Latest Releases
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. ###
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith Announce Expansion of Terminal 2 at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-Minn.) announced federal funding for the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to expand Terminal 2. The project will add two new gates to the terminal’s north side, Gates H15 and H16. The funding comes from President Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure legislation, which Senators Klobuchar and Smith helped pass. “Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is among the busiest airports in the country and supports tens of thousands of jobs,” said Senator Klobuchar. “This funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will enable the airport to continue serving the Twin Cities area, improve the travel experience for passengers, and maintain its position as a top-ranking airport.” “MSP is a critical transportation hub and economic driver for communities across Minnesota,” said Senator Smith. “This investment will make sure MSP remains one of the best airports in the world and has the capacity to meet demand.” The $20,000,000 grant was awarded through the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Terminals Program, which received a $5 billion boost through the President’s infrastructure legislation. The program funds safe, sustainable and accessible airport terminals, on-airport rail access projects and airport-owned traffic control towers. Several investments have been made in Minnesota’s largest airport since President Biden signed the infrastructure legislation that Klobuchar and Smith helped pass, including five new boarding bridges, new electrical substations for baggage claim, the north security checkpoint, and airport police, as well as new walkways, ramps, and slopes to support passengers with disabilities. The law has also funded a portion of a project to rehabilitate and
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, U.S. Representative Angie Craig Introduce 21st Century Workforce Partnerships Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. [10/23/19]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and U.S. Representative Angie Craig (D-MN 2) introduced companion bills in the Senate and House to help Minnesotans secure careers in high-demand fields by fueling workforce training partnerships between schools and local businesses. Smith and Craig said that everybody, whether they attend a four-year college or pursue a trade, should be able to find a good-paying career. The 21st Century Workforce Partnerships Act—which is supported by Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-Nv.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) in the Senate—addresses a major need in the modern economy: hands-on training to prepare students for the high-skill jobs of today, while also
U.S. Sens. Klobuchar, Smith & U.S. Reps. Peterson, Stauber: Over $350k in Infrastructure and IT Investments Awarded to 3 Tribal Colleges in Minnesota
WASHINGTON, D.C. [10/17/2019]—U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (D-Minn.), along with U.S. Representatives Collin Peterson (D-MN 7) and Pete Stauber (R-MN 8), lauded the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for awarding over $350,000 to three tribal colleges in Minnesota—Leech Lake Tribal College, Red Lake Nation College and White Earth Tribal and Community College—for infrastructure improvements. “These rural development investments for Red Lake Nation College, White Earth Nation College, and Leech Lake Tribal College will help students gain access to the best possible options to advance their education,” said Sen. Klobuchar. “Minnesotans have a long tradition of honoring our tribal communities, yet we still have work to do
In Senate Hearing, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith Calls Administration’s RFS Policy “a Bait and Switch,” Urges Deputy Secretary to Stand up for Farmers
WASHINGTON, DC [10/17/19]— Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) pressed U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Stephen Censky about the Administration’s policy on the amount of corn-based ethanol and other renewable fuels blended into the nation’s gasoline supply. Sen. Smith, who has long urged expanded use of renewables, said that a strong renewable fuels standard is critically important to Minnesota corn and soybean farmers and is key to job creation in many rural communities. Her questioning came in response to President Trump’s announcement two weeks ago that he would take steps to make up for the abuse of small refinery waivers, which have allowed oil refineries to avoid using
U.S. Senators Tina Smith & Lisa Murkowski Introduce Bipartisan Tribal Energy Legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C. [10/16/2019]—Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced the bipartisan Tribal Energy Reauthorization Act (TERA), which would update eligibility requirements for energy project grants and encourage more locally and regionally based partnerships when providing technical assistance to tribes. Sens. Smith and Murkowski—both members of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee—said the legislation would reauthorize and improve the Department of Energy’s Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs (OIE). The bill reauthorizes OIE and the Tribal Energy Loan Guarantee Program (TELGP) through 2030. “We need to work with people in local communities—those who are closest to the work—in order to
English