Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Applauds Biden Admin Move to Eliminate Medical Debt from Credit Reports
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) celebrated a new proposed rule from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) shielding consumers’ credit scores from being impacted by medical debt. Today’s announcement came after Senator Smith, along with 9 of her colleagues, urged the agency to take action. According to the CFPB’s own report, there is over $88 billion in medical debt on consumer credit records. “You can’t choose when you get sick – it happens whether we like it or not. You shouldn’t be punished with a lower credit score just because you needed medical care,” said Senator Smith.“This move by the Biden Administration puts the American people first, and I’m glad they listened to me and my colleagues who pushed for this new rule.” Senator Smith, a member of the Senate Banking Committee, called attention to the growing crisis of medical debt in a letter to the CFPB in 2022. The move by the CFPB compliments actions by the Minnesota State Legislature, who passed the Debt Fairness Act as part of a large omnibus bill in May of this year to address the impact medical debt has on Minnesotans. ###
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Announces Funding for White Earth Nation to Increase Solar Power and Energy Storage
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) announced $1.75 million for the White Earth Nation in Minnesota to use energy storage to increase their use of solar power and allow for greater energy flexibility. The project will expand an existing solar array at Pine Point Elementary School and Community Center to help lower electricity costs and support White Earth’s goal to be energy independent. “Tribal Nations have always been leaders in environmental stewardship,” said Senator Tina Smith. “This funding will help White Earth Tribal Nation continue building a more resilient and clean energy system for the Tribe.” The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity selected three communities across the country to receive a total of $3.7 million in project development assistance under the Energy Storage for Social Equity Program. The program successfully launched in March 2022 and selected 14 communities for similar projects that focused on providing a strategy for energy access and affordability, decarbonization, environmental impact, resilience, and social impact. The funding will promote an equitable clean energy transition, advance more affordable and reliable electricity, and support the Biden Administration’s Justice40 goals. ###
Smith Leads Bipartisan Push for Further Investments in Global COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts
WASHINGTON, D.C. [03/11/22]—This week, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) led a bipartisan group of Senators in urging Senate Leadership to support emergency supplemental resources for vaccine diplomacy, including support for State Department and USAID bilateral and multilateral efforts. In a letter Tuesday, Senator Smith and bipartisan group of eight Senators pressed Senator Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to provide emergency supplemental aide for U.S. global vaccination efforts. The increased funding is needed to ensure that U.S. bilateral efforts are not halted short of the goal of supporting partner countries in rolling out immunizations. The
Sen. Smith’s Bipartisan Bill to Reduce Unacceptably High Maternal Mortality Passed Into Law
WASHINGTON [3.11.22] – Today, Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that her bipartisan bill to reduce America’s uniquely high maternal mortality rate has been passed into law as part of the omnibus bill. While pregnancy-related deaths are declining around the world, the United States stands out as the only industrialized country with an increasing maternal mortality rate. The problem is particularly acute in rural areas and communities of color, with Black and Native women more than two and a half times more likely to die from pregnancy–related complications. The Rural Maternal and Obstetric Modernization of Services (MOMS) Act takes important steps
Sen. Smith Introduces Bill to Provide Financial Stability for College Students Faced with Unexpected Emergencies
WASHINGTON [3.11.22] – Yesterday, Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) reintroduced legislation to ensure college students are able to stay enrolled in school in the face of unexpected emergencies. For many students, paying for college requires carefully balancing student loan debts, jobs, and studies, which can be easily derailed by an unexpected costly event. The Emergency Grant Aid for College Students Act would provide financial stability for students struggling to manage a sudden death in the family, car repair, medical bill or any number of financial emergencies that too often force students to drop out of school. The bill is co-sponsored by
U.S. Sens. Smith, Durbin, King, Sinema, Rep. Neguse Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Help Make College Textbooks More Affordable
WASHINGTON, D.C. [03/10/22]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senators Angus King (I-ME), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), along with U.S. Representative Joe Neguse (D-CO-02), introduced bicameral legislation designed to help students manage costs by making high quality textbooks easily accessible to students, professors, and the public for free. The legislation, known as the Affordable College Textbook Act, would authorize a competitive grant program to support the creation of and expand the use of open college textbooks—textbooks that are available under an open license, allowing professors, students, researchers, and others to freely access the materials. Textbook costs are
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