Press releases
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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715 rows where chamber = "House", state = "TN" and year = 2016 sorted by date descending
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| url | title | date ▲ | year | month | party | chamber | state | member_name | bioguide_id | domain | scraper | source | date_source | text | has_text | collected_at | updated_at |
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| https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/conyers-slaughter-nadler-cohen-new-republican-rule-modern-day-gag-rule | CONYERS, SLAUGHTER, NADLER & COHEN: NEW REPUBLICAN RULE IS A MODERN DAY GAG RULE | 2016-12-30 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | TN | Steve Cohen | C001068 | cohen.house.gov | legacy | Washington, DC – House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), House Committee on Rules Ranking Member Louise Slaughter (D-NY), House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution Ranking Member Steve Cohen (D-TN), and Subcommittee on Intellectual Property Ranking Member, and former chair of the Subcommittee on the Constitution Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) today released a joint statement on the proposed Republican Rules package, which, among other things, would delegate to the Sergeant-at-Arms the authority to impose fines of up to $2,500 per offense against any Member who uses an electronic device to photograph or record House floor proceedings. This is an apparent reaction to the Democratic sit-in on the House floor last June over the Republicans’ failure to bring up common sense gun safety legislation in the wake of the Orlando night club shootings. “House Republican Leadership, as one of its first priorities for the incoming Congress, seeks to impose a modern day and unconstitutional gag rule to restrict the First Amendment rights of Members to protest and engage in other forms of expression on the House floor as well as deny them due process. This unprecedented rule change, which appears to violate several fundamental constitutional protections, clearly is intended to undermine the rights of Members in the Minority to freely express their views on the House floor, which is a critical means by which Members communicate to the American public. It is particularly egregious that such a controversial and potentially unlawful change is being implemented in the complete absence of hearings or input from legal experts, let alone the Minority. “In effect, this proposed rule change would empower a protocol official to unilaterally impose a fine against a Member who uses an electronic device to photograph or record House floor proceedings without affording the Member any due process. Even the threat of this fine would have a chilling effect on the right of Members to express their views on t… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-list?ContentRecord_id=EB18C231-6902-4ADC-BFB1-E2FD9AC77151 | Corker Statement on Confirmation Process for Rex Tillerson | 2016-12-22 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Bob Corker | C001071 | www.corker.senate.gov | legacy | CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement regarding the confirmation process for Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson. “As is long-standing precedent for nominees considered by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the committee has not asked Mr. Tillerson to provide copies of his tax returns,” said Corker. “By all accounts, Mr. Tillerson is currently ahead of schedule in providing information to the committee. He already has submitted a completed nominee questionnaire and will soon submit an extensive financial disclosure. Furthermore, prior to his confirmation hearing, he will go through the same ethics and FBI checks as previous Secretary of State nominees. That has always been the plan, it is already in progress, and I am deeply disappointed my colleagues continue to imply otherwise. Our committee will carry out exactly the same procedures for Mr. Tillerson’s nomination that have been carried out since well before I joined the committee 10 years ago.” Mr. Tillerson submitted a completed nominee questionnaire to the committee three days after President-elect Donald J. Trump announced his intention to nominate him for Secretary of State. Secretary Clinton submitted a completed nominee questionnaire to the committee 17 days after President Barack Obama announced his intention to nominate her for the same position. Secretary Clinton provided her financial disclosure to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on January 5, 2009. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://cohen.house.gov/taxonomy/story-type/enewsletters/have-safe-and-happy-holiday-season | Have a Safe and Happy Holiday Season! | 2016-12-21 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | TN | Steve Cohen | C001068 | cohen.house.gov | legacy | Dear Friend, I wanted to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a very safe and happy holiday season. This week, I commended the President for issuing a record number of commutations and pardons in one day but encouraged him to do more when it comes to marijuana-related convictions, and I announced I would be reintroducing a bipartisan bill to establish a minimum seat size on airplanes for the safety and health of passengers. I will also be appearing on MSNBC Friday morning to discuss Russia’s influence in our elections and President-elect Donald Trump’s transition. Keep reading to learn more about my week and follow me on Twitter and Facebook to see these updates as they happen. Preparing to Host My 2017 District Issues Meeting Commending Presidential Commutations for Non-Violent Drug Offenders Fighting for the Safety of Airline Passengers Appearing on MSNBC on Friday Highlights from 2016 Helping Memphians Get Covered Weekly Health Tip 2017 U.S. Capitol Historical Society Calendars Are Available Preparing to Host My 2017 District Issues Meeting On Monday, January 9 from 9am-11am, I will be holding my annual District Issues Meeting at my Memphis Office to discuss issues affecting the Ninth District. Earlier this month, I sent out a survey asking you to tell me what issues you thought were most important for Congress to be working on next year. You provided me with very useful feedback to take back to Washington, highlighting the need for Congress to protect Medicare and Social Security, address gun violence, create good-paying jobs, expand access to affordable healthcare, ensure equal rights for all and much more. If you have not yet filled out the survey, you can do so below: Click to open in a separate window Commending Presidential Commutations for Non-Violent Drug Offenders On Monday, I commended President Obama for granting a record number of commutations and pardons in one day for those serving unjustly long sentences for largely non-violent drug convictions. However the President should c… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=9810513F-F57C-40EA-BB8D-F1EDF177AAE5 | Alexander Statement on the Passing of Lee Smith | 2016-12-21 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Lamar Alexander | A000360 | www.alexander.senate.gov | legacy | NASHVILLE, Tenn., Dec. 21, 2016 -- U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today made the following statement on the passing of Lee Smith, founder of The Tennessee Journal: "For a half century, Lee Smith and his Tennessee Journal participated in Tennessee politics in a straightforward way that commanded the respect of both Democrats and Republicans. In between, he found time to be Vanderbilt’s most rabid basketball fan. He was my close friend. Honey and I will greatly miss him. We express to his family our deepest sympathy." ### For access to this release and the senator’s other statements, click here. To stay up-to-date on the senator’s latest actions, follow him on Twitter and YouTube. