Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Colleagues Urge the Department of Justice to Improve Public Safety on Tribal Lands
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) joined her colleagues in sending a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland inquiring about the high rates of criminal cases on Tribal land that U.S. Attorneys’ Offices decline to prosecute. The letter was led by Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and was signed by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM). The Senators ask a series of questions to better understand the reasons behind the high rates of declinations. Specifically, the letter asks about the lack of evidence in these cases and the Department’s “prioritization of federal interests” to justify a decision to decline prosecution. Their letter also seeks more information regarding coordination between the Justice Department and Bureau of Indian Affair’s Murdered and Missing Indigenous Unit. “According to the Justice Department’s own findings, Native American women are two to three times more likely than women of any other race to experience violence, stalking or sexual assault. Yet, the Department declines to prosecute half of these cases,” wrote the Senators. “This in turn contributes to a culture whereby offenders feel emboldened because there is no one to hold them accountable. And families of victims often feel as though law enforcement is not proving regular updates on their cases.” Read the full text of the letter below: Dear Attorney General Garland, We write with concern regarding the high rates of prosecutorial declinations in Indian Country. As you know, Section 212 of the Tribal Law and Order Act (TLOA) requires
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Debbie Stabenow, Reps. Paul Tonko, Brian Fitzpatrick, David Trone Reintroduce Legislation Expanding Mental Health Care Access, Increase Medicaid Reimbursement Rate
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.), a member of the Senate Health Committee, joined by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, to announce reintroduced legislation to expand access to mental health services for low-income families and children, the elderly, and people living with disabilities. The Medicaid Bump Act would increase the federal reimbursement rate for mental and behavioral health care services under Medicaid, which covers one fifth of all Americans with mental health disorders. A House companion bill was introduced by U.S. Representatives Paul D. Tonko (D-NY-20), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01) and David Trone (D-MD-06). “Too many people don’t have access to the mental or behavioral health care they need, and providers struggle to provide that care because they don’t get reimbursed enough for their services.” said Senator Smith. “This bill will improve equity in mental and behavioral health care by helping patients access the care that they need and ensuring providers get paid fairly. I want anyone suffering from a mental health issue to know they are not alone. We can all help break the stigma by talking about it, and then we have to go to work to get people the services they need.” “We should treat health care above the neck the same way we treat health care below the neck. Currently, too many folks don’t have access to affordable behavioral health care in our country. Senator Smith and I introduced this bill to help close the gap in services and help people get the care they need,” said Senator Stabenow. “Mental and behavioral health services should be readily
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Says Farmers, Businesses, Consumers to be Helped When U.S.-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement Takes Effect Wednesday
WASHINGTON, D.C. [07/01/20]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said that she expects the U.S-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement (USMCA) going into effect today to add much-needed trade certainty for Minnesota farmers, businesses, and consumers who have weathered years of uncertain trade policies and are facing a challenging coronavirus pandemic. Sen. Smith., a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, who helped secure key improvements to the bipartisan agreement, including strengthened protections for workers and improved access to affordable medicines, also pushed to ensure it will open new markets for U.S. dairy exports and will end unfair Canadian milk pricing rules that hurt farmers in
Thune, Smith Introduce Bill to Ease Application Process for the Impact Aid Program During COVID-19 Pandemic
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) today introduced the Impact Aid Coronavirus Relief Act, legislation that would allow school districts participating in the Impact Aid Program to use their student headcount from the 2020-2021 school year, which have already been calculated, on their Impact Aid applications for the 2021-2022 school year. School districts will begin to complete their Impact Aid applications for the 2021-2022 school year this fall, and this bill would ensure that schools do not need to recalculate federally connected students during the uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Impact Aid is a program that reimburses school
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, U.S. Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester Introduce Plan to Make Public Facility Infrastructure Better Prepared for Public Health Emergencies
WASHINGTON, D.C. [06/24/20]—As the country continues to confront the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and U.S. Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) introduced legislation to make public facilities both more energy efficient and better prepared for future public health emergencies. The Open Back Better Act would provide stimulus funding for energy efficiency and resiliency retrofit projects in schools, medical facilities, government buildings, education institutions, libraries, and more. Sen. Smith and Rep. Rochester said their legislation promotes environmental justice by prioritizing low-income, COVID-19 impacted communities. Funded energy efficiency and resiliency retrofits could include project components designed to improve safety and indoor air quality. This is particularly important for facilities re-opening before there is a vaccine for COVID-19. “Now, more than
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Leads Push on USDA to More Quickly Allocate COVID-19 Relief Funds to Bolster Rural Broadband Access
WASHINGTON, D.C. [06/23/20]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) led her Senate colleagues in calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to speed up spending the resources allocated within COVID-19 relief legislation to expand broadband access for Minnesota families and people across the country. In her letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue this week, Sen. Smith and her colleagues point out that Congress recognized the urgent need for broadband access in rural communities, and made sure the CARES Act included $100 million for the ReConnect Program. However, much of the allocated funds are still unspent. Sen. Smith’s letter was also signed by
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