Latest Releases
Smith, Klobuchar Demand Answers from Secretary of the Interior Regarding Mass Firing of National Park Employees
WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) sent a letter to the Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum, expressing deep concern about his decision to abruptly fire more than 2,000 employees at the Department of the Interior (DOI). Reporting indicates that these mass layoffs came at the behest of Elon Musk and his “Department of Government Efficiency” directive to fire probationary federal employees. The Senators highlighted the risks that these mass firings could have on the ability of the National Park Service (NPS) to maintain public safety and demanded transparency about the seemingly random criteria NPS used to determine who was fired. This letter comes on the heels of a Minnesota Star Tribune report that asserted the already short-staffed team at Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota is now facing devastating cuts to staff that could impact Park services for visitors. Further, just hours after the Senators’ letter, Republican Senators voted down a Smith- and Klobuchar-backed measure that would have allowed for the restoration of the terminated National Park Service employees. “Park Rangers keep us safe in some of Minnesota’s most wild and extreme areas, including Voyageurs National Park,” said Sen. Smith. “When your boat gets stranded on a remote lake, it’s the Park Rangers who come to your rescue. Elon Musk just indiscriminately fired Minnesotans who have devoted their careers to maintaining our treasured public lands for future generations and keeping parks open and safe for visitors. Musk doesn’t know the first thing about what Voyageurs National Park
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Kevin Cramer, John Fetterman and Katie Britt Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Domestic Bus Manufacturing
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) led her colleagues Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND), John Fetterman (D-PA) and Katie Britt (R-AL) in reintroducing bipartisan legislation to cut red tape and strengthen the domestic bus manufacturing industry by providing more flexibility for local transit systems when purchasing buses. Current U.S. standards impose outdated, 40-year-old payment practices on our bus manufacturers and purchasers, which result in unnecessarily high costs. Many domestic bus manufacturers have gone bankrupt or left the market, despite high demand for new vehicles. The Bus Rolling Stock Modernization Act would help fix this problem.The legislation allows bus purchasers to make advanced payments up to 20%, which will help manufacturers to keep costs down. “Each day, transit systems connect Minnesotans to their jobs, schools, and countless other opportunities – all while reducing traffic congestion,” said Senator Smith. “This bill makes a commonsense update to current practice by cutting unnecessary red tape and strengthen the domestic bus manufacturing market. This small change will also support U.S. bus manufacturing jobs, get more buses into service, and help Americans get to their work, school, and health care appointments more easily.” “Our legislation cuts unnecessary red tape, allowing bus manufacturers across America to invest in their production capacity,” said Senator Cramer. “This commonsense change provides greater flexibility for North Dakota’s local transit agencies and directly benefits manufacturers like Motor Coach Industries in Pembina.” “Our Alabama manufacturers provide the transit that connects our rural communities and our largest cities. I want to ensure people across our great state continue to have access to high-quality, American-made vehicles that allow them to travel safely and efficiently to work, school, the
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Announces Significant Investment to Help Minnesota Veterans Pursue Careers in Agriculture
WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/19/22] — U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, announced $750,000 in federal funding to support training, mentorship and other opportunities for veterans looking to transition into agricultural careers. The investments will create jobs and strengthen Minnesota’s agricultural workforce by providing hands-on training and mentorship for veterans pursuing opportunities in agriculture and agribusiness. “The men and women who serve our country deserve our utmost respect. That means when they come home, they get the benefits and care they earned and have the opportunities and training they need to pursue good jobs,” said Sen.
Klobuchar, Smith, Stauber Urge Navy to Name New Ship for the City of Duluth, in recognition of the USS Duluth
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) and Representative Pete Stauber (R-MN) urged the U.S. Navy to name a new landing platform dock (LPD) amphibious ship in honor of the USS Duluth LPD-6, which was commissioned in 1965 and decommissioned in 2005 and originally named for the city of Duluth. “We write to urge you to consider naming a new LPD amphibious ship for the city of Duluth, Minnesota and in honor of the USS Duluth LPD-6, which was commissioned in 1965 and decommissioned in 2005. The USS Duluth served for nearly 40 years and, whatever
Klobuchar, Smith, Grassley Statements on Passage of Bipartisan Legislation to Rename Federal Building in Minneapolis After Senator Paul Wellstone
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tina Smith (D-MN) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) released the statements below on the House passage of their bipartisan legislation to rename the Federal Building in Minneapolis the “Paul D. Wellstone Federal Building,” in honor of the legacy of the late Senator Paul Wellstone (D-MN). The bill passed the Senate unanimously earlier this month and now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law. “From his passionate advocacy for better mental health care to his leadership on civil rights, Paul Wellstone showed that public service is really about improving people’s lives,” said
U.S. Senator Tina Smith on the Arrest of Sam Bankman-Fried
WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/13/22] — Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) released the following statement in response to the arrest and indictment of Sam Bankman-Fried: “In this country, people are free to invest or bet their money however they want to. But they deserve to know that the market is fair and the rules protect them from bad actors, so they aren’t getting ripped off. “Looking at the charges brought against Sam Bankman-Fried, it’s hard not to conclude that he and his crypto organizations ran roughshod over the market rules protecting consumers. That’s flatly wrong and he needs to answer for what
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