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-list?ContentRecord_id=CA931198-22C9-47F5-B848-50A9AD30EA69 | What They're Saying: End Modern Slavery Initiative Awaits Presidents Signature | 2016-12-21 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Bob Corker | C001071 | www.corker.senate.gov | legacy | CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The National Defense Authorization Act of 2017, which includes legislation authorizing the End Modern Slavery Initiative, passed the Senate on November 8 and currently awaits the president’s signature. U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, spearheaded the bipartisan initiative, along with his colleague Senator Robert Menendez (D-N.J.). The initiative will help establish a powerful effort in concert with the private sector and foreign governments to eliminate modern slavery and human trafficking around the globe. Passage drew broad support from advocates, stakeholders, experts and members of Congress: “We’re so grateful to Senator Corker and his team for their tireless efforts to see the #EndSlaveryAct pass! This is a monumental step towards FREEDOM for the millions of men, women and children trapped in slavery around the world. We believe slavery can end in our lifetime…together we can END IT! #ENDITMOVEMENT” – The END IT Movement “The passage of this bill is a game-changer in the fight to end the scourge of modern day slavery, and provides a tremendous opportunity to level the playing field as we seek to free the millions of men, women and children who daily suffer at the hand of a violent oppressor. IJM commends Senator Corker and the full Congress for establishing U.S. leadership in fighting this unthinkable crime against our fellow man.” – Tim Gehring, policy director, International Justice Mission “We are thrilled Congress passed this bipartisan legislation to provide critical resources to the underfunded fight against human trafficking. By authorizing these additional funds, the United States is sending a strong message to other governments to step up their own efforts. Too often, severe gaps in services and a lack of governmental commitment to seriously address these crimes let trafficking networks operate unimpeded across the globe. By leveraging these new funds, we can better dismantle trafficking networks and help su… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://fleischmann.house.gov/press-release/statement-fleischmann-berlin-attack | STATEMENT: Fleischmann on Berlin Attack | 2016-12-20 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Chuck Fleischmann | F000459 | fleischmann.house.gov | legacy | The following statement can be attributed to Congressman Chuck Fleischmann: “We are at war against terror—the recent attacks in Paris, Orlando, Chattanooga and of course today’s attack in Berlin prove just that. My prayers go out to the victims and their families during this tumultuous time,” said Fleischmann. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://fleischmann.house.gov/media/press-releases/statement-fleischmann-berlin-attack | STATEMENT: Fleischmann on Berlin Attack | 2016-12-20 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Charles J. "Chuck" Fleischmann | F000459 | fleischmann.house.gov | fleischmann | https://fleischmann.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | The following statement can be attributed to Congressman Chuck Fleischmann: “We are at war against terror—the recent attacks in Paris, Orlando, Chattanooga and of course today’s attack in Berlin prove just that. My prayers go out to the victims and their families during this tumultuous time,” said Fleischmann. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T21:09:43Z |
| https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsletterarchive?ContentRecord_id=95BED096-4BCA-4B1E-A8B1-2ED153866465 | Cures Newsletter | 2016-12-20 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Lamar Alexander | A000360 | www.alexander.senate.gov | legacy | On December 13, President Obama signed the 21st Century Cures Act into law – delivering a “Christmas Medical Miracle” to Tennessee families. Video of the signing ceremony is available here. 21st Century Cures Law Will Improve Health of Tennesseans This month, Congress and President Obama delivered a Christmas miracle called “21st Century Cures” that will help improve the health of virtually every Tennessean. This $6.3 billion bipartisan law will help us find cures for cancer, fight opioid addiction, treat mental illness, and better understand the brain to prevent diseases like Alzheimer’s. It will help take advantage of this remarkable time in biomedical innovation, spur treatments and cures from cancer to rare pediatric diseases, and help move those treatments and cures more efficiently into medicine cabinets and doctors’ offices, while maintaining our gold standard of safety. The president said this bipartisan legislation was “an opportunity to save lives, and an opportunity we just can’t miss.” U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called it “the most important legislation Congress will pass this year.” I’ve worked on this bill for two years as chair of the Senate health committee. Working with the senior Democrat Patty Murray (D-Wash.), we held 12 hearings, led 5 working groups, and passed 19 pieces of bipartisan legislation that formed much of the policies in this bill. Working with our counterparts on the House health committee--Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.), and Democrats Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) and Diana DeGette (D-Colo.)--we also put together a surge of funding to help make dramatic strides in cancer treatments, to help advance our understanding of the brain and Alzheimer’s, and to help achieve the promise of precision medicine, or specific, individualized treatments tailored to each person’s unique genome and environment. Dr. Francis Collins, the head of the National Institutes of Health, has made “bold predictions” about the breathtaking advances to expect during the next decad… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=2683B470-AE01-4E74-8FBA-99B8FCAEE0CC | Alexander: "21st Century Cures" Law Highlights 2016 Accomplishments of Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee | 2016-12-20 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Lamar Alexander | A000360 | www.alexander.senate.gov | legacy | Committee one of the most productive, with 24 bipartisan bills signed into law – including legislation to “help virtually every American family” NASHVILLE, December 20 – Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today highlighted the committee’s accomplishments for 2016 saying that it “was one of the most productive in the Senate, with 24 significant, bipartisan bills now signed into law – including legislation that will help virtually every American family.” Alexander continued, “For the second consecutive year, President Obama has signed into law what he called last year ‘a Christmas miracle’ made possible by the bipartisan work done on this committee. Last year, it was legislation to fix No Child Left Behind for 50 million children in 100,000 public schools – and this year, it’s the 21st Century Cures Act, a Christmas medical miracle to make better health possible for nearly every American. “In addition to the Cures bill, which Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has called ‘the most important legislation of the year,’ this committee has produced new laws to help find faster treatments and cures for the heartbreaking Zika virus as well as legislation to boost doctors’ ability to tackle the opioid epidemic ravaging Tennessee and so many other states. I look forward to next year when our committee can continue its bipartisan work on behalf of American families.” Alexander thanked the committee’s ranking Democrat, Sen. Patty Murray of Washington State, and committee members of both political parties for “being willing to focus on the 80 percent of things we can agree on and coming to a result rather than perpetually arguing about the 20 percent on which we can’t agree. Because we took the time to resolve our considerable differences in a bipartisan way, the next Congress and the next President will not be trying to repeal these laws, because in the end almost all of us voted for them. This is the unique purpose of the United States Senate, to find a