Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on Voting Against the Confirmation of Attorney General Todd Blanche
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) released the following statement after voting against the confirmation of the President’s nominee to be the next Attorney General, Todd Blanche: “Todd Blanche has clearly demonstrated that he lacks the integrity to be Attorney General. He demonstrated it when he defended the President’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election, when he defended the President’s hush money payments, and he demonstrated it when he committed to enacting a national ban on distributing medication abortion,” said Senator Smith. “It’s disappointing, though not surprising, to see Republicans cave to the President once again and confirm a nominee who they know will continue weaponizing the Department of Justice against the President’s political enemies.” Smith had criticized Blanche earlier this week for threatening to invoke the Comstock Act, an antiquated anti-vice law from before women had the right to vote, to ban the distribution of medication abortion in every single state regardless of state level abortion protections, including Minnesota. ###
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Votes to Impose Harsh Sanctions on Russia for Invasion of Ukraine
WASHIGTON – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) released the following statement after voting to impose harsh sanctions on Russia for its illegal invasion of Ukraine, which passed the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support (86-11): “The United States must stand up for democracy and against Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. The sanctions we passed today are a powerful tool to cut off the funding for Russia’s war machine, even though the President should have imposed them himself much earlier. Combined with Ukraine’s recent successes on the battlefield, these new sanctions will help us force Putin to bring an end to this terrible war,” said Senator Smith. The bill now heads to the House of Representatives. ###
Sens. Smith, Moran Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Rural Hospitals
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) Jerry Moran (R-KS) this week introduced the Rural Emergency Hospital Designation Improvement Act (REH 2.0), bipartisan legislation to expand access to federal resources for rural hospitals through the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) Medicare designation. This legislation would allow more Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) and rural hospitals at risk of closure to sustain health care services in rural communities, and it would make technical improvements to the designation. The legislation is cosponsored by Sens. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Katie Britt (R-AL), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) and Roger Marshall, M.D., (R-KS). “Rural hospitals are
Klobuchar, Smith Urge USPS to Protect Mail Service During Wildfires Impacting Northern Minnesota
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) are urging the United States Postal Service (USPS) Postmaster General to provide Minnesota with the necessary resources and support for postal operations impacted by wildfires. “We have heard from constituents who are concerned about mail delays resulting from the wildfires, and their ability to receive mail in the instance that they must evacuate,” wrote the Senators. “We urge you to ensure that Minnesota post offices receive the resources and support needed to maintain reliable service and communicate effectively with residents.” The full letter is available here and below. Dear Postmaster General Steiner: We
Senators Tina Smith, Jerry Moran Re-Introduce Legislation to Lower Cost of Oral Cancer Treatments
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to cut costs for cancer patients. Specifically, the bill would ensure cancer patients who are prescribed oral chemotherapy medication can access their drugs at comparable prices to other cancer treatments. Their Cancer Drug Parity Act requires health insurers to cover patient-administered (oral) cancer medications at the same cost-sharing level as traditional intravenous (IV) anticancer drug treatments, closing the coverage gap for federally regulated health plans. Over 2 million Americans are estimated to be diagnosed with cancer each year, and oral medications are a simpler, highly effective treatment option for many patients. According to a Susan G. Komen study released earlier this year, people receiving IV treatment reported a significantly greater negative impact on their daily lives than people receiving oral treatment, including having to
U.S. SENATOR TINA SMITH’S BIPARTISAN RURAL HOUSING SUPPLY LEGISLATION BECOMES LAW
9,000 homes in rural Minnesota will be saved by Smith’s bill MINNEAPOLIS, MN – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), the top Democrat on the Senate Housing Subcommittee, announced her major bipartisan bill to preserve 400,000 rural homes across the country became law today. Smith’s Rural Housing Service Reform Act was included in a housing supply package that passed the House and Senate with veto-proof majorities. President Trump refused to sign the bill, but because he did not veto the legislation outright it automatically became law after 10 days of Presidential inaction. “Without a safe, affordable place to live, nothing in your life works. Not your health, not your job, and not your education,” said Senator Smith. “The lack of affordable, decent housing
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