Latest Releases
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, John Hoeven, Amy Klobuchar and Kevin Cramer Send Bipartisan Letter Urging Postmaster General to Address Chronic Postal Delays Across Minnesota, North Dakota
WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), John Hoeven (R-ND), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) urged the Postmaster General to take action to improve postal services in the Minnesota-North Dakota Postal District. As the holiday season continues and the volume of mail increases, it’s especially important to ensure there aren’t delivery delays across the two states. “As our constituents prepare for the busy holiday season, we urge you to take actions to ensure that any performance issues are resolved in a timely manner so that Minnesotans and North Dakotans do not experience significant service disruptions this winter,” wrote the Senators. “For Minnesotans and North Dakotans, the Postal Service is an essential lifeline, delivering prescriptions, pay checks, and messages from loved ones. During the holiday season, it is even more essential. Any service disruptions within the MN-ND District create real consequences for the people who rely on your services, and as Postmaster General, we look to you to provide timely action to address these critical issues,” they concluded. You can read full text of the letter here or below. Dear Postmaster General Steiner, We write to highlight the importance of timely and reliable mail delivery within the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) Minnesota-North Dakota District, especially during this peak holiday season. As our constituents prepare for the busy holiday season, we urge you to take actions to ensure that any performance issues are resolved in a timely manner so that Minnesotans and North Dakotans do not experience significant service disruptions this winter.
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Calls on Trump Administration to End “Operation Metro Surge” in Twin Cities
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) released the following statement: “I believe in protecting public safety and upholding the rule of law. ‘Operation Metro Surge’ is actively undermining both. There has been none of the necessary cooperation and trust between federal officials and local government, and zero transparency from the Trump Administration into ICE’s operations in the Twin Cities. Minnesotans are seeing their friends and neighbors, including U.S. citizens with no criminal records, abducted by masked agents, shoved to the ground, and sprayed with mace. The fear and violence that President Trump has unleashed on our home is destroying any sense of public safety. The Administration needs to put an immediate end to ‘Operation Metro Surge’.” ###
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Colleagues Push Legislation to Pay All Federal Employees, Service Members, and Contractors During Shutdown
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) joined 24 colleagues to introduce the True Shutdown Fairness Act to pay all federal employees and the contractors supporting their work during the shutdown. The Senators’ legislation, the True Shutdown Fairness Act, would also prevent the Administration’s attempts at mass firings (Reductions in Force or RIFs) while the government is shutdown. The legislation was blocked from passage by Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI). “Our troops and federal workers shouldn’t be used as political pawns in this shutdown fight. They never signed up to have their paychecks used as leverage. They shouldn’t be punished because President Trump refuses to negotiate a deal with Congress to
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Amy Klobuchar Urge Trump Administration Restore Minnesota Energy Infrastructure Funding
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) called on the Trump Administration to reverse their politically motivated cancellation of $645 million in funding for Minnesota energy projects. The letter comes after the White House announced it was canceling energy infrastructure awards only in states that did not support President Trump in the presidential election, including Minnesota. “Electricity bills have already jumped nearly 10% since the Trump administration took office. Your decision to cancel federal investment that is meant to upgrade our aging electric grid and help get new power sources connected to meet new demand is
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on President Trump’s Political Attack on Minnesota’s Energy Infrastructure
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) released the following statement after the Trump Administration announced it was cancelling energy infrastructure awards only in states that either did not support him in the presidential election or whose Senators are pushing to negotiate a bipartisan deal to re-open the federal government amidst the current shutdown, including Minnesota. “This is beyond stupid. At a time when most Minnesotans are just trying to scrape together enough money to pay their bills and live their lives, these politically motivated attacks on our state are just going to make it that much harder for Minnesotans
Amid Government Shutdown, Sen. Smith, Rep. Pressley Introduce Bill to Provide Back Pay for Federal Contract Workers, Including Low-Wage Food Service and Custodial Staff
WASHINGTON, DC – Following the federal government shutdown, Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) introduced legislation to secure back pay for the thousands of federal contract workers who face furloughs and missed paychecks when the federal government is shutdown. Unlike federal employees, the thousands of federal contract workers—including janitorial, food, and security services workers—have no assurances that they will receive back pay to make up for their loss of hours and pay during a shutdown. The bill is co-led by Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Warner (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD). The Fair Pay for Federal Contractors Act would
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