Latest Releases
Senator Smith Reintroduces Bill to Deploy Broadband to Underserved Rural and Tribal Communities
WASHINGTON [5.16.23] – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith reintroduced legislation—the Community Connect Grant Program Act—to reauthorize a key U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) program. The bill would make improvements to the grant program, making investments available for broadband projects in tribal, low-income, and remote rural areas. “Broadband is the infrastructure of the 21st Century—it isn’t just nice, it’s essential if we’re going to build an economy that works for everyone,” said Sen. Smith. “It is absolutely necessary whether you’re a student working on homework, a business owner selling products, a farmer using modern equipment, or a person who is trying to access health care. This bill is a step forward and will help connect more Minnesotans and people across the nation with affordable, reliable internet service.” “We appreciate Senator Tina Smith’s (D-MN) efforts to update the United States Department of Agriculture’s Community Connect Grant program,” said Shirley Bloomfield, CEO of the Rural Broadband Association. “We are proud to support the Community Grant Program Act of 2023, which would update the program’s requirements and standards to better meet the modern needs of consumers and improve coordination to ensure resources are going to areas most in need. The bill will strengthen a valuable program for rural areas and further the shared goal of getting every American connected.” The USDA Community Connect program through the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) helps fund broadband deployment into rural communities. In addition to authorizing the program and targeting areas that lack access across the nation, Sen. Smith’s bill would increase internet
Senators Smith, Shaheen Reintroduce Legislation to Protect Access to Affordable Housing for Families in Rural Areas
[Washington, DC] – This week, U.S. Tina Smith (D-MN) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) reintroduced legislation to ensure that thousands of low-income tenants in rural areas are able to maintain access to safe and affordable housing. The Strategy and Investment in Rural Housing Preservation Act would protect access to affordable housing for families in rural areas that are often elderly or disabled, who are at risk of losing rental assistance through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Housing Service (RHS). “Without access to housing, nothing else in your life works. Not your job, your health, your education or your family,” said Senator Smith. “As Chair of the Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development, I have worked with stakeholders to expand access to affordable housing, but we also need to make sure that people who already have a place they call home can keep it that way. And that’s what this bill does. Our measure would help families and elderly Minnesotans stay in their homes.” “The pandemic exacerbated housing insecurity in New Hampshire and across the nation, and that was felt especially hard in rural communities,” said Senator Shaheen. “As Americans recover from the economic hardships of COVID-19, addressing the affordable housing crisis is pivotal. Every Granite Stater deserves to be safely housed, and it’s crucial that Congress acts now to lessen the impact of the affordable housing crisis on vulnerable families. The Strategy and Investment in Rural Housing Preservation Act would help address these obstacles by providing resources
Klobuchar, Smith Urge Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to Restore Full Federal Funding for MinnesotaCare
WASHINGTON- U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith strongly urged the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to restore the full amount of federal funding that has been cut from MinnesotaCare over the past year. Minnesota, New York, and HHS have recently reached an agreement about a lawsuit regarding cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments. Under the agreement, HHS will develop a new system for providing federal funding for Basic Health Programs (BHP) like MinnesotaCare. In the letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma, the senators called for full funding for
Klobuchar, Smith Urge Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to Restore Full Federal Funding for MinnesotaCare
WASHINGTON- U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith strongly urged the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to restore the full amount of federal funding that has been cut from MinnesotaCare over the past year. Minnesota, New York, and HHS have recently reached an agreement about a lawsuit regarding cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments. Under the agreement, HHS will develop a new system for providing federal funding for Basic Health Programs (BHP) like MinnesotaCare. In the letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma, the senators called for full funding for
Sens. Tina Smith, Thom Tillis Lead Bipartisan Introduction of Bill to Support Health Care for “Atomic Veterans”
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/11/18]—U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) have introduced a bipartisan measure to support health care benefits for “Atomic Veterans” who were exposed to harmful radiation when they cleaned up nuclear testing sites during the late 1970s. The Mark Takai Atomic Veterans Healthcare Parity Act would allow veterans who participated in the cleanup of Enewetak Atoll on the Marshall Islands to receive the same healthcare and benefits given to other servicemembers who were involved in active nuclear tests. From 1946 to 1958 the U.S. military conducted more than 40 nuclear tests in the Islands, but the
Sen. Tina Smith’s Statement on President’s Prescription Drug Address
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/11/18]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith released the following statement after President Trump delivered an address focused on prescription drug prices. “When I meet with everyone from farmers, to small business owners, to families—they tell me about the high cost of health care, including the high cost of prescription drugs. I’ve heard from a young mother whose cancer medications cost $20,000 a month, and from seniors in Minnesota who are forced to choose between food and medicine. This is just wrong,” said Sen. Smith. “Today, the President said we need to bring down prescription drug prices and address ‘pay-for-delay’—the Big Pharma
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