Career

United States Senate

2009–present

Senator for Minnesota State of Minnesota and Washington, District of Columbia USA

DOCUMENTARIES

2012

Offered commentary as himself Split: A Deeper Divide - investigates why partisanship is paralyzing American politics

2011

Offered commentary as himself Hot Coffee - explores how the infamous McDonald's hot coffee lawsuit and cases like it were used to weaken civil justice by those on the right

2008

Offered commentary as himself Dean and Me: Roadshow of an American Primary - “feature length documentary about Howard Dean and the Democratic party”

2008

Offered commentary as himself Lord, Save Us from Your Followers - asks “Why is the Gospel of Love Dividing America?”

2008

Offered commentary as himself. principal contributor Split: A Divided America - seeks the truth about the red/blue divide in America

2006

Offered commentary as himself Al Franken: God Spoke

2006

Offered commentary as himself Mr. Conservative: Goldwater on Goldwater

2005

Offered commentary as himself f in his role as co-host of The O’Franken Factor television discussion show America Undercover – Left of the Dial

2005

Offered commentary as himself Live from New York:The First 5 Years of Saturday Night Live

2004

Offered commentary as himself There's Something About W - humorous analysis about the Bush Administration's record during his first term

2004

Offered commentary as himself Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism - explores reported Conservative bias at Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News Channel (FNC), which touts itself as "Fair and Balanced"

2004

Offered commentary as himself How's Your News?: On the Campaign Trail

2004

Offered commentary as himself Bushisms - a collection of some of George W. Bush's more memorable misspeaks

2004

Offered commentary as himself Indian Point: Imagining the Unimaginable - discusses the almost complete lack of security at this nuclear power plant just 25 miles upriver from Manhattan following the tragic events of September 11, 20001

2004

Offered commentary as himself Wellstone!

2002

Offered commentary as himself The Perfect Pitch - a peek inside the world of television production and concept “pitch meetings"

1999

Offered commentary as himself ABC 2000: The Millennium - partying like it was 1999, a ringing in of a new year, century and millennium with messages and commentary from many

BESTSELLING AUTHOR

2009

Author with Tom Davis Thirty-Nine Years of Short-Term Memory Loss: The Early Days of SNL from Someone Who Was There / Grove Press

2005

Author with Joe Conason and James Roosevelt, Jr. The Raw Deal: How the Bush Republicans Plan to Destroy Social Security and the Legacy of the New Deal / Polipoint Press

2005

Author, #1 New York Times Bestseller The Truth (With Jokes) / Dutton

2003

Author, #1 New York Times Bestseller (7 weeks) Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them - A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right / Dutton

2003

Author Oh, the Things I Know! - A Guide to Success, or Failing That, Happiness / Dutton

1999

Author Why Not Me? - The Inside Story of the Making and Unmaking of the Franken Presidency / Dutton

1996

Author, #1 New York Times Bestseller (5 weeks) Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations / Delacorte Press

1992

Author, New York Times Bestseller I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me! -Daily Affirmations by Stuart Smalley / Dell Publishing

Saturday Night Live (SNL)

1975–2008

Writer with over 300 episode credits and comedic performer, noteably his character Stuart Smalley New York, New York USA

1985–1994

Producer of 165 episodes New York, New York USA

SNL TELEVISION SPECIALS

2007

Writer Saturday Night Live in the '90s: Pop Culture Nation

2000

Writer and producer Saturday Night Live: Presidential Bash 2000

1992

Writer and consulting producer Saturday Night Live: Presidential Bash

1991

Writer and producer Saturday Night Live Goes Commercial

1991

Writer Saturday Night Live: The Best of Robin Williams

1989

Writer, producer Saturday Night Live: 15th Anniversary

1986

Writer, producer One More Saturday Night

1981

Writer Bob & Ray, Jane, Laraine & Gilda

The Al Franken Show

2005–2007

Executive producer, writer and talk show host on Air America Radio with an edited version syndicated on cable television Minneapolis, Minnesota USA

The O'Franken Factor

2004–2005

Writer with Katherine Lanpher of this precursor to The Al Franken Show New York, New York USA

