My fellow Minnesotans join me in mourning the loss of America's 40th President and celebrating the life of a man who personified both the greatness and goodness of America.

Unless we repeal the illegal Byrd amendment, American exports will be vulnerable to retaliation, and the U.S. will continue to face a difficult task convincing other countries to make their laws comply with international rules.

Our intelligence community needs better coordination of operations and exchange of information, and that's why we need an overall director of national intelligence and a national counterterrorism center.

The heroes of Flight 93 won the first battle in the War on Terror, and they should never be forgotten.

On this important anniversary, we must remember that while we have come a long way in eliminating barriers, critical work remains to ensure all Americans can live up to their full potential.

We also need to strengthen the security of our borders and ports and strictly control immigration.

Reducing trade barriers with this key ally will go a long way toward increasing market access for American farmers, manufacturers and service providers.