Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Reps. Angie Craig, Brad Finstad Reintroduce Bill to Improve Access to Job Training in Schools
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) and Representatives Angie Craig (D-MN02) and Brad Finstad (R-MN01) reintroduced legislation to expand partnerships between schools and businesses to help ensure a future workforce that is trained and qualified for the jobs and careers employers are hiring for. Many employers struggle to find qualified workers across several industries, including manufacturing, agriculture, and health care. Schools and employers are already building programs and partnerships like those outlined in the billto equip students with the skills needed to secure these jobs, but the lawmakers recognize that the need warrants greater federal investments to support these programs. “Workforce partnerships give students the opportunity to develop the skills they need for jobs that are available, often without taking on huge amounts of debt,” said Sen. Smith, a member of the Senate Education Committee. “But what I’ve learned is that oftentimes, students aren’t aware of—or don’t have access to—local programs that provide the training these jobs require. Our bill aims to fix this issue by expanding partnerships between schools and local employers. We know these partnerships work, and our goal is to make sure they are available for more Minnesotans and Americans.” The 21st Century Workforce Partnerships Act would establish grant programs at the U.S. Department of Education to introduce middle and high school students to career exploration and career pathway opportunities. It would also fund grants to foster partnerships between higher education institutions and businesses to provide career training programs which lead to postsecondary degrees. “Expanding workforce partnerships and apprenticeship programs means more Minnesotans are connected to good-paying job opportunities, without taking on the burden of student loans,” said Rep. Craig. “My bipartisan bill with Sen.
Following Efforts from Klobuchar, Smith, and the Entire Minnesota Delegation, FEMA Issues Disaster Assistance for Flood Recovery in Martin and Murray Counties
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved the delivery of Individual Assistance for Minnesotans affected by severe storms and flooding across Martin and Murray counties. The Individual Assistance programs provide disaster survivors with access to a range of programs and services to aid in the recovery process, including financial assistance to eligible individuals and households. Damage assessments by federal, state, and local emergency management teams are ongoing, and FEMA may designate more counties and additional forms of assistance as damage is assessed. “The flooding this summer inflicted serious damage across our state, and we must continue working together to recover,” said Klobuchar. “FEMA continues to be an active partner in the recovery effort so that our state can receive critical federal disaster relief funds, and expanding assistance to Martin and Murray counties will ensure residents have the help they need to rebuild.” “Minnesotans are still struggling after this summer’s devastating floods, and every level of government is needed for our communities to recover,” said Smith. “FEMA is an important federal partner, and this new assistance for residents of Martin and Murray counties will help provide the support they need to get back on track.” In June, Klobuchar and Smith led the entire bipartisan Minnesota congressional delegation in securing President Biden’s approval of Minnesota’s request for federal assistance to help Minnesotans whose homes suffered damage from storms and flooding. This announcement follows the Administration’s previous round of Individual Assistance in July, which made 19
U.S. Sens. Smith, Cassidy Say FDA Approval of First Generic Insulin Will Lower Prices Across Country
WASHINGTON, D.C. [7/29/21]—U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.) have long pushed to bring lower-cost insulin to market, and today the senators highlighted the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of the first generic insulin product that will rein in costs after years of significant increases. Wednesday’s approval by the FDA is due in part to Sens. Smith and Cassidy’s bipartisan bill—the Protecting Access to Biosimilars Act—enacted in 2019. “We know that high insulin prices are jeopardizing the financial security of Minnesotans and Americans, and forcing some into alarming, and at times fatal, rationing,” said Sen. Smith, a member
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Introduces Legislation to Examine History of Racially Restrictive Covenants
WASHINGTON, D.C. [7/29/21]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) introduced legislation to examine the history of racially restrictive covenants—which were used as tools of discrimination to keep Black families and households of color from moving into certain neighborhoods—so we can better understand the scope of these covenants. Sen. Smith’s Mapping Housing Discrimination Act is inspired by work being done at the University of Minnesota to map racially restrictive covenants, which will help to study the connection between past discrimination and current disparities in wealth, homeownership, employment, education, health care, and much more. You can access a summary of the bill here and text of the
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Chris Van Hollen Introduce Legislation to Relieve Families from Private Student Loans Upon Death of Student
WASHINGTON, D.C. [8/3/21]—U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) introduced legislation to release cosigners of private student loan obligations in the event of a student borrower’s death. U.S. Representative Angie Craig (D- MN 2) authored this bill in the House, which passed as part of a comprehensive debt reform package on May 13. Right now, federal law only releases cosigners from private student loans for late students if their loans were made after November 20, 2018. Families who cosigned on their lost loved one’s private student loan prior to this date are currently provided no protection or relief under federal law—and find themselves at the mercy and discretion of individual private student loan
Smith, Klobuchar Announce Major Federal Investment in Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure in Minnesota Rural Communities
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing more than $10 million to modernize rural drinking water and wastewater infrastructure in Cromwell, Russell, Cosmos, Murdock, Wood Lake, and Jeffers, Minnesota. The infrastructure improvements will be financed by the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program to help eliminate outdated pipes and service lines to safeguard public health and safety in rural communities. “Safe drinking water and wastewater management is essential to public and environmental health,” Senator Smith said. “This investment will help six Minnesota communities make improvements to
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