Latest Releases
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Todd Young Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Help Farmers, Combat Climate Change
WASHINGTON, D.C. [7.11.23] – Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Todd Young (R-IN) introduced bipartisan legislation that will help combat climate change and improve agricultural resilience and productivity. Experts estimate that American farmers could store up to 220 billion pounds of carbon annually across all US croplands. The Advancing Research on Agricultural Climate Impacts Act will bolster our understanding of soil carbon sequestration and help farmers enhance soil health, make their operations more resilient, and combat climate change. “Farmers in Minnesota don’t need to be told climate change is happening, they see it every year in the form of harsher droughts, more powerful storms and heatwaves. We need to be doing everything we can to combat this crisis and help farmers adapt to the changing climate,” said Senator Smith. “This bipartisan legislation would help farmers by funding new research to improve our understanding of soil carbon storage potential on agricultural land to inform best practices and help make farms more resilient. It’s a win for farmers and our climate. I’ll continue working hard to get it passed.” “Hoosier farmers and producers feed our communities, drive our economy, and play a critical role in our supply chains. This bipartisan legislation will equip and empower our agriculture sector to choose the best climate smart practices for their individual operations,” said Senator Young. “The bill would not only foster the adoption of beneficial soil practices, but also fortify the resilience and prosperity of our agricultural needs for generations to come.” The Advancing
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Reintroduces Legislation to Expand Access to Lifesaving HIV Prevention Drugs
WASHINGTON, D.C. [6.29.23] – This month, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and U.S. Representative Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) introduced legislation that will expand access to lifesaving HIV prevention medications. The PrEP Access and Coverage Act addresses the underutilization of HIV prevention drugs – known as PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) – by ensuring these medications and any associated costs are covered by health insurance. The measure also establishes community public health campaigns, and it expands access to the drugs for uninsured individuals and underserved communities. “Every person deserves access to affordable, high quality health care,” said Sen. Smith. “Too many people in Minnesota and across this country are unduly burdened by the high costs of HIV prevention drugs, and many others are going without this lifesaving preventative medication. This bill takes an important step towards ensuring that these highly effective medications are accessible and affordable for every patient who needs them.” “HIV prevention drugs shouldn’t be inaccessible and unaffordable,” said Rep. Schiff. “Senator Smith and I are reintroducing the PrEP Access and Coverage Act so that LGBTQ Americans – especially those from communities of color who experience disparities in health care – have access to the HIV medications and services they need.” “To end the HIV epidemic by 2030, we must expand our efforts to improve PrEP education and access,” said Torrian L. Baskerville, Director of HIV & Health Equity for the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. “It is especially critical to address decades-long inequities that disproportionately impact Black
U.S. Senators Smith & Klobuchar Announce Public Housing Fire Safety Act Following Tragic Fire in Minneapolis
WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/18/2019]—Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) introduced legislation—the Public Housing Fire Safety Act—that would create a program to provide support to public housing authorities who wish to retrofit older high-rise apartment buildings with sprinkler systems. The Federal Fire Safety Act of 1992 required the installation of sprinklers in all new government-owned high rise buildings. However, there are thousands of public housing apartment buildings around the country built before that date. According to data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), for example, nearly all of the high-rise public housing buildings in Minneapolis, Minnesota were
As 2020 Budget Agreement is Passed, Key Bipartisan Measures U.S. Senator Tina Smith Authored & Championed Set to Become Law and Benefit Minnesotans
WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/18/19]—As Congress sends its final budget agreement for 2020 to the President’s desk, Minnesotans will benefit from several bipartisan measures U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) authored and championed. Sen. Smith’s bipartisan efforts to address health care costs and skyrocketing prescription drug prices, support rural housing, ramp up clean energy, expand disaster relief to hard-hit farmers and preserve electric cooperatives’ tax-exempt status while expanding much-needed broadband services in rural communities were all included in the final budget package expected to be signed into law in the coming days. “Here we are at the end of the year, and
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Mike Braun Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Address Underhanded Big Pharma Tactic That Prevents Americans from Accessing Affordable Rx Drugs
WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/18/19]—Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Mike Braun (R-Ind.) introduced legislation to bring low-cost generics to market, increase competition and help American families and seniors access their medications. The Expanding Access to Low-Cost Generics Act—which was the first standalone piece of legislation introduced by Sen. Smith—gets to the heart of a major concern families are facing right now: prescription drug prices. Nearly three in ten Americans report that they did not fill a prescription because it was too expensive. Anti-competitive behavior between brand name and generic drug manufacturers is delaying timely access to low-cost generic drugs. For example,
U.S. Senators Smith & Collins’ Bipartisan Bill to Combat Lyme and Other Tick-Borne Diseases Advances
WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/17/19]—U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) announced that their bipartisan bill to improve research, prevention, diagnostics, and treatment for tick-borne diseases was included in the government spending agreement released yesterday. Once passed by both the House and Senate, the bill will proceed to the President’s desk to be signed into law. The Kay Hagan Tick Act unites the effort to confront the alarming public health threat posed by Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, which have risen exponentially from approximately 30,000 cases in 2003 to an estimated 450,000 last year. Sens. Smith and Collins renamed the
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