Latest Releases
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Amy Klobuchar Lead Push to Reinstate Energy Projects for Farmers, Small Businesses
Sixteen Senators are demanding the Trump Administration reverse canceling the bipartisan Rural Energy for America Program WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) and Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) led fourteen colleagues in demanding the Trump Administration re-commit to funding energy projects across rural America through the bipartisan Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). In 2022 alone, REAP projects saved enough energy and generated enough energy to power over 250,000 homes. Roughly 70% of those projects could be deemed ineligible under the Administration’s new arbitrary restrictions. “Unleashing American energy and supporting American farmers are stated priorities of the Trump Administration. But this change would stifle American energy and hurt our farmers, who are already dealing with increasing costs of operation and uncertain access to markets. At a time like this, it is unconscionable to discourage the use of cost- and energy-saving wind and solar technologies that help to keep their businesses afloat” wrote the Senators. “A REAP program that helps rural Americans invest in the best energy solution for them is a win for farmers’ bottom line and for the lands that they steward. We urge you to remove these new restrictions on REAP,” Senators concluded. On August 18th, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced they will be restricting assistance for wind and solar projects previously authorized under REAP. The move will hurt the deployment of cheaper, cleaner energy projects at a time when rural energy costs continue to rise. The REAP program was authorized in
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Delivers Floor Speech Remembering Annunciation School Shooting Victims, Pushes for Congress to Pass Gun Safety Legislation
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Tina Smith delivered a speech on the floor of the United States Senate after the tragic shooting at Annunciation Catholic School last week. You can watch Sen. Smith’s floor speech here. You can read Sen. Smith’s remarks as delivered below: Mr. President, I stand before this body trying to make sense of the terrible shooting at Annunciation Catholic School just a couple of miles from where Archie and I live in Minneapolis. And I can’t. I can’t make it make sense. You know, I know this neighborhood really well. I’ve lived in and around it for many, many years. And I also know Annunciation School. Mr. President, Annunciation School is one of those places where, whether your kids go there or not, it’s two degrees of separation from everybody that you would know. If it’s not your child, it’s someone you know — their niece, their nephew, their grandchild, their child. And here in Annunciation Catholic School on a fall morning, sweet children were gunned down when they went to mass to celebrate the beginning of the school year, and their sense of peace and safety was shattered like the church windows that the bullets flew through. Fletcher Merkel was eight years old. His dad said that Fletcher had an infectious smile, and he danced with every touchdown he scored in flag football. He loved his family and his friends, and he loved fishing and cooking. Harper Moyski was ten. Her parents say that she was
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Leads Senate Agriculture Subcommittee Hearing on Expanding Opportunities for Beginning Farmers
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.), chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade, led a hearing focused on opportunities to support new and emerging farmers. According to the most recent Census of Agriculture, the average age of a producer in the United States is now 58, and in Minnesota it is 57. One of the witnesses who spoke at the hearing about challenges faced by beginning farmers was Tessa Parks, Minnesota native and owner and operator of W.T. Farms in Northfield. Tessa is a young, first-generation farmer of color who, along with her
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Demands Accountability from USPS Leadership Following Damning Report on Postal Failures in Minnesota
WASHINGTON, D.C. [5.29.24] – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith sent a scathing letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, following a United States Postal Service (USPS) Inspector General (OIG) report that reveals severe management failures contributing to critical postal service disruptions in Bemidji and the broader Minnesota-North Dakota District, including around 80,000 pieces of delayed mail. Senator Smith is calling for immediate action to address these failures and restore reliable postal service for Minnesotans. The OIG report reveals that the Bemidji Post Office only had eight days warning before their package volume doubled and Postal Service management failed to confirm that the facility had
Klobuchar, Smith Secure Funding for the Boys & Girls Club of Rochester
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that they secured $250,000 in funding in the Fiscal Year 2024 federal budget for the Boys & Girls Club of Rochester’s Off-site Program Expansion project. This expansion will double the number of K-12 students served by the Rochester Boys & Girls Club. “Nonprofits like the Boys & Girls Club of Rochester offer important resources for kids to improve their academics and lead healthy lives,” said Klobuchar. “With the resources we secured, the Boys & Girls Club will be able to fund their expansion project to meet the needs of the
Klobuchar, Smith Secure Funding for Projects to Benefit Scott County
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that they secured federal funding in the Fiscal Year 2024 federal budget for projects to benefit Scott County and surrounding areas. These projects will invest in public trails, workforce development, and mental health services. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Angie Craig (D-MN). “From building a trail in Prior Lake to investing in workforce development in Shakopee, we worked with local leaders to secure resources for important community initiatives,” said Klobuchar. “Once completed, these projects will improve career opportunities, mental health care, and public outdoor recreation
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