Latest Releases
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith Announce Funding for Revitalizing Olson Memorial Highway
[Washington, DC] – Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith announced federal funding to restore and revitalize the 6thAvenue North corridor, an area in North Minneapolis that was devastated by the construction of Olson Memorial Highway in the 1940s. The project will include converting the roadway to reconnect the area’s residents and promote new housing and commercial development and modeling the project’s impacts on environmental justice and racial equity. The funding was awarded to Open Streets Minneapolis thanks to President Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure law, which both Senators supported. “The 6th Avenue North corridor in Minneapolis is in need of upgrades to better protect drivers and pedestrians and reconnect residents,” said Klobuchar. “With this funding, Our Streets Minneapolis can begin the revitalization project and lay the groundwork needed to advance these improvements.” “North 6th Avenue was once home to one of Minneapolis’ most diverse immigrant communities,” said Smith. “When Olson Memorial Highway was built, the neighborhood’s deep cultural connections were torn apart in the process. This project is the first step to restoring what redlining and systemic racism stole from the community.” North 6th Avenue was home to a bustling working-class neighborhood and was one of Minneapolis’ most diverse and welcoming areas for immigrants known for its affordable housing. The community began to suffer following federal redlining, which labeled Near North as a poor investment and led to segregation. The construction of Olson Memorial Highway accelerated the neighborhood’s decline. The $1.6 million in funding comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities Pilot program, the
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Laphonza Butler Introduce Legislation to Combat LGBTQ+ Mental Health Crisis
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D – Minn.) and Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.) — the first Black and openly LGBTQ+ senator to serve in the Senate — led five Senate colleagues in introducing the Pride in Mental Health Act which would strengthen mental health and crisis intervention resources for at-risk LGBTQ+ youth. “Mental health care is health care. And for some LGBTQ+ youth, receiving access to the mental health care they need can mean the difference between living in safety and dignity, and suffering alone through discrimination, bullying, and even violence,” said Senator Smith. “The data shows what many parents and educators see every day—an epidemic of students in classrooms dealing with anxiety, depression and other serious mental health conditions, with nowhere to turn. Meeting LGBTQ+ students where they already are—in school—helps us break down the stigma they might face and get kids the health care they need.” “Accessing mental health care and support has become increasingly difficult in nearly every state in the country,” said Senator Butler. “Barriers get even more difficult if you are a young person who lacks a supportive community or is fearful of being outed, harassed, or threatened. I am introducing the Pride in Mental Health Act to help equip LGBTQ+ youth with the resources to get the affirming and often life-saving care they need.” LGBTQ+ youth experience disproportionate rates of mental health challenges. A 2023 study found that 54 percent of LGBTQ+ youth reported symptoms of depression, while only 35 percent of heterosexual youth reported similar feelings. LGBTQ+ high school students
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
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Says She’ll Support Bipartisan Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada In Upcoming Senate Vote
WASHINGTON, D.C. [01/08/20]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.)—a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee—announced that she’ll support the bipartisan United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) when it comes up for a vote in the Senate. Sen. Smith’s announcement comes after she helped secure key improvements to the agreement that strengthen protections for workers and improve access to affordable medicines. The USMCA also includes measures Sen. Smith has been fighting hard for to open new markets for U.S. dairy exports and end unfair Canadian milk pricing rules that hurt U.S. farmers. “I’ve long said that I want to vote for a trade agreement that lifts up workers, businesses, agriculture and consumers—and
Klobuchar, Smith Announce Nearly $600,000 in Federal Investments to Help Minnesota Families Reach Self-Sufficiency
WASHINGTON D.C. [1/6/2020]–U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) announced that 12 public housing authorities and cities across Minnesota will receive a total investment of $593,683 from the U.S. Department of Housing (HUD) Family Self-Sufficiency Program (FSS). The FSS Program is an asset building program for low-income families across the country. This investment will help HUD-assisted families reach self-sufficiency by providing them with stable affordable housing, individualized financial coaching and a rent incentive in the form of an escrowed savings account that grows as families’ earnings increase. “Minnesotans enrolled in the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program receive vital support that helps them build
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