cons… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cohen-commends-president-obama-granting-clemency-231 | Congressman Cohen Commends President Obama for Granting Clemency to 231 Americans Serving Unjustly Long Sentences | 2016-12-19 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | TN | Steve Cohen | C001068 | cohen.house.gov | legacy | [MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), who has been the most constant voice in Congress imploring President Obama to use his constitutional power to bring about justice through commutations and pardons, today commended President Obama’s decision to commute the prison sentences of 153 largely non-violent drug offenders and issuing 78 pardons. Today’s commutations and pardons represent the President’s continued commitment to using his pardon and commutation powers to right the wrongs of outdated and discriminatory federal policies, and to provide a second chance to deserving individuals. Today’s 231 commutations and pardons marks the most individual acts of clemency granted in a single day by any president in our nation’s history. President Obama has granted clemency to 1,176 prisoners and pardoned 148 people during his presidency. "I commend President Obama for granting a daily record number of commutations and pardons for those serving unjustly long sentences for largely non-violent drug convictions,” said Congressman Cohen. “But the President should continue working at Mach speed to issue as many appropriate commutations and pardons as possible before leaving office, especially for those in jail for non-violent marijuana convictions and for crack-cocaine disparity injustices. Very, very few of the commutations and pardons issued were for marijuana-related convictions. Yet of all the drugs that prisoners have been jailed for, marijuana is the drug that causes the least harm to society, has contributed to the least number of deaths, and has been legalized medically in 28 states as well as the District of Columbia and recreationally for more than 63 million Americans. Why there haven’t been more commutations and pardons for marijuana convictions befuddles me. Our nation’s outdated federal drug laws disproportionately affect minority populations and continue a policy grounded in false premises and political expediency dating back to President Nixon’s ‘Southern Strategy.’ As Martin Luther King, Jr. rightly … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-cohen-and-kinzinger-reintroduce-airplane-seat-act-early-next-year | Reps. Cohen and Kinzinger to Reintroduce Airplane SEAT Act Early Next Year | 2016-12-19 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | TN | Steve Cohen | C001068 | cohen.house.gov | legacy | [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Ahead of a busy week for holiday air travel, and in response to shrinking airplane seats, Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN), a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation, and Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) today announced that they will reintroduce the Seat Egress in Air Travel (SEAT) Act early next year during the new Congress. The SEAT Act would establish a minimum seat size on commercial airlines as well as a minimum distance between rows of seats to protect the safety and health of airline passengers. “As millions of Americans take to the skies this week for the holiday season, it is a reminder of our obligation to ensure air travel is safe for passengers,” said Congressman Cohen. “The time to examine the safety implications of smaller airplane seats is now, not after some future tragedy. Planes need to be capable of rapid evacuation in case of emergency, yet appropriate testing has not been conducted by the FAA on all of today’s smaller seats. In addition, doctors have warned that deep vein thrombosis can afflict passengers who don’t move their legs during longer flights. The safety and health of passengers must come first. That is why Congressman Kinzinger and I will be reintroducing the SEAT Act early next year during the new Congress.” “This time of year is a busy time of travel for people in Illinois and across the country, and it is critical that safety is our top priority,” said Congressman Kinzinger. “I’m grateful to join my colleague, Rep. Cohen, in announcing our plans to introduce the Safe Egress in Air Travel (SEAT) Act in the 115th Congress. This legislation is important to ensure our aircraft’s seats are of a big enough size to guarantee effective passageways of evacuation for passenger safety. I am proud to support this important measure and look forward to working with my colleagues to get this bill signed into law.” The next Congress will be working to renew authorization for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with the current … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cohen-cms-extends-tenncare-ii-section-1115-through-2021 | Cohen: CMS Extends TennCare II Section 1115 Through 2021 | 2016-12-16 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | TN | Steve Cohen | C001068 | cohen.house.gov | legacy | [MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) has extended the TennCare II section 1115 demonstration through June 30, 2021. TennCare is the state's managed-care Medicaid system and is authorized under a section 1115 waiver. Section 1115 waivers allow certain pieces of the Medicaid program to be waived in order to give states additional flexibility to design and improve their state-run Medicaid programs. In May, Congressman Cohen wrote a letter to Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Sylvia Mathews Burwell urging CMS to renew Tennessee’s 1115 Medicaid waiver before it expired on June 30, 2016. Additionally, Congressman Cohen urged the waiver to continue funding the uncompensated hospital care payments. These payments help hospitals cover the costs they face when they provide care for the uninsured and underinsured. You can read Congressman Cohen letter here. CMS temporarily extended the deadline a number of times over the last six months, before announcing the five-year extension this afternoon. “I am pleased that CMS has extended TennCare’s section 1115 demonstration for the next 5 years, including the continuation of the state’s uncompensated hospital care payments,” said Congressman Cohen. “This continued funding from CMS is critical to the success of hospitals in Memphis who rely on these payments to cover unreimbursed costs. I was proud to write a letter to Secretary Burwell in support of the extension of TennCare Section 1115. TennCare helps 1.5 million mostly low-income pregnant women, children and individuals who are elderly or have a disability in Tennessee.” Additionally, Congressman Cohen led the bipartisan efforts of the Tennessee delegation in 2015 to the U.S. House to get a provision added to the Medicare Access and Children’s Health Insurance Program (“CHIP”) Reauthorization Act (H.R. 2) before it became law to guarantee $530 million over the next 10 years in disproportionate share hospital (DSH) allotments… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://cohen.house.gov/taxonomy/story-type/enewsletters/supporting-memphis-women-and-minority-owned-businesses | Supporting Memphis Women and Minority-Owned Businesses | 2016-12-16 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | TN | Steve Cohen | C001068 | cohen.house.gov | legacy | Dear Friend, This week, I attended the Greater Memphis Chamber’s press conference announcing the launch of the Ascend Memphis Business Development Pilot Program for minority and women-owned businesses, attended the ceremony designating Orange Mound as a Preserve America Community, praised President Obama for signing the 21st Century Cures Act into law, called for a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee on Russia's involvement in the 2016 Presidential election, announced that the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) extended a provision to help hospitals treat Medicaid patients in Tennessee, and announced a more than $11.5 million federal grant for Shelby County Head Start Programs. Keep reading to learn more about my week and follow me on Twitter and Facebook to see