Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith and Colleagues Call on Israeli Ambassador Herzog to Accelerate Aid Delivery and Ensure Safety for Aid Workers
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) joined Senators Peter Welch (D-VT), Jack Reed (D-RI), and Brian Schatz (D-HI) in sending a letter to Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Michael Herzog, on the imperative of urgently providing humanitarian aid in Gaza. The letter highlights specific steps that Ambassador Herzog and the Israeli government should take to ensure that aid reaches Gaza and to protect aid workers. “Since October 7, nearly 30,000 people have been killed in Israel’s counterattack on Gaza. While many were Hamas terrorists, a significant number were innocent civilians. Further, at least 1.7 million Palestinians have been internally displaced in Gaza. They have need for clean water, food, medical support, and humanitarian aid. Starvation and widespread disease in Gaza are imminent,” wrote the four U.S. Senators. “We believe that the future path to peace, security and stability will be enhanced dramatically by facilitating the delivery of essentials for survival to the Palestinian people whose fate is imperiled,” the Senators conclude. The letter outlines four actions Israel should take to accelerate aid delivery into Gaza and assist the safety of aid workers, including: Text of the letter follows: Dear Ambassador Herzog: We unequivocally condemn Hamas’ barbaric attack on Israel October 7, 2023, and hope that all the hostages return home safely. We support Israel’s right and obligation to pursue the Hamas terrorists who planned and carried out the October 7 attack and deem the prospect of Hamas retaining military control of Gaza unacceptable. We also believe, there is an urgent need to provide
Sen. Smith joins Dem Women’s Caucus, House and Senate Democrats, in Demanding Health Insurers Fully Cover Birth Control, As Required by the ACA
Washington, DC — Today, Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), along with Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) Chair Lois Frankel (FL-22), Reps. Ayanna Pressley (MA-7), Kathy Manning (NC-6), and Judy Chu (CA-28), led over 150 House and Senate Democratic colleagues in urging health insurers to fully comply with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) contraception coverage requirement. Specifically, the members urged insurers to adopt a “therapeutic equivalence standard” ensuring coverage—without cost sharing—of every FDA-approved birth control product that does not have a therapeutic equivalent (generic). The letter comes after years of systemic noncompliance by insurance plans, forcing women to pay out of pocket or face administrative red tape to access the birth control that works best for them. “We write to express our concerns that your members are not complying with the Affordable Care Act contraception coverage requirement, and to urge them to consider immediate adoption of the therapeutic equivalence standard outlined by the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury on January 22, 2024,” wrote the lawmakers in a letter toAmerica’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP)—whose membership includes major health insurers across the country—and UnitedHealth Group. Despite the ACA’s protections, the members outlined how multiple investigations—including by the House Oversight Committee, “have revealed that plans routinely violate the ACA by refusing to cover certain products, imposing administrative hurdles like prior authorizations and step therapy (fail first protocols), and requiring patient cost-sharing.” In response to these violations, the Biden Administration recently released additional guidance, outlining a standard that requires coverage
Klobuchar, Smith Announce Judicial Selection Committee for Vacancy on Federal District Court
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith announced the formation of a judicial selection committee to assist them in making recommendations to the President to fill a vacancy on Minnesota’s federal district court. The vacancy was created by Judge Joan Ericksen’s decision to assume senior status. The Committee will be chaired by Lolita Ulloa, Deputy Hennepin County Attorney and Director of Domestic Abuse Service Center; with members: David Ackerson, former state court judge on Minnesota’s Sixth Judicial District Court; Amran Farah, attorney at Greene Espel and president of the Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers; Peter Knapp, Interim
U.S. Senators Klobuchar, Smith Laud Senate Passage of Bipartisan Legislation to Simplify the FAFSA, Improve Access to Affordable Student Loan Repayment Plans, and Support Tribal Colleges and Other Minority-Serving Institutions
WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/06/19]–U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) helped bipartisan legislation pass the Senate this week that would simplify the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and eliminate burdensome annual paperwork for federal student loan borrowers enrolled in income-driven repayment plans by automating income recertification, and permanently fund Tribal colleges. The Senate-passed Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act will permanently provide $255 million annually in support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other minority-serving institutions of higher education, which faced financial uncertainty when their funding lapsed earlier this year. Sens. Klobuchar, Smith and their colleagues have long been
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
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