Latest Releases
Klobuchar, Smith Secure Funding for Mental Health Services in Detroit Lakes
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that they secured $75,000 in funding in the Fiscal Year 2024 federal budget to support mental health services in Detroit Lakes. The funding will provide A Place to Belong with resources for outreach and recruitment of persons with mental illness. A Place to Belong is a social club for adults who are diagnosed with a serious mental illness. “We need to make mental health care more accessible, especially in rural communities,” said Klobuchar. “With this funding, A Place to Belong will have additional resources to ensure local residents who are experiencing a mental illness can get the care they need.” “A Place to Belong helps create a community for people tackling serious mental illness, things like peer support and shared meals,” said Smith. “Everyone should feel like they have a place to belong, and I’m proud to have brought necessary resources to support that work.” Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. Projects are expected to receive funding over the next several months. ###
Klobuchar, Smith Secure Funding for Infrastructure Project in Harris
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that they secured $1,574,000 in funding in the Fiscal Year 2024 federal budget for a project to extend municipal sewer and water services in Harris. Klobuchar and Smith requested the funding along with U.S. Representative Pete Stauber (R-MN). “The City of Harris has been attracting new businesses, but the water and sewer service lines need to be expanded to accommodate the growing demand,” said Klobuchar. “With the federal funding we secured, Harris will be able to upgrade this important infrastructure.” “Minnesotans deserve to have safe, clean water,” said Smith. “The City of Harris is no exception, and this investment will update the city’s water and wastewater infrastructure system, directly impacting all of its residents.” Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through a process called “Congressionally Directed Spending” (CDS). During the CDS process, Klobuchar and Smith have considered project proposals and advocated for funding in close coordination with leaders from across the state. Projects are expected to receive funding over the next several months. ###
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Elizabeth Warren Question FDA On Safety Inspections for Foreign Pharmaceuticals Entering the United States
WASHINGTON, D.C. [11/10/20]— U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inquiring about the agency’s quality and safety inspections for pharmaceuticals and drug products entering the United States. Under normal operating procedures, the FDA inspects manufacturing facilities and is responsible for maintaining the safety, effectiveness, quality, and security of drugs produced in the United States and abroad. However, due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the FDA postponed all inspections of domestic and foreign drug manufacturing facilities in March. As of today, the FDA is only performing a fraction of
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
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