Latest Releases
Senator Tina Smith, Congressional Delegation Conclude Mission to Iceland to Advance Clean Energy and Diplomatic Initiatives
WASHINGTON – A United States Senate delegation has concluded its mission to Iceland, where Senators met with the nation’s leaders and clean energy experts on a range of topics including expanding renewable energy and strengthening NATO. The bipartisan delegation included U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.). The senators were briefed by U.S. Ambassador to Iceland Carrin F. Patman and U.S. embassy officials, met with host nation President Gudni Thorlacius Jóhannesson, Minister for the Environment, Energy, and Climate Gudlaugur Thór Thórdarson, Foreign Affairs Minister Thórdís Gylfadóttir, and members of the national parliament to discuss their work on climate action and the importance of maintaining and strengthening U.S.-Iceland ties and the NATO Alliance. They also toured geothermal power plants and carbon removal facilities and met with experts, business, and clean energy leaders to discuss Iceland’s work to produce nearly 100 percent of its energy from renewable sources and remove and store carbon from the atmosphere. The delegation also met with American servicemembers rotationally deployed to Keflavík Air Base. “Climate change is no longer a future threat – we’re seeing the impact every day in the form of record-shattering heatwaves, floods, wildfires and more,” said Senator Smith. “We need all hands on deck if we’re serious about addressing this crisis, which is why working with our allies in Iceland and around the world is so important. I was encouraged to hear about the progress they have made leveraging geothermal resources for electricity and heating
With New Farm Bill on the Horizon, U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Rep. Brad Finstad Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Invest in Ag’s Next Generation
WASHINGTON, D.C. [7.18.23] – This week, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, introduced legislation investing in agriculture’s next generation. Despite the need for young people to get into farming, the reality is they face barriers like access to capital, rising farm land prices, difficulty getting operating loans, and a lack of opportunities for hands-on experience. The Agriculture Skills Preparation for Industry Recruitment Efforts (ASPIRE) Act, which was introduced in the House by Representative Brad Finstad (R-MN 1), would address some of these barriers to entry and make it easier for young farmers to join the workforce. “Agriculture is the backbone of Minnesota’s diverse economy,” said Sen. Smith. “With food shortages, supply chain snags and a tight labor market around the world, it’s vital we support and grow our farming sector here at home. This legislation will provide work-based training programs to support a new generation of farmers and ranchers in Minnesota and around the country.” “As a farmer, and as a father raising the fifth generation on our family farm, I know firsthand how important it is to make sure our future ag leaders are adequately equipped with the tools they need to succeed,” said Rep. Finstad. “I’m proud to help introduce the ASPIRE Act with Senator Smith and Congresswoman Pingree, which will help give those starting in the agricultural profession a solid foundation by facilitating relationships between local agricultural businesses and the next generation of industry leaders through work-based training programs.” Between the years of 2020
U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Tammy Baldwin: ‘We’re Not the Same Person’ in Video on Climate Change
WASHINGTON, DC [08/01/19]— Today in a new video, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) called for action to protect the Great Lakes from the adverse effects of climate change while establishing their distinct identities. Smith and Baldwin, both members of the Senate Democratic Special Committee on the Climate Crisis, said that the negative effects of climate change on the Great Lakes, such as the increase in average surface water temperatures, pose a threat to public health, the environment, and the economy. Environmental changes in the Great Lakes region create challenges for nearby communities, wildlife populations, and the industries that sustain over
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Leads Bipartisan Effort to Improve Access to Rural Health Care for New and Expecting Moms
WASHINGTON, D.C. [07/31/19]–Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) introduced a bipartisan bill that would help ensure that new and expecting moms living in rural communities get the care they need. Sen. Smith—a member of the Senate Health Committee—said that this is especially a problem in rural areas across Minnesota and the country. Approximately a third of Minnesota’s rural counties don’t have a hospital where women can give birth, and more than half of rural counties nationwide lack hospitals with labor and birthing services. Sen. Smith also noted that the disparity in access to care and worse health outcomes disproportionally affects women of
Sen. Tina Smith Pushes to Help Schools Overcome Teacher Shortages in Minnesota, Across the Country
WASHINGTON D.C [07/31/19]—Today, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.)—a member of the Senate Education Committee—reintroduced legislation to help schools and districts in Minnesota and across the country hit hard by teacher shortages. Sen. Smith is pushing the legislation because right now there are not enough teachers to meet the demand in all locations and in all fields, resulting in teacher shortages. More than 40 percent of the nation’s small, rural school districts struggle with adequately staffing their schools, and shortages are most acute in certain subject areas. There is a growing need for STEM, foreign language, and special education teachers. Additionally, there is a severe lack of racial diversity—nationwide teachers of color compromise only 18 percent of
TOMORROW: U.S. Senator Tina Smith Joins Patients, Fellow Lawmakers, and Advocates To Demand Bold Action to Bring Down Drug Prices
WASHINGTON, DC [07/25/19]—Tomorrow, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and patients from across the country will gather in front of the U.S. Capitol to demand bold action to lower prescription drug prices. Sen. Smith will be joined by fellow lawmakers, as well as advocates, to highlight the need for Congress to address this pressing issue. The press conference will occur right before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform holds a hearing with patients, titled “The Patient Perspective: The Devastating Impacts of Skyrocketing Drug Prices on American Families.” It also coincides with the Center for Popular Democracy’s patient bus trip to
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