Latest Releases
Klobuchar, Smith, Omar Secure Significant Federal Funding for Minneapolis’s Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Project
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) and Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has awarded $20,004,000 in federal funding for the City of Minneapolis to implement its Vision Zero Action Plan. The Plan addresses the three leading causes of severe and fatal traffic accidents in Minneapolis: speeding, left-turn conflicts, and red-light running. “We have an obligation to ensure our roads are safe for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians,” said Klobuchar. “These infrastructure upgrades will save lives.” “We need to build a transportation system that prioritizes safety. This important investment will help make progress toward eliminating pedestrian injuries in Minneapolis,” said Smith. “Sometimes smaller things like pedestrian refuge islands, high-visibility crosswalks and protected bicycle lanes are the most effective tools to create safer roads. I appreciate the work of local leaders to make Minneapolis safer for everyone.”“Investing in pedestrian and traffic safety measures will help protect the lives of Minnesotans. I’m glad to see federal dollars coming back home to Minneapolis to implement proven improvements that will make streets safer for all users, especially our most vulnerable. We know speeding, red light violations and turn conflicts cause serious accidents, and this funding will directly address those dangers. I applaud Mayor Frey and city leaders for prioritizing residents’ wellbeing through Vision Zero, and I’ll keep working to secure federal infrastructure dollars that help communities across Minnesota thrive,” said Omar. The Vision Zero Action Plan components include pedestrian safety features, including intersection medians, protected bicycle lanes, and systematic
Klobuchar, Smith Secure Significant Federal Funding for Highway Infrastructure Project in Brainerd
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has awarded $25 million in federal funding for the Highway 210 Brainerd Multimodal Connectivity Project. Specifically, the grant, provided through USDOT’s Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant (MPDG) program, will allow MnDOT to address critical safety concerns in the historic Brainerd Lakes Area. “As one of the busiest corridors in Crow Wing County, Highway 210 is an important link for local residents and businesses,” said Klobuchar. “These federal dollars will fund essential safety improvements for drivers and pedestrians, while making much-needed upgrades to public utility infrastructure.” “Infrastructure is the backbone of a strong, resilient economy,” said Smith. “Highway 210 helps connect families and businesses across the Brainerd Lakes area and is critical for shipping and commerce in northern Minnesota. Investing in projects like these not only makes our roads safer, but helps support local economies across the state.” Highway 210 through Brainerd is an important corridor for local residents, commuters, tourists, and freight. It has the highest traffic volumes in Crow Wing County and is the only continuous east‐west corridor in Brainerd. The $25 million grant will fund improvements to reduce the risk of fatal and serious injury crashes; create a network of multi-use sidewalks, crosswalks and trails; rehabilitate the Washington Street bridge; and allow the city of Brainerd to make critical improvements to aging public utility and stormwater systems. The MPDG Rural Surface Transportation Grant (Rural) program supports projects that improve and expand our nation’s surface transportation infrastructure in
Senators Warren, Murray, and Smith Raise Further Questions About the FDA’s Oversight of Digital Health Devices
Washington, DC – United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, U.S. Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.), member of the U.S. Senate HELP Committee, sent a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting additional information from the agency regarding its Software Precertification (Pre-Cert) Pilot Program. The FDA established the Pre-Cert Pilot Program in 2017 to test the feasibility of a “precertification” system for developers of software as a medical device (SaMD), such as mobile health apps, medical software, and health information technology.
U.S. Sen. Tina Smith Urges Regulators to Protect Key Data Used For Community Planning, Fighting Discrimination
WASHINGTON, D.C. [10/25/2019]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.)—who has been holding meetings to discuss the need for affordable housing across Minnesota—and her Democratic Senate Banking Committee colleagues are demanding that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) continues to collect vital information designed to determine whether financial institutions are serving the housing needs of their communities, identifying possible discriminatory lending and enforcing antidiscrimination laws. The CFPB has proposed to end the collection of some Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data that is currently collected on home mortgages. This data is one of the primary tools to measure trends and disparities in mortgage
In Wake of Difficult Weather, U.S. Senator Tina Smith Encourages Minnesota Farmers Experiencing Harvest Delays to Contact Crop Insurance Agents
WASHINGTON, D.C. [10/25/19]— U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) is encouraging Minnesota farmers participating in federal crop insurance to request more time to harvest after extremely wet and snowy conditions this fall forced many to experience delays. “It’s absolutely critical that we do everything we can to support farmers who’ve been facing bad weather, trade uncertainty and low commodity prices,” said Sen. Smith, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. “If you are a farmer with crop insurance, I urge you to contact your insurance agent to request more time to harvest. And I’ll keep working to bring stability and predictability to Minnesota Ag.”
U.S. Sens. Tina Smith & Susan Collins: Bipartisan Resolution Recognizes October as National Principals Month
WASHINGTON, D.C. [10/25/2019]—U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine)—both members of the Senate Education Committee—are pleased that their bipartisan resolution declaring October 2019 as National Principals Month passed the Senate. This resolution recognizes the important role principals play in ensuring that every child has access to a high-quality education. “School principals are community builders, academic leaders, facility managers and so much more,” said Sen. Smith. “They’re responsible for creating school environments where every child can succeed, and where teachers and faculty can get the support they need to educate students and help shape them into future leaders. We need to do all we can to
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