url,title,date,year,month,party,chamber,state,member_name,bioguide_id,domain,scraper,source,date_source,text,has_text,collected_at,updated_at https://craig.house.gov/media/press-releases/representative-craig-statement-voting-override-president-trump-s-veto-2021,Representative Craig Statement on Voting to Override President Trump’s Veto of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act,2020-12-28,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Angie Craig,C001119,craig.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC Today, U.S. Representative Angie Craig released the following statement on her vote to override the President's veto of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act: By vetoing the bipartisan NDAA last week, the President chose to prioritize his own political interests over our national security. In doing so, he denied our service members a hard-earned pay raise, blocked paid family leave for countless federal employees and prevented Minnesota veterans from getting the care they deserve. Today, I'm proud to cast my vote to override this senseless stunt and to give our armed forces the resources they need to keep us safe in the year to come.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://omar.house.gov/media/press-releases/ilhan-omar-pardoning-monstrous-criminals-will-leave-dark-mark-history,Ilhan Omar: Pardoning Monstrous Criminals Will Leave a Dark Mark on the History of Presidential Pardons,2020-12-22,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Ilhan Omar,O000173,omar.house.gov,omar,https://omar.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"MINNEAPOLIS— Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) issued the following Donald Trump's pardon of four Blackwater contractors convicted of killing 14 civilians in Iraq in 2007. ""This is a dark day for our country. Private Blackwater mercenaries Nicholas Slatten, Paul Alvin Slough, Evan Shawn Liberty, and Dustin Laurent Heard are war criminals. ""They killed 14 civilians in broad daylight and showed no remorse. Pardoning war criminals who murdered innocents—including children— goes directly against every value we claim to hold as Americans and gives a green light to war criminals and human rights abusers around the world. ""Of course, Blackwater was run by Trump supporter and war profiteer Erik Prince, also the brother of Trump Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. One set of rules for Trump and his cronies. Another one for everyone else. Pardoning monstrous criminals will leave a dark mark on the history of presidential pardons.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://www.smith.senate.gov/us-senator-tina-smith-presses-va-answers-after-hearing-minnesota-veterans-be-hit-bills-medical,U.S. Senator Tina Smith Presses VA for Answers After Hearing From Minnesota Veterans to be Hit by Bills for Medical Expenses Incurred During Pandemic Billing Moratorium,2020-12-22,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Tina Smith,S001203,www.smith.senate.gov,,,legacy,"VA Took Step to Suspend Copay & Medical Billing Through December 31 in Response to Pandemic; Senator Calls to Extend Billing Moratorium as Financial Hardships Continue for Families & Veterans Across the Country WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/22/20]Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) is pressing the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for answers after hearing from veterans who are set to receive medical bills for accrued copay and medical costs incurred during a VA billing moratorium issued in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Earlier this year, the VA suspended copay and other medical billing through December 31 to help veterans weather the hardships of COVID-19. Now, Sen. Smith is hearing from veterans who say they have received word from the VA that come January, they will receive bills for costs during the billing moratorium. Sen. Smith is calling on the VA to extend this moratorium, and to provide answers on the VA's billing practices. At the beginning of April, 2020, VA took the laudable step of suspending copay and other medical billing through December 31st, 2020, which helped our veterans through the initial economic hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, I recently learned that VA sent out letters to Veterans notifying them that they will receive a bill in January to collect the accrued copay and medical debts incurred during this time. While I recognize the financial and operational necessity of collecting these bills, the extraordinary conditions that necessitated the billing suspension have not ended, wrote Sen. Smith. The pandemic is ongoing, and for many American families and veterans, the accompanying economic distress is more acute than ever. We must keep our focus on ensuring the full health and wellbeing of our veterans and their families. Therefore, at a minimum, I urge you to extend the billing moratorium through at least the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency. In addition, Sen. Smith is asking for the VA to provide answers about whether veterans will be billed for COVID-related testing, and a detailed plan for how the VA will work with folks who are unable to cover debts due to the COVID-19 crisis. You can access full text of the letter below: Richard A. Stone, M.D. Executive in Charge Veterans Health Administration U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs 810 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20420 Dear Dr. Stone: I write to inquire about the steps the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is taking to help veterans weather the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and to urge you to use all the tools at VA's disposal to help veterans continue receiving care without imposing additional financial hardships. At the beginning of April, 2020, VA took the laudable step of suspending copay and other medical billing through December 31st, 2020, which helped our veterans through the initial economic hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, I recently learned that VA sent out letters to Veterans notifying them that they will receive a bill in January to collect the accrued copay and medical debts incurred during this time. While I recognize the financial and operational necessity of collecting these bills, the extraordinary conditions that necessitated the billing suspension have not ended. The pandemic is ongoing, and for many American families and veterans, the accompanying economic distress is more acute than ever. We must keep our focus on ensuring the full health and wellbeing of our veterans and their families. Therefore, at a minimum, I urge you to extend the billing moratorium through at least the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Additionally, please provide written answers to the following questions by January 11th, 2021, regarding the implementation of billing practices to collect on copays and medical debts incurred from April 6th through December 31st, 2020, as well as actions to suspend copay debt owed to VA: Will veterans be billed for COVID-related testing? Under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (P.L. 116-127), VA is prohibited from charging copayments or other cost sharing measures for COVID-19 testing and outpatient visits related to testing for the duration of the public health emergency. Is VA considering extending the billing deferral period for non-COVID care given the ongoing public health emergency and economic uncertainty facing many veterans? Please provide a detailed plan for how VA will work with veterans unable to cover debts incurred due to financial hardships during the COVID-19 crisis? Given the continued financial hardship and uncertainty that veterans are facing during this time, are you considering waiving the debt entirely? Thank you for your attention to this important matter. I look forward to your response, and to working with you to protect our veterans' health and well-being during this most difficult time. Sincerely,",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.smith.senate.gov/us-senator-tina-smiths-bipartisan-bills-help-tribes-combat-homelessness-help-more-native-families,U.S. Senator Tina Smith's Bipartisan Bills to Help Tribes Combat Homelessness & Help More Native Families Become Homeowners to be Signed Into Law,2020-12-22,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Tina Smith,S001203,www.smith.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Bipartisan Legislation Heads to President's Desk as Part of Congress' Year-End Appropriations Package WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/22/20]Two bipartisan bills led by U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) tohelp Tribes combat homelessness and tohelp Native families become homeownersare headed to the President's desk to be signed into law as part of Congress'year-end appropriations package. TheTribal Access to Homeless Assistance Actled by Sen. Smith and co-led by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)will make Tribes eligible to apply forthe Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)'s homeless assistance funds through the Continuum of Care program.While Tribal leaders in Minnesota and across the country have been working diligently to address housing insecurity in Tribal areas,Tribes andTribally designated housing entities have been unable to access these HUD resources to combat homelessness. TheNative American Housing Affordability Actco-led by Sen. Smith and Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.)will reform the HUD Section 184 Indian Home Loan Guarantee Program to make it easier to secure a mortgage on Tribal trust land. The passage of these two bipartisan laws will make improvements along the continuum of housing on Tribal lands in Minnesota and across the country,said Sen. Smith, a member of both the Senate Indian Affairs and Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committees. The bipartisanNative American Housing Affordability Actwill remove red tape that slows down loan processing time to promote homeownership and create opportunity for Native communities. And theTribal Access to Homeless Assistance Actwill helpIndigenous leaders combat housing insecurity in their communities by making Tribes eligible to apply forfederal assistance.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://craig.house.gov/media/press-releases/representative-craig-statement-passage-government-funding-and-covid-19-relief,Representative Craig Statement on Passage of Government Funding and COVID-19 Relief Package,2020-12-21,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Angie Craig,C001119,craig.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC Today, U.S. Representative Angie Craig released the following statement on the House passage of an omnibus government funding bill as well as a COVID relief bill. The bill now awaits approval in the Senate, before it heads to the President's desk to be signed into law. The legislation took too long and is far from perfect but I'm glad that we were finally able to come together to fund the government and pass a crucial relief package that will provide support to Minnesota families, struggling small businesses, out-of-work Americans and our health care professionals. There is still much work to be done to keep one another safe while the vaccines are distributed but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mccollum.house.gov/media/press-releases/chair-mccollum-statement-passage-36107-billion-fy-21-interior-environment-bill,"Chair McCollum Statement on Passage of $36.107 Billion FY 21 Interior-Environment Bill, Appropriations Omnibus",2020-12-21,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Betty McCollum,M001143,mccollum.house.gov,mccollum,https://mccollum.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn.), Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, released the following statement after the passage of the conference agreement for the $36.107 billion FY 21 Interior-Environment funding bill as part of the 12-bill appropriations omnibus package, H.R. 133: ""The final $36.107 billion FY 21 Interior-Environment Appropriations bill represents a year of hard work, a complete rejection of the extreme cuts proposed by the Trump administration, and the largest investment in our environment and our communities in a decade,"" Chair McCollum said. ""These investments move us forward – by allocating resources in ways that keep our communities safe and healthy, protect and preserve our landscapes and biodiversity, and fund the arts and humanities. The bill also moves us in the right direction to meet the federal government's trust and treaty responsibilities to our Native American brothers and sisters, increasing funding for Indian health care, education, and more. This bill reflects the priorities of the American people."" This legislation makes significant investments in protecting and preserving public lands, building resilience to climate change, strengthening America's environmental workforce, and ensuring access to safe drinking water. Highlights include: Environmental Protection: $9.24 billion for the EPA, increasing funding by $180 million, with $3.49 billion for EPA's core science and environmental program work and $12.5 million for Environmental Justice activities. Strengthening Federal Commitments to our Native American Brothers and Sisters: $6.2 billion for the Indian Health Service, a $189 million increase; and $3.5 billion for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian Education, and Office of the Special Trustee, a $171 million increase. Public Lands: $13.7 billion for the Department of the Interior, increasing funding by $186 million, with $1.27 billion for the Bureau of Land Management, $1.58 billion for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and $3.12 billion for the National Park Service. Clean and Safe Drinking Water: The bill will make communities safer and healthier by providing investments to ensure that all Americans have access to clean and safe drinking water: $2.77 billion for Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds; $91 million for Brownfields cleanup grants; and $53 million in additional funding at EPA for scientific and regulatory work on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), needed to establish drinking water and cleanup standards. Cultural Preservation: The bill includes $144 million for the Historic Preservation Fund, $26 million above the fiscal year 2020 enacted level and $104 million above the President's budget request. Within this amount, the bill includes: $71 million for State and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices, $25 million for Save America's Treasures grants, $21 million for competitive grants to preserve the sites and stories of underrepresented community civil rights, and $10 million for grants to Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Arts and Humanities: $167.5 million each for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, an increase of $5.25 million above the 2020 enacted levels and a rejection of the President's proposal to eliminate the agencies. International Conservation: $15.4 million, a program increase of $6 million, for Forest Service International; $23 million, an increase of $4.2 million, for U.S. Fish and Wildlife International Affairs. Chair McCollum continued: ""This bill makes many crucial investments, but I am disappointed that Senate Republicans and President Trump refused to include House-passed provisions to remove hateful Confederate symbols from our national parks as a step toward confronting our nation's legacy of racial injustice. They also insisted on removing language passed by House Democrats to protect our public lands and waters, including a one-year halt on advancing a sulfide-ore copper mine project adjacent to the Boundary Waters. I look forward to working with the Biden administration to pursue these critical provisions in the next Congress."" The text of the legislation can be found here. A summary of critical FY 21 appropriations provisions is here. More details on the appropriations provisions, including Interior-Environment (Division G), can be found here. Read Congresswoman McCollum's statement on the $900 billion COVID relief package here.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://mccollum.house.gov/media/press-releases/mccollum-statement-passage-900-billion-covid-19-aid-package,McCollum Statement on Passage of $900 Billion COVID-19 Aid Package,2020-12-21,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Betty McCollum,M001143,mccollum.house.gov,mccollum,https://mccollum.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn.) issued the following statement today after a $900 billion COVID-19 federal aid deal passed the House of Representatives as part of H.R. 133, the federal appropriations omnibus: ""Our nation has lost more than 318,000 lives, including over 4,800 Minnesotans, to the COVID-19 pandemic. As our health care system strains under the weight of increasing caseloads, and American families are struggling with food insecurity, housing instability, job loss, and the emotional toll of isolation, Republicans failed for months to come to the table and negotiate in good faith with Democrats. The passage of this aid deal, though incomplete, provides a glimmer of hope in a time of great darkness for our nation. These funds will help accelerate vaccine distribution, and they will provide a measure of stability to working families and our struggling economy as we face this historic crisis. Small businesses and important cultural institutions will be able to stay afloat because of this legislation. It will also help ensure that our schools and universities can operate safely."" ""It is important that we provide this stability over the next few weeks until the Biden-Harris administration can put together a plan to work with Congress on additional federal assistance for state, local, and tribal governments that is so urgently needed."" Highlights of the COVID-19 deal include: $600 direct payments to most individuals, including children; $13 billion in increased SNAP and child nutrition benefits to help relieve the historic hunger crisis that has left up to 17 million children food insecure; $25 billion in rental assistance and an extended eviction moratorium to help ensure people can stay in their homes for the duration of this crisis; $284 billion for a second round of Paycheck Protection Program loans for businesses, with dedicated funding for small and underserved businesses through Community Development Financial Institutions; $300 per week in federal unemployment benefits for 11 weeks; $15 billion for theaters, music venues, and other important cultural institutions; $82 billion for local schools, colleges, and universities; $10 billion for child care to assist working families",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://omar.house.gov/media/press-releases/ilhan-omar-statement-coronavirus-relief-package,Ilhan Omar Statement on Coronavirus Relief Package,2020-12-21,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Ilhan Omar,O000173,omar.house.gov,omar,https://omar.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON— Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) issued the following statement on the agreement on a coronavirus relief package and end of year spending bill, which she plans to support. ""My priority remains getting Minnesota families direct financial relief. Two weeks ago, survival checks for the American people were not even on the table. Along with Senator Bernie Sanders and the Congressional Progressive Caucus, I organized to get as much direct relief as possible for the American people. I led a letter with nearly 60 House Members from all wings of the Democratic Party calling for survival checks, and the Congressional Progressive Caucus later took on that position as a caucus. Since the beginning of the pandemic, I have also pushed for relief for mixed status families, who pay taxes and should be eligible for relief just like every American family. As a result, the bill contains survival checks, including for mixed status families. It also provides critical unemployment insurance to those who have lost their jobs due to this pandemic and extends the deadline for states and localities to use CARES Act funds, something our Mayors and Governors have been pleading for. As a Member of the Education & Labor Committee, I am also proud that we included billions in school funding and broadband investment in this emergency relief. ""But that doesn't mean this package is anything close to enough. Hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans remain out of work, and millions more have had their hours cut or lost a steady income stream due to the pandemic. Six hundred dollars is not close to sufficient to cover eight months of lost wages, food or rent expenses. State and local governments in Minnesota are bleeding resources, while shouldering the burden of education, public safety, and public healthcare workers in the face of massive revenue shortfalls. Mitch McConnell and his Republican colleagues have stonewalled state and local aid, along with survival checks that meets the scale of the crisis. This is a collective failure in helping Americans in their time of need. ""This cannot be our last package. Families need so much more. State and local governments need help—desperately. I cast this vote as a down payment for a more just and humane pandemic response. Let us meet this moment and begin to support our communities when they need it most.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://phillips.house.gov/media/press-releases/covid-19-app-created-eden-prairie-student-wins-congressional-challenge,COVID-19 App Created By Eden Prairie Student Wins Congressional Challenge,2020-12-21,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Dean Phillips,P000616,phillips.house.gov,,,legacy,"MINNETONKA, MN - Today, Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) announced that Eden Prairie High School Senior Connor Holm won the 2020 Congressional App Challenge in Minnesota's Third District for his app, the COVID-19 Information Provider. The app connects users with detailed local public health data, allowing Minnesotans to assess the risk of contracting COVID-19 in their community and arming them with information that can save lives. I was inspired to create this COVID-19 Information Provider after seeing the devastating effects of COVID-19,said Connor Holm. The best type of programming is when the results are beneficial to society. People should not have to live without knowing if the risk of COVID-19 in their area is high or low. I knew that my passion for programming and learning could solve this problem by showing the current risk and informing the user on the correct safety procedures when going into public areas. Knowing how to stay safe is vital and my project is a small step for society to take in stopping COVID-19 forever. I am always so impressed by the passion, energy, and talent of our students, said Rep. Phillips. Now more than ever, we need thoughtful young people like Connor who care about our country and want to make a difference. It's going to take all of us, working together, to get through this pandemic as healthy, economically sound, and prepared for the future as possible. The Congressional App Challenge was launched by the House of Representatives in 2014 to highlight the value of computer science and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education. All middle and high school students living or attending school in Minnesota's Third District were invited to participate. Submissions were scored based on originality, user experience, and demonstrated programming skills by a panel of local experts including: Casey Helbling, CEO of Software for Good, a nonprofit based in Minnesota focused on developing web and mobile applications for organizations working toward positive environmental and social change. Theresa Hendrickson, Computer Science Educator with Minnetonka High School Chris Kratoska, Director of Code Ninjas Chanhassen, a national organization that brings young students together to help educate on coding through fun and exciting curriculum. Click here to watch Connor explain more about his COVID-19 Information Provider app, which he created after he was the only student in his AP Chemistry class who chose to return to in-person learning. Connor will be invited to participate in the House of Code Capitol Hill Reception in Washington, D.C. and his app will be featured alongside winners from around the country on the Congressional App Challenge website and displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://phillips.house.gov/media/press-releases/phillips-problem-solvers-lead-break-through-compromise-deliver-needed-aid,"Phillips, Problem Solvers Lead Break-Through Compromise To Deliver Needed Aid To American Families And Small Businesses",2020-12-21,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Dean Phillips,P000616,phillips.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Today, Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) praised the passage of a bipartisan emergency relief package to help American families and small businesses struggling during the most devastating public health emergency in modern American history. Last week, Phillips and Problem Solvers Caucus (PSC) members from the House of Representatives joined a bipartisan group of Senators including Mitt Romney (R-UT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) to release a framework for the compromise passed today. This is the culmination of months of work, led by the PSC Co-Chairs, Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Tom Reed (R-NY), along with Reps. Dean Phillips and Dusty Johnson (R-SD), who released a March to Common Ground framework in September and have pushed leaders from both parties to cast partisan politics aside and come together for the American people. After making it my personal mission for over four months, I'm pleased that emergency relief is finally on its way to American workers, families and small businesses, Rep. Phillips said. I'm particularly proud of the bipartisan Tiger Team' working group of the PSC, which worked together to inspire a breakthrough in stalled negotiations and played an integral role in delivering much needed aid to Americans at the precipice. Restoring Americans' trust in government requires members of Congress to place the needs of people above personal priorities, and we need more to take that pledge and fulfill the promise. America is great because we've always found the common ground necessary to serve our nation's best interests. As our country emerges from the worst health and economic crisis of our lifetimes, I'm committed to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure we can meet the moment. The package, while far from perfect, includes important provisions that will be a lifeline to many in need over the holidays: COVID-19 testing, tracing, and vaccine distribution Nutrition assistance Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds for small businesses and targeted support for theaters, concert venues, and non-profits with the ability for these funds to be tax exempt Paid Sick Leave and Employee Retention Tax Credit Education and Child Care support Rental assistance, eviction moratorium, and Low Income Housing Tax Credit Opioid support Broadband As with any compromise, there are many parts of the deal that the Congressman believes should have been improved, including: Enhanced unemployment for those who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic Stimulus checks,with much more than $600 going to people in need, and none for those who are secure Targeted aid for restaurants, gyms, and businesses that rely on public gathering Finally, the Congressman is dismayed in what was left out of the compromise. Rep. Phillips is committed to renewing the fight for: State and local aid, which our schools, firefighters, police, and other first responders so desperately need in order to continue serving our communities The spirit of working together and placing people over party ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.smith.senate.gov/us-senator-tina-smith-covid-19-relief-will-bring-support-minnesotans-more-must-be-done,"U.S. Senator Tina Smith: COVID-19 Relief Will Bring Support to Minnesotans, But More Must be Done",2020-12-21,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Tina Smith,S001203,www.smith.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/21/20]Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) released the following statement on the coronavirus (COVID-19) relief and government funding agreement: This bipartisan COVID-19 emergency relief bill will provide much-needed and long-overdue relief to Minnesotans. In the midst of the dark days of this pandemic, this legislation is an economic and health bridge for Minnesota and all Americans, and it is desperately needed. During the course of 2020, my priorities have been Minnesota's prioritiesgetting direct help to families, small businesses, and our health care system. This relief package supports all three of these priorities, and I'm very glad it includes many of the provisions I led and co-sponsored like extending Liberian American humanitarian protections, and including my Tribal housing bills, my wind energy legislation, and substantial support for my Loggers' Relief Act to help Northern Minnesota. And for families, this legislative package provides direct relief for families fighting hunger, extended and expanded unemployment insurance, and rental assistance. This legislation also provides relief for small businesses and nonprofits, childcare providers, restaurants, music and entertainment venues, and resources to support minority-owned businesses. And for stronger, better health care to help Minnesota families, this legislation directs resources to help states distribute vaccines and improve testing to suppress COVID-19, and it finally takes action to protect Minnesotans from surprise medical bills. It supports mental health, telehealth and rural health. But the bill is far from perfect. I'm very disappointed that this legislation does not provide desperately needed help to local, state and Tribal governments, which face deep budget challenges through no fault of their own because of the historic economic downturn caused by COVID. Collectively, over 1 million Americans working in the public sector have lost their jobs due to budget challenges. This must be a priority when we return in the new year. COVID-19 has not been the great equalizerit has laid bare the inequities in our county, and hit hardest our elders, frontline workers, and Black, Brown and Native people, and all people of color. This bill does not go nearly far enough to address the catastrophic challenges that many folks are experiencing right now paying rent, buying food, and caring for their children. There will be much more work for us all to do together so we can build back better in 2021.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.smith.senate.gov/us-senators-tina-smith-and-james-lankfords-bipartisan-bill-expand-health-care-resources-urban,U.S. Senators Tina Smith and James Lankfords Bipartisan Bill to Expand Health Care Resources for Urban Indian Health Organizations Clears Senate and House,2020-12-21,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Tina Smith,S001203,www.smith.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/21/20]Bipartisan legislation authored by U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.) to strengthen health resources for urban Indian health organizations amid the pandemicpassed the Senate yesterday and the House earlier last week.The legislation will amend theIndian Health Care Improvement Actto create parity within the Indian HealthServicesystem(ITU system).Itnext heads to the President to be signed into law. The ITU system is made up of the Indian Health Service, Tribal health programs, and urban Indian organizations (UIOs). UIOs provide culturally competent care for the over 70 percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives who live in urban centers, but right now providers at UIOs are not offered the same malpractice liability protection as otherproviderswithin the ITU system.Sens. Smith and Lankford'sCoverage for Urban Indian Health Providers Actwould expand Federal Torts Claim Act coverage (FTCA) to UIOs, which are currently required to divert already-limited resources away from patient care to cover liability costs. This bipartisan legislation will create parity within the Indian HealthService systemso urban Indian health organizations can spend their money on efforts to provide care rather than onlegal fees,said Sen. Smith, a member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee.Thislegislationis especially important during the pandemic, which has hit Minnesota's urban Indigenous communities hard and has forced some urban Indian health organizations to experience financial hardship or even close operations. I'm glad to have worked in a bipartisan way to bring some relief to urban Indian health organizations. Urban Indian health providers should not have to pay more for their liability insurance simply because they are in an urban area. This bill will ensure Tribal health providers can focus funds on care, not court costs,said Sen. Lankford.This bill helps clear up disparities in the law that unfairly limit Urban Indian Health Organizations because they cannot currently access liability protection available to other health entities. That omission takes healthcare dollars away from Tribal members. I'm glad we can fix this error of omission for our Tribal members in Oklahoma and nationwide. In addition to Sens. Smith and Lankford, theCoverage for Urban Indian Health Providers Actis cosponsored by Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.),Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://craig.house.gov/media/press-releases/house-passes-rep-craig-s-bipartisan-legislation-reduce-costs-and-risks-natural,House Passes Rep. Craig’s Bipartisan Legislation to Reduce the Costs and Risks of Natural Disasters,2020-12-18,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Angie Craig,C001119,craig.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bipartisan disaster mitigation bill introduced by U.S. Representatives Angie Craig (D-MN) and Rodney Davis (R-IL) to help communities across the country prepare for and rebuild from extreme weather events. The Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation (STORM) Act the Senate counterpart to Craig and Davis' Resilience Revolving Loan Fund Act introduced in July of 2019 would create a low-interest loan program for Minnesota and other states to fund mitigation projects that reduce the risks and costs of natural disasters. The bill is now headed to the President's desk to be signed into law. This will be Craig's third bill signed into law in her first term in Congress the most of any member of the Minnesota delegation Republican or Democrat. Loans would be available for projects that minimize the costs and risks associated with wildfires, earthquakes, floods, storm surges and other events deemed catastrophic by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The program will not only reduce the financial burden of recovery on local governments but allow communities to invest in resilient infrastructure that can withstand severe weather events and natural disasters. U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Ron Johnson (R-WI), Ranking Member and Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, introduced the Senate counterpart legislation which passed the Senate on December 9th by unanimous consent. The bill has received strong support from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Mississippi Rivers Cities and Towns Initiative and several other groups. In recent years, cities and towns in the Second District have experienced some of the most devastating flood seasons in recent memory threatening Minnesotans' homes, doing severe damage to public property and costing our local communities millions of dollars in recovery efforts,said Rep. Angie Craig.I am incredibly proud that our bill which will soon be signed into law by President Trump will allow cities like Red Wing, Jordan and Hastings to invest in resilient infrastructure that will not only protect their communities, but also save countless taxpayer dollars in the years to come. Severe weather and catastrophic events cause great strain on local economies and municipal budgets in cities and towns in Illinois like Grafton and many others across the country,said Rep. Rodney Davis.Our bipartisan bill will give state and local governments the tools they need to prepare for emergency disasters before they happen. This will protect local economies and taxpayers alike. I'd like to thank Rep. Craig for our partnership on this issue in the House and all of the advocates who helped get this critical legislation passed. I look forward to the president swiftly signing this legislation into law so we can be prepared before the next time disaster strikes. Across our country, extreme weather events made worse by climate change have continued to take a devastating human and economic toll. As these disasters become increasingly frequent and severe, the Federal government must do more to ensure that communities remain resilient,said Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio.I thank Congresswoman Craig for understanding this need and introducing H.R. 3779, bipartisan legislation that would create a Federal Emergency Management Agency low-interest loan program for local governments to invest in disaster-resilient infrastructure. Thanks to Congresswoman Craig's tireless work, this bill passed the House today and the needs of hard-working families, businesses and communities were put first. Wisconsin faces threats of flooding and severe storms year after year, taking a toll on families, businesses, and communities. We need to be giving folks the tools they need to be properly prepared for future disasters,said Rep. Ron Kind, co-chair of the Mississippi River Caucus.This legislation will help communities in Wisconsin invest in projects to reduce damage and minimize risks of future floods and other natural disasters. I'm thrilled that this important bill has passed Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support and encourage the President to swiftly sign it into law. Providing cost-effective tools directly to local communities across Michigan is critical to helping them stave off the harmful effects that coastal erosion, flooding and rising water levels have on people's lives and livelihoods,said Ranking Member Gary Peters.I want to thank Congresswoman Craig for leading this bipartisan, commonsense legislation through the House and urge the President to sign it as soon as possible so that we can ensure that Michigan's coastlines remain safe and pristine for generations to come. Congratulations to Reps. Craig and Davis for their leadership on House passage of the STORM Act, said Chuck Chaitovitz, Vice President, Environmental Affairs and Sustainability at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.Building smart, modern resilient infrastructure is among the top priorities for the business community. We join with our partners at MRCTI and ASCE in calling on the president to sign the bill in short order. We congratulate Rep. Angie Craig (MN), Rep. Rodney Davis (IL), Rep. Cedric Richmond (LA), Senator Ron Johnson (WI), and Senator Gary Peters (MI) for their championship of this cause. Mayors up and down the Mississippi River throughout the ten-state corridor led on this legislation at the local level. With our region sustaining the largest and longest floor in US history through 2019 followed by the pandemic, we urge the President to sign this new and innovative solution to our impacts as soon as possible,urged Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative Co-Chair, Sharon Weston Broome, Mayor of Baton Rouge, LA. Today, the House of Representatives prioritized legislation that supports resilient infrastructure by passing the bipartisan Resilience Revolving Loan Fund bill, the STORM Act,said Tom Smith, Executive Director, American Society of Civil Engineers.ASCE has been proud to partner with bill sponsors Congresswoman Angie Craig and Congressman Rodney Davis to support this legislation, which will help mitigate disasters and record-breaking floods that have occurred along the Mississippi River. The Resilience Revolving Loan Fund is an important step towards improving resilience and planning for communities across the country. We urge President Trump to quickly sign this critical legislation into law so communities can get the resources they need to prepare, adapt and mitigate, and to quickly recover from the next catastrophic storm. Currently, only one FEMA program provides communities with resources to implement proactive efforts to prevent future damage and that program is restrictive in its eligible activities. The new revolving loan fund would allow states to bring low-interest loans to counties and cities for disaster mitigation projects of varying types that creates the flexibility local governments need to respond to mounting disaster impacts. Repayment of the loans would fund subsequent projects. The legislation is modeled, in part, after the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) program, a successful federal-state partnership to help ensure safe drinking water in the United States. The 2019 January-May period was the wettest on record for the U.S., causing communities along the Mississippi River to incur severe costs in damages. The widespread flooding damaged homes, temporarily displaced families and delayed farmers' planting season. In response, local mayors and community leaders expressed the need for proactive investment in flood plain mapping, levees, water treatment plants, port protection and other critical infrastructure as the severity of natural disasters increases. The STORM Act, which now heads to the President's desk for final approval, would provide funding for those and other programs saving city and county governments millions of dollars over time.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://omar.house.gov/media/press-releases/ilhan-omar-releases-end-term-progress-report-op-ed,"Ilhan Omar Releases End of Term Progress Report, Op-ed",2020-12-18,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Ilhan Omar,O000173,omar.house.gov,omar,https://omar.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"MINNEAPOLIS— Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) released an report of her accomplishments in her first term, along with an end-of-year op-ed in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. ""Before being sworn in, I was elected as Whip of the Progressive Caucus and Vice Chair of the Medicare for All Caucus,"" Rep. Omar said. ""We worked with you to enact community-centered legislation to abolish student debt, provide universal school meals, combat systemic racism, provide housing for all, reorient our foreign policy, and end the waste crisis that is fueling climate change. In the face of threats, we have passed over two dozen bills and amendments, more than 94% of the freshman class."" ""The enormity of the crises we faced required us to think differently, to do things in a different way, to abandon the status quo and to expand the role of what it means to be a legislator in times of crisis. But I believe it has made me a stronger representative for Minnesotans. This is just the beginning; I will continue fighting for the 5th District with co-governance and justice at the center—every day. To build a more equitable Minnesota and America that uplifts one another so we collectively benefit. That's the type of leadership I will continue to bring to the People's House. Let's get to work."" The achievements include: 664 bills cosponsored 60 bills and amendments introduced 28 bills and amendments passed in the House 7 bills and amendments passed into law 42 town halls and roundtables $1,750,000,000 in federal grant money secured Over 300 constituent cases worked on Over 2,500 meetings with constituents You can view the full progress report here. You can view the op-ed hereand below. U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar: A look back — and forward — at the end of a first term By Ilhan Omar As our first term comes to a close, I want to take a moment to reflect on everything we have accomplished together—and the enormity of the threats we faced. We live in truly unprecedented times. I was sworn into office during the longest running government shutdown in American history—one that caused furloughs for thousands of government workers, and forced many more to go without basic government services. That same year, we faced a humanitarian crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. And the House had the solemn responsibility of impeaching the sitting president who solicited foreign interference to help with his own reelection bid. Weeks after that, the nation nearly went to war with Iran. 2020 was no calmer. A mishandled global pandemic has impacted our whole nation, taking hundreds of thousands of lives and millions of jobs. In our own district, George Floyd died in police custody in broad daylight, leading to a long overdue racial justice reckoning across the country. Many of these crises are ongoing, and it will take decades to undo the damage of the last four years. But despite the enormity of the challenges our communities face, I remain deeply optimistic about the progress we have made and our ability to make change. In the face of constant obstacles vilification, our leaders have not cowered. We have shown up to work and taken on all these challenges – to legislate, to investigate, to litigate – and to represent our community. Before being sworn in, I was elected as Whip of the Progressive Caucus and Vice Chair of the Medicare for All Caucus. We worked with you to enact community-centered legislation to abolish student debt, provide universal school meals, combat systemic racism, provide housing for all, reorient our foreign policy, and end the waste crisis that is fueling climate change. In the face of threats, we have passed over two dozen bills and amendments, more than 94% of the freshman class. My MEALS Act, a critical bill to provide 22 million kids with federally subsidized school lunches during the coronavirus pandemic was signed into law as part of Families First Coronavirus Response Act. As someone who experienced the pangs of hunger as a young girl, child hunger is personal. This legislation provided USDA grant waivers to ensure our students are fed. The first bill passed by the House in the new Congress was the For the People Act, which was the most sweeping democracy reform package in a generation. The final bill included the PAUL Act, a bill I authored to end the culture of corruption by mandating more accountability and transparency for those lobbying on behalf of foreign governments. In the House, we introduced and passed bold pieces of legislation including the CARES Act to provide hazard pay for frontline works, relief for those facing eviction, and relief for state and local governments. As we speak we continue to fight to get more relief to Minnesotans, and I am prepared to work with the Biden-Harris Administration to provide badly needed relief to the American people. In the wake of George Floyd's death, people across the country and around the globe stood in solidarity to demand meaningful change in policing. I cosponsored the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and introduced a series of bills to create stronger accountability for law enforcement, protect protesters, limit the president's ability to deploy military forces domestically, and help communities rebuild. Systemic racism has plagued all aspects of being Black in Minnesota. In order to tackle the inherent inequities in our education system, I co-led the End PUSHOUT Act to end discrimination and unfair punishment against Black students. I also cosponsored H.R. 40, to investigate the ongoing harm of slavery and segregation, and make a formal proposal for reparations for African-Americans. In Congress, I will keep championing policies that address the systemic injustices embedded within our criminal justice, education, and economic system until we see lasting reform. I will not let our cries for change continue to echo unanswered. We have also secured other major victories for Minnesotans—including protections for our Liberian-American community from deportation, securing $13.5 million in Community Development Block Grants to help Minneapolis rebuild from the unrest after George Floyd's murder, and bringing home over $1,750,000,000 to our community in the form of federal grant money. My team and I have helped with over 700 constituent cases—ranging from social security to veterans to immigration issues. The enormity of these crises we faced required us to think differently, to do things in a different way, to abandon the status quo and to expand the role of what it means to be a legislator in times of crisis. But I believe it has made me a stronger representative for Minnesotans. This is just the beginning; I will continue fighting for the 5th District with co-governance and justice at the center—every day. To build a more equitable Minnesota and America that uplifts one another so we collectively benefit. That's the type of leadership I will continue to bring to the People's House. Let's get to work.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://craig.house.gov/media/press-releases/representative-angie-craig-nominated-serve-house-committee-energy-and-commerce,Representative Angie Craig Nominated to Serve on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce in the 117th Congress,2020-12-17,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Angie Craig,C001119,craig.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC Tonight, U.S. Representative Angie Craig was nominated to serve on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, one of Congress's most significant and influential committees. Among other priorities, the Energy and Commerce Committee is responsible for strengthening the economy, improving the nation's health care system, combating climate change and helping to guide the nation's energy policy. Craig was selected by a group of her peers serving on the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, which oversees committee assignments in the Caucus. Her nomination now goes to the full Democratic Caucus for approval. If approved, Craig will be seated on the Committee alongside Representatives Lori Trahan (D-MA), Kathleen Rice (D-NY), Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX) and Kim Schrier (D-WA). It is an enormous privilege to have been nominated to serve on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce in the 117thCongress. I am grateful to my colleagues for entrusting me with a key role on such an influential committee, where I look forward to enacting critical legislation that will improve the lives of hardworking Minnesotans in the Second District,said Rep. Craig.With more than two decades of experience working in health care, I am particularly thrilled to have the opportunity to help lead efforts to strengthen the Affordable Care Act and reduce the cost of prescription drugs while also working to advance key legislation on a broad range of issues, from combatting the effects of climate change and creating millions of good-paying jobs to protecting and strengthening our domestic biofuels markets for Minnesota family farmers. The Committee on Energy and Commerce is the oldest continuous standing committee in the U.S. House of Representatives, originally established in 1795 to regulate interstate and foreign commerce. The Committee has the broadest jurisdiction of any authorizing committee in Congress legislating on a wide variety of issues including health care, environmental protection, national energy policy, interstate and foreign commerce, nuclear facilities and more. The Committee also oversees several federal departments and agencies including but not limited to the Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Commerce and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://omar.house.gov/media/press-releases/pressley-omar-waters-adams-introduce-bold-resolution-calling-president-elect,"Pressley, Omar, Waters, Adams Introduce Bold Resolution Calling on President-Elect Biden to Cancel $50,000 in Federal Student Loan Debt",2020-12-17,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Ilhan Omar,O000173,omar.house.gov,omar,https://omar.