Latest Releases
Klobuchar, Smith, Stauber, and Entire Minnesota Congressional Delegation Introduce Bill Naming Pengilly Post Office in Honor of First Lieutenant Richard A. Koski
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Representative Pete Stauber (R-MN-08) announced new legislation to rename the Pengilly Post Office after First Lieutenant Richard A. Koski, a Pengilly resident who was killed in action at age 25 during the Vietnam War. First Lieutenant Koski was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Bronze Star, Silver Star, and First Oak Leaf Cluster for battlefield valor. Pengilly resident Brian Walker, who was saved from drowning when he was a child by First Lieutenant Koski, worked with Klobuchar on the naming effort. Representative Pete Stauber (R-MN-08), along with Representatives Brad Finstad (R-MN-01), Angie Craig (D-MN-02), Dean Phillips (D-MN-03), Betty McCollum (D-MN-04), Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05), Tom Emmer (R-MN-06), and Michelle Fischbach (R-MN-07), introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives. “First Lieutenant Richard A. Koski has long been admired in Pengilly for his heroic actions both before and during his military service,” said Klobuchar. “By naming the Pengilly Post Office in his honor, we are paying tribute to his sacrifice and keeping his memory alive for generations to come.” “Lieutenant Koski was an American hero who we are proud to call Minnesotan,” said Smith. “He is remembered by those who knew him as a man of bravery and decency and has been recognized for his selfless service in the Vietnam War. By naming the Pengilly Post Office after him, we hope this building will serve as a reminder of his service to Minnesota and the United States.” “First Lieutenant Richard A. Koski is an American
Following Efforts from Klobuchar, Smith, and the Entire Minnesota Delegation, FEMA to Issue Additional Disaster Assistance for Individuals Impacted by Recent Flooding
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved the delivery of Individual Assistance for Minnesotans affected by severe storms and flooding across 19 counties: Blue Earth, Cook, Cottonwood, Faribault, Freeborn, Goodhue, Itasca, Jackson, Lake, Le Sueur, Mower, Nicollet, Nobles, Rice, Rock, St. Louis, Steele, Waseca, and Watonwan Counties. The Individual Assistance programs provide disaster survivors with access to a range of programs and services to aid in the recovery process, including financial assistance to eligible individuals and households. Damage assessments by federal, state, and local emergency management teams are ongoing, and FEMA may designate more counties and additional forms of assistance as damage is assessed. “The recent flooding inflicted serious damage across our state, and we must continue working together to recover,” said Klobuchar. “FEMA continues to be an active partner in the recovery effort so that our state can receive critical federal disaster relief funds. This latest round of assistance will ensure individual Minnesotans are supported as they rebuild.” “Minnesotans are still struggling with the aftermath of the severe flooding in June, and I appreciate the swift declaration from President Biden following our request for aid,” said Smith. “Minnesota continues to need help, and the federal government is answering. These expanded resources for individuals in more counties in Minnesota will make a huge difference as communities work to rebuild.” In June, Klobuchar and Smith led the entire bipartisan Minnesota congressional delegation in strongly urging President Biden to approve Minnesota’s request,
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Amy Klobuchar Press Biden Administration to End Canadian Land-Crossing Restrictions
WASHINGTON D.C. [09/29/21]—U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) are strongly urging Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to end Canadian land-border restrictions that are devastating businesses and communities that depend on Canadian travelers. This month, the United States extended restrictions on nonessential land travel from Canada to the United States until October 21. The Senators, in a letter Tuesday to Secretary Blinken and Secretary Mayorkas, said that the restrictions are having a catastrophic economic impact on northern border communities. They are also creating confusion because despite the land-border restrictions, Canadians have been able to travel by air to the United States for months. Canada has allowed vaccinated Americans to enter over
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Becomes First Cosponsor of Bill to Expand the U.S. Supreme Court
WASHINGTON D.C. [09/28/21]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) announced that she joined Senator Ed Markey’s (D-Mass.) legislation to expand the U.S. Supreme Court from 9 justices to 13, becoming the first Senate cosponsor. After Republicans in the Senate and in the previous Administration stole two Supreme Court seats, Sen. Smith believes that balance must be restored to the Court. The Judiciary Act would add four seats to the Court and not without precedence: the number of justices who sit on the U.S. Supreme Court has changed several times. “Republicans have been working to politicize the U.S. Supreme Court for forty years, with the help of dark money and the Federalist Society. With Donald Trump’s help, they stole two
Klobuchar, Smith, Stauber Urge Secretary Buttigieg to Partner with USDA, Forest Service on Ely Airport Infrastructure Improvements to Help Combat Wildfires
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Representative Pete Stauber (MN-08) are pushing U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Pete Buttigieg to work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to ensure the Ely Airport has the necessary infrastructure to continue to combat the wildfires spreading across Minnesota’s Arrowhead region. “In the last month, roughly ten separate wildfires have spread throughout the Arrowhead region of the state…As two of the region’s critical highways were closed as a result of the fires, the Ely Municipal Airport in Northeast Minnesota has been critical
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Urges President Biden to Ramp Up Global Vaccine Production for Low- and Middle- Income Countries
WASHINGTON, D.C. [9/17/21]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) led a group of her colleagues in calling on President Joe Biden to expand the United States’ global vaccine production and delivery for low- and middle- income countries. Ahead of the upcoming international summit on global COVID-19 vaccine access, Sen. Smith urged the Biden Administration to make firm commitments to expand global COVID-19 vaccine access. Sen. Smith said that without U.S. leadership in this area, we will not be able to vaccinate the global population and end the COVID-19 pandemic. “According to experts, 11 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses are needed to vaccinate 70% of the global population and
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