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
Senators Smith, Thune, Wicker, Casey Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Increase Access to Rural Broadband
WASHINGTON, D.C. [2/7/22]— Today, U.S. Sens. Tina Smith (D-Minn.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), and Bob Casey (D-Pa.) introduced the Connect Unserved Americans Act. This bipartisan legislation would ensure that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) targets funding through the ReConnect Program to areas most in need of reliable broadband services. Additionally, it would enhance the coordination between federal agencies that are disbursing broadband funding to prevent the overbuilding of existing broadband networks at the taxpayers’ expense. “Broadband is the infrastructure of the 21st Century – it isn’t just nice, it’s necessary if we’re going to build an economy that
Klobuchar, Smith, Bipartisan Group of Colleagues Urge Extension of Pandemic Telehealth Services
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) joined 45 of their colleagues in a bipartisan, bicameral letter urging congressional leaders to include an extension for expanded telehealth services for Medicare beneficiaries. This telehealth service expansion began during the coronavirus pandemic, allowing patients nationwide to access telehealth services from a wider range of eligible health care providers. “We strongly support permanently expanding Medicare coverage of telehealth and removing other barriers to the use of telehealth because of its ability to expand access to care, reduce costs, and improve health outcomes. While Congress prepares to enact permanent telehealth
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on the Fatal Shooting of Amir Locke
WASHINGTON, D.C. [02/04/22]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith released the following statement on the fatal shooting of Amir Locke: “Another family is mourning the sudden and tragic loss of their son, Amir Locke, who had his whole life ahead of him. He was only 22.” “The body cam video from the shooting is deeply disturbing. Minneapolis police storm an apartment on a no-knock warrant and within seconds have shot and killed Amir Locke, who moments before appeared to be wrapped in a blanket sleeping on a couch.” “The Minneapolis Police Department must immediately explain how it could have released an early
Senators Klobuchar, Smith Announce Increased Funding Opportunity for Minnesota Infrastructure Projects
WASHINGTON, D.C. [02/02/22] — U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (Both D-Minn.), announced the expansion of a popular program which helps fund local infrastructure projects. In 2021, the program (RAISE) funded 90 projects in 47 states, including two large projects in Minnesota. The $1.5 billion in available funding for 2022 represents a 50 percent increase compared to last year thanks to the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which Senators Klobuchar and Smith helped pass in November 2021. “Investments in transportation infrastructure serve as down-payments on the economic well-being of our state and country,” said Senator Klobuchar. “RAISE
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