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswomen Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Maxine Waters (CA-43),Chair of the House Financial Services Committee, and Alma Adams (NC-12) introduced a resolution outlining a bold plan for President-elect Joe Biden to cancel up to $50,000 in Federal student loan debt for student loan borrowers using existing legal authority under the Higher Education Act. The resolution, which outlines a pathway for the President-elect to use executive authority to cancel student loan debt while ensuring cancellation does not result in any tax liability for Federal student loan borrowers, is the House companion to Senate Resolution 711, introduced by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) earlier this year. Original co-sponsors of the House resolution include Congresswomen Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Barbara Lee (CA-13) and Jahana Hayes (CT-05). ""The student debt crisis is a racial and economic justice issue and we must finally begin to address it as such. Broad-based student debt cancellation is precisely the kind of bold, high-impact policy that the broad and diverse coalition that elected Joe Biden and Kamala Harris expect them to deliver,"" said Congresswoman Pressley. ""As we work to fight for meaningful economic relief for workers and families that meets the scale and scope of the crisis we face, canceling student debt is one of the most effective ways to provide direct relief to millions, help reduce the racial wealth gap, stimulate our economy, and begin to deliver an equitable and just recovery. On day one of his Administration, President-elect Biden will have the executive authority to cancel billions in student debt with the stroke of a pen. This resolution lays out a plan for him to do exactly that."" ""Over 90 percent of student debt is held by the federal government, which President-elect Joe Biden can cancel with the stroke of a pen,"" said Congresswoman Omar. ""Young people have been devastated by this economic crisis, with more than half living with their parents. Student debt cancellation would be a massive economic stimulus at a time when people desperately need it. It's also a racial equity issue. Students of color are more likely to take out federal student loans, and face higher rates of default. That's why I introduced the Student Debt Cancellation Act last year, and have called on leaders to make student debt relief a centerpiece of a coronavirus response package. It's why a majority of the country supports student debt relief. And it's why leaders from both Houses of Congress for substantial relief. Student debt cancellation isn't just an economic priority, it is a moral necessity."" ""As the student debt crisis continues to grow more urgent and the COVID-19 pandemic crisis continues to impact our communities and economy, the need to provide relief to student loan borrowers buried under mountains of debt is critical,"" said Chairwoman Maxine Waters. ""As a leader on this issue, I held a Financial Services Committee hearing last year on the student debt crisis and its adverse impact on individuals, families, and the economy. I helped to secure critical protections for student borrowers, including a pause on student loans during the pandemic, and advocated for legislation to help borrowers affected by the student debt crisis. Most recently, I wrote to President-elect Biden to recommend that he issue an executive order to promptly forgive up to $50,000 of debt for each student borrower and I am so pleased to join with Congresswomen Pressley, Adams, and Omar, who have all been critical voices in this fight, to address this crisis. I cannot overstate the importance of this resolution and the need for the Biden Administration to take bold action and deliver on this mandate from the people on day one."" ""The incoming Biden-Harris Administration has the opportunity to change lives and jumpstart our economy on day one by cancelling $50,000 in student loan debt,"" said Congresswoman Adams. ""These loans are holding American families back from buying houses, cars, and opening small businesses. Student loan debt prevents young families from building and creating wealth that they can pass down to their children and grandchildren – a freedom that historically has been denied to Black Americans in this country. Starting on January 20, it's up to us to rebuild the bridge to the middle class for millions of Americans. Let's start by cancelling the debt."" Long before the COVID-19 crisis, 45 million Americans were being crushed under the weight of an unprecedented $1.6 trillion student loan debt crisis. The unequal burden of the student debt crisis has disproportionately fallen on Black and Latinx borrowers who, as a result of generations of systemic racism and predatory policies, have been locked out of wealth building and have been forced to take on more debt, more often, just for a chance at the same degree as their white peers. The student debt crisis is both a racial and economic justice crisis, and student debt cancellation is bold, responsive policy that will help ensure the economic recovery strategy will prioritize workers and families and reduce the longstanding racial wealth gap. Specifically, the resolution: • Recognizes the Secretary of Education's broad administrative authority to cancel Federal student loan debt. • Urges the President to take executive action on day one of his Administration to cancel $50,000 in Federal student loan debt per borrower using the current legal authorities already granted by Congress. • Calls on the President to use existing authorities to prevent debt cancellation from resulting in a tax bill for borrowers. • Encourages the President to ensure that administrative debt cancellation helps to close racial wealth gaps. • Urges the President to extend the current payment relief on all Federal student loan payments and interest for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. ""Millions of borrowers had faced crushing burdens because of student loan debt now made worse by the economic devastation of COVID-19,"" said Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers. ""As a result too many are choosing between loan payments, and housing, food, and medication. Four years of mismanagement of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program and the ongoing nightmare of corporate servicers who have made huge profits off federal student loan debt has turned higher education financing into a business venture for the United States. Administrative student debt cancellation would be a game-changer for borrowers across the country, and an important first step in President-Elect Biden's effort to help families recover."" ""Student Debt cancellation is a racial justice issue since Black and Brown borrowers face the greatest hurdles when it comes to access, affordability, and retention in higher education,"" said Tiffany Loftin, National Director, Youth and College Division, NAACP. In order to make education a right, we need radical policy that addresses the needs of 44.7 million people who are shackled by debt, that starts with cancellation now."" ""We applaud Representative Ayanna Pressley and allies in Congress for urging President-elect Joe Biden to use existing authority to cancel student debt. A nationwide, grassroots movement has called for debt cancellation for years and we are closer to permanent relief than ever before. The leadership and support of champions in Congress couldn't come at a more important time,"" said Natalia Abrams, executive director of the nonprofit advocacy organization Student Debt Crisis. ""As the COVID-19 pandemic grows, far too many people are choosing between student loan payments and making rent, putting food on the table, and keeping the lights on. President-elect Joe Biden can change that. Canceling student debt will provide much-needed financial relief for individuals and boost the economy for years to come. It will also help close the racial wealth gap that is widening due to the disparate impact of the pandemic. And, as Representative Pressley reminds us, the president-elect can do all of this on Day One using executive action."" ""Canceling student debt not only would be a lifeline to 45 million people, some of whom are struggling under the weight of their debt, it would help build a more robust economy,"" said Remington A. Gregg, Counsel for Civil Justice and Consumer Rights at Public Citizen. ""It's supported by a majority of Americans. And it makes good on the commitment so many leaders have made over the past year to focus on racial equity by working to close the racial wealth gap and giving Black and Brown borrowers a real chance to succeed."" ""We need to acknowledge that our student loan system is fundamentally broken and the first step to repair it is through across-the-board debt cancellation,"" said Ashley Harrington, Federal Advocacy Director and Senior Counsel at the Center for Responsible Lending. ""We applaud Congresswoman Pressley and Congresswomen Omar, Adams, and Chairwoman Maxine Waters for introducing this important legislation and supporting the urgent need for administrative debt cancellation. The time has come for a new Administration to prevent further financial devastation for those who are disproportionately struggling the most under the weight of their student debt burden, Black borrowers and communities of color."" ""We applaud Representatives Ayanna Pressley, Ilhan Omar, Alma Adams and House Financial Services Chairwoman Maxine Waters for their leadership fighting for the economic needs of millions of families,"" said Alexis Goldstein, senior policy analyst at Americans for Financial Reform. ""No type of consumer debt is more widely held by the government than federal student loans. Cancelling federal student debt is a critical tool the government has to provide more funds for basic household needs when so many are on the precipice of financial ruin."" ""From big cities to small towns, one constant is the crushing weight of student debt,"" said Student Borrower Protection Center Executive Director Seth Frotman. ""With the stroke of a pen, President-elect Biden has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to cancel student debt and improve the lives of tens of millions of Americans."" ""We applaud Congresswomen Pressley, Omar, Adams and Chairwoman Maxine Waters in calling on cancellation of up to $50,000 in federal student loan debt which is caused by a system that has been inequitable and broken for decades. Student loan debt disproportionately burdens Black and Brown Americans and exacerbates the racial wealth gap. Abusive debt collection practices take funds like the Earned Income Tax Credit from borrowers' safety nets and garnish borrowers' wages, making it even harder for those who need every penny to put food on their families' tables and contribute to their local economies. Student debt cancellation is urgently needed on Day 1,"" said Persis Yu, director of the National Consumer Law Center's Student Loan Borrower Assistance Project. ""We can empower a generation, stimulate the economy, and begin to close the racial wealth gap on day one by enacting broad student debt cancellation,"" said Dr. Kyle Southern, Policy and Advocacy Director, Higher Education and Workforce. ""Taking this action is critical to advancing an equitable economic recovery. The compounding impact of systemic racism and gender discrimination on student borrowers who are Black, Latinx, and women means they incur more debt out of necessity and take longer to repay that debt. Currently, women borrowers hold two-thirds of all student debt. Broad student debt cancellation would substantially boost Black, Latinx, and women-led households, help close the racial wealth gap, and avert default."" Congresswoman Pressley has been leading the legislative fight for broad student debt cancellation. Reps. Pressley, Adams, and Omar have repeatedly led their colleagues in calling on House leadership to include student debt cancellation in any COVID relief package. In March, Pressley and Omar introduced the Student Debt Emergency Relief Act, legislation to cancel student loan debt and shield borrowers from any involuntary payments and garnishment during the COVID-19 crisis.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://www.smith.senate.gov/us-senators-smith-menendez-lead-push-make-sure-covid-19-vaccine-clinical-trials-continue-enroll,U.S. Senators Smith & Menendez Lead Push to Make Sure COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Trials Continue to Enroll Diverse Participants,2020-12-17,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Tina Smith,S001203,www.smith.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Senators Call on Nation's Top Health Agencies to Make Sure Clinical Trials Continue to Represent and Reflect Health Outcomes Across Communities WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/17/20]Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) led a group of their Senate colleagues in calling on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Operation Warp Speed and the U.S. Army Material Command (AMC) to make sure COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials continue to enroll a diverse group of participants. In addition to underscoring this priority, Sens. Smith, Menendez and their colleagues are urging HHS Secretary Alex Azar, FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, Operation Warp Speed Chief Advisor Moncef Slaoui and General Gustave Perna to provide information on the demographics of current and future Phase III COVID-19 vaccine trial participants. COVID-19 has disproportionately harmed communities of color. Compared to white Americans, Black Americans are one and a half times more likely to contract COVID-19, over three and a half times more likely to be hospitalized, and nearly three times as likely to die from the disease, wrote the lawmakers. Americans of color are also more likely to develop severe COVID-19, requiring hospitalization. Hispanic and Latino Americans are hospitalized at a rate over four times higher than non-Hispanic white Americans, and American Indian and Alaska Native people who contract COVID-19 are four times more likely to be hospitalized than white Americans. The senators continued: Given this disparate impact, FDA and public health officials have stressed the need for clinical trials to enroll diverse populations. Clinical trials should enroll diverse participants to confirm that COVID-19 vaccine candidates are safe and effective for Americans of all racial and ethnic backgrounds. Diverse clinical trial participation also builds vaccine confidence, which is critical in light of the United States' history of medical research exploitation and discrimination against minority patients. In addition to Sens. Smith and Menendez, the letter was signed by Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.). You can access full text of the letter below: December 17, 2020 The Honorable Alex M. Azar II The Honorable Stephen Hahn, MD Secretary of Health and Human Services Commissioner 200 Independence Avenue, Southwest Food and Drug Administration, Washington, D.C. 20201 Silver Spring, MD 20993 Dr. Moncef Slaoui General Gustave F. Perna Chief Advisor, Operation Warp Speed Commanding General Department of Health and Human Services Army Materiel Command 200 Independence Avenue, Southwest 4400 Martin Road Washington, DC 20201 Redstone Arsenal, AL 35898 Dear Secretary Azar, Commissioner Hahn, General Perna, and Dr. Slaoui: We are writing to request information on how the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Operation Warp Speed (OWS) are ensuring that clinical trials for the development of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 will continue to enroll participants in ways that are representative of the American population and reflect the differing risk of exposure and health outcomes across communities. COVID-19 has disproportionately harmed communities of color. Compared to white Americans, Black Americans are one and a half times more likely to contract COVID-19, over three and a half times more likely to be hospitalized, and nearly three times as likely to die from the disease. Americans of color are also more likely to develop severe COVID-19, requiring hospitalization. Hispanic and Latino Americans are hospitalized at a rate over four times higher than non-Hispanic white Americans, and American Indian and Alaska Native people who contract COVID-19 are four times more likely to be hospitalized than white Americans. Given this disparate impact, FDA and public health officials have stressed the need for clinical trials to enroll diverse populations. Clinical trials should enroll diverse participants to confirm that COVID-19 vaccine candidates are safe and effective for Americans of all racial and ethnic backgrounds. Diverse clinical trial participation also builds vaccine confidence, which is critical in light of the United States' history of medical research exploitation and discrimination against minority patients. Pfizer and Moderna have provided public information about the demographics of participants enrolled in the Phase III clinical trials for their COVID-19 vaccine candidates. Among Pfizer's U.S. participants, 30 percent were from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, and 37 percent of Moderna's participants were from racial and ethnic minority groups. While these two companies have been transparent about the demographics of their COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial participants, comparable levels of transparency have not occurred with all COVID-19 vaccine candidates. The initial announcement on the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford did not include demographic data. Demographic information was only made publicly available after publication in an academic journal and did not include the demographic information of U.S. participants. Similarly, public information on the progress and participant demographics of trials for COVID-19 vaccine candidates developed by Janssen/Johnson & Johnson, Novavax, Sanofi/GlaxoSmithKline, and Merck/International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, which are the other candidates supported by OWS (according to public reports), remains limited or inaccessible. These other candidates also need to be demonstrated as effective in diverse populations in order to build trust in their safety and efficacy. This is especially important as experts predict multiple COVID-19 vaccines may be needed to ensure widespread immunization to end the pandemic.8 For these reasons, the federal government, acting through OWS and the FDA, should encourage COVID-19 vaccine developers to publicize demographic information of Phase III trial participants on a timely basis. While the FDA's investigational new drug application requires demographic information to be submitted as part of annual reports, communities of color should not be forced to wait months or years for such information. Additionally, the federal government should support COVID-19 vaccine developers in their efforts to enroll diverse participants in ongoing and future clinical trials. For example, OWS or FDA might provide best practices, technical assistance, or other support to companies as they work to overcome clinical trial access barriers, ensure language accessibility, hire diverse clinical personnel, and build effective community partnerships. In the interim, we ask that you provide information on the demographics of current and future Phase III COVID-19 vaccine trial participants in the United States by responding to the questions below by January 4, 2021. 1. Operation Warp Speed was reported to be in contact with test sites during enrollment of Moderna's Phase III trial to ensure diverse representation of trial participants.9 Are OWS or other federal agencies in contact with other COVID-19 vaccine developers or the investigators at their test sites regarding demographics of Phase III clinical trial participants? 2. Do OWS, FDA, or other federal agencies have information on the demographics of participants in the Phase III clinical trials of other COVID-19 vaccine candidates supported by OWS? a. If yes, please share the racial and ethnic demographics of these trial populations. We also seek information on age and sex demographics. b. If not, do OWS, FDA, or other federal agencies plan to request this information and make it public in the future? 3. What steps are OWS, FDA, and other federal agencies taking to ensure the diversity of clinical trial participants in ongoing and future COVID-19 vaccine trials? How are OWS, FDA, and other federal agencies supporting COVID-19 vaccine developers in their efforts to enroll diverse participants? 4. How is OWS encouraging and supporting companies and researchers to address vaccine hesitancy in diverse communities when enrolling participants? Sincerely,",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://omar.house.gov/media/press-releases/ilhan-omar-republicans-are-gaslighting-public-and-it-s-costing-millions,Ilhan Omar: Republicans are Gaslighting the Public and it’s Costing Millions of Americans their Livelihoods and Lives,2020-12-16,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Ilhan Omar,O000173,omar.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTONRep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) issued the following statement on the ongoing coronavirus relief talks. We are now nine months into a pandemic that has taken hundreds of thousands of lives and millions of livelihoods. And instead of getting direct relief to struggling American families and the frontline workers helping to save lives, Republicans are fighting to defund the government and protect corporations from liability for their employees'COVID-related injuries. Let's remember how we got here: in the CARES Act, we got immediate relief to Americans weeks after the pandemic hit. This was supposed to be a start. In May, the House passed the HEROES Act to get Americans and local governments additional relief. Kevin McCarthy, Steve Scalise and Mitch McConnell all opposed it. For months, Mitch McConnell stonewalled the bill, insisting that his only priority was protecting corporations from putting their workers' lives at risk during the pandemic. He literally laughed when confronted by his inaction on the stimulus. Americans have now gone 8 months without any relief, and the position of the Republican Party is that we should defund our firefighters, defund our frontline workers, not fund the distribution of the vaccine and provide no direct relief for American families. Then they have the gall to blame Democrats for the lack of action? This is the truest form of gaslighting. They always say they want money in people's pockets. But they are literally trying to stop us fromputting money in the pockets of millions of Americans. They talk about helping businessesbut they are literally blocking relief for small business owners and their workers. We know the outlines of a deal because we already passed one this year: survival checks for the American people, increased unemployment for people out of work, and funding for state and local services like firefighters and healthcare workers. This shouldn't be hard.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://omar.house.gov/media/press-releases/ilhan-omar-republicans-are-gaslighting-public-and-its-costing-millions,Ilhan Omar: Republicans are Gaslighting the Public and it’s Costing Millions of Americans their Livelihoods and Lives,2020-12-16,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Ilhan Omar,O000173,omar.house.gov,omar,https://omar.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON— Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) issued the following statement on the ongoing coronavirus relief talks. ""We are now nine months into a pandemic that has taken hundreds of thousands of lives and millions of livelihoods. And instead of getting direct relief to struggling American families and the frontline workers helping to save lives, Republicans are fighting to defund the government and protect corporations from liability for their employees' COVID-related injuries. ""Let's remember how we got here: in the CARES Act, we got immediate relief to Americans weeks after the pandemic hit. This was supposed to be a start. ""In May, the House passed the HEROES Act to get Americans and local governments additional relief. Kevin McCarthy, Steve Scalise and Mitch McConnell all opposed it. For months, Mitch McConnell stonewalled the bill, insisting that his only priority was protecting corporations from putting their workers' lives at risk during the pandemic. He literally laughed when confronted by his inaction on the stimulus. ""Americans have now gone 8 months without any relief, and the position of the Republican Party is that we should defund our firefighters, defund our frontline workers, not fund the distribution of the vaccine and provide no direct relief for American families. Then they have the gall to blame Democrats for the lack of action? This is the truest form of gaslighting. ""They always say they want money in people's pockets. But they are literally trying to stop us from putting money in the pockets of millions of Americans. They talk about helping businesses—but they are literally blocking relief for small business owners and their workers. ""We know the outlines of a deal because we already passed one this year: survival checks for the American people, increased unemployment for people out of work, and funding for state and local services like firefighters and healthcare workers. ""This shouldn't be hard.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://www.smith.senate.gov/us-senator-tina-smith-says-upcoming-government-funding-package-should-include-additional-long-term,"U.S. Senator Tina Smith Says Upcoming Government Funding Package Should Include Additional, Long-term Funding for Community Health Centers",2020-12-15,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Tina Smith,S001203,www.smith.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Senator Urges Congressional Leadership to Provide Sustainability for the Almost 30 Million Low- and Lower-Income Americans Served by Community Health Centers WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/15/20]Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) joined a group of her colleagues in calling on Congressional leadership to include funding for community health centers (CHCs) in the upcoming government funding package to ensure that millions of Americans can continue to receive the care both during and after the pandemic. The pandemic has had a dramatic economic impact on our health centers, many of which have been forced to implement safeguarding measures to ensure the long-term financial stability of their organization, wrote Sen. Smith and her colleagues. This includes some having made difficult personnel decisions, including temporary reductions in staffing and closures of important healthcare delivery sites during this crisis, in fact 651 health centers across the nation are currently closed due to this pandemic. The senators continued: Given health centers' 50-plus years of dedicated service and vital role in protecting our nation's most vulnerable populations, both in rural and urban areas, more must be done to ensure their long-term financial viability. Ensuring long-term, robust health center funding is essential to health centers' ability to recruit and hire providers, expand capacity and plan for dramatic increases in demand for services, particularly as this crisis evolves. Sen. Smith and her colleagues want to ensure that CHCs have stability and can continue treating the almost 30 million low- and lower-income patients relying on these centers for care, which is why the lawmakers are pushing for reauthorizing CHCs for four years. In addition to Sens. Smith and Hassan, the letter was signed by Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.). You can read text of the letter below: December 15, 2020 The Honorable Mitch McConnell The Honorable Charles Schumer Majority Leader Minority Leader U.S. Senate U.S. Senate S-230, U.S. Capitol 322 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 2051 The Honorable Nancy Pelosi The Honorable Kevin McCarthy Speaker of the House Minority Leader U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Representatives H-232, U.S. Capitol H-204, U.S. Capitol Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515 Dear Leader McConnell, Leader Schumer, Speaker Pelosi, and Leader McCarthy: Thank you for your bipartisan efforts to ensure our nation's health care providers have the resources they need to effectively prepare for and respond to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. As both chambers work on additional legislation to address this public health crisis before the close of the 116th Congress, we write to urge you to prioritize both a long-term reauthorization and additional infrastructure funding for Community Health Centers. The passage of the Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 and Other Extensions Act, the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 and Other Extensions Act, and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, extended funding for community health centers (CHCs), the National Health Service Corps, teaching health centers that operate GME programs (THCGME), and the Special Diabetes Programs at current funding levels through December 18, 2020. Additionally, the CARES Act and included $1.3 billion in supplemental funding for health centers for Fiscal Year 2020. However, the Continuing Resolution did not provide additional emergency funds for public health agencies to combat the COVID-19 pandemic or other COVID-related relief or policies. The COVID-19 public health crisis has had a devastating impact on CHCs, and it is more important than ever that Congress ensure stability by securing long-term funding for health centers. CHCs are operating on razor-thin margins that, for most, have been stretched to the proverbial breaking point due to Coronavirus response efforts and lost revenues, as well as multiple attacks to 340B prescription drug discount funding, resulting in a major reduction in patient visits and loss of revenue. As such, the pandemic has had a dramatic economic impact on our health centers, many of which have been forced to implement safeguarding measures to ensure the long-term financial stability of their organization. This includes some having made difficult personnel decisions, including temporary reductions in staffing and closures of important healthcare delivery sites during this crisis, in fact 651 health centers across the nation are currently closed due to this pandemic. Given health center's 50-plus years of dedicated service and vital role in protecting our nation's most vulnerable populations, both in rural and urban areas, more must be done to ensure their long-term financial viability. Ensuring long-term, robust health center funding is essential to health centers' ability to recruit and hire providers, expand capacity and plan for dramatic increases in demand for services, particularly as this crisis evolves. We urge you to consider legislation reauthorizing CHCs for four years to provide crucial long-term, sustainable funding and stability to the almost 30 million low and lower-income patients treated at our health centers. It is also critical that future legislation takes into account the urgent infrastructure needs of CHCs. Now more than ever, infrastructure funding is essential to both support ongoing projects to address unmet primary care needs that have been suspended due to COVID-19, as well as supporting the implementation of various new infrastructure needs to provide ongoing and necessary care during the pandemic. This includes rapidly adopted and expanded remote telemedicine and video medicine capabilities for patients to access the services they need while mitigating the spread of the coronavirus as well as urgent emergency facility alteration projects undertaken to shield crucial frontline staff while continuing to deliver critically needed testing, treatment, and every-day comprehensive preventive health care services. As the government funding deadline of December 18, 2020 rapidly approaches for CHCs, we urge you to continue our commitment protecting and expanding health care for American families, ensuring the long-term stability needed for CHCs to deal with this crisis, and supporting CHCs to meet current patient care needs as well as address any future surges in patient need related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely,",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://craig.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-craig-presses-fema-clarify-reimbursement-rules-local-governments-investing,Rep. Craig Presses FEMA to Clarify Reimbursement Rules for Local Governments Investing in COVID-19 Related Expenses,2020-12-14,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Angie Craig,C001119,craig.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC In a letter to local elected officials throughout Minnesota's Second Congressional District, U.S. Representative Angie Craig informed leaders that she had signed onto a letter urging the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to clarify guidance on the process by which COVID-19 related expenses are deemed eligible for reimbursement. Under current guidelines, state and local governments are unable to be reimbursed for the purchase of many necessary protective products such as masks, gloves and plexiglass partitions. In her letter, Rep. Craig described that guidance as careless, and assured local leaders that one of her top priorities in Congress is ensuring that cities and counties have access to the resources necessary to mitigate the costs of the COVID-19 public health and economic crisis. During these difficult times, it is the responsibility of the federal government to ensure that our city and county governments have the funds necessary to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, said Representative Craig. Unfortunately, the careless guidance provided by FEMA has left local governments across Minnesota with an unnecessary financial burden simply for investing in resources to keep their constituents safe. I am proud to stand up for our cities and counties in the Second District and will continue to do everything in my power to ensure that our elected officials can continue providing essential services in their communities without stretching their budgets thin. In addition to pressing FEMA to clarify their reimbursement rules, Rep. Craig has also cosponsored legislation requiring FEMA to provide full federal funding for virus-related emergency aid to state and local governments. That bill, which passed the House in November, would allow local governments constrained by balanced budget requirements, to invest in the programs and resources necessary to protect their communities throughout the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. Text of the letter is copied below and available here. Dear Local Leader, As we enter the tenth month of combatting COVID-19 and its complex repercussions, I want to thank you for your continued leadership and dedication to providing essential services in your community. By continuing to work together, we will get through this difficult chapter. One of my top priorities in Congress is to ensure our cities and counties have the necessary funds and resources to mitigate the unexpected costs of the COVID-19 pandemic. That is why I recently signed onto a letter to the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in response to their careless guidance on the process by which COVID-19 related expenses are deemed eligible for reimbursement under the Stafford Act and 44 CFR, the implementing regulation. Under FEMA's current guidance and new definitions of emergency protective measure and public facility, many necessary purchases such as masks, plexiglass partitions, gloves and additional maintenance staff shifts for cleaning will be disqualified from reimbursement. I am requesting clarifying guidance to broaden reimbursable expenses and to centralize the reimbursement process. In addition, I cosponsored H.R. 8266, the FEMA Assistance Relief Act of 2020 which passed the House on November 17th. This bill would require FEMA to provide full federal funding for virus-related emergency aid. This will save recipients money as they continue to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and its many repercussions. I will continue to push for relief to ensure our communities withstand this pandemic and your budgets do not take massive hits. Please feel free to reach out to my office with any questions or concerns.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://phillips.house.gov/media/press-releases/phillips-statement-decisive-biden-electoral-college-victory,Phillips Statement on Decisive Biden Electoral College Victory,2020-12-14,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Dean Phillips,P000616,phillips.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. - Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) made the following statement after the Electoral College certified results of the 2020 Presidential Election: ""Inspiring a new era of collaboration in Congress and restoring Americans' faith in our government requires thoughtful compromise, but when it comes to protecting the foundations of American democracy there is no middle ground. Joe Biden is President-elect. Our democratic republic, if we can keep it, depends on elected leaders who demonstrate political courage when we need it most. Every Republican who has shared this truth, pushed back on dangerous conspiracy theories, and protected America from communism and fascism is a patriot and history will remember them as such. Now is the time for unity, for truth, and for optimism. Our best days are still ahead."" ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.smith.senate.gov/us-senator-tina-smith-us-representative-karen-bass-press-attorney-general-barr-information-use,U.S. Senator Tina Smith & U.S. Representative Karen Bass Press Attorney General Barr for Information on Use of Ketamine During Arrests,2020-12-14,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Tina Smith,S001203,www.smith.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Lawmakers' Probe Follows Incidents Highlighting Dangers of Ketamine, Including Death of Elijah McClain in CO & Medical Emergency of Max Johnson in MN WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/14/2020]Inaneffort to protect the health, safety and civil rights of Americans, today U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and U.S. Representative Karen Bass (D-Calif.)led 7 lawmakers in pressingU.S.Attorney General William Barrfor information about the use of ketamine and other sedatives or chemical restraints on individuals during their arrest or detention by law enforcement.Recent incidents highlight thedangers of administering sedatives during an arrestin particular the death of Elijah McClain in Colorado and the medical emergency of Max Johnson in Minnesota. In their letter toBarr, Sen. Smith and Rep. Bassnoted that law enforcement medics or paramedics typically administer ketamine to incapacitate individuals who are demonstrating excited delirium"" a term that isn'tfound in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and iswithout a widely accepted medical definition. ""We are concerned that ketamine and other sedatives are being used to help effectuate arrests without a full appreciation of the health risks and potential liability involved,""wrote Sen. Smith and Rep. Bass.""For instance, in a 2018 report conducted by the City of Minneapolis, investigators described a situation in which an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) provider was not aware that people with asthma can suffer fatal consequences from ketamine, but administered it to an asthmatic individual who then stopped breathing.In Mr. Johnson's case, EMS first treated him for low blood sugar to address diabetic shock, but then law enforcement treated Mr. Johnson as if he exhibited drug-induced behavior. The 500 milligrams of ketamine administered to Mr. Johnson during this event sent him into the Intensive Care Unit for two days.Federal standards for EMS only mention sedatives as a potential cause of delirium, not as a treatment for it.However, an EMS trade publication identified ketamine as the primary treatment for excited delirium and recommended a low threshold for employing this treatment, in contrast to the warning from the American Academy of Anesthesiologists.The lack of a clear, consistent policy for this chemical restraint is very concerning."" In addition to Sen. Smith and Rep. Bass, the letter was signed by Sens.Ron Wyden (D-Ore.),Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.),Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) andCatherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.). It was also signed byReps.Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.),Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) andDavid Cicelline (D-R.I.). You can read a copy of the letterherebelow. December 14,2020 The Honorable William Barr Attorney General U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest Washington, D.C. 20530 Attorney General Barr, We write to request information from the Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding the use of ketamine and other sedatives or chemical restraints on individuals during their arrest or detention by law enforcement. Though data on this practice is scarce, several recent and highly publicized incidents make clear the potential dangers of administering sedatives during an arrest. We request the Department's assistance in gathering information about the use of ketamine and other chemical restraints during arrests or detentions by federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies, as well as any regulations or guidance the Department has issued regarding this practice. As policymakers, we are deeply concerned about both the ability of law enforcement officers to make arrests safely and protecting the health, safety, and civil rights of individuals who may be subject to arrest. Recent reporting indicates that use of sedatives during arrest may be more common than is currently understood in particular the death of Elijah McClain in Colorado and the medical emergency of Max Johnson in Minnesota. Given evidence that the administration of ketamine for law enforcement purposes carries significant risks of death or permanent harm, we are seeking information about this practice in order to aid our consideration of future oversight and regulatory efforts. Law enforcement medics or paramedics typically administer ketamine to incapacitate individuals who are demonstrating excited delirium, a term not found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and without a widely accepted medical definition.[2] However, according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists, ketamine can cause side effects that can end in death when administered in a non-health care setting without appropriately trained medical personnel and necessary equipment.[3]The organization's president separately noted that ketamine should not be given for purely law enforcement purposes.[4] Administering ketamine without ascertaining an individual's medical history is especially dangerous, as ketamine may cause serious adverse interactions with certain medical conditions or medications; yet when an individual demonstrates symptoms associated with excited delirium, it is understandably difficult to ascertain that person's medical history or underlying conditions. Of the 902 people who were administered ketamine during their arrest or detention in Colorado since 2017, seventeen percent experienced a serious complication, including hypoxemia, or low oxygen levels in the blood, a potentially life-threatening complication.[5] We are concerned that ketamine and other sedatives are being used to help effectuate arrests without a full appreciation of the health risks and potential liability involved. For instance, in a 2018 report conducted by the City of Minneapolis, investigators described a situation in which an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) provider was not aware that people with asthma can suffer fatal consequences from ketamine, but administered it to an asthmatic individual who then stopped breathing.[6] In Mr. Johnson's case, EMS first treated him for low blood sugar to address diabetic shock, but then law enforcement treated Mr. Johnson as if he exhibited drug-induced behavior. The 500 milligrams of ketamine administered to Mr. Johnson during this event sent him into the Intensive Care Unit for two days.[7] Federal standards for EMS only mention sedatives as a potential cause of delirium, not as a treatment for it.[8] However, an EMS trade publication identified ketamine as the primary treatment for excited delirium and recommended a low threshold for employing this treatment, in contrast to the warning from the American Academy of Anesthesiologists.[9]The lack of a clear, consistent policy for this chemical restraint is very concerning. Situations in which law enforcement personnel and EMS interact pose complex jurisdictional questions, as they occur in the field under varying and perhaps competing federal, state, and local policies. Furthermore, departmental policies may address their own employee's behavior in the field, but they may not address collaboration or interaction with other emergency responders.[10] The 2018 Minneapolis report found that law enforcement officers encouraged EMS to administer ketamine, sometimes despite objections from patients and without a clear reason for doing so.[11] Though department policy now forbids attempts to influence EMS's treatment, at that time the Minneapolis Police Department lacked formal policy regarding the interactions between law enforcement officers and EMS.[12]These jurisdictional conflicts are no doubt complex, and this complexity creates confusion. The consequences of ketamine use are too dangerous to allow such confusion to continue. In a July hearing before the House Judiciary Committee, you did not provide any statistics or information regarding the administration of ketamine in the course of arrests.[13] If the Justice Department does not possess any such information, we believe additional research is needed to help policymakers determine if the practice should be federally regulated or possibly prohibited. Furthermore, we need additional data about whether there are racial disparities in the use of ketamine or other sedatives during arrests. Given existing racial inequities in arrest rates, it seems likely that people of color are subjected to ketamine sedation at disproportionate rates. In order to protect the health, safety, and civil rights of our constituents, policymakers need additional information about the scope of the practice of administering ketamine and other chemical restraints during arrest. We ask that you respond no later than November XX, 2020 to the following questions: 1.Does the DOJ currently collect data on the use of ketamine and other sedatives during arrest or detention by law enforcement (even if administered by EMS, paramedics, or other medical personnel)? If so, please include this data in your response. a.If yes, does the DOJ disaggregate that data by race, sex, age, or other demographic characteristics? If yes, please provide. If no, please explain why not. 2.Has the DOJ ever developed or issued guidance regarding the use of ketamine, or other sedatives or chemical restraints, by law enforcement agencies during arrests? If so, please include. 3.Has the DOJ ever developed or issued guidance to law enforcement agencies regarding coordinating with EMS, paramedics, and other medical personnel, about the use of ketamine or other sedatives in cases where an individual exhibits signs of excited delirium? If so, please include. 4.Has the DOJ ever developed or issued guidance or advisory opinions regarding potential liability for civil rights violations resulting from the use of ketamine or other sedatives and chemical restraints during arrest or detention? If so, please include. 5.Has the DOJ ever developed or issued guidance or advisory opinions regarding whether and when the use of ketamine or other sedatives or chemical restraints during an arrest or detention may be unreasonable under the Fourth Amendment? If so, please include. Sincerely,",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://craig.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-craig-announces-apple-valley-students-winners-congressional-app-challenge,Rep. Craig Announces Apple Valley Students as Winners of the Congressional App Challenge,2020-12-11,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Angie Craig,C001119,craig.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC Today, U.S. Representative Angie Craig announced Nathan Labiosa and Akansha Kamineni as the winners of the Congressional App Challenge in Minnesota's Second Congressional District. The Congressional App Challenge is an annual nationwide competition for middle school and high school students interested in computer science. Labiosa and Kamineni received the distinction after designing a mobile application called Rethink Recycling which is designed to encourage young people to get excited about recycling and to help people understand which household items can be recycled by taking a short quiz. Nathan and Akansha who are Seniors at Eastview High School in Apple Valley chose to design their application because of their firm belief in social responsibility and protecting the environment. The designers also thought their application was especially important at a time when millions of Americans are staying home due to the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis. I'm incredibly proud to announce Nathan Labiosa and Akansha Kamineni as the winners of the Congressional App Challenge in Minnesota's Second Congressional District,said Rep. Craig.Now more than ever, it is crucial for Americans to act as responsible stewards of the world around us and Nathan and Akansha's innovative and commonsense app could help us all to do exactly that. I'm incredibly impressed by this accomplishment and optimistic about the future of our state with young folks like Nathan and Akansha leading the way. The Congressional App Challenge is a nationwide effort by Members of Congress to encourage middle school and high school students to learn code and pursue careers in computer science. Each member of Congress is encouraged to nominate one submission to be put on display in the U.S. Capitol Building for one year. In the first four years of the challenge, the CAC has inspired more than 14,000 students in 48 states to get involved in application design by participating in the annual competition.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://craig.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-craig-dairy-industry-applaud-ustr-efforts-address-canadian-tariff-rate,"Rep. Craig, Dairy Industry Applaud USTR Efforts to Address Canadian Tariff Rate Quota Violations",2020-12-11,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Angie Craig,C001119,craig.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. This week, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced that they will begin consultations on the enforcement of Canada's tariff rate quota (TRQ) allocations for imported dairy products. U.S. Representative Angie Craig joined the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) in applauding this news. Dairy farmers in Minnesota and across the country have faced unprecedented challenges in recent years,said Representative Craig.I supported the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement to help make it possible for our family farmers to compete on a level playing field. I'm proud to see USMCA working for our dairy industry to bring market fairness and stability. Representative Craig helped deliver USMCA for Minnesota's dairy farmers and farmer-owned cooperatives and now is working hard to hold Canada accountable to its trade promises. USMCA is designed to bring tangible benefits home to America's dairy industry, yet Canada has manipulated its market access commitments, threatening these hard-fought wins. We applaud Congresswoman Craig for her leadership on this critical issue. Jim Mulhern, President & CEO, National Milk Producers Federation Representative Craig sits on the House Agriculture Committee where she has stood with the National Milk Producers Federation and colleagues from both parties in efforts to ensure the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement is fully enforced.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://craig.house.gov/media/press-releases/representative-angie-craig-statement-protect-womens-sports-act,Representative Angie Craig Statement on the Protect Women's Sports Act,2020-12-11,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Angie Craig,C001119,craig.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, DC Today, U.S. Representative Angie Craig released the following statement on the Protect Women's Sports Act, which was introduced by Representatives Tulsi Gabbard and Markwayne Mullin: As a lesbian woman, I am no stranger to prejudice and intolerance but this legislation is beyond the pale. Plain and simple, the Protect Women's Sports Act is transphobic and this type of discrimination has no place in the halls of Congress. Especially at a time when the transgender community is suffering from a tragic rise in suicide rates and experiencing a surge of transphobic violence, such a bigoted and appalling effort is simply unacceptable. Queer and transgender women must stand together in the face of intolerance and I am proud to do so today by emphatically denouncing this narrow-minded and hateful legislation, which is harmful not only to transgender women but to the LGBTQ Community at-large.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://phillips.house.gov/media/press-releases/phillips-measure-support-gold-star-families-included-defense-bill-headed,"Phillips Measure to Support Gold Star Families Included in Defense Bill, Headed to President’s Desk",2020-12-11,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Dean Phillips,P000616,phillips.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, the U.S. Senate passed theNational Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY2021, including the bipartisan Cheryl Lankford Memorial to Improve Assistance for Gold Star Spouses and Other Dependents amendment by Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03). The amendment will help keep bereaved military families from slipping through the cracks andensure Gold Star dependent children can easily access the benefits they are owed. As a Gold Star Son, my gratitude to our servicemembers and their families is immeasurable, said Phillips. Gold Star Families have made unimaginable sacrifices, and we must do everything we can to deliver all benefits they are owed. Gold Star Families deserve our respect and support, and I am glad this amendment will soon be signed into law. Phillips voted for final passage of NDAA on December 8, 2020, which included eight of his amendments aimed at modernizing our national security, stabilizing international relationships, and preparing for the next global crisis, and supporting our veterans and their families: Supporting Gold Star Families: When a military member dies, the surviving family is visited by a Casualty Assistance Officer who advocates for the family and assists with processing benefits. However, if a Gold Star Spouse dies and leaves behind dependent children, the military does not provide any help. Phillips's amendment would provide, at the request of the family, a Casualty Assistance Officer to support eligible dependents if the spouse of a deceased servicemember passes away. Finding Best Practices in Local Veterans Services: Demobilization centers assist returning soldiers as they readjust to civilian life. Minnesota has an excellent demobilization program, which is known for its use of County Veterans Service Officers (CVSOs). Through discussions with a CVSO in Carver County, Phillips learned that the use of CVSOs is not common in other states. Navigating bureaucratic red tape can be difficult for anyone, but especially for returning troops. Having an advocate helps soldiers better understand and make use of their hard-earned benefits. Phillips's amendment requires a report on the effectiveness of CVSOs and feasibility of implementing this locally led program on a larger scale. Streamlining Drug Prevention Programs for Servicemembers:The Drug Demand Reduction Program (DDRP) seeks to detect and deter drug abuse. After conversations with Minnesota companies, Rep. Phillips discovered that new technology was available that could streamline the DDRP, increase effectiveness, and curb wasteful spending. Phillips's amendment requires the Secretary of Defense to brief Congress on inefficiencies in the DDRP. Stabilizing America's Response in War-Torn Regions:While the Department of Defense (DoD) receives more funding than most federal agencies, they are not always the best-equipped to address root causes of violence. The 2020 NDAA gave the DoD the ability to transfer funds to the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Phillips's amendment supports extends the deadline for this transfer of funds for stabilization activities by one year. Ensuring Peace Corps Operations in Times of Crisis:National service is a time-honored American tradition and is needed now more than ever. Phillips's amendment requires the Director of the Peace Corps to report to Congress on their plans to resume operations after the coronavirus pandemic. Rep. Phillips has advocated for Peace Corps volunteers, introducing two bills: H.R. 6853, the UNITE Act of 2020, and H.R. 6833, the Utilizing and Supporting Evacuated Peace Corps Volunteers Act. Modernizing Congressional Oversight: Congress regularly requests hundreds of reports from the Department of Defense (DoD), but the system for tracking these reports is outdated. Reports are critical to rooting our inefficiencies and preventing fraud, waste, and misuse of taxpayer funds. Phillips's bipartisan amendment requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to analyze the DoD process for responding to congressional reporting requirements and give suggestions for improving this process. Preventing Global Atrocities: Phillips worked with the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum to ensure the U.S. plays a role in preventing global atrocities for generations to come. This amendment expands on the Global Fragility Act and the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act, mandates the use of the Atrocity Prevention Framework, and requires the State Department to report on their efforts to prevent atrocities. Training Our Military for 21st Century Warfare:As war becomes increasingly complex, and as terrorists and non-state actors continue to pose an increasing threat, we must adapt and learn from recent lessons. Phillips's bipartisan amendment directs the Department of Defense to brief Congress on how officers are trained in irregular warfare.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.smith.senate.gov/following-bipartisan-call-action-led-us-sen-tina-smith-us-trade-representative-launches-challenge,"Following Bipartisan Call for Action Led by U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, U.S. Trade Representative Launches Challenge to Unfair Canadian Trade Practices that Harm U.S. Dairy Producers",2020-12-10,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Tina Smith,S001203,www.smith.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Senator Says Canada's Unfair Treatment of U.S. Dairy Exports Violates Provisions of New U.S.-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/09/20] U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said today that she was pleased U.S. Trade Ambassador Robert Lighthizer has taken the first step in challenging unfair Canadian trade practices that are harming dairy producers in Minnesota and across the country. In August, Sen. Smith led a bipartisan group of 25 Senators in pressing Ambassador Lighthizer and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to take action to ensure Canada abides by the dairy provisions of the USMCA. Sen. Smith helped secure stronger dairy trade provisions in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement (USMCA). The agreement took effect in July, and Lighthizer's action was needed because of the trade barriers Canada has put up to block U.S. dairy exports to that country in violation of the agreement. I fought hard for provision in the USMCA to open up markets for our dairy producers and crack down on Canada's unfair treatment of U.S. dairy exports, said Senator Smith, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. Unfortunately, Canada has failed to meet their obligations under the agreement, and I'm pleased that Ambassador Lighthizer has heeded my call to challenge Canada's actions. In this difficult time for American agriculture, it's a much-needed and welcome effort that will help dairy producers in Minnesota and across the country. This week, Ambassador Lighthizer signaled that he will begin dispute settlement proceedings aimed at removing Canadian dairy import barriers. It would be the first enforcement action under the new USMCA.