Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Introduces Legislation to End Veteran Homelessness Nationwide
Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chair of the Senate Housing Subcommittee, introduced the Housing for All Veterans Act, legislation that would help bring an effective end to veteran homelessness. Minnesota is on the cusp of ending veteran homelessness, and nationwide levels of homelessness among former service members have been cut in half in the fifteen years since the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs launched the first-ever strategic plan to prevent and end the scourge of veteran homelessness in America. This legislation would help get us the rest of the way there and prevent veteran homelessness going forward. “We promise our veterans that we will take care of them after their service to our nation. But every day that we have veterans struggling to find a safe, affordable place to live, we’re failing them,” said Senator Smith. “Guaranteeing housing for low-income veterans shouldn’t be optional. It should a promise fulfilled for every veteran, to bring them home. We’ve made some great progress in solving veteran homelessness in the last fifteen years – Minnesota especially. But the Housing for All Veterans Act would finish the job and ensure every veteran has a roof over their heads.” “Our country continues to face a crisis of housing affordability,” said Kathryn Monet, CEO of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. “NCHV is thankful for Senator Smith’s leadership to address this crisis head on for veterans facing housing instability. Subsidies are a crucial support and we urge Congress to act upon this bill as a downpayment toward a world where affordable housing is available for all Americans.” “This legislation addresses the root cause of housing affordability, providing our veterans with a long-term, sustainable
U.S Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith, Colleagues Press Postal Service for Details on How Facility Consolidation Could Impact On-Time Delivery of Mail-In Ballots
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-MN) joined 17 of their colleagues in sending a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy requesting information about how the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) plans to ensure the timely delivery of mail-in ballots throughout the ongoing 2024 election cycle and beyond. The request comes in light of USPS facility consolidations initiated under DeJoy, which have been temporarily paused following outcry from people all across the country as well as Congressional leaders. Through this process, USPS has greenlit the downgrading of 56 of 59 selected postal facilities nationwide — including in Minnesota. “USPS serves an essential function in American elections. On a nonpartisan basis, it securely processes, transports, and delivers election mail, including ballots. In 2020, the Postal Service overcame a series of challenges, including the onset of a global pandemic, to fulfill this critical mission. Impressively, it delivered 97.9% of ballots within three days, even as a record number of Americans voted by mail. For the 2022 midterm elections, USPS maintained this standard of excellence and delivered 98.96% of ballots within three days,”wrote the senators. “We applaud these achievements, but much has changed since 2022.” “In July 2023, USPS completed its first regional consolidation in Richmond, Virginia. A report from the USPS Inspector General found that the consolidation led to “a decrease in service performance for the Richmond region that continued four months after launch,”they continued. “Earlier this year, these delays led some local election officials to direct area residents to
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Says Upcoming Government Funding Package Should Include Additional, Long-term Funding for Community Health Centers
WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/15/20]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) joined a group of her colleagues in calling on Congressional leadership to include funding for community health centers (CHCs) in the upcoming government funding package to ensure that millions of Americans can continue to receive the care both during and after the pandemic. “The pandemic has had a dramatic economic impact on our health centers, many of which have been forced to implement safeguarding measures to ensure the long-term financial stability of their organization,” wrote Sen. Smith and her colleagues. “This includes some having made difficult personnel decisions, including temporary reductions in
U.S. Senator Tina Smith & U.S. Representative Karen Bass Press Attorney General Barr for Information on Use of Ketamine During Arrests
WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/14/2020]—In an effort to protect the health, safety and civil rights of Americans, today U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and U.S. Representative Karen Bass (D-Calif.) led 7 lawmakers in pressing U.S. Attorney General William Barr for information about the use of ketamine and other sedatives or chemical restraints on individuals during their arrest or detention by law enforcement. Recent incidents highlight the dangers of administering sedatives during an arrest—in particular the death of Elijah McClain in Colorado and the medical emergency of Max Johnson in Minnesota. In their letter to Barr, Sen. Smith and Rep. Bass noted that law enforcement medics or paramedics typically administer ketamine to incapacitate
Following Bipartisan Call for Action Led by U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, U.S. Trade Representative Launches Challenge to Unfair Canadian Trade Practices that Harm U.S. Dairy Producers
WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/09/20]— U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said today that she was pleased U.S. Trade Ambassador Robert Lighthizer has taken the first step in challenging unfair Canadian trade practices that are harming dairy producers in Minnesota and across the country. In August, Sen. Smith led a bipartisan group of 25 Senators in pressing Ambassador Lighthizer and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to take action to ensure Canada abides by the dairy provisions of the USMCA. Sen. Smith helped secure stronger dairy trade provisions in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement (USMCA). The agreement took effect in July, and Lighthizer’s action
After Push From U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, USDA Increasing Incentive Payments For Some Conservation Reserve Program Practices from 5 to 20 Percent
WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/09/20]— U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has responded to her push to increase Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) incentive payments for certain CRP practices from 5 percent to 20 percent. In October, Sen. Smith pressed U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to increase incentive payments to stop the enrollment decline in the CRP, which plays a key role in protecting environmentally-sensitive farm land, stopping soil erosion, improving water quality and preserving wildlife habitat. In an October letter to Perdue, Sen. Smith, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, pushed him to significantly
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