Latest Releases
Senators Smith, Grassley Introduce Bipartisan Bills to Help Students Navigate College Costs
WASHINGTON [2.27.23] – Today, Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) reintroduced three bipartisan bills to help students and families make informed decisions about borrowing for college. The bills ensure that students get the full picture when choosing a college and taking out loans. From the initial college search, to the acceptance of financial aid, to counseling once in college, the bills would help college students avoid sticker shock, find the best college for their budget and avoid taking out ill-advised and oversized loans. In December 2022, the Government Accountability Office issued an alarming report, finding that colleges are misleading students, understating costs and leaving out critical details regarding federal student aid. “We need to equip students and their families with better information about the costs of college from the initial college search to when they receive financial aid offers. My bipartisan bills with Sens. Grassley and Ernst would help fix these problems,” said Smith. “That includes improved net price calculators so students and families have estimates of college costs after taking into account scholarships and grants. We’ve got a plan to create a universal financial aid offer so students can easily compare financial aid packages between schools, which is important because time and again students are met with inconsistent and incomplete information. And we’ve introduced a bill to improve loan counseling. These reforms will help students make one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives—how to pay for college.” “I often hear from Iowa families who are frustrated
U.S. Senators Smith, Murkowski, Hassan Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Mental Health Care Workforce
WASHINGTON [2.23.23] – Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) reintroduced their bipartisan legislation to strengthen the mental health workforce in the face of shortages. The Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act would repay up to $250,000 in eligible student loan repayment for mental health professionals who work in mental health professional shortage areas. Sen. Smith has shared her own mental health journey from the Senate floor—and again in an op-ed last week in the wake of news that Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) was seeking treatment for depression —in hopes of breaking the stigma around mental health and working to expand access so Americans get the help they need. “I’ve shared my own story with depression because I want anyone suffering from a mental health issue to know they are not alone. We can all help break the stigma around talking about this, but de-stigmatizing and de-mystifying mental illness is just the beginning. We have to make sure mental health resources are available to everyone,” said Sen. Smith, a member of the Senate Health Committee. “We need to pass our bipartisan bill to help close the holes in the net we build to catch people when they fall and need help.” “Alaska continues to be disproportionally impacted by mental health and substance use disorders; and across the nation, mental and behavioral health workforce shortages are critically affecting access to care. This is especially true in rural communities,” said Sen. Murkowski. “Building on
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Senate Democrats Continue Push for Affordable Child Care For Families in Minnesota, Across the Country
Senator Helps Introduce Legislation to Help Families in Minnesota, Across Nation Afford Comprehensive, High-Quality Child Care WASHINGTON, D.C. [02/27/19]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.)—who last year launched “Child Care Access and Affordability” listening sessions across Minnesota—is continuing her work to ensure families in Minnesota and across the country are able to access high-quality childcare by supporting a comprehensive bill to address the skyrocketing cost of child care. The bill, called the Child Care for Working Families Act, would address child care costs in a number of ways. It would ensure that families do not have to pay a large percentage of their income onchild care and would provide universal
U.S. Sens. Smith, Merkley Introduce Bill to Protect Consumers From Predatory Rent-to-Own Housing Contracts
Senators’ Legislation Would Establish Standards for Predatory Rent-to-Own Contracts, Which Have Traditionally Targeted Underserved Communities and Lower-Income Americans WASHINGTON, D.C. [02/27/19]—U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) have introduced the Residential Rent-to-Own Protection Act to protect consumers in Minnesota and across the country from predatory rent-to-own housing contracts. Their measure would allow rent-to-own residents—many of whom are often people of color or low-income Americans—to seek damages from landlords who violate contracts and put protections in place to ensure these residences are safe. “Rent-to-own contracts can create valuable pathways to homeownership and security, but they don’t always protect consumers. We want
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Honors Grand Portage Chairman Norman Deschampe with Senate Tribute
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Honors Grand Portage Chairman Norman Deschampe with Senate Tribute WASHINGTON, D.C. [02/27/19]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) honored the legacy and contributions of Grand Portage Chairman Norman W. Deschampe, who recently passed away. Praising his leadership, Sen. Smith cited the numerous issues Deschampe championed in his more than 40 years of service to the Grand Portage Band, serving 27 of those years as Chairman. Sen. Smith’s tribute follows Governor Tim Walz’s declaration of February 26, 2019 as Norman Deschampe Day. “Norman Deschampe’s legacy includes a longstanding commitment to supporting the health, education, and economic development of the Grand Portage Band,” wrote Sen. Smith, a
U.S. Sens. Smith, Durbin, Cramer, Cassidy’s Call to FDA: Price of Insulin is “Unacceptable” and Action is Needed to Bring Generics to Market
Senators Urge FDA to Revise Recent Policy Changes That Would Prevent Lower-Cost Insulin Products From Coming to Market WASHINGTON, D.C. [03/04/2019]—U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), recently urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reverse course on changes the agency has proposed that would make it harder for lower-cost, generic insulin products to come to market. Today, Eli Lilly—one of only three insulin manufacturers in the United States—announced that the company will sell a half-price version of its most popular insulin. While Sen. Smith is glad Eli Lilly is
English