Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on USPS Inspector General’s Troubling Report on St. Paul and South Metro Mail Service
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) released the following statement in response to the USPS Inspector General’s report that found glaring issues at the St. Paul Processing and Distribution Center and post offices in Eagan, New Brighton and Apple Valley: “The Postal Service Inspector General’s audit reports on St. Paul and south Metro mail service are alarming and confirm what we’ve been hearing from constituents. Delayed mail and failures to report it, package delivery issues, and systemic understaffing are just the beginning. Minnesotans have been raising the alarm that mail service isn’t as reliable as it needs to be, but the Postal Service continues to act like everything is working as it should. This report confirms the reports of hundreds of Minnesotans that there are deep and systemic issues in the state. In December, I asked the Inspector General to expand the scope of their investigations in Minnesota so we can get to the bottom of these issues, and I am grateful that they will do so in the coming months,” said Senator Smith. Senator Smith has frequently raised the alarm on persistent mail delays and reports of hazardous work conditions for mail carriers, pressing Postmaster Louis DeJoy for answers on how USPS plans to remedy these issues. Most recently, Senator Smith called on the Inspector General to conduct a full audit of the Minnesota-North Dakota District, which the Inspector General’s office announced they will soon begin. The full results of the Inspector General’s audit can be
Klobuchar, Smith Announce New Federal Funding to Increase Access to Biofuels
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced significant federal funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to install E15 dispensers at fueling stations located in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, and South Dakota to increase the availability of domestic biofuels and give drivers cleaner, more affordable fuel options. Gas stations and distribution facilities in Alexandria, Annandale, Belgrade, Crookston, Hoffman, Moorhead, Paynesville, and Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, will receive funding. The Department is making the awards through the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP), which was made possible with funding from Klobuchar and Senator Joni Ernst’s (R-IA) Biofuel Infrastructure and Agricultural Product Market Expansion Act, which was included as part of a larger legislative package in 2022. “Domestically produced biofuel strengthens our energy independence, supports farmers, and cuts costs for families,” said Klobuchar. “My bill with Senator Ernst, the Biofuel Infrastructure and Agricultural Product Market Expansion Act, unlocked this funding to help bring affordable biofuels to more local gas stations and help drivers save money.” “Biofuels offer us a clean, renewable, and homegrown pathway to transition away from fossil fuels,” said Smith. “Minnesota is already a leader in biofuels production, and this investment from the Inflation Reduction Act will further spur an industry that America relies on for energy independence, drivers rely on for lower gas prices, and farmers rely on for new streams of income. We’re reducing harmful emissions while creating more economic opportunity in rural areas.”These grants will reduce out-of-pocket costs for transportation fueling and distribution facilities to install and upgrade biofuel-related infrastructure
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Pushes for Service Members to Receive Owed Student Loan Benefits
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/16/2019]—United States Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) is pushing to get servicemembers the student loan payments they have been incorrectly denied under existing law. In a letter to Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, Sen. Smith expressed her support for a proposed “matching agreement” with the Department of Education which would enable servicemembers to automatically get the refunds they are owed. The letter was led by Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). “The new matching agreement should allow all eligible servicemembers and veterans-including those who were formerly eligible-to automatically receive refunds for any interest amounts that they
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Helps Push Bill to Ensure Pregnant Mothers Can Get Affordable Health Care Both During and After Pregnancy
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/15/19]– U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) today joined an effort to ensure that all expectant mothers get the health care services they need both during and after pregnancy by cosponsoring the Healthy Maternal and Obstetric Medicine (Healthy MOM) Act. Sen. Smith said the measure would ensure that all women eligible for coverage through the Affordable Care Act insurance marketplaces, as well as women eligible for other individual or group health plan coverage, can access affordable health coverage throughout their pregnancies. Currently, marriage, divorce, having a baby, adoption and changing jobs are considered a qualifying life event that
U.S. Senator Tina Smith in Senate Speech: “Why I’m Sharing My Experience with Depression”
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/15/19]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) took to the Senate floor to share her own mental health story as part of her push to make access to mental health care for Minnesotans and Americans a top priority. In her speech, Sen. Smith—a member of the Senate Health Committee—shared her own experiences with depression earlier in life, and highlighted the need to provide mental health support to people at every age across the nation in both rural and urban areas, no matter what zip code they live in. “That’s my story. Really, it’s the story of millions of
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Calls for Action to Protect Homebuyers from Predatory Lending
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/13/19]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) is calling on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)—to improve protections for Minnesotans and Americans purchasing manufactured homes, after hearing from multiple consumer advocates that unwitting home buyers are often steered toward higher-cost loans. Sen. Smith—a member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs—and eight of her Senate colleagues highlighted the lack of transparency manufactured homebuyers face when it comes to lending practices in a letter to CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger. The letter was led by Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.). “Typically, the majority of consumers who have not
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