Latest Releases
The Affordable Housing and Homeownership Protection Act Would Tackle Housing Crisis by Creating Millions More Homes and Helping Main Street Compete with Wall Street
WASHINGTON, DC – As the nation’s housing shortage pushes home prices and rents to historic levels, a new Senate bill would provide tens of billions of dollars to help create millions of new homes for low-income Americans. U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), Jack Reed (D-RI)and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) are teaming up with several colleagues to introduce the Affordable Housing and Homeownership Protection Act (S. 3673). This bill would generate up to $50 billion over ten years to help build and preserve approximately 3 million affordable housing units nationwide. The bill would be fully paid for through a transfer tax on large investors who profit by purchasing sixteen single-family homes or more. Driven by a shortage of as many as 6.8 million homes nationwide, homes prices have surged 39% and rents 31% over the last four years, according to the National Association of Realtors and Zillow. Higher rents and fewer opportunities for homeownership are devastating for millions of families. As housing costs skyrocket, more households are priced out of homeownership, while renters have less to spend on food, clothing, and other everyday necessities. Low-income Americans are particularly strained – the National Low Income Housing Coalition estimates 73% of extremely low-income households spend more than half their income on housing. Unsurprisingly, homelessness has risen in line with housing prices and is up 15% since 2019. Unfortunately, federal investments in low-income housing are insufficient to solve this affordability crisis. Indeed, researchers at Harvard University found that the three largest federal housing programs serve nearly
Klobuchar, Smith Announce Significant Federal Infrastructure Grant to Improve Highway 169
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced a $24.7 million federal grant for the US 169 Rural Safety and Mobility Interchange Project in Sherburne County, which will eliminate the signal-controlled intersection at County Road 4 and replace it with a grade-separated, hybrid diamond interchange. The current intersection has crash rates at nearly five times the state average and has been ranked the second most dangerous intersection in central Minnesota. This project will also reduce traffic congestion and accommodate anticipated growth on this important regional highway. In addition, the new interchange will have a multi-use trail for pedestrian and bike access. Funding for this project comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s INFRA (Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight & Highway Projects) grant program. “Highway 169’s signal-controlled intersection has been ranked as one of the most dangerous intersections in central Minnesota. Drivers who use this intersection every day deserve a safer alternative,” said Klobuchar. “This federal grant will make much-needed improvements to make the interchange secure for drivers and pedestrians.” “Revitalizing our infrastructure is about more than just fixing roadways and bridges; it’s about improving people’s lives, which is precisely what this project will do,” said Smith. “This intersection on Highway 169 is dangerous in its current form. Now, Minnesota has the federal investment to make this vital corridor safer for everyone.” INFRA grants can be used by communities across the country for multimodal freight and highway projects of national or regional significance to improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of freight
U.S. Sens. Tina Smith, Lisa Murkowski Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Health Care Services for Native American Elders
WASHINGTON, D.C. [10/24/2019]—U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)—both members of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee—introduced a bipartisan bill to expand health care services to Native American elders in Minnesota, Alaska and across the country. The Strengthening Services for Native Elders Act would help tribal organizations provide a wider range of home and community-based health services to American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) elders, including transportation, case management, and health and wellness programs. Right now there are more than 26 million AIAN adults over age 65 living in the United States and too many are facing significant health disparities. These elders are more likely to confront mortality at a younger age, and have higher mortality rates
U.S. Senators Smith, Brown, Van Hollen, Kaine, Cardin & Warner Continue Fight to Secure Back Pay From Last Government Shutdown for Federal Contractor Employees
WASHINGTON, D.C. [10/24/19]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.)—along with Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), and Tim Kaine (D-Va.)—is making good on a promise to keep fighting to secure back pay for federal contractor employees who went without pay during the last government shutdown. The Senators filed an amendment to Senate appropriations measures that would provide those low-wage workers with back pay. Sen. Smith and her colleagues say it is unacceptable that Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) took out back pay language from the House-passed appropriations bills, and they are working to right that
U.S. Sen. Tina Smith Seeks Young Minnesotans Interested In Attending a U.S. Service Academy
MINNESOTA [10/24/19]—U.S. Sen. Tina Smith’s (D-Minn.) office is now accepting applications from young Minnesotans interested in attending one of the nation’s four service academies, including the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. In order to attend a service academy, candidates must be nominated by a member of Congress, or other applicable nominating source. Applications are due by 5 pm on Friday, November 1. “As Senator, I am proud to be able to nominate talented Minnesotans to our four U.S. Service Academies, where they can prepare to be future leaders in our nation’s military,” said Sen. Smith. “I’m happy to assist eligible Minnesotans in the nomination process,
U.S. Senators Klobuchar and Smith Announce $480,000 to Help Give Farmers and Ranchers Tools to Deal with Stressful Economic Times
WASHINGTON, D.C. [10/24/2019]—U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded $480,000 to fund a project to give farmers, ranchers and agri-businesses the tools they need to deal with economic and emotional stress brought on by the difficult farm economy. The funding will allow the University of Minnesota Extension to partner with seven other cooperative extension services in the upper Midwest to develop online resources people can turn to for help. It will also help expand programs including stress assistance classes, a stress assistance hotline and prescription drug abuse education. Right now, Minnesota ag
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