these updates as they happen. Supporting Memphis Women and Minority-Owned Businesses Designating Orange Mound as a Preserve America CommunityBuilding a Healthier AmericaCalling for Hearings on Russia's Involvement in our ElectionsFighting for Tennessee Hospitals Securing Funding for Early Childhood Education Helping Memphians Get CoveredWeekly Health Tip 2017 U.S. Capitol Historical Society Calendars Are Available Supporting Memphis Women and Minority-Owned Businesses On Thursday, I attended Greater Memphis Chamber’s press conference announcing the launch of the Ascend Memphis Business Development Pilot Program to increase the success of local small, women and minority-owned businesses. This program will pair successful small businesses with women and minority-owned businesses to teach them best practices to be successful. Two years ago in my Memphis Office, I spoke with President and CEO of the Greater Memphis Chamber Phil Trenary on the need to address the disparity of wealth in Memphis and the need for more minority-owned businesses in the city. If the African American community does not prosper, then Memphis does not prosper. I would like to thank Phil Trenary, Shea Flinn, Andre Gibson and the other members of the Chairman’s Circle … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://desjarlais.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/sevier-county-will-receive-federal-disaster-assistance-for-wildfire | Sevier County Will Receive Federal Disaster Assistance for Wildfire Recovery Additional Aid, Other Counties May be Awarded as Damage Assessments Continue | 2016-12-16 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Scott DesJarlais | D000616 | desjarlais.house.gov | legacy | Nashville, Tenn. – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam announced Thursday evening December 15th that Sevier County will receive federal aid assistance through a Presidential Disaster Declaration as the county begins its recovery from the devastating wildfires of Nov. 28, 2016. “This deadly wildfire required a coordinated response from many individuals and organizations,” Haslam said. “The outpouring of care, relief, and support from around the world for Sevier County and its people has been extraordinary. This assistance from the federal government will help relieve some of the financial burden of this disaster on Tennesseans and Sevier County.” In his federal disaster assistance request of President Obama on Dec. 9, 2016, Gov. Haslam also asked for the disaster declaration to include four counties – Coffee, McMinn, Polk, and Sequatchie – hit with severe weather and tornadoes on Nov. 29, 2016. FEMA’s disaster declaration this evening indicated the awarding of any additional aid types or inclusion of other jurisdictions will be contingent on further joint preliminary damage assessments. Through the Presidential Disaster Declaration, designated as FEMA-4293-DR, Sevier County is eligible for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Individual Assistance and Public Assistance programs. The Individual Assistance program provides financial help or direct services to disaster survivors who have eligible expenses and serious needs, if they cannot meet those needs through other means. More information on FEMA’s Individual Assistance program is at: https://www.fema.gov/individual-disaster-assistance. FEMA’s Public Assistance program will allow Sevier County government entities and certain private non-profits to apply for reimbursement of specific, eligible expenses for debris removal and emergency protective measures. More information on FEMA’s Public Assistance program is at: https://www.fema.gov/public-assistance-local-state-tribal-and-non-profit. On Nov. 28, wildfires rapidly spread through Sevier County, causing ma… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://desjarlais.house.gov/media-center?ID=14E8752C-4C2B-4AA2-9CCA-6470AF472105 | Sevier County Will Receive Federal Disaster Assistance for Wildfire Recovery Additional Aid, Other Counties May be Awarded as Damage Assessments Continue | 2016-12-16 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Scott DesJarlais | D000616 | desjarlais.house.gov | desjarlais | https://desjarlais.house.gov/media-center | scraper | Nashville, Tenn. – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam announced Thursday evening December 15th that Sevier County will receive federal aid assistance through a Presidential Disaster Declaration as the county begins its recovery from the devastating wildfires of Nov. 28, 2016. “This deadly wildfire required a coordinated response from many individuals and organizations,” Haslam said. “The outpouring of care, relief, and support from around the world for Sevier County and its people has been extraordinary. This assistance from the federal government will help relieve some of the financial burden of this disaster on Tennesseans and Sevier County.” In his federal disaster assistance request of President Obama on Dec. 9, 2016, Gov. Haslam also asked for the disaster declaration to include four counties – Coffee, McMinn, Polk, and Sequatchie – hit with severe weather and tornadoes on Nov. 29, 2016. FEMA’s disaster declaration this evening indicated the awarding of any additional aid types or inclusion of other jurisdictions will be contingent on further joint preliminary damage assessments. Through the Presidential Disaster Declaration, designated as FEMA-4293-DR, Sevier County is eligible for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Individual Assistance and Public Assistance programs. The Individual Assistance program provides financial help or direct services to disaster survivors who have eligible expenses and serious needs, if they cannot meet those needs through other means. More information on FEMA’s Individual Assistance program is at: https://www.fema.gov/assistance/individual. FEMA’s Public Assistance program will allow Sevier County government entities and certain private non-profits to apply for reimbursement of specific, eligible expenses for debris removal and emergency protective measures. More information on FEMA’s Public Assistance program is at: https://www.fema.gov/assistance/public. On Nov. 28, wildfires rapidly spread through Sevier County, causing mandatory evacuations of Gatlinburg and Pig… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T21:09:43Z |
| https://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-list?ContentRecord_id=CC0CB1D9-891F-4B3B-8BBE-1272F28FAD9F | Corker Statement on Deputy Secretary of State | 2016-12-16 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Bob Corker | C001071 | www.corker.senate.gov | legacy | NASHVILLE, Tenn. – U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement: “Despite some in Washington trying to use rumor and innuendo to influence the decision, I have never had any conversation with anyone in the Trump organization about who should serve in the Deputy Secretary of State position, including the Secretary of State nominee, Rex Tillerson.” ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://black.house.gov/press-release/rep-black-slams-finalized-obama-admin-rule-benefitting-planned-parenthood | Rep. Black Slams Finalized Obama Admin Rule Benefitting Planned Parenthood | 2016-12-14 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Diane Black | B001273 | black.house.gov | legacy | Washington, D.C. – Congressman Diane Black (R-TN-06), a registered nurse and member of the Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives, responded today to the Obama Administration’s finalized rule effectively preventing states from defunding Planned Parenthood. Black was among the first to condemn the rule when it was initially proposed in September and led more than 100 members of Congress on a bipartisan, bicameral letter opposing the rule earlier this year. She released the following statement: “With this rule, we see an administration that has become unglued at the knowledge of the impending pro-life sea change in Washington, DC. President Obama knows that hope is rising for the innocent victims of Planned Parenthood’s brutality and the big abortion industry’s days of taxpayer-funded windfalls are numbered. We should not be surprised that his administration would lash out with this eleventh hour power grab on the way out the door, but I am certain this rule will not stand for long,” said Congressman Diane Black. “Come next year, our pro-life majorities in Congress will be positioned to work with President-Elect Trump and pro-life nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Dr. Tom Price, to not only roll back this latest overreach but also to enact new legal protections for these most vulnerable members of our society. The Obama Administration will not have the last word. With this new year comes renewed opportunity to fight for the dignity of every unborn child, the wellbeing of every struggling mother, and the conscience rights of every American taxpayer.” Background: The New York Times describes the Obama Administration’s finalized rule as “bar[ring] states from withholding federal family-planning funds from Planned Parenthood affiliates and other health clinics that provide abortions.” A leader in the fight to defund Planned Parenthood since her first days in public service, Congressman Diane Black authored the House-passed Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2015 and wrote about this rule’s true i… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cohen-announces-more-115-million-shelby-county-head-start-projects | Cohen Announces More Than $11.5 Million for Shelby County Head Start Projects | 2016-12-14 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | TN | Steve Cohen | C001068 | cohen.house.gov | legacy | [MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced that the Shelby County Board of Education has been awarded an $11,530,676 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support Head Start projects. “Today’s funding for Shelby County’s Head Start projects is an investment in our children, our families and our future,” said Congressman Cohen. “Because of this important funding, children from low-income families throughout Memphis and Shelby County will be better prepared to learn when they enter school. Head Start is an important program that I am proud to support.” Head Start is a federal program that provides comprehensive services to enrolled children and their families, which include health, nutrition, social services and other services determined to be necessary by family needs assessments, in addition to education and cognitive development services. Shelby County Head Start provides these services to nearly 5,000 children in Memphis and Shelby County. The Head Start program was founded as part of Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty in 1965 as an eight-week demonstration project. Since its founding, Head Start has served over 30 million children and their families in urban and rural areas in every corner of the nation and has grown to include full day as well as year services and numerous program options. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=9B99EA08-EB84-4544-B5E9-16FECAE14881 | Alexander Meets with Labor Secretary Nominee Andy Puzder | 2016-12-14 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Lamar Alexander | A000360 | www.alexander.senate.gov | legacy | NASHVILLE, December 12 – United States Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement after meeting this afternoon with respected Tennessee businessman Andy Puzder – President-elect Trump’s nominee to become the next Secretary of Labor: “Andy Puzder and I had an excellent meeting this afternoon. I am impressed with his understanding of how excessive regulation can destroy jobs and make it harder for family incomes to rise. As an experienced and respected Tennessee business leader, Mr. Puzder will be a good partner in creating an environment to help grow jobs for American workers. The Senate labor committee will promptly consider his nomination in the next Congress.” The Senate’s labor committee, which Alexander chairs, will hold a hearing on Mr. Puzder’s nomination in January. ### For access to this release and the senator’s other statements, click here. To stay up-to-date on the senator’s latest actions, follow him on Twitter and YouTube. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-list?ContentRecord_id=8F326224-4F91-45C9-8712-BBEE179F3086 | Corker Applauds Wacker Expansion Announcement | 2016-12-14 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Bob Corker | C001071 | www.corker.senate.gov | legacy | CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) today applauded the announcement by Wacker Chemical that the company will make an additional $150 million investment at its Charleston, Tenn. production plant, which will create 50 new jobs in Bradley County. “Today’s announcement that Wacker will invest an additional $150 million and create 50 new jobs at its Charleston plant is outstanding news for Bradley County and surrounding areas,” said Corker. “These high-quality jobs will benefit Tennessee families in a real way, and I thank Wacker for its continued investment in our state. I also appreciate the work Governor Haslam and his economic development team did to make this important expansion a reality.” The $150 million investment adds to the $2.5 billion investment the company has made in its polysilicon production plant in Bradley County since 2009. The company currently employs more than 600 individuals. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=150122DE-6A9E-46C6-A99C-62536B911D43 | Alexander: President Signs Christmas Medical Miracle That Will Help Virtually Every American Family | 2016-12-13 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Lamar Alexander | A000360 | www.alexander.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, December 13 — Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said President Obama signed into law a “Christmas Medical Miracle,” the 21st Century Cures Act, which has been called “the most important legislation of the year” by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and has the potential to help virtually every American family. Alexander was the chief Senate sponsor of the legislation along with Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash). “The real winners today are American families whose lives stand to be improved by the legislation signed into law. For the second consecutive year, President Obama has signed another Christmas miracle. Last year, it was the Every Student Succeeds Act, which restored control of K-12 education back to Tennessee and helps 50 million children in our nation’s 100,000 public schools. This year, it’s the 21st Century Cures Act – a law that will help virtually every family across Tennessee and America.” Senator Alexander continued: “This bipartisan law will help us take advantage of the breathtaking advances in biomedical research and bring those innovations to doctors’ offices and patients’ medicine cabinets in Tennessee. This law will advance Vice President Biden’s moonshot to find cures for cancer and President Obama’s Precision Medicine Initiative. It also helps states like Tennessee fight on the front lines against opioid abuse and helps the one in five Tennessee adults suffering from a mental illness get the care they need.” Alexander, chairman of the Senate’s health committee, has worked on the legislation for two years, held 12 hearings, 5 working groups, and passed 19 bipartisan bills that make up much of the policy signed into law today. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, called the bill “the most important legislation Congress will pass this year.” President Obama called it an “opportunity we just can’t miss.” Vice President Biden called it “a big step for cancer research and the cancer moonshot.” Speaker Paul Ryan made the bill a centerpiece of his vision for our cou… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=90C41498-4B15-4CAD-B743-7763224DF3E8 | Alexander on Selection of Rick Perry as Secretary of Energy | 2016-12-13 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Lamar Alexander | A000360 | www.alexander.