Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith and Colleagues Call on Israeli Ambassador Herzog to Accelerate Aid Delivery and Ensure Safety for Aid Workers
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) joined Senators Peter Welch (D-VT), Jack Reed (D-RI), and Brian Schatz (D-HI) in sending a letter to Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Michael Herzog, on the imperative of urgently providing humanitarian aid in Gaza. The letter highlights specific steps that Ambassador Herzog and the Israeli government should take to ensure that aid reaches Gaza and to protect aid workers. “Since October 7, nearly 30,000 people have been killed in Israel’s counterattack on Gaza. While many were Hamas terrorists, a significant number were innocent civilians. Further, at least 1.7 million Palestinians have been internally displaced in Gaza. They have need for clean water, food, medical support, and humanitarian aid. Starvation and widespread disease in Gaza are imminent,” wrote the four U.S. Senators. “We believe that the future path to peace, security and stability will be enhanced dramatically by facilitating the delivery of essentials for survival to the Palestinian people whose fate is imperiled,” the Senators conclude. The letter outlines four actions Israel should take to accelerate aid delivery into Gaza and assist the safety of aid workers, including: Text of the letter follows: Dear Ambassador Herzog: We unequivocally condemn Hamas’ barbaric attack on Israel October 7, 2023, and hope that all the hostages return home safely. We support Israel’s right and obligation to pursue the Hamas terrorists who planned and carried out the October 7 attack and deem the prospect of Hamas retaining military control of Gaza unacceptable. We also believe, there is an urgent need to provide
Sen. Smith joins Dem Women’s Caucus, House and Senate Democrats, in Demanding Health Insurers Fully Cover Birth Control, As Required by the ACA
Washington, DC — Today, Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), along with Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) Chair Lois Frankel (FL-22), Reps. Ayanna Pressley (MA-7), Kathy Manning (NC-6), and Judy Chu (CA-28), led over 150 House and Senate Democratic colleagues in urging health insurers to fully comply with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) contraception coverage requirement. Specifically, the members urged insurers to adopt a “therapeutic equivalence standard” ensuring coverage—without cost sharing—of every FDA-approved birth control product that does not have a therapeutic equivalent (generic). The letter comes after years of systemic noncompliance by insurance plans, forcing women to pay out of pocket or face administrative red tape to access the birth control that works best for them. “We write to express our concerns that your members are not complying with the Affordable Care Act contraception coverage requirement, and to urge them to consider immediate adoption of the therapeutic equivalence standard outlined by the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury on January 22, 2024,” wrote the lawmakers in a letter toAmerica’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP)—whose membership includes major health insurers across the country—and UnitedHealth Group. Despite the ACA’s protections, the members outlined how multiple investigations—including by the House Oversight Committee, “have revealed that plans routinely violate the ACA by refusing to cover certain products, imposing administrative hurdles like prior authorizations and step therapy (fail first protocols), and requiring patient cost-sharing.” In response to these violations, the Biden Administration recently released additional guidance, outlining a standard that requires coverage
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Mike Rounds, Tammy Baldwin Introduce Bipartisan Plan to Invest in Rural Public Transit
WASHINGTON, D.C. [08/17/20]—U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) recently introduced bipartisan legislation to improve public transportation in certain rural communities across the country. Specifically, the Investments in Rural Transit Act would increase the federal contribution for operating assistance in rural areas with high transit dependency. The Federal Transit Administration provides grants to support rural public transportation, but it can be difficult for certain rural communities to provide the necessary local contribution to qualify for assistance. “High-quality, reliable public transit systems are important for Minnesotans who count on them to get to work, school, the doctor and more,” said Sen. Smith. “This legislation
Klobuchar, Smith Announce $4.2 Million for Public Transit Infrastructure Funding
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith announced that the Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded the Metropolitan Council $2,800,000 on behalf of the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority (MVTA) and the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) $1,412,890 for public transit infrastructure to support buses and bus facilities statewide. This funding will be used to replace, rehabilitate and purchase buses and related equipment and to construct bus-related facilities and will include funding to modify low-emission vehicles and facilities. “The coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating impact on public transit infrastructure across Minnesota, including in our Tribal communities,” Klobuchar said.
U.S. Sens. Tina Smith, Elizabeth Warren, Patty Murray Seek Answers from Labor Department on Fake Public Comments Opposing Stronger Protections for Retirement Savers
WASHINGTON, D.C. [08/14/20]—Alarmed by the fact that much remains unknown about the rash of fake critical comments that flooded the public comment period for a key federal consumer protection rule for retirement savers in 2015, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) sent a letter pressing Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia to outline the actions he’s taken to prevent it from happening again. The Senators told Scalia that a Wall Street Journal analysis found that in the case of the 2015 rule on retirement investment advice, “40% of respondents didn’t write the comments attributed to them,” and that most of the 345 fraudulent comments analyzed were slanted in favor of financial industry views,
Congresswoman Angie Craig, Senator Tina Smith and Andy Slavitt Discuss Bill to Improve National COVID-19 Testing and Tracing
Today, U.S. Rep. Angie Craig, Sen. Tina Smith were joined by health expert Andy Slavitt during a briefing to discuss their bipartisan bill to create a national coronavirus (COVID-19) testing and contact-tracing strategy in partnership with states. The measure, the Suppress COVID-19 Act would provide federal support to states working to address the virus by helping them purchase tests and testing supplies. It would also allow states to work together in interstate compacts and regional agreements to overcome challenges with the testing supply chain, such as a lack of available tests and slow turn-around for test results. Republican Rep. Phil Roe of Tennessee is also a lead author and Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, M.D. of
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