Latest Releases
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 and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar Celebrate $92 Million for Minnesota Water Infrastructure Upgrades
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced more than $92 million from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda for Minnesota drinking water and clean water infrastructure upgrades. The funding is part of the more than $50 billion investment in water infrastructure upgrades from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – the largest such investment in American history. Today’s announcement will support essential water infrastructure that protects public health and treasured water bodies across the state. Almost half of this funding will be available as grants or principal forgiveness loans, ensuring funds reach underserved communities most in need of investments in water infrastructure. “Investments in water infrastructure are essential to the health and safety of families across our state,” said Sen. Amy Klobuchar. “These resources will update water, storm water, and wastewater systems.” “Minnesotans know the value of clean water—in fact, we were the first state to put statewide water quality standards in place over 50 years ago,” said Sen. Tina Smith. “This is an investment in the health and safety of Minnesota families, including families living in underserved communities who have historically been left out of infrastructure upgrades. I was proud to support the President’s legislation to deliver this funding.” “Clean drinking water and properly treated wastewater are basic human rights, yet too many communities still lack access to this critical resource and public health necessity, said Rep. Ilhan Omar. “This funding will help ensure underserved areas receive crucial improvements through expanded grants and loan forgiveness programs targeting those most in need. I look forward to
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Says Latest Coronavirus Relief Package To Replenish Small Business Loan Fund, Also Adds Money For Hospitals and Testing
WASHINGTON, D.C. [04/21/20]— U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said the $470 billion coronavirus relief package which passed the Senate today will provide an additional $370 billion in urgently-needed emergency loans and grants for hard-hit small businesses in Minnesota and across the country. It also targets $75 billion to help hospitals handle the surge in infections and $25 billion to dramatically improve the nation’s coronavirus testing capabilities. Sen. Smith said she strongly supported the effort to provide additional and urgently-needed help to Minnesota small businesses who have yet to receive it, but said Congress may have to provide even more assistance if the funding in the package
Klobuchar, Smith, Colleagues Urge Administration to Protect Food Supply and Essential Workers During Coronavirus Pandemic
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) joined Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) in a group of 36 Democratic senators urging Vice President Mike Pence and other members of the Trump Administration to take action to help ensure the safety of the nation’s food supply and protect essential workers in the food supply chain. “It is vital that we do everything we can to protect food supply workers,” the senators wrote. “Breakdowns in the food supply chain could have significant economic impacts for both consumers and agricultural producers. It is also imperative that precautions are taken to ensure the
U.S. Senator Tina Smith & Colleagues to Secretary Mnuchin: Workers—Not Just Businesses—Must Benefit from Stimulus Package
WASHINGTON, D.C. [04/21/20]—In an effort to help Americans rebuild and recover after the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and several of her colleagues on the Senate Banking Committee—of which she’s a member—are urging the Trump Administration to prioritize workers in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act stimulus lending. The CARES Act included key worker protection provisions, secured by Sen. Smith and her colleagues, along with business supports. In a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Sen. Smith and her colleagues urged him to require businesses receiving taxpayer money to enter into binding agreements with the Department of the Treasury that commit businesses to meaningful worker protections that support hardworking families during this crisis.
U.S. Senators Klobuchar, Smith Announce Veterans Will Automatically Receive Coronavirus Financial Assistance Without Having to File Tax Returns
WASHINGTON, D.C. [04/20/20]—Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) announced that veterans in Minnesota and across the country who receive benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will automatically receive direct coronavirus relief payments without having to file tax returns. Earlier this month, Sens. Klobuchar and Smith—along with 43 of their Democratic colleagues—called on the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Social Security Administration to automatically provide relief payments to millions of low-income veterans, seniors, and people with disabilities even if they have not filed a tax return. The Treasury Department first took this step
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