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 13, 2016 – U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement on President-elect Trump’s selection of former Texas governor Rick Perry to become the next United States Secretary of Energy: “Rick Perry is a first class public servant. I have known and worked with him for years. I look forward to learning more about his plans for supporting energy research, strong national laboratories and supercomputing that help give America its competitive edge in creating jobs.” Alexander serves as the chairman of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and is a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. ### For access to this release and the senator’s other statements, click here. To stay up-to-date on the senator’s latest actions, follow him on Twitter and YouTube. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=9A611A2A-A182-4CF0-B238-645BE8F63521 | Alexander Statement on Selection of Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State | 2016-12-13 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Lamar Alexander | A000360 | www.alexander.senate.gov | legacy | NASHVILLE, Dec. 13 – U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today made the following statement on President-elect Trump’s intention to nominate Rex Tillerson, chief executive of Exxon Mobil, to become the next Secretary of State: "Rex Tillerson has led one of the world's largest corporations with operations in about 50 countries, which requires an understanding of other countries and cultures. I look forward to hearing more from Mr. Tillerson about his plans to strengthen our partnerships with allies and how to deal with the threats from those who would harm our nation." ### For access to this release and the senator’s other statements, click here. To stay up-to-date on the senator’s latest actions, follow him on Twitter and YouTube. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-list?ContentRecord_id=81FF416E-6367-4FF2-A6BA-B7A84DF6C155 | Corker: Religious Freedom Bill to Become Law | 2016-12-13 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Bob Corker | C001071 | www.corker.senate.gov | legacy | CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today praised unanimous passage of H.R.1150, the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act, by the House of Representatives. The legislation, which was approved by the committee last Tuesday and the full Senate on Saturday, is now on its way to the president’s desk to be signed into law. The bill seeks to advance religious freedom through enhanced diplomatic and foreign assistance efforts, including improved training for foreign service officers and greater flexibility for responding to cases of religious persecution. “This bill will help ensure that defending religious freedom remains at the core of our engagement in even the most repressive parts of the world and that we have the most effective policies in place to be successful,” said Corker. “I am proud of the unanimous support this legislation received in our committee and in both houses of Congress, and I look forward to the president signing it into law.” ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-list?ContentRecord_id=BCBD8394-43E8-4FAA-845D-19CFAED312FC | Corker Statement on Nomination of Rex Tillerson | 2016-12-13 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Bob Corker | C001071 | www.corker.senate.gov | legacy | CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement regarding President-elect Donald J. Trump’s intention to nominate Rex Tillerson for Secretary of State. “I very much appreciated President-elect Trump calling me last night to let me know that he would be nominating Rex Tillerson for Secretary of State,” said Corker. “Mr. Tillerson is a very impressive individual and has an extraordinary working knowledge of the world. I congratulate him on his nomination and look forward to meeting with him and chairing his confirmation hearing.” “On a personal note, it has been an honor to be considered for Secretary of State,” added Corker. “I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with the President-elect and his team throughout this process and appreciate the deliberate manner in which he arrived at this decision. I look forward to working with him to move our country forward.” The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold a hearing on Mr. Tillerson’s nomination in early January. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://desjarlais.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/tenn-members-of-congress-urge-president-obama-to-approve-disaster | Tenn. members of Congress urge President Obama to approve disaster assistance | 2016-12-12 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Scott DesJarlais | D000616 | desjarlais.house.gov | legacy | Representative DesJarlais along with other members of Tennessee’s Congressional delegation have urging President Obama to approve Governor Haslam’s request for a major disaster declaration for the State of Tennessee. The declaration would help five Tennessee counties impacted by wildfires and severe weather in November rebuild and recover. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://desjarlais.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/tennessee-members-of-congress-urge-president-to-approve-federal-disaster | Tennessee Members of Congress Urge President to Approve Federal Disaster Assistance for Five Tennessee Counties Affected by Wildfires, Severe Weather | 2016-12-12 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Scott DesJarlais | D000616 | desjarlais.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON - Members of Tennessee’s Congressional delegation today urged President Obama to quickly approve Governor Haslam’s request for a major disaster declaration for the State of Tennessee to help five Tennessee counties impacted by wildfires and severe weather in November rebuild and recover. “Governor Bill Haslam has submitted a request for Public Assistance and Individual Assistance for Sevier County, which was affected by wildfires and for Coffee, McMinn, Polk and Sequatchie counties which were affected by severe weather and tornadoes,” the members wrote President Obama in a letter. “We strongly urge you to approve Governor Haslam’s request, and we hope you will consider our State’s request as soon as possible.” The letter was signed by Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker and Representatives Phil Roe, John Duncan, Diane Black, Marsha Blackburn, Scott DesJarlais, Chuck Fleischmann, Steve Cohen, Jim Cooper, and Stephen Fincher. The full text of the letter is below: Dear Mr. President: On behalf of the State of Tennessee, we are writing to support Governor Bill Haslam’s request to declare a major disaster pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief Act as a result of the severe wildfires and tornadoes that impacted our state beginning November 28, 2016. Governor Bill Haslam has submitted a request for Public Assistance and Individual Assistance for Sevier County, which was affected by wildfires and for Coffee, McMinn, Polk and Sequatchie counties which were affected by severe weather and tornados. We strongly urge you to approve Governor Haslam’s request, and we hope you will consider our State’s request as soon as possible. The severe wildfires that swept through Sevier County, Tennessee beginning November 28 required the evacuation of over 14,000 residents and visitors and led to 14 fatalities and 134 reported injuries. The wildfires damaged or destroyed over 2,200 homes, businesses and other structures. At its peak, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency estimated that over 1,300 people o… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://desjarlais.house.gov/media-center?ID=EA6F6DD9-EDB2-48C1-B328-A8ED28B7D9D7 | Tennessee Members of Congress Urge President to Approve Federal Disaster Assistance for Five Tennessee Counties Affected by Wildfires, Severe Weather | 2016-12-12 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Scott DesJarlais | D000616 | desjarlais.house.gov | desjarlais | https://desjarlais.house.gov/media-center | scraper | WASHINGTON - Members of Tennessee’s Congressional delegation today urged President Obama to quickly approve Governor Haslam’s request for a major