Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Announces Funding to Upgrade, Relocate Duluth International Airport’s Air Traffic Control Tower
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tina Smith announced she helped secure funding for Duluth International Airport’s Air Traffic Control Tower relocation project. The $10 million in funding will support relocating the non-standard tower currently at the airport, a tower which was commissioned in 1963. The airport coordinates over 67,000 arrivals/departures per year, contributes over $700 million to northern Minnesota’s economy, and supports over 6,000 jobs in the area. “The Duluth International Airport provides critical service to northern Minnesota, from commercial service to cargo, military and medical flights, yet it’s operating with a 70-year-old tower – the third oldest in the nation,” said Senator Smith. “This investment will make DLH safer and more efficient. It’s exactly the kind of project we aimed to support through the President’s infrastructure law.” In 2023, Smith joined the Minnesota delegation in sending a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requesting that they expedite reviews and approvals required for Duluth International Airport (DLH) to apply for grant funding to build a new air traffic control tower. ###
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith Announce Expansion of Terminal 2 at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-Minn.) announced federal funding for the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to expand Terminal 2. The project will add two new gates to the terminal’s north side, Gates H15 and H16. The funding comes from President Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure legislation, which Senators Klobuchar and Smith helped pass. “Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is among the busiest airports in the country and supports tens of thousands of jobs,” said Senator Klobuchar. “This funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will enable the airport to continue serving the Twin Cities area, improve the travel experience for passengers, and maintain its position as a top-ranking airport.” “MSP is a critical transportation hub and economic driver for communities across Minnesota,” said Senator Smith. “This investment will make sure MSP remains one of the best airports in the world and has the capacity to meet demand.” The $20,000,000 grant was awarded through the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Terminals Program, which received a $5 billion boost through the President’s infrastructure legislation. The program funds safe, sustainable and accessible airport terminals, on-airport rail access projects and airport-owned traffic control towers. Several investments have been made in Minnesota’s largest airport since President Biden signed the infrastructure legislation that Klobuchar and Smith helped pass, including five new boarding bridges, new electrical substations for baggage claim, the north security checkpoint, and airport police, as well as new walkways, ramps, and slopes to support passengers with disabilities. The law has also funded a portion of a project to rehabilitate and
Minnesota Congressional Delegation Urges Air Force to Maintain the C-130 Fleet that is Critical to the Minnesota Air National Guard
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, and Representatives Jim Hagedorn (MN-01), Angie Craig (MN-02), Dean Phillips (MN-03), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Tom Emmer (MN-06), Collin Peterson (MN-07), and Pete Stauber (MN-08) sent a letter to Secretary of the Air Force, Barbara Barrett, urging the Administration to maintain the size of the C-130 fleet while making the most efficient use of taxpayer dollars. As the 133rd Airlift Wing, stationed at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport and serving the entire state including the Duluth Air National Guard Base, could be affected by the potential reductions, the delegation
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith Announce Enrollment for 2021 Crop Safety Net Programs Now Open
WASHINGTON, D.C. [10/19/20]–U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said that enrollment for two popular U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) safety net programs for the 2021 crop year recently opened. The Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) Programs provide Minnesota agriculture producers with financial support when crop revenue and commodity prices fall below certain levels. Funding was authorized in the 2018 Farm Bill and is available through the USDA’s Farm Service Agency. “The coronavirus pandemic has placed incredible stress on our farming communities,” said Sen. Klobuchar. “As the backbone of our economy, farmers throughout Minnesota and across the country deserve our support during periods of uncertainty like we
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith & Representative Angie Craig Help Introduce Legislation to Expand Tribal
WASHINGTON, D.C. [10/16/20]—U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Congresswoman Angie Craig (MN-2) recently helped introduce bicameral legislation to help Tribes expand broadband in their communities. The Extending Tribal Broadband Priority Act of 2020—led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Congresswoman Deb Haaland (D-N.M.)—will extend the deadline for Tribes to apply for spectrum licenses for unassigned spectrum over their own land. For far too long, Tribes haven’t been able to access spectrum licenses to deploy broadband and telephone networks over their land. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has only exacerbated the effects of the long-standing digital divide. Last year, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) provided
Klobuchar, Smith Announce USDA Funding to Combat Chronic Wasting Disease in Minnesota
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is providing $546,535 in funding to help Minnesota combat Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). CWD is a contagious neurological disorder that affects deer and elk, posing a serious threat to deer populations across the country. “This funding will help ensure that we can combat Chronic Wasting Disease and maintain our state’s outdoor recreation and economy,” Klobuchar said. “CWD has become a real threat to our state’s deer and elk populations and continued efforts to bolster research
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