Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on USPS Inspector General’s Troubling Report on St. Paul and South Metro Mail Service
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) released the following statement in response to the USPS Inspector General’s report that found glaring issues at the St. Paul Processing and Distribution Center and post offices in Eagan, New Brighton and Apple Valley: “The Postal Service Inspector General’s audit reports on St. Paul and south Metro mail service are alarming and confirm what we’ve been hearing from constituents. Delayed mail and failures to report it, package delivery issues, and systemic understaffing are just the beginning. Minnesotans have been raising the alarm that mail service isn’t as reliable as it needs to be, but the Postal Service continues to act like everything is working as it should. This report confirms the reports of hundreds of Minnesotans that there are deep and systemic issues in the state. In December, I asked the Inspector General to expand the scope of their investigations in Minnesota so we can get to the bottom of these issues, and I am grateful that they will do so in the coming months,” said Senator Smith. Senator Smith has frequently raised the alarm on persistent mail delays and reports of hazardous work conditions for mail carriers, pressing Postmaster Louis DeJoy for answers on how USPS plans to remedy these issues. Most recently, Senator Smith called on the Inspector General to conduct a full audit of the Minnesota-North Dakota District, which the Inspector General’s office announced they will soon begin. The full results of the Inspector General’s audit can be
Klobuchar, Smith Announce New Federal Funding to Increase Access to Biofuels
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced significant federal funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to install E15 dispensers at fueling stations located in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, and South Dakota to increase the availability of domestic biofuels and give drivers cleaner, more affordable fuel options. Gas stations and distribution facilities in Alexandria, Annandale, Belgrade, Crookston, Hoffman, Moorhead, Paynesville, and Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, will receive funding. The Department is making the awards through the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP), which was made possible with funding from Klobuchar and Senator Joni Ernst’s (R-IA) Biofuel Infrastructure and Agricultural Product Market Expansion Act, which was included as part of a larger legislative package in 2022. “Domestically produced biofuel strengthens our energy independence, supports farmers, and cuts costs for families,” said Klobuchar. “My bill with Senator Ernst, the Biofuel Infrastructure and Agricultural Product Market Expansion Act, unlocked this funding to help bring affordable biofuels to more local gas stations and help drivers save money.” “Biofuels offer us a clean, renewable, and homegrown pathway to transition away from fossil fuels,” said Smith. “Minnesota is already a leader in biofuels production, and this investment from the Inflation Reduction Act will further spur an industry that America relies on for energy independence, drivers rely on for lower gas prices, and farmers rely on for new streams of income. We’re reducing harmful emissions while creating more economic opportunity in rural areas.”These grants will reduce out-of-pocket costs for transportation fueling and distribution facilities to install and upgrade biofuel-related infrastructure
Klobuchar, Smith Seek Answers Following Deadly Public Housing Fire
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson seeking answers after five Minnesotans were killed and four were injured in a tragic fire in a high-rise public housing building that did not have fire sprinkler systems installed on its upper floors. While the cause of the fire has not yet been determined, it is clear that the upper floors of the building, where the fatal fire began, did not have sprinkler systems installed. Unfortunately, the vulnerability of this and other high-rise buildings that lack full sprinkler
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Priorities Included in Legislation to Protect Children, Support Health Care Workforce
WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/12/19]–U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) successfully worked to include her key priorities in legislation passed by the Senate Health Committee today that would make sure the child welfare system supports and connects families to needed mental health services, and help recruit and support health professionals in underserved and rural areas. The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) was enacted 45 years ago and governs important child protection programs and services to prevent, assess, and identify child abuse and neglect—and it is the only federal program exclusively dedicated to these aims. Earlier this year, Sen. Smith introduced Supporting Family Mental Health in CAPTA Act to
U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Susan Collins’ Bipartisan Wind Energy Legislation One Step Closer to Becoming Law
WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/12/19]—Today U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) said that their bipartisan wind energy research and development legislation passed out of the Senate Energy Committee. This gets their bill over a major hurdle on its way to becoming law. Senator Smith and Collins’ legislation, the Wind Energy Research and Development Act of 2019, would renew and expand the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Wind Energy and award competitive grants to improve the energy efficiency, reliability and capacity of wind energy generation. “Today’s committee action shows that both sides of the aisle recognize the importance of investing
Klobuchar, Smith Announce Over $22 Million in Funding to Help Minnesota Farmers Cut Energy Costs
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded grant and loan funding to Minnesota totaling $22,140,048 to help farmers and rural businesses reduce energy costs through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). Grants totaling $1,109,430 have been awarded to 32 Minnesota projects and loans totaling $21,030,618 have been awarded to four Minnesota projects. Minnesota recipients can use REAP grants to install renewable energy systems—like biofuels or power generation from wind, solar, or biomass, for example—and make energy efficiency improvements. Funds can also be used on energy storage projects and energy audits. “Farmers and small businesses in
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