Smith Holds Up COVID Relief Over Free Phone Calls for Prisoners

August 7th, 2020

EAGAN, Minn. — U.S. Senate candidate Jason Lewis released the following statement on Senator Tina Smith’s push for the next COVID relief package to include free phone calls for prisoners.

“Senator Tina Smith seems to have an affinity for criminals and lawlessness. First, she was all in with the mob that torched the Twin Cities to the ground, calling for a continuation of protests following days of looting and arson. Then she went on the floor of the United States Senate to say there’s “something inherently dangerous about the role police play in society.” 

Now, as Congress considers further COVID relief, Tina Smith is holding Americans’ lives and livelihoods hostage over funding for free phone calls for prisoners. That’s right—unemployment benefits have expired and the PPP program is about to close, and Tina Smith is more concerned about making sure incarcerated criminals can make phone calls for free. This should come as no surprise, considering she twice voted to block COVID relief in March. She did however find the time to sell one million dollars’ worth of personal stock while that was going on.

To Tina Smith and her fellow Senate Democrats, this relief isn’t about helping Americans who find themselves struggling financially due to the heavy-handed COVID lockdowns. Instead, they see it as a political tool to push their policy agenda, which apparently includes prioritizing criminals over law-abiding citizens. It is disgusting, and every Minnesotan should be outraged. Tina Smith must immediately put aside the partisan politics and put the needs of her constituents first.”

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