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. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith & Representative Angie Craig Help Introduce Legislation to Expand Tribal
WASHINGTON, D.C. [10/16/20]—U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Congresswoman Angie Craig (MN-2) recently helped introduce bicameral legislation to help Tribes expand broadband in their communities. The Extending Tribal Broadband Priority Act of 2020—led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Congresswoman Deb Haaland (D-N.M.)—will extend the deadline for Tribes to apply for spectrum licenses for unassigned spectrum over their own land. For far too long, Tribes haven’t been able to access spectrum licenses to deploy broadband and telephone networks over their land. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has only exacerbated the effects of the long-standing digital divide. Last year, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) provided
Klobuchar, Smith Announce USDA Funding to Combat Chronic Wasting Disease in Minnesota
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is providing $546,535 in funding to help Minnesota combat Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). CWD is a contagious neurological disorder that affects deer and elk, posing a serious threat to deer populations across the country. “This funding will help ensure that we can combat Chronic Wasting Disease and maintain our state’s outdoor recreation and economy,” Klobuchar said. “CWD has become a real threat to our state’s deer and elk populations and continued efforts to bolster research
Klobuchar, Smith, Colleagues Urge Administration to Preserve Health Care Providers’ Access to Pandemic Relief Funding
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) led 20 colleagues in sending a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar, expressing concerns about the recent change in reporting requirements for hospitals and health systems that receive relief funds from the Provider Relief Fund (PRF). This change could force providers to return relief funding that they have already received. Rural hospitals and hospitals that serve high numbers of low-income, elderly, and severely ill patients — could be particularly burdened by the new reporting requirements, due to their already thin financial
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Presses Congressional Leaders to Help People Experiencing Homelessness During the Pandemic
WASHINGTON, D.C. [10/8/20]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) is urging Senate and House leaders to pay attention to the rapidly growing crisis of unsheltered homelessness that is hitting people of color hardest, and to provide housing assistance and funding for social services in future coronavirus relief packages. “The unprecedented public health and economic crisis has exacerbated these existing disparities in housing, employment, and health outcomes. This summer, we have seen COVID-19 hit hardest communities of color and those without a safe place to call home,” Sen. Smith wrote to leadership. “In the Twin Cities, Indigenous, Black, and Brown individuals were far more likely to experience a job loss
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