Latest Releases
Senators Klobuchar, Smith Announce Significant Investment in Grand Rapids Transit Project
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-MN) announced over $9.3 million in federal funding to support a free, on-demand transit service in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. The investment will be used to expand the current goMARTI (Minnesota’s Autonomous Regional Transit Initiative) vehicle fleet with electric vehicles and automated driving systems (ADS). The expanded fleet of vehicles will be wheelchair accessible and will expand service to communities that lack access to reliable, convenient transportation. “Investments in our transportation systems are a down-payment on the long-term economic success of our state and ensure Minnesotans can safely and reliably get to where they need to go,” said Klobuchar. “This federal funding will help meet Grand Rapids’ growing transit needs and provide accessible, efficient, and modern transportation options for residents and visitors alike.” “Each day, transit systems connect Minnesotans to their jobs, schools, grocery stores and countless other opportunities – all while reducing traffic congestion and pollution,” said Smith, Chair of the Senate Transit Subcommittee. “This funding will help modernize transit options around Grand Rapids with electric vehicles and new automated driving technology. It’s a big win for residents who have lacked access to affordable, modern, and accessible ways to get around.” The federal funding is made possible through the Advanced Transportation Technology and Innovation (ATTAIN) Program, which awards grants to deploy, install, and operate advanced transportation technologies. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which both Klobuchar and Smith helped pass, amended and helped fund the program. These projects are intended to help
Senator Smith Reintroduces Bill to Address America’s Maternal Mortality Crisis
WASHINGTON – This week, U.S. Senator Tina Smith introduced legislation to address America’s worsening maternal mortality crisis, which has a disproportionate impact on Black, Brown, Indigenous and all People of Color. The Data to Save Moms Act seeks to understand the root causes of this emergency by improving data collection on maternal mortality and morbidity. From 2018 to 2021, the maternal mortality rate in the U.S. increased by 89%. The crisis is even more acute for Black, Native and Indigenous women, who are more than twice as likely to die due to a pregnancy-related complication as white women. “I do not think it’s radical to believe that everyone who gives birth should be able to access high-quality health care,” said Sen. Smith. “America’s increasing maternal mortality rate, and the disparities in maternal health outcomes for People of Color, is a national emergency. My legislation will identify the root causes of this problem so we can tackle them head on. This is about establishing maternal health justice—especially for People of Color.” “We are committed to addressing the underlying root causes of maternal mortality and morbidity and applaud Senator Tina Smith and Representative Sharice Davids for introducing the Data to Save Moms Act, which will improve data collection to advance equitable responses to the ongoing maternal health crisis,” said March of Dimes Sr. Vice President, Public Policy & Government Affairs, Stacey Y. Brayboy. “The staggering maternal mortality rates women, particularly for Black and Indigenous women of color, face in the nation is
U.S. Sens. Tina Smith, Amy Klobuchar Honor the Storied Life of Minnesota’s First Female Member of Congress, Coya Knutson, with Senate Resolution
MINNESOTA [08/22/18]— Today, Minnesota’s U.S. Sens. Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar honored the storied life of Minnesota’s first female member Congress, Coya Knutson, with a Senate Resolution heralding her life as a trailblazer who, despite great obstacles when she served in the 1950s, succeeded in making a difference for the families and communities in her state. You can read a copy of the Resolution here. The resolution, offered Wednesday on what would have been Knutson’s 106th birthday, notes that after arriving in Washington, D.C in 1954, she convinced Speaker Sam Rayburn to appoint her to be the first woman ever to serve on the House
Klobuchar, Smith, Reed Call on Administration to Protect U.S. Troops and Families from Financial Fraud
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith joined Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) and 46 other senators in calling on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to maintain financial protections for servicemembers and their families under the Military Lending Act (MLA). Recent reports have indicated that the Administration is planning to stop examining lenders for violations of the MLA. In their letter, the senators urged CFPB Acting Director Mick Mulvaney not to end its examinations of payday lenders and other financial institutions for MLA compliance, and to not undertake measures that risk leaving U.S. troops and their families vulnerable to exploitation.
U.S. Sen. Tina Smith Presses Swiss Pharmaceutical Giant Novartis to Ensure Improper Company Actions Aren’t Pushing Up U.S. Prescription Drug Prices
WASHINGTON D.C. [08/23/18]— Today, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) pushed for answers from Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis on improper financial and lobbying efforts – including a $1.2 million dollar payment to President Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen – that could be contributing to high prescription drug prices for people in Minnesota and across the country. In May, Novartis confirmed that it erred when it paid Cohen through a shell company to help influence Trump Administration health care policy. Those payments came after Novartis had already agreed in 2016 to comply with a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) order to establish
Sen. Smith Presses to Enhance Nation’s Energy Storage Capabilities
WASHINGTON D.C. [08/24/18]— U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said legislation she is introducing would significantly increase America’s energy storage capabilities and help expand the role that renewable energies like wind and solar play in the nation’s energy portfolio. “Expanding the nation’s energy storage capabilities will not only help expand use of renewables like wind and solar energy but will contribute to our nation’s energy and economic security,” said Sen. Smith. “This bill will help to significantly improve our nation’s efforts to store energy, and jump start energy storage research and the deployment of energy storage technologies.” Sen. Smith’s “Advancing Grid Storage Act” would authorize $500 million over
English