Latest Releases
Senators Smith, Barrasso Introduce Bipartisan Reauthorization of Key Program Aimed at Improving Rural Health Care
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Co-Chairs of the Senate Rural Health Caucus, introduced bipartisan legislation to reauthorize a key program that supports state health facilities across the country to help improve health care in rural areas. “When I meet with families, farmers, businesses and community leaders in rural Minnesota, one of the first issues that comes up is healthcare,” said Senator Smith. “This bipartisan legislation will make sure State Offices of Rural Health have the resources they need to expand and improve healthcare services in rural communities. I’ll keep working to get this bill across the finish line and address the unique healthcare needs of rural America.” “Wyoming’s State Office of Rural Health regularly provides rural health providers with critical resources and technical assistance vital to ensuring the highest quality care for patients across Wyoming. As a doctor, I’ve seen firsthand how this assistance benefits our state’s rural health clinics and hospitals,” said Senator Barrasso. “Our legislation would make sure this important program can continue to help providers deliver the best care to patients in rural communities across Wyoming and the country.” The State Offices of Rural Health (SORH) Reauthorization Act of 2022 would ensure that State Offices of Rural Health have the financial resources they need to improve information-sharing, technical assistance, and care delivery in rural health settings. By reauthorizing the program for five years, this bill would also preserve the program’s flexibility to meet state and local rural health care needs.
Senators Klobuchar, Smith Announce Historic Investment in Minnesota Climate-Smart Commodities and Rural Projects
WASHINGTON [9.27.22] – Today, Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-MN) announced historic federal funding that will expand climate-friendly agriculture in Minnesota and around the country. “Our farmers and agricultural communities are critical to our state economy,” said Klobuchar. “These investments will help create new markets for our agricultural products and encourage voluntary farming practices that help protect our environment.” “From educational institutions to Fortune 500 companies and producer groups to technology startups, a broad range of Minnesota organizations are at the cutting edge of research into climate-smart agriculture,” said Sen. Smith. “These investments will accelerate the growth of environmentally sustainable agriculture in our state and around the country while taking important steps to reduce emissions and fight climate change.” The U.S. Department of Agriculture is making historic investments in 70 selected projects around the country under the first pool of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities funding opportunity. Projects from the second funding pool will be announced later this year. The investments will create market opportunities for American commodities produced using climate-smart production practices. These projects will expand markets for climate-smart commodities, leverage the greenhouse gas benefits of climate-smart commodity production and provide direct, meaningful benefits to production agriculture, including for small and underserved producers. The selections announced this week reflect a broad set of applicants, from non-profits and government entities to farmer cooperatives and environmental groups. Many of the recipients are based in Minnesota or partner with Minnesota businesses and organizations such as Land O’ Lakes, Minnesota Board
Merkley, Senators Introduce Bill to Make Public Transit Cleaner, Healthier, More Affordable
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, along with Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Kamala Harris (D-CA), today introduced a bill that would provide transit authorities with zero-interest loans to purchase electric buses—curbing emissions among the top source of greenhouse gas pollution in the United States, and cutting fleet maintenance costs by tens of thousands of dollars. “Climate chaos is threatening our future, and we need to act boldly and quickly to stop it,” Merkley said.“Electric buses mean lower operating costs as well as better health and less pollution, but
U.S. Senator Tina Smith: Education Department Taking a Step in the Right Direction for Teachers to Receive Promised Aid
WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/10/18]–Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) released the following statement after the Education Department announced it will be instituting a process to help teachers who have been unfairly forced to repay thousands of dollars after grants they received were later, and often erroneously, converted to loans. “This is a great first step for all the teachers who have been fulfilling the service requirements for the TEACH Grant program, but who had their grants converted into loans—with back interest due—because of minor paperwork issues related to the overly complicated annual certification process,” said. Sen. Smith. “This annual paperwork process must be
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Lauds Bipartisan Farm Bill Deal; Says it Gives Farmers Much-Needed Certainty
WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/11/18]—Today, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.)—who took a leading role in making sure Minnesota priorities are included in the 2018 Farm Bill as a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee—was pleased to see House-Senate negotiators finalize the new Farm Bill for farmers, ranchers, foresters, rural communities, and tribes. Sen. Smith has repeatedly called for Congress to pass a strong, bipartisan Farm Bill and send it to the President’s desk. You can read the full committee report here. “Farmers and ranchers—who face enough uncertainty with low farm prices and trade uncertainties—deserve the certainty that this bipartisan Farm Bill provides,” said Sen. Smith. “I was proud to work on several provisions in this
U.S. Sens. Tina Smith, Jerry Moran Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Make Life-saving Oral Cancer Medications More Affordable
WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/12/18]—Today, U.S. Sens. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) introduced legislation—also supported by Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.)—to make sure oral cancer drugs are covered in the same way as traditional (IV) chemotherapy to bring down costs for Americans suffering from cancer. Sens. Smith and Moran said their bipartisan bill, the Cancer Drug Parity Act, is needed to make sure that health insurance plans fairly cover advances in oral cancer medication. Currently, over 40 states—including both Minnesota and Kansas—and the District of Columbia have passed “oral parity” laws that stop insurers from charging more for
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