Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on SCOTUS Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) Decision
Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s Decision on Moyle v. United States: “The Supreme Court ruled on process, not on policy. This is a reprieve, not a vindication. While Idaho can resume providing emergency reproductive care, this ruling does nothing to reassure women that their health and wellbeing is protected. “Let’s be clear: President Biden’s work to ensure access to emergency abortion care under EMTALA is not safe under this decision. There are other challenges to EMTALA pending in the ultra-conservative Fifth Circuit — challenges that could come before the Supreme Court soon. “But this chaos is the point. Patients will suffer while these lawsuits move forward. There should be no legal question when medicine is clear: Abortion is health care. Justice Jackson hit the nail on the head with her dissent: ‘While this Court dawdles and the country waits, pregnant people experiencing emergency medical conditions remain in a precarious position, as their doctors are kept in the dark about what the law requires.’” ###
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith Announce Funding from U.S. Department of Agriculture to Help Expand High-Speed Internet Access in Rural Areas
WASHINGTON, June 27th, 2024 – Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-Minn.) announced $25 million in funding availability from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to increase high-speed internet access in rural and Tribal communities. The funding is made available through the USDA’s Broadband Technical Assistance (BTA) Program, part of the Biden Administration’s historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to connect every community in America with affordable, reliable, high-speed internet. “We should be able to bring high-speed internet to every family in Minnesota— regardless of their zip code,” said Klobuchar. “This funding will ensure that the broadband upgrades going on across our state also reach our rural areas. As co-chair of the Senate Broadband Caucus, I’ll keep working across the aisle to make sure all Minnesotans can reliably access the high-speed internet they need.” “Internet access is not just a luxury in the 21st century, it’s a necessity,” said Senator Smith.“In Minnesota and across the country, people in rural areas, small towns, and Tribal communities need access to reliable, high-speed internet. Investing in broadband infrastructure with the Broadband Technical Assistance Program is a step in the right direction, helping connect communities in every part of the country to high-speed internet and strengthening communities from the ground up.” The program will support local governments, organizations, cooperatives, and Tribes as they work to expand broadband access in rural communities, delivering on President Biden’s promise to invest in infrastructure and strengthen the economy from the inside out. This includes funding infrastructure studies, network designs, hiring efforts, application assistance and more. The announcement marks the second round of funding for the program.
Senators Smith, Warren Ask Key Regulators About Banking System’s Exposure to Crypto Risks after FTX Crash
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), members of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, sent letters to three key banking regulators raising concerns about the ties between the banking industry and crypto firms following FTX’s bankruptcy. The senators are asking each regulator, the Federal Reserve (Fed), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), how they assess the banking system’s exposure to crypto risks. “(I)t appears that crypto firms may have closer ties to the banking system than previously understood,” wrote the senators. “Banks’
Senator Smith’s Bipartisan Legislation to Provide Transparency for Those Looking to Purchase Popular Long-Term Savings Vehicles Passes Senate
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) announced her bipartisan legislation with Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) to help provide transparency for consumers looking to purchase popular, long-term savings vehicles has passed the Senate. The bill would help ensure that investors considering purchasing Registered Index Linked Annuities (RILAs) get clear and direct information that promotes investor understanding. “It’s more important than ever for consumers to have clear and concise information about their investments,” said Smith. “This legislation would help consumers looking to purchase RILAs by providing clear information about their potential investments in terms that they are able to
Klobuchar, Smith Statements on Confirmation of Jerry Blackwell to be U.S. District Court Judge
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) issued the following statements after the Senate confirmed Jerry Blackwell to serve as a United States District Court Judge for the District of Minnesota. Blackwell has more than three decades of legal experience and was highly recommended by the judicial selection committee Senators Klobuchar and Smith convened to assist them in providing a recommendation to President Biden. “Jerry Blackwell is one of the most widely respected and accomplished members of the Minnesota legal community. With nearly 35 years of trial practice– including the successful prosecution of the murder of
Senator Smith, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill Giving Tribal Colleges and Universities a Stronger Voice in Education Policy
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.), along with U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Jon Tester (D-Mon.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), introduced bipartisan legislation – the National Advisory Council on Indian Education Improvement Act – aimed at giving Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) greater input over federal funding and policymaking that impacts them. “Minnesota’s Tribal Colleges are important institutions that serve Native and non-Native students alike in some of the most impoverished and geographically isolated regions of the country,” said Smith. “These institutions deserve a seat at the table when federal agencies make decisions that impact
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