Latest Releases
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
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Joins Senators Murphy, Coons, Merkley, 20 Colleagues Urging Biden Administration to Work with Israel to Take 5 Steps to Get More Humanitarian Aid Into Gaza
WASHINGTON– U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) joined U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism, Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and 20 colleagues in a letter to President Biden urging the administration to encourage Israeli officials to take five specific steps to significantly increase urgently needed humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza. “The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is dire and the civilian suffering is at an unacceptable and staggering level. Ninety-three percent of Palestinians in Gaza are facing crisis levels of hunger. Eighty-five percent of the population is displaced. Seventy percent of those killed are women and children,” the senators wrote. “While the scale of the crisis is massive, the humanitarian assistance that is entering Gaza is just a fraction of what is needed to save lives. Since aid operations resumed on October 21, delivery of lifesaving assistance to Gaza continues to be hampered, despite no evidence of Hamas theft or diversion of humanitarian assistance provided via the United Nations or international non-governmental organizations (INGOs).” In order to significantly increase the amount of humanitarian aid entering Gaza, the senators recommended the administration work with Israeli officials to take five specific steps: “The largest daily amount of humanitarian aid entered Gaza on November 28th, during the seven-day humanitarian pause. Additional and longer humanitarian pauses are needed to enable a surge of assistance to enter Gaza and the safe movement of goods and people within Gaza. A humanitarian pause will
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
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Says Mayor Bob Anderson Was Dedicated to “Anything and Everything Connected to His Beloved International Falls”
MINNESOTA [09/20/19]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) released the following statement about the passing of International Falls mayor Bob Anderson: “I am deeply saddened to hear about the passing of International Falls Mayor Bob Anderson. Mayor Anderson was passionate about his community and his love was reflected in his years of dedication to the airport, hospital, Highway 53 Task Force, the county, anything and everything connected to his beloved International Falls. I’m grateful I saw him just this August. He was a friend and I will miss seeing him when I visit the Borderland.”
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