Latest Releases
Senators Smith, Young Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Support Farmers, Conservation
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) re-introduced legislationto support farmers seeking to adopt conservation and innovative climate practices on their farms. The Conservation and Innovative Climate Partnership Act would bridge the divide between the innovative research taking place at land-grant universities and those who farm for a living by helping family farms adopt climate friendly strategies like planting cover crops and using no-till practices. “Strong farm programs that encourage sustainable conservation and climate practices help farmers maintain productive operations for generations to come,” said Senator Smith. “They also help us reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change. This bill will help connect farmers with the information and resources they need to adopt climate smart practices.” “Hoosier farms feed our families and are integral to our supply chains. Every farmer faces unique decisions in their farm management, and pressure from the federal government to cut carbon emissions can place stress on the good work already underway,” said Senator Young. “My Conservation and Innovative Climate Partnership Act gives farmers access to the latest tools and research in order to be successful while keeping American soil productive and healthy.” The Conservation and Innovative Climate Partnership Act would: Enable partnerships between land-grant institutions and local farmers to increase uptake of conservation and innovative climate practices Allow farmers to voluntarily adopt practices that suit their individualized needs Require land-grant institutions to partner with a non-profit, state, or federal entity Allow the partnership to conduct a variety of activities to
Sen. Smith Leads Bipartisan Legislation to Safeguard American Food Exports and Protect Farmers
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), Mike Braun (R-IN), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Chris Coons (D-DE), introduced bipartisan legislation to protect farmers in the event of animal disease outbreaks. The Safe American Food Exports (SAFE) Act would give the USDA clear authority to preemptively negotiate regionalization agreements for known animal disease threats, ultimately preventing unsafe agriculture exports from getting shipped around the globe and keeping trading markets open for American farmers with disease-free livestock. “I hear from Minnesota farmers all the time about the toll avian flu outbreaks have on families and the economy. Animal disease outbreaks can unnecessarily disrupt trade and hurt our exporting ability,” said Sen. Smith. “This bipartisan bill would allow the USDA to proactively negotiate regionalization agreements with our key trading partners. It’s a common-sense step that would help our farmers weather any future animal disease outbreaks.” “Indiana is a top ranked poultry-producing state, being first in the country for ducks, second for layer chickens and table eggs, and third for turkeys,” said Sen. Braun. “During the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak last year, our Hoosier poultry producers relied on trade regionalization agreements to ensure that their safe food products made it to market. Spending most of my life around the farm, I know just how devastating animal disease outbreaks can be. The SAFE Act will help farmers focus on animal health, rather than finding a market for their safe food products, by giving USDA the authority to negotiate proactive trade agreements.” “Poultry farmers across the
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Presses Trump Administration to Ensure Federal Contractor Workers Receive Back Pay Amid Shutdown
WASHINGTON, D.C. [01/10/19]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.)—along with 33 of her fellow Senate Democrats—called on the Trump Administration to direct federal agencies to work with contractors to provide back pay to compensate contractor employees for wages lost during the current shutdown. While Sen. Smith is working on legislation to ensure low-wage federal contractor employees receive back pay, she and her colleagues are also urging the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to use existing authority to partner with federal contracting officers and use provisions to modify terms of contracts so employees receive lost wages. “Contract workers and their families
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on Continued Fight to Secure Back Pay for Federal Contract Workers
WASHINGTON, D.C. [02/13/2019]—Tonight, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) released the following statement highlighting the need to secure back pay for federal contractor employees who went without pay during the recent government shutdown. Sen. Smith expressed disappointment that reports indicate her bipartisan legislation is not included in the budget agreement to avoid another shutdown, but said she will keep fighting for these workers. “During the longest federal government shutdown in history, thousands of Americans who serve as contractors to the federal government lost over one month’s pay, through no fault of their own. These are people who work as security guards and clean office buildings, and work
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Colleagues Introduce Fair Compensation for Low-Wage Contractor Employees Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. [01/16/19]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.), along with her colleagues Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), and Tim Kaine (D-Va.), introduced legislation to secure back pay for the federal contractor employees who continue to go without pay during the current government shutdown. The bill—the Fair Compensation for Low-Wage Contractor Employees Act—aims to help low-wage federal contractor employees—including janitorial, food, and security services workers—who have been furloughed or forced to accept reduced work hours as a result of the government shutdown. You can read a summary of the bill here, and you can
U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, Colleagues Push to End Shutdown Citing Over 4 Million Who Rely on Affordable Housing Programs
WASHINGTON, D.C. [1/18/19]–Yesterday, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.), in a letter to President Trump signed by her and over 170 Members of Congress, emphasized the direct and immediate consequences of the shutdown on housing security for millions of households across the country. Both the short-term operations and long-term viability of affordable housing programs are dependent on Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) rental assistance initiatives. An estimated 2.2 million low-income households are among those at risk of eviction, including housing for thousands of veterans, seniors, and people living with disabilities. The letter was spearheaded by Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) and Rep.
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