Tina Smith

The irony of posting about Earth Day just a week after we lost a vote to save the Boundary Waters isn’t lost on me. It’s a tough loss that we’re still processing. But today, of all days, should remind us why these special places are worth fighting for.   The Boundary Waters have some of the cleanest water that you will find anywhere in this country. Endless lakes and streams filled with bass and pike and trout. Completely untouched nature and only accessible via canoe. Allowing this copper-sulfide mine in the headwaters of the BWCA will threaten all of that, but the fight isn’t over. It looks different, yes, but the mission is still fundamentally the same: These waters are the birthright of every single one of us, and it’s our job to protect them from the corporate greed of Antofagasta. Not this mine. Not this place.   This coalition of Tribal Nations, outdoorsmen, conservationists, public lands enthusiasts and just your average Minnesotans who have been lucky enough to visit this place will still fight against this mine. And anyone who is feeling defeated should look at the comments on Pete Stauber’s posts last week to get a sense of just how mad we are and how hard we are going to continue fighting. Because the Boundary Waters have such special meaning. It’s a sacred place, and we will never stop defending it. 🛶🫎🇺🇸

TINA SMITH: Secretary Kennedy, a trillion dollars in cuts according to the CBO, 7 million people losing their health insurance because of the Trump administration. That's not debatable RFK Jr: There is nobody legally enrolled in Medicaid who is losing coverage SMITH: That is just not true!

WARSH: The broad contours of the economy are improving. The potential of the economy, the real results of the economy are improving. TINA SMITH: The reality is there was almost 0 job growth in 2025. That looks to me like not a roaring economy, but a weak economy.

The Secretary of Health and Human Services came to a congressional budget hearing this week and did not know what was in his own budget.    If he doesn’t know what he’s cutting, he has no business deciding what gets cut.

This is a man who couldn't care less about the pain you're feeling at the pump.   For Trump, it's all about how he can get richer at the expense of us getting poorer.

Minnesota and countless other states have proven how we can safely decriminalize and regulate the cannabis industry. Long overdue for the federal government to take a page out of that playbook.

A good time for a reminder that locking people up for low level marijuana offenses doesn’t solve anything and our federal laws need to catch up with the times

@PopBase A good time for a reminder that locking people up for low level marijuana offenses doesn’t solve anything and our federal laws need to catch up with the times

Today is 4/20.

The fight for the Boundary Waters isn’t over, it just looks a little different now. We will not give up. That would play right into their hands.

Losing hope is exactly what they want us to do. While the vote against the Boundary Waters is fresh on our minds, the work continues.    Headed to Greater Minnesota now to keep up the fight. We have so much to do to tackle corporate greed in areas like housing and health care.

Do not lose hope. This fight is not over. We should all be so proud of the coalition we built to fight this. Tribal Nations. Outdoorsmen. Conservationists. Public lands advocates. But most importantly, Minnesotans who deeply appreciate what these waters mean to all of us and our shared obligation to safeguard them for our kids, our grandkids, and every generation thereafter. One day, the shoe will be on the other foot, and they will regret what they did to the Boundary Waters today — because this was a mistake. They’ve set a new precedent that no public lands are ever truly safe, including those in Montana. Utah. The Dakotas. Idaho. Republicans privately told me they knew this is wrong, and I wish they had voted their conscience.   Tonight, we take a much-needed rest. Tomorrow, we figure out what comes next.   Save the Boundary Waters.

I'm about to deliver my closing remarks in opposition to a measure that would allow toxic copper-nickel sulfide mining in the watershed of the Boundary Waters. Tune in. twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…

Since they’re abusing the Congressional Review Act to get around the filibuster, I am reserving some of my time so I can make closing remarks in the morning before the final vote. Maybe they’ll listen to reason after a night’s sleep. Stay tuned. Save the Boundary Waters.

The Senate is about to vote on handing a national forest over to a foreign corporation. A Chilean mining company wants to develop a copper mine upstream from the Boundary Waters, a pristine wilderness. The GOP has to choose between a foreign corporation and their constituents.

I’m holding the Senate floor tonight in protest of legislation that would allow a copper-nickel sulfide mine on the doorstep of the Boundary Waters. Not this mine. Not this place. twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…

70% of Minnesotans do NOT want copper nickel mining near the Boundary Waters. The Senate has a chance to do right by them by leaving the mining moratorium in place.

•The U.S. Senate may hold a floor vote TODAY which would overturn a 20-year moratorium on sulfide-ore copper mining on 225,000 acres of Superior National Forest land in the watershed of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) Wilderness in northern Minnesota. The Boundary Waters is the most visited Wilderness in the United States.  🛶 Enjoying the Minnesotan/Canadian wilderness by canoe or other lesser watercraft is one of our nations greatest available pastimes, and one I have personally enjoyed my entire life. We must protect these public lands from the rapacious capitalists threatening to turn them into a poisoned wasteland. •This vote in Congress would open the door to copper mining at the headwaters of this entire ecosystem. This kind of mining produces toxic pollution, including acid runoff and heavy metals, that can contaminate nearby waters. •The Boundary Waters supports a major outdoor economy that sustains thousands of jobs and generates over a billion dollars a year - built on clean water and intact public lands. But this vote would clear the way for toxic mining that puts all of that at risk. It would also set a dangerous precedent, making it easier to roll back protections for public lands across the country, including wilderness areas, national monuments, and national parks.  •This is a defining moment. If you care about clean water, public lands, and protecting places we can’t replace, now is the time to speak up. •Protect the Boundary Waters, and vote NO on House Joint Resolution 140. Let’s save this treasured place for all of us—forever. on.nrdc.org/4csRkwi

One of our most sacred obligations is protecting beloved natural treasures for generations to come. Unfortunately, the U.S. Senate is poised to betray that responsibility, columnist Jill Burcum writes. startribune.com/us-senate-upco…

The short term profits of a FOREIGN mining company do not outweigh the destruction of AMERICAN public lands — that includes the Boundary Waters.