Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Joins Colleagues to Reintroduce Bill to Help Educate Americans about the Effects of Climate Change
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) joined her colleagues in introducing legislation that would support a variety of programs nationwide to help Americans better understand what climate change will mean for our everyday lives—things like including information about climate change in school science curricula and public education campaigns. The bill, called the Climate Change Education Act, would establish a Climate Change Education Program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to provide grants and technical assistance to state and local education agencies, institutions of higher learning, professional associations and academic societies, and youth corps organizations. “Climate change is happening, and we cannot ignore it,” said Senator Smith. “We need to be doing everything we can to combat climate change, and that includes comprehensive education about its impacts. Investing in our future and working against climate change will improve our health, create better jobs, and ensure that people are prepared to succeed in a rapidly changing world.” The Climate Change Education Act would support climate literacy by authorizing $50 million per year between fiscal years 2025 and 2030 for grants and cooperative agreements between NOAA and education entities. In line with the Biden administration’s Justice40 Initiative, the bill stipulates that 40 percent of the funds for higher education institutions and youth corps organizations would be directed to environmental justice communities. The bill was led by Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) and cosponsored by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Laphonza Butler (D-CA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Bob
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Joins Colleagues to Prevent College Students from Being Billed For Textbooks Without Their Consent
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) joined her colleagues Dick Durbin (D-IL), Angus King (I-ME), and Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) in sending a letter to the Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona urging him to finalize proposed changes that would make “Inclusive Access” (IA) and “Equitable Access” (EA) programs – models that allow institutions of higher education to automatically charge a student’s federal student aid for textbooks without a student’s consent – into an opt-in program, rather than an opt-out program. Currently, colleges and universities can partner with textbook publishers like McGraw Hill, Pearson, and Cengage to deliver textbooks digitally, charging students in the process through IA and EA programs. Although IA and EA models are more affordable for students than the sticker price of a new, hardcover textbook, they are often still more expensive than open textbooks, used textbooks or rental options. And while students can opt-out of IA and EA programs, the opt-out process is often difficult to navigate and lacks transparency. “The Department’s proposed changes to the Cash Management regulations would eliminate an institution’s ability to automatically bill students for books and supplies, effectively shifting the textbook industry’s so-called ‘Inclusive Access’ and ‘Equitable Access’ programs from an opt-out model to an opt-in model. This would allow students to choose how to spend their financial aid dollars on books and supplies. It would empower them to take advantage of affordable alternatives, such as used and open textbooks,” the lawmakers wrote. Senator Smith helped introduce the Affordable College Textbook Act and the Open-Textbook Pilot Program. The Pilot is a competitive grant program to support the creation and expansion of open college textbooks
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on Restarting Keetac Mine
WASHINGTON, D.C. [11/5/20]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) released the following statement after U.S. Steel announced plans to restart Keetac mine and pellet plant in Keewatin. “The reopening of the Keetac mining facility is great news for the economic well-being of the families and communities of Minnesota’s Iron Range,” said Sen. Smith. “It will allow nearly 400 steelworkers to return to work and help get the Iron Range economy back on its feet. I’ve fought hard to stave off unfair steel imports and will continue to support a strong U.S. iron and steel industry because it provides good-paying jobs in Minnesota and keeps our nation secure.”
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Elizabeth Warren Call on Agencies to Provide “Complete, Transparent, and Timely National Reporting of COVID-19 Cases” in K-12 Schools
WASHINGTON, D.C. [10/30/2020]—U.S Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), are pressing the nation’s top health and education officials to issue detailed guidance so that the nation’s elementary and secondary schools can work with state and local officials to ensure complete, transparent and timely reporting of COVID-19 cases. In their letter to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, U.S Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, and Center for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield, the Senators also urged the agencies to study outbreaks in K-12 schools to understand the effectiveness of different mitigation strategies and to provide further guidance on reporting COVID-19 cases. “On October 20, Secretary of Education Betsy
Klobuchar, Smith Call on USDA to Reverse Decision to Decrease COVID-19 Relief for Dairy Farmers
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) joined Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and 11 other senators calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to reverse its decision to unfairly exclude dairy farmers from receiving COVID-19 relief to cover losses related to meat production. While milk is the primary income for dairy farms, they often have diversified operations, including meat processing of retired milking cows. In the original Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), the USDA compensated dairy farmers and other livestock producers for losses related to meat produced from breeding animals. When
Murkowski, Smith Introduce Bill to Extend Important Flexibility and Funding to After School Programs
For Immediate Release: October 28, 2020 Contact: Karina Borger (Murkowski) 202-224-9301 Katie McElrath (Smith) 202-365-5865 WASHINGTON, D.C. – The 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program provides competitive grants to school districts, community based organizations, Indian tribes, and tribal organizations that provide supplemental academic and enrichment activities for students during non-school hours or periods when schools are not in session. The value of 21st CCLC-funded afterschool programs is well-established, ensuring children have an opportunity to access engaging learning activities while giving working parents peace of mind that their kids are safe when school is out. Unfortunately, 21st CCLC programs have been limited
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