Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Rep. Katherine Clark Reintroduce Legislation to Improve School Climates
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) and House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA5) reintroduced legislation to improve support for youth in schools. The bill, called the Trauma-Informed Schools Act, would support training for teachers and staff in the development of positive school culture and help schools support young people struggling with adversity. The bill is co-led by Congressmen Mike Quigley (D-IL5) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA1) and Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (D-OR6). “Young students are experiencing unique challenges in school as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, increased social media use, and lack of access to mental health care. More than 1 in 5 young people today struggle with their mental health, and that number is rising. We need to do more to provide them with the support they need to succeed,” said Senator Smith. “I’m proud to reintroduce this legislation, which will help schools address childhood trauma and build positive school cultures so that all students and adults are welcome and supported in school buildings.” “America is in the throes of a mental health crisis, and our kids are experiencing the worst of it,” said Democratic Whip Katherine Clark. “Overcoming this epidemic means equipping our schools with trained, trauma-informed professionals who can help students navigate whatever challenges they may encounter, both in and out of the classroom. The Trauma-Informed Schools Act makes that possible — giving the next generation a fair shot by providing the emotional and social support they need to succeed.” “Trauma is difficult for anyone to process, but for children and teens, it can be especially life-changing and impact their ability to succeed
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Leads 29 Colleagues in Push for Robust Rural Housing Funding
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) led 29 of her Senate colleagues in a push for more funding for rural housing programs in the FY2025 Appropriations bill. In their letter, the Senators noted that rural communities saw only a 1.7% increase in the number of housing units between 2010 and 2020, with almost half of states seeing a decrease in the number of rural units. According to the Minnesota Housing Partnership, every county in Minnesota has a shortage of affordable and available rental homes for extremely low-income households. 79% of counties have a shortage that exceeds 100 homes, and 31% have a shortage exceeding 500 homes. “Without a safe, decent, affordable place to call home, nothing in your life works – not your job, your health, your education or your family,” said Senator Smith. “While the housing crisis is hurting communities across the country, the burden has been especially hard on small towns and rural communities. The severe shortage of affordable housing is hurting rural America’s ability to prosper, and it is imperative we direct more funding to address this housing shortage and finally bring our communities some relief. “Against this backdrop, federal rural housing programs have shrunk to the point that only about 3,500 direct loans are available for low-income families to purchase or build their own home, the lowest level since 1957. Funding to preserve rental and farm labor housing is meager by any standard and by no means adequate to provide new housing opportunities or preserve existing housing resources,” wrote the Senators. “In the coming years, the number of maturing Section 515 mortgages will
U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, U.S. Rep. Max Rose Introduce Legislation to Deliver More Effective Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Services during Pandemic
WASHINGTON, D.C. [06/29/20]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and U.S. Representative Max Rose (D-NY 11) introduced companion bills in the Senate and House to make sure public organizations and nonprofits can more effectively and efficiently provide mental health and substance use disorder services during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and future emergencies. Currently, there is a backlog in mental health and substance use disorder assistance due to COVID-19. Additionally, many federal agencies are being forced to tap into resources that aren’t usually used for this purpose. Sen. Smith and Rep. Rose’s Emergency Support for Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health Services
U.S. Senator Tina Smith in Senate Floor Speech Says Congress Must Address the Public Health and Economic Crisis of COVID-19 in Tribal Communities
WASHINGTON, D.C. [07/01/20]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) took to the Senate floor to raise the disproportionate impact COVID-19 is having on Native American communities in the United States, and to call on the Trump Administration and Congress to uphold its trust and treaty responsibilities by addressing the urgent needs of Tribes across the country. In her speech, Sen. Smith called for Congress to provide support to Tribal governments so they can respond to COVID-19 and provide essential services for Tribal members, and also highlighted the need to fully fund the Indian Health Service and housing programs. You can watch video of
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Says Farmers, Businesses, Consumers to be Helped When U.S.-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement Takes Effect Wednesday
WASHINGTON, D.C. [07/01/20]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said that she expects the U.S-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement (USMCA) going into effect today to add much-needed trade certainty for Minnesota farmers, businesses, and consumers who have weathered years of uncertain trade policies and are facing a challenging coronavirus pandemic. Sen. Smith., a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, who helped secure key improvements to the bipartisan agreement, including strengthened protections for workers and improved access to affordable medicines, also pushed to ensure it will open new markets for U.S. dairy exports and will end unfair Canadian milk pricing rules that hurt farmers in
Thune, Smith Introduce Bill to Ease Application Process for the Impact Aid Program During COVID-19 Pandemic
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) today introduced the Impact Aid Coronavirus Relief Act, legislation that would allow school districts participating in the Impact Aid Program to use their student headcount from the 2020-2021 school year, which have already been calculated, on their Impact Aid applications for the 2021-2022 school year. School districts will begin to complete their Impact Aid applications for the 2021-2022 school year this fall, and this bill would ensure that schools do not need to recalculate federally connected students during the uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Impact Aid is a program that reimburses school
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