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Senators Smith, Shaheen Reintroduce Legislation to Protect Access to Affordable Housing for Families in Rural Areas
[Washington, DC] – This week, U.S. Tina Smith (D-MN) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) reintroduced legislation to ensure that thousands of low-income tenants in rural areas are able to maintain access to safe and affordable housing. The Strategy and Investment in Rural Housing Preservation Act would protect access to affordable housing for families in rural areas that are often elderly or disabled, who are at risk of losing rental assistance through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Housing Service (RHS). “Without access to housing, nothing else in your life works. Not your job, your health, your education or your family,” said Senator Smith. “As Chair of the Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development, I have worked with stakeholders to expand access to affordable housing, but we also need to make sure that people who already have a place they call home can keep it that way. And that’s what this bill does. Our measure would help families and elderly Minnesotans stay in their homes.” “The pandemic exacerbated housing insecurity in New Hampshire and across the nation, and that was felt especially hard in rural communities,” said Senator Shaheen. “As Americans recover from the economic hardships of COVID-19, addressing the affordable housing crisis is pivotal. Every Granite Stater deserves to be safely housed, and it’s crucial that Congress acts now to lessen the impact of the affordable housing crisis on vulnerable families. The Strategy and Investment in Rural Housing Preservation Act would help address these obstacles by providing resources
Senator Smith Reintroduces Legislation to Provide Free Emergency Insulin on Rx Companies’ Dime
WASHINGTON [5.11.23] – This week, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) reintroduced legislation to hold insulin manufacturers accountable for excessive increases in the price of life-sustaining insulin. The Emergency Access to Insulin Act would provide emergency access to insulin for people in Minnesota and across the country who can’t afford the skyrocketing price of the drug that they need to stay alive. “Over a million people are rationing their insulin so they can afford it. And sometimes, they are paying with their lives,” said Sen. Smith. “This bill will allow states to set up a program to provide insulin on an emergency basis, put insulin manufacturers on the hook by requiring them to foot the bill for these programs, hold these manufacturers accountable for gouging the price of insulin, and promote market competition to drive down the price of insulin. This bill holds the right people accountable. To the greedy practice of wielding market power to continually increase prices and make billions off a drug that has been around for over a century, this bill says—no more. This is about providing Minnesotans and Americans with the insulin they need to survive.” “We’ve seen firsthand over the last several months that the pressure we’ve put on drug companies to lower insulin costs is working, and today’s bill is the next step in our fight to make insulin affordable for every American who needs it,” said Rep. Craig. “I’m grateful to Rep. Phillips and Sen. Smith for their partnership on this important issue.”
Sen. Tina Smith Presses Veterans Department to Explain Life-Endangering Failures in New Digital Health System
U.S. Sen. Tina Smith called on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to explain several serious issues with a digital health system designed for clinics and hospitals that treat millions of veterans and service members. The system, which is being tested right now at a handful of military hospitals and is set to be scaled up nationwide in the years to come, has been mired so far by glitches and dangerous errors that put patients at risk. According to a report from Politico, the initial rollout of the MHS Genesis EHR system has resulted in substantial slowdowns, serious medical errors, and a
Senator Tina Smith Urges Agriculture Department to Hear From Minnesotans as Part of Fight to Combat Opioid Epidemic
U.S. Senator Tina Smith is continuing her push to address the opioid epidemic by calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to host a rural opioid misuse roundtable in Minnesota. This comes after introducing a bill last week to help tribes across the country access the resources they need to address mental health and substance use disorders. Earlier this month, the USDA announced it will be holding a series of monthly meetings on opioids in Pennsylvania, Utah, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Maine. Sen. Smith understands the toll the opioid and drug overdose epidemic is having on families and rural communities across Minnesota, and that’s
Sen. Tina Smith Ramps up Workforce Development Efforts; Plans to Author Legislation after Gathering Minnesota Input
Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith announced that over the next two weeks she will be traveling across the state to talk with Minnesotans about expanding workforce development opportunities. Sen. Smith said there are many good-paying jobs that don’t require a four-year college degree or taking on loads of student debt. At a series of upcoming meetings, she’ll talk about these jobs while also gathering input from students, community leaders, businesses, and local schools about addressing workforce preparedness issues like the “skills gap.” Once she gets back to Washington, Sen. Smith will author legislation—based on her meetings—to help as many Minnesotans as
Senator Tina Smith, Congressman Rick Nolan Introduce Legislation to Protect Minnesota Families in Rural Areas from Losing their Homes
U.S. Senator Tina Smith and Rep. Rick Nolan (D-Minn.) have teamed up to support affordable housing for Minnesotans who live in rural areas. The Rural Housing Preservation Act, which the two lawmakers introduced this week, would help families, seniors, and people with disabilities who are at risk of losing rental assistance through the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Housing Service. The bill also gives communities more flexibility to maintain their existing affordable housing options. “As a leader of the rural development caucus, a top priority of mine is to help communities with issues like housing access,” said Senator Smith.“I’ve had
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