Latest Releases
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, John Hoeven Introduce Legislation to Improve Key Native American Food Program
WASHINGTON, D.C. [7.26.23] – This week, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) and John Hoeven (R-ND) introduced bipartisan legislation to make the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) work better for Tribal communities. FDPIR provides food assistance for income-eligible Native households. In 2018, the Farm Bill reauthorization created a pilot program to allow self-governance contracting for procurement within FDPIR. The bipartisan FDPIR Tribal Food Sovereignty Act expands and makes that pilot program permanent. If enacted, the bill would allow Tribal governments to administer FDPIR for their community. “Every Native American community should have access to nutritious and culturally specific food,” said Smith. “This bipartisan bill will strengthen local food economies, empower Tribal governments, and provide healthy food to those who need it. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get this passed as part of the Farm Bill.” “This legislation is part of our broader efforts to promote Tribal self-governance and builds upon the pilot program I worked to include in the 2018 farm bill,” said Hoeven. “Our bill will not only give Tribes greater control over this important nutrition program, helping ensure that assistance gets to those who need it most, but will allow food to be sourced from more local producers, supporting the local economy.” Federal food programs are vital in many Native communities, with approximately 25 percent of Native Americans receiving some type of federal food assistance. In some Tribal communities, participation is as high as 80 percent. Self-governance
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Reintroduces Bill to Help Schools Overcome Teacher Shortages in Minnesota, Across the Country
WASHINGTON, D.C. [7.21.23] – This week, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.)—a member of the Senate Education Committee—reintroduced legislation to help schools and districts in Minnesota and across the country facing teacher shortages. Ahead of the 2022- 2023 academic year, 78 percent of schools nationwide found it difficult to find qualified teachers for special education and science, according to surveys of school leaders. There is an urgent need for STEM, career and technical education, and special education teachers. Additionally, there is a severe lack of racial diversity—nationwide teachers of color comprise only 18 percent of the teacher workforce. “I hear from Minnesota school superintendents every summer about the many vacancies they’re struggling to fill, an issue that has only gotten harder in the past few years and is even more challenging in small, rural school districts,” said Sen. Smith. “And it’s especially difficult to hire teachers in key subjects like STEM, technical education and special education. Ultimately, these shortages hurt our kids and diminish their opportunities. My bill will help schools overcome these challenges and help ensure students get the best education possible.” Sen. Smith’s bill—the Addressing Teacher Shortages Act—would provide grants to school districts to help them attract and retain the quality teachers they need. The bill would also fund U.S. Department of Education efforts to help smaller and under-resourced districts apply for grants. Funding under the grant program could be used to establish or expand: The grant funding would be distributed competitively with at least 25 percent going to
Sen. Tina Smith Leads 23 Senators in Calling to Protect Minor Children Left Alone When Parents are Arrested or Detained By U.S. Immigration Officials
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/23/18]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith introduced legislation—also supported by Minnesota colleague Sen. Amy Klobuchar—that would protect the safety and well-being of minor children who have been left alone and vulnerable after their parents have been arrested or detained by U.S. immigration authorities. Sen. Smith believes the Humane Enforcement and Legal Protections (HELP) for Separated Children Act is necessary because in the past children have been abandoned at home or at school after their parents’ detention, often without information about their parents’ location and without adequate arrangements for their care. She understands that with the Trump administration reportedly seeking to step up
Sen. Tina Smith Continues Fighting for Ag with Support for Bill to Safely Transport Livestock
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/25/18]—U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) is supporting bipartisan legislation—the Transporting Livestock Across America Safely Act—to give drivers more flexibility during their trips and better protect the safety of livestock, especially in the hot summer months and cold Minnesota winters. Currently, the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires haulers to turn on an electronic logging device in their trucks when they reach a certain point from where they originally picked up their livestock. From that point on, haulers must track their on-duty time before taking a mandatory extended rest period. This extended rest period puts
Sen. Tina Smith Leads Bipartisan Call to Extend Enrollment Period for Margin Protection Program to Help Dairy Farmers in Minnesota, Across the Country
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/31/18]—Today, U.S Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) led a bipartisan effort—joined by Sen. Amy Klobuchar—to help more dairy farmers in Minnesota and across the country by calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to extend the June 1 deadline to enroll in the improved Margin Protection Program (MPP), which helps dairy producers weather difficult years and prevent further losses on their farms and in the rural communities they support. The MPP was created in the last Farm Bill in order to give farmers more stability as milk or feed prices change, but improvements were needed as milk prices
Sen. Tina Smith Tells Senate Agriculture Committee Leaders that Farm Bill Energy Programs Are Key to Reviving Lagging Farm Economy
WASHINGTON, D.C [06/04/18]—As the Senate prepares to begin work on the 2018 Farm Bill, U.S Senator Tina Smith, today told the leaders of the Senate Agriculture Committee that expanded use of renewable fuels and increased investment in rural energy programs will be key to creating jobs and reviving the nation’s lagging farm economy. In a letter Monday to Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS), and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Sen. Smith, led a bipartisan group of a committee members in calling for improvements and strong funding in the program’s that make up the Energy section of the Farm Bill when
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