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://omar.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressional-progressive-caucus-announces-leadership-team-117th-congress,Congressional Progressive Caucus Announces Leadership Team for the 117th Congress,2020-12-09,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Ilhan Omar,O000173,omar.house.gov,omar,https://omar.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Today, the Congressional Progressive Caucus announced its senior leadership, known as the CPC Executive Board, for the 117th Congress. The incoming Executive Board is made up of twenty-seven members – one Chair, one Deputy Chair, one Whip, three Chair Emeriti, two Special Order Hour Conveners, ten Vice Chairs, one Executive Board Member At-Large, and eight Deputy Whips. The CPC Executive Board is representative of the diversity within the caucus – more than half of Executive Board members are people of color and more than half are women. ""As a lifelong organizer, I am honored that my colleagues have elected me to lead the Congressional Progressive Caucus at this pivotal moment. We have massive crises knocking at our nation's door, and the work of the Progressive Caucus has never been more important. The American people need Congress to lead with vision, conviction, empathy, and dedication to people and families in every community who are struggling right now,"" said CPC Chair Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal. ""It's time for Congress to act boldly, restoring power to where it belongs — with the people. I am confident that with this talented leadership team and the expertise and passion of our entire caucus, we can deliver progressive policies that bring real relief to families, advance racial justice, tackle poverty and inequality of any kind, strengthen worker power, advance climate justice, break up monopolies, bring humanity to our immigration system, and help transform this country so working people finally get ahead."" ""I'm deeply honored to have the opportunity to serve in the new role of Deputy Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus,"" said incoming CPC Deputy Chair Congresswoman Katie Porter. ""In 2018, many of my Democratic colleagues and I successfully ran campaigns rooted in progressive values. Rather than shying away from our core principles, we embraced them—making it clear that a progressive agenda is not only the right policy for America, but also a winning political message. I'm eager to continue fighting for progressive ideals, and I look forward to working with Chair Jayapal, Whip Omar, and our newly elected Vice Chairs to push the CPC agenda and make the Progressive Caucus a more unified, effective, and powerful force for progress in Congress."" ""I am honored to be reelected Whip of the Progressive Caucus. We have a unique opportunity to fight for transformative change in the 117th Congress—whether that is addressing the coronavirus pandemic, passing universal healthcare, tackling the climate crisis or reorienting our foreign policy,"" said CPC Whip Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. ""I look forward to continuing to represent my colleagues in building an effective progressive voting bloc in Congress alongside fearless leaders like Reps. Pramila Jayapal and Katie Porter."" The full CPC Executive Board for the 117th Congress will be:",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://www.smith.senate.gov/after-push-us-sen-tina-smith-usda-increasing-incentive-payments-some-conservation-reserve-program,"After Push From U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, USDA Increasing Incentive Payments For Some Conservation Reserve Program Practices from 5 to 20 Percent",2020-12-09,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Tina Smith,S001203,www.smith.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Senator Urges Interested Producers to Contact Local Farm Service Agency Office to Enroll WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/09/20] U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has responded to her push to increase Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) incentive payments for certain CRP practices from 5 percent to 20 percent. In October, Sen. Smith pressed U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to increase incentive payments to stop the enrollment decline in the CRP, which plays a key role in protecting environmentally-sensitive farm land, stopping soil erosion, improving water quality and preserving wildlife habitat. In an October letter to Perdue, Sen. Smith, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, pushed him to significantly increase Practice Incentive Payments (PIP) and to begin making rental rate incentive payments, both tools that past Administrations have used to maintain strong enrollment in CRP. She was joined on the letter by Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and Cory Booker (D-NJ). For 35 years, CRP has provided producers in Minnesota and across the with many economic and conservation benefits, said Senator Smith. Now that USDA has agreed to increase CRP incentive payments, I urge interested farmers to contact their local FSA office for information on enrolling and receiving the increased payments. Sen. Smith said the Farm Service Agency (FSA), which administers CRP, is upping the Practice Incentive Payment for installing practices, from 5 percent to 20 percent. Additionally, producers will receive a 10 percent incentive payment for water quality practices on land enrolled in CRP's continuous signup. Under continuous CRP, producers can enroll environmentally sensitive land devoted to certain conservation practices and can sign up at any time. FSA automatically accepts offers provided the land and producer meet certain eligibility requirements and the enrollment levels do not exceed the number of acres FSA is allowed to enroll in CRP, which was set by the 2018 Farm Bill. For more information on CRP, visit fsa.usda.gov, or contact yourlocal FSA county office.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.smith.senate.gov/amid-covid-surge-us-sens-smith-warren-share-findings-investigation-national-testing-capacity,"Amid COVID Surge, U.S. Sens. Smith & Warren Share Findings From Investigation into National Testing Capacity & Pediatric Testing Availability",2020-12-09,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Tina Smith,S001203,www.smith.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Senators Share Summary of Their Investigation, Urge U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to Improve National Testing Infrastructure WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/09/20]Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) shared a summary of the findings from their investigation into our nation's testing capacity and the availability of pediatric testing. Sens. Smith and Warrenboth members of the Senate Health Committeesent their findings to Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar and made recommendations to improve the nation's testing infrastructure. Together, our findings reveal significant gaps in COVID-19 testing capacity, exacerbating the ongoing public health threat. Addressing these problems will require aggressive federal government action, wrote Sens. Smith and Warren in their letter to Sec. Azar. We have previously called for dedicated federal funding and a national testing plan to ensure that everyone who needs a COVID-19 test can access one quickly and easily. You can access text of the letter here. Sens. Smith and Warren also shared the following recommendations with Sec. Azar: Invoke the Defense Production Act to make sure testing labs and providers have access to the supplies needed to conduct tests and that supplies are reaching the communities that need them; Clarify testing payment rules so that patients and providers can more clearly understand when third-party payers, the government, or other responsible parties should provide reimbursement for various types of COVID-19; Provide guidance on appropriate procedures for testing children, including education and outreach so retail providers can offer pediatric testing services more widely; and Work with independent pharmacies to address supply chain issues and provide greater access to tests so that they are able to participate in the HHS Community-Based Testing Sites program. In August of this year, Sens. Smith and Warren wrote to five of the largest COVID-19 testing labs about each company's capacity to process diagnostic tests and deliver timely results. The responses to these letters showed that surges in the summer months strained the labs' capacity. They experienced supply shortages, and they also experiences confusion about payment and reimbursement. Additionally, after reports of families having difficulty getting COVID-19 testing for young children, in October Sens. Smith and Warren wrote to retail providers in the HHS Community-Based Testing Sites partnership for information about pediatric testing policies and expanding testing to more age groups. The responses showed that the main barrier to expanding pediatric testing is the providers' use of self-swab test kits. These kits are difficult for kids and caregivers to use, and it's also difficult for independent pharmacies to get the tests needed to take part in the HHS program. After Sens. Smith and Warren's letters, Walgreens said it would start offering tests for children as young as three years old. Rite Aid said it would offer testing for children as young as 13. And back in April, Sens. Smith and Warren led 44 of their colleagues in calling on Vice President Mike Pence, Head of the White House Coronavirus Taskforce, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to conduct an inventory of the national COVID-19 diagnostic testing suppy, release date on testing results, and provide a clear plan and timeline for addressing future shortages and gaps in the testing supply chain. Vice President Pence and the Trump administration did not take these actions.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://omar.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressional-leaders-introduce-bill-rename-wayzata-post-office-honor-former,Congressional Leaders Introduce Bill to Rename Wayzata Post Office in Honor of Former Representative Jim Ramstad,2020-12-08,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Ilhan Omar,O000173,omar.house.gov,omar,https://omar.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"MINNEAPOLIS – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and Representative Dean Phillips introduced legislation in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives to rename the Wayzata post office in honor of former Minnesota Representative Jim Ramstad who passed away last month. Senator Tina Smith and Representatives Tom Emmer (MN-06), Jim Hagedorn (MN-01), Angie Craig (MN-02), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Collin Peterson (MN-07), and Pete Stauber (MN-08) have also sponsored the legislation. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and John Hoeven (R-ND) joined as original cosponsors as Ramstad was born in North Dakota. Representative Phillips holds the seat Ramstad once held. ""Minnesota has lost a friend and hero - former Representative Jim Ramstad. He was a faithful public servant whose personal struggle with addiction guided his life's work to help those struggling with substance abuse and mental health,"" Klobuchar said. ""He was a true mentor to me on how to work with both Democrats and Republicans to get things done. Renaming the Wayzata post office in Jim's name will allow Minnesotans to remember Jim for generations to come."" ""Jim Ramstad served the people of Minnesota's Third District – first as a citizen, then as a state Senator, then as a U.S. Congressman – for three decades,"" Phillips said. ""I am humbled to serve the very same community as he once did, and continue to look to his example for inspiration. His work leading the passage of the Paul Wellstone Mental Health Act was a powerful display of bipartisan leadership that has helped millions of families access the health care they need. Renaming the Wayzata Post Office in his name is a small gesture, but one I hope will add to the growing symphony of affection for the man who left a remarkable legacy in our community, our state, and our country."" Representative Jim Ramstad served in Congress from 1991 until 2009. He was a Member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Health and Trade Subcommittees and Chairman of the Oversight Subcommittee. Ramstad also served on the House Small Business Committee and co-chaired the Addiction Treatment and Recovery Caucus, Medical Technology Caucus, Law Enforcement Caucus and Disabilities Caucus. Representative Ramstad was co-sponsor of the landmark Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Parity Act which became law in 2008. ""I extend my heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Jim Ramstad,"" Omar said. ""I applaud his years of service to our state and his commitment to improve the lives of Minnesotans. I'm glad to join my colleagues in support of renaming the Wayzata post office in Jim Ramstad's name. May this renaming provide a smile to all those who knew and loved him."" ""Jim Ramstad believed in and embodied the best of Minnesota values. As a State Senator and as a member of Congress he served with dignity and pragmatism, and he worked with both Republicans and Democrats to get things accomplished for our state,"" Smith said. ""Because he reached across the aisle to solve problems, many of his accomplishments are long lasting and touched the lives of people, not only in Minnesota, but across our country. Naming the Wayzata Post Office in his honor is a fitting tribute to his important legacy."" ""Representative Ramstad, who was born in Jamestown, North Dakota, served in Congress for nearly 20 years,"" Hoeven said. ""Renaming the Wayzata post office is one way that we can honor his many years of public service."" ""As a young politico in North Dakota, I was always proud of Congressman Ramstad's political accomplishments and prowess. A native of Jamestown, ‘Rammer' demonstrated how to carry that North Dakota work ethic to Congress and represent his constituents well,"" Cramer said. ""I am grateful to have gotten to know him over the years and to be a part of this effort to honor his memory and time in public service."" ""Representative Jim Ramstad was a friend, a role model, and an incredible advocate for Minnesotans."" Emmer said. ""His work on mental health care and addiction recovery are the inspirations for the work I do today. I hope to honor his legacy by serving Minnesotans with the same integrity that he did. Renaming the Wayzata post office for Representative Ramstad will continue to secure his rightful place in Minnesota history."" ""Jim Ramstad served Minnesota and the nation honorably for nearly three decades and his dedication to increasing access to mental health and addiction treatment was nothing short of heroic,"" Hagedorn said. ""I'm proud to join this bipartisan effort to honor the memory and legacy of Congressman Ramstad."" ""I'm proud to join the full Minnesota delegation in an effort to rename the Wayzata post office in honor of former Representative Jim Ramstad,"" Craig said. ""His years of dedicated public service and his passionate advocacy for folks struggling with addiction made our state a better place and earned him this recognition."" ""Congressman Jim Ramstad was a champion for Minnesota and someone I worked with on public education and women's reproductive health,"" McCollum said. ""Jim was an effective, respected leader who will be missed by many, and this is one way we can honor his legacy."" ""I served with Jim Ramstad in both the Minnesota Senate and in Congress,"" Peterson said. ""Jim was an outstanding public servant. He left an impact on his district and renaming the Wayzata Post Office for him is a fitting tribute to his service to his constituents."" ""Jim Ramstad was an effective leader whose advocacy helped countless Americans struggling with addiction,"" Stauber said. ""Although I did not know Jim personally, his strong legacy of bipartisanship and dedicated service to our state serves as an inspiration to me and countless others. His incredible work has made a lasting impact that will be felt for generations to come, so I am honored to help ensure the Wayzata post office is renamed in his honor."" ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://omar.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-omar-leads-letter-calling-additional-relief-checks-next-covid-19-package,Rep. Omar Leads Letter Calling for Additional Relief Checks in Next COVID-19 Package,2020-12-08,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Ilhan Omar,O000173,omar.house.gov,omar,https://omar.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON—Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) led a letter to House and Senate leadership calling for the inclusion of relief checks in the next COVID-19 stimulus package. The letter also reinforces the calls made by countless Americans to provide direct cash assistance in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. ""Millions across this country are without a job, without a paycheck, and without an ounce of compassion from the President of the United States,"" Rep. Omar said. ""Children are going to bed with an empty stomach because of this economic crisis. Families are worried about whether they will be on the streets when the eviction moratorium expires just weeks from now. Eight million additional people are in poverty now as a result of this government's failure to meet their basic human needs. The American people are suffering, and their leaders continue to ignore their plight. The American people are crying out for direct relief in the form of stimulus checks."" The cash assistance included in the CARES Act proved to be an effective way to provide direct support to the American people and shielded families from financial ruin. The previous relief checks also increased consumer spending, which helped boost economic activity. Economists project similar outcomes for subsequent relief checks. ""The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major shocks to the U.S. economy and public health system in our modern history,"" the members wrote. ""This pandemic has only worsened existing systemic inequities in our society, with low-wage earners, women, and Black and Latino communities disproportionately suffering from the human and economic toll of the virus. Almost half of all households in the United States reported experiencing serious financial concerns such as running out of savings and not having enough money for basic necessities. Direct cash assistance has become a lifeline for the American people."" The letter was signed by Rashida Tlaib, Jamie Raskin, Ayanna Pressley, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Donald S. Beyer Jr., Earl Blumenauer, Lisa Blunt Rochester, Suzanne Bonamici, Brendan Boyle, Tony Cárdenas, André Carson, Kathy Castor, Judy Chu, David N. Cicilline, Emanuel Cleaver, Jim Cooper, Madeleine Dean, Mark DeSaulnier, Veronica Escobar, Adriano Espaillat, Ruben Gallego, Sylvia R. Garcia, Al Green, Raúl M. Grijalva, Jimmy Gomez, Deb Haaland, Jahana Hayes, Pramila Jayapal, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Henry C. ""Hank"" Johnson, Robin L. Kelly, Ro Khanna, John B. Larson, Brenda L. Lawrence, Barbara Lee, Alan Lowenthal, Carolyn B. Maloney, James P. McGovern, Jerry McNerney, Grace Meng, Gwen Moore, Jerrold Nadler, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Chellie Pingree, Mark Pocan, Bobby L. Rush, Tim Ryan, Mary Gay Scanlon, Jan Schakowsky, José E. Serrano, Albio Sires, Mark Takano, Dina Titus, Lauren Underwood, Juan Vargas, Nydia M. Velázquez, Bonnie Watson Coleman, and Peter Welch. This letter was endorsed by Children's Defense Fund, Church World Service, Closing the Women's Wealth Gap, Common Defense, Demand Progress, Economic Security Project Action, Equal Rights Advocates, Friends of the Earth U.S., Indivisible, Native Women Lead, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, Public Citizen, Tax March, Voices for Progress, Center for Popular Democracy, and Sunrise Movement. You can read the full letter here and below. The Honorable Speaker Nancy Pelosi The Honorable Mitch McConnell Speaker Majority Leader U.S. House of Representatives U.S. Senate H-232, U.S. Capitol S-230, U.S. Capitol Washington, D.C. 20515 Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Kevin McCarthy The Honorable Charles E. Schumer Minority Leader Minority Leader U.S. House of Representatives U.S. Senate H-204, U.S. Capitol S-221, U.S. Capitol Washington, D.C. 20515 Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Speaker Pelosi, Leader McCarthy, Leader McConnell, and Leader Schumer: We write to convey the indisputable need to including relief checks in the stimulus package currently being negotiated, and to reinforce the call made by countless Americans for continued direct cash payments in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major shocks to the U.S. economy and public health system in our modern history. This pandemic has only worsened existing systemic inequities in our society, with low-wage earners, women, and Black and Latino communities disproportionately suffering from the human and economic toll of the virus. Almost half of all households in the United States reported experiencing serious financial concerns such as running out of savings and not having enough money for basic necessities.[1] Direct cash assistance has become a lifeline for the American people. We have learned from the CARES Act that the Economic Impact Payments (EIPs) saved many families from financial ruin and sheltered the economy as a whole. According to a Census Household Pulse Survey, most respondents used these checks to pay for everyday expenses including food, rents/mortgages, utilities, and other consumer debts.[2] This boost in consumer spending in the second quarter helped to prop up the economy. These cash payments were one of the main reasons why the poverty rate fell in the early months of the pandemic, before beginning to rise again as critical fiscal aid has been depleted or set to expire.[3] Now that much of the fiscal assistance in the CARES Act has run out, consumer spending is trending downward while COVID-19 cases are spiking across the country. It is clear that we need to provide financial support to those who must stay home, and prevent our most vulnerable populations from being pushed into poverty and homelessness. This type of cash assistance has already proved to be one of the most effective and most equitable ways to directly support the American people this year. Excluding universal and direct cash relief from the next stimulus will leave behind tens of millions of people who have lost income as well as many struggling individuals who cannot work and those left out of federal support programs. A robust relief package must pair cash assistance programming with increased unemployment insurance (UI), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), aid to states and localities, and childcare funding. However, direct payments are one of the quickest ways to bring relief to the most people and must be a priority in the next package to ensure that American families will have the unconditional aid they need to support themselves and their local economies during this perilous time in our nation's history. We hope that you will keep in mind this urgent need as you continue to craft a relief package to help struggling Americans as we reach the end of the year. Our constituents are in great need, and we have a duty to deliver the most effective, most direct assistance possible. Thank you for your consideration,",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://omar.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-omar-ndaa-power-military-industrial-complex-firmly-entrenched,Rep. Omar on NDAA: Power of the Military-Industrial Complex ‘Firmly Entrenched’,2020-12-08,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Ilhan Omar,O000173,omar.house.gov,omar,https://omar.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON–Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) issued the following statement after voting against the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA): ""It is unconscionable to pass a Pentagon budget that continues to fund unnecessary projects and endless wars during a time of widespread suffering across our country. Thousands of Minnesotans are struggling to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads. We should be investing our resources here at home—not increasing our already exorbitant Pentagon budget. ""This bill further commits our servicemembers to escalations abroad—including a now-two-decade old unpopular war in Afghanistan. Every dollar we spend on endless wars is another missed opportunity to invest in our communities. Shamefully, this bill does nothing to stop arms sales to some of the most corrupt and brutal regimes in the world, such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. ""Congress should focus on responding to the urgent needs of the American people such as prioritizing healthcare, housing assistance, and food access—not passing a $740.5 billion bill to appease defense contractors and special interests. ""In 1961, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a Republican President and former esteemed World War II general, warned that ‘We must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.' ""Nearly sixty years later to the day, this misplaced power is firmly entrenched.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://phillips.house.gov/media/press-releases/senator-klobuchar-representative-phillips-and-minnesota-and-north-dakota,"Senator Klobuchar, Representative Phillips, and Minnesota and North Dakota Congressional Leaders Introduce Bill to Rename Wayzata Post Office in Honor of Former Representative Jim Ramstad",2020-12-08,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Dean Phillips,P000616,phillips.house.gov,,,legacy,"MINNEAPOLIS U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and Representative Dean Phillips introduced legislation in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives to rename the Wayzata post office in honor of former Minnesota Representative Jim Ramstad who passed away last month. Senator Tina Smith and Representatives Tom Emmer (MN-06), Jim Hagedorn (MN-01), Angie Craig (MN-02), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Collin Peterson (MN-07), and Pete Stauber (MN-08) have also sponsored the legislation. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and John Hoeven (R-ND) joined as original cosponsors as Ramstad was born in North Dakota. Representative Phillips holds the seat Ramstad once held. Minnesota has lost a friend and hero - former Representative Jim Ramstad. He was a faithful public servant whose personal struggle with addiction guided his life's work to help those struggling with substance abuse and mental health, Klobuchar said. He was a true mentor to me on how to work with both Democrats and Republicans to get things done. Renaming the Wayzata post office in Jim's name will allow Minnesotans to remember Jim for generations to come. Jim Ramstad served the people of Minnesota's Third District first as a citizen, then as a state Senator, then as a U.S. Congressman for three decades, Phillips said. I am humbled to serve the very same community as he once did, and continue to look to his example for inspiration. His work leading the passage of the Paul Wellstone Mental Health Act was a powerful display of bipartisan leadership that has helped millions of families access the health care they need. Renaming the Wayzata Post Office in his name is a small gesture, but one I hope will add to the growing symphony of affection for the man who left a remarkable legacy in our community, our state, and our country. Representative Jim Ramstad served in Congress from 1991 until 2009. He was a Member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Health and Trade Subcommittees and Chairman of the Oversight Subcommittee. Ramstad also served on the House Small Business Committee and co-chaired the Addiction Treatment and Recovery Caucus, Medical Technology Caucus, Law Enforcement Caucus and Disabilities Caucus. Representative Ramstad was co-sponsor of the landmark Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Parity Act which became law in 2008. Jim Ramstad believed in and embodied the best of Minnesota values. As a State Senator and as a member of Congress he served with dignity and pragmatism, and he worked with both Republicans and Democrats to get things accomplished for our state, Smith said. Because he reached across the aisle to solve problems, many of his accomplishments are long lasting and touched the lives of people, not only in Minnesota, but across our country. Naming the Wayzata Post Office in his honor is a fitting tribute to his important legacy. Representative Ramstad, who was born in Jamestown, North Dakota, served in Congress for nearly 20 years, Hoeven said. Renaming the Wayzata post office is one way that we can honor his many years of public service. As a young politico in North Dakota, I was always proud of Congressman Ramstad's political accomplishments and prowess. A native of Jamestown, Rammer' demonstrated how to carry that North Dakota work ethic to Congress and represent his constituents well, Cramer said. I am grateful to have gotten to know him over the years and to be a part of this effort to honor his memory and time in public service. Representative Jim Ramstad was a friend, a role model, and an incredible advocate for Minnesotans. Emmer said. His work on mental health care and addiction recovery are the inspirations for the work I do today. I hope to honor his legacy by serving Minnesotans with the same integrity that he did. Renaming the Wayzata post office for Representative Ramstad will continue to secure his rightful place in Minnesota history. Jim Ramstad served Minnesota and the nation honorably for nearly three decades and his dedication to increasing access to mental health and addiction treatment was nothing short of heroic, Hagedorn said. I'm proud to join this bipartisan effort to honor the memory and legacy of Congressman Ramstad. I'm proud to join the full Minnesota delegation in an effort to rename the Wayzata post office in honor of former Representative Jim Ramstad, Craig said. His years of dedicated public service and his passionate advocacy for folks struggling with addiction made our state a better place and earned him this recognition. Congressman Jim Ramstad was a champion for Minnesota and someone I worked with on public education and women's reproductive health, McCollum said. Jim was an effective, respected leader who will be missed by many, and this is one way we can honor his legacy. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Jim Ramstad, Omar said. I applaud his years of service to our state and his commitment to improve the lives of Minnesotans. I'm glad to join my colleagues in support of renaming the Wayzata post office in Jim Ramstad's name. May this renaming provide a smile to all those who knew and loved him. I served with Jim Ramstad in both the Minnesota Senate and in Congress, Peterson said. Jim was an outstanding public servant. He left an impact on his district and renaming the Wayzata Post Office for him is a fitting tribute to his service to his constituents. Jim Ramstad was an effective leader whose advocacy helped countless Americans struggling with addiction, Stauber said. Although I did not know Jim personally, his strong legacy of bipartisanship and dedicated service to our state serves as an inspiration to me and countless others. His incredible work has made a lasting impact that will be felt for generations to come, so I am honored to help ensure the Wayzata post office is renamed in his honor.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.smith.senate.gov/klobuchar-smith-announce-funding-job-training-and-services-combat-opioid-crisis,"Klobuchar, Smith Announce Funding for Job Training and Services To Combat Opioid Crisis",2020-12-08,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Tina Smith,S001203,www.smith.senate.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Department of Labor awarded the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development up to $1,368,421 to train at least 200 displaced workers WASHINGTON U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith announced that the U.S. Department of Labor awarded an opioid-crisis National Health Emergency Dislocated Worker grant to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development for up to $1,368,421 to train at least 200 displaced workers. The opioid epidemic is hurting communities across Minnesotanone have been immune from its devastating effects, Klobuchar said. This crucial funding will provide job training across the state and support those who are in recovery and preparing to rejoin the workforce. This grant willcreate economic opportunity for Minnesotans whose careers have beenimpacted by the opioid crisis,Smith said.The grant will help individuals re-enter the workforce by providing them with employment and training services. It will alsooffer recovery support through peer-support counseling. I look forward to following the progress made by the200workers, and I'll keep pushing for workforce development that reflectsthe needs ofMinnesotans."" An initial award of $800,000 will support disaster-relief jobs and provide employment services to eligible people in Minnesota communities affected by the health and economic effects of widespread opioid use, addiction, and overdose. The project will focus on the creation of peer-support counseling positions that will address the unique recovery needs of people affected by opioid use and on the brink of homelessness. The grant will also provide employment and training services to help workers affected by the opioid crisis rejoin the workforce. The State will provide these services to eligible individuals across 46 counties throughout central and southeast Minnesota. Dislocated Worker Grants temporarily expand the service capacity of dislocated worker programs at the state and local levels by providing funding assistance in response to large, unexpected economic events that cause significant job losses. Klobuchar has long led local and national efforts to address substance use disorder and help people overcome addiction. In October 2018, three of Klobuchar's bipartisan bills to combat the opioid epidemic were signed into law as part of the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act. The Synthetic Abuse and Labeling of Toxic Substances (SALTS) Act, which Klobuchar introduced with Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), will make it easier to prosecute the sale and distribution of analogue drugs, which are synthetic substances that are substantially similar to illegal drugs. The Synthetics Trafficking & Overdose Prevention (STOP) Act, which Klobuchar introduced with Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), will help stop dangerous synthetic drugs like fentanyl and carfentanil from being shipped through our borders to drug traffickers here in the United States. The Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act, which Klobuchar introduced with Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), will help crack down on health care facilities or providers that try to game the system to take advantage of vulnerable patients. In February 2018, Klobuchar and Senators Rob Portman (R-OH), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) introduced the bipartisan Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) 2.0 Act. The bill would increase the funding authorization levels for the CARA programs enacted in 2016 and put in place additional policy reforms to help combat the opioid epidemic. To build on the monumental first step of CARA, Klobuchar also introduced the Prescription Drug Monitoring Act, which would require the use of strong prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) in all states that receive certain federal funding to combat opioid abuse and also requires states to make their PDMP data available to other states. Last year, she and other senators introduced the Budgeting for Opioid Addiction Treatment (LifeBOAT) Act, which would establish a reliable funding stream to provide and expand access to treatment for substance use disorders. Sen. Smith has made workforce development a top priority. In 2018 Sen. Smith's priorities to expand workforce development were signed into law by the President. This included her efforts to help recruit career and technical education teachers, expand career exploration activities to include middle school students, ensure small and rural school districts receive fair share of program funding, and increase the amount of funding to school districts to train students for careers in technical fields. Sen. Smith is also focused on addressing the opioid crisis. In 2018 a number of efforts championed by Sen. Smith to help combat thecrisis were signed into law by the President. This includedher provisions to establish comprehensive opioid recovery centers, expand access to medication-assisted treatment, and improve access to health professionals, tele-health services, long-distance care and recovery housing services. It also included her provisions to expandaccess to opioid reversal drugs, like naloxone, for first responders.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.smith.senate.gov/senator-klobuchar-representative-phillips-and-minnesota-and-north-dakota-congressional-leaders,"Senator Klobuchar, Representative Phillips, and Minnesota and North Dakota Congressional Leaders Introduce Bill to Rename Wayzata Post Office in Honor of Former Representative Jim Ramstad",2020-12-08,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Tina Smith,S001203,www.smith.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Legislation to rename the Wayzata Post Office was introduced in both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives MINNEAPOLIS U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and Representative Dean Phillips introduced legislation in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives to rename the Wayzata post office in honor of former Minnesota Representative Jim Ramstad who passed away last month. Senator Tina Smith and Representatives Tom Emmer (MN-06), Jim Hagedorn (MN-01), Angie Craig (MN-02), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Collin Peterson (MN-07), and Pete Stauber (MN-08) have also sponsored the legislation. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and John Hoeven (R-ND) joined as original cosponsors as Ramstad was born in North Dakota. Representative Phillips holds the seat Ramstad once held. Minnesota has lost a friend and hero - former Representative Jim Ramstad. He was a faithful public servant whose personal struggle with addiction guided his life's work to help those struggling with substance abuse and mental health, Klobuchar said. He was a true mentor to me on how to work with both Democrats and Republicans to get things done. Renaming the Wayzata post office in Jim's name will allow Minnesotans to remember Jim for generations to come. Jim Ramstad served the people of Minnesota's Third District first as a citizen, then as a state Senator, then as a U.S. Congressman for three decades, Phillips said. I am humbled to serve the very same community as he once did, and continue to look to his example for inspiration. His work leading the passage of the Paul Wellstone Mental Health Act was a powerful display of bipartisan leadership that has helped millions of families access the health care they need. Renaming the Wayzata Post Office in his name is a small gesture, but one I hope will add to the growing symphony of affection for the man who left a remarkable legacy in our community, our state, and our country. Representative Jim Ramstad served in Congress from 1991 until 2009. He was a Member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Health and Trade Subcommittees and Chairman of the Oversight Subcommittee. Ramstad also served on the House Small Business Committee and co-chaired the Addiction Treatment and Recovery Caucus, Medical Technology Caucus, Law Enforcement Caucus and Disabilities Caucus. Representative Ramstad was co-sponsor of the landmark Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Parity Act which became law in 2008. Jim Ramstad believed in and embodied the best of Minnesota values. As a State Senator and as a member of Congress he served with dignity and pragmatism, and he worked with both Republicans and Democrats to get things accomplished for our state, Smith said. Because he reached across the aisle to solve problems, many of his accomplishments are long lasting and touched the lives of people, not only in Minnesota, but across our country. Naming the Wayzata Post Office in his honor is a fitting tribute to his important legacy. Representative Ramstad, who was born in Jamestown, North Dakota, served in Congress for nearly 20 years, Hoeven said. Renaming the Wayzata post office is one way that we can honor his many years of public service. As a young politico in North Dakota, I was always proud of Congressman Ramstad's political accomplishments and prowess. A native of Jamestown, Rammer' demonstrated how to carry that North Dakota work ethic to Congress and represent his constituents well, Cramer said. I am grateful to have gotten to know him over the years and to be a part of this effort to honor his memory and time in public service. Representative Jim Ramstad was a friend, a role model, and an incredible advocate for Minnesotans. Emmer said. His work on mental health care and addiction recovery are the inspirations for the work I do today. I hope to honor his legacy by serving Minnesotans with the same integrity that he did. Renaming the Wayzata post office for Representative Ramstad will continue to secure his rightful place in Minnesota history. Jim Ramstad served Minnesota and the nation honorably for nearly three decades and his dedication to increasing access to mental health and addiction treatment was nothing short of heroic, Hagedorn said. I'm proud to join this bipartisan effort to honor the memory and legacy of Congressman Ramstad. I'm proud to join the full Minnesota delegation in an effort to rename the Wayzata post office in honor of former Representative Jim Ramstad, Craig said. His years of dedicated public service and his passionate advocacy for folks struggling with addiction made our state a better place and earned him this recognition. Congressman Jim Ramstad was a champion for Minnesota and someone I worked with on public education and women's reproductive health, McCollum said. Jim was an effective, respected leader who will be missed by many, and this is one way we can honor his legacy. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Jim Ramstad, Omar said. I applaud his years of service to our state and his commitment to improve the lives of Minnesotans. I'm glad to join my colleagues in support of renaming the Wayzata post office in Jim Ramstad's name. May this renaming provide a smile to all those who knew and loved him. I served with Jim Ramstad in both the Minnesota Senate and in Congress, Peterson said. Jim was an outstanding public servant. He left an impact on his district and renaming the Wayzata Post Office for him is a fitting tribute to his service to his constituents. Jim Ramstad was an effective leader whose advocacy helped countless Americans struggling with addiction, Stauber said. Although I did not know Jim personally, his strong legacy of bipartisanship and dedicated service to our state serves as an inspiration to me and countless others. His incredible work has made a lasting impact that will be felt for generations to come, so I am honored to help ensure the Wayzata post office is renamed in his honor.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.smith.senate.gov/us-senator-tina-smith-leads-bipartisan-senate-effort-reduce-greenhouse-emissions,U.S. Senator Tina Smith Leads Bipartisan Senate Effort to Reduce Greenhouse Emissions,2020-12-08,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Tina Smith,S001203,www.smith.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Bipartisan Group of Senators Offer Tax Credit Changes Designed to Cut Amount of Carbon Sent into Atmosphere WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/08/20]U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and a bipartisan group of senators have introduced legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by making tax credits that encourage carbon capture projects more available and easier to use. The measure, the 45Q Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage Tax Credit Amendments Act of 2020, was introduced recently by Sen. Smith and Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.). It would reduce barriers to full utilization of the credit. The bill would extend the tax credit to encourage more carbon capture projects and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It also includes other modifications to make the credit more useful. Sen. Smith will push to bundle the legislation with other clean energy credits. By passing a comprehensive clean energy tax credit package, we can help our economy recover from the current economic crisis while also moving us towards our climate goals, she said. We need to do everything we can to reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, said Sen. Smith. Our bipartisan legislation, when coupled with extensions of other clean energy tax credits, will provide a win-win: good for our environment and good for our economy. In the time since our bipartisan group of Senators came together to create the FUTURE Actone of the most significant climate policies in U.S. history and certainly that with the most job creation and preservation potentialthe economic situation in our country has completely changed, said Sen. Capito. Since that time, we have not rested on our laurels. Instead, we have continued to engage with our industry, environmental, and labor stakeholders to ensure that the regulatory guidance implemented congressional intent and to look at next steps on how to maximize the return on these taxpayer investments, especially as we recover economically from COVID-19. The 45Q CCUS Amendments Act reflects the targeted, consensus-based changes called for by our stakeholders. These small modifications, following the models of previous energy policies that are supported by members of both parties for now well-established industries, will make a big difference in putting American innovation to work growing our economy and combatting climate change in a responsible way, regardless of the current economic circumstances. Our bipartisan FUTURE Act was a win for our climate and the promising new carbon capture technologies looking to gain a foothold in the market, said Sen. Whitehouse. This bill extends the credit for carbon capture, boosting technologies that remove carbon directly from the atmosphere and cutting carbon pollution at industrial facilities. I am pleased to continue this important bipartisan work with Senators Capito and Barrasso. North Dakota is leading the way in the development of clean, reliable energy by investing and applying carbon capture and use technologies to our lignite, oil, and ethanol facilities. Our bill will allow our innovators to get the most out of the tax credits we created, incentivizing further investments and ultimately lowering emissions, said Sen. Cramer. I appreciate Senator Capito and Senator Whitehouse's continued leadership on this issue and urge my colleagues to support our bipartisan legislation. This legislation would make the 45Q and 48A tax credits more accessible and benefit our coal producers, helping them to better take advantage of these critical revenue streams through the implementation of CCUS technology, said Sen. Hoeven. These tax credits are a central part of our efforts to ensure our nation can reduce emissions while continuing to harness its abundant coal resources, which provide the affordable and reliable power that homes and businesses rely on every day. You can access full text of the bill here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.smith.senate.gov/us-sens-tina-smith-john-thunes-bipartisan-bill-maintain-funding-federally-impacted-schools-during,U.S. Sens. Tina Smith & John Thunes Bipartisan Bill to Maintain Funding for Federally Impacted Schools During COVID-19 is Now Law,2020-12-08,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Tina Smith,S001203,www.smith.senate.gov,,,legacy,"New Law Will Maintain Funding to School Districts with Significant Federal Property Within Their Boundaries WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/08/20]Bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) to help schoolsretain federalfunding during the coronavirus (COVID-19)pandemic is now law.Their Impact Aid Coronavirus Relief Actwas signed by President Trump last week. Sen. Thune and I set out on a bipartisan effort to make sure federally impacted schools across the country were able to get the investments they need to continue operating and serving students during this pandemic, said Sen. Smith. I'm glad we could deliver on this and ensure that Impact Aid applications and funding will not be disrupted. It's more important than ever that participating school districts have the funding stability and certainty they need,said Sen. Thune. That's why I'm pleased the president signed this critical legislation into law to help ensure that Impact Aid schools can continue to educate their students now and into the future. Thanks to Senator Smith for helping to get this bill past the finish line. The Impact Aid Programprovides funding toschool districtswith significantfederal propertywithin their boundaries or with federally connected students.The program helps school districts make up for local property tax revenue lost due to the presence of this federal property. Under normal circumstances, schools mustconduct a student counteachyearas part of their application for Impact Aid, but such a count is likely to be difficult for many districts this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to the work of Sens. Smith and Thune, schoolsreceiving federal funding throughthe Impact Aid Program will not need to recount their students during the pandemic. This will help prevent further spread of the virus.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://collinpeterson.house.gov/media/newletter-archive/rep-petersons-newsletter-and-questionnaire-11252020,Rep. Peterson's Newsletter and Questionnaire 11/25/2020,2020-12-04,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,MN,Collin Peterson,P000258,collinpeterson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Turkey Mount from Rep. Peterson's Washington, D.C. office being prepared for shipment back to Minnesota Dear Friends, This week, I would like to simply send you my wishes for a happy Thanksgiving Day. I am grateful to the constituents of Minnesota's Seventh District for entrusting me to hold this office for the last 30 years. It has been an honor to serve as your Representative in Washington, D.C. and I am thankful to all those I've met, worked with, and assisted. This year's celebrations will be different as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but we can still reflect on all that we have to be grateful for and do what we can to stay safe and end this pandemic together. My hope is that your list of things to be thankful for is a long and happy one. From my family and office staff, happy Thanksgiving and have a safe holiday season. Sincerely, Congressman Collin C. Peterson Minnesota 7th District Serving the 7th The bipartisan 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp in order to create economic opportunities for farmers. Minnesota farmers appreciate the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) efforts in implementing the Interim Rule on Establishment of a Domestic Hemp Production Program. However, there are still hurdles in place for Minnesota farmers to fully realize the economic benefits of growing hemp. I joined Minnesota Representatives Angie Craig (D-MN-2), Betty McCollum (D-MN-4) and Senator Tina Smith in sending a letter to USDA Secretary Perdue, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Vought, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Hahn, and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Acting Administrator Shea, urging them to provide clarity on hemp rules. In order to create a more stable market for hemp farmers and ease the concerns of investors, the USDA, the DEA, the FDA, and the OMB need to work together and issue federal guidelines that will benefit rather than punish farmers for factors that are out of their control. Read the full letter here. COVID-19 Updates & Resources Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases continue to rise in Minnesota. VisitCoronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)for the most up to date information on the Coronavirus Pandemic. To get regular COVID-19 email updates, including announcements of new community testing events, subscribe toCOVID-19 Updates. COVID-19 Community Testing There are four free COVID-19 Community Testing sites throughout the Seventh District offered by the Minnesota Department of Health. Crookston Armory 1801 University Ave Crookston, MN 56716 December 1-5, 9-11, 16-19, 21-22, 28-30, 12 - 6 p.m. Crookston Community COVID-19 Testing: Schedule Appointment Hutchinson Armory 1200 Adams St SE Hutchinson, MN 55350 November 30, 12 - 6 p.m. December 1-4, 9, 11-12, 15-17, 21-22, 28-30, 12 - 6 p.m. No appointment necessary Morris Armory 722 Iowa Ave Morris, MN 56267 December 1-5, 9-11, 16-19, 21-22, 28-30, 12 - 6 p.m. Morris Community COVID-19 Testing: Schedule Appointment Wadena Armory 517 Jefferson St N Wadena, MN 56482 December 1-5, 9-11, 16-19, 21-22, 28-30, 12 - 6 p.m. Wadena Community COVID-19 Testing: Schedule Appointment COVID-19 Community Saliva Testing There are several COVID-19 saliva testing sites across Minnesota offered by the Minnesota Department of Health. All sites will be closed Thursday, Nov. 26 and Friday, Nov. 27 for Thanksgiving and Thursday, Dec. 24 and Friday, Dec. 25 for Christmas. See COVID-19 Test at Home for information on free at-home saliva testing for people in select areas. Moorhead Former Thomas Edison Elementary School 1110 S. 14th Street Moorhead, MN 56560 Monday, Tuesday, Friday: 12 - 7 p.m. Saturday - Sunday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Schedule Appointment with Vault Health St. Cloud River's Edge Convention Center 10 Fourth Ave South St. Cloud, MN 56301 Wednesday - Friday: 12 - 7 p.m. Saturday - Sunday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Parking in the west surface lot next to the Convention Center is available to those being tested. Look for the COVID-19 testing parking signs. Schedule Appointment with Vault Health Newsstand Jennie-O Turkey Float in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade The construction of the Jennie-O Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade float. Photo courtesy of Jennie-O Turkey Store Congratulations to Jennie-O for making its inaugural appearance in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. For the first time, the annual holiday parade will feature a giant float sponsored by the Willmar-based Jennie-O Turkey Store, which is celebrating its 80th anniversary. Measuring 36 feet long, 25 feet wide, and 24 feet tall, the float will include feathers, glitter, a crew of dancers, and a celebrity singer. Dubbed the Big Turkey Spectacular, the Jennie-O float is making its debut appearance in the parade as part of a three-year commitment by Jennie-O. Click here to read more here. National Law Enforcement Museum Virtual Classes for Students Photo courtesy of the National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum In the time of virtual learning, the National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum is providing a variety of online courses for students of all ages. Topics include Forensic Pathology, Changes in Law Enforcement Technology, Careers in Law Enforcement, STEM in Law Enforcement, and Fingerprints & Impressions. These courses provide interactive lessons led by museum educators to explore law enforcement and museum artifacts. For more information on courses, click here. MNsure & Medicare Open Enrollment Photo courtesy of the MNsure COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Minnesota, make sure you and your family are covered no matter what happens. MNsure open enrollment is open until December 22, 2020. For more information and to enroll, visit MNsure.org. The Medicare open enrollment period is open until December 7, 2020. Medicare beneficiaries can review their coverage choices during this time and compare plans. Go to Medicare.gov for more information. This Week in History Photo courtesy of Lake of the Woods County This week in history, on November 28, 1922, the Lake of the Woods County was established. In November of 1922, voters from the Lake of the Woods area cast their vote to separate from Beltrami County. Residents were dissatisfied with the services they had been receiving from Beltrami County and constituents found it was difficult to travel to the county seat, leading to their separation and the formation of Minnesota's youngest county. Today, the county attractions are much the same as they were when pioneers settled - fishing, hunting, forest, water, clean air and spacious land. Get away from it all to leave automobiles, trains and other symbols of our restless civilization far behind in favor of the quiet restful beauty of unspoiled natures. - Official 1962 Forest Service guide folder",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://omar.