Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Joins Colleagues to Reintroduce Bill to Help Educate Americans about the Effects of Climate Change
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) joined her colleagues in introducing legislation that would support a variety of programs nationwide to help Americans better understand what climate change will mean for our everyday lives—things like including information about climate change in school science curricula and public education campaigns. The bill, called the Climate Change Education Act, would establish a Climate Change Education Program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to provide grants and technical assistance to state and local education agencies, institutions of higher learning, professional associations and academic societies, and youth corps organizations. “Climate change is happening, and we cannot ignore it,” said Senator Smith. “We need to be doing everything we can to combat climate change, and that includes comprehensive education about its impacts. Investing in our future and working against climate change will improve our health, create better jobs, and ensure that people are prepared to succeed in a rapidly changing world.” The Climate Change Education Act would support climate literacy by authorizing $50 million per year between fiscal years 2025 and 2030 for grants and cooperative agreements between NOAA and education entities. In line with the Biden administration’s Justice40 Initiative, the bill stipulates that 40 percent of the funds for higher education institutions and youth corps organizations would be directed to environmental justice communities. The bill was led by Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) and cosponsored by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Laphonza Butler (D-CA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Bob
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Joins Colleagues to Prevent College Students from Being Billed For Textbooks Without Their Consent
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) joined her colleagues Dick Durbin (D-IL), Angus King (I-ME), and Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) in sending a letter to the Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona urging him to finalize proposed changes that would make “Inclusive Access” (IA) and “Equitable Access” (EA) programs – models that allow institutions of higher education to automatically charge a student’s federal student aid for textbooks without a student’s consent – into an opt-in program, rather than an opt-out program. Currently, colleges and universities can partner with textbook publishers like McGraw Hill, Pearson, and Cengage to deliver textbooks digitally, charging students in the process through IA and EA programs. Although IA and EA models are more affordable for students than the sticker price of a new, hardcover textbook, they are often still more expensive than open textbooks, used textbooks or rental options. And while students can opt-out of IA and EA programs, the opt-out process is often difficult to navigate and lacks transparency. “The Department’s proposed changes to the Cash Management regulations would eliminate an institution’s ability to automatically bill students for books and supplies, effectively shifting the textbook industry’s so-called ‘Inclusive Access’ and ‘Equitable Access’ programs from an opt-out model to an opt-in model. This would allow students to choose how to spend their financial aid dollars on books and supplies. It would empower them to take advantage of affordable alternatives, such as used and open textbooks,” the lawmakers wrote. Senator Smith helped introduce the Affordable College Textbook Act and the Open-Textbook Pilot Program. The Pilot is a competitive grant program to support the creation and expansion of open college textbooks
U.S. Senators Push for Sens. Smith, Moran’s Bipartisan Legislation to Make Oral Cancer Medications More Affordable
WASHINGTON, D.C. [04/24/20]—U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) led a bipartisan group of senators in calling on House and Senate leadership to make sure the next coronavirus relief package includes their Cancer Drug Parity Act, which would make sure oral cancer drugs are covered in the same way as traditional intravenous (IV) chemotherapy. Right now, doctors are advising cancer patients to stay at home as much as possible. Switching to oral medications when medically appropriate would allow for patients to self-administer and stay in their homes, but making the switch to oral medications may not be financially feasible. Sens. Smith and
Klobuchar, Smith Announce Loan Eligibility for Farmers Included in Interim Coronavirus Relief Package Passed by Senate
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith announced that farmers in Minnesota and across the country are now eligible for additional disaster loan relief under the most recent coronavirus relief package passed unanimously by the Senate. Under a bill passed by the Senate this week, agricultural enterprises will become eligible for the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and Emergency Economic Assistance Grant (EEAG) programs. These key changes will allow farmers to be eligible low-interest loans from the federal government, as well as grants of up to $10,000 to help farmers get through the coronavirus pandemic. This important provision
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, John Hoeven Lead Bipartisan Push to Treasury Department, Small Business Administration to Ensure Eligibility of Rural Electric Cooperatives in Paycheck Protection Program
WASHINGTON, D.C. [04/22/20]—Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and John Hoeven (R-N.D.) led a bipartisan group of senators in urging the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Small Business Administration (SBA) to clarify that rural electric cooperatives are eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was created under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to support small businesses and help them maintain payroll and cover expenses during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Some lenders are approving PPP loans for electric cooperatives, while other lenders are refusing to do so without further guidance from the SBA. Rural electric cooperatives have urged
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Says Latest Coronavirus Relief Package To Replenish Small Business Loan Fund, Also Adds Money For Hospitals and Testing
WASHINGTON, D.C. [04/21/20]— U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said the $470 billion coronavirus relief package which passed the Senate today will provide an additional $370 billion in urgently-needed emergency loans and grants for hard-hit small businesses in Minnesota and across the country. It also targets $75 billion to help hospitals handle the surge in infections and $25 billion to dramatically improve the nation’s coronavirus testing capabilities. Sen. Smith said she strongly supported the effort to provide additional and urgently-needed help to Minnesota small businesses who have yet to receive it, but said Congress may have to provide even more assistance if the funding in the package
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