Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Presses Postmaster Louis DeJoy for Answers on Mail Issues
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, U.S. Senator Tina Smith sent a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy pressing for answers regarding the Postal Service’s agreements with Amazon and the impact of those agreements on Minnesotans. For years, Minnesotans have experienced mail delays and inconsistency, and postal employees have faced difficult working conditions, made worse by a volume of Amazon deliveries that push the system to the brink. Millions of Minnesotans depend on the Postal Service to pay bills, receive prescriptions, and conduct other essential business. When service is unreliable, Minnesotans can face serious consequences – from late payment fees and social security checks to days without critical prescription medications. “As Postmaster General, you are responsible for ensuring that the Postal Service meets its service standards, and it is clear right now that things are not working as they should,” wrote Senator Smith. “Entering into contracts that your system cannot support is a breach of your responsibilities.” Reporting by the Bemidji Pioneer uncovered how harsh working conditions and the implementation of a USPS service agreement with Amazon have pushed mail carriers to the breaking point. Workers are being forced to work 12-hour days for six days per week, time off requests are being cancelled, and sick leave is not being honored. Bemidji isn’t the first Minnesota community to be affected by this new agreement with Amazon – Brainerd saw similar delays after it was implemented and continues to struggle maintaining enough staff. In her letter, Senator Smith presses for answers from DeJoy on how he plans to remedy both the impact of Amazon’s service agreement and the working conditions at the Postal Service so Minnesotans receive on-time
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Introduces Legislation to Help Child Care Providers Serve Nutritious Meals
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced legislation to help ease the financial stress on child care providers across the country. Providers such as family child care homes, child care centers, Head Start programs, and after-school programs provide meals to more than 4.2 million children each day with the support of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). The Child Care Nutrition Enhancement Act would increase the reimbursement rates child care providers receive for these meals. Not only would this help ensure millions of children receive nutritious meals, it would also ease the significant financial burdens for both child care providers and parents struggling to afford child care. Companion legislation has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representative Greg Landsman (D-OH-1). “I have heard from too many childcare providers in Minnesota who have to dip into their own pockets to feed the kids in their care because of insufficient federal reimbursements. Investing more in childcare will help both families who are struggling to afford care and providers who are having trouble breaking even,” said Senator Smith. “This legislation would improve an effective, but under-resourced, existing program to ensure our kids are receiving nutritious meals and help ease the financial burden on childcare providers and parents.” “Every child deserves access to nutritious meals, especially during their formative years,” said Senator Bob Casey. “The research is clear: the CACFP improves the quality of meals in child care settings. By easing the
Klobuchar, Smith Announce $22 Million Loan for Electric Infrastructure Improvements Across Rural Minnesota
WASHINGTON– U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded Meeker Cooperative Light & Power a $22,000,000 rural electric infrastructure loan. “This rural electric investment will connect and energize miles of infrastructure in Meeker, Wright, Stearns, McLeod, Kandiyohi, and Renville counties to help our entire state’s economy thrive for many years to come,” Klobuchar said. “Projects like this not only boost the economy, but also support good-paying jobs and maintain the services Minnesotans rely on.” “Rural homes, businesses, schools, airports and hospitals all need reliable electricity, and improving our electric grid is
U.S. Senators Klobuchar and Smith: Over $1 Million Awarded to Organizations that Help People from Diverse Backgrounds in Minnesota Participate in Agriculture
WASHINGTON, D.C. [10/9/2019]— U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) announced that more than $1 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funding has been awarded to organizations that help people from diverse backgrounds in Minnesota participate in agriculture. This funding will support the Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC), which helps immigrant and Latino farmers in Minnesota overcome barriers to growth. It will also support the American Indian Higher Ed Consortium (AIHEC) to engage students in agriculture at tribal colleges and universities—including the four in Minnesota—and improve Native American farmers and ranchers’ agricultural practices. The senators said that this funding is available to qualifying organizations through the USDA’s Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers and Veteran Farmers and
U.S. Senator Tina Smith: “Protecting Renewable Fuel Standard Signals Trump Administration Heard Concerns From American Farmers Loud and Clear”
WASHINGTON, D.C. [10/04/19]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.)—a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee—released the following statement after the Trump Administration announced it would account for the harmful abuse of small refinery hardship waivers granted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) blending targets. “Rural communities, farmers, clean energy producers and agribusinesses need a strong Renewable Fuel Standard to thrive. The RFS supports thousands of local jobs and helps lead to billions of dollars in economic activity, it cuts our dependence on foreign oil, and it helps fight global warming,” said Sen. Smith. “While I wish it had taken less
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Bipartisan Group of Senators Release Report Recommending Steps to Ensure Stable Education for Students in Foster Care
WASHINGTON, D.C. [10/3/2019]—This week, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and a bipartisan group of Senate colleagues released a report on how the federal government can better help ensure a stable education for students in foster care who are far too often bounced from school to school. Sen. Smith—a member of the Senate Education Committee—said that these new placements and disruptions can jeopardize students’ academic achievement. The federal law is clear that when children are brought into foster care or change placements, the state must ensure they remain in the school in which they are enrolled at the time of each placement so long as it is in the child’s
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