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. ###
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Joins Young Americans on National Mall to Highlight Need to Address Climate Change, Promote Clean Energy
WASHINGTON, D.C. [8/4/21]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) joined young climate leaders just steps from the U.S. Capitol to call for federal action on addressing climate change and establishing a Clean Electricity Standard (CES). You can access photos from the event here, here, here and here. “This is our moment to make the change we need, and we can’t wait,” said Sen. Smith. “The place to start in Congress is by passing strong climate legislation. This summer, I’m working hard to make sure infrastructure legislation includes a clean electricity standard—which is a powerful, practical, progressive investment to get us to net-zero carbon emissions in power generation as
U.S. Sens. Smith, Cassidy Say FDA Approval of First Generic Insulin Will Lower Prices Across Country
WASHINGTON, D.C. [7/29/21]—U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.) have long pushed to bring lower-cost insulin to market, and today the senators highlighted the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of the first generic insulin product that will rein in costs after years of significant increases. Wednesday’s approval by the FDA is due in part to Sens. Smith and Cassidy’s bipartisan bill—the Protecting Access to Biosimilars Act—enacted in 2019. “We know that high insulin prices are jeopardizing the financial security of Minnesotans and Americans, and forcing some into alarming, and at times fatal, rationing,” said Sen. Smith, a member
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Introduces Legislation to Examine History of Racially Restrictive Covenants
WASHINGTON, D.C. [7/29/21]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) introduced legislation to examine the history of racially restrictive covenants—which were used as tools of discrimination to keep Black families and households of color from moving into certain neighborhoods—so we can better understand the scope of these covenants. Sen. Smith’s Mapping Housing Discrimination Act is inspired by work being done at the University of Minnesota to map racially restrictive covenants, which will help to study the connection between past discrimination and current disparities in wealth, homeownership, employment, education, health care, and much more. You can access a summary of the bill here and text of the
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Chris Van Hollen Introduce Legislation to Relieve Families from Private Student Loans Upon Death of Student
WASHINGTON, D.C. [8/3/21]—U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) introduced legislation to release cosigners of private student loan obligations in the event of a student borrower’s death. U.S. Representative Angie Craig (D- MN 2) authored this bill in the House, which passed as part of a comprehensive debt reform package on May 13. Right now, federal law only releases cosigners from private student loans for late students if their loans were made after November 20, 2018. Families who cosigned on their lost loved one’s private student loan prior to this date are currently provided no protection or relief under federal law—and find themselves at the mercy and discretion of individual private student loan
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