Sen. Tina Smith from Minnesota joins Senate Committee on Indian Affairs

Wednesday, January 10, 2018

The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs is welcoming its newest member, Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minnesota).

Smith comes to committee after being sworn into the Senate last Wednesday. She replaced Democrat Al Franken, also from Minnesota, who resigned after being accused of sexual misconduct.

“I’m eager to fight for the nurse in greater Minnesota who’s worried about cuts to the rural health budget and the public school teacher who wants to give students a world-class education; for the retirees in Duluth who are concerned about their pensions getting cut, the farmer in Willmar concerned about slumping commodity prices, the tribal leader who demands a response to the opioid crisis in Indian Country, and the local business looking to cut its monthly energy bill,” Smith, the former lieutenant governor of Minnesota, said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs is one of the busiest in Congress, with hearings, meetings, listening sessions and roundtables taking place almost every week when lawmakers are in session. The panel's next hearing, on January 17, focuses on agriculture in Indian Country.

Smith will serve on the committee at least through the end of the year. Voters in Minnesota will go to the polls on November 8 for a special election to fill out the remainder of Franken's term, which was due to run through 2021.

Smith plans to run in the special election.

Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Notice:
Oversight Hearing on "Breaking New Ground in Agribusiness Opportunities in Indian Country" (January 17, 2018)