Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Calls for Expedited Evacuations of Children with Complex Medical Needs from Gaza
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar (both D-MN) joined their colleagues in sending a letter to Michael Herzog, Ambassador of Israel to the United States, and Motaz Zahran, Ambassador of Egypt to the United States, urging them to help Palestinian children who are critically ill and injured leave Gaza to seek medical treatment, and increase access to life-saving medical treatments in Gaza for children in need. “While people disagree about the war in Gaza, everyone should agree that no government should prevent injured children access to potentially life-saving medical care. Rather, governments should be doing everything possible to assist in this situation,” wrote the senators. “We have called on our own government to do its part in facilitating safe passage for these children. Our goal is to cooperate with your governments, consistent with your security concerns, to maximize safe passage and increase access to life-saving medical treatment for children in need. We understand some progress has been made, with a number of children in need of cancer treatment being moved out of Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing, in cooperation with the World Health Organization,” continued the senators. “We are encouraged by this development as a very positive first step. We must all treat the welfare of children in Gaza as an urgent humanitarian priority and work together to prevent further suffering.” The Senators also requested meetings with the Ambassadors to further discuss how to facilitate safe passage for more children and their accompanying parent or caregiver to have access to the medical
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Announces Small Business Funding for Tribal Nations
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) announced Red Lake Nation and Lower Sioux Indian Community were selected to receive federal funding to support small business development in their communities. The Tribes will use the funding to help small businesses access credit, which can be difficult in Indian Country. Tribal communities are systemically under-banked, making it nearly impossible for small businesses to obtain the financing they need to grow. Tribal governments can remove these barriers by working directly with businesses in their communities. The funding was awarded through the Small Business Credit Initiative, which was reauthorized and expanded by the American Rescue Plan, which Senator Smith supported. “Access to capital is essential to the economic health and growth of Tribal communities in Minnesota and across Indian Country,” said Senator Smith. “Native-owned small businesses face disproportionate obstacles when trying to secure capital to develop and grow their businesses, especially in rural areas like Red Lake and Lower Sioux. Tribes know best what works for their communities, and this funding will help Tribal economies to grow and thrive.” “The SSBCI allocation is an important steppingstone for meaningful economic development on the Red Lake Nation. Breaking down barriers surrounding capital access for Tribal and member owned businesses to equitably participate in opportunities that have historically been unavailable in Indian Country is a transformative change. An investment like SSBCI will help the Red Lake Nation achieve a vision of economic independence as well as continue to fuel the growth of our Tribal economy that also benefits rural communities across Minnesota. This change would not be possible without the advocacy
U.S. Senators Smith, Murkowski Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Improve Access to Rural Health Care for New & Expecting Moms
WASHINGTON, D.C. [5/5/21]–Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced bipartisan legislation that would help ensure that new and expecting moms living in rural communities get the care they need. More than half of rural counties nationwide lack hospitals with labor and birthing services, and the disparity in access to care and worse health outcomes disproportionally affects people of color. Rural counties with more Black residents are at greater risk of losing their labor and delivery services. “No matter where new and expecting moms live, they should be able to access quality health care. But right now, we know that
Smith, Klobuchar Announce Over $4.5 Million in Disaster Relief Funding for City of Duluth
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded more than $4.5 million to the City of Duluth to fund the restoration of the Canal Park area to its pre-disaster state. “The 2019 storms washed away pathways, ripped out light poles, and left lasting damage across Canal Park,” said Senator Klobuchar. “This federal grant will help cover the cost of restoring the waterfront infrastructure and protecting against future damage so that Duluth residents can enjoy our shoreline for years to come.” “The Lake Superior
U.S. Senators Tina Smith & Lisa Murkowski Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Help Tribes Combat COVID-19, Other Public Health Crises
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/3/2021]— U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced bipartisan legislation to help Tribes address the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and other public health challenges. The Tribal Health Data Improvement Act would strengthen data sharing between Tribes, Tribal Epidemiology Centers and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Over the past year, Tribes and Tribal Epidemiology Centers have been denied access to public health data about the virus spreading near Tribal lands, despite their authority to receive this data. This severely limits the ability of Tribal communities to prevent and combat health crises, and represents yet another broken promise by the federal government. These structural barriers to accessing
U.S. Senators Tina Smith & Lisa Murkowski Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Help Tribes Combat COVID-19, Other Public Health Crises
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/3/2021]— U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced bipartisan legislation to help Tribes address the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and other public health challenges. The Tribal Health Data Improvement Act would strengthen data sharing between Tribes, Tribal Epidemiology Centers and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Over the past year, Tribes and Tribal Epidemiology Centers have been denied access to public health data about the virus spreading near Tribal lands, despite their authority to receive this data. This severely limits the ability of Tribal communities to prevent and combat health crises, and represents yet another broken promise by the federal government. These structural barriers to accessing
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