Latest Releases
Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith Announce Expansion of Meat Processing Facility in Perham, MN
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-MN), members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, announced funding to double the capacity of a meat processing facility in Perham, MN. The $530,000 grant will go to Lakes Community Cooperative, a processing facility that provides its member owners with multi-species livestock processing services. Helping smaller, locally owned processing facilities like Lakes Community Cooperative to be competitive in today’s market will help lower costs for consumers by spurring competition in an already consolidated meat industry. “Minnesota’s meat and poultry products help feed the nation and the world,” said Klobuchar. “This new funding will make it easier for the Lakes Community Cooperative to bolster their capacity and get their high quality meats to new markets.” “A strong meat processing industry is critical to maintaining a stable economy in Minnesota, especially for Minnesota’s farmers,” said Smith. “By doubling the capacity of coops like Lakes Community Cooperative, producers will have another processing option. This helps farmers get a fair value for animals and also helps keep prices down for consumers at the grocery story.” Four large meat-packing companies control 85 percent of the beef market. In poultry, the top four processing firms control 54 percent of the market. And in pork, the top four processing firms control about 70 percent of the market. Klobuchar and Smith have long worked to spur competition in America’s meat processing industry. They secured funding to increase meat cutting and butchery career pathways for students by enabling the Minnesota State Northern Agricultural Center to expand its training facilities and
U.S. Senator Tina Smith and Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez Introduce Homes Act to Tackle America’s Housing Crisis
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chair of the Senate Housing, Transportation and Community Development Subcommittee, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) today unveiled legislation that would reimagine housing in America, making a historic and long overdue investment in our housing supply. The bill would help build and preserve as many as 1.3 million homes in small towns, big cities, and rural communities; and help families everywhere find a quality, affordable place to call home. Smith and Ocasio-Cortez are joined on the legislation by Senators Peter Welch (D-VT) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and 34 members in the House of Representatives. “Without a safe, decent and affordable place to live, nothing in your life works. It becomes nearly impossible to hold a job, go to school, or stay healthy,” said Senator Smith. “Our country is facing a housing crisis, with annual supply falling dramatically behind demand. Our proposal would serve renters, and homebuyers alike, providing millions of Americans in rural and urban communities with more options for a quality, affordable place to call home—with the sense of stability, security, comfort and pride that should come with it. Housing is a human right—this is a bill that meets the urgency of the moment we are in.” “Every day, we see families grappling with the harsh reality of the housing crisis—skyrocketing rents, evictions, and homelessness—while big banks and Wall Street prioritize profit over people. The Homes Act is our bold response to this crisis, investing $300 billion over the next decade to ensure everyone can access an affordable home,” said Rep. Ocasio-Cortez. “We
Klobuchar, Smith Announce USDA Disaster Assistance for Impacted Commodity and Specialty Crop Producers
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN), both members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is providing $418 million in emergency relief payment for Minnesota commodity and specialty crop producers impacted by natural disasters in 2020 and 2021. The relief assistance, offered through the Farm Service Agency (FSA)’s new Emergency Relief Program (ERP) is intended to help impacted producers offset crop yields and value losses. “Recent natural disasters – including last year’s extreme drought and wildfires – have created enormous challenges for our state’s farmers,” said Klobuchar. “These resources will be a
Sens. Klobuchar, Smith Announce Expanded Potato Export Opportunities to Mexico
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-MN) announced that the United States has significantly expanded opportunities for potato exports to Mexico after 15 years of negotiations. The development comes after the two countries reached an agreement following a letter from Senators Klobuchar, Smith, and several of their colleagues pressing the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to work with their Mexican counterparts to honor a trade deal expanding American potato access into Mexico. The U.S. potato industry estimates this increased access to Mexico will provide a market potential of approximately $200 million per year. This represents an increase of $150
Sen. Tina Smith Announces Technical Assistance Guide to Help Communities Unlock Resources From Infrastructure Law
WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) announced a technical assistance guide to help state, local and Tribal governments navigate, access, and deploy resources from the new infrastructure law passed last year. The assistance comes after Smith held a hearing in April aimed at understanding how the infrastructure law could be most equitably and effectively implemented, particularly in small and rural communities. “The bipartisan infrastructure law is a landmark piece of legislation that will repair and expand our country’s infrastructure,” said Senator Smith. “But the work didn’t end when President Biden signed the bill into law. It’s critical we get technical assistance to local leaders so they have the tools
Sen. Tina Smith Joins Colleagues Blasting Data Brokers for Collecting and Selling Cell Phone Location Data of People Who Visit Abortion Clinics
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/18/22]— U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) joined twelve of her Senate colleagues in letters to SafeGraph and Placer.ai, two data brokers, blasting the companies for collecting and selling the cellphone-based location data of people who visit abortion clinics and risking the safety of anyone seeking access to abortion services. In the wake of the Supreme Court’s leaked draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade, the senators are demanding answers about the companies’ data collection practices and calling on them to create a complete and permanent ban on these and similar practices. “Anti-abortion activists have already used location data to
English