Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Introduces Legislation to End Veteran Homelessness Nationwide
Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chair of the Senate Housing Subcommittee, introduced the Housing for All Veterans Act, legislation that would help bring an effective end to veteran homelessness. Minnesota is on the cusp of ending veteran homelessness, and nationwide levels of homelessness among former service members have been cut in half in the fifteen years since the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs launched the first-ever strategic plan to prevent and end the scourge of veteran homelessness in America. This legislation would help get us the rest of the way there and prevent veteran homelessness going forward. “We promise our veterans that we will take care of them after their service to our nation. But every day that we have veterans struggling to find a safe, affordable place to live, we’re failing them,” said Senator Smith. “Guaranteeing housing for low-income veterans shouldn’t be optional. It should a promise fulfilled for every veteran, to bring them home. We’ve made some great progress in solving veteran homelessness in the last fifteen years – Minnesota especially. But the Housing for All Veterans Act would finish the job and ensure every veteran has a roof over their heads.” “Our country continues to face a crisis of housing affordability,” said Kathryn Monet, CEO of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. “NCHV is thankful for Senator Smith’s leadership to address this crisis head on for veterans facing housing instability. Subsidies are a crucial support and we urge Congress to act upon this bill as a downpayment toward a world where affordable housing is available for all Americans.” “This legislation addresses the root cause of housing affordability, providing our veterans with a long-term, sustainable
U.S Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith, Colleagues Press Postal Service for Details on How Facility Consolidation Could Impact On-Time Delivery of Mail-In Ballots
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-MN) joined 17 of their colleagues in sending a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy requesting information about how the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) plans to ensure the timely delivery of mail-in ballots throughout the ongoing 2024 election cycle and beyond. The request comes in light of USPS facility consolidations initiated under DeJoy, which have been temporarily paused following outcry from people all across the country as well as Congressional leaders. Through this process, USPS has greenlit the downgrading of 56 of 59 selected postal facilities nationwide — including in Minnesota. “USPS serves an essential function in American elections. On a nonpartisan basis, it securely processes, transports, and delivers election mail, including ballots. In 2020, the Postal Service overcame a series of challenges, including the onset of a global pandemic, to fulfill this critical mission. Impressively, it delivered 97.9% of ballots within three days, even as a record number of Americans voted by mail. For the 2022 midterm elections, USPS maintained this standard of excellence and delivered 98.96% of ballots within three days,”wrote the senators. “We applaud these achievements, but much has changed since 2022.” “In July 2023, USPS completed its first regional consolidation in Richmond, Virginia. A report from the USPS Inspector General found that the consolidation led to “a decrease in service performance for the Richmond region that continued four months after launch,”they continued. “Earlier this year, these delays led some local election officials to direct area residents to
U.S. Sen. Smith: Convicting Derek Chauvin for the Murder of George Floyd is Moment of Accountability, Moment to Recommit Ourselves to Movement for Racial Justice
WASHINGTON, D.C. [4/21/21]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) released the following statement after the verdict was announced in the Derek Chauvin trial: “Convicting Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd is a moment of accountability, and also a moment to recommit ourselves to the movement for racial justice his tragic murder sparked. “Millions of people took to the streets because we couldn’t look away from the reality of George Floyd’s murder and we could see change had to come. I can’t stop thinking about all the Black and Brown people denied their civil rights and denied their lives, where
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Help Farms Adopt Conservation, Climate Practices
WASHINGTON, D.C. [04/19/21]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith recently introduced bipartisan legislation to help farmers adopt conservation and climate practices to sustain their farms, boost bottom lines and protect the environment. The Conservation and Innovative Climate Partnership Act, led by Sen. Smith and Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) would create a USDA competitive grant program to help farmers make these improvements. Sen. Smith said that universities will provide farmers who are participating in the grant program with individualized advice to help them meet their conservation goals. This unique partnership creates an opportunity for new research and ideas to be applied to farming operations. “Strong farm programs that encourage conservation and climate practices will help farmers maintain sustainable and productive operations well into the future,” said
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on the Passing of Vice President Walter Mondale
Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) released the following statement on the passing of Vice President Walter Mondale: “I loved Walter Mondale and I’m not the only one. Mondale was a giant not only because of the positions he held—Minnesota Attorney General, U.S. Senator, Vice President, Democratic Presidential Candidate and Ambassador—but because of the work that he did. He provided his strong, compassionate, clear, and fearless voice to the world for over six decades, and he never stopped. Whether it was working with Marian Wright Edelman to lift children out of poverty, fighting to repair the damage of housing discrimination
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Bipartisan Bill to Help Lower Prescription Drug Costs to be Signed Into Law
WASHINGTON, D.C. [4/15/21]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s (D-Minn.) bipartisan legislation to help lower prescription drug costs is headed to the President’s desk to be signed into law after passing the House on Wednesday, and passing the Senate in March. The Ensuring Innovation Act, led by Sen. Smith and Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), will stop pharmaceutical manufacturers from claiming new innovations when they make insignificant modifications to their products in order to extend their monopolies and keep drug prices high for consumers. Right now, pharmaceutical companies engage in “evergreening,” which allows them to extend their patents for five years when they make minor, insignificant
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