Latest Releases
Klobuchar, Smith Announce Federal Funding to Improve Osakis’s Water Treatment Plant and Water Tower
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced a $497,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development grant and a $651,000 loan to make improvements to the water treatment plant and water tower in Osakis. Specifically, the funding supports a project that will convert the iron filter to a biological ammonia-removal filter to allow chlorine to better clean the lines during water treatment which will help protect the distribution system. The project will also renovate Osakis’s water tower, which hasn’t been repaired since its construction in 1997. “The water treatment plant and water tower in Osakis require major repairs to ensure residents have access to quality water,” said Klobuchar. “This federal funding will advance the Osakis treatment plant and water tower modernization project and strengthen the city’s water infrastructure.” “Keeping our water clean and safe is important for safeguarding public health,” said Smith. “Securing this loan will benefit the residents of Osakis by better filtering their water of contaminants and updating their 15-year-old water tower.” Senators Klobuchar and Smith are members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, which oversees theUSDA. 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,
Klobuchar, Smith Announce Federal Funding to Improve Red Lake Falls’s Water and Waste Disposal Infrastructure
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced a $906,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development grant and an $8,310,000 loan to make improvements to the Red Lake Falls’s water, wastewater, and sewer infrastructure. Specifically, this project will construct a new water tower and pump station and install new water meters. “Red Lake Falls’s current water, wastewater, and sewer infrastructure no longer meets the needs of the city,” said Klobuchar. “Using this federal funding, Red Lake Falls can make the necessary improvements to enhance these critical public services.” “Minnesotans deserve to have safe, clean water,” said Smith. “The city of Red Lake Falls is no exception, and this investment from the USDA will update the city’s water and wastewater infrastructure system, directly impacting all of its residents.” 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. Senator Tina Smith Fights to Secure Coronavirus Relief for Independent Turkey Farmers Who Were Left Out of Past Packages
WASHINGTON, D.C. [7/30/20]–This week U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.)–a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee–introduced legislation to secure aid for independent turkey farmers who were left out of past coronavirus (COVID-19) relief packages. Despite suffering losses, independent turkey farmers were not given access to COVID-19 relief for agriculture. Sen. Smith’s bill would direct Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to include independent turkey farmers in future aid programs. “As we work to help the agriculture industry weather the pandemic, we can’t leave out hard hit independent turkey farmers,” said Sen. Smith. “This is especially important for Minnesota—the number one turkey producing and processing state in the country. My bill will provide them with relief to help during these uncertain times. Looking forward, I’ll keep fighting to provide Minnesota
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Introduces Loan Program to Help Dairy Processors Weather COVID-19 Economic Crisis
WASHINGTON, D.C. [7/29/20]–Today U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.)–a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee–introduced legislation to create a loan program to provide relief to dairy processors who have been affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the resulting economic crisis. Sen. Smith says that the USDA backed loan program would allow dairy processors, packagers, merchants, marketers, wholesalers and distributors to secure credit against their inventory, ensuring dairy processors have the working capital needed to make it through the pandemic. “For years, the dairy industry in Minnesota and across the country has been reeling from low prices, trade disruptions and weather disasters. Now, to add insult to injury, the coronavirus pandemic has caused much of the dairy market to dry
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Leads Fight to Provide Mental Health Care for American Indian & Alaska Native Youth During Pandemic
WASHINGTON, D.C. [07/27/20]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) recently led her Senate colleagues in demanding accessible, comprehensive, and culturally competent mental health care and related services for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth during the coronavirus pandemic. In a letter to federal education and health officials, Sen. Smith and her colleagues said that AI/AN youth already faced mental and behavioral health challenges before the pandemic, and may have an especially hard time accessing care during COVID-19. Because many AI/AN students who seek mental health care do so at school, the administration must work to find solutions to reach AI/AN students while schools are closed. The digital divide in Indian Country will prevent some AI/AN students from
Klobuchar, Smith Join Menendez, Cardin and Colleagues in Introducing Legislation to Address COVID-19 Racial Disparities
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) joined Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) in introducing the COVID-19 Health Disparities Action Act to address the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on communities of color. The bill would require targeted testing, contract tracing, public awareness campaigns and outreach efforts specifically directed at racial and ethnic minority communities and other populations that are vulnerable to COVID-19. “The coronavirus pandemic has disproportionately impacted communities of color, yet this Administration has failed to provide complete, consistent, and transparent statistics on coronavirus tests, cases, hospitalizations, complications, and deaths by race
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