Latest Releases
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
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Reintroduces Legislation to Support Sustainable Workplace Retirement Plans
WASHINGTON, D.C. [02/16/23]— Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) reintroduced legislation to provide legal certainty to workplace retirement plans that choose to consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in their investment decisions or offer ESG investment options. “Sustainable investment options are good for retirees and good for our environment—that’s a win-win,” said Sen. Smith, a member of the Senate Banking Committee. “I’m putting forth this legislation because we know there’s a growing demand for sustainable investing, and Congress should act now to provide the legal certainty necessary to make sure workplace retirement plans are able to offer these options to workers across the country.” Despite considerable demand for sustainable investment options, relatively few workplace retirement plans, such as pensions and 401(k) plans, take sustainable investing principles into account in their investment decisions or provide sustainable investment options to workers. This is the case even though many workers and retirees want their plans to do so. One of the primary issues hindering plans that want to offer sustainable investment options is an uncertain and regularly changing legal environment. Under the Trump Administration, the Department of Labor issued a rule that imposed new limits on the consideration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors by workplace retirement plans. That rule was rescinded and replaced last year, once again allowing plans to invest sustainably. However, the new rule is currently subject to a legal challenge and is the target of a Congressional Review Act resolution. The Freedom to Invest in a Sustainable Future Act
Sen. Tina Smith Says 2010 Supreme Court Decision to Allow Secretive, Unregulated Money to Influence U.S. Elections is Imperiling U.S. Democracy
WASHINGTON, D.C. [06/13/18]—U.S Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said the 2010 Supreme Court ruling that allowed a torrent of secretive, unregulated money to influence American political campaigns should be reversed because it is giving unknown wealthy donors outsized influence in elections and imperiling the nation’s democracy. In a Senate floor speech Tuesday, Smith pressed for enactment of a constitutional amendment to reverse the Court’s Citizens United decision and outlined several other campaign finance reforms to restore fairness to the political process. You can download a video of Sen. Smith’s speech by clicking here. “The sharp rise of secretive, unregulated money in politics means that we
Sen. Tina Smith Introduces Bill to Allow Tribal Governments to Determine How Programs to Combat Hunger Best Serve Indian Country
WASHINGTON D.C. [06/12/18]—Ahead of this week’s first Senate consideration of the Farm Bill, Senator Tina Smith—a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee—introduced legislation to allow tribes in Minnesota and across the country to have more control over how federal hunger programs are administered in their communities. Sen. Smith said her measure would give tribal governments a more active role in the administration of the USDA’s vital Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (commonly known as SNAP). Her bill would help make sure SNAP is administered in a culturally-appropriate way that promotes the health and economic well-being of tribal communities. Federal programs to combat
Sen. Tina Smith Helps Push Bipartisan Farm Bill Through Senate Agriculture Committee
WASHINGTON, D.C. [06/13/18]—U.S Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said the bipartisan Farm Bill she helped push through the Senate Agriculture Committee today is important not only for Minnesota farmers, ranchers and communities across the state – who will greatly benefit from the measure – but also for the state’s economy as a whole. The Committee’s action gets the Farm Bill over a major hurdle on its way to being signed into law. The legislation includes several measures authored and championed by Sen. Smith—including her legislative roadmap for the energy title of the Farm Bill,and her provision to expand access to much-needed broadband
Senator Tina Smith Calls for Answers and Action from Secretary DeVos After Teachers Forced to Foot Bill for Thousands in Promised Aid
WASHINGTON, D.C. [06/14/18]–Today, Senator Tina Smith pressed Education Secretary Betsy DeVos for action for teachers who are unfairly being forced to repay thousands of dollars for funds originally promised as grants. The TEACH Grant program promises up-front financial assistance for college students who commit to pursue teaching careers in high-need schools. If students do not fulfill the service requirements of the program, they are liable to pay back the grant money in full with interest—but reports indicate many teachers’ grants are being converted to loans erroneously, due to small errors in paperwork or even for seemingly no reason at all.
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