Latest Releases
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith Announce Significant Federal Infrastructure Funding for Two Harbors Helgeson Municipal Airport
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced they secured significant federal funding for Two Harbors Helgeson Municipal Airport, which will contribute to the construction of a general aviation terminal. The grant provides $1,140,000 to fund the construction of their new terminal, replacing the existing 640 square foot terminal built in 1976. The grant is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Klobuchar and Smith supported. “This major grant is going to be a gamechanger for the airport,” said Klobuchar. “This new terminal will upgrade the travel experience at Two Harbors Helgeson Municipal Airport for passengers and bring more economic activity to the area.” “The terminal at TWM airport hasn’t been updated for over 40 years, and I’m glad to see the airport receive funding to begin construction on a brand-new terminal that will bring a safer, faster passenger experience. Thanks to President Biden’s historic infrastructure package, we are finally bringing our air travel infrastructure into the 21st century, so Minnesotans traveling can focus on the important thing – getting where they need to go,” said Senator Smith. This funding is from the Airport Terminal Program, one of three aviation programs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. ###
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Announces Funding to Upgrade, Relocate Duluth International Airport’s Air Traffic Control Tower
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tina Smith announced she helped secure funding for Duluth International Airport’s Air Traffic Control Tower relocation project. The $10 million in funding will support relocating the non-standard tower currently at the airport, a tower which was commissioned in 1963. The airport coordinates over 67,000 arrivals/departures per year, contributes over $700 million to northern Minnesota’s economy, and supports over 6,000 jobs in the area. “The Duluth International Airport provides critical service to northern Minnesota, from commercial service to cargo, military and medical flights, yet it’s operating with a 70-year-old tower – the third oldest in the nation,” said Senator Smith. “This investment will make DLH safer and more efficient. It’s exactly the kind of project we aimed to support through the President’s infrastructure law.” In 2023, Smith joined the Minnesota delegation in sending a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requesting that they expedite reviews and approvals required for Duluth International Airport (DLH) to apply for grant funding to build a new air traffic control tower. ###
Klobuchar, Smith Announce Open Signup for Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is opening signup for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) on December 9, 2019. The deadline for agricultural producers to sign up for general CRP is February 8, 2020, while signup for continuous CRP is ongoing. The 2018 Farm Bill, which was signed into law in December 2018, includes Klobuchar’s provision to increase the number of acres in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to 27 million acres, based on Klobuchar and Senator John Thune’s (R-SD) Conservation Program Improvement Act. The 2018 Farm Bill also
Klobuchar, Smith Urge Department of Education to Address Loan Forgiveness for Defrauded Borrowers
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) are continuing to call on the Department of Education to address protections for student loan borrowers. In a letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Klobuchar and Smith called on the Department of Education to immediately stop collecting on the student debt of borrowers who were defrauded by Globe University (Globe) and Minnesota School of Business (MSB), discharge the covered loans, and process pending borrower defense applications. Klobuchar and Smith’s call follows recent news of Globe and MSB filing for bankruptcy, which may prevent these defrauded students from receiving any of
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Continues Bipartisan Fight to Improve Access to Rural Health Care for New and Expecting Moms
WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/04/19]–U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) is continuing her efforts with Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) to ensure new and expecting moms living in rural communities get the care they need by calling on Senate Health Committee leaders to hold a markup for the Rural Maternal and Obstetric Modernization of Services (Rural MOMS) Act. Earlier this year, Sen. Smith introduced her Rural MOMS legislation after hearing from Minnesotans and providers about the struggles families face in accessing maternity and obstetric care in rural areas and small towns. And this fall, the House companion bill to Sens. Smith and Murkowski’s bill advanced out of the House Committee
Klobuchar, Smith, Peterson Announce $200K for Transit Improvements in Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians
WASHINGTON D.C. [11/27/2019]–U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (D-Minn.), along with Representative Collin Peterson (D-MN-07), announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians a grant of $211,944 for transportation infrastructure improvements. The grant will help Red Lake Nation Public Transit purchase new buses and equipment, allowing it to accommodate ridership demand. Red Lake Nation Public Transit provides bus services on the reservation. “Investments in transportation serve as a down payment on the long-term economic well-being of our tribal communities and our state,” said Sen. Klobuchar. “By investing in buses and bus facilities for the Red Lake Band we are making
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