Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Joins Van Hollen, Durbin, Kaine, Schatz Amendment Requiring the Use of U.S. Supplemental Aid Comply with U.S., International Law
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Dick Durbin, (D-Ill.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) announced growing momentum around their amendment to require that the weapons received by any country under the proposed national security supplemental are used in accordance with U.S. law, international humanitarian law and the law of armed conflict. The amendment is now supported by Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), and Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.). These Senators add their support to the group of over a dozen Senators who initially cosponsored the amendment: Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), and Ed Markey (D-Mass.). The Senators’ amendment also requires that the president report to the Congress on whether countries receiving military equipment paid for by American taxpayers meet that test and whether the use of U.S-supplied weapons comports with established presidential directives on arms transfers and Defense Department policies for reducing harm to civilians. And it would buttress current law that prohibits U.S. security assistance to any country that prevents or restricts U.S. humanitarian assistance to those in need, subject to a presidential waiver. The amendment does not apply to funds for air defense systems or other systems that the president determines will be used for strictly defensive purposes. “I am pleased to see growing momentum behind our effort to ensure that American taxpayer dollars are used by our
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith Celebrate Selection of Minnesota Tribe for Innovative, Culturally Responsive Social Services Pilot Program
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-Minn.) celebrated news that the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe was selected for the Tiwahe Program Social Services Demonstration Project, an innovative program that allows participating Tribal Nations to integrate certain services for their members and incorporate culturally-appropriate components. Tiwahe, which means “family” in the Lakota language, focuses on job placement and training, social services, housing, wellness, and various courts to give Tribal Nations the ability to make these programs work best for their communities. “The Tiwahe Program gives Tribes the flexibility to design family and social services programs that fit the specific needs of their communities,” said Klobuchar. “The Leech Lake Band’s inclusion in the Tiwahe program and White Earth Band’s new grant will help improve the delivery of services for children and families while ensuring Chippewa traditions and values are incorporated into the programs.” “This program means Tribes will have the freedom to govern and deliver social services to their members in the way that works best for them,” said Smith, member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. “The Tiwahe program is a crucial part of fulfilling our trust and treaty responsibilities to Tribal Nations and Native communities. I am proud of support the Tiwahe program and the work of Tribal Nations in Minnesota.” Senator Smith wrote to the United States Department of Interior supporting Leech Lake Band’s application. Leech Lake Band’s Tiwahe project will work to improve economic security, cultural connections, natural resource stewardship, healthy lifestyles, and other key needs among Tribal members. Red Lake Nation has participated in the program
U.S. Senators Tina Smith & Lisa Murkowski Press Secretary DeVos for Answers About Undercounting American Indian and Alaska Native Students
WASHINGTON, D.C. [02/14/2020]—U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) pressed Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to stop undercounting the number of American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) students in America’s schools. Inaccurately identifying students leads to an incomplete picture of whether or not a school is adequately meeting students’ educational needs. Sens. Smith and Murkowski—both members of the Senate Indian Affairs and Education Committees—said that the Department of Education’s guidance and standards for the collection, aggregation and reporting of student race and ethnicity data are causing a significant undercounting of AIAN students at the federal level—especially for AIAN students from multiethnic or multiracial backgrounds. The Senators say that undercounting
U.S. Senators Smith, Murkowski Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Protect Children from Human Trafficking
WASHINGTON, D.C. [02/14/20]—According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), every two minutes a child is being victimized for sexual exploitation. Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)—along with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)—introduced the bipartisan Human Trafficking and Exploitation Prevention Training Act, which would prevent the human trafficking and exploitation of children by providing grants critical for training students, parents, teachers, and school personnel to understand, recognize, prevent, and respond to signs of human trafficking. Specifically, the bill would issue grants to non-profit organizations, schools, and educational agencies to develop and implement age-appropriate and culturally competent curriculum, all while prioritizing geographic
Klobuchar, Smith Help Secure Additional $3 Million of Crucial Funding for Lewis and Clark Regional Water System
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith announced that $3 million of the additional funding for the nation’s rural water projects—approved by Congress in December—will go the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System. In total the water system will receive $18 million in federal funding for fiscal year 2020. The Senators said that this water system serves communities across southwest Minnesota, northwest Iowa, and southeast South Dakota that don’t currently have a reliable source of clean water. Once completed, the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System will cover a service territory of more than 5,000 square miles and
Minnesota Congressional Delegation Urges FEMA to Provide Additional Financial Assistance and Review Procedures that led to 2019 Spring Storm Damage Underestimation
WASHINGTON – This week, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN), and Representatives Jim Hagedorn (R-MN-1), Angie Craig (D-MN-2), Dean Phillips (D-MN-3), Betty McCollum (D-MN-4), Ilhan Omar (D-MN-5), Tom Emmer (R-MN-6), Collin Peterson (D-MN-7), and Pete Stauber (R-MN-8) urged the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide additional financial assistance to the state and undertake a full review of the procedures that it relied on in developing its estimate of the damages from severe weather and widespread flooding in the spring of 2019 in Minnesota. Historic snowfall, ice, and melting snow caused widespread flooding and significant infrastructure damage
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