Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on SCOTUS Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) Decision
Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s Decision on Moyle v. United States: “The Supreme Court ruled on process, not on policy. This is a reprieve, not a vindication. While Idaho can resume providing emergency reproductive care, this ruling does nothing to reassure women that their health and wellbeing is protected. “Let’s be clear: President Biden’s work to ensure access to emergency abortion care under EMTALA is not safe under this decision. There are other challenges to EMTALA pending in the ultra-conservative Fifth Circuit — challenges that could come before the Supreme Court soon. “But this chaos is the point. Patients will suffer while these lawsuits move forward. There should be no legal question when medicine is clear: Abortion is health care. Justice Jackson hit the nail on the head with her dissent: ‘While this Court dawdles and the country waits, pregnant people experiencing emergency medical conditions remain in a precarious position, as their doctors are kept in the dark about what the law requires.’” ###
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. 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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