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. Senator Tina Smith Supports Tom Vilsack for Agriculture Secretary as Agriculture Committee Votes to Send Nomination to Full Senate for Final Approval
WASHINGTON, D.C. [2/2/21]— Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, supported the committee’s approval of Tom Vilsack to be U.S. Secretary of Agriculture when the committee voted to send his nomination to the full Senate. Sen. Smith said Vilsack, a former Iowa Governor who previously served eight years as Agriculture Secretary under President Obama, understands how important agriculture is to the economic well-being of farmers and communities in the upper Midwest and across the country.
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Helps Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Allow Local Meat and Poultry Products to be Sold Across State Lines
WASHINGTON, D.C. [2/1/21]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, recently helped introduce the bipartisan New Markets for State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Act, which would allow meat and poultry products inspected by state Meat and Poultry Inspection (MPI) programs to be sold across state lines. This legislation is supported by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Minnesota Farmers Union, and the Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association. “I fought for a spot on the Senate Agriculture Committee, and it’s my job to make sure Washington is helping expand markets for ag communities in Minnesota and across the country. This
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Chris Murphy Introduce Bill to Study, Address Conditions that Exacerbate Health Inequities in Black, Brown, Indigenous & People of Color
WASHINGTON, D.C. [01/29/21]—U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) introduced legislation to study and address how social, environmental, and economic conditions exacerbate health inequities in Black, Brown, Indigenous, and people of color. These conditions, known as social determinants of health (SDOH), are the result of institutional racism embedded in our society including in housing, employment, education, health care and more. Sens. Smith and Murphy said that Black, Brown, Indigenous and people of color have been disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus pandemic due to the social determinants of health. While it’s often believed that good health is only due to medical care, clinical treatment accounts for only 10 to 20 percent of an individual’s overall health. Meanwhile, around 80
U.S. Senators Klobuchar, Smith Encourage Minnesota Producers and Landowners to Enroll in Conservation Reserve Program
WASHINGTON, D.C. [01/25/21]—U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) are encouraging Minnesota producers and landowners to enroll in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) by the February 12 deadline. The CRP is one of the largest private-lands conservation programs in the United States. Participants receive an annual payment in exchange for removing environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production and planting species that will improve its condition. Senators Klobuchar and Smith said that for decades CRP has helped improve water quality, reduce soil erosion and improve wildlife habitat on private lands in Minnesota and across the country. “The Conservation Reserve Program is key to supporting Minnesota producers and landowners who help
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