Latest Releases
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Amy Klobuchar Request an Inspector General Audit of Minnesota-North Dakota Postal Service
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar (both D – MN) have formally requested that the Inspector General of the United States Postal Service conduct a full audit of the Minnesota-North Dakota District following persistent reports across Minnesota of delayed and unreliable mail service. “We believe it is time for the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to investigate the dysfunction of the MN-ND District,” wrote the Senators. “Minnesotans rely on the Postal Service as an essential public service. Deliveries of medicine, Social Security checks and paychecks, and correspondence with loved ones are critical, especially in rural communities. But too often, the Postal Service is falling short in meeting the reasonable expectations of Minnesotans.” “Even more concerning is that attempts to elevate the concerns of Minnesotans to the USPS have either been dismissed or met with assurances that everything is fine—that the reports of our constituents are incorrect,” wrote the Senators. “This lack of transparency deepens our concern that the serious issues in the MN-ND district are not receiving adequate attention.” The Office of the Inspector General is an independent agency within the USPS that conducts essential oversight over Postal Service operations. Audits conducted by the Inspector General provide an informed, unbiased view of postal operations with a focus on preventing misuse of funds, promoting efficiency and integrity, and sharing information with the USPS Board of Governors, Congress, and USPS management. In their request for a full audit, the senators seek answers to the following issues: Smith and Klobuchar have long worked to improve the reliability of postal service in Minnesota. The
U.S. Senator Smith Joins Colleagues in Bipartisan Push for Clear Guidance on the New Free Applications for Federal Student Aid
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) joined a bipartisan group of colleagues led by Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Patty Murray (D-WA) in sending a letter urging the Department of Education to provide clear guidance and communication to students, families, educators, and schools leading up to and after the release of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The redesigned FAFSA will make it easier for millions of students to get financial aid and help 1.5 million more students access the maximum Pell Grant award, which is $7,395 for the 2023-24 award year. While the Department announced earlier in November that the new FAFSA will be released by December 31, 2023, it did not provide a concrete date and indicated that there will be processing delays in the first months of 2024, creating uncertainty for students and their families. The letter is also signed by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN),Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Laphonza Butler (D-CA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Bob Casey (D-PA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Joni Ernst (R-IA), John Fetterman (D-PA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Angus King (I-ME), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Ed Markey (D-MA), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR). “We understand that overhauling
Klobuchar, Smith, Hagedorn Announce $1 Million for Infrastructure Improvements in Winona
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith along with Representative Jim Hagedorn (MN-1) announced that the Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) $1,000,000 in grant funding to improve infrastructure in Winona. The award will allow MnDOT to complete a project on Broadway Street, including reducing the roadway from four lanes to three lanes over 1.9 miles and adding sidewalks and pedestrian ramps to improve safety. “This funding will help pave the way for improvements in Winona’s infrastructure and make our roads and pedestrian byways safer,” Klobuchar said. “I am pleased that we were able to secure
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Helps Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Chronic Disease Management Effort
WASHINGTON, D.C. [01/16/20]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith helped introduce bipartisan legislation—led by Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Tom Carper (D-Del.)—to lower health care costs by allowing high-deductible health plans to provide chronic disease prevention services—including insulin for diabetes—to plan enrollees before they reach their plan deductible. The Chronic Disease Management Act builds on legislation introduced last year, and it follows updated guidance issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury last summer. In July of last year, the Internal Revenue Service issued a notice expanding its interpretation of what constitutes preventive care to include certain items and services that are prescribed to someone with certain
U.S. Senators Smith, Cardin, Van Hollen, Brown, Kaine, & Warner Successfully Fight to Make Protections for Federal Health Benefits During Government Shutdowns Law of the Land
WASHINGTON D.C. [01/14/20]—U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and Mark Warner (D-Va.) fought to secure protections for federal healthcare benefits in the event of a government shutdown, and these measures were signed into law in December as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Similar bipartisan legislation was introduced in the House by the late Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), who fought to include these measures in NDAA before his passing. The legislation ensures that workers who have qualifying life events are able to make the proper adjustments to their health insurance plans and continue dental and
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Colleagues Slam FDA E-Cigarette Policy Riddled with Loopholes for Kid-Appealing Flavors
WASHINGTON, D.C. [01/13/20]–Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.)—a member of the Senate Health Committee—and 29 of her Senate colleagues sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner criticizing the FDA’s decision to break the Administration’s promise to clear all non-tobacco flavored e-cigarette products from the market. On January 2, the FDA announced a weak policy that includes huge exceptions regarding menthol-flavored products and any flavored e-liquids that are not in a cartridge. This comes at a time when the youth vaping epidemic has reached an all-time high. “We are deeply disappointed with the Trump Administration’s stark reversal from its September 11, 2019 commitment to
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