Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Takes Action to Address the Childcare Funding Cliff
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to a fast approaching deadline for childcare funding, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) joined 33 fellow Senators and 78 colleagues in the House of Representatives led by Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in introducing the Child Care Stabilization Act this month. The crucial legislation aims to extend vital federal childcare stabilization funding – which is set to expire September 30th – and ensure that childcare providers can keep their doors open and continue serving children and families in every part of the country. Senator Smith also spoke about the urgent need to for greater childcare investments at a Senate hearing this week. Watch her full remarks and questions here. “Last month, I was visiting childcare providers in rural and small town Minnesota, and they shared with me the enormous impact the shortage of affordable childcare is having on families and local businesses. Everything that I have learned from talking to families and providers and local businesses in Minnesota is that this market for childcare is broken,” said Senator Smith. “When the pandemic hit, we acted to provide the childcare sector with relief funds, which was designed to save and stabilize the sector, increase compensation for workers, and make childcare more affordable and accessible for parents, all of which it did very successfully. But now we face the expiration of these Child Care Stabilization Grants. We must now extend this critical grant program, which is essential to keep families, providers and our economy
Senators Smith, Daines Renew Push to Permanently Expand Telehealth Services
Washington – U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Steve Daines (R-MT) reintroduced their bipartisan Expanded Telehealth Access Act to make pandemic-driven expanded access to certain telehealth services under Medicare permanent. “The pandemic showed us that telehealth services are a lifeline for patients across Minnesota who may otherwise not be able to access the health care they need,” said Smith. “This legislation will ensure that patients who access physical and occupational therapists, audiologists, and speech language pathologists via telehealth can continue to get those services reimbursed permanently.” “In rural states like Montana, folks often have to drive long distances just to receive care,” said Daines. “Expanded telehealth services help relieve this burden and give folks increased access to quality, affordable care. Now is not the time to cut back on these critical services, and I’ll keep working to ensure Montanans are able to see the providers they need.” To help reduce risks associated with visiting medical providers during the pandemic, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) expanded the types of health care providers who receive reimbursement for telehealth services. The Expanded Telehealth Access Act makes permanent the reimbursement eligibility for physical therapists, audiologists, occupational therapists, and speech language pathologists and permits the Secretary of Health and Human services to expand this list.
Strong standards projected to save consumers more than $1 trillion and nearly 2.5 million barrels of oil a day by 2030, reduce global warming pollution by six billion metric tons
Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) today introduced the Greener Air Standards Mean Our National Security, Environment, and Youth (GAS MONEY) Saved Act, legislation that would block Trump administration efforts to roll back the historic 54.5 fuel economy emissions standards. The legislation reaffirms the Final Determination made by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in January 2017 that stated that the 2012 fuel economy emissions standards are appropriate. The GAS MONEY Saved Act also would block EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt from issuing rules to weaken the emissions standards
Sen. Tina Smith Supports Bipartisan Bill to Protect Robert Mueller from Being Fired for Political Reasons
Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith said she supports a new legislative effort to insulate special counsel Robert Mueller—who’s in charge of the Trump-Russia investigation—from being fired by President Trump. By establishing an expedited judicial review process to scrutinize and even overturn the firing of a special counsel if such a dismissal happens without good cause, the Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act would help ensure that the investigation into the Trump team’s ties to Russia remains free from political attacks. “Russia is a hostile foreign government that interfered in the 2016 presidential election with the goal of undermining our democracy. No
Sen. Tina Smith Introduces Bill to Deploy Broadband to Unserved Rural and Tribal Communities
Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith introduced legislation—the Community Connect Grant Program Act—to establish the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) program under law and make improvements to the grant program that makes funding available for broadband projects in tribal, low-income, and remote rural areas. 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 speed service under the program because she hears time and time again that this is a real concern for
Sen. Tina Smith Takes Stand for Minnesota Travelers Abandoned in Mexico by Sun Country Airlines
Today, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith took a stand for the Minnesota travelers who were effectively abandoned by Eagan-based Sun Country Airlines after the company cancelled return flights to the Twin Cities during the weekend snowstorm but failed to rebook or adequately refund the passengers. In a letter to the Department of Transportation sent today, she called on federal transportation officials to look into Sun Country’s failures and to explain what is being done to ensure that airline cancellation policies protect travelers. She also criticized Sun Country for how it mishandled the rebooking and refunding of passengers who have been forced
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