Latest Releases
Senators Klobuchar, Smith Announce New Regional Food Business Center to Support Farmers in Minnesota
WASHINGTON [5.10.23] – Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-MN) announced the creation of a new Regional Food Business Center in Minnesota that will help farmers, ranchers, and other food businesses access new markets and navigate federal, state, and local resources. The new center, which will be located in Staples, MN, is made possible by the American Rescue Plan, which Klobuchar and Smith helped pass. “Our farmers are an essential part of the fabric of our state. We need to make sure they have the necessary resources to continue to feed and fuel the world,” said Klobuchar. “The new Regional Food Business Center will provide critical support to help farmers expand their businesses and reach new markets.” “Agriculture is the backbone of Minnesota’s diverse economy and I want to make sure our farmers have every opportunity to sell their products and stay competitive,” said Smith. “This new Regional Food Business Center will provide tailored guidance for farmers while helping them grow their business and access new markets. It will be a great resource made possible by the American Rescue Plan and I encourage Minnesota farmers to take advantage of it.” As part of the American Rescue Plan, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced funding for 12 Regional Food Business Centers, including the North Central location in Staples, MN. The Region Five Development Commission was selected to lead the North Central location, which will serve Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. The Regional Food Business Centers will
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Presses JPMorgan CEO for Answers on Bank’s Ties to Jeffrey Epstein
WASHINGTON [5.10.23] – Today, Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN), wrote a letter to JPMorgan Chase’s CEO, Jamie Dimon, demanding answers following recent reports and court filings describing the bank’s financial involvement with Jeffrey Epstein. In her letter, Smith pressed Dimon for the bank’s policies and procedures around identifying and reporting human trafficking after allegations surfaced that JPMorgan ignored obvious signs of Epstein’s illegal activity and maintained its relationship with him against the advice of its own compliance department. “If true, JPMorgan’s decision to turn a blind eye to such egregious misconduct raises serious questions about its role in facilitating Epstein’s abuse, and its willingness or ability to root out and prevent other, less apparent instances of sex trafficking,” wrote Senator Smith According to an April 12 court filing, Epstein was a client at JPMorgan from 1998 to 2013 and maintained upwards of 50 accounts totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. This not only granted him access to exclusive banking and wealth management services, but apparently earned him the bank’s discretion. The filing alleges that in 2006, two years before Epstein was convicted for soliciting a minor for prostitution, a JPMorgan Rapid Response Team flagged internally that Epstein was making cash withdrawals ranging from $40,000 to $80,000 several times per month. By that year, the bank was reportedly aware that Epstein paid cash to have underage girls and young women trafficked to his home. This apparently became an open secret among senior executives, even devolving into a topic of jest. Still, the
Klobuchar, Smith Announce Open Signup for Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is opening signup for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) on December 9, 2019. The deadline for agricultural producers to sign up for general CRP is February 8, 2020, while signup for continuous CRP is ongoing. The 2018 Farm Bill, which was signed into law in December 2018, includes Klobuchar’s provision to increase the number of acres in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to 27 million acres, based on Klobuchar and Senator John Thune’s (R-SD) Conservation Program Improvement Act. The 2018 Farm Bill also
Klobuchar, Smith Urge Department of Education to Address Loan Forgiveness for Defrauded Borrowers
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) are continuing to call on the Department of Education to address protections for student loan borrowers. In a letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Klobuchar and Smith called on the Department of Education to immediately stop collecting on the student debt of borrowers who were defrauded by Globe University (Globe) and Minnesota School of Business (MSB), discharge the covered loans, and process pending borrower defense applications. Klobuchar and Smith’s call follows recent news of Globe and MSB filing for bankruptcy, which may prevent these defrauded students from receiving any of
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Continues Bipartisan Fight to Improve Access to Rural Health Care for New and Expecting Moms
WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/04/19]–U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) is continuing her efforts with Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) to ensure new and expecting moms living in rural communities get the care they need by calling on Senate Health Committee leaders to hold a markup for the Rural Maternal and Obstetric Modernization of Services (Rural MOMS) Act. Earlier this year, Sen. Smith introduced her Rural MOMS legislation after hearing from Minnesotans and providers about the struggles families face in accessing maternity and obstetric care in rural areas and small towns. And this fall, the House companion bill to Sens. Smith and Murkowski’s bill advanced out of the House Committee
Klobuchar, Smith, Peterson Announce $200K for Transit Improvements in Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians
WASHINGTON D.C. [11/27/2019]–U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (D-Minn.), along with Representative Collin Peterson (D-MN-07), announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians a grant of $211,944 for transportation infrastructure improvements. The grant will help Red Lake Nation Public Transit purchase new buses and equipment, allowing it to accommodate ridership demand. Red Lake Nation Public Transit provides bus services on the reservation. “Investments in transportation serve as a down payment on the long-term economic well-being of our tribal communities and our state,” said Sen. Klobuchar. “By investing in buses and bus facilities for the Red Lake Band we are making
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