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-omar-statement-house-passage-bill-decriminalize-marijuana-and-expunge,Rep. Omar Statement on House Passage of Bill to Decriminalize Marijuana and Expunge Records Nationwide,2020-12-04,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Ilhan Omar,O000173,omar.house.gov,omar,https://omar.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON—Today, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) released this statement after the passage of the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act in the House. This bill federally decriminalizes marijuana and expunges nonviolent federal marijuana convictions. She voted ""yes"" on the bill. ""This is a long overdue step to provide restorative justice to those devastated by the war on drugs,"" said Rep. Omar. ""My community has been crying out for justice and real reform for decades. Tragically, for far too long cannabis criminalization has disproportionally impacted communities of color and ruined countless lives. Today this victory was possible because of organizers in my district and across the country who demanded meaningful reform and the end of selective enforcement of the law.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://www.smith.senate.gov/us-senator-tina-smith-encourages-minnesota-producers-affected-covid-19-apply-usda-assistance,U.S. Senator Tina Smith Encourages Minnesota Producers Affected by COVID-19 to Apply for USDA Assistance by December 11,2020-12-04,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Tina Smith,S001203,www.smith.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Direct Payments Available for Many Commodities Grown or Raised by Minnesota Producers WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/4/2020] U.S.SenatorTina Smith (D-Minn.) is urging Minnesota producerswho have been affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the resulting economic crisistosubmit applications for assistance through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP 2) by Dec. 11, 2020. This USDA program provides direct relief to producers for eligible commodities. Sen. Smith said that many commodities grown or raised by Minnesota producers are eligible. This includes corn, soybeans, wheat, sugar beets, wild rice, apples, dairy, turkey, beef, hogs and pigs, and more. 2020 has been a deeply challenging yearas we navigate the public health and economic crisis of COVID,said Sen. Smith. A Minnesota farmer said to me a few months back that with COVID, we are all in the same storm, but not all in the same boat. This gets at how we are all affected by COVID, and everyone's been affected by it in different ways.I feel a lot of urgency to help provide somecertainty and predictability for Minnesota producers. I hope that they consider applying for this program, and I want them toknow thatI'll keep fighting to get them additional relief. Producers can find eligible commodities, payment rates, calculations and options to apply onfarmers.gov/cfap.Producers can also call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA employee ready to offer general assistance. This is a recommended first step before a producer engages the team at the FSA county office. The call center can provide service to non-English speaking customers.CFAP 2 is a separate program from the first iteration of CFAP, now referred to as CFAP 1. Participating in CFAP 1 is not a prerequisite for participating in CFAP 2. Additionally, producers who applied for CFAP 1 will not be automatically enrolled in CFAP 2 and must complete a new application to be eligible for assistance.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.smith.senate.gov/us-senators-amy-klobuchar-and-tina-smith-push-extend-pandemic-unemployment-programs-set-expire,U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith Push to Extend Pandemic Unemployment Programs Set to Expire December 26,2020-12-04,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Tina Smith,S001203,www.smith.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/4/2020] U.S.SenatorsAmyKlobucharand Tina Smith (D-Minn.) are urging Senate leaders to extend two coronavirus (COVID-19) unemployment programs that are set to expire December 26in the next relief package. In a letter to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Sens. Klobuchar, Smith and 30 of their colleagues calledfor these programs to be extended with additional weeks of eligibility for workers. They noted that approximately 4.4 million workers will have already run out of benefits by the end of the year, with millions more exhausting their benefits next year. The senators also stressed the importance of significantlyreforming the nation's unemployment system in the near future so that every American can count on a social safety net during times of need. As the virus surges going into the winter months, the loss of benefits at this time is particularly cruel. A recent report from The Century Foundation suggests that nearly 12 million workers could lose coverage once these programs expire over the holiday. In other words, roughly 12 million American workers will lose benefits this season for a job they lost through no fault of their own,wrote Sens. Klobuchar, Smith and their colleagues.For many, the knowledge of this benefits cliff will hang over them while they celebrate Christmas morning, share a meal for Christmasdinner, orobserveotherholidays with their families in the middle of what has already been a difficult and tragic year. Those who are socially distancing from their families for their safety as well as the nation's overall public health will likely experience this loss of federal financial assistance entirely alone. What's more, the loss of emergency benefits compounds the hardships many families are already facing in this economy. Since May, researchers have found that roughly 8 million Americans have slipped into poverty. That is the equivalent of the entire population of Virginia or Washington (as well as the combined populations of Kentucky and Oregon) falling into poverty over the span of a few months,the senators continued.Right now, one in six adults with children report that their household did not have enough to eat in the last seven days. For Black and Latino households, that figure is roughly one in five. Still worse, nearly 30% of households with children are not caught up with their rent payments. In other words, going into this holiday season, millions of additional American families are living below the poverty line, unable to provide sufficient food for their households and likely facing evictions from their home. ThePandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Programprovides unemployment assistance todomestic workers, freelance workers, contractorsand other workers in alternative work arrangements. ThePandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation(PEUC) Programtemporarily provides a 13-week extension ofbenefitstothosewhose regular unemployment benefits have expired butare still struggling to find employment during the pandemic. A copy of the letter is availablehereand below: Dear Leader McConnell and Leader Schumer: As the Senate considers the next coronavirus relief package, we urge you to include extensions of the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program and the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program. We also urge you to include additional weeks of benefits for both programs. Right now, there are more than twice the number of Americans participating in these two programs combined as there are in the regular state unemployment system.[1] These workers are all facing job loss that has nothing to do with their skills, abilities, or performance. Congress created these programs to patch up the holes in our social safety net during a global pandemic. Congress stood up the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program to disburse benefits to workers who would normally not be eligible for unemployment assistance for a variety of reasons. These workers include employees with insufficient earnings or work history to qualify, domestic workers, freelance workers, contractors, and other workers in alternative work arrangements. Similarly, recognizing that most regular state unemployment programs provide only 26 weeks of coverage for workers (with some states providing as few as 12 weeks), Congress also created the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program to provide an extension of unemployment benefits to the long-term unemployed who exhaust their regular unemployment benefits. Both of these programs are set to expire on December 26th, the day after Christmas. As the virus surges going into the winter months, the loss of benefits at this time is particularly cruel. A recent report from The Century Foundation suggests that nearly 12 million workers could lose coverage once these programs expire over the holiday.[2] In other words, roughly 12 million American workers will lose benefits this season for a job they lost through no fault of their own. For many, the knowledge of this benefits cliff will hang over them while they celebrate Christmas morning, share a meal for Christmas dinner, or observe other holidays with their families in the middle of what has already been a difficult and tragic year. Those who are socially distancing from their families for their safety as well as the nation's overall public health will likely experience this loss of federal financial assistance entirely alone. What's more, the loss of emergency benefits compounds the hardships many families are already facing in this economy. Since May, researchers have found that roughly 8 million Americans have slipped into poverty.[3] That is the equivalent of the entire population of Virginia or Washington (as well as the combined populations of Kentucky and Oregon) falling into poverty over the span of a few months. Right now, one in six adults with children report that their household did not have enough to eat in the last seven days.[4] For Black and Latino households, that figure is roughly one in five.[5] Still worse, nearly 30% of households with children are not caught up with their rent payments.[6] In other words, going into this holiday season, millions of additional American families are living below the poverty line, unable to provide sufficient food for their households and likely facing evictions from their home. To address the economic hardships workers are facing during this time, these programs should be extended with additional weeks of eligibility for workers. Around 4.4 million workers will have already run out of benefits by the end of the year, regardless of their surrounding economic situation, and millions more will exhaust them next year if Congress does not add additional weeks of eligibility to both programs. We know that this virus has hit certain industries and sectors harder than others, particularly in the service sector and in the arts. Many workers need additional weeks of eligibility in these programs because demand for their services or industry has cratered during the pandemic. We know that it was the bipartisan intention of these emergency unemployment programs to provide all workers access to a safety net during this crisis, regardless of their worker classification status. Even the U.S. Secretary of Labor, Eugene Scalia, acknowledged in a Senate Finance Committee hearing on June 9th that these are important programs. On PUA, he noted that workers were given financial support through the unemployment insurance benefit they received, which was a very good benefit for a closing economy.[7] Today, with more than 20 million Americans claiming unemployment insurance benefits in all of the programs offered,[8] we are still in the middle of an unemployment crisis. In fact, the pandemic was the main impetus for the creation of these programs in March and, right now, we are averaging over five times the number of COVID-19 cases we had in the spring. It is clear that these programs are important lifelines for workers during this crisis and need to be extended with additional weeks of eligibility. Moving forward beyond this crisis, we will need to prioritize a dramatic update and reform to our unemployment system. Congress created the PUA and PEUC programs with the knowledge that our regular unemployment program is part of a patchwork system of worker benefits, inadequate for covering a nation facing an emergency public health crisis. The patchwork nature of American benefits does not disappear at the end of this crisis. With more than twice the number of workers presently participating in programs that did not exist before the passage of the CARES Act compared to regular programs, we will need to prioritize reforming our social safety net so that every American can gain access to a support system during times of need. Our social safety net should not require an Act of Congress to serve the American public well in the face of a disaster. We appreciate your past support for the provisions in the CARES Act that created these programs to begin with and which intended for all workers to access a basic safety net. We owe the American public the peace of mind this holiday season that Congress will continue to support them during this crisis. Sincerely,",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://collinpeterson.house.gov/media/press-releases/peterson-unveils-legislation-expand-crp-50-million-acres,Peterson Unveils Legislation to Expand CRP to 50 Million Acres,2020-12-03,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,MN,Collin Peterson,P000258,collinpeterson.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC In a press conference Thursday, Representative Collin Peterson, Chair of the House Ag Committee,announced the introduction of H.R. 8843, which makes an additional 25 million acres available over the next five years for general signup under the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Instead of a cap, the bill establishes a minimum floor of 50 million CRP acres nationwide. CRP incentivizes farmers to remove sensitive land from agricultural production and plant cover to enhance wildlife habitat and provide other natural resource benefits, Peterson told reporters. CRP has a decades-long track record of engaging farmers in the effort to improve water quality, prevent soil erosion, and create wildlife habitat. In addition to the increase in acreage, the bill will help CRP prioritize those applications that promote soil health and carbon sequestration, Peterson added. Applications for the enrollment of land on which deep-rooted perennials will be planted will also be prioritized. Peterson pointed to the importance of CRP in helping farmers and landowners meet environmental quality goals. Land enrolled in the program has helped to keep billion of tons of soil from eroding and sequestered millions of tons of carbon, he said. It has improved wildlife and pollinator habitat, and it has provided benefits to farmers through rental payments and drawing hunters and other recreationists, which in turn makes its way through rural economies. This is a good bill that uses a successful, existing program to pay farmers to store carbon we don't need a whole new regime we have CRP.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mccollum.house.gov/media/press-releases/mccollum-congratulates-rep-david-scott-agriculture-committee-chairmanship,McCollum Congratulates Rep. David Scott on Agriculture Committee Chairmanship,2020-12-03,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Betty McCollum,M001143,mccollum.house.gov,mccollum,https://mccollum.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn.) issued the following statement today after Rep. David Scott was affirmed as the next Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee: ""I want to congratulate Congressman David Scott (D-GA) on his election by the Democratic Caucus as Chair of the House Agriculture Committee for the 117th Congress. I was honored to speak in support of Congressman Scott during the Democratic House Steering and Policy Committee earlier this week. Mr. Scott grew up living and working on his grandparents' farm, and represents a diverse district that includes suburban and rural areas southwest of Atlanta, and part of Atlanta itself. Because of his 18 years on the Agriculture Committee, Congressman Scott has a deep understanding and knowledge of the issues facing our farmers and families experiencing food insecurity today. ""Congressman Scott's Chairmanship is historic, as the first African American to lead the committee. Farmers, students, and workers of color are historically underrepresented in the agriculture industry, and his committee work on providing meaningful scholarship and advancement opportunities for these communities is critical to ensuring equity and a skilled and diverse workforce in the future.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://mccollum.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-mccollum-and-sen-smith-bill-restore-11000-acres-land-leech-lake-band-ojibwe,"Rep. McCollum and Sen. Smith Bill to Restore 11,000 Acres of Land to Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe to be Signed Into Law",2020-12-03,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Betty McCollum,M001143,mccollum.house.gov,mccollum,https://mccollum.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"After passing the U.S. House of Representatives today, legislation authored by U.S. Representative Betty McCollum (MN-04) and U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) to restore over eleven thousand acres of wrongly seized land to the Leech Lake Reservation is headed to the President's desk to be signed into law. ""The tribal leaders of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe entrusted Senator Smith and I with advancing this legislation that builds on their diligent work, open dialogue, and collaboration with the Chippewa National Forest and local communities,"" said Rep. McCollum. ""With its passage, our federal government is taking a significant step toward addressing the historic injustices that robbed the Band of much of their reservation land."" ""My colleague Representative McCollum and I worked to right this wrong and get this effort over the finish line, but above all I want to recognize the decades of work that Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe put into making this possible,"" said Sen. Smith. ""This historic win belongs to them and future generations who will benefit."" ""The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Tribal Council and our entire community say ""chi-miigwech"" to Senator Smith, Rep. McCollum, and everyone who helped in this longstanding effort to pass the Leech Lake Reservation Restoration Act,"" said Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Chairman Faron Jackson, Sr. ""Our Reservation was established through a series of treaties and executive orders from 1855 to 1874, which promised that it would serve as our permanent homeland. The United States violated these solemn promises repeatedly, reducing our trust lands to 5 percent of our initial Reservation. Additional lands were illegally transferred out of trust in the 1940s and 50s. The Leech Lake Restoration Act focuses on these illegal transfers by restoring 11,760 acres of our homelands to tribal trust status. ""Restoring this small portion of our homelands will enable us to combat the lack of housing and related problems that have been highlighted as urgent needs by the ongoing pandemic. ""We look forward to working with the Chippewa National Forest to finalize the plan of survey required under the Act to ensure that transferred lands address the immediate needs of the Band and comply with the Forest Service's policy of limiting fragmentation of federal land holdings."" Chairman Jackson closes by saying: ""Passage of this bill helps restore a sense of justice that generations of Leech Lakers have worked to achieve. This is a historical day for the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. Our entire community rejoices today, and we again thank Senator Smith, Rep. McCollum and everyone that helped make this day a reality."" Specifically, the bill—called the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Reservation Restoration Act—would transfer land from the Chippewa National Forest in Cass County, Minnesota, to the United States Department of Interior, to be held in trust for the benefit of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. This land restoration would honor Tribal sovereignty and allow the Leech Lake Band to invest in its future generations and build more housing to accommodate their growing community.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://phillips.house.gov/media/press-releases/phillips-problem-solvers-caucus-push-bicameral-bipartisan-emergency-covid-19,"Phillips, Problem Solvers Caucus Push Bicameral, Bipartisan Emergency COVID-19 Relief Package",2020-12-03,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Dean Phillips,P000616,phillips.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC Today, Thursday, December 3, 2020, Dean Phillips (D-MN) and other members of the Problem Solvers Caucus stood together to fight for their common-sense bipartisan, bicameral COVID-19 emergency relief package. It is being supported by a rapidly growing group of Senators on both sides of the aisle, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and others to help American families, small businesses, workers, and health care providers during this crisis. Leaders in both parties have stated support for the Problem Solvers Caucus' framework as the basis for immediate bipartisan, bicameral legislation.On Wednesday night, President-Elect Joe Biden announced his support for the plan, calling it a needed down payment ahead of more proposed aid under his administration next year. A breakdown of the COVID-19 emergency relief framework can be found here. Vision without action is just a daydream, and we have had enough daydreaming in Congress. We need to show Americans and our allies across the world that the great experiment of America still works. The clock is ticking, but we can and must pass the Emergency COVID Relief Framework. Failure is not an option when Americans are suffering, said Rep. Dean Phillips. We won't leave town until we pass a bipartisan COVID-19 relief package, said Problem Solvers Caucus Co-Chair Josh Gottheimer. Too many families, small businesses, and communities are suffering all across our country and that's why the momentum around our bipartisan, bicameral framework is continuing to grow by the hour. ""The bipartisan, bicameral relief package we've put forward with our Senate partners is already generating significant support from leaders across Washington because it is right in the range of reason,"" said Problem Solvers Caucus Co-Chair Tom Reed. ""Millions of Americans don't have time for Congress to continue playing games; let's pass this common-sense emergency relief measure to ensure our communities receive the federal support they deserve."" The effects of this pandemic have been cruelly uneven. While some individuals and businesses remain unscathed or even better off, others have been completely devastated. Only those living in a beltway fantasy land are immune from the cries for help to get through the winter. This bipartisan compromise is an essential lifeline that must be a starting point for Democratic and Republican leadership to demonstrate that the United States government can actually fulfill its obligation to serve the American people. We cannot, in good conscience, leave DC before the holidays without a relief package, said Rep. Tom Suozzi. While news about vaccines gives us hope for the future, right now Americans are suffering in even greater numbers as the COVID pandemic crisis deepens. This bipartisan, bicameral emergency relief plan formulated by the Problems Solvers Caucus and a bipartisan group of senators is our best hope for providing the emergency relief needed now by families, students, workers, small businesses, and health care providers. Democrats and Republicans, representatives and senators, Congress and the White House, all must come together to get this commonsense plan passed for the American people, said Rep. Dan Lipinski. As COVID cases skyrocket nationwide, Americans are struggling. It is getting more and more difficult for small businesses to keep their lights on and workers employed, said Rep. Kurt Schrader. Folks need relief now and it's time to put party aside and do what is right. This package is a bipartisan, bicameral solution, supported by House and Senate leadership and President-Elect Biden. It is the only one of its kind. I urge leaders of the House and Senate to put this package on the floor now and get aid into the hands of the American people. Our small business owners, teachers, workers, first responders, healthcare workers are doing everything they can to weather this crisis and they want to look to Washington and see that we are, too. There is no excuse for not passing a COVID relief package before the winter holidays. It is our fundamental responsibility as legislators. That's why I'm proud to join the Problem Solvers Caucus and a group of Senators from both sides of the aisle in putting forth this bipartisan, bicameral emergency relief proposal to take us through April 1st. Our group has been working diligently behind the scenes to get to this proposal. With support from Senators and 50 members of Congress on both sides of the aisle, we can, and must get this done, said Rep. Elissa Slotkin. This framework is the direct result of continued bipartisan collaboration between lawmakers from both chambers of Congress. Central New York and our nation desperately need additional COVID-19 relief. This bipartisan, bicameral framework represents an important step forward in delivering critical relief to the frontlines, said Rep. John Katko. The work being done by the Problem Solvers Caucus is bipartisan and bicameral. Our Caucus is working to deliver real results to the American people in their time of need, said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick. Further delays in relief are unacceptable, and we need to provide real solutions that help the American people. We need to do our job and get America back to work. We must come together to deliver timely, targeted, and transparent COVID relief to the American people. We are still experiencing a historic pandemic. Our families, workers, communities and businesses need help to make it through. I'm proud to be a part of this bipartisan, bicameral effort to pass another relief package. Our framework includes expanded unemployment assistance, help for our hospitals and schools, state and local funding, and relief for small businesses. Importantly, it has the bipartisan support to pass into law. It's time to put political games aside and take action, said Rep. Kendra Horn. I am pleased to support a targeted relief package for the people of Pennsylvania and our country. This bicameral, bipartisan framework is focused on bolstering our economic recovery, supporting our schools, and distributing safe and effective vaccines in an efficient manner. I hope my colleagues in the House and Senate join the Problem Solvers to deliver immediate assistance for the millions of Americans who are counting on us, said Rep. Dan Meuser. Coronavirus cases are surging to unprecedented levels and millions of Americans have lost their jobs or their businesses to the pandemic. Sadly, many are now facing poverty, food insecurity, and eviction. The American people need immediate relief, and they are tired of waiting for Congress to do its job, said Rep. Salud Carbajal. Our proposal is a bipartisan down-payment, which is necessary to preserve the health and economic well-being of our country until the next Administration takes office. I'm proud of the bipartisan and bicameral package we've put forward and I urge my colleagues to pass this as soon as possible to deliver the immediate relief Americans need. With COVID-19 cases surging across the country, many Americans still out of work, small businesses continuing to struggle, and state and local governments teetering towards a fiscal cliff, Americans are desperate for more relief. This bipartisan, bicameral COVID-19 relief package will see us through the worst of this crisis and give American families, small businesses, workers, and health care providers the support they need. Inaction is not an option any longer, said Rep. Joe Cunningham. Eight months after the CARES Act became law, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to devastate families and small businesses across our nation, said Rep. Elaine Luria. Congress must do its job by finding common ground and putting forth a realistic COVID-19 relief package. I am encouraged by this framework that presents the viable and bipartisan proposals our communities need during this unprecedented public health emergency and economic crisis. Right now, Americans are out of work, small businesses are closing their doors, and communities nationwide face incredible financial strain as they endure this bruising pandemic, said Rep. Jimmy Panetta. Our Problem Solvers Caucus bipartisan, bicameral package delivers relief to our nation's families, small businesses, workers, and health care providers, who have carried the burden of this pandemic for too long without comprehensive federal relief. It's time for Congress to step up, get back to the negotiating table, and provide the support the Central Coast and communities nationwide so desperately need. We cannot wait any longer for COVID relief. In addition to the heartbreaking loss from the pandemic, Washington inaction is hurting our communities. Our families, schools, small businesses, local governments, essential workers, and local economies need assistance. This compromise, led by members of both parties and both the House and Senate, needs to get done. With critical aid to small businesses, unemployment benefits, money for state and local governments, investment in education, child care, health care, and the postal service, we can get help to those who need it most. It's time to cut through the partisan politics and deliver much-needed relief, said Rep. Anthony Brindisi. Rep. Dusty Johnson said, ""It's time to act. Our relief proposal has gained broad support amongst businesses, political leaders, and most importantly, the American people. Let's get something done TODAY.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.smith.senate.gov/sen-tina-smith-rep-betty-mccollums-bill-restore-11k-acres-land-leech-lake-band-ojibwe-be-signed-law,Sen. Tina Smith & Rep. Betty McCollums Bill to Restore 11k Acres of Land to Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe to be Signed Into Law,2020-12-03,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Tina Smith,S001203,www.smith.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/03/20]After passing the U.S. House of Representatives today, legislation authored by U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and U.S. Representative Betty McCollum (MN-04) to restore over eleven-thousand acres of wrongly seized land to the Leech Lake Reservation is headed to the President's desk to be signed into law. My colleague Representative McCollum and I worked to right this wrong and get this effort over the finish line, but above all I want to recognize the decades of work that Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe put into making this possible, said Sen. Smith. This historic win belongs to them and future generations who will benefit. The tribal leaders of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe entrusted Senator Smith and I with advancing this legislation that builds on their diligent work, open dialogue, and collaboration with the Chippewa National Forest and local communities, said Rep. McCollum. With its passage, our federal government is taking a significant step toward addressing the historic injustices that robbed the Band of much of their reservation land. The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Tribal Council and our entire community say chi-miigwech to Senator Smith, Rep. McCollum, and everyone who helped in this longstanding effort to pass the Leech Lake Reservation Restoration Act, said Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Chairman Faron Jackson, Sr. Our Reservation was established through a series of treaties and executive orders from 1855 to 1874, which promised that it would serve as our permanent homeland. The United States violated these solemn promises repeatedly, reducing our trust lands to 5 percent of our initial Reservation. Additional lands were illegally transferred out of trust in the 1940s and 50s. The Leech Lake Restoration Act focuses on these illegal transfers by restoring 11,760 acres of our homelands to tribal trust status. Restoring this small portion of our homelands will enable us to combat the lack of housing and related problems that have been highlighted as urgent needs by the ongoing pandemic. We look forward to working with the Chippewa National Forest to finalize the plan of survey required under the Act to ensure that transferred lands address the immediate needs of the Band and comply with the Forest Service's policy of limiting fragmentation of federal land holdings. Chairman Jackson closes by saying: Passage of this bill helps restore a sense of justice that generations of Leech Lakers have worked to achieve. This is a historical day for the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. Our entire community rejoices today, and we again thank Senator Smith, Rep. McCollum and everyone that helped make this day a reality. Specifically, the billcalled the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Reservation Restoration Actwould transfer land from the Chippewa National Forest in Cass County, Minnesota, to the United States Department of Interior, to be held in trust for the benefit of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. This land restoration would honor Tribal sovereignty and allow the Leech Lake Band to invest in its future generations and build more housing to accommodate their growing community.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.smith.senate.gov/klobuchar-smith-commend-alexandria-technical-and-community-college-selection-us-naval-community,"Klobuchar, Smith Commend Alexandria Technical and Community College for Selection to U.S. Naval Community College Program",2020-12-02,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Tina Smith,S001203,www.smith.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Alexandria Tech is one of five institutions in the country to be selected for pilot-program WASHINGTON U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith commended the Alexandria Technical and Community College in Alexandria, MN for their selection in the newly formed U.S. Naval Community College (USNCC) pilot program. The six-month pilot program is set to begin in January 2021 and will gather data and information to help develop the USNCC's program as it prepares to welcome its first students. The foundation of our future prosperity can be found in education. As we continue to confront the coronavirus pandemic, new and innovative programs are critical to develop and educate our communities, and the Navy and Alexandria Tech are part of that, Klobuchar said. I am pleased to see Alexandria Tech partner with the US Naval Community College as they continue to deliver quality education to our servicemembers. Programs like this ensure our brave men and women who serve can transition the skills they've learned into the workforce when they come home. ""Congratulations to Alexandria Technical and Community College for being selected to participate in the U.S. Naval Community College pilot program,"" Smith said. ""This honor is a testament to its record of delivering a quality education to students in Minnesota. It will play an important role in supporting the capabilities of the Navy and Marine Corps by teaching math courses to servicemembers that can be applied toward a degree in Nuclear Engineering Technology. I wish it a successful pilot program."" More information is available here. In addition to Alexandria Technical and Community College in Minnesota, the other institutions selected include the State University of New York system; the University of Arizona; the University of Maryland Global Campus; and the Virginia Community College system.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.smith.senate.gov/us-sen-tina-smith-tells-agriculture-committee-minnesota-farmers-feel-impact-climate-change,"U.S. Sen. Tina Smith Tells Agriculture Committee that Minnesota Farmers Feel Impact of Climate Change, Discusses Innovative State Efforts to Address it",2020-12-02,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Tina Smith,S001203,www.smith.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Earlier Wednesday Senator Discussed Importance of Nation's Sugar Program, And Efforts to Bolster Rural Health Care with Red River Valley Sugar Beet Growers WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/02/20]U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said at a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing today that Minnesota farmers see the reality of climate change every year with the increasing impact of drought, heat, and floods, and she pointed to the innovative work of a new coalition of Minnesota businesses and researchers that is working to find solutions. Sen. Smith told the panel about MBOLD, a coalition of food and agriculture leaders who are working to deal with climate change, food insecurity and many other pressing problems for agriculture. The group includes the University of Minnesota, Minnesota Fortune 100 companies as well as researchers and advocacy groups and is a model for the nation's battle against climate change. You don't have to tell Minnesota farmers about the realities of climate change. They see it every year, Senator Smith told the Committee. When it comes to climate change solution, we can either lead or we can follow. If we lead we create more opportunity, more innovation, and with our focus on research, we can increase our competitive advantage. Dr. Steven Rosenzweig, a soil scientist Minnesota-based General Mills, told the Committee, which is part of MBOLD, told the committee about several of the initiatives that the coalition is undertaking to deal with climate change. Discussing Importance of U.S. Sugar Program, Quality Rural Health Care With MN Sugar Growers Prior to the hearing on Wednesday, Sen. Smith spoke to the Red River Valley Sugar Beet Growers Association annual meeting where she discussed the importance of a strong U.S. sugar program, which generates $3.4 billion in economic activity across the country. The sugar industry is critically important to Minnesota's economy, supporting tens of thousands of jobs in the Red River Valley, and more than 142,000 nationwide, Sen. Smith told the group. I fought to protect the USDA sugar program, the last Farm Bill because it provides important help for sugar growers at no cost to taxpayers. She also told them that she will continue to press to ensure that rural communities in Minnesota and across the country continue to have access to affordable, quality health care services, especially during the ongoing pandemic. She pointed to her bipartisan efforts to strengthen the rural health work force, expand telemedicine, and to modernize rural health clinics and improve health services for new and expecting mothers.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.smith.senate.gov/us-senator-tina-smith-applauds-move-help-high-school-students-minnesota-who-lost-jobs-due-covid-19,"U.S. Senator Tina Smith Applauds Move to Help High School Students in Minnesota Who Lost Jobs Due to COVID-19, Urges Eligible Students to Apply Soon",2020-12-02,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Tina Smith,S001203,www.smith.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Senator Fought to Make Unemployment Assistance Available to Eligible High School Students, Says Recent Court Ruling is Great News WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/02/20]U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) says a recent Minnesota Court of Appeals ruling allowing eligible high school students to receive coronavirus (COVID-19) unemployment assistance is welcome news,and she urges eligible students to apply before December 25. Earlier this year, Sens. Smith and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) introduced bicameral legislation with U.S. Representatives Angie Craig (MN-2), Dean Phillips (MN-3), Ilhan Omar (MN-5) and Betty McCollum (MN-4) to help high school students in Minnesota who have lost jobs due to the pandemic. Minnesota high schoolers who lost jobs in the pandemic had been denied unemployment benefits they should have been eligible forbenefits I fought for,said Sen. Smith.The court ruling yesterday is great news because it fixes that.I commend the students and their advocates who have been persistent in working to get access to the relief Congress intended for them, even though their applications were initially denied.Now, it's important for eligible Minnesotans to applyfor unemployment reliefby the December 25 deadline. You can access more information about Minnesota youth unemployment resourceshere. Sen. Smith's bill,The High School Student Unemployment Eligibility Clarification Act, would clarify language in the next round of COVID-19 relief to overcome conflicts with state laws across the country and help make high school students eligible for unemployment compensation nationally if they meet the other unemployment rules applicable to adults. The High School Student Unemployment Eligibility Clarification Actis supported by Bridgemakers, Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board, Center for School Change, Minnesota Alliance With Youth, Centro Tyrone Guzman, Minnesota Parent Union, Change Inc. Minnesota Youth Council, Children's Defense Fund, National Youth Leadership Council, Coalition of Asian American Leaders, Northfield Healthy Community Initiative, Community Integration Center (CIC), Pillsbury United Communities, Courageous heARTS, Somali American Social Service Association, Early College Academy Brooklyn Center Community Schools, Sundance Family Foundation, East Side Neighborhood Services, Twin Cities Changemakers, FamilyWise, We IMPACT!, Great Expectations, West Central Initiative, High School for Recording Arts, Women's March Minnesota, IMPACT LIVING Christian Center, World Savvy, Ka Joog, Youthprise and LISC Twin Cities. You can access text of the billhere.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://phillips.house.gov/media/press-releases/phillips-problem-solvers-caucus-announce-bipartisan-bicameral-covid-relief,"Phillips, Problem Solvers Caucus Announce Bipartisan, Bicameral COVID Relief Offer",2020-12-01,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,MN,Dean Phillips,P000616,phillips.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Today, House Problem Solvers Caucus members Dean Phillips (D-MN) and Dusty Johnson (R-SD) joined a bipartisan group of Senators in announcing a four-month, bicameral COVID-19 emergency relief framework that will help American students, families, small businesses, workers, and health care providers during this crisis. The Problem Solvers Caucus, 25 Democrats and 25 Republicans, helped develop the bicameral package. A breakdown of the COVID-19 emergency relief framework can be found here. This effort is the culmination of months of leadership from Phillips and the Problem Solvers Caucus, as members have worked to break through partisan gridlock on a COVID relief plan since they unveiled their March to Common Ground bipartisan framework in September. Reps. Dean Phillips (D-MN), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Fred Upton (R-MI), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), and Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH) joined Problem Solvers Co-Chairs Tom Reed (R-NY) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) as well as Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV), Susan Collins (R-ME), Mark Warner (D-VA), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Jeanne Shaheen (R-NH), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Angus King (I-ME), Mitt Romney (R-UT), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) to announce the COVID-19 emergency relief framework that will help American students, families, businesses, workers, and health care providers during this crisis. The Problem Solvers Caucus, made up of 25 Democrats and 25 Republicans, helped draft and endorsed the package. The framework allocates $908 billion in total aid, including both new funding and the reallocation of previously appropriated CARES Act funding. The framework targets resources to the following key categories: State, Local, and Tribal Governments - $160 billion, including $3 billion for the state of Minnesota Additional Unemployment Insurance (UI) - $180 billion Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) including restaurants, stages, and deductibility - $288 billion CDFI/MDI Community Lender Support - $12 billion Transportation (Airlines, Airports, Buses, Transit and Amtrak) - $45 billion Vaccine Development and Distribution and Testing and Tracing - $16 billion Healthcare Provider Relief Fund - $35 billion Education Funding - $82 billion Student Loans - $4 billion Housing Assistance (Rental) - $25 billion Nutrition/Agriculture - $26 billion U.S. Postal Service - $10 billion Child Care - $10 billion Dedicated Broadband Funding - $10 billion Opioid Funding - $5 billion A recording of today's press conference can be foundHERE. The need is great, the time is short, and the urgency is real, Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-3) said. Our bipartisan, bicameral working group has found common ground, and now Congress must begin restoring faith in our government by passing an emergency COVID relief measure before year's end, Millions of Americans have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and are hurting, but Congress has been deadlocked for months with both sides unwilling to compromise to help our fellow Americans who are in desperate need, Senator Manchin said. The bipartisan, bicameral framework announced today proves that we can reach across the aisle and create meaningful compromise that will help those who need it most for the next few months. Our $908 billion framework provides our front line healthcare providers, students, families, small businesses, and workers with the support they need and deserve during this devastating pandemic. I urge my fellow colleagues to work with our bipartisan, bicameral group on this proposal so Congress can finally pass an emergency COVID-19 relief package to help Americans and West Virginians during this difficult stretch of the pandemic. This bipartisan, bicameral group worked night and day throughout the Thanksgiving recess because we recognize that families all across America are struggling, that businesses are closing, and that hospitals are overwhelmed, said Senator Collins.I am particularly pleased that this package includes funding for another round of Paycheck Protection Program forgivable loans, which has helped keep our small businesses afloat. In Maine alone, the PPP has helped sustain the jobs of 250,000 workers. After many days of bipartisan negotiations, I'm proud that we've reached a compromise to help Americans get through the holiday season, while providing much-needed relief for small businesses, local governments, health care providers, and low-income and minority communities, among others, said Senator Warner. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to put the months of stalled negotiations behind us, and to support this bipartisan compromise in order to ensure that families across the country are not forced to spend the holiday unable to put food on the table. This is a bipartisan, bicameral effort that creates a pathway forward to bring relief to those who need it most. Republicans and Democrats in both chambers got much of what we wanted, and neither got everything we wanted. That combination reflects what Congress is supposed to do: reconcile priorities and deliver for the American people, said Dr. Cassidy. Throughout New Hampshire from small businesses struggling to make payroll to hospitals fighting to keep their doors open and beds available I'm hearing from Granite Staters who cannot wait any longer.And they shouldn't. Over a quarter of a million Americans have died from COVID and more than 13.5 million Americans have been afflicted with it. The human toll of this crisis is crushing and that's before we even address the severe economic fallout it created, said Senator Shaheen. Some of those hardest hit have been our small businesses. When this body came together in March, we worked in good-faith to deliver the CARES Act that provided immediate relief through the Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program.We put our heads together again and have come up with a new bipartisan framework to build on that progress to help small businesses get to the other side of this crisis, and to provide funds for state and local government governments, support for vaccine development and distribution, assistance for our schools and universities, and relief for our health care providers. But this is just step one. We need more leaders on both sides of the aisle to join us so we can finish what we've started and deliver the relief that Americans are calling for. I am honored to work with an exceptional group of Senators, as well as colleagues in the House, on a bipartisan measure to help respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. In my home state of Alaska, Anchorage is officially going into our third round of hunker-down orders, shutting down businesses, restaurants, bars, hair salons, gymsessentially bringing to a halt the day-to-day life of many people in Anchorage. Many of our rural villages and off road communities are also in various stages of shutdown to control the spread of this awful virus. These lockdowns come at a significant cost. As the long winter approaches, the uncertainties of job loss, food insecurity, and stable housing all continue to grow, said Senator Murkowski. Our response our responsibility is to come together not as Republicans with a plan or Democrats with a counter-plan, but coming together with a proposal that will provide for targeted emergency relief for the American people. I am calling on my colleagues to join us in advancing the proposal we offer today, to provide much-needed relief for our nation. After nearly nine months of the coronavirus pandemic and far too little federal support, millions of Americans are facing financial ruin. It's past time for Congress to put political arguments aside and step up for those in need, said Senator King. If enacted into law, today's bipartisan package would increase unemployment benefits to help families make ends meet, give essential assistance to small businesses on the verge of closing, provide funds to the state and local governments who've led the response to this crisis, and much more including support for schools, hospitals, and vaccine distribution. This plan isn't perfect, and will require future Congressional action in order to help our country fully weather this pandemic but if we pass this bill before the year's end, we'll extend a lifeline to millions of Americans in need just as cases are spiking, CARES Act protections are expiring, and winter is arriving. The American people need us to work together to save lives and livelihoods so let's get it done. This is not a $1.8 trillion stimulus bill. This is a relief measure half that amount$908 billion, with $560 billion in repurposed funds from the first CARES Act, so the amount of new money is actually $348 billion, Senator Romney said. Included in this measure is a liability provision that provides a temporary suspension of any liability-related lawsuits at the state or federal level associated with COVID-19, giving states enough time to put in place their own protections. I am very pleased to be part of this effort, and urge my colleagues to come together on a deal. Our bipartisan COVID-19 emergency relief framework provides the most viable path forward in months, and we must seize this opportunity now to provide critical relief for the American people,Senator Hassansaid. I am grateful to my colleagues from both parties for coming together on this bipartisan effort, and I will do everything I can to get a deal across the finish line. ""This is a win for the American people, for common sense, and for problem solving. With cases spiking, winter around the corner, and countless small businesses closing every day, and far too many families hurting, we simply cannot leave anyone out in the cold. This is an essential down payment on what our families, small businesses, and local communities need,"" said Congressman Josh Gottheimer. ""This four-month COVID-19 emergency relief package will get us through the hardest months of winter and into a new Administration."" For far too long, working families, small businesses, local governments, critical health care providers, and school districts across America have been left wondering when Washington would stop the partisan bickering and pass a comprehensive stimulus package, said Congressman Tom Reed (R-NY). Now, we have a bipartisan, bicameral deal that directly addresses the needs of the nation and best positions the country for an effective rollout of a COVID-19 vaccine. It's time to come together as proud Americans and get the job done. With the development of multiple successful vaccines, we are on the cusp of beating covid-19 and restoring our way of life, but we are not there yet. This sensible, bipartisan, bicameral proposal will provide those most in need with the bridge necessary to see us through this crisis. The time to act is now, said Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH). Our nation's top economists have made it clear: Congress needs to act sooner than later on targeted focused relief, said Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD). I'm proud to be a part of this bipartisan, bicameral group that's put much-needed relief before politics. More than half of these dollars have been repurposed from CARES Act funding it's a responsible proposal. Our teachers, healthcare workers, business owners, and producers continue to step up as we battle COVID-19, it's time Congress does too. Working families, small businesses, restaurant owners, and our communities need relief and Congress must act. The failure to provide that relief over the last several months has been shameful, especially given that there are relief provisions and programs that are supported by both parties and both chambers of Congress, and most importantly, needed by the American people and our economy, said Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA). This bipartisan, bicameral package reflects the priorities of the Seventh District including funding for unemployment assistance, PPP, food assistance programs and our district's farmers, rental assistance, broadband internet, and opioid treatment. Today we have demonstrated that we can unite around a common purpose in the face of a national emergency, and I urge my colleagues as well as House and Senate leadership to bring this package forward for a vote. Michigan just had the deadliest month from COVID-19 since the pandemic begin. I hear daily from constituents who are struggling to make ends meet. Congress should not go home until we are able to get a COVID-19 deal passed and signed, delivering real help to those who need it most. It's time for us to step up, and our colleagues need to get behind this effort or out of the way, said Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI)",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://collinpeterson.