Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Applauds Senate Passage of Her Bipartisan Bill to Help Small Businesses Access Capital, Create Jobs in Rural America
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) applauded the Senate’s passage of her bipartisan Expanding Access to Capital for Rural Job Creators Act. The legislation, which is co-led by Senator John Kennedy (R-LA), would help eliminate hurdles small businesses in rural areas disproportionately face when they try to access capital. “Access to capital is essential to the economic health and growth of rural communities in Minnesota and across the country,” said Sen. Smith. “Rural small businesses often face disproportionate obstacles when trying to secure capital to develop and grow their businesses. This legislation would help rural small businesses overcome these hurdles and strengthen our rural economies.” Access to capital is critical for starting and expanding rural small businesses, which often face a disproportionate number of obstacles when seeking capital investment. This bipartisan legislation, the Expanding Access to Capital for Rural Job Creators Act, would require the Securities and Exchange Commission to submit annual reports on the unique challenges small businesses in rural areas face when trying to secure capital. The report would outline roadblocks and identify solutions to ensure rural small businesses, and the local economies they support, are able to develop and grow. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) also cosponsored the legislation.
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Legislation to Tackle Drug Shortages, Improve Public Health Preparedness Advances Through Key Committee
WASHINGTON, D.C. [8.4.23] –U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that two of her legislative priorities, aimed at addressing drug shortages and improving public health preparedness, took a major step forward. “Drug shortages are hurting patients, pharmacists, and physicians across the country,” said Senator Smith. “I have heard directly from Minnesotans who are facing shortages of ADHD medications like Adderall, cancer-fighting drugs for chemotherapy, among other things. These drug shortages can be life-threatening, and I’ve made it a priority to tackle this problem. In addition, I’m focused on ensuring we are prepared for future public health threats. My bipartisan legislation will improve the FDA’s responsiveness when medication demand outpaces the supply, and help improve our ability to rapidly develop and distribute diagnostic tests in the event of a disease outbreak. I’m glad to see these priorities included in this important legislation.” The Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Response Act is essential legislation that reauthorizes key public health and emergency preparedness programs. Current funding expires on September 30th. Millions of Americans have been affected by shortages of chemotherapy drugs, commonly-used antibiotics, pediatric formulations of medications like ibuprofen, and other essential drugs. Pieces of Senator Smith’s legislation, which have been included in the reauthorization, will help address these shortages and bolster public health preparedness. Senator Smith’s provisions include:
U.S. Senators Klobuchar & Smith Push Consumer Watchdog to Investigate Mismanagement of Student Loan Program
WASHINGTON, D.C. [11/04/2019]—Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) are calling on the federal government’s consumer watchdog to investigate whether a key student loan service company mismanaged a student loan forgiveness program designed to help people who take on careers in public service. The Senators were joined by 21 of their Democratic colleagues in a letter urging Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Director Kathy Kraninger to investigate student loan servicer Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) for mismanagement of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF). Congress established PSLF over a decade ago to encourage people to work
U.S. Sens. Smith & Collins’ Bipartisan Kay Hagan Tick Act Moves Forward in Senate
WASHINGTON, D.C. [10/31/19]—Today, the Senate Health Committee voted to move forward bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) that aims to improve research, prevention, diagnostics and treatment for tick-borne diseases. Their bill now heads to the floor for full consideration by the Senate. The Kay Hagan Tick Act unites the effort to confront the alarming public health threat posed by Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, which have risen exponentially from approximately 30,000 cases in 2003 to an estimated 450,000 last year. The bill was renamed in honor of former Senator Kay Hagan, who recently passed away
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Secures Key Priorities, Helps Preserve Minnesota Transportation Funding in Senate-Passed Bipartisan Appropriations Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. [11/01/2019]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) successfully fought to secure a number of her priorities in the bipartisan package of spending bills passed by the Senate this week, including efforts to support beginning, socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers, Native health, the health of the Great Lakes and two rural housing amendments authored by Sen. Smith. “Part of my work to make sure Minnesotans’ voices are heard in Washington is working to put real dollars behind our priorities, and that’s what I pushed to do in the appropriations bills we passed in the Senate,” said Sen. Smith. “I fought for transportation, rural
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Wants to Help Bring Mental Health Resources and Awareness to Farmers and Producers, Rural Communities
WASHINGTON, D.C. [10/31/19]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) joined legislation that would direct the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to make sure Farm Service Agency (FSA), Risk Management Agency (RMA), and National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Employees—people who work with farmers each and every day—prioritize the need to destigmatize mental health care in rural communities, and collaborate to determine best practices to respond to, and help, farmers and producers facing mental stress. The Seeding Rural Resilience Act—introduced by Sen. Smith’s Democratic colleague and working farmer Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.)—aims to curb the alarming rate of suicides in rural America. “Minnesota farmers
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