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Senator Smith, Colleagues Introduce Senate Resolution in Solidarity with UAW Workers on Strike
WASHINGTON, [10.19.23] – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) joined Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and 31 of their colleagues in the Senate to introduce a resolution in solidarity with 150,000 members of United Auto Workers (UAW) bargaining for a fair contract. Autoworkers voted to go on strike in September– calling for a fair share of the record-breaking profits their labor produces as well as cost-of-living adjustments, an end to two-tier wage system, and restoration of pension benefits. Since then, the strike has expanded to 44 locations across 22 states. It is one of the largest U.S. strikes in the past three decades. “Workers bailed out the Big 3 auto manufacturers during the Great Recession to keep the companies afloat. Now, these companies make billions in profit while workers see stagnant wages,” said Smith. “I stand with the UAW workers in Minnesota and around the country who are striking for a fair contract and call on the automakers to negotiate with them in good faith.” “The fight the UAW is waging has everything to do with the outrageous level of corporate greed and arrogance on the part of senior executives in the automobile industry and their backers on Wall Street,” said Sanders. “At a time when the Big 3 automakers have made $250 billion in profits over the past decade, it is absolutely unacceptable that wages for the average autoworker have gone down by 30 percent in the past 20 years after adjusting for inflation. If these companies could afford
Klobuchar, Smith Secure Federal Funding to Improve Electrical Grid Resilience Against Severe Weather
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that they secured federal funding for Xcel Energy’s extreme weather mitigation project through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) program. This funding will support Xcel Energy projects to boost grid resilience against extreme weather like blizzards, severe cold, and ice storms which threaten electric reliability. “It’s critical that our electric grid is able to withstand extreme weather,” said Klobuchar. “This federal funding will improve the resilience and reliability of our electric grid to keep the lights on for families and businesses all while creating good-paying jobs.” “As climate-fueled extreme weather becomes more common, it’s critical that our power grid is reliable and can withstand threats from severe weather and other harsh conditions,” said Smith. “Modernizing our electric grid is a win for the environment and for Minnesotans who will benefit from more affordable, reliable electricity. I am proud of our work to help deliver these investments and look forward to seeing the benefits of a stronger, more reliable energy grid.” This funding was made possible through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Klobuchar and Smith helped pass in 2021.
U.S. Senators Klobuchar, Smith Join Bipartisan Push to Target Additional Funding for Lewis & Clark Water Project
WASHINGTON, D.C. [01/28/20]— U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) helped push a top Trump Administration official to target some of the millions of dollars in additional funding for the nation’s rural water projects—approved by Congress in December—to the Lewis & Clark Rural Water System, which serves communities across southwestern Minnesota that currently don’t have a reliable source of clean water. Supporting this water system is vital for bolstering job creation and economic development. The senators called on U.S. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt—as part of a bipartisan group of 10 House and Senate lawmakers who represent Minnesota, South Dakota and Iowa, the three states served by the Lewis & Clark project—to ensure an adequate part of
Klobuchar, Smith Announce over $5 Million in Funding for Rural Broadband Deployment in Brainerd
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced over $5 million in funding for rural broadband deployment in the Brainerd area. The funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s ReConnect program will support high-speed broadband infrastructure projects that will improve connectivity for rural Minnesota households. “Our 21st century economy demands 21st century infrastructure, and that will require investments in rural broadband,” Klobuchar said. “This critical funding will help connect more Minnesotans from Brainerd and the surrounding area to high-speed internet. Continued investments in broadband will transform how we do business, provide medical care, educate our children, create
Klobuchar, Smith Announce over $5 Million in Funding for Rural Broadband Deployment in Harmony
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced over $5 million in funding provided to Harmony Telephone Company for rural broadband deployment in the Harmony area. The funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s ReConnect program will support high-speed broadband infrastructure projects that will improve connectivity for rural Minnesota households. “Our 21st century economy demands 21st century infrastructure, and that will require investments in rural broadband,” Klobuchar said. “This critical funding will help connect more Minnesotans from Harmony and the surrounding area to high-speed internet. Continued investments in broadband will transform how we do business, provide medical
Smith, Portman Bipartisan Revitalizing Underdeveloped Rural Areas and Lands (RURAL) Act to be Signed Into Law
Today, U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the Senate passed the final FY 2020 funding bill that includes their bipartisan Revitalizing Underdeveloped Rural Areas and Lands (RURAL) Act to preserve jobs and encourage infrastructure development by expanding tax-exempt cooperative organizations’ access to government grants and assistance, including rural broadband grants and FEMA disaster relief. This legislation provides certainty for co-ops looking to utilize government resources to deliver critical services to their members, such as broader access to high-speed internet or repairs to the electrical grid. The legislation now heads to the president’s desk for signature. “I’m pleased that
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