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-peterson-thompson-and-comer-push-leadership-delay-ligado-application,"Reps. Peterson, Thompson and Comer Push Leadership to Delay Ligado Application",2020-11-24,2020,2020-11,Democrat,Senate,MN,Collin Peterson,P000258,collinpeterson.house.gov,,,legacy,"(Washington, DC) - Today, U.S.Representatives Collin Peterson (D-MN), Glenn GT' Thompson (R-PA), and James Comer (R-KY)sent aletterto House Leadership and the Appropriations Committeerequesting language delaying implementation of the April 2020 Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Order granting Ligado's application to deploy a terrestrial nationwide network to provide 5G services. In July, the Congressmenexpressed serious concernssurrounding the FCC's decision, questioning the reliability of GPS for millions of Americans, especially the farmers and ranchers who rely on this technology each and every day for precision agriculture. There is no room for error when discussing safety and reliability of service for GPS signals. Aviation, agriculture, and other vital industries rely on consistent signal quality,"" saidRep. Peterson. ""Safety and national security issues remain unresolved under the current order, which is why it is vital that we delay Ligado's 5G deployment. ""Investments in 5G and GPS are critically important to the American economy, especially the agriculture industry,"" saidRep. Thompson. ""However, the Ligado decision will have negative impacts on GPS and satellite communications, hindering reliability and slowing progress on current and future innovation of this technology. I urge my colleagues in Leadership and on the Appropriations Committee to delay this harmful implementation."" Our farmers are vitally important to providing the food supply for America and the world, and a reliable GPS network is critical to precision agriculture, saidRep. Comer. I understand the importance of improving telecommunications operations, especially for advancing rural economies. But critical tools like GPS technology must not be disrupted, as our farmers are essential workers who must have the tools they need to do their jobs. It is our responsibility as policymakers to fight to ensure that federal agency decisions do not negatively impact Americans' livelihoods. It is my hope that this language to delay implementation of the Ligado order will be addressed in a year-end appropriations package. The FCC's ill-advised decision on the Ligado matter risks serious negative impacts to the communication of real-time environmental data from satellites that are a primary tool by the American Weather Enterprise in the creation and timely dissemination of accurate weather forecasts and severe weather warnings, saidJonathan Porter, Vice-President and General Manager, AccuWeather, Inc. Any degradation in these communications will endanger critical economic and societal benefits for weather-sensitive businesses from family farms to large corporations and reduce the ability for people to stay safe during severe weather. GPS is critical to precision agriculture applications that deliver centimeter level accuracy that enables farmers to maximize crop yields while lowering costs and environmental impact,"" saidDale Leibach, spokesperson for the Keep GPS Working Coalition. ""The FCC's decision represents a sweeping governmental and regulatory assault on farmers who are already facing unprecedented challenges including severe weather, low commodity prices, and supply chain vulnerability as a result of COVID-19. The order must be stopped, and Congressman Thompson and Chairman Peterson have been relentless champions for farmers in the effort to reverse the FCC's decision. ""GPS technology is a key component to precision agriculture, a sustainable practice that benefits both farmers and the environment, saidDennis Slater, President of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. The recent Ligado decision will hinder these hardworking Americans from being able to properly utilize the tractors, combines, harvesters, and other modernized equipment we manufacture. We urge House leadership to include language to delay Ligado implementation. Farmers are already struggling due to the pandemic, natural disasters, and other factors. Let's not add to their economic pain."" Protecting the public interest and our economic security requires defending and protecting critical GPS, satellite communications services, aviation navigation equipment and essential weather apparatus. But Ligado's reckless venture puts that at risk,"" saidJordan Hassin, Director, Corporate Communications, Public Relations, and Industry Affairs for Iridium Communications. ""As more users of services in the L Band discover the threat Ligado presents to their livelihoods, more of our policymakers are recognizing that they need to demand this threat be addressed either in the NDAA or in an end of year spending package. This is not just a defense issue. We are grateful to the leaders of the Agriculture Committee for adding their voices to the call for a change to the FCC's misguided and destructive decision."" ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://omar.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-omar-introduces-resolution-condemning-police-violence-worldwide-0,Rep. Omar Introduces Resolution Condemning Police Violence Worldwide,2020-11-24,2020,2020-11,Democrat,House,MN,Ilhan Omar,O000173,omar.house.gov,omar,https://omar.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON– Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) introduced a resolution today to condemn police violence worldwide. The resolution calls on Congress to stand with peaceful protesters around the world in their calls for justice and accountability for police brutality. The introduction comes after continued police violence in the United States including the horrific murder of George Floyd in Rep. Omar's district in Minneapolis. Highly militarized police forces have also been used to disproportionately harm vulnerable communities around the world including in Nigeria, Cameroon, Honduras, Chile, Hong Kong, Belarus, Poland, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. ""This year, much of our attention has been focused on the problem of police violence,"" said Rep. Omar. ""In my home district, we felt this pain acutely with the murder of George Floyd. We have also seen the horrifying images of police armed with military equipment responding to peaceful protests. And we have rightly begun painful conversations around the use of force, the use of military weapons by police, and the targeting of minorities by law enforcement. Police brutality has transcended geography and local context. It has shown its face in democracies and dictatorships, which is why we must not only condemn police brutality domestically, but worldwide. Our movements are inextricably linked, and the sources of the violence are often the same. Freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are among our most foundational, cherished values. We must stand up to protect them."" She also wrote a Medium piece about the resolution, which can be read here. Over the summer, Rep. Omar co-introduced a resolution to condemn police brutality, and sponsored legislation to criminalize violence against protesters. Last week, she wrote an op-ed calling on the Biden Administration to reorient U.S. foreign policy toward justice and human rights. You can read the full resolution here and below. Whereas, in 2020, there have been significant peaceful assemblies protesting against police brutality throughout the world, including in the United States; Whereas police brutality may include human rights violations such as the use of excessive force, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detention, torture, and the use of lethal rounds and the unnecessary use of ‘‘less-lethal'' crowd control weapons by law enforcement, in response to peaceful assemblies; Whereas police brutality may occur prior to an arrest, during crowd control operations, during an arrest, and while an individual is in custody; Whereas the Small Arms Survey identified that between 2007–2012, 19,000 people worldwide were killed by police annually; Whereas a 2017 United Nations Development Program report found that more than 70 percent of individuals who had joined violent extremist groups across Africa self-reported that ‘‘government action'', including police brutality, was the determining factor in their decision to join such groups; Whereas the United States is the largest arms exporter in the world, including as the top provider to 13 out of 19 countries in the Middle East; Whereas the United States is the largest developer and exporter of ‘‘less-lethal'' weapons, including tear gas, in the world; Whereas the United States, especially under the auspices of the wars on drugs and global terrorism, has in recent decades dramatically increased its influence on the tactics, equipment, and purpose of policing around the world; Whereas during that same period and under those same auspices, domestic police forces at the State, local, and Federal level have become increasingly militarized in both equipment and tactics; Whereas several United States embassies in Africa released statements in the aftermath of the May 25, 2020, police killing of Minneapolis resident George Floyd, explicitly recognizing the foreign policy dimension of domestic police violence; Whereas many of those statements included reminders of the importance of an impartial judicial system and accountability for state security forces who commit human rights violations; Whereas on a global scale, police brutality occurs on every continent, in both democracies and dictatorships, and in countries that are both partners and adversaries of the United States; Whereas on a global scale, police brutality disproportionately harms already vulnerable people, including racial, ethnic, and religious minorities, women, migrants, people with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community; and Whereas on a global scale, impunity for both individual police officers and departments or units who commit police brutality is an endemic problem: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— (1) condemns police brutality wherever in the world it occurs; (2) stands with peaceful protesters around the world in their calls for justice and accountability for police brutality; (3) recognizes that police brutality disproportionately targets already vulnerable populations, including racial, ethnic, religious minorities, women, migrants, and the LGBTQIA+ community; (4) recognizes that impunity for police brutality undermines the rule of law, erodes public confidence in state institutions and degrades social cohesion; (5) calls on the United States Government to— (A) take immediate and significant steps to eliminate police brutality and impunity for police brutality in the United States; (B) prohibit the sales of arms, ammunition, and ‘‘less-lethal'' policing equipment to countries with demonstrated patterns of human rights violations by security forces or impunity for human rights violations by security forces; (C) prohibit other forms of security assistance, including police training, to countries with demonstrated patterns of human rights violations by security forces or impunity for human rights violations by security forces; (D) use its voice, vote, and influence in international institutions to work toward the elimination of police brutality and ending impunity for police brutality around the world; (E) end the use of militarized equipment and tactics in policing both at home and abroad; and (F) reallocate funding in both the United States and abroad to peacebuilding, job training, counseling and mental health programming, and violence-preventing programming; and (6) calls on businesses based in the United States that sell lethal and less-lethal policing equipment to adopt strict protocols prohibiting the sale of such articles to countries with demonstrated patterns of police brutality or impunity for police brutality.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:39:51Z https://collinpeterson.house.gov/media/newletter-archive/rep-petersons-newsletter-and-questionnaire-11162020,Rep. Peterson's Newsletter and Questionnaire 11/16/2020,2020-11-20,2020,2020-11,Democrat,Senate,MN,Collin Peterson,P000258,collinpeterson.house.gov,,,legacy,"First day of deer hunting in CARIBOU Dear Friends, Veterans Day is a day to thank and honor the brave men and women who have served our country in uniform. As of 2018, there are nearly 18 million veterans in the United States who have served in various wars to protect and defend our freedom. Thank you, veterans, for your commitment and service to the United States. The Enbridge Line 3 Replacement Project is one step closer to construction. Minnesota's Department of Natural Resources recently approved the remaining permits and licenses for the project and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency also gave its approval on the 401 Water Quality Certification. The Line 3 replacement will have a significant economic impact for Western Minnesota, and I am happy to see the project moving forward. Sincerely, Congressman Collin C. Peterson Minnesota 7th District Thank You Veterans Wednesday, November 11, was Veterans Day, a day to thank and honor all those who have served in the United States armed forces to protect and defend our democracy. I hope you were able to take a moment to acknowledge military veterans in your community for their dedication to protecting our national security and values. As a former National Guardsman, I know the risks and sacrifices our men and women in uniform make. Thank you for your service! Click here to watch my Veterans Day video. Line 3 Replacement Project Update The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) approved the remaining 8 of 10 permits and licenses for the Line 3 Replacement Project last week. This is a good sign that moves the project closer to construction. The proposal has met or exceeded all requirements of the DNR, and I am confident Enbridge will meet the requirements to secure the remaining state and federal approvals. In addition to the action by the DNR, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency announced its approval of the 401 Water Quality Certification, which clears the way for a determination from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regarding federal permits. The Line 3 Replacement will add an additional $35 million in property tax revenue for rural communities in Northern Minnesota and create more than 6,500 jobs in the state over two-years. COVID-19 Updates & Resources Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Governor Tim Walz has issued a new Executive Order, tightening restrictions on indoor and outdoor activities. Per the Executive Order, social gatherings in private homes are limited to 10 people (indoors or outdoors) and may involve no more than three households. For bars and restaurants, the total restaurant capacity will be capped at 150 people, including both inside and outside settings, and may not exceed 50% of the establishment's total capacity. Dine-in service is closed between 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Bar counter service for all establishments will be closed for seating and service and people must remain seated. Let's all do our part to end this pandemic together. COVID-19 Community Testing Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases continue to rise in Minnesota. Visit Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) for the most up to date information on the Coronavirus Pandemic. To get regular COVID-19 email updates, including announcements of new community testing events, subscribe to COVID-19 Updates. There are four free COVID-19 Community Testing sites throughout the Seventh District offered by the Minnesota Department of Health. Crookston Armory 1801 University Ave Crookston, MN 56716 November 16-18, 23-24, 12 - 6 p.m. December 1-5, 9-11, 16-19, 21-22, 28-30, 12 - 6 p.m. Crookston Community COVID-19 Testing: Schedule Appointment Hutchinson Armory 1200 Adams St SE Hutchinson, MN 55350 November 30, 12 - 6 p.m. December 1-4, 9, 11-12, 15-17, 21-22, 28-30, 12 - 6 p.m. No appointment necessary Morris Armory 722 Iowa Ave Morris, MN 56267 November 18-20, 23-24, 12 - 6 p.m. December 1-5, 9-11, 16-19, 21-22, 28-30, 12 - 6 p.m. Morris Community COVID-19 Testing: Schedule Appointment Wadena Armory 517 Jefferson St N Wadena, MN 56482 November 17-19, 23-24, 12 - 6 p.m. December 1-5, 9-11, 16-19, 21-22, 28-30, 12 - 6 p.m. Wadena Community COVID-19 Testing: Schedule Appointment COVID-19 Community Saliva Testing There are several COVID-19 saliva testing sites across Minnesota offered by the Minnesota Department of Health. All sites will be closed Thursday, Nov. 26 and Friday, Nov. 27 for Thanksgiving and Thursday, Dec. 24 and Friday, Dec. 25 for Christmas. See COVID-19 Test at Home for information on free at-home saliva testing for people in select areas. Moorhead Former Thomas Edison Elementary School 1110 S. 14th Street Moorhead, MN 56560 Monday, Tuesday, Friday: 12 - 7 p.m. Saturday - Sunday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Schedule Appointment with Vault Health St. Cloud River's Edge Convention Center 10 Fourth Ave South St. Cloud, MN 56301 Wednesday - Friday: 12 - 7 p.m. Saturday - Sunday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Parking in the west surface lot next to the Convention Center is available to those being tested. Look for the COVID-19 testing parking signs. Schedule Appointment with Vault Health Newsstand American Education Week Photo courtesy of the National Education Association November 1620, 2020 is American Education Week. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed what classrooms and learning look like. Thank you to everyone involved in our education systems for adapting and rising to the challenge during this difficult time. Hemp Growing in Minnesota Online applications are now open for anyone wishing to grow or process hemp in Minnesota in 2021. Applications must be submitted by April 30, 2021, and a license is good for the 2021 calendar year. For more information, visit the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. EIP Deadline Reminder As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, we must ensure all qualified individuals receive economic relief for hardships faced during the pandemic. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) encourages non-filers to apply for an Economic Impact Payment (EIP). If you did not file a 2019 federal tax return, did not get an Economic Impact Payment, or did not register for an Economic Impact Payment already, you may qualify for an EIP. Use the IRS Non-Filers Tool by November 21 to register for an EIP. MNsure & Medicare Open Enrollment Photo courtesy of the MNsure The open enrollment period for Medicare and MNsure is now open. During this time of uncertainty, make sure you and your family are covered. MNsure open enrollment is open until December 22, 2020. For more information and to enroll, visit MNsure.org. The Medicare open enrollment period is open until December 7, 2020. Medicare beneficiaries can review their coverage choices during this time and compare coverage and plans. Go to Medicare.gov for more information. This Week in History Photo courtesy of the Hutchinson Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism This week in history, on November 19, 1855, the city of Hutchinson was founded. The Hutchinson family were singers and toured the United States, giving concerts of popular and patriotic songs from 1841 until the end of the Civil War. The family was originally from New Hampshire but heard about Minnesota from a friend. The Hutchinson brothers chose to settle on a hill overlooking what is now considered the Crow River. They later wrote thirteen articles of agreement for the town, setting aside land for schools, the Humanities Church, and even space for parks, making the park system in Hutchinson the second oldest in the nation.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mccollum.house.gov/media/press-releases/mccollum-promote-middle-east-peace-and-security-democrats-congress-must-reject,"McCollum: To Promote Middle East Peace and Security, Democrats in Congress Must Reject Illegal Israeli-Trump Annexation of Palestinian Lands",2020-11-20,2020,2020-11,Democrat,House,MN,Betty McCollum,M001143,mccollum.house.gov,mccollum,https://mccollum.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn.) issued the following statement today after Sec. Mike Pompeo became the first U.S. Secretary of State to visit an Israeli settlement, signaling a symbolic U.S. stamp of approval of Israel's military occupation: ""Yesterday, Secretary of State Michael Pompeo issued official U.S. ‘country of origin' labeling guidelines that grant legitimacy to Israel's illegal settlements by requiring all products produced in Area ‘C' of the occupied West Bank to be marked as ‘Product of Israel' or ‘Made in Israel' when exported to the United States. ""Secretary Pompeo is once again flagrantly advancing the Israeli government's effort to unlawfully annex Palestinian lands. This act effectively erases the longstanding bipartisan U.S. policy differentiating between Israel and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, territory occupied by Israel in 1967. ""This official State Department action means that the U.S. has provided tacit recognition of de facto Israeli annexation of occupied Palestinian lands in violation of international law. This further entrenches an undemocratic system in which Israel would permanently rule over a Palestinian people who are denied basic civil rights and human rights. ""Secretary Pompeo claims his actions are consistent with a ‘reality-based foreign policy approach.' This right-wing ‘reality' is nothing more than overt Trump administration support for Israel to maintain an unjust political system that denies Palestinians the right to self-determination and an independent Palestinian state. ""The Trump administration has acted with complete disregard for international law and decades of bipartisan U.S. foreign policy consensus to aggressively support and legitimize permanent occupation and a de facto system of apartheid. I reject Israeli annexation and will work to ensure the U.S. does not support, defend, or legitimize any plan to illegally annex occupied Palestinian lands. This is exactly why I introduced H.R. 8050, The Israeli Annexation Non-Recognition Act, in August. ""I urge Democrats in Congress to support efforts to promote peace, justice, and equality by prohibiting the U.S. from formally recognizing, legitimizing, or providing U.S. taxpayer assistance to any area of the occupied West Bank annexed by the Government of Israel in violation of international law. ""I also strongly urge President-elect Biden to implement rights-respecting policies grounded in U.S. obligations under international law, including United Nations Security Council resolutions, specifically Resolution 2334."" A PDF version of this statement is available here. Information on H.R. 8050, The Israeli Annexation Non-Recognition Act, is available here. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:39:51Z https://omar.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-omar-introduces-resolutions-banning-trumps-arms-sales-uae,Rep. Omar Introduces Resolutions Banning Trump’s Arms Sales to UAE,2020-11-19,2020,2020-11,Democrat,House,MN,Ilhan Omar,O000173,omar.house.gov,omar,https://omar.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON—Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) today introduced a package of resolutions to ban the Trump Administration's proposed sale of weapons to the United Arab Emirates. Earlier this month, the Trump Administration announced a $23 billion package of weapons sales to the UAE, despite consistent human rights violations by the regime. ""Since he took office, Donald Trump has empowered some of the worst human rights abusers in the world—and the UAE is no exception,"" Rep. Omar said. ""Besides their very well-documented war crimes in Yemen, the UAE has also been credibly accused of committing war crimes in Libya. They're also reportedly paying for child soldiers from the same militia that committed the Darfur genocide, badly undercutting the transition to democracy in Sudan. Amidst a deadly pandemic, we should be investing in our own communities here at home, not selling weapons to help dictators commit human rights abuses."" The four resolutions target each component of the Trump Administration's proposal, including F-35 fighter jets and armed drones ― major advanced systems that the U.A.E. does not presently have. The transfer would be the first time the United States has ever sold combat drones to any Arab nation, and the UAE would become the first Gulf country to get F-35 stealth jets, the most advanced fighter aircraft on the market. The UAE is implicated in war crimes in Yemen, fomenting chaos and civil war in Libya, and an atrocious domestic human rights record. They are also close partners with Russia and China, and have been credibly accused of transferring weapons to Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Any transfers of arms to the UAE puts our interests and values at enormous risk.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:39:51Z https://www.smith.senate.gov/u-s-senators-tina-smith-susan-collins-secure-passage-resolution-recognizing-importance-school,U. S. Senators Tina Smith & Susan Collins Secure Passage of Resolution Recognizing the Importance of School Principals to Students Success,2020-11-19,2020,2020-11,Democrat,House,MN,Tina Smith,S001203,www.smith.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Bipartisan Resolution Establishes October as National Principals Month and Honors Contributions of Principals Across the Country WASHINGTON, D.C. [11/19/20]U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) recently secured passage of their bipartisan resolution honoring principals and recognizing the contributions they make to helping students succeed. Principals work with educators to create school communities where students can learn and thrive, said Sen. Smith, a member of the Senate Education Committee. I'm glad we can honor them in this way, and recognize how principals are so critical to the success of students and schools in Minnesota and across the country. Principals in Maine and across the country have gone above and beyond during the COVID-19 pandemic, working to keep school communities safe as they continue to prepare students for the future, said Sen. Collins. This resolution recognizes the countless contributions and tireless devotion of our nation's principals to ensure that every child has access to a high-quality education. Sens. Smith and Collins' resolution is cosponsored by Sens. Angus King (I-Maine), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), John Boozman (R-Ark.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.). You can access text of the resolution below: Recognizing October 2020 as National Principals Month. Whereas the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the National Association of Elementary School Principals, and the American Federation of School Administrators have declared October 2020 to be National Principals Month; Whereas principals are educational visionaries, instructional and assessment leaders, disciplinarians, community builders, budget analysts, facilities managers, and administrators of legal and contractual obligations; Whereas principals work collaboratively with teachers and parents to develop and implement clear missions, high curriculum standards, and performance goals; Whereas principals create school environments that facilitate great teaching and learning and continuous school improvement; Whereas principals demonstrate leadership and play important roles in meeting the needs of students, families, and communities while responding to the coronavirus pandemic; Whereas the vision, actions, and dedication of principals provide the mobilizing force behind any school improvement effort; and Whereas the celebration of National Principals Month would honor elementary school, middle school, and high school principals and recognize the importance of principals in ensuring that every child has access to a high-quality education: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate (1) recognizes October 2020 as National Principals Month; (2) honors the contributions of principals in elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools in the United States; and (3) supports the goals and ideals of National Principals Month.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://collinpeterson.house.gov/media/press-releases/peterson-joins-smith-craig-and-mccollum-urge-federal-agencies-provide-clarity,"Peterson joins Smith, Craig and McCollum to Urge Federal Agencies to Provide Clarity on Hemp Rules",2020-11-18,2020,2020-11,Democrat,Senate,MN,Collin Peterson,P000258,collinpeterson.house.gov,,,legacy,"(Washington, D.C.) -Representative Collin Peterson today jointed U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and U.S. Representatives Angie Craig (D-MN 2), and Betty McCollum (D-MN 4) incalling on the leaders of four federal agencies to streamline hemp rules. Currently, contradictory federal guidelines are leading to uncertainty in the market and preventing Minnesota farmers and Tribes from fully reaping the economic benefits of growing hemp. The bipartisan 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp in order to create economic opportunities for farmers. Minnesota farmers appreciate the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) efforts in implementing the Interim Rule on Establishment of a Domestic Hemp Production Program. However, despite the Interim Rule there are still hurdles in place for Minnesota farmers to fully realize the economic benefits of growing hemp, wrote the lawmakers in their letter to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Sen. Smith and Reps. Craig, McCollum and Peterson go on to identify some of the inconsistencies that need to be addressed: The federal regulatory framework has proven to be inconsistent. For example, the USDA's rule stated that farmers will be held accountable facing possible revoking of their licenses if their crops test above a .5 percent THC level three times in a five year period. Despite this somewhat onerous and arbitrary level, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) instituted their own rule saying that exceeding .3 percent THC level deems the crop a controlled substance. The burdensome competing rules don't allow for remediation if the crop tests above the deemed inappropriate levels. Farmers should not be penalized for plants that they intended to grow as hemp, but for any number of reasons, the final THC numbers exceeded the arbitrary 0.3% THC level. At the same time, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance on CBD is still pending at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which adds even more uncertainty to the marketplace. You can access a copy of the letter here or below: Secretary Sonny Perdue The Honorable Russell T. Vought U.S. Department of Agriculture Director, Office of Management and Budget 1400 Independence Avenue SW 725 17th Street NW Washington, DC 20250 Washington, DC 20503 Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn, M.D. The Honorable Timothy J. Shea U.S. Food and Drug Administration Acting Administrator White Oak Campus U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration 10903 New Hampshire Avenue 8701 Morrissette Drive Silver Spring, MD 20903 Springfield, VA 22152 Dear Secretary Perdue, Director Vought, Commissioner Hahn, and Acting Administrator Shea: The bipartisan 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp in order to create economic opportunities for farmers. Minnesota farmers appreciate the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) efforts in implementing the Interim Rule on Establishment of a Domestic Hemp Production Program. However, despite the Interim Rule there are still hurdles in place for Minnesota farmers to fully realize the economic benefits of growing hemp. While many states and tribes are still awaiting approval for their hemp programs from the USDA, the state of Minnesota, the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, and the Lower Sioux Indian Community have all had their applications approved. Interest in growing hemp remains high among farmers. The Minnesota Industrial Hemp Pilot grew from four licensed growers in 2016 to 467 licensed growers in 2020. Despite this interest, farmers face a lack of certitude due to unclear and contradicting federal efforts. This has resulted in fewer hemp acres in Minnesota being planted from 2019 to 2020. In 2019, 7353 acres of hemp were planted. In 2020, that number dropped to 5809 acres. The federal regulatory framework has proven to be inconsistent. For example, the USDA's rule stated that farmers will be held accountable facing possible revoking of their licenses if their crops test above a .5 percent THC level three times in a five year period. Despite this somewhat onerous and arbitrary level, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) instituted their own rule saying that exceeding .3 percent THC level deems the crop a controlled substance. The burdensome competing rules don't allow for remediation if the crop tests above the deemed inappropriate levels. Farmers should not be penalized for plants that they intended to grow as hemp, but for any number of reasons, the final THC numbers exceeded the arbitrary 0.3% THC level. At the same time, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance on CBD is still pending at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which adds even more uncertainty to the marketplace. Lack of clarity has resulted in under-investments in growing and processing from banks and hemp production companies. In order to create a more stable market for hemp farmers and ease the concerns of investors, the USDA, the DEA, the FDA, and the OMB need to work together and issue federal guidelines that will benefit farmers rather than punish farmers for factors that are out of their control. Sincerely, ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.smith.senate.gov/us-senator-tina-smith-us-representatives-angie-craig-betty-mccollum-collin-peterson-urge-federal,"U.S. Senator Tina Smith, U.S. Representatives Angie Craig, Betty McCollum & Collin Peterson Urge Federal Agencies to Provide Clarity on Hemp Rules",2020-11-18,2020,2020-11,Democrat,House,MN,Tina Smith,S001203,www.smith.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Minnesota Lawmakers Say We Must Address Contradictory Federal Efforts to Help Farmers and Tribes Reap Benefits of Growing Hemp WASHINGTON, D.C. [11/18/20]Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and U.S. Representatives Angie Craig (D-MN 2), Betty McCollum (D-MN 4) and Collin Peterson (D-MN 7) are calling on the leaders of four federal agencies to streamline hemp rules. Currently, contradictory federal guidelines are leading to uncertainty in the market and preventing Minnesota farmers and Tribes from fully reaping the economic benefits of growing hemp. The bipartisan 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp in order to create economic opportunities for farmers. Minnesota farmers appreciate the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) efforts in implementing the Interim Rule on Establishment of a Domestic Hemp Production Program. However, despite the Interim Rule there are still hurdles in place for Minnesota farmers to fully realize the economic benefits of growing hemp, wrote the lawmakers in their letter to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Sen. Smith and Reps. Craig, McCollum and Peterson go on to identify some of the inconsistencies that need to be addressed: The federal regulatory framework has proven to be inconsistent. For example, the USDA's rule stated that farmers will be held accountable facing possible revoking of their licenses if their crops test above a .5 percent THC level three times in a five year period. Despite this somewhat onerous and arbitrary level, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) instituted their own rule saying that exceeding .3 percent THC level deems the crop a controlled substance. The burdensome competing rules don't allow for remediation if the crop tests above the deemed inappropriate levels. Farmers should not be penalized for plants that they intended to grow as hemp, but for any number of reasons, the final THC numbers exceeded the arbitrary 0.3% THC level. At the same time, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance on CBD is still pending at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which adds even more uncertainty to the marketplace. You can access a copy of the letter here or below: Secretary Sonny Perdue The Honorable Russell T. Vought U.S. Department of Agriculture Director, Office of Management and Budget 1400 Independence Avenue SW 725 17th Street NW Washington, DC 20250 Washington, DC 20503 Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn, M.D. The Honorable Timothy J. Shea U.S. Food and Drug Administration Acting Administrator White Oak Campus U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration 10903 New Hampshire Avenue 8701 Morrissette Drive Silver Spring, MD 20903 Springfield, VA 22152 Dear Secretary Perdue, Director Vought, Commissioner Hahn, and Acting Administrator Shea: The bipartisan 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp in order to create economic opportunities for farmers. Minnesota farmers appreciate the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) efforts in implementing the Interim Rule on Establishment of a Domestic Hemp Production Program. However, despite the Interim Rule there are still hurdles in place for Minnesota farmers to fully realize the economic benefits of growing hemp. While many states and tribes are still awaiting approval for their hemp programs from the USDA, the state of Minnesota, the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, and the Lower Sioux Indian Community have all had their applications approved. Interest in growing hemp remains high among farmers. The Minnesota Industrial Hemp Pilot grew from four licensed growers in 2016 to 467 licensed growers in 2020. Despite this interest, farmers face a lack of certitude due to unclear and contradicting federal efforts. This has resulted in fewer hemp acres in Minnesota being planted from 2019 to 2020. In 2019, 7353 acres of hemp were planted. In 2020, that number dropped to 5809 acres. The federal regulatory framework has proven to be inconsistent. For example, the USDA's rule stated that farmers will be held accountable facing possible revoking of their licenses if their crops test above a .5 percent THC level three times in a five year period. Despite this somewhat onerous and arbitrary level, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) instituted their own rule saying that exceeding .3 percent THC level deems the crop a controlled substance. The burdensome competing rules don't allow for remediation if the crop tests above the deemed inappropriate levels. Farmers should not be penalized for plants that they intended to grow as hemp, but for any number of reasons, the final THC numbers exceeded the arbitrary 0.3% THC level. At the same time, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance on CBD is still pending at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which adds even more uncertainty to the marketplace. Lack of clarity has resulted in under-investments in growing and processing from banks and hemp production companies. In order to create a more stable market for hemp farmers and ease the concerns of investors, the USDA, the DEA, the FDA, and the OMB need to work together and issue federal guidelines that will benefit farmers rather than punish farmers for factors that are out of their control. Sincerely,",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.smith.senate.gov/us-senators-tina-smith-marco-rubio-introduce-bipartisan-resolution-recognize-november-national-lung,"U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Marco Rubio Introduce Bipartisan Resolution to Recognize November as National Lung Cancer Awareness Month",2020-11-18,2020,2020-11,Democrat,House,MN,Tina Smith,S001203,www.smith.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Measure Promotes Research, Early Detection of Disease That Kills Tens of Thousands of Americans Each Year MINNESOTA [11/18/20] U.S. SenatorsTina Smith (D-Minn.) and Marco Rubio(R-Fla.) introduced a bipartisanresolutionto designate November 2020 as National Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Theirresolutionpromotes the importance of early detection of lung cancer to help save lives. It also recognizes the need for research toimprove early diagnosis, screening and treatment. Sens. Smith and Rubio said that lung cancer is unfortunatelythe leading cause of cancer-related death among men and women in the United Statesaccounting for more deaths than colon cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. We need to take every possible step to fight this terriblediseasethatkills tens of thousands of people in Minnesota and across the country each year,said Sen. Smith.In July I introduced legislation to expand coverage for lung cancer screenings for individuals 40 or older to help detect the cancer earlier. Former Minnesota U.S. Representative Rick Nolan and his daughter Katherine inspired me to introduce the bill. Katherine, whocourageouslyfoughtstage 4 non-smoking, non-small cell lung cancerfor five years before succumbing to the disease, was a fierceadvocatefor early detectionandresearch.I'm glad to introduce this bipartisan resolution andcarry on Katherine's fight. Thank you Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Tina Smith (D-MN) for working with us to provide national attention to the needs of the lung cancer community through this Senate Resolution that honors November as Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Your leadership helps spotlight this devastating disease and brings opportunities for us to work together to save lives and improve the quality of life for the hundreds of thousands of people impacted. This Lung Cancer Awareness Month Resolution will add momentum to efforts to build national awareness, advance earlier detection and personalized treatments and help increase research funding to discover breakthroughs and cures.Thank you for helping lead this coordinated plan of action to transform survivorship. --Laurie Fenton Ambrose, Co-Founder, President & CEO of GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer The resolution is cosponsored by Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), and Shelley Capito (W. Va.). The resolution is also supported by the Minnesota American Cancer Society/Cancer Action Network,the American Cancer Society,the American Lung Association, the American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative (ALCSI), the GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancerand the Oncology Nursing Society. You can read a copy of theresolutionhere.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://craig.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-angie-craig-receives-medical-imaging-technology-alliance-innovation-award,Rep. Angie Craig Receives Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance Innovation Award,2020-11-17,2020,2020-11,Democrat,House,MN,Angie Craig,C001119,craig.house.gov,,,legacy,"This month, U.S. Rep Angie Craig was announced as a recipient of the Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA) Innovation Award, which recognizes members of Congress who have demonstrated outstanding, ongoing efforts to promote innovation within the medical technology industry and improve patient care. Medical innovation saves lives, and I'm proud to be a strong advocate for technological advancements that improve health outcomes for patients,said Rep. Craig.I'm honored to receive this recognition from the Medical Imaging and Technology Alliance and I look forward to continuing to advocate for improvements to health care. Throughout the 116th Congress, Representative Craig has demonstrated a strong commitment to medical innovation and the delivery of life-saving healthcare technologies to patients in need,said Patrick Hope, Executive Director of MITA.Recognizing this commitment, we are pleased to honor her as a recipient of MITA's Innovation Award. Congratulations, Congresswoman!",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://omar.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-omar-sent-letter-condemning-facebook-s-role-ongoing-violence-ethiopia,Rep. Omar Sent Letter Condemning Facebook’s Role in Ongoing Violence in Ethiopia & Around the World,2020-11-17,2020,2020-11,Democrat,House,MN,Ilhan Omar,O000173,omar.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTONAhead of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) sent a letter to Zuckerberg opposing Facebook's role in the violence around the world, most recently in Ethiopia. The letter also raises serious concerns related to the online hate speech that contributed to the violence against Sri Lankan Muslims and the genocide against Rohingya people in Burma. I am writing to express my deep alarm at the role Facebook is playing in the catastrophic violence that has encompassed Ethiopia,Rep. Omar wrote.Sometimes genocidal hate speech that is being propagated in many languages by many actors, both inside Ethiopia and abroad, has found a viral audience on your platform, and has almost certainly contributed directly to the massacres of civilians based on their ethnicities. You and Facebook should have learned from past experience. The role Facebook played in the 2018 violence against Sri Lankan Muslims prompted a public apology earlier this year. In that crisis, people were killed and beaten, and mosques and Muslim-owned homes and businesses burnt because of hate speech that disseminated on your platform. Ethiopia is on the verge of collapsing into one of the worst human rights and humanitarian crises in modern history. Experts believe the region could experience a massive refugee crisis, continued interethnic violence, and genocide. Many state and non-state actors have propagated genocidal hate speech on Facebook that has likely contributed to the massacres of civilians. The letter addresses the need for Facebook to prevent and monitor the fomentation of hate speech and violence. A PDF of the letter can be foundhere, and the full text of the letter is below. Mark Zuckerberg CEO Facebook, Inc. 1 Hacker Way Menlo Park, CA 94025 November 17, 2020 Dear Mr. Zuckerberg, I am writing to express my deep alarm at the role Facebook is playing in the catastrophic violence that has encompassed Ethiopia. Sometimes genocidal hate speech that is being propagated in many languages by many actors, both inside Ethiopia and abroad, has found a viral audience on your platform, and has almost certainly contributed directly to the massacres of civilians based on their ethnicities. The situation in Ethiopia is precarious and has a very real chance of collapsing into one of the worst human rights and humanitarian crises in the world. Thousands have already fled across the border to Sudan, which is itself in a deeply fragile transition from dictatorship to democracy. Massacres of civilians because of their ethnicity and religion have become tragically commonplace. The Ethiopian government has jailed dissidents, threatened to bomb civilian areas, and entered into an all-out war with one of its regions. Experts on the region and atrocity crimes are ringing the alarm about the possibility of a massive refugee crisis, continued interethnic violence, and genocide. You and Facebook should have learned from past experience. The role Facebook played in the 2018 violence against Sri Lankan Muslims prompted a public apology earlier this year. In that crisis, people were killed and beaten, and mosques and Muslim-owned homes and businesses burnt because of hate speech that disseminated on your platform. Facebook's part in the genocide against Rohingya people in Burma is also well-documented. Facebook has publicly acknowledged its failure in that case to prevent the fomentation of hate speech and violence. Alex Warofka said in 2018, regarding the Rohingya, that Facebook can and should do more to prevent its use for these brutal ends, but your ongoing contribution to sowing division, hatred, and genocidal violence in Ethiopia makes those words profoundly and disastrously hollow. Instead we have found once again that, when societies become divided to the point of hatred, and when that hatred burns to the point of targeted murder and massacres, there Facebook is in the center of it, as the catalyst and the engine of discord. In Rwanda in 1994, the orders to murder Tutsis by extremist Hutus bent on genocide were famously issued over the radio. Mr. Zuckerberg, in 2020, you are that radio. It is up to you to turn it off. Sincerely, Ilhan Omar Member of Congress ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://omar.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-omar-sent-letter-condemning-facebooks-role-ongoing-violence-ethiopia,Rep. Omar Sent Letter Condemning Facebook’s Role in Ongoing Violence in Ethiopia & Around the World,2020-11-17,2020,2020-11,Democrat,House,MN,Ilhan Omar,O000173,omar.house.gov,omar,https://omar.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON—Ahead of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) sent a letter to Zuckerberg opposing Facebook's role in the violence around the world, most recently in Ethiopia. The letter also raises serious concerns related to the online hate speech that contributed to the violence against Sri Lankan Muslims and the genocide against Rohingya people in Burma. ""I am writing to express my deep alarm at the role Facebook is playing in the catastrophic violence that has encompassed Ethiopia,"" Rep. Omar wrote. ""Sometimes genocidal hate speech that is being propagated in many languages by many actors, both inside Ethiopia and abroad, has found a viral audience on your platform, and has almost certainly contributed directly to the massacres of civilians based on their ethnicities."" ""You and Facebook should have learned from past experience. The role Facebook played in the 2018 violence against Sri Lankan Muslims prompted a public apology earlier this year. In that crisis, people were killed and beaten, and mosques and Muslim-owned homes and businesses burnt because of hate speech that disseminated on your platform."" Ethiopia is on the verge of collapsing into one of the worst human rights and humanitarian crises in modern history. Experts believe the region could experience a massive refugee crisis, continued interethnic violence, and genocide. Many state and non-state actors have propagated genocidal hate speech on Facebook that has likely contributed to the massacres of civilians. The letter addresses the need for Facebook to prevent and monitor the fomentation of hate speech and violence. A PDF of the letter can be found here, and the full text of the letter is below. Mark Zuckerberg CEO Facebook, Inc. 1 Hacker Way Menlo Park, CA 94025 November 17, 2020 Dear Mr. Zuckerberg, I am writing to express my deep alarm at the role Facebook is playing in the catastrophic violence that has encompassed Ethiopia. Sometimes genocidal hate speech that is being propagated in many languages by many actors, both inside Ethiopia and abroad, has found a viral audience on your platform, and has almost certainly contributed directly to the massacres of civilians based on their ethnicities. The situation in Ethiopia is precarious and has a very real chance of collapsing into one of the worst human rights and humanitarian crises in the world. Thousands have already fled across the border to Sudan, which is itself in a deeply fragile transition from dictatorship to democracy. Massacres of civilians because of their ethnicity and religion have become tragically commonplace. The Ethiopian government has jailed dissidents, threatened to bomb civilian areas, and entered into an all-out war with one of its regions. Experts on the region and atrocity crimes are ringing the alarm about the possibility of a massive refugee crisis, continued interethnic violence, and genocide. You and Facebook should have learned from past experience. The role Facebook played in the 2018 violence against Sri Lankan Muslims prompted a public apology earlier this year. In that crisis, people were killed and beaten, and mosques and Muslim-owned homes and businesses burnt because of hate speech that disseminated on your platform. Facebook's part in the genocide against Rohingya people in Burma is also well-documented. Facebook has publicly acknowledged its failure in that case to prevent the fomentation of hate speech and violence. Alex Warofka said in 2018, regarding the Rohingya, that Facebook ""can and should do more"" to prevent its use for these brutal ends, but your ongoing contribution to sowing division, hatred, and genocidal violence in Ethiopia makes those words profoundly and disastrously hollow. Instead we have found once again that, when societies become divided to the point of hatred, and when that hatred burns to the point of targeted murder and massacres, there Facebook is in the center of it, as the catalyst and the engine of discord. In Rwanda in 1994, the orders to murder Tutsis by extremist Hutus bent on genocide were famously issued over the radio. Mr. Zuckerberg, in 2020, you are that radio. It is up to you to turn it off. Sincerely,",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:39:51Z https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=013DF5CF-9822-45FC-AA43-93875A451454,"Klobuchar Questions CEO of Facebook About Competition, Antitrust Investigation, And Political Advertising",2020-11-17,2020,2020-11,Democrat,House,MN,Amy Klobuchar,K000367,www.klobuchar.