legislation. In prepared testimony, Kline raised a few points of concern, including how the new requirements would interact with existing policies and whether notification or certification would be required.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Politico is reporting that Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus of Montana has flown back to his home state because of a family emergency.

With Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid set to unveil his health care reform bill today, this means a vote to bring the legislation to the floor could be delayed.

It is not clear whether Reid has the 60 votes necessary to open debate on the bill even with Baucus. Without him, however, it will be that much harder for the Nevada Democrat.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., expressed her support today for President Obama’s nomination of Dr. Robert A. Petzel for the post of undersecretary for health at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Petzel was appointed acting principal deputy under secretary for health of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) in May.

He was appointed the network director of the Veterans Affairs Midwest Health Care Network in Minneapolis in 2003. In that position, Petzel was responsible for eight medical centers and 42 community based outpatient clinics in Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, western Wisconsin, western Illinois and Nebraska.

He is a graduate of St. Olaf College and the Northwestern University Medical School.

“Dr. Petzel’s in-depth understanding of the Department of Veterans Affairs will be extremely valuable in this role,” Klobuchar said in a statement. “His impressive work leading Midwest medical centers and dedicated service to Minnesota’s veterans make him a stand-out choice for Undersecretary for Health at the Department of Veterans Affairs.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Minnesota Rep. Collin Peterson today railed against the Obama administration’s proposal to give more power to the Federal Reserve.

During a congressional hearing on financial regulation, Peterson, chair of the House Agriculture Committee, said in prepared testimony: “I am skeptical of the idea of a systemic risk regulator in general and very much opposed to having the Fed play a leading role as this draft proposes.

“As I have said before, no one regulator, agency, board or entity is smart enough to measure a true rise in the value of assets as opposed to the creation of a bubble,” the 7th District Democrat continued. “Nor should one regulator be given so much independent power over our economy. Given the Federal Reserve’s cozy relationship for many decades with many of the too big to fail institutions that fall under their new regulatory power, makes me wonder whether anything would really change.”

Under the Obama administration’s proposal, the Fed would gain power to regulate futures and derivatives. These financial instruments are currently regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which the Agriculture Committee oversees.

“Why are we even thinking about giving more power and authority to the Fed?” Peterson said. “It is one of the most unaccountable parts of the federal government.”

To read more on today’s hearing, go here.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. John Kline advised Congress today to “tread very carefully” when it comes to mandating employer-paid sick leave to slow the spread of the H1N1 flu virus.

“With so many workers already having access to a variety of sick leave options, we need to look very carefully at proposals to add a new layer of federal leave mandates,” the 2nd District Republican said in a prepared statement during a House Education and Labor Committee hearing.

“A number of questions remain unanswered,” he continued. “How would these paid leave requirements interact with existing leave policies? What kind of notification and certification would be required? And is it a wise idea to put employers in the business of diagnosing medical conditions and deciding when workers should be sent home, and when they’re well enough to return to work?”

In reaction to the H1N1 pandemic, Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., who chairs the panel, introduced legislation this month that would temporarily guarantee sick workers five days of paid leave if their employer directs or advises them to stay home.

“According to the CDC, an individual who comes to work with H1N1 will infect about 10 percent of his or her co-workers,” Miller said today in prepared testimony. “They recommend that any worker with an influenza-type illness stay home, and that employers should allow workers to stay home ‘without fear of any reprisals’ and ‘without fear of losing their jobs.’ But, that recommendation is easier made than followed.”

Millers said that currently more than 50 million workers do not have paid sick leave.

“... [T]aking a day off from work means a pay cut or worse,” he said. “Workers fear they will be punished for taking time off, either by losing pay because they do not have paid sick days or even fired. Employees in the food-service and hospitality industry, schools and health care fields are among those who cannot afford to stay home when they’re sick.”

But, Kline urged Congress to put the numbers in context before moving forward with emergency legislation.

According to Kline, the vast majority of workers in the United States already have access to paid sick leave, and the existing Family and Medical Leave Act provides workers unpaid leave for medical reasons.

Calling the path ahead “new and unknown territory,” Kline added that the challenge to lawmakers would be minimizing the spread of the virus “while avoiding the creation of confusing, duplicative, and costly new mandates that could harm the very workers we’re trying to protect.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has asked that the Office of Congressional Ethics investigate whether Rep. Michele Bachmann violated House rules when she organized an event against the Democrats’ health care reform legislation earlier this month.

Politico raised the issue last week, stating that the 6th District Republican used her U.S. House webpage to rally health-care reform protesters, even though House rules specify that member sites “may not include grass-roots lobbying or solicit support for a member’s position.”

“Taxpayers fund members’ websites and because of that those sites may not be used to organize a public rally for or against any particular legislation,” Melanie Sloan, CREW’s executive director, said in a statement.

Republicans, however, have maintained that the event was a press conference, not a rally, and therefore not subject to the same rules.

CREW, a liberal public-policy advocacy organization, also asked the Office of Congressional Ethics to determine whether Bachmann and other lawmakers violated House rules by failing to get a permit for the event.

“Calling a rally a press conference to circumvent congressional rules is like calling a Hummer a Prius to meet fuel efficiency standards,” Sloan said.