Latest Releases
U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar Announce Over $20 Million in Federal Funding to Preserve Affordable Housing
ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Chair of the Senate Housing Subcommittee, and Amy Klobuchar (both D-MN) announced over $20 million in federal funding for the Minnesota Housing Partnership (MHP) to preserve affordable housing in manufactured housing communities and support Tribal communities across the Upper Midwest. This funding, awarded through the Preservation and Reinvestment Initiative for Community Enhancement (PRICE) grants, will ensure long-term housing affordability, infrastructure improvements, and community redevelopment for residents in historically underserved areas. The funding will support MHP’s D.R.E.A.M. Initiative (Driving Resilience, Equity, and Affordability through Manufactured Housing), benefiting six Resident-Owned Communities of manufactured housing in Minnesota and Wisconsin, as well as 28 Tribal communities across the Upper Midwest. “Without a safe, decent place to live, nothing else in your life works. Manufactured housing communities are a critical source of affordable homeownership for families, but they’ve been historically overlooked and under supported,” said Senator Smith. “This investment will help preserve affordable housing, strengthen infrastructure, and support a variety of communities in Minnesota and across the Upper Midwest. By ensuring long-term affordability, we’re giving people the stability, security, and opportunity they deserve.” “Safe and affordable housing is essential for families and the health of our communities, but right now, for far too many, the housing market is inaccessible,” said Senator Klobuchar. “This grant provides critical resources to improve long-term affordability, upgrade infrastructure, and expand access to quality housing where it’s needed the most.” “Manufactured housing is an essential component of our nation’s housing system, providing stability for over 22 million Americans,” said Anne Mavity, Executive Director of MHP. “MHP
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Provision Reconnecting Community to Area Around Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock to Be Signed into Law
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) announced her provision, written along with Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN05) to expand community access to land around the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock, passed the Senate as part of the Water Resources Development Act and is expected to be signed into law. The provision directs the Army Corps of Engineers to minimize the space they use around the lock and dam as much as possible, while maintaining access for safety and maintenance purposes, to make room for the development of a public recreation space. Redevelopment for a recreational space is being led by Owámniyomni Okhódayapi, a Dakota-led non-profit. “Minnesotans value our lakes and rivers, and this provision recognizes that,” said Senator Smith. “This policy change is a key step to reopening the area around the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam for the community to enjoy while ensuring the lock and dam infrastructure continues protecting Minneapolis’ water supply and protecting Lake Superior from invasive carp.” ###
Klobuchar, Smith Lead Entire Minnesota Congressional Delegation in Urging Biden Administration to Approve Minnesota Request for Disaster Declaration
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) led the entire Minnesota Congressional delegation in urging the Biden administration to approve Minnesota’s requests for Major Disaster Declarations to assist communities recovering from historic storms and flooding. “We write to you in strong support of the state of Minnesota’s requests for Major Disaster Declarations under the Stafford Act to assist communities that are working to recover from severe weather this spring, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, high winds, and flooding. These natural disaster events have caused significant damage in our state, and we ask that you quickly grant approval
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on West Virginia v. EPA Supreme Court Decision
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) issued the following statement in response to the West Virginia v. EPA Supreme Court decision: “For more than fifty years, the Clean Air Act has reduced pollution and improved air quality and health for families in Minnesota and across the country. Fifteen years ago, a conservative-majority court correctly ruled that this law could be the basis for regulating greenhouse gases—a decision that was reaffirmed in a unanimous opinion in 2011. “And yet, just 11 years later, this activist Supreme Court disregarded years of precedent and sided with large polluters and conservative special interests by
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on U.S. Steel Investments in Minnesota Mines
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) issued the following statement in response to the news that U.S. Steel will invest $150 million to build a direct reduced iron (DRI) facility in Minnesota’s Iron Range: “This is huge news for the Range, and a big deal for ensuring the long-term future of iron mining in Minnesota. As the streel industry changes, Rangers innovate.” Today’s announcement follows similar moves by Cleveland Cliffs and will help to make sure that Minnesota iron continues to play a key role in the economy going forward.
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Leads U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Field Hearing on Infrastructure in Tribal Nations in Prior Lake
MINNESOTA — U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) chaired a productive field hearing for the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, focusing on how Tribal Nations can utilize funding through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Senator Smith helped pass this historic investment in our country’s infrastructure last fall. The hearing was hosted by Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community at the Mystic Lake Center in Prior Lake. Click here to access photos from the hearing. A video of the hearing will become available here. “I was so excited to bring this field hearing to Minnesota to take a firsthand look at how the work we do in Washington can have
English