Latest Releases
U.S Senators Tina Smith, Amy Klobuchar Announce Funding to Improve Bus Infrastructure in Southwestern Minnesota
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Transportation, and Senator Amy Klobuchar (both D-MN) announced a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to strengthen bus and transportation infrastructure in Southern Minnesota. One hundred and seventeen communities across the country are getting infrastructure upgrades thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, legislation passed by President Biden in 2021 that has delivered infrastructure upgrades to nearly 5,000 communities nationwide. The Minnesota Department of Transportation will receive $2,303,200 to buy propane buses and build the necessary fueling infrastructure in Marshall, Minnesota. The project will improve service, reliability and lower maintenance costs for southwest and south central Minnesota rural transit providers. The grant is distributed by the Federal Transit Administration and is part of the Reducing Transit Emissions in Rural Minnesota (RTERM) program. “Each day, transit systems connect Minnesotans to their jobs, schools, grocery stores and countless other opportunities – all while reducing traffic congestion and pollution,” said Senator Smith. “But for many people, especially those in rural areas, safe, reliable public transportation is hard to find. This funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will deliver faster, safer, and more energy efficient transportation to communities across Southwestern Minnesota.” “Investments in public transit make it easier for families in rural Minnesota to get to school, work, and other destinations,” said Klobuchar. “This federal funding will go towards creating the modern, efficient public transit system families in Southwestern Minnesota need to reliably get around.” ###
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Calls for Expedited Evacuations of Children with Complex Medical Needs from Gaza
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar (both D-MN) joined their colleagues in sending a letter to Michael Herzog, Ambassador of Israel to the United States, and Motaz Zahran, Ambassador of Egypt to the United States, urging them to help Palestinian children who are critically ill and injured leave Gaza to seek medical treatment, and increase access to life-saving medical treatments in Gaza for children in need. “While people disagree about the war in Gaza, everyone should agree that no government should prevent injured children access to potentially life-saving medical care. Rather, governments should be doing everything possible to assist in this situation,” wrote the senators. “We have called on our own government to do its part in facilitating safe passage for these children. Our goal is to cooperate with your governments, consistent with your security concerns, to maximize safe passage and increase access to life-saving medical treatment for children in need. We understand some progress has been made, with a number of children in need of cancer treatment being moved out of Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing, in cooperation with the World Health Organization,” continued the senators. “We are encouraged by this development as a very positive first step. We must all treat the welfare of children in Gaza as an urgent humanitarian priority and work together to prevent further suffering.” The Senators also requested meetings with the Ambassadors to further discuss how to facilitate safe passage for more children and their accompanying parent or caregiver to have access to the medical
Klobuchar, Smith Announce Major Federal Funding to Boost Supply Chain and Improve Land Border Port of Entry Infrastructure
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the General Services Administration (GSA) was awarded over $250 million through the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to upgrade and increase capacity at the International Falls and Grand Portage land ports of entry on the Canadian border. These improvements will strengthen supply chains, improve safety and security, and create jobs. “Border ports of entry play a critical role in the success of Minnesota’s economy by facilitating trade and tourism” said Klobuchar. “This much-needed investment will help boost our supply chain by expanding processing capacity for goods
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on President Biden’s State of the Union Address
WASHINGTON, D.C. [03/01/22]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) released the following statement on President Biden’s State of the Union address: “Tonight, President Biden met the moment by bringing the country together, unified in support of Ukraine against an autocratic leader. And President Biden reminded us that here at home, our economy is dramatically stronger than when he entered office one year ago. Thanks to his leadership and the hard work and resilience of American workers and businesses, more than six million Americans have gone back to work, real incomes for families have gone up, and our economy is seeing the
In Floor Speech, U.S. Senator Tina Smith Makes Impassioned Case for Federal Legislation Protecting Reproductive Health Freedoms
WASHINGTON, [2.28.22] – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) delivered a speech from the Senate floor urging her colleagues to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would protect the freedom of all Americans to receive the reproductive health care they need, including abortion. As reproductive rights face their greatest challenge since Roe v. Wade was decided decades ago, Senator Smith called on her colleagues to pass federal legislation protecting the freedom of every American to make their own decisions regarding their health, their families, and their future. You can access a video of Sen. Smith’s remarks here. You can read
Senators Klobuchar and Smith Announce Initiatives to Strengthen American Food Supply Chains, Expand Opportunity for Farmers
WASHINGTON, [2.25.22] – Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-MN) announced new plans to shore up American food supply chains and generate economic opportunity for farmers in Minnesota. Thanks to funding from the American Rescue Plan, which Klobuchar and Smith helped pass, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is making up to $215 million in grants and other support available to expand meat and poultry processing options, strengthen the food supply chain, and create jobs and economic opportunities in Minnesota. “When we support our farmers and ranchers, we make it easier for all families to get food
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