Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Calls for Expedited Evacuations of Children with Complex Medical Needs from Gaza
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar (both D-MN) joined their colleagues in sending a letter to Michael Herzog, Ambassador of Israel to the United States, and Motaz Zahran, Ambassador of Egypt to the United States, urging them to help Palestinian children who are critically ill and injured leave Gaza to seek medical treatment, and increase access to life-saving medical treatments in Gaza for children in need. “While people disagree about the war in Gaza, everyone should agree that no government should prevent injured children access to potentially life-saving medical care. Rather, governments should be doing everything possible to assist in this situation,” wrote the senators. “We have called on our own government to do its part in facilitating safe passage for these children. Our goal is to cooperate with your governments, consistent with your security concerns, to maximize safe passage and increase access to life-saving medical treatment for children in need. We understand some progress has been made, with a number of children in need of cancer treatment being moved out of Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing, in cooperation with the World Health Organization,” continued the senators. “We are encouraged by this development as a very positive first step. We must all treat the welfare of children in Gaza as an urgent humanitarian priority and work together to prevent further suffering.” The Senators also requested meetings with the Ambassadors to further discuss how to facilitate safe passage for more children and their accompanying parent or caregiver to have access to the medical
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Announces Small Business Funding for Tribal Nations
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) announced Red Lake Nation and Lower Sioux Indian Community were selected to receive federal funding to support small business development in their communities. The Tribes will use the funding to help small businesses access credit, which can be difficult in Indian Country. Tribal communities are systemically under-banked, making it nearly impossible for small businesses to obtain the financing they need to grow. Tribal governments can remove these barriers by working directly with businesses in their communities. The funding was awarded through the Small Business Credit Initiative, which was reauthorized and expanded by the American Rescue Plan, which Senator Smith supported. “Access to capital is essential to the economic health and growth of Tribal communities in Minnesota and across Indian Country,” said Senator Smith. “Native-owned small businesses face disproportionate obstacles when trying to secure capital to develop and grow their businesses, especially in rural areas like Red Lake and Lower Sioux. Tribes know best what works for their communities, and this funding will help Tribal economies to grow and thrive.” “The SSBCI allocation is an important steppingstone for meaningful economic development on the Red Lake Nation. Breaking down barriers surrounding capital access for Tribal and member owned businesses to equitably participate in opportunities that have historically been unavailable in Indian Country is a transformative change. An investment like SSBCI will help the Red Lake Nation achieve a vision of economic independence as well as continue to fuel the growth of our Tribal economy that also benefits rural communities across Minnesota. This change would not be possible without the advocacy
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, John Hoeven Reintroduce Bill to Improve Financial Stability of Electric Coops, Small Rural Broadband Providers
WASHINGTON, D.C. [03/26/21]—U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and John Hoeven (R-N.D.) reintroduced a bipartisan bill to help stabilize the finances of the nation’s rural electric cooperatives and rural broadband providers. The Flexible Financing for Rural America Act would make it possible for rural electric cooperatives and telecommunications providers to refinance their Rural Utilities Service (RUS) debt at lower interest rates. A House companion was introduced by Reps. Tom O’Halleran (D-Ariz.) and Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.). Sens. Smith and Hoeven said that this could help rural cooperatives and businesses better manage cash-flow, invest in rural communities, and pass savings on to customers. “Rural electric cooperatives are critical to
U.S. Senators Smith, Capito Lead Bipartisan Senate Effort to Reduce Greenhouse Emissions with Carbon Capture Legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C. [3/25/21]—Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) will be leading a bipartisan group of senators in introducing legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Their bill would make tax credits that encourage carbon capture projects more available and easier to use. The bipartisan Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage Tax Credit Amendments Act is also supported by Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa). This legislation would make improvements to ensure that carbon capture utilization 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
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