Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Presses JPMorgan CEO for Answers on Bank’s Ties to Jeffrey Epstein
WASHINGTON [5.10.23] – Today, Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN), wrote a letter to JPMorgan Chase’s CEO, Jamie Dimon, demanding answers following recent reports and court filings describing the bank’s financial involvement with Jeffrey Epstein. In her letter, Smith pressed Dimon for the bank’s policies and procedures around identifying and reporting human trafficking after allegations surfaced that JPMorgan ignored obvious signs of Epstein’s illegal activity and maintained its relationship with him against the advice of its own compliance department. “If true, JPMorgan’s decision to turn a blind eye to such egregious misconduct raises serious questions about its role in facilitating Epstein’s abuse, and its willingness or ability to root out and prevent other, less apparent instances of sex trafficking,” wrote Senator Smith According to an April 12 court filing, Epstein was a client at JPMorgan from 1998 to 2013 and maintained upwards of 50 accounts totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. This not only granted him access to exclusive banking and wealth management services, but apparently earned him the bank’s discretion. The filing alleges that in 2006, two years before Epstein was convicted for soliciting a minor for prostitution, a JPMorgan Rapid Response Team flagged internally that Epstein was making cash withdrawals ranging from $40,000 to $80,000 several times per month. By that year, the bank was reportedly aware that Epstein paid cash to have underage girls and young women trafficked to his home. This apparently became an open secret among senior executives, even devolving into a topic of jest. Still, the
Senators Smith, Rounds Unveil Major Bipartisan Package to Modernize and Update Rural Housing Programs
Washington [5.2.23] – This week, Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) introduced significant bipartisan legislation to improve federal rural housing programs, cut red tape, and strengthen the supply of affordable housing. The legislation would represent the most significant Rural Housing Service reforms years. “Without a safe, affordable place to live, nothing else in your life works. Not your job, not your education, not your health,” said Senator 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.” “Homeownership is part of the American dream and a key to building wealth,” said Senator Rounds. “Over the past year, Senator Smith and I have held hearings, met with stakeholders and visited with constituents in our states about the hurdles within the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Housing Service. This legislation makes important improvements and updates to the Rural Housing Service that will create and preserve affordable housing opportunities in South Dakota. As we face an affordable housing crisis across the nation, I look forward to working with my colleagues to get these important, bipartisan updates signed into law.” Lack of affordable housing remains an impediment for many rural towns and communities as they struggle to attract new businesses, residents and
Sen. Tina Smith’s Remarks on President Trump’s Nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to Serve as Supreme Court Justice
WASHINGTON, D.C. [07/09/18]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) took to the Supreme Court steps shortly after President Donald Trump announced Brett Kavanaugh as his nominee to fill the vacancy left by Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement. Sen. Smith joined fellow Senate colleagues, advocacy organizations, and groups to call for a Justice who will protect the rights of all Americans. “This is a pivotal moment for our country–the person who fills this seat long held by Justice Kennedy will shape the course of American democracy for decades,” said Sen. Smith. “I had hoped that the President would appoint a consensus Justice, a person
U.S. Sen. Tina Smith’s Staff Kicks Off “Health Care Cost Listening Tour”
WASHINGTON, D.C. [07/11/18]—U.S Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) continued her push to make health care more affordable for Minnesotans by deploying her staff to kick off their statewide “Health Care Cost Listening Tour.” The listening sessions will include Minnesota residents, as well as health experts and care providers in discussions of how to make health care more affordable and accessible in Minnesota and across the country. “Without question, the number one issue I hear about most frequently from Minnesotans is the high price of health care,” said Sen. Smith. “Over the coming weeks, my staff will be traveling all over the state to
Sen. Tina Smith Pushes for Stronger Safeguards for Minnesotans Taking Out Expensive Private Student Loans
WASHINGTON [07/13/18]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) is pushing to make sure students in Minnesota and across the nation understand all of their options when it comes to taking out private loans to pay for school, which can often be deceptively risky and expensive, especially for inexperienced or first-time borrowers. The “Know Before You Owe Act of 2018” would require schools to provide information to prospective borrowers about federal loan eligibility and benefits before certifying a private loan. The bill would also require schools to confirm the student’s enrollment status and cost of attendance before the private student loan is approved. “The student
Sen. Tina Smith’s Statement on President Trump’s Remarks at Press Conference with Vladimir Putin
WASHINGTON [07/16/18]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) released the following statement on President Trump’s remarks while at a press conference with Russian leader Vladimir Putin: “The president’s press conference on his meeting with Vladimir Putin was nothing short of disgraceful. There is no question that Russia attacked our democracy in 2016 by interfering in the election, as our American intelligence community long ago concluded. When asked today to choose between our own country’s intelligence community and Vladimir Putin—the leader of a hostile foreign power—President Trump refused to choose, and instead blamed our own country. This is a shocking development when I
English