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With New Farm Bill on the Horizon, U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Rep. Brad Finstad Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Invest in Ag’s Next Generation
WASHINGTON, D.C. [7.18.23] – This week, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, introduced legislation investing in agriculture’s next generation. Despite the need for young people to get into farming, the reality is they face barriers like access to capital, rising farm land prices, difficulty getting operating loans, and a lack of opportunities for hands-on experience. The Agriculture Skills Preparation for Industry Recruitment Efforts (ASPIRE) Act, which was introduced in the House by Representative Brad Finstad (R-MN 1), would address some of these barriers to entry and make it easier for young farmers to join the workforce. “Agriculture is the backbone of Minnesota’s diverse economy,” said Sen. Smith. “With food shortages, supply chain snags and a tight labor market around the world, it’s vital we support and grow our farming sector here at home. This legislation will provide work-based training programs to support a new generation of farmers and ranchers in Minnesota and around the country.” “As a farmer, and as a father raising the fifth generation on our family farm, I know firsthand how important it is to make sure our future ag leaders are adequately equipped with the tools they need to succeed,” said Rep. Finstad. “I’m proud to help introduce the ASPIRE Act with Senator Smith and Congresswoman Pingree, which will help give those starting in the agricultural profession a solid foundation by facilitating relationships between local agricultural businesses and the next generation of industry leaders through work-based training programs.” Between the years of 2020
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Todd Young Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Help Farmers, Combat Climate Change
WASHINGTON, D.C. [7.11.23] – Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Todd Young (R-IN) introduced bipartisan legislation that will help combat climate change and improve agricultural resilience and productivity. Experts estimate that American farmers could store up to 220 billion pounds of carbon annually across all US croplands. The Advancing Research on Agricultural Climate Impacts Act will bolster our understanding of soil carbon sequestration and help farmers enhance soil health, make their operations more resilient, and combat climate change. “Farmers in Minnesota don’t need to be told climate change is happening, they see it every year in the form of harsher droughts, more powerful storms and heatwaves. We need to be doing everything we can to combat this crisis and help farmers adapt to the changing climate,” said Senator Smith. “This bipartisan legislation would help farmers by funding new research to improve our understanding of soil carbon storage potential on agricultural land to inform best practices and help make farms more resilient. It’s a win for farmers and our climate. I’ll continue working hard to get it passed.” “Hoosier farmers and producers feed our communities, drive our economy, and play a critical role in our supply chains. This bipartisan legislation will equip and empower our agriculture sector to choose the best climate smart practices for their individual operations,” said Senator Young. “The bill would not only foster the adoption of beneficial soil practices, but also fortify the resilience and prosperity of our agricultural needs for generations to come.” The Advancing
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Amy Klobuchar Call on FCC Chair to Launch Probe into Frontier Communications’ Business Practices Amid Troubling Minnesota State Report, Attorney General Investigation
Frontier Received Millions in Federal Funding to Improve Rural Broadband While Delivering Shoddy Internet and Telephone Services; Senators Say Minnesotans Deserve Full FCC Investigation Into Use of Federal Funding WASHINGTON, D.C. [03/13/19]—In light of Minnesota state investigations into telecommunications provider Frontier Communications Corporation (Frontier) and its subsidiaries—which have received millions in federal funding—detailing poor service to consumers, today U.S. Sens. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) pressed Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Ajit Pai to launch an investigation into Frontier’s business practices. A Minnesota Department of Commerce investigation alleges that Frontier may have broken at least 35 state laws and regulations, prompting the Minnesota Attorney General to open an investigation
Klobuchar, Smith Call for Continued Efforts to Support Farmers and Ranchers after Devastating February Blizzards
Klobuchar, Smith Call for Continued Efforts to Support Farmers and Ranchers after Devastating February Blizzards WASHINGTON, D.C. [03/15/19] – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to commit to continued public outreach to farmers and ranchers following February’s devastating blizzards. In a letter to Joe Martin, the State Executive Director for the Minnesota FSA, the senators asked that he continue to conduct public outreach throughout the impacted counties to ensure that impacted farmers and ranchers fully understand their options, including for payments under several Farm Bill disaster programs and
U.S. Sen. Tina Smith Announces Support of Bill to Rebuild America’s Schools and Create Nearly 2 Million Jobs
Senator Says Legislation Will Help Make Infrastructure Improvements to Schools in Rural and Urban Areas, Expand Access to Broadband WASHINGTON, D.C. [03/18/19]– U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) believes schools in both rural and urban areas in Minnesota—and across the nation—need strong investments in infrastructure so students can learn in healthy and safe environments, which is why she’s announcing her support for legislation that would provide significant investments to both physical and digital infrastructure in schools across the country. The legislation enjoys widespread support from educators and parent advocacy groups in Minnesota and across the country. The Rebuild America’s Schools Act would create grant and tax bond programs
U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith Push Trump Admin to Provide Farmer Guidance on Republican Tax Law
Urge IRS and Treasury Department to Issue Tax Guidance Promised to Farmers Before Tax Filing Deadline WASHINGTON D.C. [03/18/19]—U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) are pushing the IRS and Department of Treasury to provide farmers long-overdue guidance on the Republican tax law before filing deadlines this year. The GOP tax law passed in 2017 created substantial changes to the federal tax code for certain agricultural cooperatives. Yet despite promises from the Department of Treasury and the IRS that guidance would be issued by the end of 2018, it still has not been delivered. In a letter to IRS commissioner Charles Rettig and
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