Latest Releases
Senator Smith, Colleagues Introduce Senate Resolution in Solidarity with UAW Workers on Strike
WASHINGTON, [10.19.23] – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) joined Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and 31 of their colleagues in the Senate to introduce a resolution in solidarity with 150,000 members of United Auto Workers (UAW) bargaining for a fair contract. Autoworkers voted to go on strike in September– calling for a fair share of the record-breaking profits their labor produces as well as cost-of-living adjustments, an end to two-tier wage system, and restoration of pension benefits. Since then, the strike has expanded to 44 locations across 22 states. It is one of the largest U.S. strikes in the past three decades. “Workers bailed out the Big 3 auto manufacturers during the Great Recession to keep the companies afloat. Now, these companies make billions in profit while workers see stagnant wages,” said Smith. “I stand with the UAW workers in Minnesota and around the country who are striking for a fair contract and call on the automakers to negotiate with them in good faith.” “The fight the UAW is waging has everything to do with the outrageous level of corporate greed and arrogance on the part of senior executives in the automobile industry and their backers on Wall Street,” said Sanders. “At a time when the Big 3 automakers have made $250 billion in profits over the past decade, it is absolutely unacceptable that wages for the average autoworker have gone down by 30 percent in the past 20 years after adjusting for inflation. If these companies could afford
Klobuchar, Smith Secure Federal Funding to Improve Electrical Grid Resilience Against Severe Weather
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that they secured federal funding for Xcel Energy’s extreme weather mitigation project through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) program. This funding will support Xcel Energy projects to boost grid resilience against extreme weather like blizzards, severe cold, and ice storms which threaten electric reliability. “It’s critical that our electric grid is able to withstand extreme weather,” said Klobuchar. “This federal funding will improve the resilience and reliability of our electric grid to keep the lights on for families and businesses all while creating good-paying jobs.” “As climate-fueled extreme weather becomes more common, it’s critical that our power grid is reliable and can withstand threats from severe weather and other harsh conditions,” said Smith. “Modernizing our electric grid is a win for the environment and for Minnesotans who will benefit from more affordable, reliable electricity. I am proud of our work to help deliver these investments and look forward to seeing the benefits of a stronger, more reliable energy grid.” This funding was made possible through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Klobuchar and Smith helped pass in 2021.
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
Sen. Tina Smith Working on Legislation to Protect Children during Immigration Enforcement
U.S. Senator Tina Smith is preparing to introduce legislation to protect children whose families are caught up in immigration enforcement actions. According to an alarming New York Times report, more than 700 immigrant children have been separated from their parents at the border since October. Sen. Smith’s bill—which is expected to take steps similar to the HELP Separated Children Act—will help children and families address the challenges they face when they are separated during interior immigration enforcement actions, as well as during deportation proceedings. She is planning to introduce the legislation in the coming weeks.
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