Latest Releases
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Adam Schiff, and Colleagues Urge Housing and Urban Development Secretary to Fund Critical Homelessness Programs
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), top Democrat on the Senate Housing Subcommittee, and Adam Schiff (D-CA) led a letter to the Trump Administration demanding congressionally-appropriated funding for Continuum of Care (CoC) programs aimed at combatting homelessness is allowed to flow. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is required by law to obligate these funds no later than 45 days after the issuance of award letters, a deadline which passed on March 4, 2025. The Senators criticized the Trump administration for freezing this funding, creating unnecessary chaos amid a national housing crisis. There is a shortage of around 5 million housing units nationwide and nearly 43 million households pay for a rent or mortgage they cannot afford. HUD is the federal agency charged with combatting this crisis. The letter called out HUD for suddenly canceling technical assistance contracts and planning sweeping layoffs, actions which will exacerbate nationwide homelessness. “We urge you to take action to ensure the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will finish processing FY2024 funding and comply with the two-year funding cycle,” wrote the Senators, “We further urge you to restore HUD’s technical assistance contracts that are vital to CoC recipients in smaller communities.” “Most CoC awards are needed for existing projects rather than new projects, and hundreds of projects have already started their program years without any clarity on when and if HUD funds will be available,” the lawmakers continued. “To keep the lights on, providers are now being forced to draw on lines
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Helps Introduce Legislation to Restore National Park and Forest Service Staffing, Protect Public Lands
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) helped introduce two bills to address the consequences of recent federal staff cuts at the National Park Service (NPS) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). The Protect Our Parks Act of 2025 and the Save Our Forests Act of 2025 will fully restore staffing levels at both agencies, ensuring that America’s national parks and forests remain accessible, safe, and well-maintained. This comes on the heels of Senator Smith bringing a fired Park Ranger from Voyageurs National Park to President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress last week. The Trump administration’s mass firings have led to significant staffing reductions at national parks, including Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota, negatively impacting visitor experiences, safety and park maintenance efforts. They’ve also fired Forest Service workers charged with protecting like Chippewa National Forest and Superior National Forest, which is the largest forest in the country east of the Mississippi River, including workers charged with helping loggers sell timber in ways that protect the future health of our forests. “National Park Service workers like Park Rangers keep us safe in some of our country’s most wild and extreme areas, including places like Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota. U.S. Forest Service workers keep our forest areas healthy and productive, including the largest forest east of the Mississippi River, the Superior National Forest. I’ve met these fired workers, I’ve heard their stories and losing them makes our most cherished wild areas less safe and less cared for,” said Senator Smith. “Elon Musk indiscriminately
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Colleagues Re-Introduce Bill to Expand Affordable Housing Access for Low-Income Families
WASHINGTON – This week, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development, joined a group of five Senate colleagues in re-introducing legislation to improve the federal government’s largest rental assistance program. The bipartisan Choice in Affordable Housing Act would make it easier to access Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV), also known as Section 8 vouchers, and attract and retain landlords to the program. As a result, low-income families will have increased housing choices and improved access to high-opportunity neighborhoods. The bill is led by Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and
Klobuchar, Smith Secure Significant Federal Funding to Expand and Upgrade I-94 in Wright County
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that they have secured $3 million in federal funding through the Fiscal Year 2023 budget to expand and upgrade a stretch of the Interstate 94 (I-94) highway in Wright County. “This federal funding will help expand and upgrade I-94, improving safety and mobility on this critical route. I am proud to have worked with local leaders to secure this funding, and I know that these resources will make a real difference for so many communities,” said Klobuchar. “The I-94 expansion project will improve access to the Interstate and reduce
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Bipartisan Legislation to Provide Transparency For Those Looking to Purchase Popular Long-Term Savings Vehicles Signed Into Law
WASHINGTON, D.C. – 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 was signed into law as part of the bipartisan government funding bill. The law will 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
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Announces Significant Federal Funding for Tribal Nations and the Native Community in the Twin Cities
WASHINGTON D.C. [1/13/23] –– U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) announced that she helped secure over $8.6 million for Minnesota Tribal Nations and communities in the Twin Cities metro area. These funds will support the Lower Sioux Indian Community, the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, the Prairie Island Indian Community, the Indian Health Board of Minneapolis, and the Native American Community Clinic. Senator Klobuchar also worked to secure this funding. “For too long, Native communities have experienced negative impacts of federal underinvestment and underfunding of critical services. I’m proud to have worked with Tribal leaders to help
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