Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Colleagues Press for Stop to Surge in Mexican Steel Imports, Seek to Protect American Jobs
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) joined a bipartisan group of colleagues, led by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Tom Cotton (R-AR), in seeking action to stop an unsustainable increase in Mexican steel imports. In a letter to National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, the Senators asked the Biden Administration to set a clear deadline for Mexico to enforce its 2019 agreement with the U.S. regulating steel imports and exports, and urged the Administration to take substantive action to counter the increase in Mexican steel imports if the country refuses to comply. The letter was also signed by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), John Boozman (R-AR), J.D. Vance (R-OH), Ted Budd (R-NC), Rick Scott (R-FL), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Katie Britt (R-AL), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Bob Casey (D-PA). Earlier this year, the Senators voiced their concerns over the surge in Mexican steel imports and urged the Administration to act. Today, the Mexican government still refuses to comply with the 2019 agreement, and it is costing American steel jobs. “We write to you regarding the surge of Mexican steel imports into the U.S. market in violation of the 2019 Joint Agreement on Steel and Aluminum. This breach, and the resulting surge, threatens our manufacturing base and American national security, and demands immediate action from the administration,” wrote the Senators. The Senators continued, “The administration must do more to protect America’s steel industry and prevent the further loss of good-paying American jobs. Failure to conclude an export monitoring agreement due to the unwillingness or inability of the Mexican government is unacceptable. We urge the administration
Klobuchar, Smith, Omar Secure Significant Federal Funding for Minneapolis’s Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Project
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) and Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has awarded $20,004,000 in federal funding for the City of Minneapolis to implement its Vision Zero Action Plan. The Plan addresses the three leading causes of severe and fatal traffic accidents in Minneapolis: speeding, left-turn conflicts, and red-light running. “We have an obligation to ensure our roads are safe for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians,” said Klobuchar. “These infrastructure upgrades will save lives.” “We need to build a transportation system that prioritizes safety. This important investment will help make progress toward eliminating pedestrian injuries in Minneapolis,” said Smith. “Sometimes smaller things like pedestrian refuge islands, high-visibility crosswalks and protected bicycle lanes are the most effective tools to create safer roads. I appreciate the work of local leaders to make Minneapolis safer for everyone.”“Investing in pedestrian and traffic safety measures will help protect the lives of Minnesotans. I’m glad to see federal dollars coming back home to Minneapolis to implement proven improvements that will make streets safer for all users, especially our most vulnerable. We know speeding, red light violations and turn conflicts cause serious accidents, and this funding will directly address those dangers. I applaud Mayor Frey and city leaders for prioritizing residents’ wellbeing through Vision Zero, and I’ll keep working to secure federal infrastructure dollars that help communities across Minnesota thrive,” said Omar. The Vision Zero Action Plan components include pedestrian safety features, including intersection medians, protected bicycle lanes, and systematic
Sen. Tina Smith Pushes to Kickstart Free-to-Access College Textbook Programs with Millions in Dedicated Federal Funding
U.S. Senator Tina Smith is urging the Department of Education to start disbursing millions in funding she helped secure for open college textbooks—which allow professors, students, and researchers to freely access otherwise costly materials. As the end of the spring semester approaches and students sell back their textbooks for pennies on the dollar, Sen. Smith wants to make sure that colleges across the country can start applying for new grants to create their own open textbook programs. In recent years, schools like University of Minnesota that are already using open textbooks have saved students money and ultimately brought down the
Rep. Tom Emmer Wins Sen. Tina Smith’s Minnesota Congressional Delegation Hotdish Competition
Today, Senator Tina Smith hosted the eighth annual Minnesota Congressional Delegation Hotdish Competition. Sen. Smith took up the helm of Al Franken’s annual hotdish off to determine which Minnesota Congressional Delegation member makes the best hotdish. You can download video from the event here, here, and here, and an interview with Sen. Smith that you should feel free to use here. Participants recipes can be found here. You can find photos of the competition here. Rep. Tom Emmer’s “Hotdish of Champions” was named the winner of the 2018 Hotdish Off after a blind taste test—and a tie broken by Master of Ceremonies (and MinnPost’s Washington Correspondent) Sam Brodey—of all ten dishes. The judges
Sen. Tina Smith Cosponsors Bipartisan Effort to Expand Minnesota Farm Exports
Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith continued her fight to open new international markets for Minnesota farm products by throwing her support behind bipartisan legislation to help farmers, rural cooperatives, and small businesses sell more exports abroad. The Cultivating Revitalization by Expanding American Agricultural Trade and Exports Act (CREAATE) would bolster funding for key USDA programs that help American farmers branch out into international markets. Expanding these business opportunities and trade partnerships would provide some much-needed support to family farmers and ag operations across the state that have weathered tough commodity prices during recent years.
Sen. Tina Smith Fights Against Federal Proposal to Raise Rent, Impose Strict Requirements on More Than 72,000 Minnesota Households
U.S. Senator Tina Smith called on Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Ben Carson to scrap a proposal that would raise rent and impose strict requirements on 72,400 Minnesota households, and millions more across the country. After Secretary Carson released his plan that would hurt millions living in federal housing, Sen. Smith called on him on Tuesday to scrap these efforts and instead work to improve access to affordable, stable housing for Minnesotans and people across the nation. “If enacted, this proposal would leave even more low income people without stable homes, including seniors, people with disabilities, veterans, and children,” wrote Sen. Smith. “Nationally, 4.1
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