Latest Releases
Klobuchar, Smith Statements on Nomination of Jeffrey Bryan to be U.S. District Court Judge
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that President Biden nominated Judge Jeffrey Bryan to serve as a judge on the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota. Currently serving on the Minnesota Court of Appeals in Saint Paul, Judge Bryan was one of the candidates sent to President Biden by Klobuchar and Smith following the recommendation from a judicial selection committee. “Jeff Bryan is a widely respected member of the legal community and has dedicated his career to serving Minnesotans. As a former federal prosecutor and a current appellate judge with over two decades of legal experience, he is unquestionably qualified to serve as a U.S. District Court Judge,” said Klobuchar. “I look forward to working with my Judiciary Committee colleagues on both sides of the aisle to confirm him.” “Judge Bryan’s nomination is a testament to his considerable experience and commitment to the rule of law,” said Smith. “His distinguished record as an appellate judge, trial court judge, and Assistant U.S. Attorney in Minneapolis make him exceptionally well-qualified for this position. I congratulate him on his nomination.” Judge Bryan was appointed to the Minnesota Court of Appeals in Saint Paul in 2019. Before becoming an appellate judge, Judge Bryan served on the Ramsey County District Court in the Second Judicial District in Saint Paul, where he presided over civil and criminal cases. He also served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Minneapolis for six years where he prosecuted white collar defendants,
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Introduces Bill to Cut Red Tape, Help Families Access Nutritious Food, and Expand Markets for Farmers
WASHINGTON, D.C. [7.26.23] – This week, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) and U.S. Representative Hillary Scholten (D-MI 3) introduced bicameral legislation to make it easier for families to use nutrition assistance at farmers markets by helping farmers participate in federal nutrition programs. Small and independent farmers are often unable to sell directly to customers using USDA food assistance programs at farmers markets and roadside stands. This is due to burdensome application processes to become vendors for those nutrition programs and the lack of harmonized payment processing technology and equipment. The Enabling Farmers to Benefit from Processing Nutrition Programs Act would address these issues and make it easier for farmers to participate as authorized vendors under various nutrition programs. By doing so, it also provides an opportunity to bolster the dignity of nutrition program customers. “Every family should be able to get nutritious, affordable food. Small farmers and ranchers are the lifeblood of Minnesota’s ag economy. We should be doing everything we can to help small farmers to be able to sell their products to those families, particularly in their local area,” said Sen. Smith. “By cutting red tape and providing necessary technology and equipment, this bill will make it easier for them to accept nutrition program benefits, thereby tapping into that market, while simultaneously helping folks using federal nutrition programs to access healthy, local food at farmers markets.” “West Michigan is known for its incredible fresh produce, and today I introduced legislation to ensure even more of our neighbors have
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
Sen. Tina Smith Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Help Tribes Pursue Justice for Crimes of Sexual Violence Committed by Non-Indian Offenders
WASHINGTON [07/17/18]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.)—a member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee—has introduced bipartisan legislation to make sure tribes in Minnesota and across the country are able to prosecute crimes of sexual violence committed by non-Indian offenders. According to the National Institute of Justice, over half of all Native American women—56 percent—and more than one in four men have experienced sexual violence in their lifetimes. And among those, almost all—96 percent of women and 89 percent of men—were victimized by a non-Indian offender. Yet, few survivors ever see justice. The Justice for Native Survivors of Sexual Violence Act—introduced with Senate
Sen. Tina Smith Blasts Supreme Court Justice Nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s Troubling Record on the Environment
WASHINGTON [07/18/18]—In a speech delivered on the Senate Floor, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) took President Trump’s Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh to task for his troubling record on the environment. Sen. Smith was particularly concerned with Kavanaugh’s writings on clean air where he signaled skepticism about protecting Americans from smog and carbon monoxide, both of which are known to cause serious health issues. You can watch Sen. Smith’s speech here. “Supreme Court Justices serve for life,” Sen. Smith said. “So we can’t afford a Justice who is hostile to our environment and to human health. We can’t afford a Justice who
Sen. Tina Smith Leads Effort to Extend Humanitarian Protections For Somali Nationals Living in Minnesota, Across the Country
WASHINGTON [07/18/18]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) led 21 of her Senate colleagues—including fellow Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar—in urging the Trump administration to extend humanitarian protections for hundreds of Somali nationals who have taken refuge in Minnesota and other states to escape civil war, human rights abuses and violence in their home country. In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Sen. Smith and her Senate colleagues pressed the Trump Administration to extend the protections, known as Temporary Protected Status (TPS), for the almost 500 Somali nationals living in the United States.
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