Latest Releases
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’.” ###
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith Cosponsor Legislation Requiring Airlines to Reimburse Passengers for Delays, Rebooking Fees & Related Expenses After Trump Cancels Consumer Protections
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-MN) helped introduce legislation to protect flyers by requiring airlines to provide cash compensation and free rebooking for passengers facing significant delays or cancellations caused by the airline. The bill comes just in time for the holiday season which is expected to see record numbers of travelers. Early estimates project a record 8.03 million travelers will take domestic flights this holiday season, a 2.3% increase compared to last year. This would mark the first time in history that number tops 8 million. “It’s simple: if your flight is canceled or significantly delayed and disrupts your travel plans, you should be compensated,” said Senator Klobuchar. “This legislation will ensure airlines reimburse passengers for the cost of hotels, meals, and transportation as a result of flight cancellations or delays.” “Traveling is already expensive, and the last thing Minnesotans need is an unexpected and expensive bill for rebooking a flight that was canceled because of an airline, especially as folks try to be with their families over the holidays,” said Senator Smith. “This legislation holds airlines accountable for their mistakes and fixes another Trump administration blunder.” People are flying now more than ever. With more Minnesotans flying, refunds and reimbursements for significant cancellations and delays that disrupt travel plans are crucial. In 2024, roughly 20% of all flights departing from MSP were delayed or canceled. Under the Flight Delay and Cancellation Compensation Act, the DOT would issue regulations that would set a
ICYMI: U.S. Senator Tina Smith Blasts Wrongful Firing of Duluth EPA Scientists by the Trump Administration
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) blasted the news that scientists at the Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division Laboratory were fired for signing onto a letter expressing concerns over cuts and changes at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that they argued would endanger the health and safety of Minnesotans. In a statement to the Duluth News Tribune, Smith decried the firings and expressed pride in the workers who had the guts to sign onto the Declaration of Dissent warning about the impacts of EPA cuts. “How is firing the people who keep Lake Superior and Minnesota’s waters clean and
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Demands Answers from Trump Administration on Actions Purportedly Allowing Sulfide-Ore Copper Mining Near the Boundary Waters
[ST. PAUL, MN] – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) is demanding answers from the Trump Administration regarding its recent announcement about planned executive actions to allow sulfide-ore mining in the Rainy River Watershed, where waters flow into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). The only sulfide-ore mine proposed in the area would be owned by Chilean mining conglomerate Antofagasta, a company with a questionable environmental record, and the minerals they intend to mine would be shipped overseas to be processed outside of the United States – most likely to China. In a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Colleagues Push Administration to Reinstate Duluth EPA Lab Workers
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), joined by 16 of her Senate colleagues, called on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin to reinstate workers placed on administrative leave for expressing concern with the agency’s direction under the Trump Administration. Senator Smith is standing up for EPA employees in Duluth, Minnesota. These employees faced disciplinary action for signing a “Declaration of Dissent” about the agency’s leadership. In the letter to Administrator Zeldin, the Senators emphasize that public employees have the right to speak their views on issues that matter to them in their personal lives under the First
Minnesota Housing Organizations Celebrate Smith’s Bipartisan Rural Housing, Homelessness Bills Advancing in U.S. Senate
ST. PAUL, MN – Minnesota housing organizations from across the state are celebrating legislation by U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), top Democrat on the Senate Housing Subcommittee, advancing to the Senate floor. Smith’s bills were included in the first comprehensive, national housing reform legislative package in over a decade, dubbed the ROAD to Housing Act of 2025, which passed the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee unanimously (24-0). “The lack of safe, decent, affordable housing in this country is a choice that we’re making, but with this new legislative package, we’re choosing a different path. For the first time
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