Latest Releases
U.S. Senators Smith, Klobuchar Secure Significant Federal Funding to Improve Rail Crossing Safety in St. Louis County
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has awarded $6 million for the CSAH 100 Rail Crossing Grade Separation Project in Aurora, Minnesota. The grant, provided through USDOT’s BUILD program, will construct a grade separated bridge to improve connectivity for school transportation, emergency services, and freight for mining and logging. The overpass would include a dedicated space for bicycles, snowmobiles, and ATVs. “Nothing is worse than running late and being stuck sitting on the road waiting for trains to pass on Highway 100. We hear you, and we’re fixing that,” said Senator Smith. “The new railroad overpass in Aurora will keep traffic and pedestrians moving instead of getting stuck at the crossing. We’re making it safer and more efficient for drivers.” “Blocked rail crossings not only inconvenience drivers, but also delay emergency vehicles and threaten public safety,” said Senator Klobuchar. “This federal investment will reduce traffic, boost efficiency, and improve rail crossing safety. Investments in our infrastructure serve as a down payment on the long-term economic well-being of our state.” BUILD grants, previously referred to as RAISE grants, can be used by communities across the country for a wide variety of transportation projects with significant local or regional impact. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Senators Smith and Klobuchar supported and was signed into law in 2021, delivered a 50 percent increase in the amount of available funding for the BUILD grants, as well as resources for improving
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Releases Statement After Supreme Court Upholds Birthright Citizenship
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) released the following statement after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of protecting birthright citizenship in a stunning rebuke of President Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda: “The Constitution means what it says: Children born in the United States are citizens of the United States. The promise and privilege of American citizenship extends to every child born in our jurisdiction, and those children deserve just as much of a shot at the American dream as those whose families have been here for generations. No xenophobic Executive Order can undo that,” said Senator Smith. “Minnesota’s immigrant families have been reckoning with an Administration hellbent on denying their rights and their dignity, but today’s ruling is a victory for the rule of law and continues our longstanding history as a nation of immigrants.” ###
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Mike Rounds, Tammy Baldwin Introduce Investments in Rural Transit Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), Mike Rounds (R-SD), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced the Investments in Rural Transit Act, a bipartisan bill to help rural transit providers improve their services. Rural transit operators provide essential lifeline services to millions of Americans, getting them to work, school, grocery stores, medical appointments, and more. The Investments in Rural Transit Act would address key issues facing rural transit providers, including rising operating costs, complicated red tape, and difficulty procuring new vehicles. It would also support Tribal transit providers, who serve some of the most geographically isolated communities in the country. “High-quality, efficient public transit systems are important
Baldwin, Klobuchar, Smith Demand Secretary Duffy Release Blatnik Bridge Project Funding
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Tina Smith (D-MN) called on U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy to give final approval and release the $1.05 billion grant for the Blatnik Bridge replacement project so construction on the project can begin. The call comes as the Trump Administration has attempted to illegally cut funding for infrastructure projects as a tool for political retribution on other states and threatened to block the opening of a bridge between Michigan and Ontario last month. “The folks in Minnesota and Wisconsin who are planning the reconstruction of the Blatnik Bridge
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Fridley Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Lewis to Speak at “People’s State of the Union”
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) announced she is boycotting President Donald Trump’s State of the Union Address. Senator Smith will be speaking at MoveOn’s “People’s State of the Union” held on the National Mall alongside her guest: Fridley Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Lewis. Smith and Lewis’ remarks will be livestreamed around 8:30pm ET here. Lewis has worked tirelessly to keep students, staff and families in her school district safe in the face of a federal police force operating with impunity and snatching children and their parents off the street. Smith met Lewis after school and drove with
Statement from U.S. Senator Tina Smith on the Supreme Court’s Decision to Strike Down President Trump’s Sweeping Tariffs
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) released the following statement after the Supreme Court ruled against President Trump’s sweeping tariffs in a 6-3 decision: “These tariffs caused an entirely unnecessary and avoidable trade war that hurt a lot of Minnesotans. The President abused his power to make a complete mess of our trade systems, and regular people and small businesses paid the price, and I think the money collected from these illegal tariffs should go back into their pockets,” said Senator Smith. “American producers being hurt by trade cheats deserve serious remedies. Instead, the President wasted nearly a year on his futile
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