Latest Releases
Senators Klobuchar, Smith Lead Entire Minnesota Bipartisan Congressional Delegation in Urging Biden Administration to Approve Minnesota’s Request for Disaster Declaration
MINNEAPOLIS – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) and U.S. Representatives Brad Finstad (R-MN-01), Angie Craig (D-MN-02), Dean Phillips (D-MN-03), Betty McCollum (D-MN-04), Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05), Tom Emmer (R-MN-06), Michelle Fischbach (R-MN-07), and Pete Stauber (R-MN-08) urged the Biden Administration to approve Minnesota’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration to help communities that are working to recover from severe weather and flooding. Once this disaster declaration is approved, the federal government will be able to provide disaster assistance for various recovery and rebuilding efforts. “We write to you in strong support of the state of Minnesota’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration under the Stafford Act to assist communities that are working to recover from severe storms and flooding. These natural disasters have caused significant damage, and we ask that you quickly grant approval for federal disaster assistance,”said the lawmakers. The lawmakers continued, “Time and time again, Minnesotans have stepped up to support their neighbors after natural disasters. When flood waters rise and homes are damaged, volunteers and neighbors are quick to fill sandbags, clean up debris, and lend a hand to those in need. Impacted communities will repair the damage and rebuild following these disasters, but rapid federal assistance will speed up this recovery effort. We strongly support Minnesota’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration and ask that you grant its approval without delay.” Full text of the letter is available HERE and below: Dear Mr. President: We write to you in strong support of the state of Minnesota’s
Minnesota, North Dakota Delegations Respond to Inspector General’s Audit of Postal Service, Press Postmaster General for Better Service
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), John Hoeven (R-ND), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) led the entire Minnesota and North Dakota congressional delegations in sending a bipartisan letter pressing Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to improve postal services in the Minnesota-North Dakota District. The letter comes after the Postal Service’s Inspector General audited the District and found 130,858 missing or delayed pieces of mail at six post offices over the course of only two days. The lawmakers also requested regular updates from the Postal Service on their progress in implementing these recommendations. “It has long been clear that postal operations in the District are in trouble, and the investigation confirms this,” wrote lawmakers.“We need to ensure that the OIG’s recommendations are fully implemented and actually result in significantly improved mail delivery and services across our states.” Senators Smith and Klobuchar requested the audit of the Minnesota-North Dakota Postal District back in December, as did the entire Minnesota House delegation in January. Senator Hoeven, Senator Cramer, and Congressman Armstrong requested an audit in February. Senators Smith, Hoeven and Klobuchar introduced the bipartisan Postal Delivery Accountability Act, which would address USPS’ failure to accurately track when mail routes do not receive deliveries. The legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives by Congresswoman Angie Craig. You can find full text of the letter here or below. Mr. Louis DeJoyPostmaster GeneralUnited States Postal Service 475 L’Enfant Plaza Southwest Washington, DC 20260 Dear Postmaster General DeJoy, We write in response to the United States Postal Service (USPS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report titled “Minnesota-North Dakota District: Delivery Operations” (24-032-R24). This report contains important findings about postal operations and recommendations to
U.S. Senator Tina Smith: Too Many Americans Still Being Charged for COVID Tests that Should Be Free
WASHINGTON, D.C. [7/21/21]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said people in Minnesota and across the country are still being charged up to thousands of dollars for COVID-19 tests that – by law – should be free, and she introduced legislation to help ensure Americans aren’t stuck with surprise bills when they get a test. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) is a cosponsor of the bill. As part of a COVID-19 relief package in 2020, Congress enacted Sen. Smith’s measure to require public health programs and private insurers to cover the cost of coronavirus tests. The law also protects the uninsured from being charged. Despite
U.S. Sen. Tina Smith: Easing of Canadian Border Restrictions Should Bring Much-Needed Relief for Minnesota’s Northwest Angle
WASHINGTON, D.C. [7/19/21]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said today’s announcement that Canada will ease COVID-19 restrictions at the U.S.-Canada border beginning August 9 will provide long-overdue relief for hard-hit businesses and residents in Minnesota’s Northwest Angle. Sen. Smith said residents and businesses in the Northwest Angle, a Minnesota enclave reachable only by boat—across Lake of the Woods—or by traveling briefly through Canada, have been devastated by the pandemic and the border restrictions that closed the Angle off from the rest of Minnesota and the country. “I’ve repeatedly pushed hard—both diplomatically and through introducing legislation—to get Canada to reconsider its restrictions and
U.S. Sen. Tina Smith: Easing of Canadian Border Restrictions Should Bring Much-Needed Relief for Minnesota’s Northwest Angle
WASHINGTON, D.C. [7/19/21]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said today’s announcement that Canada will ease COVID-19 restrictions at the U.S.-Canada border beginning August 9 will provide long-overdue relief for hard-hit businesses and residents in Minnesota’s Northwest Angle. Sen. Smith said residents and businesses in the Northwest Angle, a Minnesota enclave reachable only by boat—across Lake of the Woods—or by traveling briefly through Canada, have been devastated by the pandemic and the border restrictions that closed the Angle off from the rest of Minnesota and the country. “I’ve repeatedly pushed hard—both diplomatically and through introducing legislation—to get Canada to reconsider its restrictions
Chair Tina Smith Leads Senate Hearing on Fire Safety, Home Health Risks Including Lead and Radon
WASHINGTON, D.C. [7/20/21]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) led her third hearing as chair of a key housing subcommittee, where Sen. Smith heard from leaders of housing authorities—including Jennifer Keogh, Deputy Executive Director of the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority—and a nationally recognized expert on led and radon dangers. In 2019, an early morning fire at the Cedar High Apartments, a 25-story public housing building in Minneapolis, led to the deaths of five residents on the upper levels. The building did not have fire sprinklers. Shortly after the fire, Chair Smith introduced legislation to fund the installation of fire sprinklers in older public
English