Latest Releases
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Todd Young Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Trade Laws, Protect American Workers
WASHINGTON – Yesterday, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Todd Young (R-IN) introduced the Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act, legislation to strengthen U.S. trade remedy laws to fight against unfair trade practices and protect American workers. The bill would improve the U.S. trade remedy system and respond to repeat offenders and serial cheaters, leveling the playing field for American workers. The bill also addresses China’s unfair trade practices, specifically its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which provides subsidies to China-based or China-operated companies doing business in countries outside of China. It would also update U.S. trade remedy laws to establish the new concept of “successive investigations,” which would improve the U.S. trade remedy system’s efforts to curb circumvention efforts from bad actors designed to undercut our domestic industries and increase market share. Fair trade policies help workers, businesses, and farmers in Minnesota earn better incomes. But when countries don’t abide by international trade rules and aren’t held accountable, our workers lose out on jobs. This bill would help combat those bad actors and allow Minnesota producers and workers to remain competitive. “For too long, foreign competitors like China have engaged in unfair trade practices that have undermined domestic industry and threatened our national security,” said Senator Smith.“This legislation provides more tools for the U.S. to stop illegal dumping and subsidies that have made it impossible for domestic producers and workers to compete. I’m glad to introduce the Leveling the Playing Field Act 2.0 with Senator Young to protect American workers like Minnesota’s Iron Rangers.” “Our bill
Smith, Klobuchar Demand Answers from Secretary of the Interior Regarding Mass Firing of National Park Employees
WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) sent a letter to the Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum, expressing deep concern about his decision to abruptly fire more than 2,000 employees at the Department of the Interior (DOI). Reporting indicates that these mass layoffs came at the behest of Elon Musk and his “Department of Government Efficiency” directive to fire probationary federal employees. The Senators highlighted the risks that these mass firings could have on the ability of the National Park Service (NPS) to maintain public safety and demanded transparency about the seemingly random criteria NPS used to determine who was fired. This letter comes on the heels of a Minnesota Star Tribune report that asserted the already short-staffed team at Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota is now facing devastating cuts to staff that could impact Park services for visitors. Further, just hours after the Senators’ letter, Republican Senators voted down a Smith- and Klobuchar-backed measure that would have allowed for the restoration of the terminated National Park Service employees. “Park Rangers keep us safe in some of Minnesota’s most wild and extreme areas, including Voyageurs National Park,” said Sen. Smith. “When your boat gets stranded on a remote lake, it’s the Park Rangers who come to your rescue. Elon Musk just indiscriminately fired Minnesotans who have devoted their careers to maintaining our treasured public lands for future generations and keeping parks open and safe for visitors. Musk doesn’t know the first thing about what Voyageurs National Park
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Colleagues Seek Answers on Elon Musk and DOGE’s Access to Federal Student Loan Data
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tina Smith, alongside 15 of her colleagues, sent a letter to Acting Secretary of the Department of Education Denise Carter, seeking answers after reports that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has infiltrated the Department of Education (ED) and students’ personal, private data. There are over 40 million federal student loan borrowers in the United States, and the student loan database infiltrated by Musk contains millions of borrowers’ highly sensitive information, including Social Security numbers, marital status, and income data. “This deeply troubling report raises questions about potential exposures of Americans’ private data, the abuse of this data by the Trump Administration, and
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Colleagues to Introduce Bipartisan Legislation Expanding Pell Grant Use to Job Training Programs
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) joined her colleagues Susan Collins (R-ME), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Roger Marshall (R-KS) to introduce the bipartisan Jumpstarting Our Businesses by Supporting Students (JOBS) Act, legislation allowing Americans to use federal Pell Grants—need-based education grants for lower-income individuals—to pay for shorter-term job training programs. Currently, Pell Grants can only be used for two- and four-year colleges and universities. The JOBS Act expands their applicability, allowing Pell Grants to be used for shorter-term, high-skill job training. “Some of the most in-demand, high-paying jobs don’t require a four-year college degree – jobs like welders, machine operators and medical
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Named Top Democrat on the Senate Housing Subcommittee
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) today was named Ranking Member on the Senate Housing, Transportation, and Community Development Subcommittee on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs for the 119th Congress. The Chair of the Subcommittee is Senator Katie Britt (R-AL). Smith has long championed bipartisan solutions to lower the costs for families to rent or buy a safe, decent, affordable place to live. Today, in more than 90 percent of counties, minimum wage workers cannot afford to rent even a modest one-bedroom apartment. More than half of America’s 44 million renters are spending more than 30 percent of their income
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith Join Colleagues to Introduce Bill to Award Congressional Gold Medals to Members of the “Miracle on Ice” Olympic Hockey Team
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-MN) joined their colleagues to introduce the Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act, legislation to award three Congressional Gold Medals to members of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team to recognize the 45th anniversary of their extraordinary achievement at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games. “A team that made us believe in miracles,” said Senator Klobuchar. “With 12 players and the legendary head coach Herb Brooks being native Minnesotans, we are working across the aisle to award the 1980 Olympic hockey team the Congressional Gold Medal.” “The ‘Miracle on Ice’ hockey game
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