TELEVISION SPECIALS

2004

Documentary Writer The First Amendment Project: Fox vs. Franken

1995

Writer The 67th Annual Academy Awards

1993

Writer The 45th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards

1992

Writer and acted as himself, a news anchor Indecision '92: The Republican National Convention on Comedy Central

1984

Performed as himself Franken and Davis at Stockton State

1983

Writer for animated television short The Coneheads (Pilot of a program with voiceovers by original SNL actors)

1981

Writer Steve Martin's Best Show Ever

1977

Writer The Paul Simon Special

FEATURE AND TELEVISION FILMS

2004

Acted in the role of the TV Commentator The Manchurian Candidate

2001

Acted in an unnamed role Harvard Man

1997

Acted in the role of the vagabond The Definite Maybe

1995

Screenwriter and author of original source material, acted in the role of Stuart Stuart Saves His Family

1994

Writer and executive producer, acted in the role of the co-pilot When a Man Loves a Woman

1991

Acted in various roles Give Me Back My Life: A Harvard Lampoon Parody on MTV

1988

Writer as team of Franken & Davis Superman 50th Anniversary TV documentary

1986

Writer, acted in the role of Paul Flum One More Saturday Night

1985

Actor in unnamed role Tab Lloyd: Investigative Reporter

1978

Acted in the role Decline's Henchman All You Need Is Cash

1976

Creative staff, acted in the role of Al Tunnel Vision

LateLine

1998–1999

Program creator,executive producer, and acted as Al Freundlich, an on-camera talent in a series spoof of Nightline Long Island City, New York USA

Professional affiliations

2015–present

114th Congress of the United States of America The United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Member

2015–present

114th Congress of the United States of America The United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Member

2015–present

114th Congress of the United States of America The United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Member Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety Ranking Member

2015–present

114th Congress of the United States of America The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary Member Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law Ranking Member

2013–2015

113th Congress of the United States of America The United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Member

2013–2015

113th Congress of the United States of America The United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Member

2013–2015

113th Congress of the United States of America The United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Member

2013–2015

113th Congress of the United States of America The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary Member

2011–2013

112th Congress of the United States of America The United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Member

2011–2013

112th Congress of the United States of America The United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Member

2011–2013

112th Congress of the United States of America The United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Member

2011–2013

112th Congress of the United States of America The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary Member

Accomplishments of note

2006

Fundraiser: for his Midwest Values Political Action Committee (PAC) State of Minnesota USA Raised more than $1.1 million for progressive candidates in 2006, including Amy Klobuchar, who would one day be his colleague in the Senate

Legislator: The Franken amendment to the Wall Street reform bill to end conflicts of interest in Wall Street's current pay-to-play credit rating system. U.S. Congress / Washington, District of Columbia USA with The Securities and Exchange Commission will automatically implement the Franken amendment or another suitable way to eliminate conflicts of interest The amendment has received favorable U.S. press recognition for being one of the toughest industry reforms in the Wall Street reform bill

Legislator: Fought for a health care reform law provision that make insurance companies put 80 to 85 percent of premiums toward actual health services U.S. Congress / Washington, District of Columbia USA Franken's legislation, based on existing Minnesota law, represents the largest insurance industry reform in the health care reform bill, curbing excessive administrative and marketing costs, as well as profits

2009

Contest Winner: Began service in the U.S. Senate only on July 7, 2009 Minnesota State Supreme Court / State of Minnesota USA with Ran as the candidate of the DFL (Democratic-Farmer-Labor) Party Elected to the U.S. Senate in 2008, but the election was contested. Took the oath of office following a decision in his favor on June 30, 2009

Professional honors and awards

2003

Emmy Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Foundation Outstanding Writing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Program for Saturday Night Live (as one of a team of writers)

1997

Emmy Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Foundation Outstanding Writing For A Variety or Music Program for Politically Incorrect With Bill Maher (as one of a team of writers)

1993

Emmy Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Foundation Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Series for Saturday Night Live (with Lorne Michaels, executive producer and James Downey, producer)

1989

Emmy Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Foundation Outstanding Writing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Program for Saturday Night Live (as one of a team of writers)

1978

Emmy Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Foundation Outstanding Writing For A Comedy-Variety Or Music Special for The Paul Simon Special (as one of a team of writers)