Latest Releases
The Affordable Housing and Homeownership Protection Act Would Tackle Housing Crisis by Creating Millions More Homes and Helping Main Street Compete with Wall Street
WASHINGTON, DC – As the nation’s housing shortage pushes home prices and rents to historic levels, a new Senate bill would provide tens of billions of dollars to help create millions of new homes for low-income Americans. U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), Jack Reed (D-RI)and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) are teaming up with several colleagues to introduce the Affordable Housing and Homeownership Protection Act (S. 3673). This bill would generate up to $50 billion over ten years to help build and preserve approximately 3 million affordable housing units nationwide. The bill would be fully paid for through a transfer tax on large investors who profit by purchasing sixteen single-family homes or more. Driven by a shortage of as many as 6.8 million homes nationwide, homes prices have surged 39% and rents 31% over the last four years, according to the National Association of Realtors and Zillow. Higher rents and fewer opportunities for homeownership are devastating for millions of families. As housing costs skyrocket, more households are priced out of homeownership, while renters have less to spend on food, clothing, and other everyday necessities. Low-income Americans are particularly strained – the National Low Income Housing Coalition estimates 73% of extremely low-income households spend more than half their income on housing. Unsurprisingly, homelessness has risen in line with housing prices and is up 15% since 2019. Unfortunately, federal investments in low-income housing are insufficient to solve this affordability crisis. Indeed, researchers at Harvard University found that the three largest federal housing programs serve nearly
Klobuchar, Smith Announce Significant Federal Infrastructure Grant to Improve Highway 169
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced a $24.7 million federal grant for the US 169 Rural Safety and Mobility Interchange Project in Sherburne County, which will eliminate the signal-controlled intersection at County Road 4 and replace it with a grade-separated, hybrid diamond interchange. The current intersection has crash rates at nearly five times the state average and has been ranked the second most dangerous intersection in central Minnesota. This project will also reduce traffic congestion and accommodate anticipated growth on this important regional highway. In addition, the new interchange will have a multi-use trail for pedestrian and bike access. Funding for this project comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s INFRA (Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight & Highway Projects) grant program. “Highway 169’s signal-controlled intersection has been ranked as one of the most dangerous intersections in central Minnesota. Drivers who use this intersection every day deserve a safer alternative,” said Klobuchar. “This federal grant will make much-needed improvements to make the interchange secure for drivers and pedestrians.” “Revitalizing our infrastructure is about more than just fixing roadways and bridges; it’s about improving people’s lives, which is precisely what this project will do,” said Smith. “This intersection on Highway 169 is dangerous in its current form. Now, Minnesota has the federal investment to make this vital corridor safer for everyone.” INFRA grants can be used by communities across the country for multimodal freight and highway projects of national or regional significance to improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of freight
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Democratic Colleagues Fight for Nation’s Registered Apprenticeship Program
WASHINGTON, D.C. [08/27/19]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and 45 of her Senate colleagues are calling on Acting Labor Department Secretary Patrick Pizzella to oppose the Department’s recent proposal that would undermine the highly-effective and widely-supported registered apprenticeship program. The proposed rule would create duplicative, unnecessary, and lower-quality “industry-recognized apprenticeship programs” (IRAPs), which would not provide the same crucial benefits and protections as long-established registered apprenticeships. The Department has also proposed the establishment of new entities to oversee the IRAPs, potentially allowing these programs to evade accountability, even to apprentices themselves. “Rather than invest federal taxpayer dollars in a duplicative, less
U.S. Senators Smith, Klobuchar, Stabenow, Durbin, Peters, Baldwin, and Brown Call for Stronger Renewable Fuel Standard
WASHINGTON, D.C. [08/26/19]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.)—along with Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio)—is standing up for the nation’s rural economy by urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to end the harmful abuse of small refinery hardship waivers under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). In a letter sent to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, Sen. Smith and her colleagues pointed out that under the Trump Administration, the granting of waivers has increased by 370 percent with “small refinery” waivers going to large oil companies. While the president has
U.S. Sen. Tina Smith Announces New Bipartisan Senate Effort to Highlight What’s Working in Rural Communities
East Grand Forks, MN [08/12/19] – Saying she’s been inspired by the spirit, resilience and ingenuity of the people she’s met in rural communities across Minnesota, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) announced today that she will lead a new bipartisan Senate group that will highlight what’s working in rural America, and lift up the local ideas that are helping rural communities thrive in the face of a persistent slump in the farm economy. Sen. Smith said she is forming the bipartisan Senate “Rural Economic Working Group” along with Republican Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota to connect with people and organizations
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith Announce $830k USDA Grants to Help MN Farmers Cut Energy Costs
WASHINGTON, D.C. [08/20/19]—Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) announced that the USDA is investing nearly $830,000 in grants to Minnesota to help reduce energy costs for farmers and ag producers through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). Grants have been awarded to 54 Minnesota projects, mostly on family farms. 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. “These Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grants will help Minnesotans develop renewable energy and energy efficiency projects to increase the productivity and efficiency of their farms and
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