Latest Releases
ICYMI: Star Tribune: Sen. Tina Smith goes to bat against Comcast for frustrated Twins fans
WASHINGTON, D.C. [7.7.24] – In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Tina Smith sent a letter to Comcast CEO Brian Roberts urging the cable provider to return to the negotiation table with Bally Sports North and get the Minnesota Twins back on the air for Comcast customers. Star Tribune: Sen. Tina Smith takes aim at Comcast on behalf of ‘furious’ constituents In a letter to Comcast’s CEO this week, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith chided the cable company for dropping Bally Sports channels nationwide — a move that has left thousands of Twins fans without access to games. By Michael Rand | June 6, 2024 If you’re a Twins fan and Comcast cable subscriber frustrated by the cable company’s decision more than a month ago to drop Bally Sports North in a pricing dispute, know this: U.S. Sen. Tina Smith is frustrated, too. The Minnesota senator sent a letter this week on her official U.S. Senate stationery to Comcast Chairman and CEO Brian Roberts urging the company to restart negotiations. “My constituents are furious,” she wrote. In a follow-up interview with the Star Tribune that appears on Thursday’s “Daily Delivery” podcast, Sen. Smith expanded on her thoughts and feelings. “I hear so much about this from my constituents and I come from a big baseball fan family myself. Springtime comes and you are excited to watch the Twins and you can’t go to the games all the time,” she said. “And so watching the Twins on television as a fine part of Minnesota’s summer
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Leads Senate Agriculture Subcommittee Hearing on Expanding Opportunities for Beginning Farmers
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.), chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade, led a hearing focused on opportunities to support new and emerging farmers. According to the most recent Census of Agriculture, the average age of a producer in the United States is now 58, and in Minnesota it is 57. One of the witnesses who spoke at the hearing about challenges faced by beginning farmers was Tessa Parks, Minnesota native and owner and operator of W.T. Farms in Northfield. Tessa is a young, first-generation farmer of color who, along with her husband, raises Holstein steers and runs a haying service. “The average age of a producer in the United States is 58, and in Minnesota it’s 57. And of course, this number increases every year. That in a nutshell is why we need to invest in the next generation of farmers, so this country’s agriculture production continues to work,” said Senator Smith. “This is a matter of national security, food security, and the strength and vitality of rural America. Agriculture is a driving force in America’s economy.” “Though I am new to farming and several generations removed from the farm, my connection to and love for agriculture is strong,” said Tessa Parks, owner and operator of W.T. Farms in Northfield, MN. “But beginning farmers like me face significant barriers to entry into agriculture, including a farm safety net that favors larger and more established farms, barriers to accessing land and capital, climate change, and
U.S. Senators Smith, Murkowski Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Mental Health Care Workforce to Areas of Greatest Need
WASHINGTON, D.C. [5/12/21]—Today, during Mental Health Awareness Month, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced their bipartisan legislation which would repay up to $250,000 in eligible student loan repayment for mental health professionals who work in mental health professional shortage areas. U.S. Representatives John Katko (R-NY 24) and Grace Napolitano (D-CA 32) introduced companion legislation in the House. Sen. Smith has shared her own mental health journey from the Senate floor—and again last week as part of Mental Health Awareness Month—in hopes of breaking the stigma around mental health and working to expand access so Americans get the help they need.
U.S. Senators Smith, Murkowski Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Improve Access to Rural Health Care for New & Expecting Moms
WASHINGTON, D.C. [5/5/21]–Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced bipartisan legislation that would help ensure that new and expecting moms living in rural communities get the care they need. More than half of rural counties nationwide lack hospitals with labor and birthing services, and the disparity in access to care and worse health outcomes disproportionally affects people of color. Rural counties with more Black residents are at greater risk of losing their labor and delivery services. “No matter where new and expecting moms live, they should be able to access quality health care. But right now, we know that
Smith, Klobuchar Announce Over $4.5 Million in Disaster Relief Funding for City of Duluth
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded more than $4.5 million to the City of Duluth to fund the restoration of the Canal Park area to its pre-disaster state. “The 2019 storms washed away pathways, ripped out light poles, and left lasting damage across Canal Park,” said Senator Klobuchar. “This federal grant will help cover the cost of restoring the waterfront infrastructure and protecting against future damage so that Duluth residents can enjoy our shoreline for years to come.” “The Lake Superior
U.S. Senators Tina Smith & Lisa Murkowski Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Help Tribes Combat COVID-19, Other Public Health Crises
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/3/2021]— U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced bipartisan legislation to help Tribes address the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and other public health challenges. The Tribal Health Data Improvement Act would strengthen data sharing between Tribes, Tribal Epidemiology Centers and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Over the past year, Tribes and Tribal Epidemiology Centers have been denied access to public health data about the virus spreading near Tribal lands, despite their authority to receive this data. This severely limits the ability of Tribal communities to prevent and combat health crises, and represents yet another broken promise by the federal government. These structural barriers to accessing
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