Latest Releases
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Adam Schiff, and Colleagues Urge Housing and Urban Development Secretary to Fund Critical Homelessness Programs
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), top Democrat on the Senate Housing Subcommittee, and Adam Schiff (D-CA) led a letter to the Trump Administration demanding congressionally-appropriated funding for Continuum of Care (CoC) programs aimed at combatting homelessness is allowed to flow. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is required by law to obligate these funds no later than 45 days after the issuance of award letters, a deadline which passed on March 4, 2025. The Senators criticized the Trump administration for freezing this funding, creating unnecessary chaos amid a national housing crisis. There is a shortage of around 5 million housing units nationwide and nearly 43 million households pay for a rent or mortgage they cannot afford. HUD is the federal agency charged with combatting this crisis. The letter called out HUD for suddenly canceling technical assistance contracts and planning sweeping layoffs, actions which will exacerbate nationwide homelessness. “We urge you to take action to ensure the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will finish processing FY2024 funding and comply with the two-year funding cycle,” wrote the Senators, “We further urge you to restore HUD’s technical assistance contracts that are vital to CoC recipients in smaller communities.” “Most CoC awards are needed for existing projects rather than new projects, and hundreds of projects have already started their program years without any clarity on when and if HUD funds will be available,” the lawmakers continued. “To keep the lights on, providers are now being forced to draw on lines
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Helps Introduce Legislation to Restore National Park and Forest Service Staffing, Protect Public Lands
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) helped introduce two bills to address the consequences of recent federal staff cuts at the National Park Service (NPS) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). The Protect Our Parks Act of 2025 and the Save Our Forests Act of 2025 will fully restore staffing levels at both agencies, ensuring that America’s national parks and forests remain accessible, safe, and well-maintained. This comes on the heels of Senator Smith bringing a fired Park Ranger from Voyageurs National Park to President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress last week. The Trump administration’s mass firings have led to significant staffing reductions at national parks, including Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota, negatively impacting visitor experiences, safety and park maintenance efforts. They’ve also fired Forest Service workers charged with protecting like Chippewa National Forest and Superior National Forest, which is the largest forest in the country east of the Mississippi River, including workers charged with helping loggers sell timber in ways that protect the future health of our forests. “National Park Service workers like Park Rangers keep us safe in some of our country’s most wild and extreme areas, including places like Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota. U.S. Forest Service workers keep our forest areas healthy and productive, including the largest forest east of the Mississippi River, the Superior National Forest. I’ve met these fired workers, I’ve heard their stories and losing them makes our most cherished wild areas less safe and less cared for,” said Senator Smith. “Elon Musk indiscriminately
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Amy Klobuchar Announce 130 New Clean Energy Projects for Rural Minnesotans
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar (both D-MN) announced nearly 130 new clean energy projects across rural Minnesota. The $15.6 million investment will save farms and rural small businesses nearly $18.4 million on their energy bills per year while simultaneously reducing harmful carbon emissions. A full breakdown of the awards and projected savings can be found below. “The clean energy transition is happening; the question is whether we lead or follow. I want us to lead,” said Senator Smith. “But as we make the switch to cleaner, cheaper energy, we need to make sure everyone benefits, including small towns and
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Susan Collins Introduce Bill to Build Health Care Workforce in Rural Areas
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced legislation to improve access to health care and address the physician shortage in rural areas. The Rural Residency Planning and Development Act of 2024 would authorize the Rural Residency Planning and Development Program to continue providing start-up funding to rural hospitals, medical schools, and other organizations to establish new rural residency programs. Among current medical residency programs, only 2 percent of residency training occurs in rural areas, and in Minnesota, 80 percent of counties qualify as mental health professional shortage areas. The Rural Residency Planning and Development Act of 2024 will help address the health care
Klobuchar, Smith Announce Major Federal Investment for SkyWater Technology’s Bloomington Manufacturing Facility
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), a senior member of the Senate Commerce Committee, and Tina Smith (D-MN) and the U.S. Department of Commerce announced that SkyWater Technology will receive up to $16 million in federal funding as part of the CHIPS and Science Act to upgrade their facility, increasing overall production capacity by approximately 30 percent. “If we want to continue leading the global economy, we must be a country that makes stuff, invents things, and exports to the world. This significant investment in SkyWater Technology will transform domestic semiconductor manufacturing,” said Klobuchar. “I’m proud to have worked with SkyWater Technology to
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith Celebrate U.S. Trade Mission to Morocco
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-MN) applauded that Minnesotan exporters are participating in a USDA agribusiness trade mission to Casablanca, Morocco, ending today. Morocco is the second-largest export market for U.S. agriculture in Africa. U.S. sales of farm and food products to the country topped $619 million last year. Representatives from the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, Lamex Foods of Bloomington, Merus LLC of Minneapolis, the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association of Mankato, and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture are currently in Morocco to expand U.S. farm and food exports to their market and other West African markets. They are joined
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