Latest Releases
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
Senator Smith, Colleagues Call on Fed to Strengthen Rules for Banks with Assets Over $100 Billion
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Angus King (I-Maine), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) wrote the Vice Chair for Supervision of the Federal Reserve (Fed) Michael Barr, calling on him to exercise the Fed’s authority to apply stronger regulation and supervision to banks with assets totaling $100 to $250 billion. “The fall of both SVB and Signature, the near-crash of First Republic, and the struggles of other regional banks shed new light on the systemic importance of banks with assets totaling between $100 and $250 billion,” wrote the senators. “In response to SVB’s and Signature Bank’s failures, the Department of Treasury, after consultation with the Fed and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), approved ‘systemic risk exceptions’ allowing the FDIC to fully compensate the banks’ depositors, including those holding deposits above the $250,000 FDIC insurance threshold. In making this determination, regulators acknowledged the systemic significance of banks of this size, and that their failure could have significant spillover effects on the broader banking system.” The 2018 Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (EGRRCPA), which unwound Enhanced Prudential Standards for mid-sized banks, provided the Fed with the discretion to maintain stronger rules – including stronger requirements for capital, liquidity, stress testing, and resolution plans – to banks with assets between $100 and $250 billion. The Fed has largely failed to
U.S. Senators Klobuchar, Smith Seek Information on How Shutdown is Hurting Ability to Protect Americans From Robocallers and Scammers
WASHINGTON, D.C. [01/24/19]—U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to provide more information on how the shutdown is impeding the agency’s ability to protect consumers in Minnesota and across the country from robocallers and scammers. This month, reports indicated that the government shutdown could cause illegal and scamming robocalls to rise dramatically because the FTC is unable to administer key consumer protection programs or take enforcement action against bad actors. On Wednesday, Sens. Klobuchar and Smith joined an effort led by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) to call for FTC guidance on how to assist constituents hurt by robocalls and scams during
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Helps Introduce Legislation to Protect Tribal Programs In Minnesota, Across Nation From Future Funding Uncertainty
WASHINGTON, D.C. [01/25/19]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) helped introduce legislation to protect federal and tribal programs from budget uncertainty caused by government shutdowns and short-term funding packages. Sen. Smith has heard concerns from tribal leaders in Minnesota as the current shutdown continues and a lack of federal funds puts critical programs at risk. The bill—called the Indian Programs Advance Appropriations Act (IPAAA) led by Senate Indian Affairs Committee Vice Chairman Tom Udall (D-N.M)—would authorize advance resources for programs and services within the Indian Health Service (IHS) and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Currently, critical federal programs at the Department of Education, Department of Housing and Urban Development,
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on Deal to Reopen Government
WASHINGTON, D.C. [01/25/19]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) released the following statement following the announcement that an agreement was reached to end the current shutdown and reopen the federal government: “From the beginning, the government shutdown was a waste focused on a political symbol instead of real solutions. Finally, President Trump is realizing the increasingly harmful toll the shutdown is taking on our country. I’m glad a deal has been reached to reopen the government and focus on meaningful negotiations, but we still need to make sure federal contract employees get back pay—which is an issue I introduced a bill
Sen. Tina Smith Continues to Lead Push to Secure Back Pay For Federal Contract Workers Financially Devastated by Shutdown
WASHINGTON, D.C. [01/29/19]—Today, U.S. Senator Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.), continued to lead the push to secure back pay for the thousands of federal contract workers who went many weeks without a paycheck during the 35-day federal shutdown. Unlike federal government employees who returned to work this week, the thousands of federal contract employees—many of whom serve in modestly-paid jobs—have no assurances that they will receive back pay to make up for the wages they missed during the shutdown. On Tuesday, Sen. Smith was joined at a Capitol Hill press conference by Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), and a coalition of several other Congressional Democrats to discuss
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