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Today, at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with the CEOs of Facebook and Twitter, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, raised serious concerns about potential anticompetitive conduct and acquisitions by Facebook and highlighted the urgent need to increase transparency in political advertising. What I want to focus on is what I think we're seeing all over this country, not just in tech. We're seeing a startup slump. We're seeing more and more consolidation, and throughout history, we've seen that is not good for small businesses. It's not good for consumers, and it's not good for capitalism in the end, Klobuchar said. In a series of exchanges with the CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, Klobuchar focused on Facebook's actions to limit smaller companies that it considered competitors from accessing parts of Facebook's platform, crippling the growth potential of those rivals. So, I want to start with exclusionary conduct, regarding excluding smaller competitors by limiting interoperability with the Facebook platform. The investigation that we saw in the House recently gave us a number of examples of excluded companies including Vine, Stackla, Message Me, and Ark. My view is that this exclusionary conduct not only damaged the ability of these smaller businesses to compete, but it deprived customers of convenient access. You're one of the most successful companies, biggest companies in the world, Mr. Zuckerberg. Facebook. Do you think that this is fair competition or not? With regard to the interoperability and how you've conducted yourself with these other companies? Klobuchar asked. She also questioned Zuckerberg on Facebook's motivations for acquiring emerging rivals Instagram and WhatsApp, which prevented either company from challenging Facebook's social media dominance. And when we look at your emails, it kind of leads us down this road as well with Whatsapp, that part of the purchase of these nascent competitors is to -- I'll use the words of FTC Chairman Joe Simons who just said last week a monopolist can squash a nascent competitor by buying it not just by targeting it with anti-competitive activity. So, I know that this is a subject of investigation. Maybe we'll be hearing something soon. But I think it's something that committee members better be aware of, not just with Facebook, but what's been going on with these deals that have gone through and how it has led to more and more consolidation. And how we as the Senate, and I just talked to Chairman Graham about this last week could actually do something about this, by changing some of the standards in our laws to make it easier to bring these cases and not just involving tech, Klobuchar said. Full transcript of remarks and questions further below. Watch video of Klobuchar remarks HERE. In her role as Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights and a senior Member of the Senate Commerce Committee, Klobuchar has been a leader in the fight to protect consumers' personal data and promote online competition. And as the Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee, with oversight over federal elections, Klobuchar has fought to improve the transparency of online political advertising, stop foreign interference in elections through online platforms, and combat the spread of online election related disinformation and voter intimidation and suppression. In October, at a Senate Commerce Committee Hearing with CEOs from Google, Facebook, and Twitter, Klobuchar highlighted the urgent need to combat disinformation and improve transparency in online political advertising. She also raised serious competition concerns with Google's CEO. In September, Klobuchar, along with 16 colleagues sent a letter to Facebook, Instagram, Google, Twitter and YouTube, urging executives to take further measures to stop voting related misinformation and disinformation. In August, at an Antitrust Subcommittee hearing on Google's dominance in advertising technology markets, Klobuchar emphasized the need to enforce antitrust Laws. Klobuchar leads the Honest Ads Act, which was reintroduced in 2019 with cosponsors Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) to help prevent foreign interference in future elections and improve the transparency of online political advertisements. The Honest Ads Act would prevent foreign actors from influencing our elections by ensuring that political ads sold online are covered by the same rules as ads sold on TV, radio, and satellite and by improving disclosure requirements. Full transcript of Klobuchar remarks and questions as delivered at the November 17, 2020 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing below: KLOBUCHAR: Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. As you know, I'm the lead Democrat on the Antitrust Subcommittee. I'm going to take a little different approach here than Mr. Hawley when it comes to competition policy because I understand why they might be coordinating when it comes to security. What I want to focus on is what I think we're seeing all over this country, not just in tech. We're seeing a startup slump. We're seeing more and more consolidation, and throughout history, we've seen that that is not good for small businesses. It's not good for consumers, and it's not good for capitalism in the end. Even successful companies, even popular companies, and even innovative companies are subject to the antitrust laws of this country. When I asked Mr. Pichai about this at the Commerce Committee hearing a few weeks ago, he told me Google was happy to take feedback. And my response was that the Justice Department already provided feedback in the form of a federal antitrust complaint. And I know there is an investigation reportedly going on out of the FTC right now regarding your company, Mr. Zuckerberg. So, I want to start with exclusionary conduct, regarding excluding smaller competitors by limiting interoperability with the Facebook platform. The investigation that we saw in the House recently gave us a number of examples of excluded companies including Vine, Stackla, Message Me, and Ark. My view is that this exclusionary conduct not only damaged the ability of these smaller businesses to compete, but it deprived customers of convenient access. You're one of the most successful companies, biggest companies in the world, Mr. Zuckerberg. Facebook. Do you think that this is fair competition or not? With regard to the interoperability and how you've conducted yourself with these other companies? ZUCKERBERG: Senator, I'm generally strongly in favor of interoperability, and building platform and API access for companies to be able to access. That's why we built the Facebook platform in 2007. Some of the policies that you mentioned, I think came about, because what we were seeing was not necessarily startups, but larger competitors like Google and some of our Chinese rivals, from trying to access our systems in order to use their scale to compete with us better and it just felt to us like at the time that that wasn't the intent of what we were trying to enable. I think it's worth noting-- KLOBUCHAR: We have a non-Chinese example here. I just want to know -- I know that -- maybe we could hear from Mr. Dorsey. And I have concerns about Facebook's treatment of Twitter subsidiary Vine. It's my understanding is that once Facebook recognized Vine as a competitor after Twitter acquired it in 2013, it cut off Vine's ability to interoperate with Facebook so that Vine users couldn't upload their videos to Facebook. And then I think that Twitter shut down Vine in 2016. Mr. Dorsey, could you tell me about the actual impact of Facebook's actions on Vine's business? On Vine's ability to compete and on your decision to shut down the service? And I know you're not a Chinese company. DORSEY: Well, I don't know about the intent on the other side, but I know our own experience was we found it extremely challenging to compete with Vine. And ultimately, decided that the ball moved past us, and we shut it down. Again, I don't know the specifics and the tactics and what was done, but we did find it very, very challenging market to enter, even though we existed prior to some of our peers doing the same thing. KLOBUCHAR: Okay. I'm going to move to something else quickly. Instagram and Whatsapp and we have some released internal Facebook emails in which you, Mr. Zuckerberg, wrote that Instagram was nascent and if they grow to a large scale they could be very disruptive to us. In a later email you confirm that one of the purposes of Facebook acquiring Instagram would be to neutralize a competitor. You wrote those emails that were mentioned in that House report, is that right, Mr. Zuckerberg? ZUCKERBERG: Senator, I believe so. I've always distinguished between two things, though. One is that we had some competition with Instagram in the growing space of kind of camera apps and photo sharing apps. But at the time I don't think we or anyone else viewed Instagram as a competitor, as a large multipurpose social platform. In fact, people at the time kind of mocked our acquisition, because they thought that we dramatically spent more money than we should have to acquire something that was viewed as a primarily camera and photo-sharing app at the time. I think it's important to distinguish. KLOBUCHAR: Here's the view, though, we don't know how it would have done. And when we look at your emails, it kind of leads us down this road as well with Whatsapp, that part of the purchase of these nascent competitors is to -- I'll use the words of FTC Chairman Joe Simons who just said last week a monopolist can squash a nascent competitor by buying it not just by targeting it with anti-competitive activity. So, I know that this is a subject of investigation. Maybe we'll be hearing something soon. But I think it's something that committee members better be aware of, not just with Facebook, but what's been going on with these deals that have gone through and how it has led to more and more consolidation. And how we as the Senate, and I just talked to Chairman Graham about this last week could actually do something about this, by changing some of the standards in our laws to make it easier to bring these cases and not just involving tech. So, I want to go to something here at the end, the political ad discussion we had in front of the Commerce Committee, Mr. Zuckerberg, I know you said that Facebook had made over $2 billion on political ads over the last few years. You said this was your quote, Relatively small part of your revenue, I know that. But it's kind of a big part of the lives of politics when that much money is being spent on ads. This is a bill I actually have with Senator Graham. Yet, we have seen these political ads that keep creeping through despite your efforts to police them on your own. This is why I would so badly like to pass the Honest Ads Act. One ad that went through, it says, in three battleground states ballots marked for Donald Trump had been discarded. Poll: will voter fraud only increase closer to November? So it stated in three battleground states, paid ad, ballots marked for Donald Trump have been discarded. This played between September 29th and October 7th, 2020, had up to 200,000 impressions. Does this ad violate Facebook's policy? ZUCKERBERG: Sorry, can you repeat what the ad was? KLOBUCHAR: The ad was an American Action news ad. They've advertised a lot of them on your platform. And it said in three battleground states, ballots marked for Donald Trump had been discarded. This was preelection. ZUCKERBERG: Senator, I don't know off the top of my head if that specific ad violates our policies. I'd be happy to follow up afterwards on that. KLOBUCHAR: Would you commit to a policy where actual people's eyes, people could review these ads, instead of just being hit with algorithm review? ZUCKERBERG: Senator, we do have review and verification of political advertisers before they can advertise. KLOBUCHAR: Okay. So does every ad go through a human being? ZUCKERBERG: Senator, I don't know if every -- KLOBUCHAR: Huh? ZUCKERBERG: I think every -- our policy is that we want to verify the authenticity of anyone who's doing political or social issue advertising. And I think it's worth noting that our people reviewers are not in all cases always more accurate than the technical systems. KLOBUCHAR: So are you saying a human being reviews every ad? It's just really yes or no, or I don't know. ZUCKERBERG: Senator, I don't know. I don't think so. KLOBUCHAR: Well we'll follow up in the written. You brought this cease and desist order against NYU for publishing a report that noting over the last two years Facebook has not properly labeled approximately 37 million in political ads. Why would you not support this project? Why would you bring a cease and desist against them? ZUCKERBERG: Senator, is that the project that was scraping the data in a way that might have been -- with the FTC consent decree that we have? KLOBUCHAR: It's your definition. The reason it's happening is we haven't passed the Honest Ads Act. They're trying, they're not violating privacy. They're trying to get the ads so people can see the ads, other campaigns, journalists, everyone. ZUCKERBERG: Senator, you know that I support the Honest Ads Act and agree that we should have that passed. And even before that, that we've implemented it across our systems. But I think in the case that you're referring to, that project was scraping data in a way that we agreed in our FTC consent decree around privacy that we would not allow. So, we have to follow up on that. And make sure that we take steps to stop that violation. KLOBUCHAR: Okay. Last, Mr. Dorsey, do you think there should be more transparency with algorithms? As part of this is not just -- I'm off of the ads now, I'm on just generically, part of this is that people don't know how this data is going across the systems and across the platforms. And people basically are buying access, has been my impression, so that even if you say, what's the news in the last 24 hours, old stuff comes up, something's gone awry from the beginnings of this. Would it be helpful, do you think, if there was more transparency with algorithms? DORSEY: I do think it would be helpful, but it's technically very, very challenging to enforce that. I think a better option is providing more choice, to be able to turn off the algorithms or choose a different algorithm, so that people can see how it affects one's experience. KLOBUCHAR: Okay, thank you. I ask that both of you look at the bill that Senator Kennedy and I have, the Journalism, Competition, and Preservation Act to help the content providers negotiate with digital platforms. Thank you. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=1B841C94-D093-4BFE-8266-62529A67004F,Klobuchar Calls For Passage of Legislation Establishing Smithsonian Museums Recognizing Accomplishments of Both Women and Latinos,2020-11-17,2020,2020-11,Democrat,House,MN,Amy Klobuchar,K000367,www.klobuchar.senate.gov,,,legacy,"At Rules Committee Hearing, Klobuchar and witness Eva Longoriapush to pass legislation establishing aSmithsonian American Women's History Museum and aNational Museum of the American Latino WASHINGTON - At a Rules Committee Hearing on the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum Act, and the National Museum of the American Latino Act, Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), the lead Democrat on the Rules Committee, pushed for the advancement of the two pieces of legislation before the end of the year. The two pieces of bi-partisan legislation are critical to expanding our understanding of the remarkable contributions that women and Latino Americans have made throughout the history of our country, and would more fully live up to the Smithsonian's goal to increase and spread knowledge. When families come to Washington and they visit the Smithsonian museums they think that they're seeing the complete representation of the history of our nation. Unfortunately, that is not always the case, Klobuchar said. Establishing a women's history museum and a Latino American museum are opportunities for the Smithsonian Institution to be a leader in telling our nation's history, and more fully live up to the Smithsonian's goal to increase and spread knowledge. As a woman, a Latina, and a proud, ninth-generation American, I come before you as a citizen who lives at the intersection of the opportunities that we've gathered to discuss: the establishment of the National Museum of the American Latino, and the National Women's History Museum, Longoria said. I believe that creating these museums both the National Women's History Museum and the National Museum of the American Latino would help address one of the greatest challenges of our time: the division of American society. Because by offering each and every American the opportunity to fully understand and appreciate women's and Latinos' contributions, we can collectively work towards the highest ideal of our nation: e pluribus unum. Out of many, one. Both the National Museum of the American Latino Act, sponsored by Senators Cornyn (R-TX) and Menendez (D-NJ) and the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum Act, sponsored by Senators Collins (R-ME) and Feinstein (D-CA) have bipartisan support in the Senate, and the House has already passed both pieces of legislation (introduced by Rep. Serrano (D-NY) and Rep. Maloney (D-NY) respectively) with overwhelming bipartisan support. Watch video of Klobuchar remarks HERE. Download Longoria remarks HERE. Full text of Senator Klobuchar's remarks as delivered are below: Thank you very much, Chairman Blunt. I am so glad that we are holding this important hearing today. We have much to do, including pandemic relief, but I was looking back as you were talking about during the Depression actually, if you go back to the thirties, one of Franklin Roosevelt's main programs was a public works of art program -- WPA project -- and one of them is actually hanging in my office on loan from a Minnesota museum. So as you mentioned, these museums will take years to build, but I actually think now is a good time to actually get this started and to get this passed. I am particularly excited to hear from our colleagues Senator Collins and Senator Feinstein, who are here, as well as Senator Menendez and Senator Cornyn. I am pleased to be a cosponsor of both of these bills and I believe these new museums are critical to expanding our understanding of the remarkable contributions that women and Latino Americans have made throughout the history of our country. The Smithsonian Institution was founded on the noble principle that as a nation, we must strive to expand our knowledge and to spread that knowledge widely. Nearly 175 years later, the Smithsonian continues to fulfill its mission, having grown to become the world's largest museum, education, and research complex. We should all be proud of it. Every year, this year different with the pandemic, but every year tens of millions of people visit the museums, galleries, the National Zoo. The National Mall is lined with the iconic structures that comprise the crown jewels of the Smithsonian. When families come to Washington and they visit these museums they think that they're seeing the complete representation, of course, of the history of our nation. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. The fact that our museums do not adequately portray the contributions of women and Latino Americans has been well documented. In 1999, President Clinton signed an Executive Order to establish a commission to better identify the accomplishments of women in our nation's history and to consider whether we should establish a women's museum. In 1994 the Smithsonian issued a report regarding the lack of representation of Latino Americans or their contributions to our nation. Of course there've been recommendations for both of these museums by several commissions in the past. Even though the need for these two new museums is clear, the path to getting it done is not always clear. We know that these projects can take a long time as the Chairman pointed out. And they will require a tremendous level of resources, and let's get this, momentum. The success of the newest Smithsonian museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, certainly sets a high standard for any museum moving forward. But, as Secretary Bunch discusses in his testimony, it didn't just happen overnight. In fact, it took 13 years from the passage of Congressman Lewis' bill until the museum opened in September of 2016. Under that timeline, even if the legislation we're discussing today were signed into law tomorrow, the museums wouldn't be open to the public until maybe 2034. That's why I would make the case we should pass legislation as soon as possible so that the hard work to create these museums can truly begin. When I arrived in the Senate, there were only 16 women senators, led by our dean at the time, the great Senator Barbara Mikulski from Maryland, who during her time in the Senate was a key leader of legislation to establish a women's history museum. And as we know, this year marks an important milestone in our democracy, the centennial of the 19th Amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote. We now have 26 women senators, which is an all-time high. Women continue to break barriers. Earlier this month, our colleague Senator Kamala Harris became the first woman elected to be Vice President of the United States. I loved one of the graphics that has been sent around online after the election and it says Ladies, make sure to wear shoes because there's glass everywhere. My witness today is a Latino woman who knows about breaking barriers. Eva Longoria is a trailblazer for Latinos in the film industry. She is known for her work both in front of and behind the camera and continues to lead the charge of diverse and female representation in the industry and beyond. In addition to speaking about the need for a women's history museum, she can provide a powerful voice in support of an American Latino museum. American Latinos have been a vital part of our country since its founding and it is past time for their contributions and experiences to be honored with a museum on the National Mall. I think it is very significant that our colleagues are here today. That both these bills before us have passed the House. That both of these bills before us have strong leadership, bipartisan leadership, Democrats and Republicans coming together. It is my hope that we can add both of these bills to our final executive business meeting for the 116th Congress, and work to get the bills passed this year. Not yet next year, not the year after. As I point out, Roosevelt did this in the middle of the Depression, where he saw the future. Something that wouldn't get done now, but something that would help us to plan ahead for a decade from now. Think about the kids that are watching. Think about the kids that want to go to that museum and see that women are honored, that Latinos are honored. This is our moment, colleagues, to do something really great by the end of the year. Thank you. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=4C3043C9-FCF9-4EF8-B0B3-616D7688F31C,Klobuchar Statement on the Firing of CISA Director Christopher Krebs,2020-11-17,2020,2020-11,Democrat,House,MN,Amy Klobuchar,K000367,www.klobuchar.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, the Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee with oversight over federal elections, released the following statement on news that Christopher Krebs, the Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA), was fired by President Trump: President Trump's firing of Chistopher Krebs is a gut punch to our democracy. Director Krebs has been praised by both Republicans and Democrats at the state and national level for protecting our nation's critical infrastructure, including our election systems. As the lead Democrat on the Rules Committee with jurisdiction over elections, I have worked closely with Director Krebs to protect our elections. He has been truthful and straightforward with the American people about the threats to our democracy, and following the election he has done important work to stop the spread of misinformation that undermines the American government. We need more people like Director Krebs working in government, and it is wrong that he was fired. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=643E78B6-68BD-4291-8847-D64D76F6A595,"Klobuchar, Smith Announce Sign Up for Conservation Reserve Program in 2021",2020-11-17,2020,2020-11,Democrat,House,MN,Amy Klobuchar,K000367,www.klobuchar.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Klobuchar worked to include provisions - backed by Smith - to expand the Conservation Reserve Program in the 2018 Farm Bill, which includes benefits for soil health, wildlife habitat, and water quality WASHINGTON U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will conduct open sign up periods for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and CRP Grasslands in early 2021. Sign up for general CRP runs from January 4 to February 12, 2021, and signup for CRP Grasslands runs from March 15 to April 23, 2021. Both are competitive programs that provide annual rental payments for land used for conservation purposes. The coronavirus pandemic has placed incredible stress on our farming communities, Klobuchar said. As the backbone of our economy, farmers throughout Minnesota and across the country deserve our support during periods of uncertainty. I worked to increase the amount of land covered by the Conservation Reserve Program in the 2018 Farm Bill because of the program's many benefits for soil health, wildlife habitat, and water quality. I encourage interested producers to sign up. For decades, the Conservation Reserve Program has provided income to Minnesota farmers and ranchers who have taken actions to improve water quality, soil health, wildlife habitat and more, Smith said. In October I pressed USDA to increase incentive payments to help more producers to participate. I encourage interested Minnesota farmers and ranchers interested in CRP to contact their local USDA offices during the sign-up periods."" The 2018 Farm Bill includes several of Klobuchar's priorities, including provisions to increase acreage in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to 27 million acres and further expand and incentivize land transitions to beginning farmers, based on Klobuchar and Senator John Thune's (R-SD) Conservation Program Improvement Act. The 2018 Farm Bill also includes conservation efforts led by Smith, including a provision from Smith's SOIL Stewardship Act to expand efforts to reduce carbon emissions, prevent soil erosion, improve water quality and reform the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). It also includes Smith's amendment streamlining the transition between two working lands conservation programsthe Environmental Quality Incentives Program and CSP. Through CRP, farmers and ranchers establish long-term, resource-conserving plant species, such as approved grasses or trees, to control soil erosion, improve water quality and enhance wildlife habitat on cropland. Farmers and ranchers who participate in CRP help provide numerous benefits to the nation's environment and economy. CRP general signup is held annually. The competitive general signup includes increased opportunities for enrollment of wildlife habitat through the State Acres For Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) initiative. CRP Grasslands helps landowners and operators protect grassland, including rangeland, pastureland, and certain other lands while maintaining the areas as grazing lands. Protecting grasslands contributes positively to the economy of many regions, provides biodiversity of plant and animal populations, and improves environmental quality. A separate CRP Grasslands signup is offered each year following general signup. Signed into law in 1985, CRP is one of the largest private-lands conservation programs in the United States. It was originally intended to primarily control soil erosion and potentially stabilize commodity prices by taking marginal lands out of production. The program has evolved over the years, providing many conservation and economic benefits. The program marks its 35-year anniversary this December. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.smith.senate.gov/klobuchar-smith-announce-sign-conservation-reserve-program-2021,"Klobuchar, Smith Announce Sign Up for Conservation Reserve Program in 2021",2020-11-17,2020,2020-11,Democrat,House,MN,Tina Smith,S001203,www.smith.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Klobuchar worked to include provisions - backed by Smith - to expand the Conservation Reserve Program in the 2018 Farm Bill, which includes benefits for soil health, wildlife habitat, and water quality WASHINGTON U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will conduct open sign up periods for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and CRP Grasslands in early 2021. Sign up for general CRP runs from January 4 to February 12, 2021, and signup for CRP Grasslands runs from March 15 to April 23, 2021. Both are competitive programs that provide annual rental payments for land used for conservation purposes. The coronavirus pandemic has placed incredible stress on our farming communities, Klobuchar said. As the backbone of our economy, farmers throughout Minnesota and across the country deserve our support during periods of uncertainty. I worked to increase the amount of land covered by the Conservation Reserve Program in the 2018 Farm Bill because of the program's many benefits for soil health, wildlife habitat, and water quality. I encourage interested producers to sign up. For decades, the Conservation Reserve Program has provided income to Minnesota farmers and ranchers who have taken actions to improve water quality, soil health, wildlife habitat and more, Smith said. In October I pressed USDA to increase incentive payments to help more producers to participate. I encourage interested Minnesota farmers and ranchers interested in CRP to contact their local USDA offices during the sign-up periods."" The 2018 Farm Bill includes several of Klobuchar's priorities, including provisions to increase acreage in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to 27 million acres and further expand and incentivize land transitions to beginning farmers, based on Klobuchar and Senator John Thune's (R-SD) Conservation Program Improvement Act. The 2018 Farm Bill also includes conservation efforts led by Smith, including a provision from Smith's SOIL Stewardship Act to expand efforts to reduce carbon emissions, prevent soil erosion, improve water quality and reform the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). It also includes Smith's amendment streamlining the transition between two working lands conservation programsthe Environmental Quality Incentives Program and CSP. Through CRP, farmers and ranchers establish long-term, resource-conserving plant species, such as approved grasses or trees, to control soil erosion, improve water quality and enhance wildlife habitat on cropland. Farmers and ranchers who participate in CRP help provide numerous benefits to the nation's environment and economy. CRP general signup is held annually. The competitive general signup includes increased opportunities for enrollment of wildlife habitat through the State Acres For Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) initiative. CRP Grasslands helps landowners and operators protect grassland, including rangeland, pastureland, and certain other lands while maintaining the areas as grazing lands. Protecting grasslands contributes positively to the economy of many regions, provides biodiversity of plant and animal populations, and improves environmental quality. A separate CRP Grasslands signup is offered each year following general signup. Signed into law in 1985, CRP is one of the largest private-lands conservation programs in the United States. It was originally intended to primarily control soil erosion and potentially stabilize commodity prices by taking marginal lands out of production. The program has evolved over the years, providing many conservation and economic benefits. The program marks its 35-year anniversary this December.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://collinpeterson.house.gov/media/newletter-archive/rep-petersons-newsletter-and-questionnaire-11102020,Rep. Peterson's Newsletter and Questionnaire 11/10/2020,2020-11-16,2020,2020-11,Democrat,Senate,MN,Collin Peterson,P000258,collinpeterson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Fall afternoon in HALLOCK Dear Friends, While the election is over, the 116th Congress has unfinished work to be done. We need to pass a government funding bill and hopefully secure assistance for Coronavirus relief. I've received calls from constituents throughout the Seventh District asking for my support on Line 3 and I contacted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for an update on the project. I encouraged them to review the findings of Minnesota's state agencies and issue the permits needed to continue with the replacement. The Enbridge Line 3 replacement will have a significant economic impact in Western Minnesota. It is worth noting that even as passions ran high throughout the country, millions of Americans were able to peacefully choose their political leaders. I have been honored to be a part of this great system of self-governance and to have been entrusted with the great responsibility of representing the people of Western Minnesota for all these years. Sincerely, Congressman Collin C. Peterson Minnesota 7th District Serving the 7th Line 3 Replacement Permitting I called Colonel Karl Jansen of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to get an update on the permitting process and emphasize my support for the Line 3 Replacement Project. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is expected to sign off on their review of the project in the coming weeks that will be used by the Army Corps for their consideration of permits. I encouraged Colonel Jansen to quickly review MPCA's findings and issue the relevant permits so the project may move forward. The Line 3 Replacement will provide an economic boost for western Minnesota and I look forward to seeing the project move forward in Minnesota. Questionnaire Results In last week's questionnaire, I asked if you think the United States has done enough to deter foreign adversaries from interfering in our elections, this is what you said. I also asked which recent Administration would be the strongest in deterring foreign interference in our elections, this is what you said. COVID-19 Updates & Resources Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases continue to rise in Minnesota, visit Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) for the most up to date information on the Coronavirus Pandemic. To get regular COVID-19 email updates, including announcements of new community testing events, subscribe to COVID-19 Updates. COVID-19 Community Testing Morris Armory722 Iowa AveMorris, MN 56267 Monday, November 9, 12 - 6 p.m. Tuesday, November 10, 12 - 6 p.m. Morris Community COVID-19 Testing: Schedule Appointment COVID-19 Community Saliva Testing Moorhead Former Thomas Edison Elementary School1110 S. 14th StreetMoorhead, MN 56560 Monday, Tuesday, Friday: 12 - 7 p.m. Saturday - Sunday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Schedule Appointment with Vault Health St. Cloud River's Edge Convention Center 10 Fourth Ave South St. Cloud, MN 56301 Wednesday - Friday: 12 - 7 p.m. Saturday - Sunday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Schedule Appointment with Vault Health Parking in the west surface lot next to the Convention Center is available to those being tested. Look for the COVID-19 testing parking signs. Newsstand Minnesota Biofuel Update In 2007, Minnesota adopted the Next Generation Energy Act, which set a goal to replace 30% of the state's petroleum with biofuels by 2025. To meet its carbon emissions reduction target, the Governor's Council on Biofuels recently recommended Minnesota should adopt a low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS) program and accelerate the state's move toward 15% ethanol content in gasoline (E15). The Council on Biofuels also recommended that all new fuel storage and delivery systems be compatible with E25 within 18 months. Since 1997, Minnesota was the first state to require biofuel blends and has the possibility of becoming the first state to implement an E15 standard. According to Rep. Jeanne Poppe, Chairwoman of the Minnesota House Agriculture and Food Finance and Policy Division, nine out of ten cars can use E15. Veterans History Project 20 Year Anniversary Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress Veterans History Project The Library of Congress Veterans History Project is celebrating its 20th Anniversary and will host a series of virtual events through its Facebook page. Congress created the Veterans History Project in 2000 in order to collect, preserve, and make remembrances of United States war veterans accessible so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war. This week's events: Tuesday, November 10 Old Glory Kimberley Mitchell, Operation Song, 8 p.m. Thursday, November 12 Organizational Benefits to Collaborating with VHP, Panel Discussion, 12 p.m. A group of renowned liaisons discuss how they engage with their communities to ensure their local veteran and Gold Star family members' contributions are not forgotten. Friday, November 13 Precious Pearl Kim Mitchell, Operation Song, 7 p.m. Saturday, November 14 Volunteering to Make History, Panel Discussion, 12 p.m. A compelling panel of students and professionals share their experiences, best practices, and what the Veterans History Project has meant to them. National EIP Registration Day Photo courtesy of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Today is National EIP Registration Day. To ensure all qualified individuals receive economic relief, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) set National EIP Registration Day to encourage non-filers to apply for an Economic Impact Payment (EIP). If you did not file a 2019 federal tax return, did not get an Economic Impact Payment, or did not register for an Economic Impact Payment already, you may qualify for an EIP. Use the IRS Non-Filers Tool by November 21 to register for an EIP. MNsure & Medicare Open Enrollment Reminder The MNsure and Medicare open enrollment period is now open for coverage beginning in 2021. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services urges Medicare beneficiaries to review their coverage choices during the open enrollment period and compare coverage options to choose which health and prescription drug plans best meet their health needs in 2021. Medicare open enrollment is open until December 7, 2020. Go to Medicare.gov for more information. MNsure open enrollment is open until December 22, 2020. All plans sold through MNsure include comprehensive coverage so your family is covered, no matter what the future may hold. For more information and to enroll, visit MNsure.org. This Week in History President Eisenhower signing H.R. 7786, changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day in 1954. Photo courtesy of The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs On Wednesday, November 11, we remember and give thanks to all those who have served in our military to protect the United States and our democracy. While the Treaty of Versailles officially ended World War I in 1919, fighting ceased between Allied nations and Germany seven months prior on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918. One year later, on November 11, 1919, President Woodrow Wilson commemorated the first Armistice Day. It wasn't until 1954 when President Dwight Eisenhower signed H.R. 7786 changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day, a day dedicated to world peace and to honor veterans on the 11th day of November each year. Woodrow Wilson said, ""To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations"". Be sure to give thanks to our veterans this Wednesday.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=86CD1555-0F62-4C16-9422-681F1644CEC5,"Following Call from Senator Klobuchar, HHS Implements New Expedited Review Process for Laboratory Developed Coronavirus Tests, Including Tests Developed at the University of Minnesota",2020-11-16,2020,2020-11,Democrat,House,MN,Amy Klobuchar,K000367,www.klobuchar.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON -- Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) agreed to implement a streamlined process by which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) will collaborate to conduct reviews of Emergency Use Authorizations (EUA) submitted by laboratories working to develop and administer tests for the coronavirus. This will allow laboratories, including those at academic institutions, to continue rapid development of safe, accurate coronavirus tests. The HHS decision follows calls by U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) for the agencies to take action to expand our testing capacity with tests produced at academic laboratories - such as the University of Minnesota's Genomic Center, which is developing a process to produce approximately 60,000 tests per day. Since the start of this pandemic, I have been pushing for increased testing capacity so we can save lives. Lab-based testing efforts that can offer rapid, accurate, and inexpensive testing, like the one at the University of Minnesota, are essential to helping us control the spread of the coronavirus, Klobuchar said. That is why I am relieved that the Department of Health and Human Services agreed to streamline the review process for laboratories working to develop and administer these tests. With cases spiking across the country, these efforts are more critical than ever. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=D6AD70C5-4BC8-45B8-BCD1-02783B14D340,Klobuchar Urges CDC to Ensure the Flu Vaccine is Readily Accessible to All Americans Amid Coronavirus Surge,2020-11-15,2020,2020-11,Democrat,House,MN,Amy Klobuchar,K000367,www.klobuchar.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Recent reports indicate that some regions of the country have experienced shortages of flu vaccine doses, including some towns in Minnesota WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) sent a letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), urging Director Robert Redfield to promote further awareness of the CDC's efforts to address flu vaccine shortages and ensure that all communities across the country have access to the flu vaccine. Recent reports indicate that some regions of the country have experienced shortages of flu vaccine doses, including some towns in Minnesota, where pharmacists have run out of the higher-dose flu vaccine recommended for people over age 65. Public health experts have warned for months that this year's flu season may be unusually severe if large numbers of people are unable to safely access a flu vaccine. It is especially important that we minimize transmission of the flu this year because a severe flu season would have a devastating impact on the lives of Americans and public health systems that are already coping with surging coronavirus cases, Klobuchar wrote. For this reason, we must ensure that this year's flu vaccine is safely and readily available to all Americans. Full text of letter can be found HERE and below: Dear Director Redfield: I write to express my concern regarding reports of influenza (flu) vaccine shortages in certain regions of the country and to request information regarding the steps the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is taking to prepare for the upcoming flu season and ensure that all communities and populations have access to the flu vaccine this year. Public health experts have warned for months that this year's flu season may be unusually severe if large numbers of people are unable to safely access a flu vaccine. It is especially important that we minimize transmission of the flu this year because a severe flu season would have a devastating impact on the lives of Americans and public health systems that are already coping with surging coronavirus cases. For this reason, we must ensure that this year's flu vaccine is safely and readily available to all Americans. It was previously announced that the federal government purchased an additional 9.3 million doses of flu vaccine to prepare for this year's flu season and manufacturers expect to provide as many as 198 million doses of the influenza vaccine for the U.S. market. Yet recent reports indicate that some regions of the country have experienced shortages of flu vaccine doses due to regional distribution challenges caused by an increase in demand. This includes some cities and towns in Minnesota, where pharmacists have run out of the higher-dose flu vaccine recommended for people over age 65, with some of these shortages lasting for a few weeks. These reported shortages and their impact on vulnerable groups especially seniors are extremely concerning. Accordingly, I request your response to the following questions to better understand the CDC's efforts to address these shortages and ensure that all communities across the country have access to the flu vaccine: How is the CDC encouraging flu vaccine manufacturers and distributors to use distribution strategies that can meet this year's increased demand for the flu vaccine? How is the CDC working with communities across the country to ensure that the flu vaccine is readily accessible and can be administered safely despite the unique challenges of this year's flu season? What steps is the CDC taking to communicate to the public, including state and local leaders, about the importance of getting a flu vaccine during the coronavirus pandemic? Thank you for your time and attention to this important matter. I look forward to working with you to ensure that communities have access to the supply of flu vaccines they need to keep Americans healthy. Sincerely, ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=77F9864D-3B3F-49D4-AF83-0109FF76054C,"Following Request from Klobuchar, Smith, and Colleagues, Administration Releases Funding for Home Energy Assistance Program",2020-11-13,2020,2020-11,Democrat,House,MN,Amy Klobuchar,K000367,www.klobuchar.senate.gov,,,legacy,"In October, Klobuchar, Smith, and a group of 40 U.S. Senators urged the Administration to make Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program funds available to states WASHINGTON Following their letter last month, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the Administration has released $3.36 billion for federal heating assistance funds to help low-income families and seniors on fixed incomes afford to heat their homes this winter. With colder weather approaching and energy costs projected to increase this winter, the senators said that quick action is especially important as the coronavirus pandemic has added financial hardships for millions of households. In the October letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, who oversees the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), the senators pushed him to release the assistance as swiftly and at the highest level possible. The senators say federal LIHEAP funds are a crucial lifeline that helps low-income households and seniors on fixed incomes pay their energy bills and stay safe during the winter. As the main federal program that helps low-income households and seniors with their energy bills, LIHEAP provides critical assistance during the cold winter and hot summer months, the senators wrote. As state agencies work to prepare their LIHEAP programs for the coming winter, it is crucial that they have the resources they need to assist low-income households and seniors as soon as possible, especially in light of the current health crisis. As such, we request that you quickly release LIHEAP funds at the highest level possible to allow states to prepare for the upcoming season, so that low-income households do not have to choose between paying for heat and affording other necessities like food or medicine. The average cost of home heating is unaffordable for millions of low-income households, costing an average of $911 per year nationally. The timely release of these funds will provide critical assistance to families unemployed as a result of the pandemic pay their energy bills. According to the National Energy Assistance Directors' Association, 15 to 20 percent of residential customers are at least 60 days behind on their electric and natural gas bills. As of July 31, 2020, the estimated resulting electric arrearages are between $8 billion and $9.9 billion and natural gas arrearages are between $975 million and $1.3 billion. LIHEAP is a federally funded program that helps low-income households with their home energy bills by providing payment and/or energy crisis assistance. In addition to Klobuchar, Smith, Reed, and Collins, the bipartisan letter was signed by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Patty Murray (D-WA), John Hoeven (R-ND), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Bob Casey (D-PA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Angus King (I-ME), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ed Markey (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chris Coons (D-DE), Gary Peters (D-MI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Mark Warner (D-VA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Doug Jones (D-AL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL). Full text of the letter can be found below: October 14, 2020 Dear Secretary Azar: With passage of the continuing resolution, we write to urge the Department of Health and Human Services to release Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds as quickly and at the highest level possible. As the main federal program that helps low-income households and seniors with their energy bills, LIHEAP provides critical assistance during the cold winter and hot summer months. October marks the start of the heating season for many states and low-income families and seniors will be facing additional strains on their household budgets. In addition, millions of low-income families, including seniors, are facing new and severe financial hardship due to the coronavirus, making the assistance provided through LIHEAP more important than ever. As state agencies work to prepare their LIHEAP programs for the coming winter, it is crucial that they have the resources they need to assist low-income households and seniors as soon as possible, especially in light of the current health crisis. As such, we request that you quickly release LIHEAP funds at the highest level possible to allow states to prepare for the upcoming season, so that low-income households do not have to choose between paying for heat and affording other necessities like food or medicine. We look forward to continuing to work with you on this critical program, and thank you for your attention to our concerns and those of our constituents. Sincerely, ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=F1B051AC-A87A-4C3E-8B6F-E788360C3564,"Klobuchar, Hirono, Cortez Masto, Colleagues Urge DHS to Increase Air Travel Safety and Support Tourism Industry and Workforce During Coronavirus Pandemic",2020-11-13,2020,2020-11,Democrat,House,MN,Amy Klobuchar,K000367,www.klobuchar.