Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Presses Postmaster General to Ensure Timely Deliveries, Safe Working Conditions Ahead of Busy Holiday Season
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) sent a letter to U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy requesting information about how the Postal Service plans to ensure on-time deliveries and safe working conditions during the holiday season. Millions of Minnesotans depend of 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. Smith also pushed DeJoy to ensure Postal Service employees, who are often overworked during this busy time of year, are adequately supported. “The timeliness of deliveries and safety of workers are both critical issues in Minnesota, where severe weather adds a complicated dimension to the usual peak-season delivery challenges,” wrote Senator Smith. “I urge you to take every possible precaution and preparation to protect workers and ensure timely deliveries this holiday season.” In her letter, Smith requested responses to the following questions by November 23, 2023: You can find a full copy of the letter here.
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Co-Leads a Bicameral Push to Renew Expired Funding for Childcare
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Bob Casey (D-PA), along with members of the House of Representatives, led a bicameral group of their colleagues in urging congressional leadership to renew expired funding for childcare in any supplemental funding package. Funding from the American Rescue Plan Act expired in September, and the state of childcare continues to be in crisis mode. Without this funding, many childcare providers have either closed or struggle to keep their doors open for working families. The letter comes on the heels of President Biden’s request to Congress for $16 billion to address the childcare crisis, which the members called for in August. “We write today to urge you to include robust funding for child care in any supplemental funding package considered by the Appropriations Committee. Child care is unaffordable and hard to find for working families, and child care providers across the country are struggling to stay afloat,” wrote the lawmakers. “Child care providers in communities across the country are at risk of closure. The child care stabilization relief funds provided a much-needed lifeline to the child care industry, but it is crucial that, at minimum, we sustain that level of investment to ensure the industry’s survival and prevent a new emergency.” Smith, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, has been a leader in pressing for expanding access to childcare. She is an original cosponsor of the Child Care Stabilization Act, which aims to
U.S Senator Tina Smith Signs onto Bill to Crack Down on Explosion of Robocalls
WASHINGTON, D.C. [04/10/2019]—This week, Sen. Smith (D-Minn.) signed on to a bill that would increase penalties against telemarketers who spam Americans with robocalls and promote call authentication and blocking technologies. Robocalls are on the rise, with one source reporting an increase of 50% in robocall volume from February to July of last year. The legislation is also supported by the senior Senator from Minnesota, Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.). The bipartisan Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) Act increases penalties for fraudulent telemarketers, while also implementing measures to proactively protect consumers from receiving unwanted robocalls. The bill was introduced by
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Helps Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Stop Schools From Publicly Singling Out Children Unable to Pay for Meals at School
WASHINGTON, D.C. [04/10/2019]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) helped introduce legislation to prohibit school “lunch shaming”—the practice of punishing or stigmatizing children who have an outstanding balance or don’t have enough money to pay for meals at school. The Anti-Lunch Shaming Act—led by Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.)—would ban schools from requiring children to wear hand stamps or do extra chores because their parents or guardians have not paid their school meal bills. Minnesota is currently considering a similar measure to address this shameful practice, and the federal Anti-Lunch Shaming Act aims to provide protections to students throughout the country. You can read text of the bill
Rep. Betty McCollum Wins 9th Annual Minnesota Congressional Delegation Hotdish Competition
***PHOTO AND VIDEO RELEASE*** WASHINGTON, D.C. [04/09/2018]—Today, Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) hosted the ninth annual Minnesota Congressional Delegation Hotdish Competition. Sen. Smith took up the helm last year to continue the annual hotdish off to determine which Minnesota Congressional Delegation member makes the best hotdish—a dish similar to what other states call a casserole, but is indisputably better. You can download video from the event here and here. Participants’ recipes can be found here. You can find photos of the competition here. Rep. Betty McCollum’s “Hotdish A-Hmong Friends” was named the winner of the 2019 Hotdish Off after a blind taste
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Introduces Bipartisan Bills to Invest in Rural Communities
WASHINGTON D.C. [04/04/2019]— This week, U.S. Senator Tina Smith helped introduce a pair of bipartisan bills to expand investments in rural communities: one designed to help improve rural broadband, and one to improve rural health care. Sen. Smith has been contacted by several Minnesota cooperatives—which are a vital part of the effort to build out rural broadband in the state—that are at risk of losing their tax-exempt status due to a mistake in the 2017 tax law. The mistake in the 2017 law put the tax-exempt status of co-ops at risk if they receive government grants to expand broadband or
English