Latest Releases
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith and Congresswoman Betty McCollum Announce Federal Funding for Energy Efficiency Upgrades in Minnesota
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (Both D-MN) and Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN04) announced federal support to help cities and commercial buildings develop plans to implement energy efficiency and clean energy upgrades across Minnesota. It will also be used to help eligible homeowners install energy efficiency upgrades in their homes, like installing energy efficient furnaces and water heaters or improving insulation and sealing windows, providing them long term cost-savings. The money comes from President Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure legislation, which both Senators and the Congresswoman voted for in 2021. “Investing in energy efficiency upgrades and clean energy sources can help lower utility bills and our carbon footprint,” said Klobuchar. “With these federal funds, Minnesota businesses and families can install the equipment they need to retrofit their homes to save money, and communities can get assistance to implement their energy goals.” “The transition to clean energy is happening, the question is whether our country leads or follows. I want us to lead,” said Senator Smith. “The cheapest and cleanest energy is the energy that you don’t ever need to buy. These investments will help Minnesota businesses, communities, and families save money on their utility bills and reduce harmful emissions contributing to climate change.” “I am so pleased that Minnesotans will benefit from the $2,566,630 total investment in our state through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program,” said Congresswoman McCollum. “The City of Saint Paul’s visionary Climate Action and Resilience Plan will be directly supported by these funds to conduct municipal energy audits and further their strategy to decarbonize municipal buildings by 2030. I commend President Biden for this important investment that will help us meet our climate goals
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith Announce USDA Partnership to Expand, Bolster Minnesota’s Food Supply Chain
WASHINGTON [2/7/2024] – Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-MN), members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, announced federal funding to strengthen the middle portions of Minnesota’s food supply chain. These funds will help small farms and small food businesses access more customers and help consumers find more locally-grown goods – oftentimes at lower cost. The funding is made possible through the American Rescue Plan, legislation both Klobuchar and Smith supported. “To keep prices low at the grocery store, we need to invest in our food supply chain to make it resilient from disruptions and bottlenecks,” said Klobuchar. “These grants will strengthen the infrastructure needed to bring food from farm to table, support farmers as they expand into new markets, and deliver technical skills training for local food businesses.” “Farmers in Minnesota know firsthand the vulnerabilities of our food supply chain and the importance of making it more resilient in the long term,” said Smith. “This funding will help strengthen our food supply system and also expand opportunity for farmers in Minnesota and around the country by creating new and better markets for their products.” This funding is one of many actions taken under the Biden Administration to expand processing capacity and increase competition in agriculture, making markets more accessible, fair, competitive and resilient for producers. The four-year partnership between the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and United States Department of Agriculture will bolster the middle of Minnesota’s food supply chain, meaning more opportunities for producers to sell their goods, better infrastructure for food businesses to operate with, and
Members of Minnesota Congressional Delegation: FEMA Agrees to 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), Tom Emmer (R-MN-6), and Collin Peterson (D-MN-7) announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has committed to a review of the information sharing practices that led to the 2019 spring storm damage underestimation. FEMA also committed to allow as much additional time as needed during future assessments to gather damage information that will improve the cost estimation process so that “sticker shock” can be avoided. These commitments from FEMAcome in response to a letter the delegation sent earlier this month calling
U.S. Senators Smith & Baldwin Urge President to Properly Fund Coronavirus Response Without Taking Away From Vital Energy Assistance Program
WASHINGTON, D.C. [02/28/20]—U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) are calling on President Trump to support funding to address the spread of the Coronavirus without taking away resources from the important Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps keep Minnesotans and Wisconsinites warm and able to pay their utility bills in the cold winter months. Sens. Smith and Baldwin have fought for the vital program each time the administration has sought to cut it, and they’re in Minnesota today making a push on behalf of families and seniors who rely on LIHEAP. In Minnesota alone, 315,000 people—with
U.S. Senators Smith, Baldwin, Rubio Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Help Communities Strengthen Infrastructure
WASHINGTON, D.C. [02/27/20]—Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) introduced bipartisan legislation to ensure federal, state, local and private infrastructure is more resilient to extreme weather events. The Built to Last Act would make it possible for the standards-developing organizations that issue building codes and other standards have the best available information on weather-related risks—including floods and wildfires. Roads and bridges, water and wastewater systems, government buildings and power lines provide essential services to families and communities, but extreme weather poses a significant risk to vital infrastructure. Last year, the Congressional Budget Office estimated annual economic losses
Klobuchar, Smith Announce More Than $6.7 Million for Investments in Affordable Housing
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith announced more than $6.7 million in grant funding for investments in Minnesota organizations to promote affordable housing. The Volunteers of America National Services in Eden Prairie received $6 million and Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity received $735,000. These resources come from a U.S. Department of the Treasury fund that promotes affordable housing and economic development in economically distressed neighborhoods across the United States. “Increasing the availability of homes that families can fit in their budget is one of the most important issues for our state,” Klobuchar said. “These resources will help Minnesotans build and maintain reliable, affordable
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