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and seven of their Senate colleagues urged the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Acting Secretary Chad Wolf to increase the safety of air travel and support the recovery of our nation's travel and tourism industry during the coronavirus pandemic. In the letter, the senators detailed the dramatic job losses across the travel and tourism industry, including jobs related to air travel and tourism, airlines, airports, aerospace companies, and companies that sell goods and services to the air transport chain. The letter urges Acting Secretary Wolf to focus on providing clear COVID-19 protections and standards, addressing bottlenecks at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints, boosting the processing of applications to TSA PreCheck and Global Entry, and expanding Preclearance operations that allow some international passengers to swiftly bypass additional screenings after they reach their destination. In addition to Senators Klobuchar, Hirono, and Cortez Masto, the letter was also signed by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ed Markey (D-MA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jack Reed (D-RI), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). There needs to be a multi-layered approach to combat COVID-19 and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS or Department) is on the frontlines when it comes to putting together safeguards for air travel. This makes DHS uniquely positioned to support and advance the recovery of our nation's travel and tourism industry, along with the restaurant and hospitality businesses that rely on it, the lawmakers wrote. The lawmakers continued, As long as air travel remains depressed, the hospitality and affiliated industries will not be able to recover economically and will affect big and small businesses, workers, and state and local governments who critically need additional tax revenue. Your actions regarding air travel will have tangible impacts for this entire nation and we urge you to make air travel as safe, expedient, and efficient as possible. Full letter can be found HERE and below: Dear Acting Secretary Wolf: There needs to be a multi-layered approach to combat COVID-19 and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS or Department) is on the frontlines when it comes to putting together safeguards for air travel. This makes DHS uniquely positioned to support and advance the recovery of our nation's travel and tourism industry, along with the restaurant and hospitality businesses that rely on it. In 2019, travelers spent $1.1 trillion in the United States on food services, lodging, transportation, recreation, and retail spending. Due to COVID-19, air travel has suffered. One recent report has found that more than half of the 88 million jobs supported by aviation globally could be lost as a result of the pandemic. The jobs losses will span airlines, airports, aerospace companies, jobs related to air travel and tourism, as well as companies that sell goods and services to the air transport chain. U.S. airlines are already laying off tens of thousands of workers following the expiration of the Payroll Support Program at the end of September. The unemployment rate for the leisure and hospitality industry remains at 19 percent, the highest of any U.S. industry and almost 2.5 times the national rate. In the broader economy, job growth has slowed sharply and more layoffs have become permanent, signaling a slow economic recovery from this pandemic. Travel and tourism must improve if we hope to substantially bring back the economy and businesses in this country. There are several critical actions your department can take to increase the safety of the American people while also facilitating a secure increase in air travel. We urge you to act on the following. COVID-19 Protections and Standards The administration's Runway to Recovery guidance document offers recommendations but lacks the enforcement necessary to ensure travel is as safe as possible during this pandemic. The Department plays a critical role in processing travelers seeking to enter this country as well as the entire flying population. We urge you to work with other federal departments and travel stakeholders to implement and communicate clear, cohesive policies and standards that limit the spread of COVID-19 throughout the air transportation system. These policies should be reasonably uniform and well communicated to lessen the burden on travelers and help restore public confidence that air travel can be resumed in a safe manner. In working with other federal partners and stakeholders, we also urge you to consider options to safely reopen international travel. Many governments are implementing pre-travel testing regimes that will allow travelers with a recent negative COVID-19 test to enter a jurisdiction without having to quarantine. Another concept being considered are travel bubbles or corridors where destinations establish an agreement to safely facilitate travel. A national system, in conjunction with other protective measures, such as thermal screening with the proper training and protocols, could offer increased protections against COVID-19 transmission while jumpstarting travel with other countries. Without assistance, international travel may not return to pre-pandemic levels until 2024. TSA Screening One of the most basic precautions to take during this pandemic is social distancing, maintaining six feet of distance from other people outside of your home. This can become challenging at a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint. Even before this pandemic, TSA checkpoints could be a major bottleneck in airports as passengers wait to be screened. TSA's efforts to limit physical contact and practice social distancing are necessary steps during this pandemic. We encourage TSA to allow each airport to take steps that include opening additional checkpoints in order to keep wait times low in both Pre-Check and regular lanes. On October 18, TSA hit a milestone, screening more than one million passengers in a day for the first time since March. This highpoint emphasizes the critical need to reduce crowding and enforce social distancing at checkpoints. To ensure TSA checkpoints don't become transit points for COVID-19, it is crucial that Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) are given adequate amounts of personal protective equipment (PPE), sanitation supplies, and proper training. Additionally, passengers should be required to wear a mask while going through the checkpoint, except when their identity is being confirmed by officers. This would follow a strong recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that masks should be worn by all passengers and personnel in transportation hubs. Trusted Traveler Programs There are programs under the jurisdiction of the Department that directly impact travelers' experience and processing times spent in close proximity to other travelers. One program is the TSA PreCheck program that makes low-risk individuals eligible for expedited security screening at airports. As of May 2020, the vast majority of PreCheck passengers wait for less than five minutes at a TSA checkpoint. Encouraging travelers to apply for Pre Check would increase the amount of prescreening that can be done, as well as reduce wait times and physical contacts in the screening process for more people. Global Entry also allows pre-approved low-risk travelers to go through expedited clearance upon entry into the United States. As with PreCheck, program members are able to enter a separate screening lane that is faster and decreases time spent at a screening checkpoint that is generally a bottleneck for travelers. Efforts to promote the Global Entry program among those countries able to participate will further expand this trusted traveler program. We understand that operating hours for TSA PreCheck enrollment centers and Global Entry processing centers have begun returning to normal. We encourage you to prioritize an efficient processing of applications, particularly for Global Entry applications which had a backlog of applications even before the pandemic. The timely processing of these applications will increase security, diminish the creation of bottlenecks and touchpoints in airports, and improve the traveler experience. Expanding Preclearance Operations The Preclearance program under U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) allows the United States to create an early line of defense by screening international passengers for immigration, customs, and agriculture processing, before they board a plane to the United States. This allows passengers to depart their plane after a long flight, bypass security screening they've already completed, and immediately exit the airport. We are encouraged by recently announced efforts to improve the process for adding countries to the Preclearance program and recommend outreach to Asian countries in particular. In 2019, four of the top 10 countries to send international visitors to the U.S. were Asian yet no countries from this region participate in Preclearance. Building on the success of the Preclearance program by expanding beyond the current six countries will provide a clear benefit to travelers, airports, and airlines. Conclusion Although all 50 states have announced steps to reopen aspects of travel and the economy, one survey has found that only about one-third of respondents would be comfortable going on vacation. This comfort level drops when asked specifically about international travel and nearly 80 percent of respondents answer that it will be six months or more before they would be at ease traveling abroad. As long as air travel remains depressed, the hospitality and affiliated industries will not be able to recover economically and will affect big and small businesses, workers, and state and local governments who critically need additional tax revenue. Your actions regarding air travel will have tangible impacts for this entire nation and we urge you to make air travel as safe, expedient, and efficient as possible. Sincerely, ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.smith.senate.gov/following-request-klobuchar-smith-and-colleagues-administration-releases-funding-home-energy,"Following Request from Klobuchar, Smith, and Colleagues, Administration Releases Funding for Home Energy Assistance Program",2020-11-13,2020,2020-11,Democrat,House,MN,Tina Smith,S001203,www.smith.senate.gov,,,legacy,"In October, Klobuchar, Smith, and a group of 40 U.S. Senators urged the Administration to make Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program funds available to states WASHINGTON Following their letter last month, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the Administration has released $3.36 billion for federal heating assistance funds to help low-income families and seniors on fixed incomes afford to heat their homes this winter. With colder weather approaching and energy costs projected to increase this winter, the senators said that quick action is especially important as the coronavirus pandemic has added financial hardships for millions of households. In the October letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, who oversees the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), the senators pushed him to release the assistance as swiftly and at the highest level possible. The senators say federal LIHEAP funds are a crucial lifeline that helps low-income households and seniors on fixed incomes pay their energy bills and stay safe during the winter. As the main federal program that helps low-income households and seniors with their energy bills, LIHEAP provides critical assistance during the cold winter and hot summer months, the senators wrote. As state agencies work to prepare their LIHEAP programs for the coming winter, it is crucial that they have the resources they need to assist low-income households and seniors as soon as possible, especially in light of the current health crisis. As such, we request that you quickly release LIHEAP funds at the highest level possible to allow states to prepare for the upcoming season, so that low-income households do not have to choose between paying for heat and affording other necessities like food or medicine. The average cost of home heating is unaffordable for millions of low-income households, costing an average of $911 per year nationally. The timely release of these funds will provide critical assistance to families unemployed as a result of the pandemic pay their energy bills. According to the National Energy Assistance Directors' Association, 15 to 20 percent of residential customers are at least 60 days behind on their electric and natural gas bills. As of July 31, 2020, the estimated resulting electric arrearages are between $8 billion and $9.9 billion and natural gas arrearages are between $975 million and $1.3 billion. LIHEAP is a federally funded program that helps low-income households with their home energy bills by providing payment and/or energy crisis assistance. In addition to Klobuchar, Smith, Reed, and Collins, the bipartisan letter was signed by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Patty Murray (D-WA), John Hoeven (R-ND), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Bob Casey (D-PA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Angus King (I-ME), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ed Markey (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chris Coons (D-DE), Gary Peters (D-MI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Mark Warner (D-VA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Doug Jones (D-AL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL). Full text of the letter can be found below: October 14, 2020 Dear Secretary Azar: With passage of the continuing resolution, we write to urge the Department of Health and Human Services to release Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds as quickly and at the highest level possible. As the main federal program that helps low-income households and seniors with their energy bills, LIHEAP provides critical assistance during the cold winter and hot summer months. October marks the start of the heating season for many states and low-income families and seniors will be facing additional strains on their household budgets. In addition, millions of low-income families, including seniors, are facing new and severe financial hardship due to the coronavirus, making the assistance provided through LIHEAP more important than ever. As state agencies work to prepare their LIHEAP programs for the coming winter, it is crucial that they have the resources they need to assist low-income households and seniors as soon as possible, especially in light of the current health crisis. As such, we request that you quickly release LIHEAP funds at the highest level possible to allow states to prepare for the upcoming season, so that low-income households do not have to choose between paying for heat and affording other necessities like food or medicine. We look forward to continuing to work with you on this critical program, and thank you for your attention to our concerns and those of our constituents. Sincerely,",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://collinpeterson.house.gov/media/press-releases/peterson-applauds-permit-progress-line-3,Peterson Applauds Permit Progress on Line 3,2020-11-12,2020,2020-11,Democrat,Senate,MN,Collin Peterson,P000258,collinpeterson.house.gov,,,legacy,"(Detroit Lakes, Minn.) - Today, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources granted the remaining eight of 10 required permits, licenses and approvals for the proposed Enbridge Line 3 pipeline replacement project. The DNR made decisions granting two prior approvals on Oct. 19.The need for the project and the pipeline construction route were decided by the PUC in 2018 and reaffirmed as recently as June of this year. Line 3 is a 1,097-mile crude oil pipeline constructed in the 1960s that extends from Edmonton, Alberta to Superior, Wisconsin. Enbridge has replaced sections of Line 3 in Wisconsin and Canada and has been pursuing permits to replace sections in Minnesota since 2014. DNR's approval of the remaining permits a good sign for the Line 3 replacement project, Peterson said. The project has met or exceeded all requirements of the DNR and I am confident Enbridge will meet the requirements to secure the remaining state and federal approvals. Replacing the existing Line 3 will ensure the integrity of the pipeline and generate significant economic activity across northern Minnesota. In addition to the action by the DNR, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency announced approvals the 401 Water Quality Certification, which clears the way for a determination from the US Army Corps of Engineers regarding federal permits. Peterson noted the project will add an additional $35 million in property tax revenue for rural communities in Northern Minnesota. Additionally, it brings $2 billion in private infrastructure investment to Minnesota and more than 6,500 jobs the state over two-years. These are good paying jobs, and 4,000 will be union jobs. Pipelines are among the safest and most efficient methods of transporting fuel. A replacement will significantly improve Line 3's environmental footprint and integrity with the installation of state-of-the-art technologies. The existing pipeline needs to be replaced, and a modern replacement also significantly lowers the risk of a spill, and it means fewer heavy oil trucks and railroad tanker cars rolling through towns. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=2E375901-41FF-4683-B4FE-9A9BC9EB6DD5,"Klobuchar, Colleagues Urge Administration to Send Medical Staff to Support States with Rise in Coronavirus Infections",2020-11-12,2020,2020-11,Democrat,House,MN,Amy Klobuchar,K000367,www.klobuchar.senate.gov,,,legacy,"This week, hospitalizations due to coronavirus infection peaked in at least 22 states, and 23 states currently have over 1,000 patients hospitalized with coronavirus (COVID-19) infections WASHINGTON Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Tina Smith (D-MN), and a group ofcolleagues sent a letter to U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Peter Gaynor and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar, urging the Administration to address the unprecedented rise in coronavirus infections and hospitalizations by swiftly responding to state requests for additional medical staff. This week, hospitalizations due to coronavirus infection peaked in at least 22 states, and 23 states currently have over 1,000 patients hospitalized with coronavirus infections. Klobuchar, Sanders, and Smith were joined by Senators Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV). As cases surge across the country, states require significantly more support to address pressing medical staffing shortages. If infection rates continue to rise as we enter the holiday season and people spend more time indoors, this pressing need for additional medical staff will become even more acute. We respectfully request that you take action to proactively extend the current federal support that FEMA and HHS are providing to states and swiftly send additional medical professionals to states that are experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases and deaths. Full text of letter can be found HERE and below: Dear Administrator Gaynor and Secretary Azar, We write to express our concern about the rising rate of coronavirus infections in states across the nation and to respectfully request that you send additional health care professionals to states experiencing a surge in cases and a shortage of medical staff available to treat infected patients. Many states are experiencing an unprecedented rise in coronavirus cases, coupled with increasing hospitalization rates. This week, the United States experienced a record-breaking number of new cases recorded in a single day, with more than 140,000 cases reported on November 11 alone. The rapid increase in cases is not confined to any one part of the country23 states have recorded more cases in the past week than in any other seven-day period since the pandemic began. Hospitalizations due to coronavirus infection peaked in 22 states on November 9, and 23 states currently have over 1,000 patients hospitalized with coronavirus infections. This surge in infections and hospitalizations is putting a strain on our already exhausted health care systems and essential care workers, who are not immune from the virus. These workers have been on the frontlines since the pandemic began and many have been infected with the virus or have been required to quarantine due to exposure to the virusresulting in serious health care staffing shortages across the nation. These pandemic-induced staffing shortages have shuttered clinics, emptied local health departments, and in some cases forced hospitals to ask workers exposed to the virus to continue working. We appreciate the medical staffing support that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have already provided to states, which has been critical in helping these states treat infected patients during the pandemic. But as cases surge across the country, states require significantly more support to address pressing medical staffing shortages. If infection rates continue to rise as we enter the holiday season and people spend more time indoors, this pressing need for additional medical staff will become even more acute. Therefore, we respectfully request that you take action to proactively extend the current federal support that FEMA and HHS are providing to states and swiftly send additional medical professionals to states that are experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases and deaths. Thank you for your time and attention to this important matter. We look forward to working with you to continue providing support for Americans during the coronavirus pandemic. Sincerely, ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.smith.senate.gov/klobuchar-sanders-smith-colleagues-urge-administration-send-medical-staff-support-states-rise,"Klobuchar, Sanders, Smith, Colleagues Urge Administration to Send Medical Staff to Support States with Rise in Coronavirus Infections",2020-11-12,2020,2020-11,Democrat,House,MN,Tina Smith,S001203,www.smith.senate.gov,,,legacy,"This week, hospitalizations due to coronavirus infection peaked in at least 22 states, and 23 states currently have over 1,000 patients hospitalized with coronavirus (COVID-19) infections WASHINGTON Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Tina Smith (D-MN), and a group ofcolleagues sent a letter to U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Peter Gaynor and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar, urging the Administration to address the unprecedented rise in coronavirus infections and hospitalizations by swiftly responding to state requests for additional medical staff. This week, hospitalizations due to coronavirus infection peaked in at least 22 states, and 23 states currently have over 1,000 patients hospitalized with coronavirus infections. Klobuchar, Sanders, and Smith were joined by Senators Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV). As cases surge across the country, states require significantly more support to address pressing medical staffing shortages. If infection rates continue to rise as we enter the holiday season and people spend more time indoors, this pressing need for additional medical staff will become even more acute. We respectfully request that you take action to proactively extend the current federal support that FEMA and HHS are providing to states and swiftly send additional medical professionals to states that are experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases and deaths. Full text of letter can be found HERE and below: Dear Administrator Gaynor and Secretary Azar, We write to express our concern about the rising rate of coronavirus infections in states across the nation and to respectfully request that you send additional health care professionals to states experiencing a surge in cases and a shortage of medical staff available to treat infected patients. Many states are experiencing an unprecedented rise in coronavirus cases, coupled with increasing hospitalization rates. This week, the United States experienced a record-breaking number of new cases recorded in a single day, with more than 140,000 cases reported on November 11 alone. The rapid increase in cases is not confined to any one part of the country23 states have recorded more cases in the past week than in any other seven-day period since the pandemic began. Hospitalizations due to coronavirus infection peaked in 22 states on November 9, and 23 states currently have over 1,000 patients hospitalized with coronavirus infections. This surge in infections and hospitalizations is putting a strain on our already exhausted health care systems and essential care workers, who are not immune from the virus. These workers have been on the frontlines since the pandemic began and many have been infected with the virus or have been required to quarantine due to exposure to the virusresulting in serious health care staffing shortages across the nation. These pandemic-induced staffing shortages have shuttered clinics, emptied local health departments, and in some cases forced hospitals to ask workers exposed to the virus to continue working. We appreciate the medical staffing support that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have already provided to states, which has been critical in helping these states treat infected patients during the pandemic. But as cases surge across the country, states require significantly more support to address pressing medical staffing shortages. If infection rates continue to rise as we enter the holiday season and people spend more time indoors, this pressing need for additional medical staff will become even more acute. Therefore, we respectfully request that you take action to proactively extend the current federal support that FEMA and HHS are providing to states and swiftly send additional medical professionals to states that are experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases and deaths. Thank you for your time and attention to this important matter. We look forward to working with you to continue providing support for Americans during the coronavirus pandemic. Sincerely,",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.smith.senate.gov/us-senator-tina-smith-leads-bipartisan-push-protect-minnesota-air-national-guard-aircraft,U.S. Senator Tina Smith Leads Bipartisan Push to Protect Minnesota Air National Guard Aircraft from Elimination,2020-11-12,2020,2020-11,Democrat,House,MN,Tina Smith,S001203,www.smith.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Senator Says it is Vital to Maintain Adequate Aircraft Inventory of C-130 Flying Wings in Minnesota, Across Country to Ensure Guard Can Continue Responding to Active Duty Missions, Disasters & Other Emergencies WASHINGTON, D.C. [11/12/20]This week, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) led a bipartisan Senate coalition advocating for a large enough C-130 aircraft fleet in Minnesota and across the country to support active duty missions as well as respond to disasters and emergencies at home. After news that the Air Force was considering reductions in the size of the C-130 fleet, last month Sen. Smith and the Minnesota Congressional delegation called on the Secretary of the Air Force, Barbara Barrett, to maintain the size of the C-130 fleet while making the most efficient use of taxpayer dollars. The 133rd Airlift Wing, stationed at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, serves the entire state and any potential reductions could affect critical C-130 missions, including supporting humanitarian and disaster relief and assisting in the coronavirus (COVID-19) response. And now, Sen. Smithalong with Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Steve Daines (D-Mont.), Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.)is urging Armed Services Committee conferees to make sure the final National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) bill adopts House language so that the nation maintains an adequate inventory of C-130 aircraft. Our Air National Guard C-130 flying wings provide nearly half of the Air Force's tactical airlift capability. For more than 50 years, we have brought Americans into combat, provided humanitarian relief around the globe, and supported domestic response throughout the nation. As the Air Force proposes changes to align our force structure with the National Defense Strategy (NDS), it is vitally important we do not trade experience and knowhow in pursuit of expensive, less defined capabilities, wrote Sen. Smith and her colleagues. The Senators concluded with the ANG C-130 fleet has been the backbone of our tactical airlift capability for a generation. Our ANG wings have built experience and expertise through repeated deployments and domestic operations. Hard choices will be required as we restructure the Air Force to face future foreign and domestic challenges. Therefore, we must make informed, data driven, decisions as we manage the C-130 fleet. For these reasons, we strongly urge you to incorporate House Section 1043 supporting a [Total Aircraft Inventory] of 292 C-130 Aircraft in the final Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act. Sen. Smith's push supports state efforts by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and 13 other governors. You can access a copy of the letter authored by Sen. Smith and her colleagues here and text of the letter below: Dear Chairmen and Ranking Members: We write in support of House Section 1043 which would require the Air Force maintain a Total Aircraft Inventory (TAI) of 292 C-130 aircraft in the final Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act. As Senators from states that have Air National Guard (ANG) C-130 wings, we are deeply concerned by the effects a lower minimum number of C-130s would have. Our Air National Guard C-130 flying wings provide nearly half of the Air Force's tactical airlift capability. For more than 50 years, we have brought Americans into combat, provided humanitarian relief around the globe, and supported domestic response throughout the nation. As the Air Force proposes changes to align our force structure with the National Defense Strategy (NDS), it is vitally important we do not trade experience and knowhow in pursuit of expensive, less defined capabilities. The Senate's proposed language takes the approach of setting a minimum number of C-130 aircraft in the fleet by adopting a Primary Mission Aircraft Inventory (PMAI) of 230 aircraft. Unlike the House approach, mandating PMAI alone does not account for training aircraft inventory requirements or backup aircraft needed to support maintenance inspection and depot requirements. This disconnect could hamper the ANG's readiness and training capabilities due to a potential lack of training assets and extended maintenance downtime. The House's proposed TAI of 292 C-130s sets an aircraft minimum that accounts for all aircraft, including the training and maintenance needs of the C-130 fleet. In fact, the 2018 Mobility Capabilities and Requirements Study recommended a TAI of 300 C-130s to support combatant commanders' wartime mobility requirements. Further, House Section 1043 is supported by 14 governors from states whose ANGs have C-130 flying missions. As these governors highlighted in a recent letter to your committees, Section 1043 would ensure that their ANG wings can continue to support the nation's essential worldwide and domestic contingencies. As such, the 292 C-130 TAI would allow the ANG to support the NDS without inhibiting the Guard's unique domestic missions responding to natural disasters and other emergencies. The ANG C-130 fleet has been the backbone of our tactical airlift capability for a generation. Our ANG wings have built experience and expertise through repeated deployments and domestic operations. Hard choices will be required as we restructure the Air Force to face future foreign and domestic challenges. Therefore, we must make informed, data driven, decisions as we manage the C-130 fleet. For these reasons, we strongly urge you to incorporate House Section 1043 supporting a TAI of 292 C-130 Aircraft in the final Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://craig.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-angie-craig-announces-veteran-employment-awards,Rep. Angie Craig Announces Veteran Employment Awards,2020-11-11,2020,2020-11,Democrat,House,MN,Angie Craig,C001119,craig.house.gov,,,legacy,"Today, U.S. Rep. Angie Craig announced that two employers in Minnesota's Second Congressional District are receiving recognition from the U.S. Department of Labor. Boy's Electric and Huot Construction & Services have been selected as awardees as part of the HIRE Vets Medallion Program which encourages businesses large and small to hire our nation's veterans. Earlier this year, Rep. Craig voted for $500,000 in funds for the HIRE Vets Medallion Program in the FY 2021 appropriations package. You can learn more about the programhere. I'm so proud that two small businesses in our community have been recognized for their efforts to hire veterans,said Rep. Craig.We must ensure that everyone who serves our country has employment options when they return home. I'm thankful that businesses in Minnesota's Second District are leading the effort to support veterans with career opportunities.\ Boy's Electric located in West St. Paul was awarded the Platinum award for small employers. Among other criteria, the platinum award recognizes businesses with at least 10% employment of veterans. Additionally, Huot Construction & Services located in South St. Paul was awarded the Gold award, which recognizes businesses with at least 7% employment of veterans.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://craig.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-angie-craig-statement-honoring-veterans-day,Rep. Angie Craig Statement Honoring Veterans Day,2020-11-11,2020,2020-11,Democrat,House,MN,Angie Craig,C001119,craig.house.gov,,,legacy,"Today, U.S. Rep Angie Craig released the following statement in honor of Veteran's Day. I've been so fortunate to serve the constituents of Minnesota's Second District in Congress, and the most humbling part of my job is working with and advocating for the more than 33,000 veterans in our community. Today, I want to take a moment to recognize the brave folks who've served our country and their families. Veterans Day is about honoring the sacrifices made by our brave servicemembers and recommitting ourselves to supporting them and their families here at home. To all of our heroes, thank you for your service and happy Veterans Day.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=92AFE84B-7BC5-43C2-A278-11F93097EFFD,Klobuchar Statement on Veterans Day,2020-11-11,2020,2020-11,Democrat,House,MN,Amy Klobuchar,K000367,www.klobuchar.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar issued the following statement in honor of Veterans Day on November 11, 2020. Every year on this daythe 11th day of the 11th monthwe pay special tribute to our veterans. We may be divided, but we are still one country. Our soldiers put our country first, our veterans put our country first, and that's what I believe we are called to do now. We must move forward together and give each other a chance as one America, because on the battlefield, it doesn't matter if the soldier next to you is a Democrat or a Republican. During these challenging times, facing conflicts around the world, and a pandemic right here at homeon this day, a day of peace and remembranceour veterans' bravery and courage give us hope and strength. This Veterans Day let's reaffirm that whatever the challenges we face, we will continue living up to our nation's mottoe pluribus unumfrom many one, and unite around the example our veterans have set. Year after year, our servicemembers and veterans have gone above and beyond their standard call, including so many members of the National Guard and Reserves who have been on the frontlines fighting this pandemic and keeping our communities safe. Their bravery and courage inspires us all. So thank you to all of those who foughtand are fightingfor this country and our freedom. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mccollum.house.gov/media/press-releases/mccollum-statement-honor-veterans-day-0,McCollum Statement in Honor of Veterans Day,2020-11-10,2020,2020-11,Democrat,House,MN,Betty McCollum,M001143,mccollum.house.gov,mccollum,https://mccollum.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn.) issued the following statement today ahead of Wednesday's commemoration of Veterans Day: ""On Veterans Day, we take time to honor those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, and to recognize their bravery, commitment, and sacrifices to protect the values and freedoms we hold dear as Americans. Whether they served in the Air Force, Army, Navy, Coast Guard, or Merchant Marines, our veterans deserve the support of a grateful nation. ""In Congress, I'll continue to work for our veterans to make sure they have access to all the benefits they're entitled to, and I'll do so by working with community partners to ensure opportunities for good jobs, education, and housing for veterans and their families. During this COVID-19 pandemic and the added stress we face as a nation, it is even more important that our veterans are able to take advantage of the health care benefits they're entitled to, including our Blue Water Navy veterans.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:39:51Z https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=62E57F4A-BEC0-4C9F-9CE3-718A6BBA2B73,"Klobuchar, Moran Introduce Legislation to Protect Consumers From Injuries and Deaths During Coronavirus Pandemic",2020-11-10,2020,2020-11,Democrat,House,MN,Amy Klobuchar,K000367,www.klobuchar.senate.gov,,,legacy,"The COVID-19 Home Safety Act requires the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to launch a comprehensive study on injuries and deaths caused by consumer products during the coronavirus pandemic WASHINGTON Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Jerry Moran (R-KS), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Manufacturing, Trade, and Consumer Protection, introduced legislation to protect consumers from injuries and deaths related to consumer products during the coronavirus pandemic. Recent reports indicate that pediatricians and emergency room doctors have seen an increase in patients seeking treatment for home injuries, such as broken bones on bikes and trampolines as well accidental hand sanitizer poisoning in children. The COVID-19 Home Safety Act requires the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to study injuries and deaths caused by consumer products during the coronavirus pandemic. The study will examine products and evaluate the impact of these injuries on members of vulnerable groupsincluding children, minorities, seniors, and people with disabilities. This bill also directs the CPSC to collaborate with the media to distribute information, such as the CPSC's Home Safe Checklists, to help improve home safety during the pandemic. Companion legislation led in the House by U.S. Representatives Tony Crdenas (D-CA), Vice Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce, and Rodney Davis (R-IL), passed the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce in September. The bill is endorsed by Consumer Reports, National Consumers League, the Consumer Federation of America, and Kids in Danger. ""As we continue to confront the coronavirus pandemic, American families should not also have to worry about the safety of products in their own homes, Klobuchar said. This legislation will help protect our children, seniors and other vulnerable populations from injuries and deaths caused by consumer products during and after the pandemic. ""The daily lives of Americans have changed significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic,"" Moran said. ""Recent reports of increased injuries, particularly to children, minorities, seniors, and people with disabilities, caused by consumer products is concerning, and this legislation would require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to provide a comprehensive assessment of safety issues under its jurisdiction to determine future federal action."" ""American families are facing a multitude of difficulties during this pandemicfrom unemployment to child care concerns. While we work to address all challenges that arise, we must also specifically address the very real problems of consumer safety and home injuries brought upon by COVID-safety restrictions,"" said Congressman Tony Crdenas. ""As Americans spend more time at home, we cannot ignore the child-safety risks that certain consumer products pose. This bipartisan bill will require that these issues be studied, so lawmakers can take appropriate measures to protect American consumers and children by preventing future injuries. ""Understanding the full impact of COVID-19, including its effects on consumer safety and home injuries, is critical to protecting public health during this pandemic,"" said Congressman Rodney Davis. ""I'd like to thank Senators Klobuchar and Moran for introducing the bipartisan COVID-19 Home Safety Act in the Senate. It is my hope that both chambers of Congress pass this important legislation in the coming weeks so we can take appropriate action to keep American families safe."" As a member of the Senate Commerce Committee and Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights, Klobuchar has been a leader in the fight to protect consumers, especially children and seniors, during the coronavirus pandemic. In July, Klobuchar and Moran led a letter urging the FTC to protect seniors from contact tracing scams following reports that scammers were posing as contact tracers in an attempt to financially exploit consumers and steal their personal identifying information, such as Social Security numbers and credit card numbers. The letter also urged the FTC to commit to taking action to better educate and assist seniors in recognizing legitimate contact tracing and understanding their recourse options should they fall victim to these scams. In May, Klobuchar and Jerry Moran introduced legislation to protect seniors from scams during the coronavirus pandemic. The Protecting Seniors from Emergency Scams Act directs the Federal Trade Commission to report to Congress on scams targeting seniors during the coronavirus pandemic and make recommendations on how to prevent future scams during emergencies.In March, Klobuchar and Moran led a bipartisan letter with 32 colleagues urging FTC Chairman Joseph Simons to protect seniors from coronavirus-related scams, better inform consumers about scams, and assist victims in understanding their recourse options to ensure that seniors are protected from those attempting to financially exploit them during the pandemic. In December 2019, Klobuchar sent a letter to the CPSC expressing her serious concerns about the significant increase in injuries to children who have ingested small rare-earth magnets and requesting that the agency investigate this matter and take steps to ensure that children are kept safe from these dangerous products. Also in December, Klobuchar led a letter to the CPSC urging the agency to open an investigation into contaminated toys following reports that a child from Minnesota was found to have toxic blood levels of lead after playing with an off-brand spin toy that was purchased online. In January 2019, Klobuchar led a letter to the CPSC expressing concern that unsafe products may have entered the U.S. during the government shutdown and requesting information regarding what steps the CPSC would take to protect consumers. In 2016, Klobuchar led the push to implement stronger warnings against the dangers of ingesting laundry detergents like Tide Pods. After efforts by Klobuchar, including support of the Detergent Poisoning and Child Safety Act, manufacturers, the CPSC, and consumer advocates worked together to create the new voluntary safety standard to reduce the risk of accidental exposure. Also in 2016, after urging from Klobuchar following reports of IKEA Malm dressers falling and killing children, the CPSC and IKEA announced a recall of all Malm dressers and a stop to their sale until safety precautions had been put in place. Klobuchar also introduced legislation to protect children from tipping furniture. Additionally, Klobuchar has advocated for consumer safety through supporting the installation of smartphone kill switches.' In 2008, Klobuchar was also a cosponsor of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), which gave CPSC the additional authority, resources, and staff to enforce consumer protection laws, which included a Klobuchar provision to ban the use of lead in children's products. Klobuchar has worked to ensure children are protected from unsafe swimming pools. Klobuchar was a cosponsor of the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act to require public pools and spas to incorporate anti-entrapment drain covers and establish a voluntary grant program for states to promote pool and spa safety--which was signed into law in 2007. She also won passage of two amendments that improved the bill, including one that made the new safety standards retroactive to existing pools that were intended for public use and one that required public pools with single drains to install the latest drain safety technology. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.smith.senate.gov/us-senators-tina-smith-elizabeth-warren-question-fda-safety-inspections-foreign-pharmaceuticals,"U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Elizabeth Warren Question FDA On Safety Inspections for Foreign Pharmaceuticals Entering the United States",2020-11-10,2020,2020-11,Democrat,House,MN,Tina Smith,S001203,www.smith.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Senators say Patients May be Facing Increased Risk of Drug Contamination or Other Quality, Purity, Potency Problems Due to COVID's Impact on Inspections WASHINGTON, D.C. [11/10/20] U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inquiring about the agency's quality and safety inspections for pharmaceuticals and drug products entering the United States. Under normal operating procedures, the FDA inspects manufacturing facilities and is responsible for maintainingthe safety, effectiveness, quality, and security of drugs produced in the United States and abroad. However, due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the FDA postponed all inspections of domestic and foreign drug manufacturing facilities in March. As of today, the FDA is only performing a fraction of its full inspection schedule, with overall foreign inspectionsdeclining by over 60% in 2020. Sens. Smith and Warrensaythat thelack of foreign inspections is particularly concerninggiven the United States' over-reliance on foreign pharmaceutical products. Without adequate inspection of the large share of many drugs and drug products coming from abroad, there may be a high risk that unsafe drugs enter circulation in the country. Additionally, the senators say the FDA must takethenecessary precautions to protect the health and safety of its employees who conduct in-person inspections once they resume. ""The continued postponement of inspections of foreign manufacturing facilities could pose a danger to the public health of the United States,wrote the senators.The failure of foreign manufacturing facilities to comply with regulatory requirements has allowed low-quality and unsafe products to enter circulation in the United States, resulting in a number of large-scale drug quality issues, including the2008 heparin contamination scandal, in which over 240 people died. Morerecently, the FDA found N-Nitrosodimethylamine, a known carcinogen, in the popular blood pressure medicine valsartan. The contaminant was traced back to one of the largest foreign pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturers, but only after the drug was sold to millions of people in twenty-three countries. In July, Senators Warren and Smith introducedThe Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Defense and Enhancement Act, comprehensive legislation that takes bold steps to reinvigorate the United States' manufacturing capacity and end the nation's reliance on foreign countries for critical drugs used by millions of Americans. You can read a copy of the letterhere.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mccollum.house.gov/media/press-releases/mccollum-statement-election-president-elect-joe-biden-and-vice-president-elect,McCollum Statement on Election of President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice-President Elect Kamala Harris,2020-11-07,2020,2020-11,Democrat,House,MN,Betty McCollum,M001143,mccollum.house.gov,mccollum,https://mccollum.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn.) issued the following statement today after the 2020 Presidential Election was called for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris: ""It has been declared that President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice-President-Elect Kamala Harris have been elected to lead the United States forward with the consent of nearly 75 million Americans – a record setting vote total. The yearning for mature, decent, and thoughtful leadership in the White House and across the federal government was on the ballot as our nation confronts an unprecedented public health and economic crisis. The fate of American democracy was also at stake in this election. President-Elect Biden has given us all every assurance in his words and with his lifetime of committed service to our country that he will defend our democratic values and strengthen them at home and around the world. ""The challenges facing our country are enormous and daunting. It will take unity and common purpose to defeat the coronavirus, rebuild the economy, ensure racial justice, and avert a global climate crisis. I am hopeful that the coming months and years will allow us to meet the urgent immediate needs of the American people while fixing our focus on investing in a more just and equitable future for all. ""But I am also cautious. During the past decade, and particularly during the last four years, division, disinformation, and indecency have been used as political weapons to empower Donald Trump with the full embrace of the Republican Party. These deep and destructive divisions can be healed only if Republican leaders decide to work with President-Elect Biden and Democrats in a spirit of unity and common purpose. There is no doubt that Mr. Biden will reach his hand across the aisle to find solutions to our nation's challenges. The burden will be on Republicans to put the needs of the nation ahead of the demagogic, anti-democratic division fomented by Donald Trump.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:39:51Z https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=0C2582A4-DEA7-40EB-8966-D8B3930EC22A,Klobuchar Statement on the Passing of Congressman Jim Ramstad,2020-11-06,2020,2020-11,Democrat,House,MN,Amy Klobuchar,K000367,www.klobuchar.senate.gov,,,legacy,"MINNEAPOLIS U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar released the following statement after the passing of former Minnesota Congressman Jim Ramstad. Minnesota lost a friend and hero former Republican Congressman Jim Ramstad. He was a faithful public servant who worked across party lines to improve the lives of all Americans. He worked with Senator Paul Wellstone on mental health parity legislation and carried the torch to pass the bill after Paul died. I got to see Jim's effectiveness firsthand when I worked with him on domestic violence issues and drug courts and funding for addiction programs. He was a true mentor to me on how to get things done by working with Republicans and Democrats. By being honest about his own personal struggle with alcoholism, Jim gave so many people courage to take on their own addictions. I will miss him very much. CAPTION: Senator Klobuchar and Congressman Ramstad at a drug court event in Washington D.C. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.smith.senate.gov/us-senator-tina-smiths-statement-restarting-keetac-mine,U.S. Senator Tina Smiths Statement on Restarting Keetac Mine,2020-11-05,2020,2020-11,Democrat,House,MN,Tina Smith,S001203,www.smith.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. [11/5/20]Today, U.S. SenatorTina Smith (D-Minn.) released the followingstatementafter U.S. Steel announced plansto restart Keetac mine and pellet plant in Keewatin. The reopening of the Keetac mining facilityis great newsforthe economic well-being of the families and communities ofMinnesota's Iron Range,""said Sen. Smith.Itwill allow nearly 400 steelworkers to return to workand help get the Iron Range economy back on its feet.I've fought hardto stave offunfairsteel imports and will continue tosupporta strong U.S.ironand steelindustry because it provides good-payingjobsin Minnesotaand keepsour nation secure.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://collinpeterson.house.gov/media/press-releases/peterson-statement-2020-election,Peterson Statement on 2020 Election,2020-11-04,2020,2020-11,Democrat,Senate,MN,Collin Peterson,P000258,collinpeterson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Collin Peterson issued the following statement regarding the results of the 2020 election: ""I'd like to thank the people of the Seventh District for their support over the years. Serving them in Washington DC has been a great honor, and I respect their decision to move in a different direction. We ran a strong and positive campaign, but with the President winning this district by 30 points again, and the millions in outside money that was spent to attack me, the partisan tilt of this district was just too much to overcome."" ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://craig.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-angie-craig-reacts-oral-arguments-supreme-court-adoption-case,Rep. Angie Craig Reacts to Oral Arguments in Supreme Court Adoption Case,2020-11-04,2020,2020-11,Democrat,House,MN,Angie Craig,C001119,craig.house.gov,,,legacy,"Today, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments inFulton v. City of Philadelphia, a case which could determine whether faith-based child welfare organizations can reject LGBTQ families and others whom they consider to be in violation of their religious beliefs. U.S. Rep. Angie Craig and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand led anamicus briefearlier this fall urging the Supreme Court to uphold requirements that private agencies providing foster care services with federal and state funds comply with anti-discrimination laws and policies. For me and countless other LGBTQ parents, this case is personal,said Rep. Craig.When adopting our son Josh, a judge wrote that having two moms was not in the best interests of any child. Thankfully, he was overruled. No parent should face discrimination when adopting or fostering a child, or be denied the opportunity to build a family because of who they love or how they identify. I'm proud to have led this amicus brief with Sen. Gillibrand and 171 of our colleagues to reassert that every child in this country deserves a safe and loving family. ""There are hundreds of thousands of children in foster care right now who should get the chance to be raised by loving and caring parents, regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, or religionsaid Sen. Gillibrand.It's deeply troubling that anti-LGBTQ discrimination in the foster care and adoption system continues to prevent LGBTQ parents from adopting and fostering vulnerable children and it must end now. I am proud to have led this amicus brief with Congresswoman Craig to put an end to this blatant bigotry. We need every willing, qualified family to provide a loving home to the over 400,000 children in America's foster care system. We cannot risk allowing even one agency to discriminate and prevent a child from receiving placement in a safe and stable home. In our amicus brief in this case, Family Equality told the stories of prospective foster parents who were turned away from fostering a child solely because they were same-sex couples, who then watched that same child listed year after year as seeking a family and forever home. This is inhumane and unconscionable. The Supreme Court must uphold the Third Circuit's ruling that taxpayer-funded foster care agencies must act in the best interests of the children they serve, and abide by general, neutrally applied legal requirements to do so,said Denise Brogan-Kator, CEO (Interim) and Chief Policy Officer at Family Equality. Rep. Angie Craig is the first LGBTQ mother in the U.S. House of Representatives and a co-chair of the LGBTQ Equality Caucus. In September, she became the lead sponsor of theEvery Child Deserves a Family Actwhich would ban discrimination against LGBTQ adoptive parents and foster youth. You can learn more about her own adoption strugglehere.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://collinpeterson.house.gov/media/newletter-archive/rep-petersons-newsletter-and-questionnaire-1122020,Rep. Peterson's Newsletter and Questionnaire 11/2/2020,2020-11-02,2020,2020-11,Democrat,Senate,MN,Collin Peterson,P000258,collinpeterson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Groundbreaking ceremony for the Ag Innovation Campus in CROOKSTON Dear Friends, I traveled to Thief River Falls to visit the Pennington County Justice Center. I spoke with County officials and presented the Board with a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol for their new facility. On Thursday, I participated in a town hall meeting with members of the Association of Mature American Citizens on various issues facing western Minnesota. I shared some of my ideas for improving rural healthcare and my support for social security. After years of efforts and litigation, the Administration has a new rule that returns decisions about the management of the gray wolf population to the states. For years I advocated on behalf of livestock producers and sportsmen in the district who would directly benefit from the delisting of gray wolves and I am pleased with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's decision. COVID-19 is still a real danger and it is ripping through our region with record high daily numbers of new cases being reported. I was contacted about a crisis situation facing the McIntosh Senior Living facility and am doing what I can to see they get assistance, but I know more support is needed. We need the Senate to act on a COVID relief bill. They haven't done so since April, and a lot has happened since then. We've had more cases and we also know a lot more about the situation. These assisted living facilities shouldn't have to go through this alone, and they need the full support of the federal government. The CARES Act was a good step, but that was this past spring, and now we're headed into fall and winter, and we need to be ready for what's coming. Sincerely, Congressman Collin C. Peterson Minnesota 7th District Pennington County's New Justice Center Presenting American Flag flown over the United States Capitol to Board Chairman Tveitbakk I met with the Pennington County Board to present a new American Flag that was flown over the United States Capitol for their recently re-developed county justice center. Darryl Tveitbakk, Board Chairman, and other board members walked me through their facility. The new addition contains a 90-inmate jail, county court rooms, judge chambers, law and record library, and other office facilities with the latest technology. Town Hall Meeting On Thursday, the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC) hosted a virtual town hall where I answered questions from AMAC members in the 7th district. We discussed COVID-19, social security, healthcare, and other issues that are important to seniors. AMAC has about 7,000 members in western Minnesota so I was glad to have the chance to hear from them and answer their questions. Gray Wolf Recovery in Minnesota Tracking gray wolves on a pasture in Northern Minnesota June 2020 The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a final rule returning management of gray wolf populations to the States. Federal protections under the Endangered Species Act restored strong gray wolf populations years ago and this rule appropriately returns the authority to manage wolf populations and prevent livestock losses to State governments. For years, I have called for this change on behalf of livestock owners and rural communities in Minnesota. This announcement is welcome by agriculture and sportsmen alike: Mike Landuyt, President Minnesota State Cattlemen's Association - ""The Minnesota State Cattlemen's Association is excited for the announcement of the delisting of the Gray Wolf. Under the management of the Department of Natural Resources and continued support from Congressman Peterson, the Gray Wolf has successfully exceeded recovery population numbers. The management of the Gray Wolf is now in the hands of state officials who can best manage the population to benefit beef and livestock producers, as well as Gray Wolf habitat in our state. Thank you, Representative Peterson, for listening to our members' needs and leading this effort."" Kevin Paap, Minnesota Farm Bureau President - ""Chairman Peterson has tirelessly advocated on behalf of farmers and ranchers to delist the gray wolf from the Endangered Species Act. Minnesota Farm Bureau appreciates the leadership of the Chairman to make sure that this issue stayed at the forefront and solutions are found to return the management of gray wolves back to the states. Today's announcement by the federal government is great news for farmers and ranchers in Minnesota. Gary Wertish, President of Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) - ""I want to thank Chairman Peterson for his work to delist the grey wolf in Minnesota. It's important for Minnesota Farmers Union, because many of our family farmer members have lost livestock to wolves. This hurts farmers' bottom line and also often takes an emotional toll, to see an animal you care for get taken and feel like you can't do much about it. It's good to see the administration following Chairman Peterson's lead in returning management to the state."" John Dvorak, Past President of the Minnesota Lamb and Wool Producers, Past ASI Region III Director - ""The Minnesota Lamb and Wool Producers are thankful for this long overdue news on delisting gray wolves. Thank you to Congressman Peterson for his leadership and diligence on this important issue for the sheep and cattle industries in Minnesota and across the country."" Craig Engwall, Executive Director, Minnesota Deer Hunters Association - ""MDHA is pleased that the Fish and Wildlife Service has delisted the gray wolf again and greatly appreciates the efforts of Congressmen Peterson and Stauber in returning wolf management to Minnesota. The wolf has met all recovery goals in Minnesota for decades and Minnesota DNR has shown that it can responsibly manage a wolf season. It is now time for DNR to begin the planning process for implementing a wolf season in 2021."" Gray wolf populations have exceeded federal recovery goals, and state management will only improve the relationship between wolves, wildlife, and people. Minnesota successfully managed its wolves when the Obama Administration delisted the gray wolf in 2011. That rule was unfortunately struck down in 2014 by a legal challenge brought before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. In June, I joined federal wildlife officials to search for wolves that killed six calves on a pasture in Northern Minnesota. It can often be difficult to get compensation for cattle that have been killed by wolves. When evaluating livestock losses like these, I think we should trust farmers more and base the decision on whether to offset farmers' losses on their word and the evidence at hand. Click here to read more about the delisting of the gray wolf. Ag Innovation Campus groundbreaking in Crookston Agriculture leaders and elected officials at the Ag Innovation Campus groundbreaking ceremony In 2019, the Minnesota Legislature approved $5 million toward the Ag Innovation Campus (AIC) and it was signed by Governor Walz. The 67,000-square-foot soybean crushing facility in Crookston will allow universities, commodity groups, and private developers access to affordable processing that aims to lower costs while also promoting the growth of value-added products. In the last 20 years, soybean production has increased more than 300% in Northwest Minnesota and the AIC will be a great addition to our booming district. The Ag Innovation Center is projected to be in operation in October 2021. For more information contact AIC director Drew Lyon at 507-995-9495 or email him at (dlyon@mnsoybean.com). Questionnaire Results In last week's questionnaire, South Korea (pop. 51.6 million) reported a fraction of the Coronavirus deaths as North Dakota (760 thousand) yet South Korea has a 194% difference in population. I asked if you think our Federal Administration should be studying best practices of countries like South Korea which had and controlled Coronavirus outbreaks, this is what you said. I also asked for your thoughts on mask usage. The University of Washington projects that by mid-January, 359,493 Americans will have died from the Coronavirus. The University of Washington's model also projects that 52,000 fewer deaths would happen by Inauguration Day on January 20th if we can achieve 95% mask usage in public places (as has been done in Singapore). I asked if you think Americans could match the mask usage rate of Singapore, this is what you said. COVID-19 Updates & Resources Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases continue to rise in Minnesota, visit Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) for the most up to date information on the Coronavirus Pandemic. The MDH has also announced that Minnesotans in two dozen counties or tribal nations are now able to order a free at-home saliva test. For more information, visit COVID-19 Test at Home. COVID-19 Community Testing Fergus Falls Armory 421 E Cecil Ave Fergus Falls, MN 56537 Wednesday, November 4: 2 - 6 p.m. Thursday, November 5: 12 - 6 p.m. Fergus Falls Community COVID-19 Testing: Schedule Appointment Pipestone Armory 421 2nd Ave SW Pipestone, MN 56164 Wednesday, November 4: 2 - 6 p.m. Thursday, November 5: 12 - 6 p.m. Pipestone Community COVID-19 Testing: Schedule Appointment COVID-19 Community Saliva Testing Moorhead Former Thomas Edison Elementary School 1110 S. 14th Street Moorhead, MN 56560 Monday, Tuesday, Friday: 12 - 7 p.m. Saturday - Sunday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Schedule Appointment with Vault Health St. Cloud River's Edge Convention Center 10 Fourth Ave South St. Cloud, MN 56301 Wednesday - Friday: 12 - 7 p.m. Saturday - Sunday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Schedule Appointment with Vault Health Parking in the west surface lot next to the Convention Center is available to those being tested. Look for the COVID-19 testing parking signs. Safe Voting Tomorrow is Election Day, protect yourself and others by wearing a mask, maintaining at least six feet apart from others, and if possible, vote at off-peak times, such as mid-morning. The risk of voting in person is comparable to going to the grocery store. If you requested an absentee ballot and have not sent it back yet, you can drop it off in-person at your local county election office or nearest ballot drop-off location. If you mailed your absentee ballot back, track your ballot to ensure it has been counted. Visit Safe Voting: COVID-19 for more information. Click here for more information on Election Day voting. Newsstand Five Tips for MN Business: SBA PPP Loan Forgiveness Photo courtesy of the Small Business Association The Small Business Association (SBA) released five tips that Minnesota small business owners should know about the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness. Minnesota has over 102,00 forgivable PPP loans valued at approximately $11.3 billion, learn how PPP loan forgiveness can help your small business. 