Senator Amy Klobuchar to be vetted for Vice President

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After months of breathless speculation about who would make the cut as Joe Biden's Democratic running mate in the presidential race, CBS News confirmed Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar has been asked by Biden's campaign to undergo vetting for running mate consideration.

Biden's choice of running mate is considered ultra important because of his age -- 77 -- and because he has hinted that if he wins he plans to be a transitional president of only one term. That would set up the vice president in a prime position to be the next president of the United States.

News: Sen. @amyklobuchar has officially been asked by @JoeBiden to undergo vetting to be considered for his VP, sources tell @CBSNews.

— Bo Erickson CBS (@BoKnowsNews) May 21, 2020

Requests for information from potential running mates for Joe Biden is now "underway," according to a senior source familiar with the process. Other names in the mix have long been Michigan's Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Sen. Kamala Harris, among others. He committed early on to choosing a woman as his running mate, and many have urged him to pick an African American.

Previously, Biden has said this list of politicians he is considering numbered around a dozen. CBS News also confirmed New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen was asked but declined to move forward with the vetting process. Florida Rep. Val Demings confirmed today she was asked to be vetted and reports indicate New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan was as well.

As for Klobuchar, she ran against Biden for the Democratic nomination, dropping out on March 2. 

The 59-year-old lawyer and mother of one adult daughter, Klobuchar is against Medicare for all, supports universal background checks, and supports a state's right to legalize marijuana. "States should have the right to determine the best approach to marijuana within their borders," she has said.

Klobuchar was the first woman elected to the Senate from Minnesota. While in office, she is credited with helping to pass legislation to attempt to end human trafficking, combat the opioid epidemic, enact environmental regulations, and lower prescription drug prices. 

Senator Klobuchar will be on The Morning News with Dave Lee on WCCO tomorrow morning at 7:20.