Amy Klobuchar on Families & Children DFL Sr Senator (MN); Democratic presidential contender

Mental health courts avoid "revolving door" criminals

For me, this is personal. When I was growing up, my dad struggled with alcoholism. By the time my husband and I got married, my dad had his third DWI, and that's when the judge said, "That's it; it's going to be treatment or jail." And my dad chose treatment. And because that treatment was available, in his words, he was pursued by grace. Because of his faith and his family and that treatment, he is now 91 and he's sober. I think that having mental health courts so that when people come in, you don't want to be as a prosecutor, you're not like a business. You don't want to see repeat customers. How do you get people off of that? One, mental health courts are a good idea. Two, drug courts and having treatment available. Three, looking at sentencing.

Universal childcare will help small businesses

Investment in childcare and pre-school

Three months paid family leave, but be fiscally responsible

KLOBUCHAR: What I have done with all my plans is I have shown how I'm going to pay for them. I think that is important when we have a president who has told 10,000 lies. I am not going to go for things just because they sound good. We have an obligation to be fiscally responsible, yes, think big, but make sure we are honest with them about what we can pay for.

We need to talk about aging population, long term care

Mayor Pete BUTTIGIEG: I don't think the American people are wrong when they say that what they want is a choice. Why unnecessarily divide this country over healthcare when there's a better way to deliver coverage for all?

KLOBUCHAR: What really bothers me about this discussion, which we've had so many times, is that we don't talk about the things that I'm hearing about from regular Americans: long term care. We are seeing, I once called it a silver tsunami, the aging, and then someone told me that was too negative. So, I call it the silver surge, the aging of the population. We need to make it easier to get long term care insurance and strengthen Medicaid.

Churches & agencies should follow law on gay rights

KLOBUCHAR: First of all, our Constitution has been founded on a separation of church and state. And we can have different faiths in this country, but the law rules. And the law rules when it comes to discrimination and all kinds of other things. And I can just tell you that I will appoint Supreme Court justices that understand that.

Q: Should the federal government give funding to any religious nonprofit organizations that opposes same-sex marriage, for example, an adoption agency that won't work with LGBTQ parents?

KLOBUCHAR: I think that you have got to have agencies that follow the law. And that's one of the reasons that I want to pass the Equality Act. I think that's really important. And I also think that you've got to recognize adoption for gay families.

Make it easier for LGBTQ couples to adopt

Do what science tells us on obesity: more info on labels

KLOBUCHAR: I would do what the science tells us. And I think we all know there's an issue with obesity in this country, we have to do more--I've been a huge supporter of putting calories on the menus, and--so people can be empowered to make decisions on their own. This administration has defied science every step of the way--we have to make sure we look at science and we make sure we do everything that's healthy, not just for individual Americans but also for our environment.

Q: As a senator from an agricultural state that produces large amounts of cheese and beef, can you to take on the beef and dairy industries?

KLOBUCHAR: I am hopeful that we're going to be able to do this in a way that we can continue to have hamburgers and cheese. But understand that there are many people that choose to eat vegan and that is great too.

Supports broad paid family and medical leave plans

15 CANDIDATES HAVE SIMILAR VIEWS: Michael Bennet; Cory Booker; Peter Buttigieg; Julian Castro; John Delaney; Tulsi Gabbard; Kirsten Gillibrand; Kamala Harris; John Hickenlooper; Jay Inslee; Seth Moulton; Beto O`Rourke; Tim Ryan; Bernard Sanders; Elizabeth Warren.

The congressional plan creates a universal, gender-neutral, national paid family and medical leave program allowing for up to 12 weeks of paid leave.

1996 AdWatch: my daughter endorses 48 hour stay for new moms

Daughter's "drive-by birth" inspired 48-hour maternal stay

Once Abigail's health began slowly improving, I spent a lot of time thinking about what had happened and decided that I didn't want any other mom to go through what I had experienced. I became determined to change the policy. I went to the state legislature and worked to pass one of the first laws in the country guaranteeing new moms and their babies a minimum 48-hour hospital stay. I testified in support of the bill before both houses of the legislature.

The 48-hour maternity hospital stay rule became law on March 20, 1996.

Allow adoption of older kids to keep siblings together

The Merkourises was ready for these nine kids. But the law was inflexible and it required the Merkourises to make a painful decision. There was only one solution: the law had to be changed. They brought their case to me.

I led the bill to change the adoption restriction, and in the end we were able to pass legislation that allows 16- and 17-year-old kids from other countries to be adopted if they have a younger sibling who is also being adopted. The International Adoption Simplification Act meant that after years of waiting, thousands of kids, including the children of the Merkouris family adopted, would be able to come to the US to loving parents.

Strengthen Family and Medical Leave Act

More funding & services for victims of domestic violence.

Introduction by co-sponsor Sen. Kay Hagan (D,NC):
We have a serious responsibility to ensure that women and families are protected. The rates of violence and abuse in our country are astounding and totally unacceptable: domestic violence affects more than 12 million people each year. In my home state, 73 women and children are killed on average every year because of domestic violence.

Since 1994, the STOP Program has provided grants for services, training, officers, and prosecutors, and has transformed our criminal justice system and victim support services. And this bill includes the bipartisan SAFER Act, which helps fund audits of untested DNA evidence and reduces this backlog of rape kits. I ask you: What other victims in America have to identify the attacker before authorities will take action? None.Introduction by Sen. Chuck Grassley(R,IA):
I urge my Republican colleagues, as I will do, to support the motion to proceed. There has long been bipartisan support for the Violence Against Women Act. Too many women are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and dating violence. There is overwhelming bipartisan support for 98% of what is contained in S. 47. [Since our negative vote last session], controversial provisions have been removed. The key stumbling block to enacting a bill at this time is the provision concerning Indian tribal courts. Negotiations are continuing, and compromises would allow the bill to pass with overwhelming bipartisan support. Introduction by Sen. Pat Leahy (D,VT):
Our bill will allow services to get to those in the LGBT community who have had trouble accessing services in the past. The rates of domestic and sexual violence in these communities are equal to or greater than those of the general population. We also have key improvements for immigrant victims of domestic and sexual violence.

Sponsored recognition of National Foster Care Month.

RESOLUTION recognizing National Foster Care Month as an opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges of children in the foster care system, and encouraging Congress to implement policy to improve the lives of children in the foster care system.

• Whereas there are approximately 400,000 children living in foster care;
• Whereas foster care is intended to be a temporary placement, but children remain in the foster care system for an average of 2 years;
• Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
• encourages Congress to implement policy to minimize the number of children entering the foster care system, to improve the lives of children in the foster care system, and to maximize the number of children exiting foster care to the protection of safe, loving, and permanent families;
• acknowledges the unique needs of children in the foster-care system;
• recognizes foster youth throughout the US for their ongoing tenacity, courage, and resilience while facing life challenges;
• acknowledges the exceptional alumni of the foster-care system who serve as advocates and role models for youth who remain in care;
• honors the commitment and dedication of the individuals who work tirelessly to provide assistance and services to children in the foster-care system; and
• reaffirms the need to continue working to improve the outcomes of all children in the foster-care system through parts B and E of title IV of the Social Security Act and other programs designed to
  • support vulnerable families;
  • invest in prevention and reunification services;
  • promote guardianship, adoption, and other permanent placement opportunities in cases where reunification is not in the best interests of the child;
  • adequately serve those children brought into the foster-care system; and
  • facilitate the successful transition into adulthood for children that `age-out` of the foster-care system.