Latest Releases
U.S. Senators Smith, Padilla, Tillis, Ernst Launch Bipartisan Mental Health Caucus
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) announced the launch of their bipartisan Senate Mental Health Caucus. Amidst a national mental health crisis, the Senate Mental Health Caucus will serve as a forum for Senators to collaborate on and promote bipartisan legislation and solutions, hold events to raise awareness of critical mental health issues, and destigmatize mental health. The caucus will work to improve prevention and early intervention efforts, expand the country’s mental health professional workforce, enhance our nation’s crisis response services, and increase access to evidence-based mental health treatment and common-sense solutions for all Americans. Daniel Gillison, Jr., Chief Executive Officer of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and Laurel Stine, Vice President of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), joined the Senators in announcing the launch. U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) are also members of the caucus. “I believe that everyone should have access to quality mental health care, regardless of insurance, ZIP code, or age,” said Senator Smith. “Mental health care isn’t a partisan issue – it’s something that affects Americans in red states and blue states alike. Today’s launch represents a renewed commitment and focus to collaborate on bipartisan legislation and solutions. I’m looking forward to working alongside my colleagues to continue to tackle the mental health care crisis in this country.” “Our nation has long faced mounting mental health challenges that have touched the lives of all Americans, but we know there are bipartisan
U.S. Senators Klobuchar, Smith Announce Federal Disaster Loans for Minnesotans Affected by Drought
Washington [10/16/23] — Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-Minn.) announced federal loans designed to help small businesses, agricultural cooperatives, and nonprofit organizations in Minnesota recoup losses as a result of this summer’s drought. These federal Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) are available in Murray and Nobles counties and the contiguous counties of Cottonwood, Jackson, Lyon, Pipestone, Redwood, and Rock Minnesota. “This summer’s drought affected everyone from farmers and ranchers to local business owners,” said Klobuchar. “These federal loans will provide relief and ensure farms and businesses get the support they need as they continue to recover. I encourage everyone eligible to get in touch with the Small Business Administration to learn more and apply.” “Climate-fueled extreme weather events, like the drought we experienced in Minnesota this summer, are becoming more and more common. We need to be doing everything we can to support those impacted and limit the economic toll they take,” said Sen. Smith. “These federal loans will help sustain local businesses and farms as they deal with the fallout from the drought. I encourage eligible businesses, farms and nonprofits to contact the Small Business Administration and apply before the May 29th deadline.” The Economic Injury Disaster Loan program is available to eligible farm-related and nonfarm-related entities that suffered financial losses as a direct result of this disaster. EIDLs are available through the Small Business Administration (SBA), and can be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, and other bills that could have been paid if
U.S. Senators Tina Smith & John Hoeven Secure Bipartisan Win: Rural Electric Cooperatives Now Eligible for Paycheck Protection Program
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/14/20]—Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and John Hoeven (R-N.D.) said that the U.S. Treasury Department and the Small Business Administration (SBA) have heeded their bipartisan call to make rural electric cooperatives with fewer than 500 employees eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Last month, Sens. Smith and Hoeven led a bipartisan group of senators in urging the U.S. Department of the Treasury and SBA to support rural electric cooperatives and ensure their access to the PPP, which was created under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to support small businesses and help them maintain payroll and cover expenses during the pandemic. Click here to read the Senators’ letter. “I pushed the Treasury Department to make this important change
U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Cory Booker Announce Plan to Build Stronger Public Health Workforce to Keep Fighting Pandemic
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/14/20]—Today, in an effort to solve America’s impending public health workforce shortage and strengthen its response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) introduced legislation to build a stronger public health infrastructure. Right now, America is facing an alarming public health workforce shortage. Local and state health departments have lost nearly a quarter (23 percent) of their workforce since 2008. Public health departments are also facing a looming retirement crisis, with almost a quarter of health department staff currently eligible for retirement and 55 percent of local public health professionals already over age 45. Experts also estimate that nearly half of the public health workforce is considering leaving their
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, U.S. Representative David Trone Press To Address Social Isolation Among Seniors in Next Coronavirus Package
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/12/20]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and U.S. Representative David Trone (D-Md. 6)—backed by several House and Senate colleagues—are leading a push to ensure the next coronavirus relief package contains provisions to help older adults stay connected and healthy at a time when they are in danger of becoming socially isolated. In a letter sent Tuesday, Sen. Smith, Rep. Trone and 11 Congressional colleagues told House and Senate Leaders that the COVID-19 pandemic is taking a particularly drastic, even fatal toll on older adults. They said that as seniors continue to follow life-saving physical distancing recommendations, they will need resources to allow them to remain safe, socially connected and healthy. “During this pandemic, so
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Presses Dr. Anthony Fauci at Health Committee Hearing For Needed Guidance on Keeping Americans Safe as States Begin to Reopen Economy
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/12/20]—Today, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, told U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) that the country has a moral responsibility to protect essential workers and must have tools in place like testing, contact tracing and the ability to quickly respond when coronavirus (COVID-19) infections break out in order for the country to effectively open up its economy. Sen. Smith, a member of the Senate Health Committee, pressed Fauci for his best guidance on safely reopening the economy in Minnesota and across the country at a hearing Tuesday that she and most Committee members attended remotely. Sen. Smith asked
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