Latest Releases
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Amy Klobuchar Announce Clean Energy Projects for Minnesota Farms, Small Businesses in Rural Areas
[MINNEAPOLIS, MN] – U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar (both D-MN), members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, announced funding awards for 10 farms and small businesses across rural and Greater Minnesota to install clean energy technology. This round of funding for Minnesota totals $1.3 million. This year alone, Minnesota has seen over 170 clean energy projects in small towns and rural places thanks to the Rural Energy for America Program. “The clean energy transition is happening; the question is whether we lead or follow. I want us to lead,” said Senator Smith. “But as we make the switch to cleaner, cheaper energy, we need to make sure everyone benefits. That’s one reason programs like REAP, which helps rural communities install renewable energy systems, are so important. These investments will save farms and small businesses across Minnesota thousands of dollars a year in energy costs while helping reduce harmful emissions.” “Investing in long-term energy is a win-win for rural customers and businesses,” said Senator Klobuchar. “With this federal funding, we’re taking a big step toward deploying new energy technologies to power rural communities across Minnesota for decades to come.” Projects included can be found in the table below. The funding is specifically set aside for agricultural producers and rural small businesses to install renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements. The projects are possible thanks to the Renewable Energy for America (REAP) program, which Senator Smith championed and strengthened in the Inflation Reduction Act, which both Senators supported. Senator Smith continues to prioritize
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Tribal Leaders Announce Tribal Public Safety Projects
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), a member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, announced funding for seven public safety initiatives for four Minnesota Tribes. The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, Red Lake Band of Chippewa, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, and White Earth Nation received federal funding ranging between $450,000 and $900,000 for various Tribal programs aimed at increasing Tribal capacity to respond to violent crime, opioid abuse, and assist victims. Projects will be tailored to each Tribe’s unique needs, from expanding Tribal Courts’ capacities for home visits and supervision, to hiring staff to investigate child abuse and neglect cases, to onboarding personnel who coordinate resources to help those dealing with opioid addiction. Tribal leadership in Minnesota have long advocated for greater federal assistance for Tribal public safety efforts to respond to the opioid epidemic and violent crime. “Tribal leaders have been consistently clear that they need more support from the federal government to combat the opioid epidemic and prosecute crimes on their lands, and we have a trust responsibility to assist Tribal governments to keep their people safe,” said Senator Tina Smith. “Tribes know best how to reduce crime and substance abuse on their lands. These grants are directly supporting Tribally-driven solutions to these challenges.” “This grant is crucial in enhancing our ability to respond to the opioid epidemic. By bringing on additional staff, we will improve our efforts to connect those affected by addiction with the resources they need for recovery. Our goal is to reduce
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Says Senate Passage of Historic, Bipartisan Infrastructure Package Will Deliver Billions in Upgrades to Minnesota
WASHINGTON, D.C. [08/10/21]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said Senate passage today of a historic, bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure package will deliver billions of dollars in long-overdue investments to Minnesota’s roads, bridges, broadband, water pipes and other needed upgrades. Sen. Smith said the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was produced after months of difficult, bipartisan negotiations, resulting in a package that will jumpstart the economy and create jobs and economic development in rural, urban and suburban communities across the state. “We’re no longer just talking about infrastructure, we’re actually delivering a once-in-a-generation package that will make life better for millions of Minnesotans, create
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar & Tina Smith Announce Emergency Haying & Grazing in Minnesota
WASHINGTON, D.C. [8/5/21]—In response to the severe and worsening drought causing Upper Midwest cattle producers to run out of hay for their herds, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) announced that producers can now request haying and grazing on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land in 79 Minnesota counties. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) authorized the change on Wednesday. The senators said that Minnesota counties are approved for emergency haying and grazing due to drought conditions on a county-by-county basis, when a county is designated as level “D2 Drought – Severe” according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. FSA provides a weekly, online update of eligible counties here. “The droughts across Minnesota have created
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Joins Young Americans on National Mall to Highlight Need to Address Climate Change, Promote Clean Energy
WASHINGTON, D.C. [8/4/21]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) joined young climate leaders just steps from the U.S. Capitol to call for federal action on addressing climate change and establishing a Clean Electricity Standard (CES). You can access photos from the event here, here, here and here. “This is our moment to make the change we need, and we can’t wait,” said Sen. Smith. “The place to start in Congress is by passing strong climate legislation. This summer, I’m working hard to make sure infrastructure legislation includes a clean electricity standard—which is a powerful, practical, progressive investment to get us to net-zero carbon emissions in power generation as
U.S. Sens. Smith, Cassidy Say FDA Approval of First Generic Insulin Will Lower Prices Across Country
WASHINGTON, D.C. [7/29/21]—U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.) have long pushed to bring lower-cost insulin to market, and today the senators highlighted the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of the first generic insulin product that will rein in costs after years of significant increases. Wednesday’s approval by the FDA is due in part to Sens. Smith and Cassidy’s bipartisan bill—the Protecting Access to Biosimilars Act—enacted in 2019. “We know that high insulin prices are jeopardizing the financial security of Minnesotans and Americans, and forcing some into alarming, and at times fatal, rationing,” said Sen. Smith, a member
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