Latest Releases
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith Announce Federal Grant to Build New Fire Station in Dilworth
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced a $975,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development grant to advance the city of Dilworth’s fire station replacement project. The city’s existing fire station is approximately 40 years old and co-located with the community center. This project will help remodel an old fire hall to house the fire department and provide adequate space for all emergency service providers and equipment to efficiently provide fire rescue services to residents. This grant follows funding Klobuchar and Smith secured for the project in March 2022. “Dilworth is long overdue for a new fire station so emergency service providers have the space and equipment they need to continue serving the community,” said Klobuchar. “This federal grant will advance the fire station construction project to address Dilworth’s public safety needs.” “Emergency service providers put themselves in harm’s way to keep our communities safe and they deserve our support,” said Smith. “After almost 40 years of sharing a building with the city’s community center, Dilworth is receiving a federal investment I helped to get to construct a new standalone fire station. This new fire station will help make sure that firefighters and EMS providers have the space and equipment they need to do their jobs effectively and respond to emergencies in Dilworth and the surrounding communities.” Senators Klobuchar and Smith are members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, which oversees the USDA. This federal funding was secured through the USDA Rural Development Community Facilities Direct Loan
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith Announce Federal Grant to Replace Roof of Public Safety Building Aitkin
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced a $50,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development grant to replace the roof on Aitkin’s Public Safety Building. Aitkin’s Public Safety Building houses the local law enforcement department. “The City of Aitkin’s Public Safety Building needs a new roof so emergency service providers have the facilities they need to continue serving the community,” said Klobuchar. “The federal grant will advance this project.” “Federal investment is quite literally helping our small towns build a roof overhead for essential community services like public safety,” said Smith. “Our local law enforcement officers deserve to be in buildings that are safe and in good condition. This investment to replace the roof of the Aitkin public safety building will improve the city’s infrastructure and help keep Minnesotans safe.” Senators Klobuchar and Smith are members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, which oversees the USDA. This federal funding was secured through the USDA Rural Development Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program. Program grants can be used by communities across the country to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community in a primarily rural area, such as health care facilities, public safety services, educational services, and more. ###
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Marco Rubio Introduce Bipartisan Resolution to Recognize November as National Lung Cancer Awareness Month
MINNESOTA [11/18/20]— U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) introduced a bipartisan resolution to designate November 2020 as National Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Their resolution promotes the importance of early detection of lung cancer to help save lives. It also recognizes the need for research to improve early diagnosis, screening and treatment. Sens. Smith and Rubio said that lung cancer is unfortunately the leading cause of cancer-related death among men and women in the United States—accounting for more deaths than colon cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. “We need to take every possible step to fight this terrible disease that kills tens of thousands of people in Minnesota
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Legislation to Improve Mental Health Services for Children, Families Passes Senate with Broad Bipartisan Support
For Immediate Release: September 23, 2020 Contact: Katie McElrath katie_mcelrath@smith.senate.gov 202-365-5865 WASHINGTON, D.C. [9/23/20]–U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s (D-Minn.) priorities to make sure the child welfare system supports and connects families to mental health services recently passed the Senate with broad bipartisan support. The Supporting Family Mental Health in CAPTA Act would improve the delivery of mental health services for children and families, connect families with needed support services, support research on effective practices to prevent child abuse and neglect and address disparities in the child welfare system. Sen. Smith says that young people experience mental health conditions about as often as adults—about 1 in 5 struggle with
Klobuchar, Smith Announce Sign Up for Conservation Reserve Program in 2021
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will conduct open sign up periods for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and CRP Grasslands in early 2021. Sign up for general CRP runs from January 4 to February 12, 2021, and signup for CRP Grasslands runs from March 15 to April 23, 2021. Both are competitive programs that provide annual rental payments for land used for conservation purposes. “The coronavirus pandemic has placed incredible stress on our farming communities,” Klobuchar said. “As the backbone of our economy, farmers throughout Minnesota and across
Following Request from Klobuchar, Smith, and Colleagues, Administration Releases Funding for Home Energy Assistance Program
WASHINGTON – Following their letter last month, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the Administration has released $3.36 billion for federal heating assistance funds to help low-income families and seniors on fixed incomes afford to heat their homes this winter. With colder weather approaching and energy costs projected to increase this winter, the senators said that quick action is especially important as the coronavirus pandemic has added financial hardships for millions of households. In the October letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, who oversees the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), the
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