Latest Releases
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Amy Klobuchar Press Forest Service on Boundary Waters Visitor Permit Disruptions
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar (both D-MN) are pressing the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) over recent reporting about dramatic staffing and budget cuts at USFS that will negatively impact local economies across Minnesota and make it more difficult for visitors to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to receive necessary permits. Specifically, the Senators probed USFS Chief Tom Schultz for more clarity on the full extent of the staffing cuts at USFS and the public safety, economic, and environmental impacts this will have on the Boundary Waters Canoe Area and the Superior and Chippewa National Forests. “In Minnesota, the Superior National Forest, Chippewa National Forest, and Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness attract over 1.5 million visitors annually. This results in an economic impact of nearly $200 million to the communities around these critical public lands. Efforts to reduce the Forest Service’s workforce raise doubts about the agency’s ability to manage forests against risks like wildfire while preparing visitors to both enjoy and respect the land,” wrote the Senators. “The administration of over 5,000 permits will now largely be the burden of local small businesses, who are concerned about their ability to administer this volume of permits. In addition, we are concerned that basic maintenance and management of the Boundary Waters will suffer without dedicated staff working to safely clear canoe portage trails and campsites.” the Senators continued. The Senators posed several questions to the Trump Administration, including: Read a full copy of the letter here and below. ###
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on Trump Administration Releasing Heating Assistance Funding for Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Following news that the Trump Administration responded to her bipartisan push to release $12 million in frozen emergency heating assistance for thousands of eligible Minnesotans, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) released the following statement: “Cutting heating assistance for families just trying to stay warm and safe in cold weather was thoughtless and cruel by DOGE. Thousands of Minnesotans depend on LIHEAP to make ends meet. They don’t have a Plan B. I fought hard for this funding for a reason and I wasn’t going to sit by and watch it disappear for folks who rely on it,” said Senator Smith. “I’m glad Trump and DOGE have reversed course on this decision, but I want to be clear that LIHEAP is still threatened. The Administration has fired all the workers who administer the program, and come this winter, I worry about how this funding will get to families needing to stay warm.” Senator Smith has long been a champion of the LIHEAP program. Senator Smith helped secure $112 million for Minnesota last year, an increase from years prior. Following the announcement that the Trump Administration fired all the workers at LIHEAP, Senator Smith released a statement saying she would demand answers.
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Celebrates 4th Year of Juneteenth Being Recognized as a Federal Holiday
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith celebrated the fourth year that Juneteenth was officially recognized as a federal holiday in the United States. The annual holiday celebrates the date that news of emancipation of slaves in the South reached Galveston, Texas, two years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Senator Smith’s bill establishing the holiday was signed into law by President Biden in June, 2021. Smith helped introduced a bipartisan Senate resolution this week for the legislative body to commemorate the date. She celebrated Juneteenth in Minnesota at the Northside Juneteenth Festival Celebration on June 15th. “The end of slavery in this country is
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith, Minnesota Fire Chiefs Celebrate Passage of the Fire Grants and Safety Act
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) issued the statements below after the Senate passed the Fire Grants and Safety Act, bipartisan legislation to continue providing federal funding for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant programs. This bill now goes to the President’s desk to be signed into law. The Assistance to Firefighters Grant program helps firefighters and other first responders obtain critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training and other resources. The SAFER Grants program provides direct funding to fire departments and volunteer firefighter organizations to
U.S. SENATOR TINA SMITH’S STATEMENT ON NOMINATION OF CHRISTY GOLDSMITH ROMERO TO CHAIR THE FDIC
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) , a member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, applauded President Biden’s decision to nominate Christy Goldsmith Romero to be Chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC): “Christy Goldsmith Romero is a widely respected, principled financial regulator with extensive federal experience, and I applaud President Biden’s decision to nominate her as Chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). This nomination comes at a pivotal time at the FDIC, and Goldsmith Romero’s track record of holding bad actors accountable at the Troubled Asset Relief Program and advancing consumer interests at the CFTC is exactly
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan Celebrate First-Ever Trade Mission Focused on Indigenous Products
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan (DFL) announced the first-ever trade mission by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) focused solely on Indigenous products. Lieutenant Governor Flanagan will join Red Lake, Inc. in representing Native producers from Minnesota on this historic trade mission to Canada from June 17-20 alongside 15 Tribal agribusinesses and 13 Native agricultural leaders from across the country. “This is a historic opportunity for Native farmers and producers and Tribal businesses to access a new market for their goods. Native farmers and producers face unique and challenging barriers, and this market
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