Klobuchar delivers first Senate speech

01/12/2007

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Amy Klobuchar will try to even the playing field while in Congress as she did as county prosecutor -- by treating everyone the same -- she said during her first speech on the Senate floor.

"That is still my job," she said.

Speaking on ethics reform, she said she brought to Washington a commitment for change and a Minnesota moral compass. Recent scandals have cast a shadow over the legitimacy of Congress, and stronger reform, such as banning gifts and meals from lobbyists and their employers, is needed, she said.

She also addressed the Minnesota National Guard's extension of duty in Iraq: "These Minnesota soldiers have already served honorably and well."

Opposing President George Bush's plan to send 21,500 more troops to Iraq by lengthening their stay and quickening the pace of deployment, Klobuchar said what is needed is a "surge in diplomacy and not a surge in troops."