Latest Releases
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith Announce Funding from U.S. Department of Agriculture to Help Expand High-Speed Internet Access in Rural Areas
WASHINGTON, June 27th, 2024 – Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-Minn.) announced $25 million in funding availability from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to increase high-speed internet access in rural and Tribal communities. The funding is made available through the USDA’s Broadband Technical Assistance (BTA) Program, part of the Biden Administration’s historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to connect every community in America with affordable, reliable, high-speed internet. “We should be able to bring high-speed internet to every family in Minnesota— regardless of their zip code,” said Klobuchar. “This funding will ensure that the broadband upgrades going on across our state also reach our rural areas. As co-chair of the Senate Broadband Caucus, I’ll keep working across the aisle to make sure all Minnesotans can reliably access the high-speed internet they need.” “Internet access is not just a luxury in the 21st century, it’s a necessity,” said Senator Smith.“In Minnesota and across the country, people in rural areas, small towns, and Tribal communities need access to reliable, high-speed internet. Investing in broadband infrastructure with the Broadband Technical Assistance Program is a step in the right direction, helping connect communities in every part of the country to high-speed internet and strengthening communities from the ground up.” The program will support local governments, organizations, cooperatives, and Tribes as they work to expand broadband access in rural communities, delivering on President Biden’s promise to invest in infrastructure and strengthen the economy from the inside out. This includes funding infrastructure studies, network designs, hiring efforts, application assistance and more. The announcement marks the second round of funding for the program.
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Announces Federal Investment to Foster Local Zoning Reform in Twin Cities
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chair of the Senate Housing Subcommittee, announced $4 million in funding to assist localities around the Twin Cities trying to update local ordinances to build more affordable housing. The award will provide technical support to cities and towns already in the process of updating their zoning codes to incentivize more housing construction. The announcement comes on the heels of a visit from the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, who was in Minneapolis for a roundtable discussion on housing and a tour of a federally-funded affordable housing apartment made possible thanks to Minneapolis’ updated zoning codes, federal funding through the American Rescue Plan and solar tax credits provided by the Inflation Reduction Act. “Without a safe, decent, affordable place to live, nothing else in your life works. Our housing crisis can’t be solved by just one level of government. We need to increase our supply of all kinds of housing to boost the number of homes available and drive down costs, and that takes federal, state, local and private-sector coordination,” said Senator Smith. “Cities across the Metro have been working hard to reduce barriers to affordable housing and boost housing supply. This funding will support these efforts and further invest in the production and preservation of affordable housing in the region.” “Access to stable, affordable, quality housing is key to expanding economic opportunities for families but right now the housing market is inaccessible for far too many,” said Senator Amy Klobuchar. “This funding
Klobuchar, Smith, Stauber Urge Secretary Buttigieg to Partner with USDA, Forest Service on Ely Airport Infrastructure Improvements to Help Combat Wildfires
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Representative Pete Stauber (MN-08) are pushing U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Pete Buttigieg to work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to ensure the Ely Airport has the necessary infrastructure to continue to combat the wildfires spreading across Minnesota’s Arrowhead region. “In the last month, roughly ten separate wildfires have spread throughout the Arrowhead region of the state…As two of the region’s critical highways were closed as a result of the fires, the Ely Municipal Airport in Northeast Minnesota has been critical
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Urges President Biden to Ramp Up Global Vaccine Production for Low- and Middle- Income Countries
WASHINGTON, D.C. [9/17/21]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) led a group of her colleagues in calling on President Joe Biden to expand the United States’ global vaccine production and delivery for low- and middle- income countries. Ahead of the upcoming international summit on global COVID-19 vaccine access, Sen. Smith urged the Biden Administration to make firm commitments to expand global COVID-19 vaccine access. Sen. Smith said that without U.S. leadership in this area, we will not be able to vaccinate the global population and end the COVID-19 pandemic. “According to experts, 11 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses are needed to vaccinate 70% of the global population and
U.S. Sen. Smith Says New Report Confirms Her Clean Electricity Plan Would Create Millions of Jobs, Provide for Affordable Energy, & Add Billions in Economic Value
WASHINGTON, D.C. [9/9/21]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) says a new report from a credible research company confirms why she’s been fighting for the Clean Electricity Payment Plan (CEPP) in the Senate. The report—released today by Analysis Group and summarized by Evergreen Action and the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC)—shows how Congress can create nearly 8 million jobs and $1 trillion in economic growth over the next decade by passing the CEPP. “This report confirms why I’ve been pushing my clean electricity plan: we can create millions of good paying jobs across the country, provide for affordable energy, clean up air and water pollution, and
U.S. Sen. Tina Smith’s Statement on House Clean Electricity Plan
WASHINGTON, D.C. [9/9/21]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.)—who has been championing her clean electricity plan in the U.S. Senate—released the following statement after the House Energy and Commerce Committee, led by Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ 6), released its clean electricity plan. The House proposal aligns closely with what Sen. Smith has long been working on in the Senate. “I’ve been pushing my clean electricity plan since the beginning of this Congress, including working closely with key House members. I’m glad to see Rep. Pallone introduce a version in the House. I will work with my Senate colleagues and the Energy and Natural
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