Latest Releases
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Amy Klobuchar Announce STEM Education Funding for Minnesota Tribal Colleges and Universities
WASHINGTON [2/14/2024] – Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith, a member of the Senate Indian Affairs and Education Committees, and Amy Klobuchar (both D-Minn.) announced funding for White Earth Tribal and Community College and Red Lake Nation College to expand their science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs. The funding comes from the National Science Foundation and is part of a larger project to promote education and careers in STEM for Indigenous students. “STEM education has never been more important as the demand for STEM-trained employees has soared,” said Senator Smith. “This funding will provide accessible pathways for Native students to pursue higher education and serve their communities – all while integrating Tribal cultural heritage and roots into their curriculum.” “Expanding higher education offerings can be a real game changer for students,” said Senator Klobuchar. “These National Science Foundation awards will open doors for White Earth Tribal and Community College and Red Lake Nation College students to learn essential skills for in-demand careers while ensuring Ojibwe language and culture remain key components of their education.” White Earth Tribal and Community College was awarded $2,500,000 to begin offering an associate’s degree in natural sciences, with coursework including biology, chemistry and physics. Having this coursework available to White Earth students will help graduates access good jobs and further education in high-demand fields such as health sciences. Red Lake Nation College will use their $2,500,000 in funding to expand curriculum in social and behavioral sciences, with coursework rooted in the Ojibwe language and culture. Given the high demand in Tribal areas for workers in social services, this program will strengthen the talent pipeline for graduates to fill that need. Senator Smith has long been a lead advocate for Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). In addition to
Following Amendment Push, Smith, Van Hollen, Durbin, Kaine, Schatz & Colleagues Welcome New National Security Memorandum to Ensure U.S. Security Assistance is Used in Line with International Law
The memorandum, modeled off of Senators’ amendment, also requires all countries that receive U.S. security assistance to facilitate U.S.-supported humanitarian aid and creates robust reporting requirements to Congress WASHINGTON – Friday, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), and their colleagues welcomed a new National Security Memorandum (NSM) released by the Biden Administration Thursday aimed at ensuring all U.S. security assistance is used in line with international law, including international humanitarian law. The NSM is modeled off of the Senators’ amendment to ensure U.S. security assistance is used in line with international law. Additional cosponsors of the amendment were Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.). Following the intent of the amendment, the NSM also requires that prior to the transfer of U.S. security assistance, recipient countries must provide the U.S. with credible and reliable written assurances that they will facilitate and not arbitrarily deny or restrict U.S. humanitarian assistance and U.S-supported international efforts to provide humanitarian assistance in areas of conflict. And, also in line with the Senator’s amendment, the NSM creates robust reporting requirements to Congress on these provisions and additional assessments of compliance with U.S. laws and policies. “When the United States provides security assistance, we need more in return than a mere promise
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar Introduce No Shame at School Act
WASHINGTON—Today, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) and U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) introduced the No Shame at School Act, to prohibit public schools from shaming students who are unable to pay for school meals or who have outstanding debt. Additionally, the measure requires schools to certify a child’s unpaid meal fees and authorizes the federal government to reimburse the meals for up to 90 days. “Everyone knows you can’t learn or perform well when you are hungry. We need to support students in Minnesota and across the country by ensuring that kids are not humiliated because of an inability to
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Senate Democratic Colleagues Push Measure to Protect Elections from Foreign Interference
WASHINGTON, D.C. [06/20/19]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) is pressing for the protection of our elections from foreign interference by pushing a measure to require candidates, campaign officials, and their family members to notify law enforcement if offered illegal assistance by a foreign national. Sen. Smith—along with a number of her Senate colleagues—filed an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to impose a legal duty on campaigns, candidates, candidates’ family members, and PACs to report offers of assistance from foreign nationals—including material, non-public information—to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and the FBI. The legislation also
U.S. Sens. Tina Smith, Todd Young Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Push Coordinated “One Health” Approach to Improve Public Health Preparedness
WASHINGTON, D.C. [06/19/19]—Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) introduced their bipartisan Advancing Emergency Preparedness Through One Health Act, which would improve public health preparedness by ensuring federal agencies advance a “One Health” approach—the idea that human and animal health are linked, and that they should be studied together—to prevent and respond to disease outbreaks. The bill would improve coordination among those studying animal and human health by requiring the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Agriculture Department (USDA) to adopt a One Health framework with other agencies. “Minnesota was hit by an
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith Say Minnesota Dairy Producers Can Sign up for Improved Dairy Margin Coverage Starting June 17
WASHINGTON, D.C. [06/17/2019]—U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (D-Minn.)—both members of the Senate Agriculture Committee—said starting June 17, Minnesota dairy producers are eligible to sign up for the new Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program, which helps dairy producers more affordably manage the volatility of milk and feed prices. The senators encouraged producers to sign up at their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office. Sens. Klobuchar and Smith said the new DMC program replaces the old Margin Protection Program (MPP), and offers higher coverage levels at more affordable rates for small and medium-sized dairy farms, along with greater flexibility in
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