Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Bipartisan Legislation to Combat Lyme Disease and Other Tick-Borne Illnesses Passes the Senate Unanimously
Most recent data shows Minnesota saw 3,551 cases in 2024 alone WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tina Smith announced the bipartisan Kay Hagan Tick Reauthorization Act passed the Senate unanimously. The bill will expand research, testing and treatment for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. “Minnesota is proud to have more than 10,000 lakes and thousands of rivers for us to enjoy, and we’re always especially eager to get outside after a long winter,” said Sen. Smith. “Unfortunately, the number of Lyme disease cases in the state—and states across the country—is on the rise. This bill would step up regional efforts at researching, testing and treating Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. We must cut down on tick-borne illnesses and for the sake of Americans’ health and well-being, we need to keep moving this bill forward.” The bill, co-led by Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), was named in honor of former Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC), who passed away on October 28, 2019, due to complications from the tick-borne disease Powassan virus. Over the past two decades, Minnesota has experienced a significant rise in tick-borne diseases. According to the Minnesota Department of Health, Lyme disease remains the state’s most commonly reported tick-borne illness, with 3,551 probable cases reported in 2024. In the same year, Minnesota also reported hundreds of cases of other tickborne diseases: 627 cases of anaplasmosis, 89 cases of babesiosis and 14 cases of Powassan virus disease. Using a three-pronged approach, The Kay Hagan Tick Act will: ###
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on Voting Against the Confirmation of Attorney General Todd Blanche
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) released the following statement after voting against the confirmation of the President’s nominee to be the next Attorney General, Todd Blanche: “Todd Blanche has clearly demonstrated that he lacks the integrity to be Attorney General. He demonstrated it when he defended the President’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election, when he defended the President’s hush money payments, and he demonstrated it when he committed to enacting a national ban on distributing medication abortion,” said Senator Smith. “It’s disappointing, though not surprising, to see Republicans cave to the President once again and confirm a nominee who they know will continue weaponizing the Department of Justice against the President’s political enemies.” Smith had criticized Blanche earlier this week for threatening to invoke the Comstock Act, an antiquated anti-vice law from before women had the right to vote, to ban the distribution of medication abortion in every single state regardless of state level abortion protections, including Minnesota. ###
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on Attorney General Ellison’s Settlement with Nation’s Largest Landlord for Artificially Inflating Rental Prices
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), top Democrat on the Senate Housing Subcommittee, released the following statement after Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced a $7 million settlement with the nation’s largest landlord, Greystar, as part of his ongoing litigation against property management software company RealPage. “When everything is already so unaffordable, cheating by artificially inflating rent adds insult to injury. These corporate landlords will do anything to pad their pockets and that’s why I’m so appreciative of Attorney General Ellison’s work to bring accountability for Minnesota renters,” said Senator Smith. “I’m pushing legislation to ban these practices nationwide and empower
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith Call for Senate Vote to Release the Epstein Files
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-MN) have requested Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) immediately hold a floor vote on legislation to release the Epstein Files. Klobuchar and Smith requested that the Senate vote on the bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act, which passed the House of Representatives with nearly unanimous bipartisan support (427-1) – enough to overcome a Presidential veto. “The victims of Jeffrey Epstein and the American people deserve answers, accountability and the truth. So far, they have only seen empty promises from President Trump and his Administration. Now that a majority of the
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Leads Fight Against Trump Administration’s Cuts to Housing for Formerly Homeless Minnesotans
MINNEAPOLIS, MN — U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) led 41 of her colleagues in calling on the Trump Administration to immediately halt plans to cut housing funding for people who were previously homeless. 3,600 Minnesotans could lose their housing and be forced back into homelessness under the Trump Administration’s proposed changes to the Continuum of Care program. Minnesota received approximately $48 million in funding last year. Most of those funds are used to provide affordable housing with intensive, supportive services to people experiencing homelessness. The Senators requested that the Administration use existing authorities to renew grants and change course to
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on Tonight’s Vote on the Federal Government Shutdown
WASHINGTON – Tonight, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) released the following statement after voting against a continuing resolution to fund the federal government: “I will not support this bill that completely fails to help Americans afford their health care. Trump and Republicans more than doubled Americans’ health care premiums, and for 40 days they have refused to lift a finger to do a thing about it. In fact, they’ve made it worse by taking food away from kids. Allowing this to pass is a mistake.”
English