Latest Releases
Senator Smith and Representative Omar Reintroduce No Shame at School Act
WASHINGTON– Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) and U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) announced the reintroduction of the No Shame at School Act, a bill aimed at ending lunch shaming practices in schools nationwide. The No Shame at School Act would prohibit school districts from publicly identifying or shaming students who are unable to pay for school meals. It also bans schools from hiring debt collectors to recover unpaid school meal debt.The legislation requires schools to attempt to directly certify children with unpaid meal debt for free or reduced-price meals and allows schools to be retroactively reimbursed for meals served to these children. “No child should have to go through the experience of being shamed at school for an unpaid lunch bill,” said Senator Smith. “I’m so proud of the work Minnesota has done to address this issue through universal school lunches, but there are too many places around the country where we still see this happening. We need to set our children up for success in school, and making sure kids get the school lunches they need without being made to feel ashamed or embarrassed is an important part of that success.” “In Minnesota, we have already implemented universal school meals and are leading the charge to remove school lunch shaming,” said Rep. Omar, a member of the Committee on Education and Workforce. “It’s time for the rest of the nation to follow suit. Every child deserves to learn and grow without the pangs of hunger or the fear of being
Bipartisan Momentum Builds for Warehouse Worker Protection Act
Washington (September 25, 2024) – U.S. Senator Tina Smith, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) committee, along with Senators Ed Markey (D-MA), Josh Hawley (R-MO), and Bob Casey (D-PA), applauded the bipartisan momentum behind the Warehouse Worker Protection Act, legislation that would protect warehouse workers by prohibiting dangerous work speed quotas that lead to high rates of worker injuries. The legislation as re-introduced includes new enforcement authority for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), as well as an exemption for small businesses. Senators Smith, Markey, and Casey, first introduced the Warehouse Worker Protection Act in May. “The Warehouse Worker Protection Act is about protecting the health and dignity of workers from the scourge of corporate greed at Amazon and other large companies,” said Senator Markey. “This movement is strong and growing, and we will not rest until warehouse workers know when they clock in that they will return home unharmed.” “Corporations too often prioritize profit over their workers’ safety and well-being, treating them like cogs in a machine. It has to stop. This legislation combats the warehouse industry’s worst practices while ensuring corporations do right by their employees in treating them with the dignity they deserve,” said Senator Hawley. “The momentum to protect workers is growing. These big companies hold a lot of power, they are literally controlling the lives of workers minute by minute with their productivity metrics and quotas,” said Senator Smith. “With this bill, we are saying, enough is enough. We’re putting accountability into this system and power back in the hands of workers
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Responds to the Supreme Court Overturning Roe
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) issued the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade: “This is a terrible day for America. Roe v. Wade has been overturned. “For almost 50 years, American women have had the freedom and constitutional right to make their own decisions about abortion. This right respected individual autonomy and the capacity of people to make good, moral decisions about abortion. This activist Supreme Court—and the Republican Senators and President who put them there—have gutted that right, because they think they know better than American women,
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on the Passage of the Bipartisan Gun Safety Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) issued the following statement in response to the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act: “This is the most important step Congress has taken in nearly three decades to curb gun violence and I was proud to vote for it. This legislation will reduce gun violence, improve our mental health systems, and while we need to do much more, these reforms will save lives and improve public safety. I am especially grateful to Senator Chris Murphy for his tireless work on this issue since the tragedy at Sandy Hook, and to
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith Announce Extended Postpartum Health Coverage for Minnesotans
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-MN) announced that Minnesota has received approval to extend postpartum coverage for 12 months to individuals enrolled in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The extended coverage is made possible by the American Rescue Plan, which Senators Klobuchar and Smith helped pass last year. “We must address our nation’s unacceptably high maternal mortality rates. Having long fought to improve care for new mothers and babies, this issue is personal to me, and it’s personal to moms across our state,” said Sen. Klobuchar. “I pushed for this funding to
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Introduces Legislation to Protect Access to Medication Abortions
WASHINGTON, D.C. [6/23/22]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) introduced a bill to defend access to medication abortion in states where the right to an abortion is still protected. The bill would protect current FDA guidelines so that women can always access medication abortion through telehealth and certified pharmacies, including mail-order pharmacies. Of the one in four American women who will have an abortion, over half will use medication abortion. In the 20 years since its approval, the evidence has shown that medication abortion can be prescribed to patients without an in-person appointment, is safe and effective for people to take
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