Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on SCOTUS Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) Decision
Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s Decision on Moyle v. United States: “The Supreme Court ruled on process, not on policy. This is a reprieve, not a vindication. While Idaho can resume providing emergency reproductive care, this ruling does nothing to reassure women that their health and wellbeing is protected. “Let’s be clear: President Biden’s work to ensure access to emergency abortion care under EMTALA is not safe under this decision. There are other challenges to EMTALA pending in the ultra-conservative Fifth Circuit — challenges that could come before the Supreme Court soon. “But this chaos is the point. Patients will suffer while these lawsuits move forward. There should be no legal question when medicine is clear: Abortion is health care. Justice Jackson hit the nail on the head with her dissent: ‘While this Court dawdles and the country waits, pregnant people experiencing emergency medical conditions remain in a precarious position, as their doctors are kept in the dark about what the law requires.’” ###
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith Announce Funding from U.S. Department of Agriculture to Help Expand High-Speed Internet Access in Rural Areas
WASHINGTON, June 27th, 2024 – Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-Minn.) announced $25 million in funding availability from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to increase high-speed internet access in rural and Tribal communities. The funding is made available through the USDA’s Broadband Technical Assistance (BTA) Program, part of the Biden Administration’s historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to connect every community in America with affordable, reliable, high-speed internet. “We should be able to bring high-speed internet to every family in Minnesota— regardless of their zip code,” said Klobuchar. “This funding will ensure that the broadband upgrades going on across our state also reach our rural areas. As co-chair of the Senate Broadband Caucus, I’ll keep working across the aisle to make sure all Minnesotans can reliably access the high-speed internet they need.” “Internet access is not just a luxury in the 21st century, it’s a necessity,” said Senator Smith.“In Minnesota and across the country, people in rural areas, small towns, and Tribal communities need access to reliable, high-speed internet. Investing in broadband infrastructure with the Broadband Technical Assistance Program is a step in the right direction, helping connect communities in every part of the country to high-speed internet and strengthening communities from the ground up.” The program will support local governments, organizations, cooperatives, and Tribes as they work to expand broadband access in rural communities, delivering on President Biden’s promise to invest in infrastructure and strengthen the economy from the inside out. This includes funding infrastructure studies, network designs, hiring efforts, application assistance and more. The announcement marks the second round of funding for the program.
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Colleagues Urge Biden Administration to Extend Student Loan Payment Pause, and Ultimately Cancel Student Debt
Washington, D.C. – United States Tina Smith (D-Minn.) joined nearly 100 members of Congress in a letter to President Biden urging the administration to extend the pause on federally held student loan payments until at least the end of the year, and urged the administration to provide meaningful student debt cancellation. “Given the fast-approaching deadline for borrowers to resume payments, your administration must act as quickly as possible to extend the pause and make clear to the American public your intention to cancel a meaningful amount of student debt. We look forward to supporting your administration in getting it done,”
Sen. Smith, Senate Colleagues Call on Regulators to Focus on Lending to Main Street
WASHINGTON, D.C. [03/31/22]— U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) joined her colleagues in a letter to the Federal Reserve Board, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, National Credit Union Administration, and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, urging them to work with banks and credit unions to ensure small businesses have access to safe and sound credit as Main Street recovers from COVID-19. “Recent research by the Federal Reserve System found that less than one-third of small businesses that applied for traditional financing in 2021 received all the funding they sought compared to recent years,” wrote the lawmakers. “…Banks are choosing to lend to bigger firms, and
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Announces Hearing On Impact of Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill on Small Cities, Rural Areas
WASHINGTON, D.C. [03/31/22]—Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) – Chair of the Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development (HTCD) – announced she will be leading a hearing on the bipartisan infrastructure law’s effect on smaller cities and rural areas. The hearing will take place on April 6, 2022 at 2:30 pm ET. The hearing will examine the benefits of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act for smaller transit systems with a particular focus on how the Department of Transportation can most effectively implement the law in small and rural communities. Witnesses include: Mr. Ryan Daniel, Chief Executive Officer, St. Cloud
Senate Unanimously Passes Sens. Smith, Ernst’s “National Women in Agriculture Day” Resolution
WASHINGTON [3.30.22]—Last night, during Women’s History Month, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan measure from U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa)—both members of the Senate Agriculture Committee—designating March 24, 2022 as “National Women in Agriculture Day” to honor “the countless women who help agriculture prosper both at home and abroad.” Every single female senator joined Ernst and Smith on their resolution. “Agriculture is the backbone of Minnesota’s diverse economy,” said Senator Tina Smith. “Women have always played an essential role in this sector, and I’m proud we have passed this bipartisan effort to set aside a
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