Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Joins Colleagues to Unveil New Child Care Bill
Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) joined over three dozen lawmakers led by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) in unveiling new legislation that would expand access to affordable child care to every American family, offer high-quality early education to every child, and create good jobs for our early educators. “Access to childcare is essential, both for the safe and healthy development of our kids, and because it allows parents the freedom to pursue their careers and contribute to the economy,” said Senator Smith. “But right now, childcare is too expensive and inaccessible for many families. I am proud to cosponsor this legislation which would ensure every family has access to high-quality, affordable childcare so that our kids, their parents, and our economy can reach their full potential.” Under the legislation, half of families nationwide would pay no more than $10 a day for child care, and all families would see their child care costs capped. Additionally, the bill would introduce a sliding scale system to ensure child care is significantly more affordable based on families’ income, similar to the U.S. military child care program. Lack of access to high-quality, affordable child care prevents parents from fully participating in the workforce, holding them back from career opportunities, making it hard for businesses to find workers, and placing a drag on our entire economy. Lack of affordable, high-quality care and early education also means many children in the U.S. start kindergarten without the skills they need
Senators Klobuchar, Smith Announce Significant Federal Funding to Combat Homelessness in Greater Minnesota
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-MN) announced over $1.6 million in federal funding aimed at helping communities in Greater Minnesota address homelessness. The first of its kind package is targeted at addressing unsheltered homelessness and homelessness in rural communities. The package of grants and vouchers will help provide people experiencing homelessness affordable, safe and decent housing in Greater Minnesota. “All Minnesotans deserve to have a stable roof over their heads, especially in the middle of a Minnesota winter,” said Senator Klobuchar. “This federal funding will help those experiencing homelessness access safe, dignified shelter and the support services they need.” “Without access to housing nothing else in your life works. Not your job, your health, your education or your family,” said Senator Smith, Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation and Community Development. “We know that housing issues have touched people in nearly every community across the country, with many families struggling to find a safe, decent and affordable place to live. These grants and vouchers will help give communities in Greater Minnesota the resources they need to improve living conditions for homeless Minnesotans. I applaud HUD for its innovative approach in directing resources specifically to Greater Minnesota and tackling unsheltered homelessness head on. ” These grants and vouchers, which are distributed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), are a first-of-its-kind package of resources specifically to help rural communities with homelessness and people in unsheltered settings. A nationwide total
Sen. Tina Smith’s Measure to Support Military Readiness and Conservation Becomes Law
WASHINGTON, D.C [08/16/18]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s (D-Minn.) bipartisan effort to fund military readiness and environmental conservation—also supported by her Minnesota colleague Sen. Amy Klobuchar—was recently signed into law by the President. The Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program helps military facilities across the country, including Minnesota’s Camp Ripley, manage and protect surrounding land to ensure community development does not impede our nation’s military training. Earlier this year, the Army considered reinterpreting the statute that defines a military installation to remove state-owned military facilities, meaning that state-owned National Guard facilities like Camp Ripley would have been unable to receive REPI
Sens. Smith, Warren Raise Questions about Accuracy of Secretary Azar’s Testimony Blaming Pharmacy Benefit Managers for High Drug Prices
WASHINGTON, DC [08/17/18]—Today, U.S. Sens. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) questioned Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar about his potentially misleading statements during his Senate testimony in which he blamed pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and drug distributors for drug manufacturers’ ongoing refusal to meaningfully reduce drug prices. The senators’ letter follows new information obtained from PBMs and drug distributors that directly contradicts the allegations made by Secretary Azar and raises questions about the accuracy of his testimony to Congress. Despite President Trump’s promises that drug companies would voluntarily enact “massive” price cuts, there have been no significant drug price
U.S. Sens. Tina Smith, Amy Klobuchar Honor the Storied Life of Minnesota’s First Female Member of Congress, Coya Knutson, with Senate Resolution
MINNESOTA [08/22/18]— Today, Minnesota’s U.S. Sens. Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar honored the storied life of Minnesota’s first female member Congress, Coya Knutson, with a Senate Resolution heralding her life as a trailblazer who, despite great obstacles when she served in the 1950s, succeeded in making a difference for the families and communities in her state. You can read a copy of the Resolution here. The resolution, offered Wednesday on what would have been Knutson’s 106th birthday, notes that after arriving in Washington, D.C in 1954, she convinced Speaker Sam Rayburn to appoint her to be the first woman ever to serve on the House
Klobuchar, Smith, Reed Call on Administration to Protect U.S. Troops and Families from Financial Fraud
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith joined Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) and 46 other senators in calling on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to maintain financial protections for servicemembers and their families under the Military Lending Act (MLA). Recent reports have indicated that the Administration is planning to stop examining lenders for violations of the MLA. In their letter, the senators urged CFPB Acting Director Mick Mulvaney not to end its examinations of payday lenders and other financial institutions for MLA compliance, and to not undertake measures that risk leaving U.S. troops and their families vulnerable to exploitation.
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