Tag: Tina Smith

Sen. Smith pushes bill to help pandemic frontline workers get citizenship

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MINNEAPOLIS – U.S. Senator Tina Smith was in town on Friday to detail her push to create a pathway to citizenship for essential workers.

Businesses leaders, frontline workers, and immigration advocates joined the senator Friday afternoon at Mercado Central in south Minneapolis. According to Smith, it’s estimated that more than 5 million undocumented essential workers across the country continued to work during the pandemic. They filled positions in critical industries such as health care and agriculture.

“Essential workers have always been critical to our overall economic growth and health,” said Jenny Srey with the Coalition of Asian American Leaders. “And as we move forward toward healing they are even more vital now. We need all of our lawmakers to recognize the sacrifices and important role of immigrant workers and use their power to make citizenship a part of the budget reconciliation process.” Continue reading.

THURSDAY: Governor Gretchen Whitmer to Keynote DFL Founders Day Dinner

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SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – On Thursday, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer will keynote the DFL Party’s 2021 Founders Day Dinner. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith and Governor Tim Walz will also be speaking during the event. 

Members of the media will be able to tune in to the virtual dinner at dfl.org/founders. We ask that you do not share this link with people outside of your media outlet. Members of the public looking for more information and to order tickets should visit www.dflfoundersday.com.

WHAT: A virtual fundraising dinner to celebrate the founding of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.

WHO:

  • Governor Gretchen Whitmer
  • Governor Tim Walz
  • Senator Amy Klobuchar
  • Senator Tina Smith
  • DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin

WHEN: 5:30 PM on Thursday, June 3rd

WHERE: Virtual – members of the media can tune in at dfl.org/founders

Sen. Tina Smith: Conversations with Minnesotans May 1, 2021

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Hi Friends, 

This month, we observed “National Public Health Week”, and I had conversations with three Minnesotans who are doing groundbreaking work in public health. Our discussion revolved around one of the toughest problems facing public health-addressing the health care needs of underrepresented communities.

My first guest was Dr. Charity Reynolds, MD who is the Medical Director at the Fond Du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in northeastern Minnesota. In our discussion, Dr. Reynolds told me how she collaborated with the Tribe to build trust between public health workers and the community, a community with historic medical distrust. This trust, along with Tribal self-governance and infusion of resources, made Fond Du Lac one of the first places in the state to vaccinate all of their elders. You can watch the video here. 

Continue reading “Sen. Tina Smith: Conversations with Minnesotans May 1, 2021”

After Voting to Deliver Billions in Aid to Minnesota, Phillips to Visit Community Vaccination Site in Bloomington

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Phillips will tour the Mall of America Community Vaccination Site as vaccine eligibility expands in Minnesota

BLOOMINGTON, MINNESOTA – Today, Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) will visit the Mall of America Community Vaccination Site as vaccine eligibility expands in Minnesota following American Rescue Plan distribution investments. Phillips will meet with local public health leaders and health care workers at the State-run site, which was created to expand vaccine access and improve equity. Minnesota’s vaccine administration is among the best in the nation, and after a record-setting weekend, nearly one-third of adults have received their first dose. 

Earlier this month, Phillips helped pass the American Rescue Plan, a historic COVID-19 relief bill that delivered $4.9 billion in aid to the state of Minnesota and is supported by a wide majority of Americans. According to state officials, more than $850 million will go towards public health, including $85 million to expand and improve COVID-19 vaccine distribution and administration. With new funding and additional vaccine supply forthcoming, Gov. Walz expanded eligibility to include all Minnesotans age 16 or older beginning March 30.

Continue reading “After Voting to Deliver Billions in Aid to Minnesota, Phillips to Visit Community Vaccination Site in Bloomington”

Tina Smith’s Fight for Affordable Child Care

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For the past year, Minnesota Senator Tina Smith alongside Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has fought to bring economic relief to child care providers. The pandemic has shown us just how crucial affordable, accessible child care is. As schools shut down and students returned home, essential workers still had to report to work; and quality child care was a part of keeping their children cared for and safe.

Even before the pandemic, affordable child care was scarce across Minnesota and the country. As an article from MinnPost explained, “The economics of the industry cause providers to get paid very little while tuition costs for families can be enormous.” In April of 2020, Smith and Warren began their fight for child care bailout. 

