Latest Releases
Klobuchar, Smith Secure Significant Federal Funding to Improve Highway 5 in Carver County
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that they have secured $25 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to improve Highway 5. The resources, provided through USDOT’s Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program, will widen the roadway from two to four lanes between Chanhassen and Victoria. “Rebuilding our infrastructure is critical for families, workers, and businesses,” said Klobuchar. “Highway 5 is a key route in Carver County, but it does not adequately serve the growing population, leading to safety hazards and traffic jams. This infrastructure project will reduce traffic congestion, improve safety, and create good jobs.” “If we’re going to build an economy that works for everyone, then we need to prioritize investments in critical infrastructure, like highways, that connect people with opportunities all across the state,” said Smith. “This grant is the first step to improving Highway 5 to best serve Carver County.” The Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program provides communities across the country with funding for local projects that improve and expand surface transportation infrastructure in rural areas and bolster connectivity, safety, and reliability. The program was created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Klobuchar and Smith supported and was signed into law in 2021. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides resources for improving roads, bridges, public transportation, water infrastructure, and broadband in Minnesota and across the country. ###
Klobuchar, Smith, Fischbach, and Entire Minnesota Congressional Delegation’s Legislation to Rename Roseau Post Office in Honor of Floyd B. Olson Signed into Law
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Representative Michelle Fischbach (R-MN-07) announced their legislation to rename the Roseau Post Office after Floyd B. Olson, the Roseau Postmaster of 25 years, has been signed into law. Mr. Olson served in the Army from 1952 to 1954 and was an active member of the Roseau County Historical Society Board, Roseau County Fair Board, Rose Free Lutheran Church Board & Men’s Club, and the Postmaster’s Association. Mr. Olson passed away in 2017, after decades of service to his community and country. “Floyd B. Olson was the Roseau Postmaster for over two decades, a veteran, and a beloved member of the community,” said Klobuchar. “With this legislation now signed into law, the Roseau Post Office will be named in his honor, ensuring Mr. Olson’s memory continues to live on.” “Floyd B. Olson dedicated his life to serving his country and giving back to his neighbors in Roseau – as an Army veteran and as Postmaster for 25 years,” said Smith. “Renaming the Roseau Post Office after him honors his contributions to the community and lasting legacy in the city of Roseau.” “Floyd Olson was a staple in the Roseau community,” said Fischbach. “He was a man of faith, a family man, and a true public servant. I can think of no better person to dedicate this Post Office to and I am so glad the President has signed this bill into law.” The bill was co-sponsored by the entire Minnesota delegation, including Representatives Brad Finstad (R-MN-01),
Sen. Smith Announces USDA Funding to Bolster Food Supply Chain Resilience
WASHINGTON, D.C. [07/13/22] – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing over $14 million to support agricultural workforce training in historically underserved communities across the country. This investment is a result of funding in the American Rescue Plan to strengthen the nation’s food supply chain by promoting fair and competitive agricultural markets. “Underserved communities in Minnesota and across the country, often those in rural areas, are most severely impacted by interruptions in the food supply chain,” said Sen. Smith, a member of the Senate Agricultural Committee. “Investing in agricultural education is key
Sen. Smith Cosponsors Legislation to Protect the Right of Women to Cross State Lines to Seek Abortion Care
WASHINGTON, D.C. [07/12/22] – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) joined a group of her Democratic colleagues, including Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), in introducing the Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act of 2022. This legislation would make it crystal clear that it is illegal for anti-choice states to limit travel for abortion services and would empower the Attorney General and impacted individuals to bring civil action against those who restrict a woman’s right to cross state lines to receive legal reproductive care. “After successfully overturning Roe and gutting 50
U.S. Senators Smith and Lankford Introduce Legislation to Create Parity Within the Indian Health Care System
WASHINGTON, D.C. [07/12/22] – U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.) introduced bipartisan legislation that would help achieve parity within the Indian Health System. The Urban Indian Health Confer Act will amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to confer with urban Indian organizations regarding health care for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) living in urban areas – a critical step that will create parity within the Indian Health System. “American Indian and Alaska Native people living in urban areas deserve an active voice in the policies that affect them,” said
Klobuchar, Bennet, Slotkin Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Strengthen Media Literacy Education and Improve Personal Cybersecurity
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Representative Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) introduced two pieces of bicameral legislation to strengthen media literacy education to teach Americans the skills to identify online misinformation and disinformation. The Digital Citizenship and Media Literacy Act would create a grant program at the Department of Commerce to teach students digital citizenship and media literacy skills to help them think critically about online content. The Veterans Online Information and Cybersecurity Empowerment (VOICE) Act would create a grant program at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to teach veterans digital and media literacy
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