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U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith, Minnesota Fire Chiefs Celebrate Passage of the Fire Grants and Safety Act
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) issued the statements below after the Senate passed the Fire Grants and Safety Act, bipartisan legislation to continue providing federal funding for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant programs. This bill now goes to the President’s desk to be signed into law. The Assistance to Firefighters Grant program helps firefighters and other first responders obtain critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training and other resources. The SAFER Grants program provides direct funding to fire departments and volunteer firefighter organizations to increase or maintain the number of trained “front line” firefighters and enhance their capacity to comply with staffing, response, and operational standards. Since 2015, fire departments across Minnesota have received over $33 million in SAFER grants and $59 million in AFG grants. “Firefighters put their lives on the line every day to save lives. We need to invest in our local fire departments and ensure that they have the funding they need to hire and train firefighters and purchase life-saving equipment,” said Senator Klobuchar. “That’s why I worked to pass the bipartisan Fire Grants and Safety Act which will support fire departments in Minnesota and across the country.” “Firefighters do one of the most difficult jobs possible, often at the risk of immense personal injury, to keep our families and loved ones safe. This funding is our way of giving them the support they need to do their jobs as safely and effectively as possible,” said
U.S. SENATOR TINA SMITH’S STATEMENT ON NOMINATION OF CHRISTY GOLDSMITH ROMERO TO CHAIR THE FDIC
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) , a member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, applauded President Biden’s decision to nominate Christy Goldsmith Romero to be Chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC): “Christy Goldsmith Romero is a widely respected, principled financial regulator with extensive federal experience, and I applaud President Biden’s decision to nominate her as Chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). This nomination comes at a pivotal time at the FDIC, and Goldsmith Romero’s track record of holding bad actors accountable at the Troubled Asset Relief Program and advancing consumer interests at the CFTC is exactly the experience needed at the agency charged with protecting Americans’ money. I urge my Senate colleagues to move quickly to advance her nomination so she can begin the important work needed at the FDIC.” ###
U.S. Senators Smith, Murkowski Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Mental Health Care Workforce to Areas of Greatest Need
WASHINGTON, D.C. [5/12/21]—Today, during Mental Health Awareness Month, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced their bipartisan legislation which would repay up to $250,000 in eligible student loan repayment for mental health professionals who work in mental health professional shortage areas. U.S. Representatives John Katko (R-NY 24) and Grace Napolitano (D-CA 32) introduced companion legislation in the House. Sen. Smith has shared her own mental health journey from the Senate floor—and again last week as part of Mental Health Awareness Month—in hopes of breaking the stigma around mental health and working to expand access so Americans get the help they need.
U.S. Senators Smith, Murkowski Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Improve Access to Rural Health Care for New & Expecting Moms
WASHINGTON, D.C. [5/5/21]–Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced bipartisan legislation that would help ensure that new and expecting moms living in rural communities get the care they need. More than half of rural counties nationwide lack hospitals with labor and birthing services, and the disparity in access to care and worse health outcomes disproportionally affects people of color. Rural counties with more Black residents are at greater risk of losing their labor and delivery services. “No matter where new and expecting moms live, they should be able to access quality health care. But right now, we know that
Smith, Klobuchar Announce Over $4.5 Million in Disaster Relief Funding for City of Duluth
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded more than $4.5 million to the City of Duluth to fund the restoration of the Canal Park area to its pre-disaster state. “The 2019 storms washed away pathways, ripped out light poles, and left lasting damage across Canal Park,” said Senator Klobuchar. “This federal grant will help cover the cost of restoring the waterfront infrastructure and protecting against future damage so that Duluth residents can enjoy our shoreline for years to come.” “The Lake Superior
U.S. Senators Tina Smith & Lisa Murkowski Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Help Tribes Combat COVID-19, Other Public Health Crises
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/3/2021]— U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced bipartisan legislation to help Tribes address the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and other public health challenges. The Tribal Health Data Improvement Act would strengthen data sharing between Tribes, Tribal Epidemiology Centers and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Over the past year, Tribes and Tribal Epidemiology Centers have been denied access to public health data about the virus spreading near Tribal lands, despite their authority to receive this data. This severely limits the ability of Tribal communities to prevent and combat health crises, and represents yet another broken promise by the federal government. These structural barriers to accessing
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