Latest Releases
Klobuchar, Smith Statements on the Bipartisan Senate Confirmation of Laura Provinzino to be U.S. District Court Judge
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Laura Provinzino to serve as United States District Court Judge for the District of Minnesota. Currently serving as an Assistant United States Attorney with the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, Provinzino was one of the candidates sent to President Biden by Senators Klobuchar and Smith following the recommendation from a judicial selection committee. “As a federal prosecutor, Laura Provinzino has dedicated her career to upholding the rule of law and her work has earned her the respect of attorneys and law enforcement across the state,” said Klobuchar. “I am confident that she will make an outstanding jurist, and I know she will make St. Cloud proud. As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I worked to advance her nomination and I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their support of this outstanding nominee.” “Laura Provinzino has spent her career in service to Minnesotans. Her decades of experience advancing justice and protecting the rule of law will make her an exceptionally well-qualified U.S. District Court Judge,” said Smith. “I congratulate her on her bipartisan confirmation.” Laura Provinzino was born and raised in St. Cloud, and attended St. Cloud Technical High School. Her mother taught at Apollo High School, and her father was a lawyer in St. Cloud. Provinzino has spent her entire legal career in Minnesota. She has served as
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Applauds Biden-Harris Administration’s New Rule to Strengthen Mental Health Parity
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, on Tuesday released the following statement on the Biden-Harris administration’s recent actions to boost private insurance coverage for mental health care for 175 million Americans. Even though it’s already law that insurance companies must cover mental health as they do physical health, many don’t comply, and insured Americans are nearly four times as likely go out-of-network and pay higher fees for mental health care than for physical health care. “We need to treat mental health with the same urgency we treat physical health, and that means making sure everyone has access to the care they need,” said Sen. Smith. “I’m glad to see the Biden-Harris Administration taking significant steps to hold health insurers accountable when they violate mental health parity requirements. Whether it’s treatment for a substance-use disorder or depression, mental health care is health care, and Americans should be able to access quality, affordable treatment. This rule brings us closer to the goal of ensuring Americans are getting coverage from their insurer when they need it.” This rule strengthens the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act by reinforcing the law’s purpose to remove barriers for anyone seeking coverage from their insurer for mental health treatment services. The landmark law is named after former Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone, who was instrumental in its passage in 2008. Senator Smith remains committed to carrying on Senator Wellstone’s legacy and has been
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Seeks Probe of Firms that Pressure Vulnerable Minnesotans to Unfairly Give Up Funds From Injury Settlements
MINNESOTA [10/18/21]— U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) has urged the nation’s top financial regulator to probe firms that have aggressively targeted accident victims in Minnesota and across the country to give up injury settlements designed to provide them income over many years in exchange for a one-time smaller lump-sum payment – typically taking half the value of the settlement or more. In a recent letter to Rohit Chopra, the Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Sen. Smith pressed for an investigation into the firms operating in the largely-unregulated industry that buys “structured settlements” from people who have been injured or
After Push from U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Biden Administration To End Canadian Land-Crossing Restrictions in Early November
WASHINGTON D.C. [10/13/21]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said the Biden Administration plans to lift Canadian land-border restrictions in November is good news for Northern Minnesota businesses and communities that depend on Canadian travelers to thrive. The announcement comes two weeks after Sen. Smith pressed both Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to end the restrictions on non-essential land travel from Canada to the United States because the restrictions have had a catastrophic economic impact on northern border communities. The Senator said the restrictions have also created confusion because despite the land-border restrictions, Canadians have been able to travel by air to the United States for several months. Canada has allowed vaccinated
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, John Hoeven Introduce Bipartisan Resolution to Recognize October as National Co-op Month
MINNESOTA [10/6/21]— U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and John Hoeven (R-N.D.) introduced a bipartisan resolution to designate October 2021 as National Co-op Month. Their resolution recognizes the co-op business model for its contributions to the economy, the jobs it creates and its positive impacts on local communities. The Senators said that co-ops can be found in almost every economic sector throughout the United States, and that during the current pandemic many co-ops have taken additional steps to serve their member-owners and communities. “In 1948 Minnesota became the first state to issue a Co-op Month proclamation,” said Sen. Smith. “I’m once again honored to help continue our state’s tradition
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Mike Braun Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill To Address Big Pharma Ploy that Keeps Drug Prices High for Consumers
WASHINGTON, D.C. [10/4/21]— U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Mike Braun (R-Ind.) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to address a big pharma ploy that prevents access to affordable prescription drugs for millions of people across the country. The Expanding Access to Low-Cost Generics Act—which was the first piece of Senate legislation introduced by Sen. Smith in 2018—addresses an anti-competitive prescription drug practice called “parking.” “Parking” occurs when a brand name manufacturer agrees not to sue the first company that submits an application to create a generic version of that drug—a so-called “first filer”—as long as the generic company agrees to delay bringing that generic drug
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