WASHINGTON, March 14 -- Rep. Brad Finstad, R-Minnesota, issued the following news release on March 13, 2024: Today, Representative Brad Finstad (MN-01) introduced the Healthcare Freedom for VHA Volunteer Drivers Act. This legislation would exempt volunteer drivers from the Veterans Health Administration's (VHA) COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Volunteer drivers provide transportation services to veterans who cannot drive, particularly veterans in rural communities, to get to and from appointments at D  more

WASHINGTON, March 14 -- Sen. Tina Flint Smith, D-Minnesota, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced a $497,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development grant and a $651,000 loan to make improvements to the water treatment plant and water tower in Osakis. Specifically, the funding supports a project that will convert the iron filter to a biological ammonia-removal filter to allow chlorine to better clean the lines durin  more

WASHINGTON, March 14 -- Sen. Tina Flint Smith, D-Minnesota, issued the following news release on March 12, 2024: U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced a $906,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development grant and an $8,310,000 loan to make improvements to the Red Lake Falls's water, wastewater, and sewer infrastructure. Specifically, this project will construct a new water tower and pump station and install new water meters. "Red Lake Falls's current  more

WASHINGTON, March 13 -- Sen. Tina Flint Smith, D-Minnesota, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced a $851,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development grant and a $1,494,000 loan to make improvements to the City of Taconite's water system. The funding will advance the construction of a new water storage tank, a water pump house, and a replacement water tower. The project will also install individual water meters for c  more

WASHINGTON, March 14 -- Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minnesota, issued the following news release on March 13, 2024: This week, the House Natural Resources Committee voted to advance H.R. 1657 authored by Congressman Pete Stauber, the bipartisan Lake Winnibigoshish Land Exchange Act to exchange 36.7 acres owned by Bowen Lodge for 17.5 acres managed by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Chippewa National Forest. Of this legislation's passage out of committee, Stauber stated, "This land exchange is   more

WASHINGTON, March 13 -- Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minnesota, issued the following news release: U.S. Representative Angie Craig is leading the charge in the U.S. House of Representatives to secure the federal funding needed to install fentanyl scanners at the southern border. Rep. Craig wrote to top congressional appropriators following news reports that high-tech fentanyl scanners are sitting unused in warehouses because Congress has not passed the funding needed to install them. "I have repeatedl  more

WASHINGTON, March 13 -- Sen. Tina Flint Smith, D-Minnesota, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator and Tina Smith (D-MN) joined her colleagues in sending a letter to the Biden administration regarding the mounting humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia. The letter was led by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and was also signed by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Tim Kaine (D-VA). The Senators urged U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S.  more

WASHINGTON, March 13 -- Sen. Tina Flint Smith, D-Minnesota, issued the following news release: Senators Tina Smith, a member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, and Amy Klobuchar (both D-Minn.) announced federal funding to connect Tribal homes to clean electricity, including homes previously not connected to electricity at all. Minnesota Tribes selected for funding include Prairie Island Indian Community, Red Lake Nation and Bois Forte Band of Chippewa. The grants are made possible by Presi  more