Latest Releases
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Shelley Moore Capito’s Bipartisan Women’s Lung Cancer Prevention Legislation Unanimously Passes Senate
WASHINGTON – United States Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) announced their bipartisan legislation, the Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act, unanimously passed the Senate. The bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate with the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans’ Affairs to conduct a comprehensive review across departments of ongoing research that could help us better understand and respond to the increasing number of women being diagnosed with lung cancer. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death for women in America. The disease claims more women’s lives each year than breast, ovarian and cervical cancers combined. While lung cancer rates are generally declining, cases among non-smoking women are on the rise, troubling researchers. “Cancer has touched each and every one of our lives in some way. Many of us remember a loved one fighting this horrible disease and doing everything we can to prevent ourselves from developing cancer. But for women, even if we never smoke, we’re increasingly more likely than men to develop lung cancer. It’s a deeply troubling trend that we need to better understand if we hope to combat the disease,” said Senator Smith. “This legislation is a good first step for us to take to better understand what we do and don’t know about why lung cancer rates seem to be moving in the wrong direction, particularly for one half of our population.” “West Virginia has long been deeply impacted by lung cancer, and
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Releases New Report on Solutions to the Home Insurance Crisis
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), the lead Democrat on the Senate Housing Subcommittee, released a new report, Bold Solutions to the Home Insurance Crisis. It examines the nationwide crisis of rising home insurance costs, the role of climate-change-driven extreme weather events, and policy solutions that would tackle this affordability crisis. Across the country, Americans are increasingly facing unaffordable home insurance bills or aren’t able to access coverage at all. Insurers have significantly increased their rates, pushing up home insurance premiums an average of 45% since 2019. Sixteen years ago, home insurance was much more affordable and cost only 5% of the typical monthly mortgage payment. But these costs have now more than doubled to more than 10% of a typical mortgage payment, even as mortgage costs have also surged. Former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell emphasized the risk we face in response to Sen. Smith’s questioning during a Senate Banking Committee hearing, saying that “If you fast-forward 10 or 15 years, there are going to be regions of the country where you can’t get a mortgage” due to insurance companies pulling out of high-risk areas. Minnesotans have been particularly hit hard by rate increases. Last year, Minnesota home insurance rates increased 34%, which was the largest increase of any state, according to reports. These problems, Sen. Smith argues, are driven by the growing strength and severity of disasters due to climate change and an insurance industry motivated more by profits than protecting its customers. To address the problem, Sen. Smith lays out more than two dozen policy options that Washington can consider, ranging from those that lower physical risks for homeowners and communities, to wholesale alternatives to our current, private home insurance system. You can read the full report HERE: · Senator Smith’s opening letter here · An executive summary here “Owning a home has always been part of the American dream. But for too many families today, that dream feels further out of reach than ever before. Without affordable insurance, mortgages may become harder to get, home values
U.S. SENATOR TINA SMITH’S BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION INCLUDED IN LANDMARK HOUSING PACKAGE THAT PASSED THE UNITED STATES SENATE
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), the top Democrat on the Senate Housing Subcommittee, announced that one of her major bipartisan bills aimed at combatting America’s housing crisis was included in a package that passed the Senate in an 89-10 vote. Senator Smith’s bipartisan Rural Housing Service Reform Act was included in the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, the first comprehensive housing supply legislation in 30 years. “Without a safe, affordable place to live, nothing else in your life works. The lack of decent housing in this country is a choice that we’re making, but with this
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Introduces Bill to Strengthen Teacher Workforce
Washington, DC — This week, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) introduced the Addressing Teacher Shortages Act, bicameral legislation to help schools recruit, prepare and retain educators amid the ongoing teacher shortage. The bill is co-led in the House of Representatives by Congresswomen Haley Stevens (D-MI) and Jahana Hayes (D-CT). In Minnesota, 84% of school districts report being affected by teacher shortages, and nearly one in four licensed teachers in Minnesota isn’t working in a classroom. Among those who do, almost one-third of new teachers leave the profession within five years. “Building a stronger education system is one of the smartest investments we
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Jim Banks Introduce New Bipartisan Youth Suicide Prevention Legislation
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Jim Banks (R-IN) introduced the Raising Awareness for Youth Suicide Prevention (RAYS) Act, requiring middle and high schools to include mental health and suicide prevention information on student identification cards and school websites. The hotline and text line has been used nearly 20 million times since it was created in 2022. “We can’t afford to leave holes in the safety net we’ve built to catch people when they’re going through hard times or struggling with their mental health. That’s why we created the 988 hotline in the first place. Now, we need
Senators Mullin, Smith Introduce the PRIME Meat Processing in Indian Country Act
Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), a member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, and U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) introduced the Promoting Regulatory Independence, Mastery, and Expansion for Meat Processing in Indian Country Act, also known as the PRIME Meat Processing in Indian Country Act. This bill will support tribal meat processing operations by establishing self-governance authority for the inspection of tribal meat processing facilities. This authority would keep processing local and available and facilities running smoothly and safely. “Food sovereignty for our Tribal nations and businesses throughout Indian Country is critically important. The limitations of federal resources should
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