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.
Sen. Smith is committed to building on Minnesota’s proud history of invention and creativity by supporting our classrooms, students, and our workforce. 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 and affordability of safe, decent housing for all Americans.
Latest Releases
U.S. Senators Smith, Klobuchar Secure Significant Federal Funding for Infrastructure Improvements in Anoka County
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) announced the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has awarded $18 million for the Minnesota State Highway 65 and Bunker Lake Boulevard Project. The grant, provided through the USDOT’s BUILD program, will be used to construct an interchange at the intersection of Minnesota State Highway 65 and Bunker Lake Boulevard. This project is part of a larger initiative to convert the highway into a freeway with grade-separated interchanges. “Highway 65 is a critical link between the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota. But we’re seeing drivers intentionally avoiding the intersection at Bunker Lake Boulevard to avoid the traffic and congestion, which only increases congestion on nearby roads. This intersection is outdated and needs an update,” said Senator Smith. “A new interchange will handle more traffic and take the strain off of side-roads, meaning Minnesotans can more easily get to their families, to their work or where they need to go.” “Investments in our infrastructure serve as down payments on the long-term economic well-being of our state,” said Senator Klobuchar. “This federal funding will help make our roads safer and more accessible and allow Minnesotans to more easily reach work, school, and other destinations in Anoka County.” Senators Smith and Klobuchar have long supported investment in the Highway 65 corridor. In 2023, Senators Smith and Klobuchar announced $20 million in federal funding to improve road safety and accessibility on Highway 65 from 97th Avenue to 117th Avenue. In 2022, Senators Smith
U.S. Senators Smith, Klobuchar Secure Significant Federal Funding to Replace Bridges Over the Red River in Norman, Polk and Clay Counties
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has awarded $24 million for the Red River Regional Bridge System Replacement Project in Norman, Polk and Clay counties. The grant, provided through USDOT’s BUILD program, will replace up to three bridges over the Red River. This project upgrades aging bridges frequently impacted by flooding across the three counties. The bridge system supports commuters, freight movement and commercial transportation between Minnesota and North Dakota. “The bridges connecting Minnesota and North Dakota in the Red River Valley are vital to our ag economy and the surrounding communities,” said Senator Smith. “Replacing three old bridges across the Red River will keep commodities moving to market and ensure friends and neighbors have safe crossings as they drive across the prairie.” “The bridges over the Red River are aging, vulnerable to flooding, and need to be replaced. This federal grant will deliver resources for the bridge replacement project, ensuring both drivers and freight can safely cross the Red River between Minnesota and North Dakota,” Senator Klobuchar said. Today’s announcement builds on Senators Smith and Klobuchar’s past work to support infrastructure in the Red River Valley. In 2022, Senators Smith, Klobuchar and John Hoeven (R-ND) secured $437 million of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers funding for the construction of permanent flood protection in the Red River Valley. With that award, the project received the complete federal funding commitment of $750 million. BUILD grants, previously referred to
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on FAA Announcement of Reduced Air Traffic at MSP Airport as a Result of Government Shutdown
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) released the following statement following an announcement by the Federal Aviation Administration that air traffic will be
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Colleagues Push Legislation to Pay All Federal Employees, Service Members, and Contractors During Shutdown
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) joined 24 colleagues to introduce the True Shutdown Fairness Act to pay all federal employees and the contractors supporting their work during the shutdown. The Senators’
Amid Government Shutdown, Sen. Smith, Rep. Pressley Introduce Bill to Provide Back Pay for Federal Contract Workers, Including Low-Wage Food Service and Custodial Staff
WASHINGTON, DC – Following the federal government shutdown, Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) introduced legislation to secure back pay for the thousands of
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
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