Latest Releases
Klobuchar, Smith Announce Federal Funding for Todd Field Airport
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced they secured significant federal funding for Todd Field Airport for infrastructure improvements. The grant provides $214,749 to resurface 3,501 feet of Runway 16/34, 1,340 feet of taxiway, 278 feet of other surfaces, and 9,320 square yards of general aviation apron pavement. The funding will also be used to rehabilitate 400 square feet of the parking lot and 1,000 feet of the terminal entrance access road. “Todd Field Airport is an essential link for residents and businesses in Long Prairie and beyond,” said Klobuchar. “This federal grant will make needed infrastructure updates to ensure the airport can continue serving travelers for years to come.” “I’m glad to see the Biden-Harris administration once again delivering for travelers in Minnesota and around the country,” said Smith. “Small and regional airports like the Todd Field Airport are vital parts of their communities and this funding will go directly towards repaving the runway and other important surfaces.” This funding is from the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), which provides federal grants for airport infrastructure projects such as runways, taxiways, signage, lighting, and markings. ###
Senator Smith and Representative Omar Reintroduce No Shame at School Act
WASHINGTON– Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) and U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) announced the reintroduction of the No Shame at School Act, a bill aimed at ending lunch shaming practices in schools nationwide. The No Shame at School Act would prohibit school districts from publicly identifying or shaming students who are unable to pay for school meals. It also bans schools from hiring debt collectors to recover unpaid school meal debt.The legislation requires schools to attempt to directly certify children with unpaid meal debt for free or reduced-price meals and allows schools to be retroactively reimbursed for meals served to these children. “No child should have to go through the experience of being shamed at school for an unpaid lunch bill,” said Senator Smith. “I’m so proud of the work Minnesota has done to address this issue through universal school lunches, but there are too many places around the country where we still see this happening. We need to set our children up for success in school, and making sure kids get the school lunches they need without being made to feel ashamed or embarrassed is an important part of that success.” “In Minnesota, we have already implemented universal school meals and are leading the charge to remove school lunch shaming,” said Rep. Omar, a member of the Committee on Education and Workforce. “It’s time for the rest of the nation to follow suit. Every child deserves to learn and grow without the pangs of hunger or the fear of being
Klobuchar, Smith Urge U.S. Department of Agriculture to Help Minnesota Farmers Respond to Avian Flu Outbreak
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN), both members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to ensure that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) helps Minnesota farmers respond to the recent avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak. “We write with concern about the rapid spread of the H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) virus that has been confirmed in 19 commercial turkey flocks and 2 backyard flocks in 11 counties across Minnesota, already killing over a million birds,” the lawmakers wrote to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. “As the number
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on the Vote to Confirm of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson
WASHINGTON, D.C. [04/07/22]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) released the following statement on the bipartisan confirmation of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court of the United States: “I had a front row seat to history today as the Senate voted to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. “I was proud to vote to confirm Judge Jackson, the first Black woman and first former federal public defender to serve on the Supreme Court. Judge Jackson showed character, intellect, and grace through the entire confirmation process. She is a brilliant legal mind and has stellar credentials as
Sens. Smith, Stabenow, and Rep. Maloney Lead Colleagues in Introducing Bicameral Package of Legislation to Target Abusive Pharmaceutical Business Practices
Washington, D.C. [04.07.22]—Today, Sens. Tins Smith (D-MN), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY-12), led colleagues—including Rep. Peter Welch and Rep. Jan Schakowsky—in introducing a package of legislation targeting business practices pharmaceutical companies use to suppress competition, maintain market monopolies, and keep drug prices high. The legislative reforms follow the Oversight Committee’s three-year investigation into pharmaceutical pricing and business practices that exposed pharmaceutical company practices to suppress competition from lower-priced generics and biosimilars and make drug prices unaffordable for many Americans. “There is no good reason Americans should be paying more than any country in the world for
Sens. Smith, Stabenow, and Rep. Maloney Lead Colleagues in Introducing Bicameral Package of Legislation to Target Abusive Pharmaceutical Business Practices
Washington, D.C. [04.07.22]—Today, Sens. Tins Smith (D-MN), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY-12), led colleagues—including Rep. Peter Welch and Rep. Jan Schakowsky—in introducing a package of legislation targeting business practices pharmaceutical companies use to suppress competition, maintain market monopolies, and keep drug prices high. The legislative reforms follow the Oversight Committee’s three-year investigation into pharmaceutical pricing and business practices that exposed pharmaceutical company practices to suppress competition from lower-priced generics and biosimilars and make drug prices unaffordable for many Americans. “There is no good reason Americans should be paying more than any country in the world for
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