Latest Releases
Senator Smith, Grassley Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Research the Impact of Consolidation on Livestock Farmers and Ranchers
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), introduced bipartisan legislation to support research into the impact of livestock market consolidation on farmers, ranchers, and consumers in an effort to better understand the problem and craft effective solutions. “Just a handful of large companies have come to dominate the meat and poultry processing industry, which means higher prices for consumers and shrinking earnings for farmers,” said Sen. Smith. “This bipartisan bill would uncover the impact of this consolidation on farmers and consumers and help us create the best possible solutions to fix the problem. I look forward to working with Senator Grassley and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass this legislation as part of the Farm Bill.” “This type of measure is long overdue. Iowa producers are well aware of the downsides of consolidation in the meat industry,” said Sen. Grassley. “Their returns on hard work are getting squeezed more every year all consumers pay more at the grocery stores. I’m glad to work in a bipartisan way with Senator Smith as we continue trying to address this problem.” “Farmers Union launched the Fairness for Farmers campaign to call attention to the increasingly consolidated agricultural marketplace where the four largest beef packers control 85 percent of beef packing and the farmer’s share of the food dollar has dropped from 50 percent in 1952 to less than 16 percent today,” said Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) President Gary Wertish. “Sen. Smith’s bill will help
Senators Smith, Rounds Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Spur Economic Development in Underserved Communities
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to jumpstart economic development in economically distressed areas and address disparities in access to capital for underserved communities. The bill would strengthen and expand Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI), which play a critical role in bringing capital and financial services to a wide range of underserved communities – from urban areas to small towns and rural communities to Tribal lands. “Unequal access to capital and financial services is a key driver of economic disparity in rural areas, communities of color, and Indigenous communities,” said Sen. Smith. “This legislation will jumpstart economic development in these communities by expanding and enhancing a program with a track record of effective capital investment and community development.” Their legislation—the CDFI Bond Guarantee Program Improvement Act, named for Community Development Financial Institutions–will extend authorization of the CDFI Bond Guarantee Program, while making it more reliable and accessible to smaller CDFIs. This legislation will expand and improve a successful program that operates without a taxpayer subsidy and allows CDFIs to access long-term, stable funding. The CDFI Bond Guarantee Program was enacted in 2010 to provide long-term, low-cost capital to CDFIs, which use the funding for economic development activities in underserved communities. The program’s authorization lapsed in 2014, but it has been extended on a year-by-year basis in annual appropriations bills. Under current program rules, borrowers must have a loan size of at least $100 million – which means that the program can only
Klobuchar, Smith Announce $1.75 Million Grant For Great Lakes Restoration Efforts
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) a $1,750,000 supplemental Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) grant to continue restoration efforts in the Saint Louis River Estuary Area of Concern (AOC) in Lake Superior. This supplemental grant brings the total GLRI investment in the project to $7,770,000 and represents a larger effort to restore and protect the Great Lakes through the GLRI. “The Great Lakes are a national treasure and vital to the economy and environment in Minnesota and our
Klobuchar, Smith Announce Judicial Selection Committee for Vacancy on Federal District Court
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith announced the formation of a judicial selection committee to assist them in making recommendations to the President to fill a vacancy on Minnesota’s federal district court. The vacancy was created by Judge Joan Ericksen’s decision to assume senior status. The Committee will be chaired by Lolita Ulloa, Deputy Hennepin County Attorney and Director of Domestic Abuse Service Center; with members: David Ackerson, former state court judge on Minnesota’s Sixth Judicial District Court; Amran Farah, attorney at Greene Espel and president of the Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers; Peter Knapp, Interim
U.S. Senators Klobuchar, Smith Laud Senate Passage of Bipartisan Legislation to Simplify the FAFSA, Improve Access to Affordable Student Loan Repayment Plans, and Support Tribal Colleges and Other Minority-Serving Institutions
WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/06/19]–U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) helped bipartisan legislation pass the Senate this week that would simplify the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and eliminate burdensome annual paperwork for federal student loan borrowers enrolled in income-driven repayment plans by automating income recertification, and permanently fund Tribal colleges. The Senate-passed Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act will permanently provide $255 million annually in support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other minority-serving institutions of higher education, which faced financial uncertainty when their funding lapsed earlier this year. Sens. Klobuchar, Smith and their colleagues have long been
Klobuchar, Smith Announce Open Signup for Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is opening signup for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) on December 9, 2019. The deadline for agricultural producers to sign up for general CRP is February 8, 2020, while signup for continuous CRP is ongoing. The 2018 Farm Bill, which was signed into law in December 2018, includes Klobuchar’s provision to increase the number of acres in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to 27 million acres, based on Klobuchar and Senator John Thune’s (R-SD) Conservation Program Improvement Act. The 2018 Farm Bill also
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