Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Announces $1.2 Million in Federal Funding to Support Training, Employment Services to Young People; Increase Apprenticeships in High-Demand Careers in Beltrami and Cass Counties
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) announced a significant investment in the Bi-County Community Action Programs Inc. (BI-CAP) in Bemidji to empower young workers and strengthen the workforce in the region. Totaling $1,242,000 from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), the grant will support training and employment services critical for preparing young people to secure well-paying jobs in high-demand industries. This is part of the Biden-Harris administration’s ongoing effort to expand access to apprenticeship opportunities and prepare young workers for quality jobs and strengthen the nation’s workforce to meet industry demands. The grant was provided by the DOL’s YouthBuild Program and prioritized proposals that align training with local infrastructure projects funded by the Biden-Harris administration’s Investing in America agenda. “Access to education and training is critical for young people to gain the skills needed to fill high-demand, good-paying jobs. By expanding access to pre-apprenticeship programs like YouthBuild, we are ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to thrive and contribute to their communities,” said Sen. Smith. “This federal funding will boost BI-CAP’s ability to support young people, workers and drive economic growth across Beltrami and Cass Counties.” BI-CAP was established in 1966 as part of the national war on poverty and is one of approximately 1,000 community action programs nationwide that make up the service delivery arm of the federal Office of Community Services. They serve Beltrami and Cass counties with the following programs: early childhood education, housing, weatherization, energy assistance, and youth education/employment services. The $1.2 million grant will support the
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Amy Klobuchar: New Report Confirms Postal Service Management Failures in Northern Minnesota
BEMIDJI, MN – Following a request from U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar (both D-Minn.), the United States Postal Service Inspector General launched an audit and released a comprehensive report on mail delivery issues in Northern Minnesota. The report’s findings underscored the need for serious changes at the Postal Service, including reforms included in the Senators’ bipartisan Postal Delivery Accountability Act. “When the mail is unreliable, it hurts Minnesotans, especially those who rely on the Postal Service to pay bills and receive paychecks and prescriptions. Yet when I ask the Postal Service for information on these disruptions, they insist everything is fine. This report confirmed what I’ve heard from Minnesotans and postal workers across the state for years: the Postal Service management is failing Minnesotans,” said Senator Smith. “This isn’t the end of this story. The Inspector General’s district-wide report will be released soon, and I look forward to getting a full picture so we can hold the Postal Service accountable for real solutions.” “Families in Bemidji and the surrounding communities rely on the Postal Service every day for everything from their prescriptions to paychecks, but I received troubling reports about significant delays and issues with local mail delivery. That is why I called for an investigation and for solutions,” said Senator Klobuchar. “The results of this audit are very concerning and the Postal Service must work to implement the Inspector General’s recommendations to improve operations and provide Northern Minnesota post offices with the resources they need to serve their customers. Minnesotans deserve to have a reliable and responsive Postal Service.” In November 2023, the Bemidji Post Office became the
U.S. Senators Klobuchar, Smith Back Legislation to Significantly Expand National Service Programs to Improve COVID-19 Response
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/07/20]—U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) are backing legislation to significantly expand national service programs as the country works to respond and recover from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The Pandemic Response and Opportunity Through National Service Act, led by U.S. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) would fund 750,000 national service positions over a three-year response and recovery period, in part to meet the projected need for as many as 300,000 public health workers. The bill would also expand partnerships between AmeriCorps and federal health agencies and increase the AmeriCorps living allowance to ensure all Americans can step up to serve regardless of their financial circumstances.
Klobuchar, Smith Announce Funding to Expand Biofuel Infrastructure Program and Renewable Fuels
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide over $100 million in competitive grants to expand the availability and sale of renewable fuels. Funding is made available through the USDA’s Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP). “This funding will help ensure that more Americans will have access to higher blends of biofuels like E15 and E85, which will reduce carbon emissions, save them money at the pump, and boost local economies across Minnesota and the country,” Klobuchar said. “I will continue working to ensure farmers and renewable fuel producers receive
U.S. Sen. Tina Smith Joins Bipartisan Push to Remove SBA Restrictions On Disaster Loans, Grants for Small Businesses Hit Hard by Pandemic
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/01/20]— U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) has joined a bipartisan push to get the federal Small Business Administration (SBA) to remove unneeded restrictions it has placed on emergency loans and grants for small businesses hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Sen. Smith, as part of a bipartisan group of 21 Senators, wrote to SBA Director Jovita Carranza this week, saying the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL) was designed to support the efforts of the nation’s small businesses trying to maintain their payroll, retain employees and cover operating expenses during the pandemic. However, the SBA has imposed a
U.S. Senator Tina Smith to Mnuchin: Disburse $8 Billion in Critical COVID-19 Relief to Tribal Governments Immediately
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/1/20]— U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) is urging Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to immediately disburse $8 billion in critical relief funds to eligible federally recognized Tribal governments. Sen. Smith. says that this emergency assistance, which was secured in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act, is critical to helping Tribal governments—just like their state, local, and territorial counterparts—respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and continue providing essential government services to their communities. But as of May 1, the Treasury Department has not distributed any of this funding. “The CARES Act was passed over a month ago and contained an express statutory deadline for distribution of the CRF to Tribal governments;
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