Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Joins Colleagues to Reintroduce Bill to Help Educate Americans about the Effects of Climate Change
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) joined her colleagues in introducing legislation that would support a variety of programs nationwide to help Americans better understand what climate change will mean for our everyday lives—things like including information about climate change in school science curricula and public education campaigns. The bill, called the Climate Change Education Act, would establish a Climate Change Education Program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to provide grants and technical assistance to state and local education agencies, institutions of higher learning, professional associations and academic societies, and youth corps organizations. “Climate change is happening, and we cannot ignore it,” said Senator Smith. “We need to be doing everything we can to combat climate change, and that includes comprehensive education about its impacts. Investing in our future and working against climate change will improve our health, create better jobs, and ensure that people are prepared to succeed in a rapidly changing world.” The Climate Change Education Act would support climate literacy by authorizing $50 million per year between fiscal years 2025 and 2030 for grants and cooperative agreements between NOAA and education entities. In line with the Biden administration’s Justice40 Initiative, the bill stipulates that 40 percent of the funds for higher education institutions and youth corps organizations would be directed to environmental justice communities. The bill was led by Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) and cosponsored by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Laphonza Butler (D-CA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Bob
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Joins Colleagues to Prevent College Students from Being Billed For Textbooks Without Their Consent
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) joined her colleagues Dick Durbin (D-IL), Angus King (I-ME), and Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) in sending a letter to the Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona urging him to finalize proposed changes that would make “Inclusive Access” (IA) and “Equitable Access” (EA) programs – models that allow institutions of higher education to automatically charge a student’s federal student aid for textbooks without a student’s consent – into an opt-in program, rather than an opt-out program. Currently, colleges and universities can partner with textbook publishers like McGraw Hill, Pearson, and Cengage to deliver textbooks digitally, charging students in the process through IA and EA programs. Although IA and EA models are more affordable for students than the sticker price of a new, hardcover textbook, they are often still more expensive than open textbooks, used textbooks or rental options. And while students can opt-out of IA and EA programs, the opt-out process is often difficult to navigate and lacks transparency. “The Department’s proposed changes to the Cash Management regulations would eliminate an institution’s ability to automatically bill students for books and supplies, effectively shifting the textbook industry’s so-called ‘Inclusive Access’ and ‘Equitable Access’ programs from an opt-out model to an opt-in model. This would allow students to choose how to spend their financial aid dollars on books and supplies. It would empower them to take advantage of affordable alternatives, such as used and open textbooks,” the lawmakers wrote. Senator Smith helped introduce the Affordable College Textbook Act and the Open-Textbook Pilot Program. The Pilot is a competitive grant program to support the creation and expansion of open college textbooks
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Introduces Bill to Address America’s Maternal Mortality Crisis
WASHINGTON, D.C. [2/23/21]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith introduced legislation to address America’s worsening maternal mortality crisis, which has a disproportionate impact on Black, Brown, Indigenous and all People of Color. The Data to Save Moms Act seeks to understand the root causes of this emergency by improving data collection on maternal mortality and morbidity. Sen. Smith said that the United States is the only industrialized country with an increasing maternal mortality rate, and that it’s one that discriminates. African American, Native and Indigenous women are two and a half times as likely to die due to a pregnancy related complication as white women. “I believe in the fundamental value that all
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Votes to Confirm Tom Vilsack for U.S. Agriculture Secretary as Senate Gives Nomination Final Approval
WASHINGTON, D.C. [2/23/21]— Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) voted to confirm Tom Vilsack as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture as the Senate gave final approval to his nomination. Sen. Smith, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said Vilsack, a former Iowa Governor who previously served eight years as Agriculture Secretary under President Obama, understands how important agriculture is to the economic well-being of farmers and communities in the upper Midwest and across the country. “I supported Secretary Vilsack’s nomination because he understands the challenges farmers, ranchers and rural communities have faced in recent years with low farm prices, trade disruptions,
U.S. Senator Tina Smith: EPA Decision to Limit Abuse of Small Refinery Hardship Waivers Will Boost Rural Economy, Jobs
WASHINGTON, D.C. [2/22/21]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.)—a longtime champion of a strong Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS)—released the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it supports the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals’ RFS small-refinery requirement ruling, which could limit abuse of small refinery hardship waivers. “A strong Renewable Fuel Standard is critically important to Minnesota, where ethanol produced from corn creates billions of dollars in economic output and supports thousands of jobs,” said Sen. Smith, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. “I applaud the EPA’s decision to crack down on the abuse of hardship waivers. It’s a welcome change after the last four years, when we saw more than a 300% increase in the
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Calls for Investigation, Including Possible Price Gouging, as Massive Natural Gas Price Spikes May Pass Huge Costs on to Utilities & Consumers Nationwide
WASHINGTON, D.C. [2/20/21]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) is seeking an investigation, including possible price gouging, as natural gas prices skyrocketed during the recent extreme weather situation in Texas, and many parts of the central United States. The drastic price increases, some as high as 100 times typical rates, have putting a significant strain on utilities that have to buy this power, and costs that will likely be passed along to consumers in the form of higher gas bills. Sen. Smith believes it is unacceptable for gas barons to line their own pockets while many Americans are literally out in
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