Latest Releases
Senators Tina Smith, Amy Klobuchar, and Representative Angie Craig Press Postal Service for Answers on Mail Carriers’ Missing Paychecks
WASHINGTON, D.C. [09/25/23] — Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Amy Klobuchar, and U.S. Representative Angie Craig (all D-Minn.) sent a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy seeking answers about an apparent payroll system error that led to an estimated 53,000 rural letter carriers missing or receiving only a partial paycheck on September 1. After hearing from Minnesotans affected by the error, the lawmakers pressed DeJoy on the Postal Service’s insufficient response to their significant error, and demanded immediate back pay for the impacted workers. “Rural letter carriers – including carrier assistants – are essential workers whose services are critical to small towns and rural places in Minnesota and around the country,” wrote the lawmakers in their letter. “As you know, these carriers deliver medications to veterans, bills to seniors, and support businesses large and small, all for relatively modest pay. Like a lot of American families, many rural letter carriers can’t afford a missed paycheck. We understand that USPS offered affected employees the option to receive a salary advance in the form of a money order at 65 percent of gross pay. However, that is an insufficient proposal that fails to address the scope of these employees’ needs, and does not demonstrate a commitment to getting these workers the pay they earned.” In their letter, Smith, Klobuchar, and Craig called for DeJoy to answer the following questions by September 30, 2023: You can access a full copy of the letter here.
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Announces Significant Federal Funding to Combat Extreme Heat, Create More Green Spaces in Minnesota
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) announced over $33 million in federal funding to plant and maintain trees, combat extreme heat and climate change, and improve access to nature in cities, towns, and suburbs throughout Minnesota. The funding is made possible through the Inflation Reduction Act, which Smith helped pass. “As climate change fuels record-breaking heat waves across the country, we need to be doing more to increase tree cover and improve access to nature,” said Smith. “Extreme heat strains our energy systems and has negative effects on public health and overall well-being. These investments, made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, will increase access to green spaces and help communities become more resilient to extreme heat thanks to the cooling effects of tree cover.” The grants are made possible by investments from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate investment in history. Studies show that trees in communities are associated with improved physical and mental health, lower average temperatures during extreme heat, and increased food security, and create new economic opportunities. This historic funding will help support projects that increase tree cover in disadvantaged communities, provide equitable access to the benefits of nature, and deliver tangible economic and ecological benefits to Minnesota. The grants include:
Sens. Smith, Jones, Rounds Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Rural Health Care
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/22/18]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith joined Senators Doug Jones (D-Ala.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) to introduce bipartisan legislation—the Rural Health Liaison Act—to better coordinate rural health resources across the federal government and improve health care delivery for Minnesotans and people across the country living in rural areas. The Rural Health Liaison Act would create a liaison within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) responsible for working with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and other agencies on rural health issues. You can learn more about the bill by clicking here. “When I meet with farmers, and rural business and community
Sen. Tina Smith Leads 23 Senators in Calling to Protect Minor Children Left Alone When Parents are Arrested or Detained By U.S. Immigration Officials
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/23/18]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith introduced legislation—also supported by Minnesota colleague Sen. Amy Klobuchar—that would protect the safety and well-being of minor children who have been left alone and vulnerable after their parents have been arrested or detained by U.S. immigration authorities. Sen. Smith believes the Humane Enforcement and Legal Protections (HELP) for Separated Children Act is necessary because in the past children have been abandoned at home or at school after their parents’ detention, often without information about their parents’ location and without adequate arrangements for their care. She understands that with the Trump administration reportedly seeking to step up
Sen. Tina Smith Continues Fighting for Ag with Support for Bill to Safely Transport Livestock
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/25/18]—U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) is supporting bipartisan legislation—the Transporting Livestock Across America Safely Act—to give drivers more flexibility during their trips and better protect the safety of livestock, especially in the hot summer months and cold Minnesota winters. Currently, the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires haulers to turn on an electronic logging device in their trucks when they reach a certain point from where they originally picked up their livestock. From that point on, haulers must track their on-duty time before taking a mandatory extended rest period. This extended rest period puts
Sen. Tina Smith Leads Bipartisan Call to Extend Enrollment Period for Margin Protection Program to Help Dairy Farmers in Minnesota, Across the Country
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/31/18]—Today, U.S Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) led a bipartisan effort—joined by Sen. Amy Klobuchar—to help more dairy farmers in Minnesota and across the country by calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to extend the June 1 deadline to enroll in the improved Margin Protection Program (MPP), which helps dairy producers weather difficult years and prevent further losses on their farms and in the rural communities they support. The MPP was created in the last Farm Bill in order to give farmers more stability as milk or feed prices change, but improvements were needed as milk prices
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