Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Presses JPMorgan CEO for Answers on Bank’s Ties to Jeffrey Epstein
WASHINGTON [5.10.23] – Today, Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN), wrote a letter to JPMorgan Chase’s CEO, Jamie Dimon, demanding answers following recent reports and court filings describing the bank’s financial involvement with Jeffrey Epstein. In her letter, Smith pressed Dimon for the bank’s policies and procedures around identifying and reporting human trafficking after allegations surfaced that JPMorgan ignored obvious signs of Epstein’s illegal activity and maintained its relationship with him against the advice of its own compliance department. “If true, JPMorgan’s decision to turn a blind eye to such egregious misconduct raises serious questions about its role in facilitating Epstein’s abuse, and its willingness or ability to root out and prevent other, less apparent instances of sex trafficking,” wrote Senator Smith According to an April 12 court filing, Epstein was a client at JPMorgan from 1998 to 2013 and maintained upwards of 50 accounts totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. This not only granted him access to exclusive banking and wealth management services, but apparently earned him the bank’s discretion. The filing alleges that in 2006, two years before Epstein was convicted for soliciting a minor for prostitution, a JPMorgan Rapid Response Team flagged internally that Epstein was making cash withdrawals ranging from $40,000 to $80,000 several times per month. By that year, the bank was reportedly aware that Epstein paid cash to have underage girls and young women trafficked to his home. This apparently became an open secret among senior executives, even devolving into a topic of jest. Still, the
Senators Smith, Rounds Unveil Major Bipartisan Package to Modernize and Update Rural Housing Programs
Washington [5.2.23] – This week, Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) introduced significant bipartisan legislation to improve federal rural housing programs, cut red tape, and strengthen the supply of affordable housing. The legislation would represent the most significant Rural Housing Service reforms years. “Without a safe, affordable place to live, nothing else in your life works. Not your job, not your education, not your health,” said Senator Smith. “We know that the housing crisis is hurting communities across the country, and the problem is particularly acute in rural places. This legislation is the direct result of bipartisan hearings and conversations with stakeholders who helped identify ways we can make federal rural housing programs work better for people struggling to find a safe, affordable place to live.” “Homeownership is part of the American dream and a key to building wealth,” said Senator Rounds. “Over the past year, Senator Smith and I have held hearings, met with stakeholders and visited with constituents in our states about the hurdles within the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Housing Service. This legislation makes important improvements and updates to the Rural Housing Service that will create and preserve affordable housing opportunities in South Dakota. As we face an affordable housing crisis across the nation, I look forward to working with my colleagues to get these important, bipartisan updates signed into law.” Lack of affordable housing remains an impediment for many rural towns and communities as they struggle to attract new businesses, residents and
U.S. Sens. Smith, Durbin, King, Sinema Introduce Bill to Help Make College Textbooks More Affordable
WASHINGTON, D.C. [04/04/2019]—Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Angus King (I-Maine), and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), introduced legislation that aims to make high-quality textbooks easily accessible and free of charge to students, professors, researchers, and the public. The bill, known as the Affordable College Textbook Act, would make it possible for colleges to create and expand the use of open college textbooks—textbooks that are free and available online. Representative Joe Neguse (D-CO 2) introduced a companion bill in the House. According to The College Board, the average student budget for college books and supplies during the 2017 2018
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Leads Senate Colleagues in Calling on Secretary DeVos to Further Improve Program that Unfairly Forced Teachers to Pay Thousands of Dollars in Promised Aid
WASHINGTON, D.C. [04/02/19]—This week, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and her Senate colleagues—including fellow Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)—called on Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to take additional action for teachers who erroneously or unfairly had Teacher Education Assistance for College Higher Education (TEACH) grants converted to loans. In December of last year, the Education Department announced it would be instituting a process to help teachers who have been unfairly forced to repay thousands of dollars in aid. Sen. Smith said this was a good first step, but that more action is needed to improve the program. This week, as the
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, in Bipartisan Effort, Urges Trump Administration to Keep SNAP Benefits for Families
WASHINGTON D.C. [03/29/19] – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) raised concerns about a proposed rule to make harmful changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—which would affect some 1.1 million people across the country—and urged the Trump Administration to withdraw the proposal. In a bipartisan letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, Sen. Smith emphasized the administration’s proposal is in direct contradiction to Congressional intent and would hurt many families struggling to find stable employment. The letter was led by Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). “Congress recognizes that one-size-fits-all rules for SNAP and employment practices actually end up fitting
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Delivers Weekly Democratic Address
Washington, D.C. – As many Republicans in Congress refuse to accept the facts about climate change, Senator Tina Smith (D-MN)—a member of Senate Democrats’ new Special Committee on the Climate Crisis announced Wednesday—delivers this week’s Weekly Democratic Address. In the address, Smith begins by addressing recent news and underscoring the importance of releasing the entire Mueller report to the American people. Smith goes on to highlight the new Special Committee on the Climate Crisis, efforts underway to tackle the climate crisis, and outlines how America can either follow or lead on climate change. She closes by saying that Democrats think the
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