Legislation to rename the Wayzata Post Office was introduced in both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives by Representative Dean Phillips earlier this month

WASHINGTON –  U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar announced that legislation she introduced in the U.S. Senate to rename the Wayzata post office in honor of former Minnesota Representative Jim Ramstad has passed the Senate. Senator Tina Smith and Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and John Hoeven (R-ND) joined as original cosponsors as Ramstad was born in North Dakota. Representative Phillips holds the seat Ramstad once held. In the House the bill was cosponsored by the entire Minnesota delegation. 

“Minnesota has lost a friend and hero - former Representative Jim Ramstad. He was a faithful public servant whose personal struggle with addiction guided his life’s work to help those struggling with substance abuse and mental health,” Klobuchar said. “He was a true mentor to me on how to work with both Democrats and Republicans to get things done. Renaming the Wayzata post office in Jim’s name will allow Minnesotans to remember Jim for generations to come.”

Representative Jim Ramstad served in Congress from 1991 until 2009. He was a Member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Health and Trade Subcommittees and Chairman of the Oversight Subcommittee. Ramstad also served on the House Small Business Committee and co-chaired the Addiction Treatment and Recovery Caucus, Medical Technology Caucus, Law Enforcement Caucus and Disabilities Caucus.

Representative Ramstad was co-sponsor of the landmark Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Parity Act which became law in 2008.

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