Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith and Colleagues Call on Israeli Ambassador Herzog to Accelerate Aid Delivery and Ensure Safety for Aid Workers
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) joined Senators Peter Welch (D-VT), Jack Reed (D-RI), and Brian Schatz (D-HI) in sending a letter to Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Michael Herzog, on the imperative of urgently providing humanitarian aid in Gaza. The letter highlights specific steps that Ambassador Herzog and the Israeli government should take to ensure that aid reaches Gaza and to protect aid workers. “Since October 7, nearly 30,000 people have been killed in Israel’s counterattack on Gaza. While many were Hamas terrorists, a significant number were innocent civilians. Further, at least 1.7 million Palestinians have been internally displaced in Gaza. They have need for clean water, food, medical support, and humanitarian aid. Starvation and widespread disease in Gaza are imminent,” wrote the four U.S. Senators. “We believe that the future path to peace, security and stability will be enhanced dramatically by facilitating the delivery of essentials for survival to the Palestinian people whose fate is imperiled,” the Senators conclude. The letter outlines four actions Israel should take to accelerate aid delivery into Gaza and assist the safety of aid workers, including: Text of the letter follows: Dear Ambassador Herzog: We unequivocally condemn Hamas’ barbaric attack on Israel October 7, 2023, and hope that all the hostages return home safely. We support Israel’s right and obligation to pursue the Hamas terrorists who planned and carried out the October 7 attack and deem the prospect of Hamas retaining military control of Gaza unacceptable. We also believe, there is an urgent need to provide
Sen. Smith joins Dem Women’s Caucus, House and Senate Democrats, in Demanding Health Insurers Fully Cover Birth Control, As Required by the ACA
Washington, DC — Today, Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), along with Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) Chair Lois Frankel (FL-22), Reps. Ayanna Pressley (MA-7), Kathy Manning (NC-6), and Judy Chu (CA-28), led over 150 House and Senate Democratic colleagues in urging health insurers to fully comply with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) contraception coverage requirement. Specifically, the members urged insurers to adopt a “therapeutic equivalence standard” ensuring coverage—without cost sharing—of every FDA-approved birth control product that does not have a therapeutic equivalent (generic). The letter comes after years of systemic noncompliance by insurance plans, forcing women to pay out of pocket or face administrative red tape to access the birth control that works best for them. “We write to express our concerns that your members are not complying with the Affordable Care Act contraception coverage requirement, and to urge them to consider immediate adoption of the therapeutic equivalence standard outlined by the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury on January 22, 2024,” wrote the lawmakers in a letter toAmerica’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP)—whose membership includes major health insurers across the country—and UnitedHealth Group. Despite the ACA’s protections, the members outlined how multiple investigations—including by the House Oversight Committee, “have revealed that plans routinely violate the ACA by refusing to cover certain products, imposing administrative hurdles like prior authorizations and step therapy (fail first protocols), and requiring patient cost-sharing.” In response to these violations, the Biden Administration recently released additional guidance, outlining a standard that requires coverage
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Pens Op-Ed for The Hill: Telehealth “Has Emerged as a Valuable Lifeline for Millions” During COVID-19
For Immediate Release: October 26, 2020 Contact: Katie McElrath katie_mcelrath@smith.senate.gov 202-365-5865 WASHINGTON, D.C. [10/26/20]—Today, an op-ed penned by U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) appeared in the The Hill newspaper that highlights the emerging role that telehealth is playing in connecting patients to caregivers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In her piece, Sen. Smith cites how telehealth has helped people in rural, urban and tribal communities connect to physical and mental health professionals from home. This allows them to take precautions to protect themselves from the virus while still accessing care. Sen. Smith also urges Congress to take up her bipartisan COVID-19 Telehealth Program Extension Act to invest an additional $200 million in this
Klobuchar, Smith, Bipartisan Group of Colleagues Urge Administration to Support Home Energy Assistance Program
WASHINGTON – With colder weather approaching and energy costs projected to increase this winter, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) joined a bipartisan coalition of 40 senators in urging the quick release of federal heating assistance funds to help low-income families and seniors on fixed incomes afford to heat their homes this winter. The senators said that quick action is especially import and as the coronavirus pandemic has added financial hardships for millions of households. In a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, who oversees the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), the senators
Legislation Backed by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith to Provide Financial Relief to Health Care Providers Becomes Law
WASHINGTON, D.C. [10/22/20]–U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said that legislation they support to provide financial relief to health care providers working on the frontlines of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has become law. The legislation provides flexibility for a Medicare loan program that has supported health care providers during the pandemic. To date, the Medicare Accelerated and Advance Payments Program has provided approximately $100 billion in payments to health care providers to help alleviate financial stress caused by the pandemic. These upfront payments have been critical to supporting hospitals, nursing facilities, physician practices and other health care providers. However, repayment of these loans was
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Backs Push to Outlaw Discrimination in Our Nation’s Financial Services Industry
For Immediate Release: October 21, 2020 Contact: Katie McElrath katie_mcelrath@smith.senate.gov 202-365-5865 WASHINGTON, D.C. [10/21/20]—Today U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.)—a member of the Senate Banking Committee—backed new legislation to outlaw discrimination by banks and other financial institutions. The Fair Access to Financial Services Act, introduced by Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) Wednesday, closes a loophole in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. While the law outlawed discrimination in certain places of public accommodations, it does not cover banks and other financial institutions. This new legislation would ensure that all people receive equal treatment when trying to access services at financial institutions and hold the institutions accountable when they engage in discriminatory
English