Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on the Vote to Confirm of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson
WASHINGTON, D.C. [04/07/22]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) released the following statement on the bipartisan confirmation of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court of the United States: “I had a front row seat to history today as the Senate voted to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. “I was proud to vote to confirm Judge Jackson, the first Black woman and first former federal public defender to serve on the Supreme Court. Judge Jackson showed character, intellect, and grace through the entire confirmation process. She is a brilliant legal mind and has stellar credentials as a judge. I have full confidence that she will protect the freedoms guaranteed in our Constitution and uphold the promise of equal justice under the law. “I look forward to seeing Justice Jackson on the Supreme Court. She will make an exceptional justice.”
Sens. Smith, Stabenow, and Rep. Maloney Lead Colleagues in Introducing Bicameral Package of Legislation to Target Abusive Pharmaceutical Business Practices
Washington, D.C. [04.07.22]—Today, Sens. Tins Smith (D-MN), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY-12), led colleagues—including Rep. Peter Welch and Rep. Jan Schakowsky—in introducing a package of legislation targeting business practices pharmaceutical companies use to suppress competition, maintain market monopolies, and keep drug prices high. The legislative reforms follow the Oversight Committee’s three-year investigation into pharmaceutical pricing and business practices that exposed pharmaceutical company practices to suppress competition from lower-priced generics and biosimilars and make drug prices unaffordable for many Americans. “There is no good reason Americans should be paying more than any country in the world for their prescription drugs.” said Sen. Smith. “This bill would prevent large pharmaceutical companies from using anti-competitive tactics that keep prices high for families struggling to pay for life saving drugs. I will keep pushing to make sure this commonsense legislation gets across the finish line.” “The House Oversight Committee and I have partnered for years to expose how the American people are being ripped off by drug companies who use taxpayer-funded research to develop lifesaving prescription drugs. We have seen how these drug companies then turn around and charge exorbitant prices for these drugs when people need them the most, without ever having to disclose what they actually spend on research and development. Today, Chairwoman Maloney, Senator Smith and I are introducing new bills to finally put an end to these practices,” said Sen. Stabenow. “In 2022, no one should be making the hard choice of paying for needed medications
Sen. Tina Smith Cosponsors Bipartisan Effort to Expand Minnesota Farm Exports
Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith continued her fight to open new international markets for Minnesota farm products by throwing her support behind bipartisan legislation to help farmers, rural cooperatives, and small businesses sell more exports abroad. The Cultivating Revitalization by Expanding American Agricultural Trade and Exports Act (CREAATE) would bolster funding for key USDA programs that help American farmers branch out into international markets. Expanding these business opportunities and trade partnerships would provide some much-needed support to family farmers and ag operations across the state that have weathered tough commodity prices during recent years.
Sen. Tina Smith Fights Against Federal Proposal to Raise Rent, Impose Strict Requirements on More Than 72,000 Minnesota Households
U.S. Senator Tina Smith called on Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Ben Carson to scrap a proposal that would raise rent and impose strict requirements on 72,400 Minnesota households, and millions more across the country. After Secretary Carson released his plan that would hurt millions living in federal housing, Sen. Smith called on him on Tuesday to scrap these efforts and instead work to improve access to affordable, stable housing for Minnesotans and people across the nation. “If enacted, this proposal would leave even more low income people without stable homes, including seniors, people with disabilities, veterans, and children,” wrote Sen. Smith. “Nationally, 4.1
Sen. Smith’s Statement on President’s Decision to Withdraw From Iran Deal
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/08/18]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith released the following statement after President Trump announced that the United States will withdraw from the Iran Nuclear Agreement. “Iran must never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon—they are a threat to the region and to U.S. national security interests. “A withdrawal from the Iran Nuclear Agreement, however, will do nothing to reduce that threat. The Iran deal was never perfect, but I am profoundly concerned that walking away from it with no legitimate basis for doing so is bad for our national security. It heightens the risk of Iran developing a
Sen. Tina Smith’s New Bill Expands Workforce Training Partnerships between Minnesota Schools & Businesses
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/09/18]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith continued her push to help Minnesotans secure careers in high-demand fields with new legislation to fuel workforce training partnerships between schools and local businesses. Often, good-paying jobs in areas like advanced manufacturing, construction, IT, and health care don’t require an expensive four-year degree. But students either aren’t aware of or don’t have access to local programs that provide the training for those jobs. The 21st Century Workforce Partnerships Act gets at the heart of that issue. Sen. Smith’s bill addresses a major need in our modern economy: education and hands-on training for the high-skill jobs of
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