Latest Releases
Senators Klobuchar, Smith Announce New Regional Food Business Center to Support Farmers in Minnesota
WASHINGTON [5.10.23] – Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-MN) announced the creation of a new Regional Food Business Center in Minnesota that will help farmers, ranchers, and other food businesses access new markets and navigate federal, state, and local resources. The new center, which will be located in Staples, MN, is made possible by the American Rescue Plan, which Klobuchar and Smith helped pass. “Our farmers are an essential part of the fabric of our state. We need to make sure they have the necessary resources to continue to feed and fuel the world,” said Klobuchar. “The new Regional Food Business Center will provide critical support to help farmers expand their businesses and reach new markets.” “Agriculture is the backbone of Minnesota’s diverse economy and I want to make sure our farmers have every opportunity to sell their products and stay competitive,” said Smith. “This new Regional Food Business Center will provide tailored guidance for farmers while helping them grow their business and access new markets. It will be a great resource made possible by the American Rescue Plan and I encourage Minnesota farmers to take advantage of it.” As part of the American Rescue Plan, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced funding for 12 Regional Food Business Centers, including the North Central location in Staples, MN. The Region Five Development Commission was selected to lead the North Central location, which will serve Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. The Regional Food Business Centers will
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Presses JPMorgan CEO for Answers on Bank’s Ties to Jeffrey Epstein
WASHINGTON [5.10.23] – Today, Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN), wrote a letter to JPMorgan Chase’s CEO, Jamie Dimon, demanding answers following recent reports and court filings describing the bank’s financial involvement with Jeffrey Epstein. In her letter, Smith pressed Dimon for the bank’s policies and procedures around identifying and reporting human trafficking after allegations surfaced that JPMorgan ignored obvious signs of Epstein’s illegal activity and maintained its relationship with him against the advice of its own compliance department. “If true, JPMorgan’s decision to turn a blind eye to such egregious misconduct raises serious questions about its role in facilitating Epstein’s abuse, and its willingness or ability to root out and prevent other, less apparent instances of sex trafficking,” wrote Senator Smith According to an April 12 court filing, Epstein was a client at JPMorgan from 1998 to 2013 and maintained upwards of 50 accounts totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. This not only granted him access to exclusive banking and wealth management services, but apparently earned him the bank’s discretion. The filing alleges that in 2006, two years before Epstein was convicted for soliciting a minor for prostitution, a JPMorgan Rapid Response Team flagged internally that Epstein was making cash withdrawals ranging from $40,000 to $80,000 several times per month. By that year, the bank was reportedly aware that Epstein paid cash to have underage girls and young women trafficked to his home. This apparently became an open secret among senior executives, even devolving into a topic of jest. Still, the
Sen. Tina Smith Exploring Legislation to Prevent Another Sun Country Airlines Fiasco
Today, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) announced she is exploring a legislative fix to prevent another Sun Country Airlines fiasco. Over the weekend, the Eagan-based airline stranded travelers in Mexico and around the country, leaving them to rebook new flights on their own and deal with insufficient refunds. “Sun Country stranded thousands of travelers around the country and in Mexico, leaving them to rebook on their own and front the money—hundreds, even thousands of dollars—for hotels and car rentals and other unforeseen costs. This type of confusion isn’t just bad business. It’s deeply unfair to Minnesota families. I’ve already asked Sun
HOTDISH UPDATE: Sen. Tina Smith Announces Judges of 8th Annual Minnesota Congressional Delegation Hotdish Competition
On Wednesday, April 25, Senator Tina Smith will host the eighth annual Minnesota Congressional Delegation Hotdish Competition. Sen. Smith is taking up the helm of Al Franken’s annual hotdish-off to determine which Minnesota Congressional Delegation member makes the best hotdish—a dish similar to what other states call a casserole, but indisputably better. Today, Sen. Smith is pleased to announce that this year’s judges will be: · Phill Drobnick—Gold-medal winning Coach of U.S Men’s Olympic Curling Team, the Minnesota hometown heroes known as “Team Shuster” · Joe Gill—Farm Director of KASM Radio in Albany, Minnesota · Noobtsaa Philip Vang—University of Minnesota graduate and founder of
Sen. Tina Smith Pushes to End Harmful Canadian Dairy Policies That Hurt Minnesota Dairy Producers
U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) has called on the nation’s top trade official to use the current NAFTA trade negotiations with Canada to end unfair Canadian dairypolicies that hurt Minnesota producers. In a letter to the U.S. Trade Representative, Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, Sen. Smith pressed him to make helping U.S. dairy farmers a top priority in the negotiations. Last year, Ambassador Lighthizer revised his NAFTA negotiating objectives to include putting a stop to Canadian tariffs on U.S. dairy exports and other policies that unfairly tilt the playing field in favor of Canadian producers. In the letter sent yesterday, Sen. Smith
Klobuchar, Smith, Senators Call on Administration to Take Immediate Action to Reduce Price of Naloxone, a Life-Saving Opioid Overdose Reversal Drug
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith joined 15 of their colleagues in calling on the Department of Health and Human Services to take immediate action to reduce the price of naloxone, a life-saving opioid overdose reversal drug. The Senators’ letter follows a recent national advisory issued by the United States Surgeon General urging more Americans to keep on hand and learn how to use naloxone delivery devices. Despite being approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) more than 45 years ago, the price of naloxone has increased dramatically during the opioid epidemic, leaving local fire, police, and
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