Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Celebrates Inclusion of C-130 Aircraft for Minnesota’s Air National Guard in National Defense Authorization Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith released the following statement on the inclusion of her bipartisan amendment to mandate the United States Air Force maintain a minimum 271 C-130 aircraft, which will ensure that the Minnesota National Guard’s 133rd Airlift Wing maintains its flying mission. “Our C-130s are essential to Minnesota’s 133rd Airlift Wing and the Air Force’s capability to carry out their missions,” said Senator Smith.“Ensuring they maintain enough of these aircraft means stability for the men and women of Minnesota’s National Guard as they carry out their duties at home and overseas.” The C-130 aircraft is essential to carry out missions at home and overseas and are essential to the operations of the Minnesota National Guard. The bipartisan amendment was co-led by Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), John Barrasso (R-WY), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY). Senator Smith has repeatedly advocated for Minnesota’s 133rd Airlift Wing – in June she joined Senator Klobuchar and the entire Minnesota delegation from the House of Representatives in urging the Air Force to select the 133rd Airlift Wing to receive new C-130J Transport Planes. In September, the Air Force heeded their calls and announced that Minnesota will receive the new aircraft, pending an environmental review.
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Amy Klobuchar Introduce Legislation to Hold Postal Service Accountable for Delayed and Undelivered Mail
WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar (both D – MN) introduced legislation to improve the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) delivery tracking and accountability systems following concerning reports of serious mail delays across Minnesota. Congresswoman Angie Craig (D – MN2) introduced the bill in the House of Representatives in October. This legislation would address a serious issue at USPS—that they cannot accurately track when mail routes do not receive deliveries. A 2022 USPS Inspector General report found that the data USPS collects is based on self-reporting, which the investigation found to be consistently inaccurate. As a result, USPS itself does not know which routes are undelivered or partially delivered or how many such routes exist. The Postal Delivery Accountability Act would require the USPS to address this systemic issue by implementing the Inspector General’s two recommendations: “When postal service is unreliable, Minnesotans can face serious consequences – from late payment fees and social security checks to days without critical prescription medications. Yet when I ask the Postal Service for information on these disruptions, they tell me everything is fine. The reality is that they don’t even know themselves,” said Senator Smith. “As an essential public service, USPS owes its customers transparency. The Postal Delivery Accountability Act is a step toward that goal.” “Minnesotans rely on the Postal Service to deliver their prescriptions, Social Security checks, and more. They deserve timely service, and when the Postal Service fails to meet the mark, at the very least customers should be notified. The Postal
As COVID-19 Highlights Need to Understand Links Between Human, Animal and Environmental Health, U.S. Senator Tina Smith Urges Senate to Take Up Her Bipartisan Bill Pushing “One Health” Approach
WASHINGTON, D.C. [04/30/19]— U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said today that coronavirus (COVID-19) is highlighting the urgent need to better understand the links between human, animal and environmental health, and that she is urging senate leaders to take up her bipartisan legislation to improve the nation’s preparedness to deal with future outbreaks that originate in animals. Sen. Smith said her bipartisan measure, the Advancing Emergency Preparedness Through One Health Act, would ensure that federal agencies advance a “One Health” approach—the idea that human, animal and environmental health are all linked, and should be studied together. She introduced the measure in 2019 with Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) to improve preparedness and response to diseases like coronavirus. In a letter to
Backed by Large Group of Senate Colleagues, Sens. Tina Smith and Elizabeth Warren Press to Include $50 Billion Childcare Bailout in Next Coronavirus Relief Package
WASHINGTON, D.C. [04/29/20]—U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) led 29 of their Senate colleagues in calling on Senate leadership to include their plan for a $50 billion childcare bailout in the next coronavirus relief package, saying it is indispensable part of the nation’s response to the pandemic. Earlier this month, Sens. Smith and Warren unveiled their plan to stabilize the childcare system, keep providers in business, and ensure parents are able to go back to work when it is safe to return. A recent report revealed that without adequate support, Minnesota could lose 55 percent of its childcare supply and Massachusetts could lose 34 percent. And now, Sens. Smith,
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Dick Durbin to Introduce Legislative Fix to Help State and Local Governments Provide Paid Leave During Pandemic
WASHINGTON, D.C. [04/28/20]—Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) announced plans to introduce a legislative fix that would help state and local governments provide public employees with paid leave when they need it most. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act requires many public and private employers to provide paid leave for workers affected by the coronavirus pandemic. That law provides tax credits to private-sector employers to cover the costs of paid leave. But the package did not extend those tax credits to public-sector employers. This is putting a financial strain on state and local governments at a time when many are grappling with additional costs brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. The senators’ legislation will fix this problem by making state, local and Tribal governments eligible
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Bipartisan Work Makes Minnesota Rural Hospitals Now Eligible for Coronavirus Relief Loans
WASHINGTON, D.C. [04/24/20]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.)—a member of the Senate Banking, Indian Affairs, Health and Agriculture Committees—said today that the U.S. Department of the Treasury heeded her bipartisan call with Republican Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) to provide relief to rural hospitals amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic by making them eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) created through the CARES Act. Sen. Smith says that the Treasury Department and Small Business Administration (SBA) also heeded her call to make Tribal gaming businesses eligible for the PPP. In addition, Treasury and the SBA provided additional guidance on agriculture cooperatives, making clear that they are
English