Biography
Senator Amy Klobuchar has spent her life helping people and standing up for what is right, without fear or favor. She is an innovative leader with a proven record of championing new ideas and producing positive results for the people she represents. She is a public servant who puts the greater good of the many in front of the interests of the few.
On January 4, 2007, Amy Klobuchar took the oath of office to represent the people of Minnesota in the United States Senate.
A Leader Who Makes a Difference for Minnesotans
Minnesotans send their Senators to Washington to make a difference, and Klobuchar has traveled to the nation's capital to make a difference for the people of Minnesota. She has brought with her what she calls a "Minnesota moral compass" to guide her, always pointing to the Minnesota values of hard work, fair play and personal responsibility.
In Washington, Klobuchar is fighting for the priorities that Minnesotans care about. In her first year, Klobuchar has already established herself as a leader who is determined to seek constructive change for Minnesota and the nation. The views of Minnesotans are foremost in her work, and Klobuchar believes that spending time visiting local communities throughout the state is an essential part of her job. She has assembled a talented staff to help her serve Minnesotans with strong constituent services and advocacy from four regional offices in the state as well as from Capitol Hill.
Klobuchar positions on the following Senate committees provide her with special opportunities to serve Minnesota and fight for Minnesota values:
- Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee
- Environment and Public Works Committee
- Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee
- Joint Economic Committee
Soon after being sworn in, Klobuchar began to put her mark on a range of important legislative initiatives — strengthening the ethics rules in Congress, expanding opportunities for the middle class, protecting American consumers, advancing renewable energy resources, and promoting energy independence by tackling global climate change. Klobuchar is proud to be part of a Congress that passed a budget containing pay-as-you-go rules, returning fiscal responsibility to a federal budget that has been deficit spending for years.
Ethics reform was Klobuchar’s number one priority upon entering the Senate because she believed it goes to the very heart of how Congress conducts itself and its ability to respond to the pressing issues facing America. She joined with other freshman Senators on this issue which helped the Senate quickly pass a sweeping package of reforms, including Minnesota-style ethics rules banning free gifts or meals from people with business before Congress. These reforms were credited as the most significant since the Watergate era of the 1970s.
Klobuchar’s early legislative work has drawn praise from many sources in both Washington and Minnesota.
The Washington Post has described Klobuchar as “a rising star” and “a leading proponent of efforts to combat climate change” (not to mention the “funniest member of the Senate’s freshman class”).
The Star Tribune reported on her substantial progress, citing observers who praised her work in her first hundred days as, “a fast-moving legislator with potential to become a party leader.” The Star Tribune also credited Klobuchar’s bipartisan “carbon counter” legislation as “a necessary and pragmatic step” toward reducing global warming.
Klobuchar is looking ahead to anticipate other emerging challenges for Minnesota and America The first hearing she chaired was on the Joint Economic Committee, highlighting the economic impact of elder care and the need to provide better assistance to those who care for elderly or ailing family members. It is already a serious concern for many families and is sure to grow in importance with the aging of the Baby Boomer generation.
The Forum newspaper of Fargo-Moorhead commended Klobuchar for her resolve to ensure the safety of imported products from China, saying “she understands her responsibility to help develop new strategies to protect American consumers.”
Klobuchar was also one of the first freshman Senators to visit Iraq, meeting with and thanking Minnesota troops while gathering first-hand information about conditions in Iraq. Observing the bravery of America’s men and women in uniform, Klobuchar returned to the Senate with a renewed determination to continue pressing for a responsible change of course in Iraq that allows the safe return of American troops and requires the Iraqi government to take responsibility for the country’s security.
A Leader Who Serves the People
Klobuchar has never been afraid to take on the tough fights. As a private citizen and before ever being elected to public office, she took on HMOs and insurance lobbyists at the Minnesota Legislature and was the leading advocate for successful passage of a state law that guarantees 48-hour hospital stays for new moms and their babies. As a lawyer in private practice, Klobuchar took on a telephone monopoly before the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, successfully advocating for more competition in the telecommunications industry to benefit Minnesota consumers.
In 1998, Klobuchar was elected to a four-year term as the Hennepin County Attorney, serving as chief prosecutor for Minnesota’s most populous county encompassing Minneapolis and 45 suburban communities. In 2002, she was re-elected without opposition.
As County Attorney, Klobuchar made the prosecution of violent and career criminals her top priority. She also took the lead with more aggressive approaches to gun crimes, predatory sex offenders, crimes against seniors and white-collar financial crimes. Klobuchar was a leading advocate for successful passage of Minnesota’s first felony DWI law with tougher penalties for chronic drunk drivers. For her efforts, she received a leadership award from Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
During her eight-year tenure as County Attorney, Klobuchar fought for justice without regard to partisanship, wealth or privilege. She fought to protect the most vulnerable among us, and she worked to make government more accountable and efficient. Klobuchar joined forces with police departments, local businesses and community groups to promote safer, better neighborhoods – and she earned the respect of Democrats, Republicans and independents. Her safe schools initiative, community prosecution efforts and criminal justice reforms earned national awards and honors, including from the U.S. Department of Justice under the Clinton and Bush Administrations.
As County Attorney, Klobuchar was also elected by fellow prosecutors to serve as president of the Minnesota County Attorneys Association. In that position, she spearheaded a series of public forums in Minnesota communities on identity theft, methamphetamine and sex offender issues.
A Leader with Minnesota Roots
With family roots on northern Minnesota’s Iron Range, Senator Klobuchar grew up in the Twin Cities suburb of Plymouth, attended public schools and was the valedictorian of her high school class. She graduated magna cum laude from Yale University and the University of Chicago Law School. Her senior thesis in college, published as the book "Uncovering the Dome," chronicles the 10-year-history behind the building of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome and is still used at colleges and universities across the country.
After graduating from law school in 1985, Klobuchar returned to Minnesota to practice law and worked closely with former Vice President and Senator Walter F. Mondale. She also served in leadership positions with a variety of community organizations.
Klobuchar’s mother, Rose, is an active grandmother and was a public school teacher who taught second grade until she retired at age 70. Klobuchar’s father, Jim, was for many years a sportswriter and popular columnist for the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Now in his 70s, he continues to write books, organize long-distance bike rides and lead an adventure club.
Klobuchar’s husband, John, is an attorney. He is a native of Mankato, where he attended Loyola High School, and he is a graduate of the University of Minnesota. They were married in 1993, and they have a 12-year-old daughter, Abigail.