WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar announced that Ann Bussey from Side Lake, Minnesota will be her guest at the 2024 State of the Union address. Bussey is a senior who has focused on lowering prescription drug prices and expanding high-speed internet access.

“Ann Bussey has fought to improve the lives of seniors in Minnesota, and I’m proud to have her join me at this year’s State of the Union address,” said Klobuchar. “Ann understands the challenges faced by older Americans in our state, especially rural areas, and her advocacy will be critical as we continue to bring down prescription drug costs for seniors and expand broadband access.”

Bussey was awarded the Minnesota Department of Health Rural Health Hero Award in November 2023.

In 2021, Bussey was accepted to the University of Minnesota Project REACH Program, a year long program pairing research scientists with community advocates to improve rural health outcomes. Bussey developed a policy proposal promoting digital inclusion and digital literacy for Minnesota’s seniors.

Bussey continues to serve as the community leader and advocate for the Hibbing Silver Sneakers program, now sponsored by the Duluth Area YMCA. 

In 2022, Congress passed legislation with provisions led by Senator Klobuchar to allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices directly with pharmaceutical companies. This year, negotiations began on 10 of the most costly and widely-used medications in Medicare, and the number of prescription drugs with negotiated prices will continue to grow. 

In 2021, Congress passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law which included provisions based on Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act, Klobuchar’s legislation to expand high-speed internet nationwide. This year Senator Klobuchar announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce awarded $651,839,368 in federal funding through the law to bring reliable, affordable, high-speed internet access to every household in Minnesota.

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