Latest Releases
ICYMI: Star Tribune: Sen. Tina Smith goes to bat against Comcast for frustrated Twins fans
WASHINGTON, D.C. [7.7.24] – In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Tina Smith sent a letter to Comcast CEO Brian Roberts urging the cable provider to return to the negotiation table with Bally Sports North and get the Minnesota Twins back on the air for Comcast customers. Star Tribune: Sen. Tina Smith takes aim at Comcast on behalf of ‘furious’ constituents In a letter to Comcast’s CEO this week, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith chided the cable company for dropping Bally Sports channels nationwide — a move that has left thousands of Twins fans without access to games. By Michael Rand | June 6, 2024 If you’re a Twins fan and Comcast cable subscriber frustrated by the cable company’s decision more than a month ago to drop Bally Sports North in a pricing dispute, know this: U.S. Sen. Tina Smith is frustrated, too. The Minnesota senator sent a letter this week on her official U.S. Senate stationery to Comcast Chairman and CEO Brian Roberts urging the company to restart negotiations. “My constituents are furious,” she wrote. In a follow-up interview with the Star Tribune that appears on Thursday’s “Daily Delivery” podcast, Sen. Smith expanded on her thoughts and feelings. “I hear so much about this from my constituents and I come from a big baseball fan family myself. Springtime comes and you are excited to watch the Twins and you can’t go to the games all the time,” she said. “And so watching the Twins on television as a fine part of Minnesota’s summer
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Leads Senate Agriculture Subcommittee Hearing on Expanding Opportunities for Beginning Farmers
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.), chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade, led a hearing focused on opportunities to support new and emerging farmers. According to the most recent Census of Agriculture, the average age of a producer in the United States is now 58, and in Minnesota it is 57. One of the witnesses who spoke at the hearing about challenges faced by beginning farmers was Tessa Parks, Minnesota native and owner and operator of W.T. Farms in Northfield. Tessa is a young, first-generation farmer of color who, along with her husband, raises Holstein steers and runs a haying service. “The average age of a producer in the United States is 58, and in Minnesota it’s 57. And of course, this number increases every year. That in a nutshell is why we need to invest in the next generation of farmers, so this country’s agriculture production continues to work,” said Senator Smith. “This is a matter of national security, food security, and the strength and vitality of rural America. Agriculture is a driving force in America’s economy.” “Though I am new to farming and several generations removed from the farm, my connection to and love for agriculture is strong,” said Tessa Parks, owner and operator of W.T. Farms in Northfield, MN. “But beginning farmers like me face significant barriers to entry into agriculture, including a farm safety net that favors larger and more established farms, barriers to accessing land and capital, climate change, and
U.S. Sens. Smith, Young Renew Bipartisan Push to Improve Public Health Preparedness with Coordinated “One Health” Approach
WASHINGTON, D.C. [3/18/21]—Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) are continuing their bipartisan work to improve public health preparedness by ensuring federal agencies advance a “One Health” approach—the idea that human and animal health are linked, and that they should be studied together—to prevent and respond to disease outbreaks. We know from the current COVID-19 pandemic—with CDC confirmation that the virus originally came from an animal—that it is vital to make sure our nation is prepared for the future. The Advancing Emergency Preparedness Through One Health Act would improve coordination among those studying animal and human health by requiring the
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Presses Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to Uphold Commitment to End Historic USDA Discrimination Against Farmers of Color
WASHINGTON, D.C. [3/17/21]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) continued her push to ensure U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack upholds his commitment to ensure the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) ends the historic discriminatory practices that have not only robbed farmers of color across the country of needed services and assistance, but have also cost U.S. taxpayers more than $1.25 billion in past restitution payments. Sen. Smith, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said that when she questioned Sec. Vilsack at his confirmation hearing last month about past USDA discrimination, he signaled his strong intention to work both internally at
U.S. Senators Tina Smith & Lisa Murkowski Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Improve Access to Tele-Mental Health during COVID-19
WASHINGTON, D.C. [3/16/21]—U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced a bipartisan bill to help more Americans access tele-mental health care during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The Tele-Mental Health Improvement Act would address gaps in tele-mental health coverage that prevent Americans from receiving care. Sens. Smith and Murkowski said that expanding access to tele-mental health is important to address COVID-19’s negative effect on the mental health of Americans. Last year 45 percent of adults in the United States reported increased stress and worry due to the public health and economic implications of COVID-19. But right now a significant percent of commercial plans do not pay providers the same
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Named Chair of Rural Development and Energy Panel on Senate Agriculture Committee
WASHINGTON, D.C. [3/15/21]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) announced that she has been named Chair of the Rural Development and Energy Subcommittee, which is tasked with overseeing many U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development programs, including the Rural Housing Service, and programs relating to facilities, utilities, loans, and renewable energy. In addition to her role as Chair, Sen. Smith will also serve on the Livestock, Dairy, Poultry, Local Food Systems, and Food Safety and Security Subcommittee, and the Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade Subcommittee, as part of her role on the Senate Agriculture Committee. “By traveling to rural and
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