Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Releases Statement After Supreme Court Upholds Birthright Citizenship
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) released the following statement after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of protecting birthright citizenship in a stunning rebuke of President Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda: “The Constitution means what it says: Children born in the United States are citizens of the United States. The promise and privilege of American citizenship extends to every child born in our jurisdiction, and those children deserve just as much of a shot at the American dream as those whose families have been here for generations. No xenophobic Executive Order can undo that,” said Senator Smith. “Minnesota’s immigrant families have been reckoning with an Administration hellbent on denying their rights and their dignity, but today’s ruling is a victory for the rule of law and continues our longstanding history as a nation of immigrants.” ###
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Marsha Blackburn Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Prevent Veteran and Military Suicide by Victims of Military Sexual Trauma
Two million American servicemembers reported experiencing Military Sexual Trauma, increasing the risk of suicide WASHINGTON, D.C. – [6/29/2026] U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced the Improving Personal Risk Assessments to Prevent Suicide Act, a bill to help better understand the relationship between servicemembers and veterans’ experiences of military sexual trauma (MST) and suicide risk. The bill would require the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to publish a study on the links between MST, intimate partner violence and the risk of suicide. The bill would also require the Departments to incorporate those findings into clinical assessments for identifying and treating patients at risk of suicide – the first time military sexual trauma has been included in those official clinical tools. This will improve clinical risk assessment for patients and help the DoD, VA and clinicians recognize MST-related risk factors before someone attempts or dies by suicide. MST refers to the sexual assault or threatening sexual harassment servicemembers may experience during service. Many servicemembers choose not to report MST until after their service because they fear retaliation or threats from their superiors. Veterans are around 50% more likely to die by suicide than civilians, and the link between servicemembers who experienced MST and higher risk of suicide is well-established, making this bill essential to overall veteran suicide prevention efforts. “It is our solemn duty to provide the highest quality care for those who serve our country,” said Sen. Smith. “That includes making sure servicemembers who endured military sexual trauma have access to the best clinical care and suicide prevention tools available as they work to heal. I’m proud to introduce this bill to incorporate what we know about the relationship between experiencing military sexual trauma and the risk of suicide into clinical practice, improving the care that helps save lives.” “It is absolutely unacceptable that veterans are 50% more
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Demands Answers from Trump Administration on Actions Purportedly Allowing Sulfide-Ore Copper Mining Near the Boundary Waters
[ST. PAUL, MN] – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) is demanding answers from the Trump Administration regarding its recent announcement about planned executive actions to allow sulfide-ore mining in the Rainy River Watershed, where waters flow into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). The only sulfide-ore mine proposed in the area would be owned by Chilean mining conglomerate Antofagasta, a company with a questionable environmental record, and the minerals they intend to mine would be shipped overseas to be processed outside of the United States – most likely to China. In a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Colleagues Push Administration to Reinstate Duluth EPA Lab Workers
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), joined by 16 of her Senate colleagues, called on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin to reinstate workers placed on administrative leave for expressing concern with the agency’s direction under the Trump Administration. Senator Smith is standing up for EPA employees in Duluth, Minnesota. These employees faced disciplinary action for signing a “Declaration of Dissent” about the agency’s leadership. In the letter to Administrator Zeldin, the Senators emphasize that public employees have the right to speak their views on issues that matter to them in their personal lives under the First
Minnesota Housing Organizations Celebrate Smith’s Bipartisan Rural Housing, Homelessness Bills Advancing in U.S. Senate
ST. PAUL, MN – Minnesota housing organizations from across the state are celebrating legislation by U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), top Democrat on the Senate Housing Subcommittee, advancing to the Senate floor. Smith’s bills were included in the first comprehensive, national housing reform legislative package in over a decade, dubbed the ROAD to Housing Act of 2025, which passed the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee unanimously (24-0). “The lack of safe, decent, affordable housing in this country is a choice that we’re making, but with this new legislative package, we’re choosing a different path. For the first time
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Todd Young Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Help Farmers, Analyze Long-Term Soil Health
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Todd Young (R-IN) reintroduced bipartisan legislation that will help bolster soil research and improve agricultural resilience and productivity in the Midwest and across the country. Experts estimate that American farmers could store up to 220 billion pounds of carbon annually across all US croplands. However, current technology cannot accurately measure soil carbon levels, impacting our ability to track soil health improvements, correlate those improvements with on-farm benefits, and reward farmers for their contributions to environmental health and resilience. “Farmers in Minnesota understand the importance of having reliably healthy, productive soil,” said
English