Last week, I joined President Biden in the Twin Ports to celebrate federal funding to rebuild the Blatnik Bridge that connects Duluth to Superior, Wisconsin. Some 30,000 cars cross the bridge every day and nearly $4 billion in goods are transported every year. Our economy depends on this infrastructure to deliver goods and services and keep businesses running, but the bridge is old and will soon become unsafe. Thanks to President Biden, we finally have the necessary resources to rebuild the Blatnik Bridge. I pushed for this funding for years, and now it’s a reality.

Mental health care should be available everywhere, regardless of your age, where you live or the kind of insurance you have. Sometimes, when you’re experiencing a problem with your mental health, just getting out of bed can be a daunting task. I introduced the bipartisan Telemental Health Care Access Act to remove barriers to telemental health services for seniors on Medicare. This bill is an important step in making sure patients on Medicare and their doctors have the freedom to coordinate the care they need without politicians getting in the way.

Even though it’s unseasonably warm in Minnesota right now, winter is far from over. As temperatures drop, everyone should be able to heat their homes and stay warm. For some families and seniors, severe winter weather can force a difficult choice between paying for home heat and other essentials like rent, food or medicine. But there’s a federal program that can provide some relief through Minnesota’s Energy Assistance Program.  It offers payment assistance for energy bills, or even some emergency repairs. To check if you are eligible for financial assistance, use the LIHEAP Eligibility Tool on energyhelp.us. I encourage anyone interested and wondering if they qualify to apply by visiting visit energyhelp.us or call the National Energy Assistance Referral (NEAR) hotline toll-free at: 1-866-674-6327.

I’m always finding new ways to meet Minnesotans where they’re at and let them know how I’m fighting for working families in Washington, DC. Feel free to stay up to date with me by following my ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) @SenTinaSmith, Threads, Instagram @SenatorTinaSmith, or Facebook.