Latest Releases
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Adam Schiff, and Colleagues Urge Housing and Urban Development Secretary to Fund Critical Homelessness Programs
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), top Democrat on the Senate Housing Subcommittee, and Adam Schiff (D-CA) led a letter to the Trump Administration demanding congressionally-appropriated funding for Continuum of Care (CoC) programs aimed at combatting homelessness is allowed to flow. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is required by law to obligate these funds no later than 45 days after the issuance of award letters, a deadline which passed on March 4, 2025. The Senators criticized the Trump administration for freezing this funding, creating unnecessary chaos amid a national housing crisis. There is a shortage of around 5 million housing units nationwide and nearly 43 million households pay for a rent or mortgage they cannot afford. HUD is the federal agency charged with combatting this crisis. The letter called out HUD for suddenly canceling technical assistance contracts and planning sweeping layoffs, actions which will exacerbate nationwide homelessness. “We urge you to take action to ensure the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will finish processing FY2024 funding and comply with the two-year funding cycle,” wrote the Senators, “We further urge you to restore HUD’s technical assistance contracts that are vital to CoC recipients in smaller communities.” “Most CoC awards are needed for existing projects rather than new projects, and hundreds of projects have already started their program years without any clarity on when and if HUD funds will be available,” the lawmakers continued. “To keep the lights on, providers are now being forced to draw on lines
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Helps Introduce Legislation to Restore National Park and Forest Service Staffing, Protect Public Lands
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) helped introduce two bills to address the consequences of recent federal staff cuts at the National Park Service (NPS) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). The Protect Our Parks Act of 2025 and the Save Our Forests Act of 2025 will fully restore staffing levels at both agencies, ensuring that America’s national parks and forests remain accessible, safe, and well-maintained. This comes on the heels of Senator Smith bringing a fired Park Ranger from Voyageurs National Park to President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress last week. The Trump administration’s mass firings have led to significant staffing reductions at national parks, including Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota, negatively impacting visitor experiences, safety and park maintenance efforts. They’ve also fired Forest Service workers charged with protecting like Chippewa National Forest and Superior National Forest, which is the largest forest in the country east of the Mississippi River, including workers charged with helping loggers sell timber in ways that protect the future health of our forests. “National Park Service workers like Park Rangers keep us safe in some of our country’s most wild and extreme areas, including places like Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota. U.S. Forest Service workers keep our forest areas healthy and productive, including the largest forest east of the Mississippi River, the Superior National Forest. I’ve met these fired workers, I’ve heard their stories and losing them makes our most cherished wild areas less safe and less cared for,” said Senator Smith. “Elon Musk indiscriminately
Klobuchar, Smith Announce New Federal Funding to Increase Access to Biofuels
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced significant federal funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to install E15 dispensers at fueling stations located in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, and South Dakota to increase the availability of domestic biofuels and give drivers cleaner, more affordable fuel options. Gas stations and distribution facilities in Alexandria, Annandale, Belgrade, Crookston, Hoffman, Moorhead, Paynesville, and Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, will receive funding. The Department is making the awards through the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP), which was made possible with funding from Klobuchar and Senator Joni Ernst’s (R-IA) Biofuel Infrastructure
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith, and Governor Tim Walz Announce Major Federal Funding for Reconstruction of the Blatnik Bridge
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) and Governor Tim Walz (D) announced a $1.05 billion federal grant to replace the Blatnik Bridge, which connects Duluth to Superior. The Blatnik Bridge opened in 1961 and has reached the end of its useful life. Bridge users experience lane closures and other disruptions multiple times each year due to inspections and maintenance work. This new bridge will be safer and boost the regional economy, as the Blatnik Bridge is integral to helping transport Minnesota goods for export to global markets. “For over 60 years, the Blatnik Bridge has
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Joins Van Hollen, Durbin, Kaine, Schatz Amendment Requiring the Use of U.S. Supplemental Aid Comply with U.S., International Law
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Dick Durbin, (D-Ill.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) announced growing momentum around their amendment to require that the weapons received by any country under the proposed national security supplemental are used in accordance with U.S. law, international humanitarian law and the law of armed conflict. The amendment is now supported by Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), and Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.). These Senators add their support to the group of over a dozen Senators who initially cosponsored the amendment: Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jeff
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith Celebrate Selection of Minnesota Tribe for Innovative, Culturally Responsive Social Services Pilot Program
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-Minn.) celebrated news that the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe was selected for the Tiwahe Program Social Services Demonstration Project, an innovative program that allows participating Tribal Nations to integrate certain services for their members and incorporate culturally-appropriate components. Tiwahe, which means “family” in the Lakota language, focuses on job placement and training, social services, housing, wellness, and various courts to give Tribal Nations the ability to make these programs work best for their communities. “The Tiwahe Program gives Tribes the flexibility to design family and social services programs that fit the specific needs of
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