Latest Releases
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith Announce Funding for Meat Processing Facility in Waseca
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-MN), members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, announced federal funding to increase the meat processing capacity of Morgan’s Meat Market LLC in Waseca. The grant funding will go towards adding a smokehouse and vacuum stuffer, which will increase worker safety, reduce cleaning time from 3 days to only 4 hours, and increase processing capacity while saving time. “Agriculture is key to our state’s economy and to stay ahead, we must continue investing in our farms and food businesses,” said Klobuchar. “This federal grant will go toward bolstering capacity, improving worker safety, and upgrading efficiency at Morgan’s Meat Market in Waseca.” “A strong meat processing industry is critical to maintaining a stable economy in Minnesota, especially for Minnesota’s poultry and livestock farmers,” said Senator Smith. “By increasing capacity at Morgan’s Meat Market, producers will have another processing option. This helps farmers get a fair value for animals and also helps keep prices down for consumers at the grocery story.” The funding comes from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Local Meat Capacity grant program and will give Morgan’s Meat Market LLC in Waseca $250,000 for these upgrades. ###
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Joins Colleagues in Urging Biden Administration to Address Humanitarian Crisis in Ethiopia
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator and Tina Smith (D-MN) joined her colleagues in sending a letter to the Biden administration regarding the mounting humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia. The letter was led by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and was also signed by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Tim Kaine (D-VA). The Senators urged U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power to work with partners to ensure continued international humanitarian support for the people of Ethiopia as the country confronts an ongoing humanitarian crisis exacerbated by armed conflict and climate chaos. “While we are heartened by United States’ and international efforts to provide food assistance and other humanitarian aid to the Ethiopian people, their needs remain great, especially when factoring in the more than 100,000 Sudanese refugees who have recently fled the violence in their country and taken refuge in Ethiopia,” the Senators wrote. “We support the Administration’s continued global leadership in the provision of humanitarian aid to those most in need,” the Senators continued. “We also acknowledge that it is critical to maintain effective oversight of assistance and ensure that it is not being abused or diverted. However, commitments from other donor countries and the international community have failed to keep up with the increasing needs globally.” Read the full text of the letter below: Dear Secretary Blinken and Administrator Power, We write to express deep concern about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia, which is set to worsen this year
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Provides Guidance for How Minnesotans Can Access Assistance Passed in Bipartisan Coronavirus Legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C. [03/31/20]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) provided guidance on how Minnesotans can access resources made available to them from the emergency coronavirus (COVID-19) legislation passed by Congress and signed into law last week, including how much people will receive in payments, information on unemployment insurance (UI), and resources available to small businesses. Sen. Smith’s resource also addresses support for student loans, child care, schools, local and Tribal governments, and hospitals and health systems. You can access Sen. Smith’s answers to frequently asked questions here or below: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About the $2 Trillion Funding Package Passed to Respond to the Coronavirus Pandemic On
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith, Democratic Senate Colleagues Urge Trump Administration to Expand Child Care Options for Workers and Families, Provide Guidance for Providers During Coronavirus Pandemic
WASHINGTON, D.C. [03/31/20]—Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (D-Minn.)—along with 20 of their Democratic Senate colleagues—urged the Office of Child Care within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take additional steps to expand child care options for health care workers and others on the frontlines responding to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The senators also advocated for providers by urging the Office of Child Care to provide critical guidance so centers that remain open know how to take appropriate action to minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19, and to share details of how the emergency funding
Klobuchar, Smith, Stauber Announce $4.5 million Sediment Cleanup in the St. Louis River Area of Concern in Duluth, Minnesota
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, and Representative Pete Stauber (MN-08) announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has signed a $4.5 million agreement to remediate contaminated sediment in the St. Louis River Area of Concern (AOC) on Lake Superior. The St. Louis River AOC is one of 43 toxic hotspots identified by the United States and Canada in the Great Lakes basin, and is the second largest AOC in the United States. EPA and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) will fund the work through a Great Lakes Legacy Act cost-sharing partnership. “The Great Lakes are a
As Farm Prices Slump Due to Coronavirus, U.S. Senators Klobuchar, Smith Announce USDA Crop Insurance Flexibilities to Support Producers
WASHINGTON, D.C. [03/30/20]—U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (D-Minn.)—both members of the Senate Agriculture Committee—said that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) is providing flexibilities to support producers who are facing slumping commodity prices and a possible labor shortage due to COVID-19. These accommodations include additional time and deferring interest on premium and other payments, extending the date for production reports, and enabling producers to send notifications and reports electronically. “Minnesotans across the state are facing economic turmoil caused by the coronavirus pandemic and that includes our farmers,” said Sen. Klobuchar. “As the backbone of our state’s economy, farmers need our support during periods
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