Latest Releases
U.S Senators Tina Smith, Amy Klobuchar Announce Funding to Improve Bus Infrastructure in Southwestern Minnesota
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Transportation, and Senator Amy Klobuchar (both D-MN) announced a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to strengthen bus and transportation infrastructure in Southern Minnesota. One hundred and seventeen communities across the country are getting infrastructure upgrades thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, legislation passed by President Biden in 2021 that has delivered infrastructure upgrades to nearly 5,000 communities nationwide. The Minnesota Department of Transportation will receive $2,303,200 to buy propane buses and build the necessary fueling infrastructure in Marshall, Minnesota. The project will improve service, reliability and lower maintenance costs for southwest and south central Minnesota rural transit providers. The grant is distributed by the Federal Transit Administration and is part of the Reducing Transit Emissions in Rural Minnesota (RTERM) program. “Each day, transit systems connect Minnesotans to their jobs, schools, grocery stores and countless other opportunities – all while reducing traffic congestion and pollution,” said Senator Smith. “But for many people, especially those in rural areas, safe, reliable public transportation is hard to find. This funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will deliver faster, safer, and more energy efficient transportation to communities across Southwestern Minnesota.” “Investments in public transit make it easier for families in rural Minnesota to get to school, work, and other destinations,” said Klobuchar. “This federal funding will go towards creating the modern, efficient public transit system families in Southwestern Minnesota need to reliably get around.” ###
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 & U.S. Representative Karen Bass Press Attorney General Barr for Information on Use of Ketamine During Arrests
WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/14/2020]—In an effort to protect the health, safety and civil rights of Americans, today U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and U.S. Representative Karen Bass (D-Calif.) led 7 lawmakers in pressing U.S. Attorney General William Barr for information about the use of ketamine and other sedatives or chemical restraints on individuals during their arrest or detention by law enforcement. Recent incidents highlight the dangers of administering sedatives during an arrest—in particular the death of Elijah McClain in Colorado and the medical emergency of Max Johnson in Minnesota. In their letter to Barr, Sen. Smith and Rep. Bass noted that law enforcement medics or paramedics typically administer ketamine to incapacitate
Following Bipartisan Call for Action Led by U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, U.S. Trade Representative Launches Challenge to Unfair Canadian Trade Practices that Harm U.S. Dairy Producers
WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/09/20]— U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said today that she was pleased U.S. Trade Ambassador Robert Lighthizer has taken the first step in challenging unfair Canadian trade practices that are harming dairy producers in Minnesota and across the country. In August, Sen. Smith led a bipartisan group of 25 Senators in pressing Ambassador Lighthizer and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to take action to ensure Canada abides by the dairy provisions of the USMCA. Sen. Smith helped secure stronger dairy trade provisions in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement (USMCA). The agreement took effect in July, and Lighthizer’s action
After Push From U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, USDA Increasing Incentive Payments For Some Conservation Reserve Program Practices from 5 to 20 Percent
WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/09/20]— U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has responded to her push to increase Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) incentive payments for certain CRP practices from 5 percent to 20 percent. In October, Sen. Smith pressed U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to increase incentive payments to stop the enrollment decline in the CRP, which plays a key role in protecting environmentally-sensitive farm land, stopping soil erosion, improving water quality and preserving wildlife habitat. In an October letter to Perdue, Sen. Smith, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, pushed him to significantly
Amid COVID Surge, U.S. Sens. Smith & Warren Share Findings From Investigation into National Testing Capacity & Pediatric Testing Availability
WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/09/20]—Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) shared a summary of the findings from their investigation into our nation’s testing capacity and the availability of pediatric testing. Sens. Smith and Warren—both members of the Senate Health Committee—sent their findings to Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar and made recommendations to improve the nation’s testing infrastructure. “Together, our findings reveal significant gaps in COVID-19 testing capacity, exacerbating the ongoing public health threat. Addressing these problems will require aggressive federal government action,” wrote Sens. Smith and Warren in their letter to
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