Latest Releases
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith Join Bipartisan Group of 29 Senators in Denouncing Amazon’s Persistent Mistreatment of Delivery Drivers
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith joined 27 of their Senate colleagues in a bipartisan letter to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy requesting information about the company’s Delivery Service Partner (DSP) program and its efforts to avoid legal liability for the persistent mistreatment of DSP drivers. The senators are also seeking information regarding Amazon’s justification for refusing to bargain with union representatives of DSP employees and requiring DSPs to sign non-poaching agreements. “Amazon’s freight truck drivers haul a variety of goods across highways every day, and their branded delivery vehicles are a virtually unavoidable feature in neighborhoods all over the country. Though nearly all Americans are familiar with and reliant on the services of Amazon- branded vehicles – which are operated by drivers in Amazon-branded vests who exclusively deliver packages with big, bold Amazon labels – few realize that Amazon refuses to acknowledge the workers who operate these vehicles as its legal employees,” the senators wrote. The senators detailed the dangerous working conditions of DSP drivers, pointing to reporting that suggests this system takes an awful toll on drivers, who have been forced to work in extreme heat without air conditioning, make deliveries in the snow without proper safety equipment like snow tires or chains, and are pressured to skip breaks. Some drivers have been forced to work for nearly twelve hours without access to a restroom. “Amazon is also facing numerous allegations of flagrant violations of the National Labor Relations Act, including refusal to recognize and bargain
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Amy Klobuchar Request an Inspector General Audit of Minnesota-North Dakota Postal Service
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar (both D – MN) have formally requested that the Inspector General of the United States Postal Service conduct a full audit of the Minnesota-North Dakota District following persistent reports across Minnesota of delayed and unreliable mail service. “We believe it is time for the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to investigate the dysfunction of the MN-ND District,” wrote the Senators. “Minnesotans rely on the Postal Service as an essential public service. Deliveries of medicine, Social Security checks and paychecks, and correspondence with loved ones are critical, especially in rural communities. But too often, the Postal Service is falling short in meeting the reasonable expectations of Minnesotans.” “Even more concerning is that attempts to elevate the concerns of Minnesotans to the USPS have either been dismissed or met with assurances that everything is fine—that the reports of our constituents are incorrect,” wrote the Senators. “This lack of transparency deepens our concern that the serious issues in the MN-ND district are not receiving adequate attention.” The Office of the Inspector General is an independent agency within the USPS that conducts essential oversight over Postal Service operations. Audits conducted by the Inspector General provide an informed, unbiased view of postal operations with a focus on preventing misuse of funds, promoting efficiency and integrity, and sharing information with the USPS Board of Governors, Congress, and USPS management. In their request for a full audit, the senators seek answers to the following issues: Smith and Klobuchar have long worked to improve the reliability of postal service in Minnesota. The
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, 37 Colleagues Lead Push to Renew Lapsed Funding for Minority-Serving Colleges
WASHINGTON, D.C. [11/06/19]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and 37 of her Senate colleagues are leading a push to pass funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal colleges, and other minority-serving institutions. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Sen. Smith, along with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and their colleagues, called for the immediate passage of the FUTURE Act, which would reauthorize $255 million in mandatory federal funding for these institutions, and expired on September 30, 2019. The House of Representatives approved the legislation unanimously in September. “Minnesota’s Tribal Colleges are important institutions and serve as key resources for Native American students, and minority-serving institutions of higher education serve nearly 6 million students nationwide,” said Sen.
Klobuchar, Smith Announce over $26 Million for Rural Electric Infrastructure Investments in Minnesota
WASHINGTON– U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded loan funding totaling over $26 million for rural electric infrastructure improvements across Minnesota. “These investments will help our rural electric providers better serve Minnesotans by adding connections, energizing additional miles of transmission lines, and providing for more reliable electric infrastructure across the state,” Klobuchar said.“Projects like these not only boost the economy, but also help to modernize our electric grid and support essential services throughout our state.” “We need to strengthen rural Minnesota’s electric infrastructure because it’s vital to building a
U.S. Senators Klobuchar & Smith Push Consumer Watchdog to Investigate Mismanagement of Student Loan Program
WASHINGTON, D.C. [11/04/2019]—Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) are calling on the federal government’s consumer watchdog to investigate whether a key student loan service company mismanaged a student loan forgiveness program designed to help people who take on careers in public service. The Senators were joined by 21 of their Democratic colleagues in a letter urging Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Director Kathy Kraninger to investigate student loan servicer Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) for mismanagement of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF). Congress established PSLF over a decade ago to encourage people to work
U.S. Sens. Smith & Collins’ Bipartisan Kay Hagan Tick Act Moves Forward in Senate
WASHINGTON, D.C. [10/31/19]—Today, the Senate Health Committee voted to move forward bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) that aims to improve research, prevention, diagnostics and treatment for tick-borne diseases. Their bill now heads to the floor for full consideration by the Senate. The Kay Hagan Tick Act unites the effort to confront the alarming public health threat posed by Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, which have risen exponentially from approximately 30,000 cases in 2003 to an estimated 450,000 last year. The bill was renamed in honor of former Senator Kay Hagan, who recently passed away
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