In the 2020 fiscal year, the federal government gave $8.7 billion to states, territories and tribes for the Child Care and Development Block Grant. Through Smith and Warren’s dedication, the new stimulus package will give roughly $15 billion more to that program, plus another $24 billion for child care “stabilization funding” and another $1 billion for the Head Start program.

Continue reading “Tina Smith’s Fight for Affordable Child Care”

Help is on the Way: The American Rescue Plan Signed Into Law

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When President Biden signed into law the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan (ARP) this week, it was a bold and historic response to a devastating pandemic that – for more than a year – has upended the lives of people in Minnesota and across the country.  The pandemic has taken more than 500,000 lives, strained our public health system, closed schools, and stolen millions of businesses and jobs.  

I strongly supported the American Rescue Plan after hearing from thousands of Minnesotans throughout this past year about the devastating toll the virus has had on their lives.  This new law will arm the nation with important tools to fight the deadly pandemic and deliver badly-needed resources to help restore the nation’s health and economic well-being.  It not only delivers much-needed support for coronavirus testing and vaccines, as well as help for front line health care workers, but also provides assistance for hard-hit families, businesses, farmers, veterans, and Tribal communities.  It will help reopen our schools safely, provide direct support and tax relief to struggling families, and give our states and communities needed resources to build resilience and build back better.

With a growing number of people in Minnesota and across the country getting vaccinated every day, I’m optimistic that this package represents a turning point in our year-long fight to crush the virus and to get Americans back on their feet.

Continue reading “Help is on the Way: The American Rescue Plan Signed Into Law”

Billions in aid from COVID-19 relief bill headed to Minnesota

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The COVID relief bill includes state and local aid, help for the hospitality and agriculture sectors. 

WASHINGTON – Minnesota’s state and local governments, its ailing hospitality industry, struggling small businesses and the agricultural sector will get a financial boost from the $1.9 trillion COVID relief package.

An estimated nearly $4.9 billion will flow to Minnesota governments, including almost $2.6 billion to the state and another $2.1 billion for cities, counties and other local governments.

“The impact of this bill is going to be seen and felt by people in Minnesota right away, and it’s going to make a big difference as they’re digging themselves out of what’s been a really terrible public health and economic crisis,” said Democratic U.S. Sen. Tina Smith in an interview. Continue reading.

U.S. Senator Tina Smith Named Chair of Housing, Transportation & Community Development Subcommittee

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Senator Also Named to Securities, Insurance & Investment Subcommittee; Economic Policy Subcommittee

WASHINGTON, DC —Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) announced that she has been named Chair of a key Senate Banking Subcommittee that oversees important aspects of the nation’s housing, transportation and community development policies.

Sen Smith said Tuesday that besides being tapped to lead the Housing, Transportation and Community Development Subcommittee, she will also serve on Securities, Insurance and Investment Subcommittee, and the Economic Policy Subcommittee, as part of serving on the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee.

“We need to stand up for consumers, improve access to public transportation, work to ensure fair access to financial services for all Americans, and make sure every American has a safe, stable, affordable place to live,” said Sen. Smith. “With these goals top of mind, I’m pleased to serve as Chair of the Housing, Transportation and Community Development Subcommittee, and serve on the Economic Policy and Securities, and Insurance and Investment Subcommittees. We have important work to do.” 

Minnesotans in Congress hope for last-minute COVID relief deal

WASHINGTON – A bipartisan push in the U.S. Senate for a COVID-19 relief package faces unclear prospects in the waning days of the current Congress, but several Minnesota lawmakers still hope for a last-minute breakthrough.

“You’ve got to start somewhere,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat, said of a $908 billion proposal outlined Tuesday by moderate U.S. senators from both parties.

Klobuchar said she would “not come home until we get something done,” echoing colleagues who want Congress to act before the House and Senate break for Christmas. Continue reading.

Minnesota U.S. Sen. Tina Smith staves off Jason Lewis, wins second term

Appointed nearly three years ago as Al Franken’s successor in the U.S. Senate, Smith won her first full term from voters. 

Democratic U.S. Sen. Tina Smith held off former Republican congressman Jason Lewis on Tuesday in a Senate race that could help decide the balance of power in Washington.

Smith sought a full six-year term after being appointed to replace Al Franken, who resigned in 2017. A former Planned Parenthood executive and lieutenant governor, she won a special election in 2018 to serve out Franken’s term.

Smith vowed to overcome the divisions of the hard fought campaign. “We may not always agree, but I will always listen, and look for common ground,” she said in a statement. Continue reading.