Latest Releases
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Amy Klobuchar Announce Clean Energy Projects for Minnesota Farms, Small Businesses in Rural Areas
[MINNEAPOLIS, MN] – U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar (both D-MN), members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, announced funding awards for 76 farms and small businesses across rural and Greater Minnesota to install clean energy technology. This round of funding for Minnesota totals $7,891,608. This year alone, Minnesota has seen over 250 clean energy projects in small towns and rural communities. The funding is specifically set aside for agricultural producers and rural small businesses to install renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements. The projects are possible thanks to the Renewable Energy for America (REAP) program, which Senator Smith championed and strengthened in the Inflation Reduction Act, which both Senators supported. “The clean energy transition is happening; the question is whether we lead or follow. I want us to lead,” said Senator Smith. “But as we make the switch to cleaner, cheaper energy, we need to make sure everyone benefits. That’s one reason why projects funded by REAP are so important. These investments will save farms and small businesses across Minnesota thousands of dollars a year in energy costs while helping reduce harmful emissions.” “Investing in long-term energy is a win-win for rural customers and businesses,” said Klobuchar. “With this federal funding, we’re taking a big step toward deploying new energy technologies to power rural communities across Minnesota for decades to come.” Total Investment: $7,891,608 Total in Energy Savings (kWh/Year): 98,240,418 Total in Energy Savings ($/Year): $2,583,511 The list of projects from this announcement, broken down by region, can be found here and below: Location
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith Announce Funding Secured to Complete MSP Airport’s Concourse G Remodel
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-MN) announced that the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport received the final funding amount necessary to complete the airport’s improvements to Concourse G. This grant, made possible through the Biden-Harris Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will expand the Terminal 1 building on Concourse G from Gates 8 –13 to include 5 new single use restrooms and 2 new multi-user restrooms, terminal passenger seating, and energy efficient spaces. “Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is among the busiest airports in the country and supports tens of thousands of jobs in our state,” said Senator Klobuchar. “This significant federal funding will enable the airport to fund the expansion of Terminal 1 to improve the travel experience for passengers and maintain its position as a top-ranking airport.” “MSP is a critical transportation hub and economic driver for communities across Minnesota. There’s a reason it’s been ranked the best airport in America so often, and we hope to keep it that way,” said Senator Smith. “The Concourse G upgrades have been years in the making. This investment will make sure MSP remains one of the best airports in the world and has the capacity to meet demand, and I’m proud to have supported the Biden-Harris Bipartisan infrastructure law to make this happen.” “We work hard to provide exceptional airport experiences for our travelers, and a big part of that is ensuring that MSP facilities keep pace with capacity demands while also meeting and exceeding expectations for quality and accessibility,” said Brian Ryks,
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Durbin, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Increase Oversight of the For-Profit College Industry
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) joined her colleagues Dick Durbin (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) to reintroduce legislation to establish an interagency committee tasked with improving coordination of federal oversight of for-profit colleges, so that students are not scammed out of an education and into a mountain of debt. The bill, called the Proprietary Education Oversight Task Force Act, would improve enforcement of existing laws and make it easier for students to voice concerns about their experiences with for-profit colleges. “Students should be protected from predatory institutions that will leave them with thousands of dollars of debt and limited job
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Joins Senators Murphy, Coons, Merkley, 20 Colleagues Urging Biden Administration to Work with Israel to Take 5 Steps to Get More Humanitarian Aid Into Gaza
WASHINGTON– U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) joined U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism, Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and 20 colleagues in a letter to President Biden urging the administration to encourage Israeli officials to take five specific steps to significantly increase urgently needed humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza. “The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is dire and the civilian suffering is at an unacceptable and staggering level. Ninety-three percent of Palestinians in Gaza are facing crisis levels of hunger. Eighty-five percent of
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Cynthia Lummis Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Prospective Homebuyers from Predatory Financing Agreements
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) introduced the Preserving Pathways to Homeownership Act, bipartisan legislation to establish basic protections for consumers who seek to purchase a home using a land contract, or contract for deed. Land contracts are an alternative form of seller financing for real estate transactions, often marketed as a way for people who can’t get a conventional mortgage to realize the dream of owning a home. However, land contracts can lack many of the consumer protections available in mortgage lending: full disclosure of costs and fees, protections if a homeowner misses payments or
The Affordable Housing and Homeownership Protection Act Would Tackle Housing Crisis by Creating Millions More Homes and Helping Main Street Compete with Wall Street
WASHINGTON, DC – As the nation’s housing shortage pushes home prices and rents to historic levels, a new Senate bill would provide tens of billions of dollars to help create millions of new homes for low-income Americans. U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), Jack Reed (D-RI)and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) are teaming up with several colleagues to introduce the Affordable Housing and Homeownership Protection Act (S. 3673). This bill would generate up to $50 billion over ten years to help build and preserve approximately 3 million affordable housing units nationwide. The bill would be fully paid for through a transfer tax on large
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