Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Applauds Senate Passage of Her Bipartisan Bill to Help Small Businesses Access Capital, Create Jobs in Rural America
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) applauded the Senate’s passage of her bipartisan Expanding Access to Capital for Rural Job Creators Act. The legislation, which is co-led by Senator John Kennedy (R-LA), would help eliminate hurdles small businesses in rural areas disproportionately face when they try to access capital. “Access to capital is essential to the economic health and growth of rural communities in Minnesota and across the country,” said Sen. Smith. “Rural small businesses often face disproportionate obstacles when trying to secure capital to develop and grow their businesses. This legislation would help rural small businesses overcome these hurdles and strengthen our rural economies.” Access to capital is critical for starting and expanding rural small businesses, which often face a disproportionate number of obstacles when seeking capital investment. This bipartisan legislation, the Expanding Access to Capital for Rural Job Creators Act, would require the Securities and Exchange Commission to submit annual reports on the unique challenges small businesses in rural areas face when trying to secure capital. The report would outline roadblocks and identify solutions to ensure rural small businesses, and the local economies they support, are able to develop and grow. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) also cosponsored the legislation.
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Legislation to Tackle Drug Shortages, Improve Public Health Preparedness Advances Through Key Committee
WASHINGTON, D.C. [8.4.23] –U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that two of her legislative priorities, aimed at addressing drug shortages and improving public health preparedness, took a major step forward. “Drug shortages are hurting patients, pharmacists, and physicians across the country,” said Senator Smith. “I have heard directly from Minnesotans who are facing shortages of ADHD medications like Adderall, cancer-fighting drugs for chemotherapy, among other things. These drug shortages can be life-threatening, and I’ve made it a priority to tackle this problem. In addition, I’m focused on ensuring we are prepared for future public health threats. My bipartisan legislation will improve the FDA’s responsiveness when medication demand outpaces the supply, and help improve our ability to rapidly develop and distribute diagnostic tests in the event of a disease outbreak. I’m glad to see these priorities included in this important legislation.” The Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Response Act is essential legislation that reauthorizes key public health and emergency preparedness programs. Current funding expires on September 30th. Millions of Americans have been affected by shortages of chemotherapy drugs, commonly-used antibiotics, pediatric formulations of medications like ibuprofen, and other essential drugs. Pieces of Senator Smith’s legislation, which have been included in the reauthorization, will help address these shortages and bolster public health preparedness. Senator Smith’s provisions include:
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
Sen. Tina Smith Tells Senate Agriculture Committee Leaders that Farm Bill Energy Programs Are Key to Reviving Lagging Farm Economy
WASHINGTON, D.C [06/04/18]—As the Senate prepares to begin work on the 2018 Farm Bill, U.S Senator Tina Smith, today told the leaders of the Senate Agriculture Committee that expanded use of renewable fuels and increased investment in rural energy programs will be key to creating jobs and reviving the nation’s lagging farm economy. In a letter Monday to Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS), and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Sen. Smith, led a bipartisan group of a committee members in calling for improvements and strong funding in the program’s that make up the Energy section of the Farm Bill when
Sen. Tina Smith and Colleagues Introduce Bill to Ensure Trump Administration Complies with Buy America Laws
WASHINGTON, D.C. [06/06/18]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) introduced legislation alongside five of her colleagues that requires federal agencies to publicly release reports on their compliance with and options to improve our nation’s Buy America laws. “I believe that taxpayer funds should go to U.S. companies to create American jobs, not overseas to foreign companies. Families across the country deserve to know the truth about how their taxpayer dollars are being used,” Sen. Smith said. “By making sure federal agencies issue public reports on their compliance with Buy America laws, Minnesotans and lawmakers alike will be able to judge for themselves who
Sen. Tina Smith in First Senate Floor Speech: “When Women Are Empowered to Contribute, We All Benefit”
WASHINGTON, D.C. [06/05/18]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith delivered her first Senate floor speech. In her remarks, Sen. Smith talked about the path that brought her to the Senate, and some of the injustices that hold women back—many of which start in Washington. You can download video of Sen. Smith’s speech here, and a photo of Sen. Smith, her husband Archie, and her father Harlan here. “My presence here in the Senate will always be seen by some as a symbol of the ‘broader conversation’ we’re having about the experience of women in America,” said Sen. Smith. “And so I thought I’d give my perspective
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