Latest Releases
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 her to monitor for ICE in the surrounding suburban neighborhood. “Brenda is an incredible example of how Minnesotans have organized and cared for their neighbors in the face of a violent federal police force. It’s people like Brenda who have inspired the world with their bravery and dignity in standing up to bullies,” said Senator Smith.“I’ve been to Donald Trump’s State of the Union Addresses, and I don’t need to do it again. His speeches are full of lies, and he uses the occasion to pillory his perceived political enemies and pander to his billionaire donors. Instead, I want courageous people like Brenda to share the reality of this Administration’s lawlessness and violence at the People’s State of the Union. It’s time for us to have an honest discussion about how the Trump Administration is making it harder for people to afford the lives they want to live and feel safe
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 effort to impose blanket tariffs, rather than policies that would withstand legal scrutiny. Although the Supreme Court’s decision provides some relief, it won’t amount to much if Republicans continue to subject the American economy to the whiplash of this President’s chaotic trade approach.” ###
Minnesota Congressional Delegation Introduces Bicameral, Bipartisan Resolution Honoring Melissa Hortman, Mark Hortman, and Condemning Political Violence
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN), along with Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Representatives Kelly Morrison (D-MN), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Tom Emmer (R-MN), Pete Stauber (R-MN), Angie Craig (D-MN), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Michelle Fischbach (R-MN), and Brad Finstad (R-MN) introduced a resolution to honor the life of Minnesota State House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, and condemn political violence. Full text of the resolution is available HERE and below: Whereas, on June 14, 2025, a gunman entered the home of
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Presses Attorney General Bondi to Investigate Scam DMV Text Messages
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Tina Smith is pressing the Trump Administration to take action to combat a widespread text message scam affecting Minnesotans. Thousands of Minnesotans are reporting fake text messages from senders impersonating the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). These impersonators urge Minnesotans to make an online payment for an unidentified traffic violation or risk prosecution, a loss of driving privileges, and a damaged credit score, in addition to costing Minnesotans money. You can find an example of these messages here. “Beyond being a simple nuisance, these scams jeopardize the financial security of those it victimizes. And these messages
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Steve Daines Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Support Apprenticeship Colleges
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Steve Daines (R-MT) reintroduced legislation to help increase enrollment in apprenticeship programs. The Supporting Apprenticeship Colleges Act would provide grant funding to help apprenticeship colleges expand outreach to potential students and employers, improve academic advising programs and address common barriers to degree completion like childcare access and support for first-generation students. Apprenticeship colleges are institutions of higher education that sponsor registered apprenticeship programs such as electrical, carpentry or information technology programs. The bill is also cosponsored by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). “Access to career education and hands-on training is critical for people to gain the skills needed
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Announces Win in Fight to Protect the Boundary Waters
WASHINGTON, D.C — Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) issued the following statement after successfully fighting to remove a section in the House-passed One Big Beautiful Act which would have issued perpetual leases to a foreign mining company to pursue sulfide ore mining on the doorstep of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness: “Today marks a victory in our fight to protect the Boundary Waters. Buried deep in President Trump and Republican’s Big Beautiful Bill was a provision that gave a foreign mining company full permission to build a copper-nickel sulfide mine right on the doorstep of the Boundary Waters. I vowed to do everything in my power to protect
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