Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Statement on Musk and Trump Administration Gutting Heating Assistance for Minnesotans During Severe Winter Weather
MINNEAPOLIS – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) released the following statement in response to the news that Elon Musk, DOGE and the Trump Administration have fired all federal workers charged with distributing funding and administering the Low-Income Heating and Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps families pay utility bills when they need help making ends meet through Minnesota’s Energy Assistance Program. “Firing all the workers from the office that helps families keep their homes warm and safe through the winter is thoughtless and cruel. Hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans are facing severe winter weather right now, and the need for heating assistance is greater than ever. Minnesota still hasn’t received all the federal funding it was promised to make sure everyone who is eligible for this assistance can receive it. 130,000 of our neighbors rely on this program. People will be left in limbo unless this Administration listens and reinstates these workers,” said Senator Smith.“I want answers. I fought for this funding for a reason, and I’m not just going to sit and watch it get ripped away from Minnesotans.” Senator Smith and Senator Klobuchar have long been champions of the LIHEAP program. They secured $112 million for Minnesota last year, an increase from years prior.
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Hosts Flag Ceremony with Minnesota Tribal Nations
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Monday, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) hosted a Flag Ceremony with Tribal leaders from Tribal Nations across Minnesota in Washington, D.C. A Flag Ceremony is a formal event to honor the flags of Tribal Nations and the Tribes’ sovereignty, identity, and history. The Mille Lacs Singers sang the Flag Song to commemorate the occasion. Senator Smith will display the flags of the 11 Tribal Nations in Minnesota at her offices in Washington, D.C. and St. Paul in recognition of the government-to-government relationships with the Tribal Nations. This is the first time that a member of the Minnesota Congressional delegation has flown all 11 flags at once. “It is our duty to honor our trust and treaty obligations to Tribal Nations and protect their inherent sovereignty,” said Senator Smith. “This Flag Ceremony demonstrates my commitment to working with Tribal Nations to ensure their self-governance and self-determination, and I am deeply honored that Tribal leaders in Minnesota trust me to be a representative for them in the federal government. I will proudly display all 11 flags in my offices.” “It was an honor to stand with our Mille Lacs Band singers as we lifted our voices to recognize Senator Tina Smith. Her respect for our Band’s flag—and the flags of the ten other sovereign Tribal Nations in Minnesota—speaks to her deep understanding of what sovereignty means to our people,” said Chief Executive Virgil Wind of the Mille Lacs Band. “Like all of us who are called to serve, she has made a commitment to uphold
Following Efforts from Klobuchar, Smith, and the Entire Minnesota Delegation, FEMA Issues Disaster Assistance for Flood Recovery in Martin and Murray Counties
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved the delivery of Individual Assistance for Minnesotans affected by severe storms and flooding across Martin and Murray counties. The Individual Assistance programs provide disaster survivors with access to a range of programs and services to aid in the recovery process, including financial assistance to eligible individuals and households. Damage assessments by federal, state, and local emergency management teams are ongoing, and FEMA may designate more counties and additional forms of assistance as damage is assessed. “The flooding this summer
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Announces Climate Resiliency Projects for Lower Sioux Indian Community
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) announced Lower Sioux Indian Community (LSIC) will receive federal funding to reduce harmful carbon emissions and energy costs in Tribal homes and businesses. LSIC will be awarded nearly $5 million from the Inflation Reduction Act’s climate provisions, which Senator Smith helped to pass into law. This award will allow LSIC to: “Our transition to a clean energy economy can’t leave Indian Country behind. We are finally starting to turn the page on generations of underinvestment and underfunding by the federal government in Indian Country through projects like this,” said Senator Smith. “Tribes know what works
Klobuchar, Smith Statements on the Bipartisan Senate Confirmation of Laura Provinzino to be U.S. District Court Judge
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Laura Provinzino to serve as United States District Court Judge for the District of Minnesota. Currently serving as an Assistant United States Attorney with the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, Provinzino was one of the candidates sent to President Biden by Senators Klobuchar and Smith following the recommendation from a judicial selection committee. “As a federal prosecutor, Laura Provinzino has dedicated her career to upholding the rule of law and
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Applauds Biden-Harris Administration’s New Rule to Strengthen Mental Health Parity
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, on Tuesday released the following statement on the Biden-Harris administration’s recent actions to boost private insurance coverage for mental health care for 175 million Americans. Even though it’s already law that insurance companies must cover mental health as they do physical health, many don’t comply, and insured Americans are nearly four times as likely go out-of-network and pay higher fees for mental health care than for physical health care. “We need to treat mental health with the same urgency we treat
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