Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan Celebrate First-Ever Trade Mission Focused on Indigenous Products
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan (DFL) announced the first-ever trade mission by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) focused solely on Indigenous products. Lieutenant Governor Flanagan will join Red Lake, Inc. in representing Native producers from Minnesota on this historic trade mission to Canada from June 17-20 alongside 15 Tribal agribusinesses and 13 Native agricultural leaders from across the country. “This is a historic opportunity for Native farmers and producers and Tribal businesses to access a new market for their goods. Native farmers and producers face unique and challenging barriers, and this market access will make a huge difference,” said Senator Smith. “I pushed hard to get Tribes and Native communities represented on these trade missions. I’m delighted to see such a historic trip finally come to fruition, and it will be a great benefit to not just Red Lake Nation, but the rest of Indian Country as well.” “Native farmers and producers feed our families and the world,” said Lieutenant Governor Flanagan. “I am proud to lift up Native agriculture as a standard part of our Minnesota trade missions. I am looking forward to connecting with more Native farmers and producers and showcasing the products that Minnesota has to offer to our global partners. Indian Country has always led in agribusiness and innovation, and I am grateful for Senator Smith’s partnership and work to ensure my community is at the table for these important opportunities and conversations.” “Red Lake, Inc. is honored and beyond excited to participate
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Applauds Biden Admin Move to Eliminate Medical Debt from Credit Reports
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) celebrated a new proposed rule from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) shielding consumers’ credit scores from being impacted by medical debt. Today’s announcement came after Senator Smith, along with 9 of her colleagues, urged the agency to take action. According to the CFPB’s own report, there is over $88 billion in medical debt on consumer credit records. “You can’t choose when you get sick – it happens whether we like it or not. You shouldn’t be punished with a lower credit score just because you needed medical care,” said Senator Smith.“This move by the Biden Administration puts the American people first, and I’m glad they listened to me and my colleagues who pushed for this new rule.” Senator Smith, a member of the Senate Banking Committee, called attention to the growing crisis of medical debt in a letter to the CFPB in 2022. The move by the CFPB compliments actions by the Minnesota State Legislature, who passed the Debt Fairness Act as part of a large omnibus bill in May of this year to address the impact medical debt has on Minnesotans. ###
U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, Gov. Walz, Lt. Gov. Flanagan Press to Expand Investment in Childcare, the Basic Infrastructure for Families, Economy
MINNESOTA [08/31/2020]— Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) was joined by Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan at a Minneapolis in-home childcare provider to discuss the growing importance of addressing the state’s critical childcare shortage that has worsened during the current coronavirus pandemic. The three were at the Minneapolis home of Luciana Carballo, an in-home childcare provider who has been forced by the pandemic to accept fewer children and make other changes to keep the children she cares for safe. The virus has put similar pressure on providers all across the state and it has hamstrung parents who
U.S. Senators Tina Smith & Mike Crapo Make Bipartisan Push to Enforce USMCA Dairy Provisions
WASHINGTON, D.C. [08/26/2020]—Yesterday U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) led a bipartisan group of 23 Senators in calling for the enforcement of United States-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement (USMCA) dairy provisions. In a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue and U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, the Senators said that holding trade partners accountable to their trade commitments is critical to supporting dairy farmers and American dairy exports. “Fair market access for American dairy farmers was a key pillar of the USMCA’s agriculture section,” the Senators wrote. “USMCA is poised to create new export opportunities for America’s
Smith, Klobuchar Statements on Detention of Misha Chiri and Jawar Mohammed in Ethiopia
MINNEAPOLIS — U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) released the following statements on the detention of two members of the Oromo community from Minnesota, Misha Chiri and Jawar Mohammed, who are still in police custody as part of the government’s response to protests in Ethiopia: “Misha Chiri’s ongoing detention and treatment, along with that of Jawar Mohammed’s, are unacceptable and I will continue to fight for justice on their behalf,” said Smith. “Minnesota is home to one of the largest Ethiopian Diaspora groups in the world and the reports of violence, suspension of the rule of law, and restrictions on free expression in
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Introduces Emergency Grant Program to Help College Students Without Financial Safety Net Cover Unanticipated Events
WASHINGTON, D.C. [08/25/2020]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) recently introduced legislation to help college students without a financial safety net get through unanticipated emergencies that too often cause students to drop out of college. Under The Emergency Grant Aid for College Students Act, students could receive emergency grants through their campus. Unlike a student loan, these grants would not need to be repaid. Sen. Smith says that when millions of college students faced unexpected costs caused by the pandemic, Congress provided funding for emergency grants to make sure students had the resources they needed to stay enrolled and continue their studies. But the fact of the matter is that students
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