Latest Releases
Klobuchar, Smith Announce Federal Funding for St. Cloud Airport Infrastructure Improvements
Washington – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-MN) announced nearly $500,000 in federal funding to replace outdated infrastructure at the St. Cloud Regional airport. The investment is made possible through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which both Klobuchar and Smith helped pass. “Investments in our airport infrastructure serve as a down payment on the long-term economic well-being of our state,” said Klobuchar. “By enabling the replacement of outdated equipment, this federal funding will help boost efficiency and improve safety for travelers at St. Cloud Regional Airport.” “The St. Cloud Regional airport is a key transportation hub and economic driver for St. Cloud and its neighboring communities,” said Smith. “This investment, made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will make our airport more safe and efficient. I’m excited to see this law making an impact and will keep pressing for opportunities to improve our state’s infrastructure.” The $495,000 investment is an Airport Improvement Grant, which was established through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The funding will be used to replace outdated tower equipment on the Minimum Equipment List, which is critical to the safe and efficient operation of the airport.
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on Texas Judge’s Medication Abortion Ruling
WASHINGTON, D.C. [04/07/23] — Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) issued the following statement in response to a far-right activist judge blocking approval of a safe and effective abortion medication: “I’m furious. A single ultra-conservative activist judge just attempted to strip away access to safe and effective medication abortions for millions of women nationwide. This ruling is nothing but an extremist, anti-democratic national abortion ban. “This outrageous decision would do irreparable harm to women’s health. It’s a clear attack on our freedoms and it cannot be allowed to stand. “This ruling makes it undeniable: Extremist Republicans won’t be satisfied until they’ve stripped all American women of their most fundamental human rights to bodily autonomy and self-determination.”
Sens. Smith, Jones, Rounds Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Rural Health Care
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/22/18]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith joined Senators Doug Jones (D-Ala.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) to introduce bipartisan legislation—the Rural Health Liaison Act—to better coordinate rural health resources across the federal government and improve health care delivery for Minnesotans and people across the country living in rural areas. The Rural Health Liaison Act would create a liaison within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) responsible for working with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and other agencies on rural health issues. You can learn more about the bill by clicking here. “When I meet with farmers, and rural business and community
Sen. Tina Smith Leads 23 Senators in Calling to Protect Minor Children Left Alone When Parents are Arrested or Detained By U.S. Immigration Officials
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/23/18]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith introduced legislation—also supported by Minnesota colleague Sen. Amy Klobuchar—that would protect the safety and well-being of minor children who have been left alone and vulnerable after their parents have been arrested or detained by U.S. immigration authorities. Sen. Smith believes the Humane Enforcement and Legal Protections (HELP) for Separated Children Act is necessary because in the past children have been abandoned at home or at school after their parents’ detention, often without information about their parents’ location and without adequate arrangements for their care. She understands that with the Trump administration reportedly seeking to step up
Sen. Tina Smith Continues Fighting for Ag with Support for Bill to Safely Transport Livestock
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/25/18]—U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) is supporting bipartisan legislation—the Transporting Livestock Across America Safely Act—to give drivers more flexibility during their trips and better protect the safety of livestock, especially in the hot summer months and cold Minnesota winters. Currently, the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires haulers to turn on an electronic logging device in their trucks when they reach a certain point from where they originally picked up their livestock. From that point on, haulers must track their on-duty time before taking a mandatory extended rest period. This extended rest period puts
Sen. Tina Smith Leads Bipartisan Call to Extend Enrollment Period for Margin Protection Program to Help Dairy Farmers in Minnesota, Across the Country
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/31/18]—Today, U.S Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) led a bipartisan effort—joined by Sen. Amy Klobuchar—to help more dairy farmers in Minnesota and across the country by calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to extend the June 1 deadline to enroll in the improved Margin Protection Program (MPP), which helps dairy producers weather difficult years and prevent further losses on their farms and in the rural communities they support. The MPP was created in the last Farm Bill in order to give farmers more stability as milk or feed prices change, but improvements were needed as milk prices