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
Sen. Tina Smith Introduces Bill to Help Tribal Communities Address Opioid Epidemic
Ahead of a Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing today on the opioid crisis in Indian Country, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith introduced a bill to help tribal communities in Minnesota and across the country access the resources they need to support people who are struggling with mental illness or substance use disorders. Tribal communities have been hit hard by the opioid epidemic. According to a leading health agency, American Indians and Alaska Natives experience the highest drug overdose death rates. However, many tribal communities don’t have the resources they need to tackle this public health crisis. Sen. Smith’s Native Behavioral Health Access
Sen. Tina Smith Presses Veterans Department to Explain Life-Endangering Failures in New Digital Health System
U.S. Sen. Tina Smith called on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to explain several serious issues with a digital health system designed for clinics and hospitals that treat millions of veterans and service members. The system, which is being tested right now at a handful of military hospitals and is set to be scaled up nationwide in the years to come, has been mired so far by glitches and dangerous errors that put patients at risk. According to a report from Politico, the initial rollout of the MHS Genesis EHR system has resulted in substantial slowdowns, serious medical errors, and a
Senator Tina Smith Urges Agriculture Department to Hear From Minnesotans as Part of Fight to Combat Opioid Epidemic
U.S. Senator Tina Smith is continuing her push to address the opioid epidemic by calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to host a rural opioid misuse roundtable in Minnesota. This comes after introducing a bill last week to help tribes across the country access the resources they need to address mental health and substance use disorders. Earlier this month, the USDA announced it will be holding a series of monthly meetings on opioids in Pennsylvania, Utah, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Maine. Sen. Smith understands the toll the opioid and drug overdose epidemic is having on families and rural communities across Minnesota, and that’s
Sen. Tina Smith Ramps up Workforce Development Efforts; Plans to Author Legislation after Gathering Minnesota Input
Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith announced that over the next two weeks she will be traveling across the state to talk with Minnesotans about expanding workforce development opportunities. Sen. Smith said there are many good-paying jobs that don’t require a four-year college degree or taking on loads of student debt. At a series of upcoming meetings, she’ll talk about these jobs while also gathering input from students, community leaders, businesses, and local schools about addressing workforce preparedness issues like the “skills gap.” Once she gets back to Washington, Sen. Smith will author legislation—based on her meetings—to help as many Minnesotans as
English