Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Colleagues Press for Stop to Surge in Mexican Steel Imports, Seek to Protect American Jobs
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) joined a bipartisan group of colleagues, led by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Tom Cotton (R-AR), in seeking action to stop an unsustainable increase in Mexican steel imports. In a letter to National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, the Senators asked the Biden Administration to set a clear deadline for Mexico to enforce its 2019 agreement with the U.S. regulating steel imports and exports, and urged the Administration to take substantive action to counter the increase in Mexican steel imports if the country refuses to comply. The letter was also signed by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), John Boozman (R-AR), J.D. Vance (R-OH), Ted Budd (R-NC), Rick Scott (R-FL), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Katie Britt (R-AL), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Bob Casey (D-PA). Earlier this year, the Senators voiced their concerns over the surge in Mexican steel imports and urged the Administration to act. Today, the Mexican government still refuses to comply with the 2019 agreement, and it is costing American steel jobs. “We write to you regarding the surge of Mexican steel imports into the U.S. market in violation of the 2019 Joint Agreement on Steel and Aluminum. This breach, and the resulting surge, threatens our manufacturing base and American national security, and demands immediate action from the administration,” wrote the Senators. The Senators continued, “The administration must do more to protect America’s steel industry and prevent the further loss of good-paying American jobs. Failure to conclude an export monitoring agreement due to the unwillingness or inability of the Mexican government is unacceptable. We urge the administration
Klobuchar, Smith, Omar Secure Significant Federal Funding for Minneapolis’s Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Project
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) and Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has awarded $20,004,000 in federal funding for the City of Minneapolis to implement its Vision Zero Action Plan. The Plan addresses the three leading causes of severe and fatal traffic accidents in Minneapolis: speeding, left-turn conflicts, and red-light running. “We have an obligation to ensure our roads are safe for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians,” said Klobuchar. “These infrastructure upgrades will save lives.” “We need to build a transportation system that prioritizes safety. This important investment will help make progress toward eliminating pedestrian injuries in Minneapolis,” said Smith. “Sometimes smaller things like pedestrian refuge islands, high-visibility crosswalks and protected bicycle lanes are the most effective tools to create safer roads. I appreciate the work of local leaders to make Minneapolis safer for everyone.”“Investing in pedestrian and traffic safety measures will help protect the lives of Minnesotans. I’m glad to see federal dollars coming back home to Minneapolis to implement proven improvements that will make streets safer for all users, especially our most vulnerable. We know speeding, red light violations and turn conflicts cause serious accidents, and this funding will directly address those dangers. I applaud Mayor Frey and city leaders for prioritizing residents’ wellbeing through Vision Zero, and I’ll keep working to secure federal infrastructure dollars that help communities across Minnesota thrive,” said Omar. The Vision Zero Action Plan components include pedestrian safety features, including intersection medians, protected bicycle lanes, and systematic
U.S. Senators Smith, Cardin, Van Hollen, Brown, Kaine, & Warner Successfully Fight to Make Protections for Federal Health Benefits During Government Shutdowns Law of the Land
WASHINGTON D.C. [01/14/20]—U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and Mark Warner (D-Va.) fought to secure protections for federal healthcare benefits in the event of a government shutdown, and these measures were signed into law in December as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Similar bipartisan legislation was introduced in the House by the late Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), who fought to include these measures in NDAA before his passing. The legislation ensures that workers who have qualifying life events are able to make the proper adjustments to their health insurance plans and continue dental and
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Colleagues Slam FDA E-Cigarette Policy Riddled with Loopholes for Kid-Appealing Flavors
WASHINGTON, D.C. [01/13/20]–Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.)—a member of the Senate Health Committee—and 29 of her Senate colleagues sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner criticizing the FDA’s decision to break the Administration’s promise to clear all non-tobacco flavored e-cigarette products from the market. On January 2, the FDA announced a weak policy that includes huge exceptions regarding menthol-flavored products and any flavored e-liquids that are not in a cartridge. This comes at a time when the youth vaping epidemic has reached an all-time high. “We are deeply disappointed with the Trump Administration’s stark reversal from its September 11, 2019 commitment to
U.S. Senators Smith & Collins Call for Quick Implementation of Bipartisan Tick Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. [01/13/20]—U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) called on the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to urge quick implementation of the Kay Hagan Tick Act that Sens. Smith and Collins authored. Their bipartisan bill—signed into law in December—will improve research, prevention, diagnostics and treatment for tick-borne diseases. “The new law is named after the late Senator Kay Hagan, who tragically died from Powassan virus, a tick-borne disease this past October. The law provides a unified approach with leadership at the federal level and resources at the local level to combat the escalating burden of tick
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Leads Senate Colleagues in Calling on Trump Administration to Extend Humanitarian Protections for Somali Nationals
WASHINGTON, D.C. [01/10/20]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) led a number of her Democratic Senate colleagues—including fellow Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar—in calling on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to extend humanitarian protections granted to hundreds of Somali nationals who have taken refuge in our nation, including many in Minnesota, before the deadline to decide whether to extend protections on January 17 of this year. Somalia was first designated for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) nearly 30 years ago because of ongoing civil war, human rights abuses and violence in the country. These conditions continue to persist, which is why Sen. Smith is again leading her colleagues in pressing to extend TPS protections
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