Latest Releases
Senators Smith, Merkley, Colleagues Sound Alarm on Unlawful Charges for PrEP Patients
Washington, D.C. [9.8.22] – Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) led a group of their colleagues in a letter pushing health insurance companies to explain their continued practice of unlawfully charging people for PrEP, a popular drug that’s prescribed to prevent HIV. The Senators’ letter follows a deeply flawed court ruling on Wednesday that further threatens access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) on the basis of religious freedom. As the legal process moves forward, the Senators pressed the health insurance industry to abide by current law to provide medication and ancillary services without charge. “It has been brought to our attention that enrollees in your members’ health plans continue to be charged for necessary medications and ancillary services—including provider consultations and laboratory services—contrary to law and additional federal guidance issued by the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury,” wrote the Senators. “We write to express our deep concern with these erroneous and unlawful charges, and to request additional information on steps that AHIP is taking to ensure that its members adhere to federal law and ensure the PrEP drugs and the full scope of PrEP ancillary services are offered without charge to enrollees.” A 2019 ruling by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) gave PrEP an “A” rating as prevention intervention for people at risk of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). This ruling brought PrEP under section 2713 of the Public Health Service Act, which requires insurance coverage for services or interventions that have
Senators Klobuchar, Smith Announce Significant Investment in Rochester Travel and Tourism Industry
WASHINGTON, [09/08/2022] – Today, Senators Klobuchar and Smith announced nearly half a million dollars in federal investment that will support the travel and tourism industry in Rochester. Specifically, the investment will support the city of Rochester with building renovations and improvements to the Mayo Civic Center and the Historic Chateau Theatre. The project will support around 300 jobs while boosting the tourism industry and advancing economic resilience in the region. The investment is made possible by the American Rescue Plan, which Klobuchar and Smith helped pass earlier this year. “This funding will create good-paying jobs and make infrastructure improvements to the Mayo Civic Center and Historic Chateau Theater, two venues in the heart of downtown Rochester,” said Sen. Klobuchar. “As co-chair of the Senate Travel and Tourism Caucus, I’ll keep fighting to ensure that Rochester’s tourism industry has the resources it needs to thrive.” “The travel and tourism industry is starting to bounce back after a tough few years, but many small businesses are still hurting from the pandemic,” said Sen. Smith. “These improvements to the Mayo Civic Center and the Historic Chateau Theatre will help accelerate the recovery of the travel and tourism industry in Rochester and support economic activity and jobs in the area. I’m proud of our work to pass the American Rescue Plan, which made investments like these possible.” The $468,699 investment is part of the Travel, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation program, funded through the American Rescue Plan. The program is designed to help accelerate the
U.S. Sens. Smith, Durbin, Cramer, Cassidy’s Call to FDA: Price of Insulin is “Unacceptable” and Action is Needed to Bring Generics to Market
Senators Urge FDA to Revise Recent Policy Changes That Would Prevent Lower-Cost Insulin Products From Coming to Market WASHINGTON, D.C. [03/04/2019]—U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), recently urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reverse course on changes the agency has proposed that would make it harder for lower-cost, generic insulin products to come to market. Today, Eli Lilly—one of only three insulin manufacturers in the United States—announced that the company will sell a half-price version of its most popular insulin. While Sen. Smith is glad Eli Lilly is
U.S. Sens. Klobuchar, Smith Press Trump to Immediately Extend Deadline for Thousands of Liberians Who Risk Deportation
Senators Join Group of More Than 50 members of Congress In Urging Extension of Temporary Status WASHINGTON, D.C. [03/05/19]—U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) pressed President Trump to immediately reverse an order he gave last year that could deport thousands of native Liberians living lawfully in Minnesota and across the country back to their troubled nation as soon as March 31. The Senators said Trump’s 2018 order to end the temporary status, known as Deferred Enforced Departure (DED), for Liberians living in the United States would hurt thousands of people—many of whom fled their country to escape civil war more
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Fights to Protect Veterans’ Economic Security
Bipartisan Reform Amends Current Bankruptcy Law to Better Support Veterans and Their Families Experiencing Financial Hardship WASHINGTON, D.C. [03/07/19]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) pushed for reforms to current bankruptcy law in order to protect veterans experiencing financial hardship in Minnesota and across the country. The bipartisan Honoring American Veterans in Extreme Need (HAVEN) Act, led by Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) and John Cornyn (R-Tex.) excludes Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense disability benefits from veterans’ monthly income calculations, preventing those funds from being taken by creditors. “Disability benefits are not a luxury. They are essential for ensuring veterans are compensated for serving our country and making sacrifices,” said Sen. Smith.
U.S. Senators Klobuchar, Smith Fight to Expand Child Tax Credit to Increase Economic Opportunity for Families in Minnesota, Across the Nation
Senators Support Legislation to Improve Child Tax Credit, Reduce Child Poverty WASHINGTON, D.C. [03/07/19]—Minnesota’s U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith said today that they are pushing a new tax cut measure that will not only put more money in the pockets of families raising children, but also cut child poverty by an estimated 38 percent in Minnesota and across the country. The American Family Act of 2019—led by Sens. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) would increase the Child Tax Credit to $3,000 per child, with an additional $600 per-year credit for children under six. Further, the measure would make the tax credit fully refundable to allow all families to claim
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