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July 8, 2009

Franken Joins U.S. Senate, Co-Sponsors EFCA
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Here in the United States, Democrat Al Franken of Minnesota has been
sworn in as the newest member of the Senate. Franken was seated Tuesday
following last week’s Minnesota Supreme Court ruling that ended former
Republican Norm Coleman’s legal challenge to Franken’s victory in the
November elections. Seating Franken gives Democrats effective control of
sixty seats, enough theoretically to overcome a Republican filibuster.
Franken took the oath using a bible belonging to the family of another
Democratic Senator from Minnesota, the late Paul Wellstone. Within hours
of his swearing in, Franken announced his first legislative action:
co-sponsoring the Employee Free Choice Act, which would make it easier
for workers to vote on joining unions.