Senator Al Franken's Positions on Key Issues
By OnTheIssues.org
2009

Below are Al Franken's views on a variety of key issues, as he expressed those views, either verbally or in writing, during his 2008 U.S. Senate campaign. All the information contained herein was originally compiled by OnTheIssues.org.

Public funding of college tuition costs: Franken called for a $5,000 tax credit to help people pay for a college education. Funding for these credits would be derived from a reduction in tax breaks for millionaires.
Public funding of early-childhood education: “It’s impossible to guarantee every child an equal opportunity in life--there are just too many factors (parents, economic status, talent) beyond our control. But we can and should guarantee every child a fair chance, and invest in early childhood education.”
Forgiveness of student loans under certain circumstances: “Let’s create an ROTC-style program for teachers. If a student pledges to teach a needed subject in a designated needy area for a certain amount of time (say, math in a poor rural district suffering from a shortage of math teachers), the federal government could forgive some or all of that student’s loans.”
Giving more money to public schools with a poor track-record: “Instead of punishing low-performing schools, use research-based interventions to help them improve. Give them the resources to hire, develop, and retain the best teachers by offering increased pay, safe working conditions, and sufficient support staff and facilities.”
More taxpayer funding of public schools: “We have to fully fund our public schools.... Every public school in America should have small class sizes, well-maintained facilities, plenty of school supplies, and more support staff. Teachers should be paid as the professionals they are. Parents shouldn’t have to pay 'activity fees' for their kids to play sports or participate in arts or music programs.”
Franken opposes tax credits for oil companies.
Supports Cap-and-Trade: Franken supports “a cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gases … It is an absolute scandal that we have failed to lead on this issue by refusing to sign onto the Kyoto accords. We have to lead going forward -- and we have to make sure we bring China and India with us. Domestic limits on carbon emissions would be a step toward the US doing our part to halt and reverse global warming.”
Ending the "cowboy diplomacy" of the Bush administration: “[T]here is a difference between leading the world and ruling it. We must work with our allies -- and talk with our adversaries -- in order to build a more peaceful and more prosperous world. The 21st century has already presented us with numerous global challenges: global warming, pandemic disease, extreme poverty, failed states, international terrorism. Simply put, these are not challenges we can address alone, but they are challenges we must rise to meet. We can’t meet them with unilateral demands and cowboy diplomacy.”
Increase foreign aid: “The United States can boost its foreign aid, and should. Such assistance is an investment in the kind of world America wants to build, with rising living standards and growing economies. It’s both the right thing and the smart thing to do, because we know that weak and failing states pose a threat to our security and a haven for international terrorism.”
Abolition of all forms of enhanced interrogation: “[T]he Bush Administration’s treatment of detainees has us fighting with one hand tied behind our backs. We will never restore America’s moral authority until we stop splitting hairs over torture. There is no need for it, and there is no excuse for it. What we need is a single standard of humane treatment for all U.S. personnel, including the CIA -- so that our own people, and the rest of the world, will know what we mean when we say 'we don’t torture.'”
Franken supports the International Criminal Court.
Supports government-run healthcare: “We need to go to universal health care as soon as possible.... Access to affordable health care should come with living in the world’s richest, most advanced nation. But during the Bush administration, the number of Americans living without health insurance has grown from 39.8 million to 46.6 [million].”
Opposes the development of new nuclear weapons by the U.S.: “The U.S. has numbers of nuclear weapons way beyond what we might need as a deterrent. The most senior officials from earlier administrations are all stressing the urgency of reducing our arsenal. As we work to stop nuclear programs in Iran and North Korea, reductions on our part will help us regain the moral high ground. And, of course, a good first step is to abandon any plans to build new nuclear weapons.”
Opposes border fence: “The best way to deal with illegal immigration is to enforce -- actually enforce -- the law at the worksite. No wall is high enough to keep people from coming over it -- or under it -- if there are jobs waiting on the other side.”
Supports a path to amnesty for illegal immigrants: “I believe we need comprehensive immigration reform. I don’t believe it’s practical to deport the 10-12 million undocumented immigrants currently residing in the U.S. And I don’t believe in breaking up families. Instead, we should look to bring them out of the shadows and put them on a path to citizenship.”