Latest Releases
Sen. Smith Joins Push to Introduce Trans Bill of Rights Ahead of International Transgender Day of Visibility
Washington – Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) joined a group of her colleagues led by Senator Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) in introducing the Transgender Bill of Rights, a landmark resolution to recognize the federal government’s duty in protecting and codifying the rights of transgender and nonbinary people. Trans and nonbinary people across the United States have faced relentless and escalating attacks on their health, safety, and wellbeing. Since January, state and federal legislators have proposed more than 450 anti-LGBTQ+ bills that restrict health care, ban LGBTQ+ inclusive curricula in schools, exclude trans youth from athletics, and otherwise endanger and harm trans people. These bills are negatively affecting the mental health and physical safety of LGBTQ+ youth, particularly trans youth who have been the primary target of these attacks. In the United States, trans people are four times more likely to face violent attacks than their cisgender peers and more than 40 percent of trans people have attempted to commit suicide. “Trans people are facing a torrent of harmful legislation and dangerous rhetoric from people in power. It is past time we come together to defend their dignity, protect them from discrimination, and ensure their safety,” said Senator Smith. “This resolution calls for basic protections for trans people, from ensuring they have the right to bodily autonomy and ethical healthcare, to equal access to public services and accommodations. I will continue working to ensure that our founding principles of civil rights and liberty extend to the trans community.” “On this and every International Transgender
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on the BNSF Train Derailment
WASHINGTON, D.C. [03/30/23] — Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) issued the following statement in response to this morning’s BNSF train derailment in Raymond, Minnesota, and also announced she’s cosponsoring the legislation to improve railway safety standards: “Thanks to the incredible first responders in Raymond and Kandiyohi County, Minnesota, this morning’s train derailment appears to be contained. I’m grateful for their quick response and leadership that kept Minnesotans safe. But today’s derailment is another reminder that Congress needs to act on rail safety now. I’m cosponsoring the bipartisan Railway Safety Act to enact commonsense rail safety measures and help prevent future disasters.” The bipartisan Railway Safety Act was introduced earlier this month by Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Senator JD Vance (R-Ohio) and is designed to improve safety requirements for trains transporting dangerous or hazardous material and help communities affected by derailments. The bill is also cosponsored by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.).
Klobuchar, Smith, Nolan Announce Success in Adding Kanabec County to Recent Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Disaster Relief Declaration Following Major Flooding
WASHINGTON- U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, and Congressman Rick Nolan announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has updated its major disaster declaration to include Kanabec County following this summer’s major flooding. The change comes after Klobuchar, Smith, and Nolan sent a letter to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Regional Administrator James Joseph last month urging him to reconsider the denial of FEMA disaster relief funding to Kanabec County and extend the relevant incident period to July 12, 2018, in the wake of flooding in the area. “This disaster relief is greatly needed given the extent of
Klobuchar, Smith, Nolan Announce More than $5.6 Million Loan for Electric Grid Improvements in Two Harbors
WASHINGTON– U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, and Representative Rick Nolan announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded Cooperative Light and Power Association of Lake County a loan of $5,670,000 for infrastructure improvements. “This investment will strengthen the Northland’s economy for years to come,” Klobuchar said. “Projects like this not only boost the economy, but also support good-paying jobs and maintain the services Minnesotans rely on.” “Improving our electric grid infrastructure is vital to building a 21st century economy that works for everyone,” Smith said. “This investment will connect more Minnesotans with the power they need and spur rural development in the
Klobuchar, Smith Announce More Than $46 Million for Minnesota’s Basic Health Program, MinnesotaCare
WASHINGTON– U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-MN) announced that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has awarded $46,276,090 in additional payments to Minnesota for their Basic Health Program (BHP). Established by the Affordable Care Act, states have the option to create a BHP for low-income citizens, providing healthcare coverage to those who do not qualify for programs like Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). CMS estimates that qualified health plan premiums in Minnesota would have been 18.8 percent higher if it was not operating their BHP, MinnesotaCare. “Minnesota has a long, bipartisan history of innovation and
U.S. Senator Tina Smith: We Must Ensure Veterans Receive Full Housing Benefits
WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/03/18]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) is helping to lead a bipartisan push to get the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to quickly clarify how it intends to “make whole” the more than 360,000 veterans in Minnesota and across the country who are at risk of being denied the full housing benefits they’ve earned. In response to recent reports that the VA plans to withhold retroactive payments for missed or underpaid monthly housing benefits from some veterans because it would create a backlog, Sen. Smith joined 12 of her Congressional colleagues in asking the VA’s Inspector General to investigate
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