Senator Smith is committed to fighting for more jobs and building a stronger economy, one that works for everyone so businesses grow and workers get better jobs with better pay, and so we can invest in infrastructure and manufacturing. Sen. Smith wants to address college affordability and expand career and workforce training for young people who don’t go to a four-year college.
Despite the fact that the economy is rebounding, too many Minnesota families struggle to make ends meet, face a job loss, or grapple with a shrinking pay check. Sen. Smith believes that in order to build an economy that works for everyone, we need a fairer tax code that supports working families, not just the wealthiest of Americans. We need paid family and medical leave for workers so that parents can stay home to take care of a newborn or a sick a family member without losing a paycheck. We need to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act to close the pay gap between men and women. We need fair trade policies that help Minnesota workers, businesses, and farmers get ahead, and we need to crack down on foreign countries that break international trade rules and put American workers out of jobs. We need to hold Wall Street accountable and make sure they don’t cause another economic collapse. We need to invest in small businesses and support entrepreneurs. And we need to help foster the next generation of Minnesota innovators by investing in research and development.
As a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Sen. Smith will build on Minnesota’s proud history of invention and creativity by supporting our classrooms, students, and our workforce. And, as a member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, Sen. Smith will be standing up for consumers, working to ensure fair access to financial services for all Americans, and working to improve the availability of safe, decent, and affordable housing.
Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on the Federal Prison Camp in Duluth Remaining Open and Operational
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) issued the following statement on the Federal Prison Camp in Duluth remaining open and operational: “Reversing the decision to close the Duluth Prison Camp is a major victory for the workers, families, and community that have fought to keep these good-paying, union jobs in the region,” said Sen. Tina Smith. “These employees are essential to the local economy and have deep roots in Duluth. They deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and shouldn’t have been forced to choose between their careers and their community. I pushed hard to reverse this decision, working closely with local leaders, labor partners, and the Bureau of Prisons to keep these jobs in Duluth. I was glad to stand with them every step of the way, and I’ll continue working to ensure federal decisions are made with workers and communities at the center.”
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. Senator Tina Smith Announces Federal Investment to Lower Housing Costs Through Zoning Reform in Twin Cities Metro Area
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Housing Subcommittee, announced an additional $5 million for the Twin Cities Metro area to assist with updating local zoning laws to build more affordable housing. The award will add to the $4 million previously announced in June 2024. The funding will provide technical support to cities and towns already in the process of updating their housing plans, community development strategies and best practices around zoning policy to incentivize more housing development. The funding will allow the Met Council to fully fund staff for the project through 2030. “We
In Big Win for Minnesotans in Lake, St. Louis and Cook Counties, U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Bill to Support Counties Passes Senate
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) released the following statement after her bill to provide critical federal funding for hosting federal wilderness lands passed the Senate: “Thye-Blatnik payments have been a vital source of revenue for Cook, St. Louis and Lake Counties in northeastern Minnesota since 1948. But in 2018, a suspect and likely wrong reappraisal led to massive potential cuts in county revenue, which would have devastating impacts for communities in Northern Minnesota,” said Sen. Smith. “Today, after years of work with the Trump and Biden Administrations to reappraise and correctly uphold the value of this one-of-a-kind wilderness, I am pleased that
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Celebrates Rural Broadband Announcements in Minnesota
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) announced three grants from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide high-speed, reliable internet to residents in rural Minnesota. Over 5,000 people will benefit from these awards. Recipients include 139 different businesses and 368 farms across the state. “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 ReConnect Grant Program will help connect communities in every part of the country
Major Senate Report Recommends Passage of U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Legislation Addressing Amazon’s Mistreatment of Workers, Unjust Quota System
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Senate Labor Committee released a report endorsing Senator Tina Smith’s (D-MN) legislation to end dangerous quota systems at Amazon warehouses. The report detailed Amazon’s mistreatment of warehouse workers under the corporation’s productivity quota system. The report analyzed Amazon’s data and found that Amazon warehouses recorded over 30 percent more injuries than the warehousing industry average in 2023. More than two-thirds of Amazon’s warehouses have injury rates that exceed the industry average. Minnesota is home to five Amazon warehouses, which have previously been reported for mistreatment of its workers. The first listed solution in the report is bipartisan legislation spearheaded by Senator Tina
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