Latest Releases
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith Announce Federal Grant to Build New Fire Station in Dilworth
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced a $975,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development grant to advance the city of Dilworth’s fire station replacement project. The city’s existing fire station is approximately 40 years old and co-located with the community center. This project will help remodel an old fire hall to house the fire department and provide adequate space for all emergency service providers and equipment to efficiently provide fire rescue services to residents. This grant follows funding Klobuchar and Smith secured for the project in March 2022. “Dilworth is long overdue for a new fire station so emergency service providers have the space and equipment they need to continue serving the community,” said Klobuchar. “This federal grant will advance the fire station construction project to address Dilworth’s public safety needs.” “Emergency service providers put themselves in harm’s way to keep our communities safe and they deserve our support,” said Smith. “After almost 40 years of sharing a building with the city’s community center, Dilworth is receiving a federal investment I helped to get to construct a new standalone fire station. This new fire station will help make sure that firefighters and EMS providers have the space and equipment they need to do their jobs effectively and respond to emergencies in Dilworth and the surrounding communities.” Senators Klobuchar and Smith are members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, which oversees the USDA. This federal funding was secured through the USDA Rural Development Community Facilities Direct Loan
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith Announce Federal Grant to Replace Roof of Public Safety Building Aitkin
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced a $50,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development grant to replace the roof on Aitkin’s Public Safety Building. Aitkin’s Public Safety Building houses the local law enforcement department. “The City of Aitkin’s Public Safety Building needs a new roof so emergency service providers have the facilities they need to continue serving the community,” said Klobuchar. “The federal grant will advance this project.” “Federal investment is quite literally helping our small towns build a roof overhead for essential community services like public safety,” said Smith. “Our local law enforcement officers deserve to be in buildings that are safe and in good condition. This investment to replace the roof of the Aitkin public safety building will improve the city’s infrastructure and help keep Minnesotans safe.” Senators Klobuchar and Smith are members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, which oversees the USDA. This federal funding was secured through the USDA Rural Development Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program. Program grants can be used by communities across the country to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community in a primarily rural area, such as health care facilities, public safety services, educational services, and more. ###
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar & Tina Smith Tell Postmaster General That Postal Service Changes Hit Deployed U.S. Servicemembers Hard
WASHINGTON, D.C. [08/24/20]—U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) joined 28 of their Senate colleagues in raising concerns to U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy about the harmful impact that recent operational changes he has made to the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) are having on American servicemembers and their families – especially those serving overseas. In a letter to DeJoy, Sens. Klobuchar, Smith, and their colleagues said that because USPS is the only service that can deliver to the Army Post Office (APO) and Fleet Post Office (FPO) addresses used by our military overseas, deployed servicemembers and their families are uniquely impacted by recent USPS changes. Active duty servicemembers who
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, U.S. Representative Angie Craig Demand Explanation from USDA on Diverting Funds from Program to Help Farmers who are People of Color, Immigrants, Veterans
MINNESOTA [08/21/20]—After learning that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is diverting funds from a program that supports producers from diverse backgrounds—including farmers who are people of color, immigrants and veterans—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and U.S. Representative Angie Craig (MN-2) are demanding an explanation and answers. In a bicameral letter to the USDA, the lawmakers said that the decision to divert funds from the Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program was made without a thorough process for input and consultation from lawmakers, stakeholders and the communities of color and veterans that they serve. “During this difficult time, farmers across the
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Tom Udall, U.S. Representative Ben Ray Luján Demand Explanation from USDA on Diverting Funds from Program to Help Farmers who are People of Color, Immigrants, Veterans
MINNESOTA [08/21/20]—After learning that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is diverting funds from a program that supports producers from diverse backgrounds—including farmers who are people of color, immigrants and veterans—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representative Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) are demanding an explanation and answers. In a bicameral letter to the USDA—which was joined by nearly 40 colleagues—the lawmakers said that the decision to divert funds from the Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program was made without a thorough process for input and consultation from lawmakers, stakeholders and the communities of color and veterans that they
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, John Hoeven Lead Bipartisan Effort to Improve Financial Stability of Electric Coops, Small Rural Broadband Providers in Next COVID Relief Package
MINNESOTA [08/20/20]— U.S. Sens. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and John Hoeven (R-N.D.) are pushing Senate leaders to add their bipartisan plan to help stabilize the finances of the nation’s rural electric cooperatives and rural broadband providers in the next coronavirus relief package. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the Senators pressed their Flexible Financing for Rural America Act, which would make it possible for rural electric cooperatives and telecommunications providers to refinance their Rural Utilities Service (RUS) debt at lower interest rates. By taking advantage of current lower interest rates, these rural cooperatives and businesses would be able to better
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