Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Named Chair of Key Agriculture Subcommittee
WASHINGTON, D.C. [02/16/23]— Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) announced she will serve as Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management and Trade, which oversees commodities, crop insurance and trade. “When I first got to the Senate, I fought hard for a spot on the Ag Committee so that I could represent and advocate for Minnesota’s diverse ag sector. I take that role very seriously,” said Sen. Smith. “I’m excited about my new role as chair of this subcommittee, which oversees critically important issues to the agriculture industry in Minnesota from crop insurance to trade. As we begin the legislative year and prepare for the Farm Bill, I will push for crop insurance programs that work well for Minnesota farmers and push USDA to do more to open up foreign markets for Minnesota ag products. I look forward to serving in this new role and will continue working to be a strong partner for Minnesota’s ag community.” When she first joined the Senate in 2018, Sen. Smith fought for and secured a spot on the Senate Agriculture Committee because ag is the backbone of Minnesota’s economy. All Minnesotans are impacted by the Farm Bill, and Sen. Smith heard from Minnesotans with backgrounds in farming, rural development, rural health, and nutrition to make sure that all voices were reflected in the final 5-year bill that passed in 2018 after she joined the Ag Committee. That legislation included many provisions that Sen. Smith authored and championed, including improvement to the dairy safety-net
Klobuchar, Smith Resolution Honoring Late Minnesota Senator David Durenberger Passes Senate
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that their resolution honoring the late Minnesota Senator David Durenberger passed the Senate with bipartisan support. Klobuchar and Smith delivered remarks on the Senate floor to honor Senator Durenberger. Video of Klobuchar’s floor remarks are available for TV download HERE and for online viewing HERE. Video of Smith’s floor remarks can be found HERE. “Senator David Durenberger was a true public servant and dedicated legislator who was always guided by his devotion to bipartisanship and helping Minnesotans. Through his leadership on the Americans with Disabilities Act, David helped usher in a whole new era of disability rights and changed millions of lives for the better,” said Klobuchar. “Even after David left the Senate, he found new ways to improve people’s lives through his work on health care, his teaching, and his mentorship. Our resolution will honor Senator Durenberger’s remarkable life and legacy of service to our state and country.” “If I had to name one thing that characterized Dave Durenberger, it was his determination to find solutions to the problems that hold people back in their lives, especially problems with health care. He didn’t care whether an idea came from Republicans or Democrats, he cared about whether it would make a difference,” said Smith. “As we mourn the loss of Senator Durenberger, let us take inspiration from his example of a thoughtful, pragmatic, results-oriented politics. Archie and I send all our support to the Durenberger family – may his
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Announces Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan as State of the Union Guest
Washington, D.C. [01/31/19]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said that Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan will be her guest at the President’s State of the Union Address on Tuesday, February 5 in Washington, D.C. Prior to serving in the United States Senate, Sen. Smith also served as Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota. Lt. Gov. Flanagan, a member of the White Earth band of Ojibwe, is currently the nation’s highest-ranking Native woman ever elected to executive office. She was one of the first Minnesotans Sen. Smith reached out to during the start of the recent 35-day government shutdown. The two have discussed how harmful
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Helps Lead Bipartisan Efforts to Address Violence Against Native Communities
WASHINGTON, D.C. [1/31/19]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) continued pressing for action to address violence against Native communities when she—along with Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)—introduced two major, bipartisan bills to address violence against Native women, children, and tribal law enforcement: the Justice for Native Survivors of Sexual Violence Act and the Native Youth and Tribal Officer Protection Act. The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 restored the ability of tribes to arrest and prosecute non-Indian offenders for acts of domestic violence committed on tribal lands, but it did not restore tribal authority to arrest or prosecute crimes of sexual violence, threatened
Bill to Ensure Back Pay for Federal Contractor Employees Secures Bipartisan Support
WASHINGTON, D.C. [02/01/19]—Today, legislation to secure back pay for the federal contractor employees who went without pay during the recent government shutdown garnered bipartisan support thanks to Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) cosponsoring a bill led by Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.). “I want to thank my colleague Senator Collins for supporting the effort to make sure Americans who work shoulder to shoulder with federal employees receive back pay,” said Sen. Smith. “These are people who are often invisible—working in cafeterias, cleaning offices after others go home, and keeping our buildings safe—and they deserve back pay. This bill is trying to fix that, and
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Senate Democrats Urge DeVos to Listen to Students and Survivors of Sexual Assault, Start Over on Title IX Rule
WASHINGTON, D.C. [02/04/2019]–U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) joined her colleagues—led by Senate Education Committee ranking member Senator Patty Murray(D-Wash.)—in urging Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to rescind proposed Title IX changes and to instead draft a rule that truly addresses sexual assault in schools, colleges, and universities in Minnesota and across the country. Since Secretary DeVos announced her proposed rule, students, survivors, advocates, and colleges around the country have fiercely opposed her proposal, which would weaken protections for students and allow schools to shirk their responsibility to keep students safe. “We urge you to listen to students, schools, and survivors across this country,” the Senators wrote. “Clearly, harassment and assault are
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