Latest Releases
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
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Durbin, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Increase Oversight of the For-Profit College Industry
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) joined her colleagues Dick Durbin (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) to reintroduce legislation to establish an interagency committee tasked with improving coordination of federal oversight of for-profit colleges, so that students are not scammed out of an education and into a mountain of debt. The bill, called the Proprietary Education Oversight Task Force Act, would improve enforcement of existing laws and make it easier for students to voice concerns about their experiences with for-profit colleges. “Students should be protected from predatory institutions that will leave them with thousands of dollars of debt and limited job prospects,” said Smith, a member of the Senate Education Committee. “This bill will protect students and taxpayers alike by improving the oversight of for-profit colleges.” “Predatory for-profit colleges rake in billions in federal student aid rather than to provide a quality education to students, who are often drowning in debt with a near-meaningless degree. We must step in to provide the proper federal oversight to stop this industry from continuing to take advantage of students,” said Durbin. “The Proprietary Education Oversight Task Force Act will give the power back to students. With readily available information about which colleges are known to take financial advantage of students, students will have the tools to make the best decision for the future of their education.” “For-profit colleges all too often put profit and enrollment over education by luring students into insufficient academic opportunities and leaving them with insurmountable debt,” said Blumenthal. “With the Proprietary Education Oversight Task Force Act, we
Klobuchar, Smith, Stauber Announce Over $1.9 Million in Funding for Rural Broadband Development in Aitkin County
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN), along with Representative Pete Stauber (R-MN-08) announced over $1.9 Million in funding for broadband deployment in Aitkin County. The Community Connect grant of $1,953,464 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be used to construct a fiber broadband network helping spur economic, business, telehealth, and educational improvements in Rice River Township and Spaulding Township. “Our 21st century economy demands 21st century infrastructure, and that requires investments in roads, bridges, airports, and rural broadband,” Klobuchar said. “This crucial funding will connect these communities – bringing high speed internet to even more
U.S. Sen. Tina Smith’s Statement on House Beginning Impeachment Proceedings
WASHINGTON, D.C. [09/24/19]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) released the following statement: “I support the House beginning impeachment proceedings, as a matter of national security, and protecting the rule of law and our Constitution. “Amid reports that the President asked or even actively pressured Ukraine, a foreign government, to interfere in our country’s democracy by undermining a political opponent, we must fully and fairly open a process to lay out all the facts. “Such an inquiry—which is different from removal from office—is serious. Impeachment is the only way in our system of constitutional checks and balances to establish whether a President has abused
Klobuchar, Smith Announce Over $19 Million in Funding for Infrastructure Improvements at Regional Airports
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded a total of $19,340,781 in grant funding for infrastructure improvements at regional Minnesota airports. “Critical investments in our infrastructure help create good jobs while enhancing public safety,” Klobuchar said. “By investing in our airport infrastructure across the state we are making an important investment in the economy of these regions.” “Airports are key transportation hubs and economic drivers for communities all across the state,” Smith said. “I’m glad the Department of Transportation is investing in projects to strengthen public safety and operations, and I will keep pressing
U.S. Senators Klobuchar and Smith Urge Minnesota Dairy Farmers to Take Advantage of Extended Enrollment Deadline for Margin Protection Program
WASHINGTON, D.C. [09/23/2019]—Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) are urging Minnesota dairy farmers to sign up for the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program by the extended deadline of September 27. The Senators said that the DMC program offers protection to dairy producers when the difference between the all-milk price and the average feed cost (the margin) falls below a certain dollar amount selected by the producer. All dairy operations in Minnesota are eligible for the DMC program. “Over the past few years, dairy farmers have continued to face market instability and sustained low prices and they deserve our support during tough times like these,” Sen. Klobuchar said. “This sign-up
English