Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Requests Cost Estimate of Big Beautiful Bill’s Data Center Tax Incentives
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), in her capacity as the top Democrat on the Senate Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth Subcommittee, is requesting an analysis to shed light on the extent to which OBBBA tax breaks went to data center development. Smith sent the request to the Joint Committee on Taxation after reports that some of the country’s largest corporations taking advantage of the generous corporate tax breaks in Republicans’ signature legislation to subsidize the development of data centers. “We’ve seen reports that tax breaks from the Big Beautiful Bill are being used by some of the biggest tech companies in the world to pad their pockets and boost the buildout of data centers. These companies have billions of dollars of revenues, and I question the fiscal rationale behind rewarding them for investments they would have made regardless of the tax benefits,” says Senator Smith. “How is it that Republicans could find the money for these massive companies to build deeply unpopular data centers, but not the money for health care and nutrition assistance? It’s complete hypocrisy and reeks of corruption, considering these same companies routinely donate millions of dollars to the President’s campaign.” Data centers and the trillion-dollar tech companies building them have reported record profits, which likely were boosted thanks to the OBBBA. OBBBA provisions most commonly utilized include expanded breaks for research and development programs, immediate deductions for the cost of investments, and a new subsidy for manufacturing structures. Senator Smith questions the fiscal rationale of
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Measures to Simplify, Update Tax Filings for Farmers and Consumers Passes Senate
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) successfully included two measures to help Minnesotans navigate their taxes in legislation that passed the Senate. Sen. Smith’s first measure would adjust the deadline for farmers to file their taxes to align with when most other Minnesotans would file theirs, while her second would require the IRS to track how often they make taxpayers re-submit the same paperwork due to bureaucratic errors. The measures were included in the Taxpayer Assistance and Service Act that passed the Senate unanimously. “Nobody enjoys filing their taxes, but what makes it even worse is how cumbersome and illogical our tax system is, particular for farmers,” said Sen. Smith. “These measures are simple, common-sense solutions. Farmers should get just as much time to prepare their tax filings as everyone else, and the IRS needs to keep track of how often it makes taxpayers submit the same document over and over again.” The Farm Tax Filing Deadline amendment will give farmers and fishers until Tax Day, April 15, to file their taxes without penalty. Under current law, farmers and fishers must file and pay estimated taxes by March 1 to avoid penalties. Meanwhile, most other taxpayers have until April 15 to file their taxes without penalty. The current earlier deadline left farmers and fishers scrambling to get all the paperwork done in time while everyone else gets an extra month and a half. The Reporting on Document Management to Avoid Duplicative Requests to Constituents amendment that requires the
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on Minnesota State Government’s Executive Actions to Prevent Copper-Nickel Mining in the Watershed of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) released the following statement after the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency announced it will take aggressive executive action to stop a copper-sulfide mine within the watershed of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA): “Minnesotans strongly support protecting the Boundary Waters. We are a mining state, but not this mine in this place. The Trump Administration and Republicans in Congress ignored the science and overturned protections for the Boundary Waters, but the fight continues here at home,” said Senator Smith. “I strongly support Minnesota using all our regulatory powers
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Bipartisan Legislation to Combat Lyme Disease and Other Tick-Borne Illnesses Passes the Senate Unanimously
Most recent data shows Minnesota saw 3,551 cases in 2024 alone WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tina Smith announced the bipartisan Kay Hagan Tick Reauthorization Act passed the Senate unanimously. The bill will expand research, testing and treatment for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. “Minnesota is proud to have more than 10,000 lakes and thousands of rivers for us to enjoy, and we’re always especially eager to get outside after a long winter,” said Sen. Smith. “Unfortunately, the number of Lyme disease cases in the state—and states across the country—is on the rise. This bill would step up regional efforts at researching, testing and treating Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. We must cut down on tick-borne illnesses and for the sake of Americans’ health and well-being,
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on Voting Against the Confirmation of Attorney General Todd Blanche
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) released the following statement after voting against the confirmation of the President’s nominee to be the next Attorney General, Todd Blanche: “Todd Blanche has clearly demonstrated that he lacks the integrity to be Attorney General. He demonstrated it when he defended the President’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election, when he defended the President’s hush money payments, and he demonstrated it when he committed to enacting a national ban on distributing medication abortion,” said Senator Smith. “It’s disappointing, though not surprising, to see Republicans cave to the President once again and confirm a nominee who
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Votes to Impose Harsh Sanctions on Russia for Invasion of Ukraine
WASHIGTON – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) released the following statement after voting to impose harsh sanctions on Russia for its illegal invasion of Ukraine, which passed the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support (86-11): “The United States must stand up for democracy and against Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. The sanctions we passed today are a powerful tool to cut off the funding for Russia’s war machine, even though the President should have imposed them himself much earlier. Combined with Ukraine’s recent successes on the battlefield, these new sanctions will help us force Putin to bring an end to this terrible war,” said Senator Smith. The bill now heads to
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