Latest Releases
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith Announce Funding to Study Restructuring Highway 55
[Washington, DC] – Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith announced federal funding to support studying and developing a plan to revitalize Highway 55 in Hennepin County. The funding is made available thanks to President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, which both Senators supported. “I grew up right off Highway 55 and I know how it serves as a critical link for families and businesses,” said Klobuchar. “With this federal grant, Hennepin County will kickstart the planning phase for improvements to the highway.” “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 55 to best serve the surrounding communities in the West Metro.” The $3.6 million in funding comes from the Neighborhood Access and Equity Grant Program, which aims to connect communities by supporting neighborhood equity, safety and affordable transportation access while mitigating negative environmental impacts. ###
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith Announce Funding for Revitalizing I-35 Corridor in West Duluth and Downtown Duluth
[Washington, DC] – Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith announced federal funding to develop a comprehensive plan for economic development and community support for Duluth neighborhoods harmed by the construction of I-35 in the 1960s and 70s. The construction of the interstate and the barrier that created in downtown Duluth led to the demolition of hundreds of homes and displacement of over 1,700 people. The funding was awarded thanks to President Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure law, which both Senators supported. “Duluth’s I-35 highway needs critical right-of-way improvements to ensure drivers and pedestrians stay safe,” said Klobuchar. “This federal grant will help Duluth begin the planning phase of connectivity improvements along the interstate.” “Investing in our roads and bridges is critical, but it shouldn’t happen at the expense of vibrant communities,” said Smith. “The neighborhoods in West Duluth and Downtown Duluth were severely disrupted when I-35 was constructed, and I am happy to see federal funding going to address these disruptions.” The $1.8 million in funding comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities Pilot program, the first-ever federal program dedicated to reconnecting communities that were previously cut off from economic opportunities by transportation infrastructure. ###
U.S. Senators Tina Smith & John Thune’s Bill for Continued School Funding During COVID-19 Passes the Senate
WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/14/21]—Yesterday, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and John Thune’s (R-S.D.) bipartisan legislation to help schools retain federal funding during the COVID-19 pandemic passed in the Senate. Smith and Thune’s Supplemental Impact Aid Flexibility Act will allow school districts participating in the Impact Aid Program to use previously reported student headcounts on their Impact Aid applications for the 2022-2023 school year, ensuring that they do not need to recalculate federally connected students due to prolonged uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic. “As the pandemic continues to hit many Minnesota school districts hard, it’s important that districts receiving Impact Aid
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith, and U.S. Representative Angie Craig Announce Program to Deliver More Opportunities, Fair Prices to Farmers and Strengthen Food Supply Chain
WASHINGTON, [12.9.21] – Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith, and Representative Angie Craig (all D-Minnesota) announced a new program that will release approximately $1 billion in funding to shore up food supply chains and support farmers. The funding is available through the American Rescue Plan, which Senators Klobuchar, Smith, and Rep. Craig helped pass earlier this year. “Minnesota’s farmers play a key role in generating and protecting our nation’s food supply,” said Sen. Klobuchar. “The Food Supply Chain Guaranteed Loans are a step forward as we continue working to support them and bolster our food supply chain.” “Even before
U.S. Senator Tina Smith & U.S. Representative Gwen Moore Push to Empower Tribes to Pursue Justice for Native Survivors of Sexual Violence
WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/7/21] —Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) —a member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee—and U.S. Representative Gwen Moore (D-WI) are pushing to make it easier to address violence against Native peoples by expanding Tribal jurisdiction over crimes of sexual violence. The “Justice for Native Survivors of Sexual Violence Act” aims to get justice for survivors of sexual violence by restoring Tribal jurisdiction to prosecute cases of domestic and sexual assault, sex trafficking, stalking, and other related crimes committed by non-Native offenders on Tribal lands. The Justice for Native Survivors of Sexual Violence Act is co-sponsored in the
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith Urge FSA to Expand Help for Minnesota Livestock Producers Hit Hard by Drought
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-Minn.) are urging the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to expand help for livestock producers in Minnesota and across the country who struggled to feed their herds this summer when severe drought made hay scarce and forced prices to skyrocket. In a letter Wednesday to FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux, Smith, Klobuchar, and a bipartisan group of 18 of their Senate colleagues pressed to address a gap in coverage under the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP), which currently provides assistance for the cost of transporting feed to
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