Latest Releases
Senators Smith, Grassley Reintroduce Legislation to Prevent Spread of Foreign Animal Diseases
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) reintroduced legislation to combat the spread of foreign animal diseases entering the United States. The Healthy Dog Importation Act would expand the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (USDA-APHIS) program by providing additional tools to monitor and safeguard the health of dogs being imported into the country. “Human and animal health are inextricably linked, and we know that taking proactive steps can help prevent health emergencies,” Smith said. “That’s why the Healthy Dog Importation Act is so important. Mitigating the spread of foreign diseases in dogs helps keep domestic and wild animals healthy. It can also help prevent illnesses and disease outbreaks in people. I will continue working to move this bipartisan bill forward.” “Maintaining animal health is critical to our nation’s overall public health goals. It’s important that we work to stop the spread of diseases that can hurt both animals and humans,” Grassley said. “This commonsense proposal will leverage an existing program to ensure that all dogs entering the country are healthy and not at risk of spreading dangerous diseases.” In addition to expanding the USDA-APHIS program, the Healthy Dog Importation Act would require every imported dog to have a certificate of veterinary inspection from a licensed veterinarian. The health certificate must attest that the dog has received all required vaccinations and demonstrated negative test results. This legislation would also create an online database containing documentation and import permits to ensure dogs entering the United States are being properly
Klobuchar, Smith Secure Significant Federal Funding to Expand High-Speed Internet Access in Northeast 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 $10 million in federal funding to expand access to high-speed broadband in Northeast Minnesota. These investments, provided through the ReConnect program and funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, will help connect 3,529 people, 35 farms, and two public schools across Hubbard, Itasca, and St. Louis counties. Klobuchar’s legislation with House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC) to expand high-speed internet nationwide served as the basis for major broadband funding included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. “This federal funding will make a real difference for communities in Hubbard, Itasca, and St. Louis counties, allowing thousands of families to access critical opportunities online while enabling farms to connect to new technologies such as precision agriculture,” said Klobuchar. “As co-chair of the Senate Broadband Caucus, I’ll keep fighting to close the digital divide and help all Minnesotans reliably get the high-speed internet they need.” “Broadband is the infrastructure of the 21st Century – it isn’t just nice to have, it’s necessary if we’re going to build an economy that works for everyone,” said Smith. “ReConnect funding helps connect communities in greater Minnesota who have been left out of the digital economy. I am proud of our work to secure this funding, which will bring us one step closer to our goal of ensuring every Minnesotan – regardless of their zip code – has access to high-speed broadband.” As co-chair
Sen. Tina Smith Pushes to Help Minnesotans Cut Costly Student Loan Debt
U.S. Senator Tina Smith has thrown her support behind a proposal to help tens of millions of student loan borrowers in Minnesota and around the country lower their monthly debt burden. The Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act would give Americans with student debt the opportunity to refinance their loans at lower interest rates. Right now, people can refinance other types of debt—e.g. home, car, or business loans—but there’s no national program in place to refinance federal student loans. “The price tag on a college degree is a serious source of anxiety for Minnesota students and families, and often, the
Sen. Tina Smith Fights to Ensure 22,000 Retired Minnesota Workers Can Keep Hard-Earned Pensions
After recently meeting with retirees in Duluth whose hard-earned pensions are at risk of being drastically reduced due to chronic underfunding of the Central States Pension Fund, U.S. Senator Tina Smith is backing up her promise to support legislation that would help protect the pensions of retirees across the country, including 22,000 in Minnesota. The Butch Lewis Act—named for a veteran who was the head of his local union in Ohio and who fought to preserve fellow Teamsters’ pensions—would help shore up the Central States Pension Fund and strengthen the multi-employer pension system for all workers by creating a Pension Rehabilitation
Sen. Tina Smith Condemns Unchecked Dark Money in Politics, Calls for Legislation to Reform & Strengthen Campaign Finance Laws
U.S. Senator Tina Smith called on Congress to strengthen our nation’s campaign finance laws by ending the flood of unchecked, unlimited, and secret corporate money into our elections. Since the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United v. FEC decision—which opened the door to unlimited corporate spending in politics—more than $600 million has been spent in federal elections without free and open information about where these millions are coming from. In response to the urgent need for campaign finance changes, Sen. Smith is cosponsoring two legislative reforms. The first would overturn Citizens United once and for all, and the second—the DISCLOSE Act—would require super PACs and other
Sen. Tina Smith Spends Weekend Working Hard for Minnesotans
U.S. Senator Tina Smith made stops across the state—which you can read more about here—including the Red River Valley, southern Minnesota, and the metro area to hear from Minnesotans and inform her work in Washington. “I’m so thankful to the Minnesotans I met with this weekend. Thank you for taking the time to talk with me about what matters most to you,” said Sen. Smith. “It is an honor to be able to take your stories back with me to Washington and continue to be a fierce advocate for all of you.” You can view pictures from Sen. Smith’s weekend and read
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