Latest Releases
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Amy Klobuchar Request an Inspector General Audit of Minnesota-North Dakota Postal Service
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar (both D – MN) have formally requested that the Inspector General of the United States Postal Service conduct a full audit of the Minnesota-North Dakota District following persistent reports across Minnesota of delayed and unreliable mail service. “We believe it is time for the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to investigate the dysfunction of the MN-ND District,” wrote the Senators. “Minnesotans rely on the Postal Service as an essential public service. Deliveries of medicine, Social Security checks and paychecks, and correspondence with loved ones are critical, especially in rural communities. But too often, the Postal Service is falling short in meeting the reasonable expectations of Minnesotans.” “Even more concerning is that attempts to elevate the concerns of Minnesotans to the USPS have either been dismissed or met with assurances that everything is fine—that the reports of our constituents are incorrect,” wrote the Senators. “This lack of transparency deepens our concern that the serious issues in the MN-ND district are not receiving adequate attention.” The Office of the Inspector General is an independent agency within the USPS that conducts essential oversight over Postal Service operations. Audits conducted by the Inspector General provide an informed, unbiased view of postal operations with a focus on preventing misuse of funds, promoting efficiency and integrity, and sharing information with the USPS Board of Governors, Congress, and USPS management. In their request for a full audit, the senators seek answers to the following issues: Smith and Klobuchar have long worked to improve the reliability of postal service in Minnesota. The
U.S. Senator Smith Joins Colleagues in Bipartisan Push for Clear Guidance on the New Free Applications for Federal Student Aid
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) joined a bipartisan group of colleagues led by Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Patty Murray (D-WA) in sending a letter urging the Department of Education to provide clear guidance and communication to students, families, educators, and schools leading up to and after the release of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The redesigned FAFSA will make it easier for millions of students to get financial aid and help 1.5 million more students access the maximum Pell Grant award, which is $7,395 for the 2023-24 award year. While the Department announced earlier in November that the new FAFSA will be released by December 31, 2023, it did not provide a concrete date and indicated that there will be processing delays in the first months of 2024, creating uncertainty for students and their families. The letter is also signed by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN),Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Laphonza Butler (D-CA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Bob Casey (D-PA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Joni Ernst (R-IA), John Fetterman (D-PA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Angus King (I-ME), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Ed Markey (D-MA), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR). “We understand that overhauling
Klobuchar, Smith Announce Loan Eligibility for Farmers Included in Interim Coronavirus Relief Package Passed by Senate
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith announced that farmers in Minnesota and across the country are now eligible for additional disaster loan relief under the most recent coronavirus relief package passed unanimously by the Senate. Under a bill passed by the Senate this week, agricultural enterprises will become eligible for the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and Emergency Economic Assistance Grant (EEAG) programs. These key changes will allow farmers to be eligible low-interest loans from the federal government, as well as grants of up to $10,000 to help farmers get through the coronavirus pandemic. This important provision
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, John Hoeven Lead Bipartisan Push to Treasury Department, Small Business Administration to Ensure Eligibility of Rural Electric Cooperatives in Paycheck Protection Program
WASHINGTON, D.C. [04/22/20]—Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and John Hoeven (R-N.D.) led a bipartisan group of senators in urging the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Small Business Administration (SBA) to clarify that rural electric cooperatives are eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was created under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to support small businesses and help them maintain payroll and cover expenses during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Some lenders are approving PPP loans for electric cooperatives, while other lenders are refusing to do so without further guidance from the SBA. Rural electric cooperatives have urged
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Says Latest Coronavirus Relief Package To Replenish Small Business Loan Fund, Also Adds Money For Hospitals and Testing
WASHINGTON, D.C. [04/21/20]— U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said the $470 billion coronavirus relief package which passed the Senate today will provide an additional $370 billion in urgently-needed emergency loans and grants for hard-hit small businesses in Minnesota and across the country. It also targets $75 billion to help hospitals handle the surge in infections and $25 billion to dramatically improve the nation’s coronavirus testing capabilities. Sen. Smith said she strongly supported the effort to provide additional and urgently-needed help to Minnesota small businesses who have yet to receive it, but said Congress may have to provide even more assistance if the funding in the package
Klobuchar, Smith, Colleagues Urge Administration to Protect Food Supply and Essential Workers During Coronavirus Pandemic
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) joined Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) in a group of 36 Democratic senators urging Vice President Mike Pence and other members of the Trump Administration to take action to help ensure the safety of the nation’s food supply and protect essential workers in the food supply chain. “It is vital that we do everything we can to protect food supply workers,” the senators wrote. “Breakdowns in the food supply chain could have significant economic impacts for both consumers and agricultural producers. It is also imperative that precautions are taken to ensure the
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