Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Announces Significant Federal Funding to Combat Extreme Heat, Create More Green Spaces in Minnesota
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) announced over $33 million in federal funding to plant and maintain trees, combat extreme heat and climate change, and improve access to nature in cities, towns, and suburbs throughout Minnesota. The funding is made possible through the Inflation Reduction Act, which Smith helped pass. “As climate change fuels record-breaking heat waves across the country, we need to be doing more to increase tree cover and improve access to nature,” said Smith. “Extreme heat strains our energy systems and has negative effects on public health and overall well-being. These investments, made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, will increase access to green spaces and help communities become more resilient to extreme heat thanks to the cooling effects of tree cover.” The grants are made possible by investments from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate investment in history. Studies show that trees in communities are associated with improved physical and mental health, lower average temperatures during extreme heat, and increased food security, and create new economic opportunities. This historic funding will help support projects that increase tree cover in disadvantaged communities, provide equitable access to the benefits of nature, and deliver tangible economic and ecological benefits to Minnesota. The grants include:
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Mike Rounds Announce More Bipartisan Support for Legislation to Modernize and Reform Rural Housing Programs
Washington [9.19.23] – This week, Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) announced growing support for their bipartisan legislation to improve federal rural housing programs, cut red tape, and strengthen the supply of affordable housing. Their updated bill would represent the most significant Rural Housing Service reforms years, and has the support of a large bipartisan group of senators including eight members of the Banking Committee. New cosponsors include Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Jon Tester (D-MT), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Steve Daines (R-MT), and John Fetterman (D-PA). “Without a safe, affordable place to live, nothing else in your life works. Not your job, not your education, not your health,” said Smith. “We know that the housing crisis is hurting communities across the country, and the problem is particularly acute in rural places. This legislation is the direct result of bipartisan hearings and conversations with stakeholders who helped identify ways we can make federal rural housing programs work better for people struggling to find a safe, affordable place to live. I’m excited about the growing support for this package of rural housing reforms” “I am pleased with the bipartisan coalition that is building around this commonsense legislation to update USDA’s Rural Housing Service,” said Rounds. “Homeownership is part of the American dream and a key to building wealth. This legislation makes important improvements and updates that will create and preserve affordable housing opportunities in South Dakota. As we face an affordable housing crisis across the nation, I
Sen. Tina Smith Backs Paycheck Fairness Act; Says Equal Pay for Equal Work is Good For All Americans
U.S. Senator Tina Smith has cosponsored the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would help close the long-existing income gap between women and men. Sen. Smith said that equal pay for equal work shouldn’t be a partisan issue, and closing the pay gap would help support women in the workplace, helping ensure that women would be paid an equal wage for doing the same job. She called on Congress to take up and pass the Paycheck Fairness Act in order to strengthen protections for women in the workplace and help end wage discrimination. “Equal pay for equal work is good for all
As State of Minnesota Rolls out Comprehensive Opioid Proposal, Sen. Tina Smith Fights the Epidemic from Washington
As the state of Minnesota rolls out a set of proposals today to address opioids, U.S. Senator Tina Smith is working to tackle the crisis from Washington by cosponsoring “Penny-a-Pill” legislation that would require big pharmaceutical companies to fund solutions to the epidemic they helped create. The Budgeting for Opioid Addiction Treatment Act would raise funds from pharmaceutical companies to establish new addiction treatment facilities, reimburse mental health providers, expanding access to treatment programs, strengthen addiction recovery services, and build facilities to provide care for babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome. “The opioid epidemic has been devastating to families all across Minnesota,” said
In Her First Senate Ag Committee Meeting, Sen. Tina Smith Takes Leadership Role on Rural Development and Energy Panel
Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith joined her first Senate Agriculture Committee hearing, where she was named ranking member of the Rural Development and Energy Subcommittee. She vowed to use her new position to advocate fiercely for Minnesota’s priorities during this year’s rewrite of the federal Farm Bill. You can download a clip of her speaking in the hearing here. “I fought for a spot on the Agriculture Committee because farming is the foundation of Minnesota’s economy,” said Sen. Smith. “As we move into this year’s Farm Bill debate, I’m going to push Minnesota’s priorities and talk with as many ag experts, rural businesses,
Klobuchar, Smith Introduce Legislation to Develop More Effective, Universal Flu Vaccine
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith today introduced the Flu Vaccine Act with Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) to encourage additional National Institutes of Health (NIH) research to develop a more effective flu vaccine. The United States has already seen 63 pediatric deaths and high levels of illness and hospitalizations related to the flu this season. One-in-10 Americans who died the week ending on January 20th died from the flu or pneumonia. The flu costs the nation $10.4 billion in direct medical costs annually and $87 billion in total economic burden. The current flu vaccine is only 60 percent effective at best,
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