Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Provision Reconnecting Community to Area Around Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock to Be Signed into Law
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) announced her provision, written along with Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN05) to expand community access to land around the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock, passed the Senate as part of the Water Resources Development Act and is expected to be signed into law. The provision directs the Army Corps of Engineers to minimize the space they use around the lock and dam as much as possible, while maintaining access for safety and maintenance purposes, to make room for the development of a public recreation space. Redevelopment for a recreational space is being led by Owámniyomni Okhódayapi, a Dakota-led non-profit. “Minnesotans value our lakes and rivers, and this provision recognizes that,” said Senator Smith. “This policy change is a key step to reopening the area around the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam for the community to enjoy while ensuring the lock and dam infrastructure continues protecting Minneapolis’ water supply and protecting Lake Superior from invasive carp.” ###
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 my bill to permanently fix this issue has passed the United States Senate. My bill provides financial certainty and security to these counties and a permanent fix to the problem. I look forward to seeing this bipartisan and urgently needed legislation quickly move through the House of Representatives and go to the President’s desk so it can be signed into law.” The Counties benefit from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) as a world-renowned tourist destination, but they also forgo property taxes and other potential revenue streams. Congress passed the Thye-Blatnik Act over 70 years ago, which directed the Secretary of Agriculture to acquire lands within the future BWCAW and set up a system of annual compensation payments to the host counties. These funds go towards essential services like roadway infrastructure and public safety, and help the counties accurately plan their budgets. When the most recent appraisal in 2018 suggested that there
Sen. Smith, Senate Colleagues Call on Regulators to Focus on Lending to Main Street
WASHINGTON, D.C. [03/31/22]— U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) joined her colleagues in a letter to the Federal Reserve Board, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, National Credit Union Administration, and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, urging them to work with banks and credit unions to ensure small businesses have access to safe and sound credit as Main Street recovers from COVID-19. “Recent research by the Federal Reserve System found that less than one-third of small businesses that applied for traditional financing in 2021 received all the funding they sought compared to recent years,” wrote the lawmakers. “…Banks are choosing to lend to bigger firms, and
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Announces Hearing On Impact of Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill on Small Cities, Rural Areas
WASHINGTON, D.C. [03/31/22]—Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) – Chair of the Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development (HTCD) – announced she will be leading a hearing on the bipartisan infrastructure law’s effect on smaller cities and rural areas. The hearing will take place on April 6, 2022 at 2:30 pm ET. The hearing will examine the benefits of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act for smaller transit systems with a particular focus on how the Department of Transportation can most effectively implement the law in small and rural communities. Witnesses include: Mr. Ryan Daniel, Chief Executive Officer, St. Cloud
Senate Unanimously Passes Sens. Smith, Ernst’s “National Women in Agriculture Day” Resolution
WASHINGTON [3.30.22]—Last night, during Women’s History Month, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan measure from U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa)—both members of the Senate Agriculture Committee—designating March 24, 2022 as “National Women in Agriculture Day” to honor “the countless women who help agriculture prosper both at home and abroad.” Every single female senator joined Ernst and Smith on their resolution. “Agriculture is the backbone of Minnesota’s diverse economy,” said Senator Tina Smith. “Women have always played an essential role in this sector, and I’m proud we have passed this bipartisan effort to set aside a
Sen. Smith, Senate Colleagues Urge Key Federal Agency to Address Medical Debt
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) joined her colleagues in a letter to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Director Rohit Chopra highlighting the growing medical debt burden faced by consumers. Specifically, the letter urges the CFPB to address the growing medical debt burden faced by U.S. consumers, and establish an ombudsman position for consumer medical debt. The ombudsman would help resolve consumer complaints and ensure compliance with federal directives, like the ban on surprise medical bills. An ombudsman could also monitor the changes announced last week by Equifax, Experian, and Transunion to ensure that the proposed change to medical debt
English