disaster declaration for the State of Tennessee to help five Tennessee counties impacted by wildfires and severe weather in November rebuild and recover. “Governor Bill Haslam has submitted a request for Public Assistance and Individual Assistance for Sevier County, which was affected by wildfires and for Coffee, McMinn, Polk and Sequatchie counties which were affected by severe weather and tornadoes,” the members wrote President Obama in a letter. “We strongly urge you to approve Governor Haslam’s request, and we hope you will consider our State’s request as soon as possible.” The letter was signed by Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker and Representatives Phil Roe, John Duncan, Diane Black, Marsha Blackburn, Scott DesJarlais, Chuck Fleischmann, Steve Cohen, Jim Cooper, and Stephen Fincher. The full text of the letter is below: Dear Mr. President: On behalf of the State of Tennessee, we are writing to support Governor Bill Haslam’s request to declare a major disaster pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief Act as a result of the severe wildfires and tornadoes that impacted our state beginning November 28, 2016. Governor Bill Haslam has submitted a request for Public Assistance and Individual Assistance for Sevier County, which was affected by wildfires and for Coffee, McMinn, Polk and Sequatchie counties which were affected by severe weather and tornados. We strongly urge you to approve Governor Haslam’s request, and we hope you will consider our State’s request as soon as possible. The severe wildfires that swept through Sevier County, Tennessee beginning November 28 required the evacuation of over 14,000 residents and visitors and led to 14 fatalities and 134 reported injuries. The wildfires damaged or destroyed over 2,200 homes, businesses and other structures. At its peak, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency estimated that over 1,300 peo… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T21:09:43Z |
| https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cohen-joins-senator-reid-calling-fbi-director-comey-resign | Cohen Joins Senator Reid in Calling on FBI Director Comey to Resign | 2016-12-10 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | TN | Steve Cohen | C001068 | cohen.house.gov | legacy | [WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, today joined Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) in calling on FBI Director James Comey to resign after reports that the CIA secretly concluded Russia was trying to help Donald Trump win the presidency. Congressman Cohen first called on FBI Director Comey to resign in October after he made public comments on the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email server. “I applaud Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid for also calling on FBI Director James Comey to resign after new information came to light that Director Comey may have known the CIA had secretly concluded that the Russians were trying to help Donald Trump win the presidency by hacking the DNC, DCCC and Hillary Clinton Campaign Chairman John Podesta’s emails. This is unconscionable. Director Comey put an unnecessary, unfounded cloud over the presidential campaign during its final two weeks. Reliable sources have said he had information that the Russians were interfering with the election and didn’t give the American people notice. I am proud to join Senator Reid in calling on Director Comey to resign. I will also be calling on House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte to hold hearings on the Russian influence in our elections and the actions of FBI Director Comey.” | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://roe.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398098 | Tennessee Members of Congress Urge President to Approve Federal Disaster Assistance for Five Tennessee Counties Affected by Wildfires, Severe Weather | 2016-12-10 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Phil Roe | R000582 | roe.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. - Members of Tennessee's Congressional delegation today urged President Obama to quickly approve Governor Haslam's request for a major disaster declaration for the State of Tennessee to helpfive Tennessee counties impacted by wildfires and severe weather in November rebuild and recover. Governor Bill Haslam has submitted a request for Public Assistance and Individual Assistance for Sevier County, which was affected by wildfires and for Coffee, McMinn, Polk and Sequatchie counties which were affected by severe weather and tornadoes, the members wrote President Obama in a letter. We strongly urge you to approve Governor Haslam's request, and we hope you will consider our State's request as soon as possible. The full text of the letter is below and available onlinehere: Dear Mr. President: On behalf of the State of Tennessee, we are writing to support Governor Bill Haslam's request to declare a major disaster pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief Act as a result of the severe wildfires and tornadoes that impacted our state beginning November 28, 2016. Governor Bill Haslam has submitted a request for Public Assistance and Individual Assistance for Sevier County, which was affected by wildfires and for Coffee, McMinn, Polk and Sequatchie counties which were affected by severe weather and tornadoes.We strongly urge you to approve Governor Haslam's request, and we hope you will consider our State's request as soon as possible. The severe wildfires that swept through Sevier County, Tennessee beginning November 28, required the evacuation of over 14,000 residents and visitors and led to 14 fatalities and 134 reported injuries. The wildfires damaged or destroyed over 2,200 homes, businesses and other structures.At its peak, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency estimated that over 1,300 people occupied six Red Cross and independently-operated shelters. The severe weather that impacted 10 counties in East Tennessee on November 29, produced 5 tornadoes and led to 4 fatal… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=64388AEF-1412-4EA7-943C-4A3CD590401A | Tennessee Members of Congress Urge President to Approve Federal Disaster Assistance for Five Tennessee Counties Affected by Wildfires, Severe Weather | 2016-12-10 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Lamar Alexander | A000360 | www.alexander.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON - Members of Tennessee’s Congressional delegation today urged President Obama to quickly approve Governor Haslam’s request for a major disaster declaration for the State of Tennessee to help five Tennessee counties impacted by wildfires and severe weather in November rebuild and recover. “Governor Bill Haslam has submitted a request for Public Assistance and Individual Assistance for Sevier County, which was affected by wildfires and for Coffee, McMinn, Polk and Sequatchie counties which were affected by severe weather and tornadoes,” the members wrote President Obama in a letter. “We strongly urge you to approve Governor Haslam’s request, and we hope you will consider our State’s request as soon as possible.” The letter was signed by Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker and Representatives Diane Black, Marsha Blackburn, Steve Cohen, Jim Cooper, Scott DesJarlais, John Duncan, Stephen Fincher, Chuck Fleischmann and Phil Roe. The full text of the letter is below and available online here: Dear Mr. President: On behalf of the State of Tennessee, we are writing to support Governor Bill Haslam’s request to declare a major disaster pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief Act as a result of the severe wildfires and tornadoes that impacted our state beginning November 28, 2016. Governor Bill Haslam has submitted a request for Public Assistance and Individual Assistance for Sevier County, which was affected by wildfires and for Coffee, McMinn, Polk and Sequatchie counties which were affected by severe weather and tornadoes. We strongly urge you to approve Governor Haslam’s request, and we hope you will consider our State’s request as soon as possible. The severe