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U.S. Senators Tina Smith, John Hoeven, Amy Klobuchar and Kevin Cramer Send Bipartisan Letter Urging Postmaster General to Address Chronic Postal Delays Across Minnesota, North Dakota

WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), John Hoeven (R-ND), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) urged the Postmaster General to take action to improve postal services in the Minnesota-North Dakota Postal District. As the holiday season continues and the volume of mail increases, it’s especially important to ensure there aren’t delivery delays across the two states.  “As our constituents prepare for the busy holiday season, we urge you to take actions to ensure that any performance issues are resolved in a timely manner so that Minnesotans and North Dakotans do not experience significant service disruptions this winter,” wrote the Senators.   “For Minnesotans and North Dakotans, the Postal Service is an essential lifeline, delivering prescriptions, pay checks, and messages from loved ones.  During the holiday season, it is even more essential.  Any service disruptions within the MN-ND District create real consequences for the people who rely on your services, and as Postmaster General, we look to you to provide timely action to address these critical issues,” they concluded.   You can read full text of the letter here or below.   Dear Postmaster General Steiner,  We write to highlight the importance of timely and reliable mail delivery within the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) Minnesota-North Dakota District, especially during this peak holiday season.  As our constituents prepare for the busy holiday season, we urge you to take actions to ensure that any performance issues are resolved in a timely manner so that Minnesotans and North Dakotans do not experience significant service disruptions this winter. 

U.S. Senator Tina Smith Calls on Trump Administration to End “Operation Metro Surge” in Twin Cities

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) released the following statement: “I believe in protecting public safety and upholding the rule of law. ‘Operation Metro Surge’ is actively undermining both. There has been none of the necessary cooperation and trust between federal officials and local government, and zero transparency from the Trump Administration into ICE’s operations in the Twin Cities. Minnesotans are seeing their friends and neighbors, including U.S. citizens with no criminal records, abducted by masked agents, shoved to the ground, and sprayed with mace. The fear and violence that President Trump has unleashed on our home is destroying any sense of public safety. The Administration needs to put an immediate end to ‘Operation Metro Surge’.” ###

Amid Government Shutdown, Sen. Smith, Rep. Pressley Introduce Bill to Provide Back Pay for Federal Contract Workers, Including Low-Wage Food Service and Custodial Staff

WASHINGTON, DC – Following the federal government shutdown, Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) introduced legislation to secure back pay for the thousands of federal contract workers who face furloughs and missed paychecks when the federal government is shutdown. Unlike federal employees, the thousands of federal contract workers—including janitorial, food, and security services workers—have no assurances that they will receive back pay to make up for their loss of hours and pay during a shutdown. The bill is co-led by Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Warner (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD).  The Fair Pay for Federal Contractors Act would

U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on the Federal Government Shutdown

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) released the following statement after Congressional Republicans and the White House refused to negotiate to lower health care costs for Americans, resulting in a federal government shutdown. “I’ll work with anyone who wants to work with me to bring down health care costs, but I won’t give Donald Trump a blank check and be bullied into voting for their partisan bill that will leave Minnesotans facing a near-doubling of their health insurance costs,” said Senator Smith. “Grocery bills are going up, utility bills are going up, and health care costs are

U.S. Senator Tina Smith Joins Colleagues in Introducing Major Bill to Reform, Expand Head Start and Early Learning for Working Families

WASHINGTON, D.C — As the Trump administration continues to attack early education opportunities like Head Start, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) joined her colleagues in working to expand early childhood education options and opportunities by introducing the Head Start for America’s Children Act. This bill would expand Head Start to ensure that more than 11 million young children from working class families can access high-quality early education and comprehensive services, while also ensuring Head Start educators earn the wages they deserve. “Access to childcare and early learning programs is essential – both for parents, to be able to go to

U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith Announce Grant to Strengthen Workforce in Waseca County

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced an award for Waseca County to strengthen workforce training and development. The award will be used to develop a new manufacturing workforce training facility in Waseca, Minnesota. The new center will house classrooms, a mechatronics skills training area, and a computer numerical control (CNC) training area. The project will create 50 jobs and once completed, help increase the region’s capacity to create and grow new businesses in the manufacturing industry, in turn attracting private investment and strengthening the regional economy.  “Skills training strengthens our local economies

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