Latest Releases
U.S. SENATOR TINA SMITH ANNOUNCES ABORTION CLINIC DIRECTOR TAMMI KROMENAKER AS STATE OF THE UNION GUEST
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) announced that Tammi Kromenaker, the Clinic Director of the Red River Women’s Clinic in Moorhead, MN, will be her guest at the President’s State of the Union Address on Thursday, March 7th in Washington, D.C. The Red River Women’s Clinic spent nearly 25 years in Fargo, where it was North Dakota’s sole abortion provider for most of that time. When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade with the Dobbs decision in 2022, the Republican Governor of North Dakota enacted one of the most restrictive abortion bans in the country. To continue serving patients in desperate need of care, Kromenaker moved the clinic to the neighboring city of Moorhead in Minnesota, where abortion rights are protected under state law. “When North Dakota banned abortion statewide after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Tammi Kromenaker sprang into action, moving Red River Women’s Clinic across the bridge from Fargo to Moorhead,” said Senator Smith. “Now, Minnesota is an island for abortion care in the Upper Midwest, and thousands of people in the region and across the country count on Red River Women’s Clinic for their health care. Every day, women walk through the doors of RRWC ready to make the best decisions for themselves and their families. And every day that freedom is under assault by the forces dedicated to a national abortion ban. The story of Tammi and her clinic represents the absolute chaos for Americans after the Supreme Court ruling, and her commitment to continuing to provide health care for women in a
U.S. Senator Tina Smith and Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez Introduce Legislation to Protect Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence from Economic Abuse
[WASHINGTON, DC] – Today, Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) and Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) introduced the Survivor Financial Safety and Inclusion Working Group Act, a bill aimed at increasing support for survivors of intimate partner violence within the financial system. The bill would create an interagency working group comprised of the federal financial regulators and relevant stakeholders, including a representative of historically underserved communities. The working group would be tasked with collecting data on the impacts of economic abuse of survivors carried out through regulated financial institutions. The working group would also provide recommendations on how Congress and federal regulators can help financial institutions improve existing products and services and launch new ones to meet survivors’ financial and safety needs. “It can be impossible for someone trapped in an abusive relationship to escape if they’re unable to land on their feet,” said Senator Smith. “Abusers in intimate partner relationships use financial insecurity as a tool to trap their victims. This legislation will help protect survivors of economic abuse within the financial system and ensure they have a chance at safety, healing, and long-term financial stability.” “Intimate partner violence is a scourge in our society, with over 10 million men and women being physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States every year. Most survivors also report experiencing economic abuse from harm-doers, making it extremely difficult to build the financial security necessary to escape a dangerous situation,” said Congresswoman Velázquez. “It’s clear that financial institutions must do more to reduce economic abuse of survivors. This
U.S. Sen. Smith: Convicting Derek Chauvin for the Murder of George Floyd is Moment of Accountability, Moment to Recommit Ourselves to Movement for Racial Justice
WASHINGTON, D.C. [4/21/21]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) released the following statement after the verdict was announced in the Derek Chauvin trial: “Convicting Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd is a moment of accountability, and also a moment to recommit ourselves to the movement for racial justice his tragic murder sparked. “Millions of people took to the streets because we couldn’t look away from the reality of George Floyd’s murder and we could see change had to come. I can’t stop thinking about all the Black and Brown people denied their civil rights and denied their lives, where
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Help Farms Adopt Conservation, Climate Practices
WASHINGTON, D.C. [04/19/21]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith recently introduced bipartisan legislation to help farmers adopt conservation and climate practices to sustain their farms, boost bottom lines and protect the environment. The Conservation and Innovative Climate Partnership Act, led by Sen. Smith and Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) would create a USDA competitive grant program to help farmers make these improvements. Sen. Smith said that universities will provide farmers who are participating in the grant program with individualized advice to help them meet their conservation goals. This unique partnership creates an opportunity for new research and ideas to be applied to farming operations. “Strong farm programs that encourage conservation and climate practices will help farmers maintain sustainable and productive operations well into the future,” said
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on the Passing of Vice President Walter Mondale
Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) released the following statement on the passing of Vice President Walter Mondale: “I loved Walter Mondale and I’m not the only one. Mondale was a giant not only because of the positions he held—Minnesota Attorney General, U.S. Senator, Vice President, Democratic Presidential Candidate and Ambassador—but because of the work that he did. He provided his strong, compassionate, clear, and fearless voice to the world for over six decades, and he never stopped. Whether it was working with Marian Wright Edelman to lift children out of poverty, fighting to repair the damage of housing discrimination
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Bipartisan Bill to Help Lower Prescription Drug Costs to be Signed Into Law
WASHINGTON, D.C. [4/15/21]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s (D-Minn.) bipartisan legislation to help lower prescription drug costs is headed to the President’s desk to be signed into law after passing the House on Wednesday, and passing the Senate in March. The Ensuring Innovation Act, led by Sen. Smith and Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), will stop pharmaceutical manufacturers from claiming new innovations when they make insignificant modifications to their products in order to extend their monopolies and keep drug prices high for consumers. Right now, pharmaceutical companies engage in “evergreening,” which allows them to extend their patents for five years when they make minor, insignificant
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