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U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith Celebrate Award to Repair Flood Damage from Rapidan Dam Failure
ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-MN) announced a grant for Southeastern Minnesota to survey and repair damage done by severe storms in May 2024, which caused flooding and damage to road infrastructure in 42 counties. One notable example is the Rapidan Dam, a well-known and well-traveled-to location which was severely damaged and made the nearby bridge on County Road 9 unsafe for travelers. “The floods of May 2024 took a heavy toll on southeastern and south-central Minnesota and when natural disasters hit we need to work together to rebuild,” said Klobuchar. “This funding will allow us to repair and rebuild our roads and infrastructure, making them safer and more resilient–a critical step for our businesses and our communities to fully recover.” “Minnesotans deserve to drive on safe, reliable roads,” said Senator Smith. “As a result of the flooding last summer, that’s not the reality for some residents in the southeastern and south-central part of our state. I’m fighting to secure the funding needed from the federal government to help us recover and make travel safe and accessible.” The grant comes from the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Program, which helps communities repair roads damaged by natural disasters. In December 2024, Senators Klobuchar and Smith supported emergency supplemental funding for this program to address the backlog of roads in need of repair, including this one in Minnesota. The grant totals $5,000,000. ###
Senators Smith, Rounds Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Spur Economic Development in Underserved Communities
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to jumpstart economic development and address disparities in access to capital. The bill would strengthen and expand Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI), which play a critical role in bringing capital and financial services to a wide range of small businesses, homeowners and housing developers. Their legislation—the CDFI Bond Guarantee Program Improvement Act will extend authorization of the CDFI Bond Guarantee Program, while making it more reliable and accessible to smaller CDFIs. This legislation will expand and improve a successful program that operates at no cost to taxpayer and allows CDFIs to access long-term, stable funding. The CDFI Bond Guarantee Program was established in 2010 to provide long-term, low-cost capital to CDFIs, which use the funding for economic development activities in underserved communities. The program’s authorization lapsed in 2014, but it has been extended on a year-by-year basis in annual appropriations bills. Under current program rules, borrowers must have a loan size of at least $100 million – which means that the program can only be used for relatively large projects. “Unequal access to capital and financial services is a key driver of economic disparity around Minnesota,” said Sen. Smith. “This legislation will jumpstart economic development in these communities by expanding and enhancing a program with a track record of effective capital investment and community development.” “Since 2010, the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Bond Guarantee Program has extended long-term, low-cost capital to underserved communities across America,” said Sen. Crapo. “By reducing the minimum dollar amount for each loan,
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Kevin Cramer, John Fetterman and Katie Britt Introduce Legislation to Strengthen Domestic Bus Manufacturing Market
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) led her colleagues Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND), John Fetterman (D-PA) and Katie Britt (R-AL) in introducing bipartisan legislation to cut red tape and reform the domestic bus manufacturing industry by providing more flexibility for local transit systems when purchasing buses. Current U.S. standards impose outdated, 40-year-old payment practices on our bus manufacturers and purchasers, which result in unnecessarily high costs. Many domestic bus manufacturers have gone bankrupt or left the market, despite high demand for new vehicles. The Bus Rolling Stock Modernization Act would help fix this problem.The legislation allows bus manufacturers to apply for advanced payments up to 20%, enabling
Klobuchar, Smith Announce Federal Funding to Improve Osakis’s Water Treatment Plant and Water Tower
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced a $497,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development grant and a $651,000 loan to make improvements to the water treatment plant and water tower in Osakis. Specifically, the funding supports a project that will convert the iron filter to a biological ammonia-removal filter to allow chlorine to better clean the lines during water treatment which will help protect the distribution system. The project will also renovate Osakis’s water tower, which hasn’t been repaired since its construction in 1997. “The water treatment plant and water tower in Osakis
Klobuchar, Smith Announce Federal Funding to Improve Red Lake Falls’s Water and Waste Disposal Infrastructure
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced a $906,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development grant and an $8,310,000 loan to make improvements to the Red Lake Falls’s water, wastewater, and sewer infrastructure. Specifically, this project will construct a new water tower and pump station and install new water meters. “Red Lake Falls’s current water, wastewater, and sewer infrastructure no longer meets the needs of the city,” said Klobuchar. “Using this federal funding, Red Lake Falls can make the necessary improvements to enhance these critical public services.” “Minnesotans deserve to have safe, clean water,” said Smith. “The city
Klobuchar, Smith Announce Federal Funding to Improve Taconite’s Water System
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced a $851,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development grant and a $1,494,000 loan to make improvements to the City of Taconite’s water system. The funding will advance the construction of a new water storage tank, a water pump house, and a replacement water tower. The project will also install individual water meters for customers and develop a meter-reader system. “To ensure families are getting quality water out of their taps, it’s important to upgrade water infrastructure once the equipment reaches the end of its useful life,” said Klobuchar. “With
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