1. PPP loan forgiveness is applied for through a lender, not the SBA. Borrowers can download PPP loan forgiveness applications from SBA's website and then submit it with the required information to the lender that provided them with a forgivable PPP loan. Lenders have up to 60 days to review a PPP loan forgiveness application and the SBA has up to 90 days to review the forgiveness application once it's received from the lender. The SBA remits the amount forgiven to the lender, who must process the forgiveness payment before notifying the PPP borrower of the amount. 2. Approximately 69% of Minnesota's PPP borrowers are eligible for a simplified PPP loan forgiveness application that can take as little as 15 minutes to complete. 3. Businesses still need to document PPP loan money was spent on eligible expenses. Since a key part of forgiveness for PPP loans is using the money for eligible expenses, borrowers need to provide documentation, including verification of payroll and non-payroll expenses, with the forgiveness application as required by the CARES Act. 4.The SBA has already started remittance to lenders. The SBA began approving PPP loan forgiveness applications and remitting forgiveness payments to lenders for PPP borrowers on Oct. 2, 2020. 5. Help is available for the forgiveness process and recovery plans. To ease small businesses through the forgiveness process and empower them to confidently move their business forward, the SBA has set up a recovery hub at www.sba.gov/recovery with essential details, resiliency tips and connections to local assistance. SBA's Resource Partner Network which includes Minnesota Small Business Development Centers, SCORE Mentors, Women's Business Centers, and the Veterans Business Outreach Center also provides one-on-one business advising and technical assistance to small businesses at no- or low-cost. IRS Dependent EIP Reminder The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has extended the deadline to file for a $500 Economic Impact Payment (EIP) for qualifying dependents. Use the IRS Non-Filers Tool before Saturday, November 21 to receive an EIP. This includes federal beneficiaries who already received an EIP but did not receive a supplemental $500 payment for qualifying children. Deadline to request: Saturday, November 21, 2:00 p.m. CT. MNsure Open Enrollment Photo courtesy of MNsure The MNsure open enrollment period is now open for 2021 coverage. Act now, open enrollment runs November 1 through December 22 for coverage beginning on January 1, 2021. Nearly 66,000 Minnesotans in the Seventh District benefited directly from the Affordable Care Act. All plans sold through MNsure include comprehensive coverage so your family is covered, no matter what the future may hold. Go to MNsure.org for more information. Library of Congress: Through a Glass Darkly Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress Discover what the Library of Congress has to offer from your own home. Virtually explore the Rare Book and Special Collection Division's Through a Glass Darkly: Frederick Hockley, Harry Houdini, and the Quest for Knowledge. Learn more about the differing lives of oculist, Frederick Hockley, and spiritual skeptic, Harry Houdini, and their quest for knowledge and truth. Event details: Virtual Event Link Thursday, November 12, 2020, 2:00 p.m. CT Meeting number (access code): 199 974 0579 Meeting password: Houdini@LC-123 Join by phone @ +1-510-210-8882 WebEx Virtual Room will open 15 minutes prior to start time This Week in History Photo courtesy of the Farmers' Almanac In January 1845, Congress mandated a uniform date for Election Day as the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. But why Tuesday? And why November? During the late 19th century, most worked as farmers in rural areas. Busy in the spring with planting, harvest in the fall, and travel difficulty in the winter months, left early November as the best time of year for most voters. Congress chose the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November so there was no interference with church on Sunday and market day for farmers on Wednesday. With Election Day on a Tuesday, rural voters had Monday to travel to their polling place. Remember the history of this civic holiday as you vote this year! Views from the 7th Chilly morning at Maple Lake near MENTOR",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=D6E90830-4494-40FB-95F4-5F9A9E5F3639,"Klobuchar, Shaheen, Warner Introduce Legislation to Help Reduce Disability Claims Backlog & Veteran Homelessness through Veterans Legal Clinics",2020-10-30,2020,2020-10,Democrat,House,MN,Amy Klobuchar,K000367,www.klobuchar.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Services offered by legal clinics - such as expedited claims assistance and legal counsel - offer veterans an opportunity to address challenges before they deteriorate WASHINGTON U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Mark Warner (D-VA) introduced legislation to increase cooperation between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and veterans legal clinics. The Veterans Legal Support Act would allow the VA to provide funding to law school legal clinics that provide pro bono legal services to veterans. Some law schools and their student volunteers are making significant progress reducing disability claims backlogs and veterans homelessness in communities across the country. Under attorney supervision, students provide a range of pro bono legal services, including assistance with disability claims, foreclosures, bankruptcies, divorce, child custody, and some minor criminal cases. By assisting veterans with complicated benefits claims, legal clinics are turning the VA's most time consuming cases into organized applications that are significantly easier to process. In addition, preventative services like expedited claims assistance and legal counsel offer veterans an opportunity to address challenges before they deteriorate, often resulting in significant long-term savings to the government. When our servicemembers made a commitment to defend our nation, our country also made a commitment to make sure they have the resources and support they deserve when they come home, Klobuchar said. While we can never repay the debt we owe to our troops and veterans who have risked their lives for this country, this legislation will help ensure our veterans have access to the basic legal assistance they may need to get the benefits they've earned. Too many veterans are stuck in the VA's claims backlog, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and hindered their access to the benefits and services they've earned. We have an obligation to use every tool available to assist the brave men and women who've served and sacrificed for our nation, which is precisely what our bill would help do, Shaheen said. Some of our nation's law schools are greatly reducing processing times for challenging VA benefits claims and expanding access to legal services and I commend these students and faculty for their outstanding efforts. Our legislation would authorize the VA to work more closely with these programs and help other schools establish their own courses, ramping up efforts to cut down the VA backlog and expediting help for veterans seeking assistance. Leader McConnell should hold a vote on this common-sense legislation as soon as possible so together Congress can take a meaningful step forward to improve services for our veterans and their families. Veterans legal clinics do the crucial work of providing quality and essential legal services to vulnerable vets who otherwise may not be able to afford it. These clinics also provide important practical training for law students as they help veterans receive benefits that they frequently cannot access, Warner said. Given the enormous sacrifices that these brave individuals have made for our nation, we owe it to them to explore innovative solutions that allow them to get the assistance they need and the benefits they've earned in a more timely manner. That's why I'm proud to introduce the Veterans Legal Support Act of 2020 a bill to enable the VA to provide funding to legal clinics dedicated to serving our nation's veterans. The text of the bill can be read here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.smith.senate.gov/us-senators-tina-smith-elizabeth-warren-call-agencies-provide-complete-transparent-and-timely,"U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Elizabeth Warren Call on Agencies to Provide ""Complete, Transparent, and Timely National Reporting of COVID-19 Cases"" in K-12 Schools",2020-10-30,2020,2020-10,Democrat,House,MN,Tina Smith,S001203,www.smith.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Letter Follows DeVos' Comments that she Doesn't Believe Education Department is Responsible for Tracking School Reopening Plans or Positive Cases in Schools WASHINGTON, D.C. [10/30/2020]U.S Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.),are pressing the nation's top health and education officialsto issue detailedguidanceso thatthenation'selementary and secondary schools can workwith state and local officials to ensure complete, transparent and timely reporting of COVID-19 cases. In their letter to U.S. Health and Human ServicesSecretary Alex Azar, U.S EducationSecretary Betsy DeVos, and Center for Disease Control and PreventionDirector Robert Redfield, the Senators also urged the agencies to study outbreaks in K-12 schools to understand the effectiveness of different mitigation strategies and toprovide further guidance on reporting COVID-19 cases. On October 20, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos stated that she believes the Department of Education is not responsible for tracking school districts' reopening plans or positive COVID-19 cases in schools,the Senators wrote. This sentiment represents a complete abdication of national leadership, which has made it difficult for local education leaders, families, and policymakers to accurately evaluate the risk of physically reopening schools. Federal guidance beyond this is lacking, resulting in significant variation across schools, school districts, and states.This lack of clear guidance results in inconsistent information across localities, states, and the nation and is making it extremely challenging for schools and families to make informed decisions. You can read a copy of the letterhere.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://collinpeterson.house.gov/media/press-releases/peterson-applauds-rule-delist-gray-wolves,Peterson Applauds Rule to Delist Gray Wolves,2020-10-29,2020,2020-10,Democrat,Senate,MN,Collin Peterson,P000258,collinpeterson.house.gov,,,legacy,"(Washington, D.C.) - Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a final rule returning the management of gray wolf populations to the States. This final rule delists the gray wolf from federal protections under the Endangered Species Act, giving state governments the authority to manage gray wolf populations and prevent livestock losses in accordance with state law. I applaud the Fish and Wildlife Service for this final rule that delists the gray wolf in the lower 48 states, Rep. CollinPeterson said. Federal protections restored healthy gray wolf populations years ago, and this rule appropriately returns the management of gray wolves to the states. For years, I have called for this change on behalf of livestock owners and rural communities in Minnesota. This final rule allows Minnesota to set rules and protections for gray wolves that are more responsive to the needs of local communities. Mike Landuyt, President Minnesota State Cattlemen's Association - The Minnesota State Cattlemen's Association is excited for the announcement of the delisting of the Gray Wolf. Under the management of the Department of Natural Resources and continued support from Congressman Peterson, the Gray Wolf has successfully exceeded recovery population numbers. The management of the Gray Wolf is now in the hands of state officials who can best manage the population to benefit beef and livestock producers, as well as Gray Wolf habitat in our state. Thank you, Representative Peterson, for listening to our members' needs and leading this effort. Kevin Paap,Minnesota Farm Bureau President -Chairman Peterson has tirelessly advocated on behalf of farmers and ranchers to delist the gray wolf from the Endangered Species Act. Minnesota Farm Bureau appreciates the leadership of the Chairman to make sure that this issue stayed at the forefront and solutions are found to return the management of gray wolves back to the states. Today's announcement by the federal government is great news for farmers and ranchers in Minnesota. Gary Wertish, President of Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) - I want to thank Chairman Peterson for his work to delist the grey wolf in Minnesota. It's important for Minnesota Farmers Union, because many of our family farmer members have lost livestock to wolves. This hurts farmers' bottom line and also often takes an emotional toll, to see an animal you care for get taken and feel like you can't do much about it. It's good to see the administration following Chairman Peterson's lead in returning management to the state. John Dvorak, Past President of the Minnesota Lamb and Wool Producers, Past ASI Region III Director - The Minnesota Lamb and Wool Producers are thankful for this long overdue news on delisting gray wolves. Thank you to Congressman Peterson for his leadership and diligence on this important issue for the sheep and cattle industries in Minnesota and across the country. Craig Engwall, Executive Director, Minnesota Deer Hunters Association - ""MDHA is pleased that the Fish and Wildlife Service has delisted the gray wolf again and greatly appreciates the efforts of Congressmen Peterson and Stauber in returning wolf management to Minnesota. The wolf has met all recovery goals in Minnesota for decades and Minnesota DNR has shown that it can responsibly manage a wolf season. It is now time for DNR to begin the planning process for implementing a wolf season in 2021."" Congressman Collin Peterson has advocated for returning gray wolves to state management by introducing the bipartisanH.R. 4494, the Gray Wolf State Management Act that would delist the gray wolf in the WesternGreat Lakes Region, and H.R. 6035, the American Wild Game and Livestock Protection Act that would delist the gray wolf in the lower 48 states and protect the delisting from judicial review. The Administration's final rule delisting wolves in the lower 48 is similar to the text of H.R. 6053, which is cosponsored by Representatives Bishop (R-UT), Johnson (R-SD), and McAdams (D-UT). In June 2020, Congressman Peterson joined federal wildlife officials to search for wolves that killed six calves on a pasture in Northern Minnesota. Gray wolves (C. Lupus) in Minnesota were first protected under the Endangered Species Act in 1974 when the Minnesota gray wolf population of about 1,000 wolves was the only major U.S. population outside of Alaska. Today, more than 4,400 wolves inhabit northern Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, greatly exceeding the federal recovery criteria set by the FWS in 1992. Separate populations have also been reestablished in the Northern Rocky Mountains and the southwestern United States. The gray wolf in Minnesota was delisted by the Obama Administration in 2011, until the delisting was invalidated in 2014 by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. During that time, the State of Minnesota managed its wolf population using procedures established by the state legislature in 2000.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=38A46098-8AC4-4C4D-97B6-254AC6FE9DFA,"Klobuchar, Smith Call on USDA to Reverse Decision to Decrease COVID-19 Relief for Dairy Farmers",2020-10-29,2020,2020-10,Democrat,House,MN,Amy Klobuchar,K000367,www.klobuchar.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Senators urge USDA to reverse course after changing pandemic relief program to exclude dairy losses related to meat production WASHINGTON U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) joined Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and 11 other senators calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to reverse its decision to unfairly exclude dairy farmers from receiving COVID-19 relief to cover losses related to meat production. While milk is the primary income for dairy farms, they often have diversified operations, including meat processing of retired milking cows. In the original Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), the USDA compensated dairy farmers and other livestock producers for losses related to meat produced from breeding animals. When USDA announced CFAP 2, the second version of the relief program, the Department made a significant change to exclude those losses. This change will hurt the livestock industry and will be particularly harmful to dairy farmers who often operate at extremely tight margins, the senators wrote. The decision is even more troubling considering that USDA clearly has sufficient resources to cover these losses. Additionally, it is less complicated for both USDA and farmers to cover all livestock and avoid confusion about what animals are covered or excluded. Considering the dairy industry's traditionally tight margins, USDA's decision to shift course and arbitrarily exclude dairy farm losses related to meat production is a significant blow, the senators continued. We urge USDA to reverse this arbitrary decision and make breeding animals eligible for CFAP 2 like they were under the original relief program. In addition to Senators Klobuchar, Smith, Stabenow and Leahy, the letter was signed by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Bob Casey (D-PA), Angus King (I-ME), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Gary Peters (D-MI). Full text of the letter is available HERE and below. Dear Secretary Perdue, We are concerned that USDA's new Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP 2) will unfairly disadvantage dairy and other livestock producers. Specifically, USDA made a significant change between the first version of CFAP and the new version that has unfairly excluded the value of the meat produced from breeding animals. This change will affect the livestock industry and will be particularly harmful to dairy farmers who often operate at extremely tight margins. The decision is even more troubling considering that USDA clearly has sufficient resources to cover these losses. Additionally, it is less complicated for both USDA and farmers to cover all livestock and avoid confusion about what animals are covered or excluded. Even before the coronavirus pandemic, dairy farms have struggled with prolonged market uncertainty, unfair trade practices, and the Administration's chaotic trade policies. Unfortunately many farms, especially smaller operations, have had no choice but to sell their cows and exit the dairy business. While the value of the milk is the primary income stream for dairy farms, they are by nature diversified with significant income coming from the meat of cows as they are retired from milking and any crop production that exceeds the feed needs of their own animals. Considering the dairy industry's traditionally tight margins, USDA's decision to shift course and arbitrarily exclude dairy farm losses related to meat production is a significant blow. We urge USDA to reverse this arbitrary decision and make breeding animals eligible for CFAP 2 like they were under the original relief program. It would not be difficult to estimate an average rate that dairy cows are removed from milking and sent to the meat supply. Should USDA determine that breeding animals are typically worth less per head than other cattle, a separate per head rate could also be established instead of completely excluding dairy cows and other breeding animals. With respect to dairy losses due to the pandemic, we continue to encourage USDA to provide assistance to farmers that had to dispose of milk due to the pandemic's shock to the normal food supply. We also encourage USDA to be flexible and work with the dairy industry, as there may be different scenarios depending on how cooperatives and farmers managed the temporary surplus. A one-size-fits-all approach may unfairly exclude some losses. While we are particularly concerned with barriers preventing dairy farms from accessing this critical assistance, the exclusion of breeding animals in the other segments will also create unnecessary inequities. In particular, some farmers have sought out opportunities to specialize and are arbitrarily excluded by the USDA decision. For example, some farms have focused on developing superior genetics and supplying animals to other farmers that breed them and produce the animals that go directly for meat or wool production. These producers will clearly be experiencing pandemic related losses as the farmers they supply have had to reduce purchases, but the breeding animal decision by USDA completely excludes any assistance for these specialized farms. Finally, in addition to the unfairness of excluding losses from certain segments of meat production, USDA's decision to not cover all animals unnecessarily complicates the sign-up process for Farm Service Agency field staff and farmers. Setting a fair payment rate for all animals, including breeding animals, would largely avoid the difficult job of trying to define the intended use' of each calf, lamb, piglet or kid born and expecting farmers or USDA field staff to validate those determinations. Thank you for considering our request for USDA to reverse the decision to exclude breeding animals like dairy cows from CFAP 2. Congress recently provided the requested early refill of the Commodity Credit Corporation borrowing authority in the Continuing Resolution enacted on September 30, providing USDA with sufficient resources to correct this unfair decision. Sincerely, ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.smith.senate.gov/klobuchar-smith-call-usda-reverse-decision-decrease-covid-19-relief-dairy-farmers,"Klobuchar, Smith Call on USDA to Reverse Decision to Decrease COVID-19 Relief for Dairy Farmers",2020-10-29,2020,2020-10,Democrat,House,MN,Tina Smith,S001203,www.smith.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Senators urge USDA to reverse course after changing pandemic relief program to exclude dairy losses related to meat production WASHINGTON U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) joined Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and 11 other senators calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to reverse its decision to unfairly exclude dairy farmers from receiving COVID-19 relief to cover losses related to meat production. While milk is the primary income for dairy farms, they often have diversified operations, including meat processing of retired milking cows. In the original Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), the USDA compensated dairy farmers and other livestock producers for losses related to meat produced from breeding animals. When USDA announced CFAP 2, the second version of the relief program, the Department made a significant change to exclude those losses. This change will hurt the livestock industry and will be particularly harmful to dairy farmers who often operate at extremely tight margins, the senators wrote. The decision is even more troubling considering that USDA clearly has sufficient resources to cover these losses. Additionally, it is less complicated for both USDA and farmers to cover all livestock and avoid confusion about what animals are covered or excluded. Considering the dairy industry's traditionally tight margins, USDA's decision to shift course and arbitrarily exclude dairy farm losses related to meat production is a significant blow, the senators continued. We urge USDA to reverse this arbitrary decision and make breeding animals eligible for CFAP 2 like they were under the original relief program. In addition to Senators Klobuchar, Smith, Stabenow and Leahy, the letter was signed by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Bob Casey (D-PA), Angus King (I-ME), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Gary Peters (D-MI). Full text of the letter is available HERE and below. Dear Secretary Perdue, We are concerned that USDA's new Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP 2) will unfairly disadvantage dairy and other livestock producers. Specifically, USDA made a significant change between the first version of CFAP and the new version that has unfairly excluded the value of the meat produced from breeding animals. This change will affect the livestock industry and will be particularly harmful to dairy farmers who often operate at extremely tight margins. The decision is even more troubling considering that USDA clearly has sufficient resources to cover these losses. Additionally, it is less complicated for both USDA and farmers to cover all livestock and avoid confusion about what animals are covered or excluded. Even before the coronavirus pandemic, dairy farms have struggled with prolonged market uncertainty, unfair trade practices, and the Administration's chaotic trade policies. Unfortunately many farms, especially smaller operations, have had no choice but to sell their cows and exit the dairy business. While the value of the milk is the primary income stream for dairy farms, they are by nature diversified with significant income coming from the meat of cows as they are retired from milking and any crop production that exceeds the feed needs of their own animals. Considering the dairy industry's traditionally tight margins, USDA's decision to shift course and arbitrarily exclude dairy farm losses related to meat production is a significant blow. We urge USDA to reverse this arbitrary decision and make breeding animals eligible for CFAP 2 like they were under the original relief program. It would not be difficult to estimate an average rate that dairy cows are removed from milking and sent to the meat supply. Should USDA determine that breeding animals are typically worth less per head than other cattle, a separate per head rate could also be established instead of completely excluding dairy cows and other breeding animals. With respect to dairy losses due to the pandemic, we continue to encourage USDA to provide assistance to farmers that had to dispose of milk due to the pandemic's shock to the normal food supply. We also encourage USDA to be flexible and work with the dairy industry, as there may be different scenarios depending on how cooperatives and farmers managed the temporary surplus. A one-size-fits-all approach may unfairly exclude some losses. While we are particularly concerned with barriers preventing dairy farms from accessing this critical assistance, the exclusion of breeding animals in the other segments will also create unnecessary inequities. In particular, some farmers have sought out opportunities to specialize and are arbitrarily excluded by the USDA decision. For example, some farms have focused on developing superior genetics and supplying animals to other farmers that breed them and produce the animals that go directly for meat or wool production. These producers will clearly be experiencing pandemic related losses as the farmers they supply have had to reduce purchases, but the breeding animal decision by USDA completely excludes any assistance for these specialized farms. Finally, in addition to the unfairness of excluding losses from certain segments of meat production, USDA's decision to not cover all animals unnecessarily complicates the sign-up process for Farm Service Agency field staff and farmers. Setting a fair payment rate for all animals, including breeding animals, would largely avoid the difficult job of trying to define the intended use' of each calf, lamb, piglet or kid born and expecting farmers or USDA field staff to validate those determinations. Thank you for considering our request for USDA to reverse the decision to exclude breeding animals like dairy cows from CFAP 2. Congress recently provided the requested early refill of the Commodity Credit Corporation borrowing authority in the Continuing Resolution enacted on September 30, providing USDA with sufficient resources to correct this unfair decision. Sincerely,",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=5CAB75E7-813C-4AE8-B493-82A3B846E098,Klobuchar Urges Confirmation of Shana Broussard to Federal Election Commission,2020-10-28,2020,2020-10,Democrat,House,MN,Amy Klobuchar,K000367,www.klobuchar.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Klobuchar has been pushing the White House to nominate Broussard, a highly qualified and experienced FEC attorney, to the Commission for more than a year. If confirmed, she will be the first person of color to serve on the Federal Elections Commission. WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee with oversight over federal elections, released the following statement after the White House announced its intent to nominate Shana Broussard to serve on the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Democrats advanced Ms. Broussard to the White House for consideration more than a year ago. Today's announcement from the White House that they will nominate Ms. Broussard is historic. The White House also announced its intention to nominate Republican Sean Cooksey to the Commission. Shana Broussard is an immensely qualified candidate who has worked at the FEC for more than a decade and I am glad to see that the White House intends to nominate her, Klobuchar said. The FEC needs to be fully functioning so it can enforce our nation's campaign finance laws. However, the timing of these nominations cannot be ignored. We need to stop treating the agency that's charged with keeping corruption out of our elections like a political pawn. We must restore trust in the FEC, and confirming Ms. Broussard, a well-respected and longtime FEC lawyer, will go a long way towards doing that. Ms. Broussard currently serves as the Counsel to FEC Commissioner Steven T. Walther. Before this, Ms. Broussard was an Attorney Advisor at the Internal Revenue Service and a Deputy Disciplinary Counsel at the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board. She also served as a New Orleans Assistant District Attorney. While at the FEC, Ms. Broussard received the Outstanding Performance Award in 2011 and 2014. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Dillard University and her Juris Doctor from Southern University Law Center. Klobuchar has been a leader in the fight to appointment candidates to the FEC from both parties. In January, Klobuchar led a letter to White House Counsel Pat Cipollone urging the Administration to immediately nominate the bipartisan pair of candidates that were submitted to President Donald Trump by Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to fill vacancies at the Federal Election Commission (FEC). This letter was preceded by one that was sent in August of 2019, where Klobuchar sent a letter to President Trump urging him to swiftly complete the vetting process on the Democratic candidate and put forward a nominee so that the Senate could move forward with the confirmation process. Klobuchar is a leader on campaign finance reform legislation. She has been a champion of the For the People Act in the Senate and is the lead sponsor of the Campaign Finance Transparency Act, legislation that would dramatically improve the functionality of the Federal Election Commission. Last October, Klobuchar introduced the Stopping Harmful Interference in Elections for a Lasting Democracy (SHIELD) Act. The legislation, which passed the House of Representatives, includes three Klobuchar provisions to secure U.S. elections, including the Honest Ads Act, PAID AD Act, and Deceptive Practices and the Voter Intimidation Prevention Act. In October she also introduced the Help America Run Act. This legislation would make it easier to run for office by expanding the permitted uses of campaign funds to include child care, elder care, dependent care, and health care premiums. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=82B61A78-88E0-4A90-AD38-757236F04A7C,Klobuchar Presses CEOs of Facebook and Google on Need to Combat Misinformation and Promote Industry Competition,2020-10-28,2020,2020-10,Democrat,House,MN,Amy Klobuchar,K000367,www.klobuchar.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Today, at a Senate Commerce Committee Hearing with CEOs from Google, Facebook, and Twitter, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) highlighted the urgent need to combat misinformation and improve the transparency of online political advertising and competition. I want to note first that this hearing comes six days before Election Day, and I believe we are politicizing and the Republican majority is politicizing what should actually not be a non-partisan topic, and I do want to thank the witnesses here for appearing, but also for the work that they are doing to try and encourage voting and to put out the correct information when the president and others are undermining vote by mail - something we are doing in every state of the country right now, Klobuchar said in her opening remarks. Second point, Republicans failed to pass my bipartisan Honest Ads Act and the White House blatantly blocked the bipartisan election security bill that I had with Senator Lankford, as well as several other Republicans, and it is one of the reasons I think we need a new president. Third, my Republican colleagues in the Senate, many of them I work with very well on this committee, but we have had four years to do something when it comes to antitrust, privacy, local news -- a subject that briefly came up -- and so many other things. I will use my time to focus on what I consider, in Justice Ginsburg's words, a blueprint for the future. In her exchange with Mark Zuckerberg, Klobuchar highlighted divisive content on Facebook: KLOBUCHAR: I know there has been a recent study that shows that part of your algorithm that push people towards more polarized content, left, right, whatever. In fact, one of your researchers warned senior executives that our algorithms exploit human brain's attraction to divisiveness. The way I look at it - more divisiveness, more time on the platform, the company makes more money Transcript of full remarks and questions below and video HERE. In her role as a senior Member of the Senate Commerce Committee and Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights Klobuchar has been a leader in the fight to protect consumers' personal data, stop the spread of misinformation, and promote online competition. And as the Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee, with oversight over federal elections, Klobuchar has fought to improve the transparency of online political advertising, stop foreign interference in elections through online platforms, and combat the spread of online election related disinformation and voter intimidation and suppression. In September, Klobuchar, along with 16 colleagues sent a letter to Facebook, Instagram, Google, Twitter and YouTube, urging executives to take further measures to stop voting related misinformation and disinformation. Klobuchar leads the Honest Ads Act, which was reintroduced in 2019 with cosponsors Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) to help prevent foreign interference in future elections and improve the transparency of online political advertisements. The Honest Ads Act would prevent foreign actors from influencing our elections by ensuring that political ads sold online are covered by the same rules as ads sold on TV, radio, and satellite and by improving disclosure requirements. In August, at an Antitrust Subcommittee hearing on Google's dominance in advertising technology markets, Klobuchar emphasized the need to enforce antitrust Laws. Transcript from Klobuchar questions on October 28th: KLOBUCHAR: Thank you, Chairman. I want to note first that this hearing comes six days before Election Day, and I believe we are politicizing and the Republican majority is politicizing what should actually not be a partisan topic, and I do want to thank the witnesses here for appearing, but also for the work that they are doing to try and encourage voting and to put out the correct information when the president and others are undermining vote by mail - something we are doing in every state of the country right now. Second point, Republicans failed to pass my bipartisan Honest Ads Act and the White House blatantly blocked the bipartisan election security bill that I had with Senator Lankford, as well as several other Republicans, and it is one of the reasons I think we need a new president. Third, my Republican colleagues in the Senate, many of them I work with very well on this committee, but we have had four years to do something when it comes to antitrust, privacy, local news -- a subject that briefly came up -- and so many other things. I will use my time to focus on what I consider, in Justice Ginsburg's words to be, a blueprint for the future. I will start with you Mr. Zuckerberg. How many people log into Facebook every day? ZUCKERBERG: Senator, it is more than 2 billion. KLOBUCHAR: And how much money have you made on political advertisements in the last two years? ZUCKERBERG: Senator, I do not know off the top of my head, it is a relatively small part of our revenue. KLOBUCHAR: Okay. Small for you - but, I think it is $2.2 billion over 10,000 ads sold since May 2018. Those are your numbers and we can check them later. Do you require Facebook employees to review the content of each of the political ads that you sell in order to ensure that they comply with the law and your own internal rules? ZUCKERBERG: Senator, we require all political advertisers to be verified before they could run ads. And, I believe we do review advertising as well. KLOBUCHAR: But does a real person actually read the political ads that you sell, yes or no? ZUCKERBERG: Senator, I imagine that a person does not look at every single ad. Our systems are a combination of artificial intelligence systems and people. We have 35,000 people who docontent and security review for us. KLOBUCHAR: I really just had a straightforward question, because I don't think they do. I think the algorithms hit in, because I think the ads instantly are placed, is that correct? ZUCKERBERG: Senator, my understanding of the way the system works is we have computers and artificial intelligence scan everything, and if we think there are potential violations, then either the AI system will act or it will flag it to the tens of thousands of people who do content review. KLOBUCHAR: With all the money you have, you could have a real person review like all the other traditional media organizations do. Another question - when John McCain and I and Senator Warner introduced the Honest Ads Act we got push back from your company, others, and you were initially against it, and then we discussed this at a hearing and you are for it, I appreciate that. Have you spent any of the money, I know you spent the most money over lobbying last year. Have you spent any of the money trying to change or block the bill? ZUCKERBERG: No, in fact I have endorsed it publicly and we have implemented it into our systems even though it has not become law. I'm a big supporter of the Honest Ads Act. KLOBUCHAR: Have you done anything to get it passed, because we are at a roadblock on it? I do appreciate that you voluntarily implemented some of it, but have you voluntarily implemented the part of the Honest Ads Act where you fully disclose which groups of people are being targeted by political ads? ZUCKERBERG: Senator, we have I think industry-leading transparency around political ads, and part of that is showing which audiences in broad terms ended up seeing the ads. Of course, getting the right resolution on that is challenging without it becoming a privacy issue, but we have tried to do that and provide as much transparency as we can and I think we are currently leading in that area. KLOBUCHAR: I still have concerns. I don't mean to interrupt you but I have such limited time. The last thing I will ask you is about divisiveness on the platform, and I know there has been a recent -- studies have shown that part of your algorithms, they push people towards more polarized content, left, right, whatever. In fact, one of your researchers warned senior executives that our algorithms exploit the human brain's attraction to divisiveness. The way I look at it - more divisiveness, more time on the platform, the company makes more money. Does that bother you, what it's done to our politics? ZUCKERBERG: Senator, I respectfully disagree with that characterization of how the system works. We design our systems to show people the content that's going to be the most meaningful to them, which is not trying to be as divisive as possible. Most of the content on the systems is not political. It is things like making sure that you can see when your cousin had her baby. KLOBUCHAR: I am going to move on to Google here and Mr. Pichai, but I am telling you right now that is not what I am talking about, the cousins and the babies here. I am talking about conspiracy theories and all the things that I think Senators on both sides of the aisle know what I am talking about, and I think it has been corrosive. Google, Mr. Pichai, I have not really liked your response to the lawsuit and what has been happening. I think we need a change in competition policy for this country. I hope I will be able to ask you more about it at the Judiciary Committee, and I think your response isn't just offensive, it's been defiant to the Justice Department and suits all over the world. You control almost 90% of all general search engine queries, 70% of the search advertising market. Don't you see these practices as anti-competitive? PICHAI: Senator, we are a popular general purpose search engine. We do see robust competition in many categories of information. And, we invest significantly in R&D, we are innovating, we are lowering prices in all the markets we are operating in. Happy to engage and discuss it further. KLOBUCHAR: One of your employees testified in front of the antitrust subcommittee last month and he suggested that Google wasn't dominant in ad tech, that it was one of many companies in a highly competitive landscape. And yet Google has 90% of the publisher ad server market, a product of its double-click acquisition. Does the market sound highly competitive to you, when you have 90% of it? PICHAI: Many publishers can use simultaneously many tools. Amazon and Trade Desk have grown significantly in the past two years. This is a market in which we share a majority of revenue, our margins are low. We are happy to take feedback here. We are trying to support the publishing industry, but definitely open to feedback and happy to engage and discuss it further. KLOBUCHAR: I think you have gotten feedback from the lawsuit. I am looking forward to our next hearing to discuss it more. Thank you. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=9042BADC-E3B4-412E-967E-16978A10684E,"Klobuchar, Sanders Issue Statement Correcting Misinformation from President Trump and Justice Kavanaugh on Voting Processes",2020-10-28,2020,2020-10,Democrat,House,MN,Amy Klobuchar,K000367,www.klobuchar.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) andBernie Sanders (I-VT)released the statement below following President Trump's recent false statement that it is inappropriate and illegal to count ballots after Election Day, and the Supreme Court's ruling in Democratic National Committee v. Wisconsin Legislature, where Justice Kavanaugh's concurring opinion contains incorrect information regarding voting. Absentee ballots counted after Election Day do not flip the results of an election,' as Justice Kavanaugh claimed. They are the results of the election. ""In America, we count the votes to determine who wins an election. Despite the incorrect assertions from President Trump and Justice Kavanaugh, election officials across the country accept ballots well after Election Day every year, and results are not certified until the votes are counted and a canvas to confirm the results is conducted. More than twenty states, including states like Mississippi, Kansas, and Utah, require ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted even if they are received after Election Day. This is critical to ensuring that those who may face hardships in voting, including members of our military serving abroad and those affected by COVID-19, are not disenfranchised by things like mail delays. These are not new rules and they do not serve any political party. It is on all of us to reject misinformation and to tell the truth. Our election systems span 50 states, five territories, and thousands of jurisdictions. State and local election officials are working around the clock, and experts have concluded that the integrity of our election system is strong. The best defense against those trying to undermine our democracy is the resolve of the American people, who are voting by the millions as we speak. Keep voting. On October 18, Klobuchar and Sanders along with Senators Schumer (D-NY), Heinrich (D-NM), Murphy (D-CT), and Duckworth (D-IL) issued a report titled 2020 General Election: Counting Votes & What to Expect on Election Day, which offers a guide to voting procedures in key states. The report can be found HERE. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=F1DA3180-2640-42DE-B036-B7DB7C7FF09E,"Following Letter from Klobuchar and Smith, HHS Expands Relief For Rural Health Care Providers",2020-10-28,2020,2020-10,Democrat,House,MN,Amy Klobuchar,K000367,www.klobuchar.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Earlier this month, Klobuchar and Smith urged the Administration to preserve rural health care providers' access to pandemic relief funding WASHINGTON U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that following their letter earlier this month to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar, the Administration has expanded relief eligibility for rural health care providers and updated requirements to preserve providers' access to funding from the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) created as a response to the coronavirus pandemic. As we continue to face challenges from the pandemic, rural areas are in need of critical support, Klobuchar said. This announcement is welcome news and we must continue to work with rural hospitals and health systems in Minnesota and around the country to help ensure that they can continue to serve low-income, elderly, and severely ill patients through this difficult time. We need to help health care providers in small towns and rural areas stay afloat so they can continue their critical work during COVID-19, Smith said. Some health care providers are having to lay people off while anticipating surges in patients this winter. This puts them in an impossible position. The last thing we should do is change the requirements for the Provider Relief Fund, which may force some health care providers to return funds they have already received."" HHS is allowing more flexibility for providers in using PRF proceeds so that they can continue to respond to all of the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic. This will help to protect patients' access to care and prevent providers especially rural hospitals and hospitals that serve high-numbers of low-income, elderly, and severely ill patients from being forced to return PRF funds that they have already received. HHS released initial reporting requirements in June for providers receiving PRF funds that directed these entities to define lost revenue as any revenue that you as a health care provider lost due to coronavirus, but HHS released updated reporting requirements on September 19 that directed providers to instead use changes in their net operating income to calculate lost revenue a substantial change from the initial June guidance that was expected to reduce the amount of lost revenues that providers are able to report. That shift in reporting requirements would have changed the terms of the relief as hospitals and health systems initially understood them and likely created further uncertainty for providers at a time when they are already facing serious financial challenges. Earlier this month, Klobuchar and Smith led 20 colleagues in a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar, expressing concerns about that change in reporting requirements for hospitals and health systems that receive relief funds from the Provider Relief Fund (PRF). That change could have forced providers to return relief funding that they had already received. Rural hospitals and hospitals that serve high numbers of low-income, elderly, and severely ill patients could have been particularly burdened by the additional reporting requirements, due to their already thin financial margins. Klobuchar and Smith were joined on the letter by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Doug Jones (D-AL), Chris Coons (D-DE), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jack Reed (D-RI), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Gary Peters (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Angus King (I-ME), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Tom Carper (D-DE). Full text of the October 9 letter can be found HERE and below. Dear Secretary Azar: We write to express our concerns regarding the recent change in reporting requirements for health care providers that have received emergency relief through the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) and to respectfully request that you reinstate the original reporting requirements for determining lost revenue that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) first released in June of this year. As you know, the CARES Act established the PRF to reimburse health care providers for health care-related expenses or lost revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic. The PRF has been critical in helping hospitals and health care systems across the country navigate the serious financial challenges posed by this pandemic, preventing many providers from being forced to permanently close their doors. As a condition for receiving PRF funds, the CARES Act required these recipients to submit reports and maintain documentation to certify their compliance with program requirements. In June, HHS released initial guidance outlining some of these reporting requirements and directed providers to calculate lost revenue by comparing actual 2020 revenue with budgeted 2020 revenue or with 2019 revenue. On September 19, HHS released updated reporting requirements that directed providers to use net operating income to calculate lost revenuea substantial change from the directions issued in June. We have heard from hospitals and health systems in our states who are concerned that this change in the definition of lost revenue will force them to return funds to HHS that they have received from the PRF. In particular, rural hospitals and those that serve high numbers of low-income, elderly, and severely ill patientswhich already operate on thin financial marginsmay be especially impacted by this change. We are concerned that this change in reporting requirements changes the terms of the relief as providers initially understood them based on the initial June guidelinesfurther exacerbating the financial challenges and uncertainty that these systems continue to grapple with as a result of the pandemic. Therefore, we respectfully request that you reinstate the original June requirements for determining lost revenue in order to prevent unnecessary financial uncertainty for hospitals and health care providers and to prevent them from being forced to return PRF funds that they have already received. Thank you for your time and attention to this important measure. We look forward to working with you to continue supporting our hospitals and ensuring that this pandemic does not cause further, long-term disruptions to Americans' access to care. Sincerely, ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z