Latest Releases
U.S Senators Tina Smith, Amy Klobuchar Announce Funding to Improve Bus Infrastructure in Eden Prairie
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Transportation, and Senator Amy Klobuchar (both D-MN) announced a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to strengthen bus and transportation infrastructure in Eden Prairie. One hundred and seventeen communities across the country are getting infrastructure upgrades thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, legislation passed by President Biden in 2021 that has delivered infrastructure upgrades to nearly 5,000 communities nationwide. SouthWest Transit, the public transportation agency serving the Western metro area, will receive $520,436 from the Federal Transit Administration to rehabilitate the Southwest Station Park and Ride and bus garage. The project includes accessibility and security improvements for riders, as well as upgrades to the maintenance facilities to improve safety for workers. The project will support secure, accessible, and efficient transit service for travelers. “Each day, transit systems connect Minnesotans to their jobs, schools, grocery stores and countless other opportunities – all while reducing traffic congestion and pollution,” said Senator Smith. “But for many people, especially those in rural areas, safe, reliable public transportation is hard to find. This funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will deliver faster, safer, and more energy efficient transportation to communities across the Western metro area.” “Investments in public transit reduce traffic and make it easier for Minnesotans to get to school, work, and other destinations,” said Klobuchar. “This federal funding will go towards creating the modern, efficient public transit system families in the West Metro need to reliably get around.” ###
U.S Senators Tina Smith, Amy Klobuchar Announce Funding to Improve Bus Infrastructure in Southwestern Minnesota
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Transportation, and Senator Amy Klobuchar (both D-MN) announced a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to strengthen bus and transportation infrastructure in Southern Minnesota. One hundred and seventeen communities across the country are getting infrastructure upgrades thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, legislation passed by President Biden in 2021 that has delivered infrastructure upgrades to nearly 5,000 communities nationwide. The Minnesota Department of Transportation will receive $2,303,200 to buy propane buses and build the necessary fueling infrastructure in Marshall, Minnesota. The project will improve service, reliability and lower maintenance costs for southwest and south central Minnesota rural transit providers. The grant is distributed by the Federal Transit Administration and is part of the Reducing Transit Emissions in Rural Minnesota (RTERM) program. “Each day, transit systems connect Minnesotans to their jobs, schools, grocery stores and countless other opportunities – all while reducing traffic congestion and pollution,” said Senator Smith. “But for many people, especially those in rural areas, safe, reliable public transportation is hard to find. This funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will deliver faster, safer, and more energy efficient transportation to communities across Southwestern Minnesota.” “Investments in public transit make it easier for families in rural Minnesota to get to school, work, and other destinations,” said Klobuchar. “This federal funding will go towards creating the modern, efficient public transit system families in Southwestern Minnesota need to reliably get around.” ###
U.S Senator Tina Smith Applauds Biden Administration’s Rule Implementing Senate-Passed Pension Relief Stopping Drastic Cuts for Over 22,000 Minnesotans
WASHINGTON, D.C. [7/6/22]— Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) celebrated a key step in implementing pension relief funding to reverse pension cuts for thousands of Minnesotans who earned pensions through union jobs. The latest rule, issued by the federal Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation, marks the completion of multiemployer pension system fixes which will bolster the solvency of the multiemployer pension system and prevent drastic cuts to pensions. The multiemployer pension relief package included in the American Rescue Plan stems from Sen. Smith’s push to help the more than 1 million workers and retirees nationwide—including more than 22,000 Minnesotans—who had been facing deep cuts
Klobuchar, Smith Lead Entire Minnesota Congressional Delegation in Urging Biden Administration to Approve Minnesota Request for Disaster Declaration
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) led the entire Minnesota Congressional delegation in urging the Biden administration to approve Minnesota’s requests for Major Disaster Declarations to assist communities recovering from historic storms and flooding. “We write to you in strong support of the state of Minnesota’s requests for Major Disaster Declarations under the Stafford Act to assist communities that are working to recover from severe weather this spring, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, high winds, and flooding. These natural disaster events have caused significant damage in our state, and we ask that you quickly grant approval
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on West Virginia v. EPA Supreme Court Decision
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) issued the following statement in response to the West Virginia v. EPA Supreme Court decision: “For more than fifty years, the Clean Air Act has reduced pollution and improved air quality and health for families in Minnesota and across the country. Fifteen years ago, a conservative-majority court correctly ruled that this law could be the basis for regulating greenhouse gases—a decision that was reaffirmed in a unanimous opinion in 2011. “And yet, just 11 years later, this activist Supreme Court disregarded years of precedent and sided with large polluters and conservative special interests by
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on U.S. Steel Investments in Minnesota Mines
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) issued the following statement in response to the news that U.S. Steel will invest $150 million to build a direct reduced iron (DRI) facility in Minnesota’s Iron Range: “This is huge news for the Range, and a big deal for ensuring the long-term future of iron mining in Minnesota. As the streel industry changes, Rangers innovate.” Today’s announcement follows similar moves by Cleveland Cliffs and will help to make sure that Minnesota iron continues to play a key role in the economy going forward.
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