Latest Releases
Klobuchar, Smith Secure Significant Federal Funding for Highway Infrastructure Project in Brainerd
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has awarded $25 million in federal funding for the Highway 210 Brainerd Multimodal Connectivity Project. Specifically, the grant, provided through USDOT’s Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant (MPDG) program, will allow MnDOT to address critical safety concerns in the historic Brainerd Lakes Area. “As one of the busiest corridors in Crow Wing County, Highway 210 is an important link for local residents and businesses,” said Klobuchar. “These federal dollars will fund essential safety improvements for drivers and pedestrians, while making much-needed upgrades to public utility infrastructure.” “Infrastructure is the backbone of a strong, resilient economy,” said Smith. “Highway 210 helps connect families and businesses across the Brainerd Lakes area and is critical for shipping and commerce in northern Minnesota. Investing in projects like these not only makes our roads safer, but helps support local economies across the state.” Highway 210 through Brainerd is an important corridor for local residents, commuters, tourists, and freight. It has the highest traffic volumes in Crow Wing County and is the only continuous east‐west corridor in Brainerd. The $25 million grant will fund improvements to reduce the risk of fatal and serious injury crashes; create a network of multi-use sidewalks, crosswalks and trails; rehabilitate the Washington Street bridge; and allow the city of Brainerd to make critical improvements to aging public utility and stormwater systems. The MPDG Rural Surface Transportation Grant (Rural) program supports projects that improve and expand our nation’s surface transportation infrastructure in
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Amy Klobuchar Decry Postal Service’s Response to Minnesotans
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith and U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (both D-MN) slammed the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) responses to their recent letters as unacceptable. The letters asked the Postmaster General to take immediate steps to address the pressing concerns of Minnesotans. After hearing from Bemidji-area constituents and postal workers, Senators Smith and Klobuchar pressed the Postmaster General about agreements made with Amazon that have overwhelmed the already-stretched postal system in Minnesota and pushed workers into dangerous and unsustainable conditions. Minnesotans rely on the Postal Service to receive prescriptions, paychecks, and other essential needs, and Minnesotans across the state have reported delays in receiving these deliveries. Postal workers, particularly in the Bemidji area, report chaos as they are told to prioritize the deliveries of Amazon packages over regular mail and lack of staffing to meet the Postal Service’s delivery standards. In response to Senators Smith and Klobuchar’s letters, the Postal Service asserted that, “for the most part, all mailpieces and packages, including in Bemidji, are being delivered daily.” Dozens of reports from across Minnesota, including from members of Senator Smith’s staff and their families, contradict that claim. Additionally, postal workers and constituents report mail deliveries going out well into the night – hours after dark – which is dangerous as well as an unreasonable work load. Senators Smith and Klobuchar stand by the reports of Minnesotans. Plus, the Postal Service’s Inspector General has found that USPS’s tracking systems are unreliable and riddled with false data, a problem Sen. Smith and Klobuchar have introduced legislation to fix. “The Postal Service management has asked me to take their word over the words of Minnesotans. I believe Minnesotans,” said Senator Smith. “This week, I have heard from postal workers and their families
Sen. Tina Smith Named to Bipartisan Select Committee to Solve Pensions Crisis Facing 22,000 Minnesotans
Sen. Tina Smith was appointed to a newly formed bipartisan panel tasked with finding solutions to a financial crisis that’s threatening the hard-earned pensions of 22,000 retired Minnesotans. The Joint Select Committee on Solvency of Multiemployer Pension Plans, established as part of the bipartisan budget agreement reached earlier this month, will provide recommendations and legislative language to significantly improve the solvency of multiemployer pension plans and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. Without reforms, as many as 100 pension plans across the country—including the troubled Central States Pension Fund, which covers those 22,000 Minnesotans—are on track to become insolvent. “There are
Sen. Tina Smith’s First Bill Would Address Unscrupulous Big Pharma Tactic That Prevents Minnesotans from Accessing Affordable Rx Drugs
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s first standalone piece of legislation—the Expanding Access to Low Cost Generic Drugs Act—takes aim at a big pharma tactic that keeps affordable generic drugs out of the hands of Minnesota families and seniors. Sen. Smith’s bill, which she introduced today and is similar to a policy endorsed by the Trump Administration, gets at the heart of a major concern facing Minnesota families and seniors right now: prescription drug prices. We’re at the point now where around 25 percent of Americans who take prescription drugs report difficulty affording them. And while generic drugs are often a much less
Sen. Tina Smith Questions Five Big Pharma CEOs on Use of Corporate Tax Savings
Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith questioned a group of major pharmaceutical executives on how they are using billions of their corporate tax cut dollars, expressing concern that the companies may be using the funds to enrich investors through stock “buybacks” and shareholder payouts instead of prioritizing lower prescription drug prices. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, signed into law in December, reduced the corporate income tax rate by over 40 percent, providing these companies with a large windfall of corporate tax savings that could be used to bring down costs for consumers or invest in new research and development. However,
Sen. Tina Smith Calls for 2018 Federal Funding Bill to Invest in Minnesotans
As the Senate works on this year’s federal spending bill—often referred to as the appropriations process—U.S. Senator Tina Smith is fighting to prioritize investments in Minnesota families, seniors, and communities. The bill is expected to be released later this month. In a letter sent to leaders of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Sen. Smith said “I look forward to working with you throughout the appropriations process to provide strong funding for programs that support the health, education, safety, and prosperity of Minnesotans.” You can read a full list of her priorities here or below: Dear Chairman Cochran and Vice Chairman Leahy: As the
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