Latest Releases
Senator Smith, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Child Care in Rural Communities
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) joined Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Roger Marshall (R-KS), and Mike Braun (R-IN) to introduce bipartisan, bicameral legislation to improve the availability and quality – and lower the cost – of childcare in agricultural and rural communities. A companion version of the Expanding Childcare in Rural America (ECRA) Act of 2023 was introduced in the House of Representatives by U.S. Representatives Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA-3), Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR-5), Tracey Mann (R-KS-1), and Yadira Caraveo (D-CO-8). “Access to childcare is essential, but for too many families living in rural places, it is out of reach”, said Sen. Smith, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. “I’ve heard from Minnesotans who have to drive 50 miles to take their kids to childcare and from providers who are struggling to find and keep staff. This bill will help improve the quality, availability and affordability of childcare in rural communities to help ensure that parents have the ability to pursue their careers.” “Child care is far too expensive and too hard to find for Ohio families, and parents in rural Ohio face unique challenges. Farm communities often lack enough transportation infrastructure and don’t have enough high-quality child care providers, and rural parents are more likely to work non-traditional hours,” said Sen. Brown, a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. “These are commonsense, bipartisan steps to make child care more affordable and accessible in rural communities, so that more Ohio parents can support their families.” “Access
Senators Klobuchar, Smith Announce Significant Investment in Grand Rapids Transit Project
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-MN) announced over $9.3 million in federal funding to support a free, on-demand transit service in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. The investment will be used to expand the current goMARTI (Minnesota’s Autonomous Regional Transit Initiative) vehicle fleet with electric vehicles and automated driving systems (ADS). The expanded fleet of vehicles will be wheelchair accessible and will expand service to communities that lack access to reliable, convenient transportation. “Investments in our transportation systems are a down-payment on the long-term economic success of our state and ensure Minnesotans can safely and reliably get to where they need to go,” said Klobuchar. “This federal funding will help meet Grand Rapids’ growing transit needs and provide accessible, efficient, and modern transportation options for residents and visitors alike.” “Each day, transit systems connect Minnesotans to their jobs, schools, grocery stores and countless other opportunities – all while reducing traffic congestion and pollution,” said Smith, Chair of the Senate Transit Subcommittee. “This funding will help modernize transit options around Grand Rapids with electric vehicles and new automated driving technology. It’s a big win for residents who have lacked access to affordable, modern, and accessible ways to get around.” The federal funding is made possible through the Advanced Transportation Technology and Innovation (ATTAIN) Program, which awards grants to deploy, install, and operate advanced transportation technologies. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which both Klobuchar and Smith helped pass, amended and helped fund the program. These projects are intended to help
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Senate Colleagues Call on Department of Agriculture to Speed up Development of Crop Guidelines Established in Farm Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/07/19]—This week, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and a bipartisan group of her Senate colleagues—led by Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.)—urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expedite the development of the cover crop guidelines that were established in the strong, bipartisan 2018 Farm Bill. Sen. Smith and her colleagues also requested that haying and grazing of cover crops on prevent plant acres be allowed prior to the current USDA-mandated November 1 harvest date. “According to the 2017 Census of Agriculture published last month, between 2012 and 2017, cover crops on
U.S. Senator Tina Smith: Affordable Housing, Rural and Native Areas Must Remain a Focus in Housing Finance Reform Discussions
WASHINGTON, D.C. [06/06/19]—Today, as Congress considers reforms to the nation’s housing finance system, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) outlined her top priorities. In a letter to the nation’s top housing finance agency and leaders of the Senate Banking Committee—on which she serves—Sen. Smith pressed the officials to make sure any changes to the housing finance system support the affordable housing market and housing availability in rural areas, including on tribal lands. Following the Senate Banking Committee’s hearings on the housing finance system earlier this year and ongoing discussions about housing finance reform, Sen. Smith is fighting to preserve meaningful gains
U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith, Reps. Pete Stauber, Jim Hagedorn, Collin Peterson, Laud Federal Investment in State’s Electric Infrastructure
WASHINGTON, D.C. [06/05/19]— U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and Representatives Pete Stauber (R-Minn. 8), Jim Hagedorn (R-Minn. 1), and Collin Peterson (D-Minn. 7) lauded the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) $133 million investment in Minnesota electric infrastructure that will improve services for more than 100,000 electric customers across the state. The loans provided to Minnesota included $52 million for Lake Country Power, which covers an eight county area in Rep. Stauber’s district, $36 million for People’s Energy Cooperative, which covers a six county area in Rep. Hagedorn’s district, and over $40 million for Stearns Cooperative Electric
Sen. Smith Lauds EPA’s Lifting of Summertime E15 Ban
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/31/19]—Today, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) lauded the lifting of the E15 ban, a move that will expand the use of ethanol in the nation’s fuel supply during the summer “Farmers in Minnesota and across the country have been hit hard by low farm prices and recent trade uncertainties that have pushed prices even lower,” Sen. Smith said. “This rule change—something I’ve long fought for–will increase demand for farm products, bolster our farm communities, all while expanding the use of renewable fuels nationwide.” Senator Smith, a member of the Agriculture committee, has consistently pushed for the
English