Latest Releases
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Amy Klobuchar, Congresswoman Angie Craig Press Trump Administration for Answers on Frozen Energy Projects for Rural Minnesota
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig (D-MN02) are pressing the Trump Administration about the continued confusion surrounding key clean energy projects that help Minnesota farmers and small businesses lower their costs. This freezing of federal funding has hurt many farmers and small business owners’ bottom lines, especially those that put up their own money expecting to be reimbursed by the federal government. Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) funding is specifically set aside for agricultural producers and rural small businesses to install renewable, clean energy systems, or to make their operations more energy efficient. Example projects include installing energy efficient grain dryers, LED lighting and heat mats for livestock, solar panels, or energy efficient heating and cooling systems. “We write to express our deep concern over reports that hundreds of contracted awards under the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) remain frozen and inaccessible to Minnesota farmers and rural small businesses,” wrote the lawmakers. “This back and forth from the Department on a critical program has created a lot of uncertainty for rural communities in Minnesota.” “Since its inception in the bipartisan Farm Bill in 2008, REAP has provided grants and loans that have helped more than 21,000 farms and rural businesses nationwide access affordable, renewable energy and energy efficiency systems,” the lawmakers continued. “Farmers have invested thousands of their own dollars into these projects because they are counting on the Federal government to uphold its commitments. At a time when the cost of operations is high
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith Denounce Trump Administration’s Withholding of $20 Million in Head Start Funding for Minnesota Preschools, Early Childhood Education Centers
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) denounced the Trump Administration for withholding nearly $20 million dollars in Head Start funding from Minnesota and vowed to push back against any attempt to shutter the program. Over 10,000 children in Minnesota access early childhood education and preschool with support from Head Start. Head Start programs serve all geographic regions of the state, but predominantly serve children in Greater Minnesota. The funding is being withheld as the Administration moves to close five Head Start regional offices, including the office that serves Minnesota. Reports indicate the Trump Administration hopes to shutter the Head Start program in their upcoming budget. “The Administration is doubling down on threats to eliminate Head Start, which provides more than 10,000 kids in Minnesota with pre-school and child care. After the Administration withheld nearly $20 million in federal funds and closed Head Start regional offices, pre-schools across the country have already been forced to shutter – hurting our children, working parents, and local economies,” said Senator Klobuchar. “We need to invest in our kids, and we will continue to fight back against this effort to take away child care.” “In the hierarchy of terrible ideas, this one is pretty high up there. Whenever I’m travelling the state, whether it be the Northland, Greater Minnesota or the Metro, nowhere do I hear that we have too much funding for early childhood education. In fact, I hear the exact opposite. And withholding Head Start funding only makes the situation worse,” said Senator Smith. “These are 10,000 children and their families that rely on Head Start to care
Senator Smith, Colleagues Call on Fed to Strengthen Rules for Banks with Assets Over $100 Billion
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Angus King (I-Maine), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) wrote the Vice Chair for Supervision of the Federal Reserve (Fed) Michael Barr, calling on him to exercise the Fed’s authority to apply stronger regulation and supervision to banks with assets totaling $100 to $250 billion. “The fall of both SVB and Signature, the near-crash of First Republic, and the struggles of other regional banks shed new
Klobuchar, Smith Announce Judicial Selection Committee for Vacancy on Federal District Court
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced the formation of a judicial selection committee to assist them in making recommendations to President Biden to fill a vacancy on Minnesota’s federal district court. The vacancy was created by Judge John R. Tunheim’s decision to assume senior status. The selection committee will include Leslie Beiers, Chief Judge of the Minnesota Sixth Judicial District and former Assistant St. Louis County Attorney; Susan Segal, Chief Judge of the Minnesota Court of Appeals; Abou Amara, Associate at Gustafson Gluek PLLC and Vice President of the Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers;
Smith Joins Senate Leaders Urging Biden to Address Our Nation’s Affordable Housing Crisis
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN), Chair of the Senate Banking and Housing Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development joined Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and 15 Senate Committee Chairs in a letter to President Biden requesting that the federal government utilize a “whole-of-government” approach to address our nation’s housing needs. “Our nation’s housing is an essential piece of our infrastructure, but it is a sector that remains in crisis,” wrote the Senators. “With the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act, we took decisive steps to address many of our nation’s infrastructure deficiencies. However, more
Senator Tina Smith Joins Colleagues in Introducing Bipartisan Bill to Combat Mislabeling of Non-Dairy Products
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s proposed guidance last week allowing nut, oat, soy, and other non-dairy products to use the name “milk,” Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) joined Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jim Risch (R-ID), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Peter Welch (D-VT) in introducing bipartisan legislation to combat the unfair practice of mislabeling non-dairy products using dairy names. The Defending Against Imitations and Replacements of Yogurt, milk, and cheese to Promote Regular Intake of Dairy Everyday Act (DAIRY PRIDE Act) of 2023 would require non-dairy products made from nuts, seeds, plants, and algae to no longer
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