wildfires that swept through Sevier County, Tennessee beginning November 28, required the evacuation of over 14,000 residents and visitors and led to 14 fatalities and 134 reported injuries. The wildfires damaged or destroyed over 2,200 homes, businesses and other structures. At its peak, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=926F38EA-2555-46E0-9B72-C6ED194DA1A4 | Alexander: Senate Passes Water Infrastructure Bill that Can Help Protect Nashville from Future Flooding | 2016-12-10 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Lamar Alexander | A000360 | www.alexander.senate.gov | legacy | Says bill authorizes funding that will help maintain dams and waterways, protect business and jobs nationwide WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 2016 – U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said today the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act will help protect business and jobs across the country by authorizing funding to build, repair and maintain the country’s water infrastructure. "Improving locks, dams and other water infrastructure projects is one of the best ways the federal government can help protect jobs and industry in Tennessee and across the country. Today I voted for this bipartisan legislation because it authorizes funding to help do just that,” Alexander said. “This bill will help keep commerce flowing on our nation’s rivers and can also help protect the Nashville area from future flooding by authorizing the Mill Creek Flood Risk Management Project, which is important to ongoing flood risk management for the Nashville area following the May 2010 Nashville flood. The agreement reached by the House and Senate authorizes funding to improve locks and dams, dredge rivers and harbors, prevent floods and storm damage, and conduct environmental restoration projects. The House of Representatives passed the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act on Dec. 8 by a vote of 360 to 61. Today, the Senate passed the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act by a vote of 78 to 21. The legislation can now be sent to the president so that it can become law. ### For access to this release and the senator’s other statements, click To stay up-to-date on the senator’s latest actions, follow him on Twitter and YouTube. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=C0CB53AB-87C7-4FAD-A2B1-056D85EB9597 | Alexander: Senate Funds New 21st Century Cures Law, Cancer Moonshot, $500 Million in State Grants to Boost Front Lines in Opioid Fight | 2016-12-10 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Lamar Alexander | A000360 | www.alexander.senate.gov | legacy | Legislation funds government and important projects at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, keeps national parks open WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 10, 2016 – U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said the Senate’s vote to fully fund the government through April and keep national parks open would also fully fund his 21st Century Cures bill for next year, “sending $500 million in state grants to boost the front lines in the opioid fight.” “This bill is going to pretty quickly send a boost to the front lines of the opioid fight in many states, which will be a big opportunity for Tennessee. It shows our commitment to funding the legislation we just passed 94 to 5, and helping find cures for cancer, treating mental illness, and better understanding the brain to prevent diseases like Alzheimer’s.” The legislation – that will fund the government through April 28 – will fully fund the first year of the 21st Century Cures Act. It includes $352 million for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), most of which will go toward the Cancer Moonshot, $500 million for states to respond to the opioid abuse crisis and $20 million for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Alexander continued: “This continuing resolution funds the government though April 28, 2017 and is consistent with the Budget Control Act and the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015. In addition to fully funding the 21st Century Cures Act, this legislation will continue funding projects at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex, keep national parks open and provide funding for the Army Corps of Engineers and other agencies. I look forward to working with the new Republican Congress to complete all of the fiscal year 2017 appropriations bills in the new year.” On Dec. 8, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the legislation 326 to 96. The bill passed the Senate on Dec. 9 by a vote of 63 to 36. The president is expected to sign the legislation into law. ### For access to this release and the senator’s other statements, click her… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-list?ContentRecord_id=A0735936-DC04-474C-A979-9DBAB4BD4106 | Corker: Congress Sends President First State Department Authorization in 14 Years | 2016-12-10 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Bob Corker | C001071 | www.corker.senate.gov | legacy | Legislation Incorporates Provisions from Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s FY 2016 and FY 2017 Authorization Bills WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today announced that for the first time in 14 years, a State Department authorization bill will be sent to the president’s desk to be signed into law. Today, the Senate unanimously approved S.1635, legislation referred to the Senate earlier this week from the House of Representatives where lawmakers incorporated provisions from State Department authorization bills for fiscal years 2016 and 2017, which were authored by Corker and Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), ranking member of the committee. “Today, Congress ends a 14-year drought by finally sending a State Department authorization to the president,” said Corker. “Restoring Congress’ rightful role in the conduct of U.S. engagement overseas has been a top priority of mine as chairman. I thank Senator Cardin for his partnership and appreciate the bipartisan cooperation and contributions of my committee colleagues and our counterparts in the House in renewing this important oversight process on behalf of American taxpayers. Among other provisions, this legislation will enhance the security of our embassies abroad, improve personnel and organizational practices of the State Department, and demand much needed oversight and accountability of U.N. peacekeeping missions to end horrific cases of sexual abuse and exploitation. Going forward, I am hopeful we can build even further on this important progress to ensure State Department funding is used in the most responsible manner to advance American interests.” A summary of S.1635 is available here. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-list?ContentRecord_id=E55FB92D-6C50-47BF-9BD3-D07D49DC0C93 | Tennessee Members of Congress Urge President to Approve Federal Disaster Assistance for Five Tennessee Counties Affected by Wildfires, Severe Weather | 2016-12-10 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Bob Corker | C001071 | www.corker.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON - Members of Tennessee’s Congressional delegation today urged President Obama to quickly approve Governor Haslam’s request for a major disaster declaration for the State of Tennessee to help five Tennessee counties impacted by wildfires and severe weather in November rebuild and recover. “Governor Bill Haslam has submitted a request for Public Assistance and Individual Assistance for Sevier County, which was affected by wildfires and for Coffee, McMinn, Polk and Sequatchie counties which were affected by severe weather and tornadoes,” the members wrote President Obama in a letter. “We strongly urge you to approve Governor Haslam’s request, and we hope you will consider our State’s request as soon as possible.” The letter was signed by Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker and Representatives Diane Black, Marsha Blackburn, Steve Cohen, Jim Cooper, Scott DesJarlais, John Duncan, Stephen Fincher, Chuck Fleischmann and Phil Roe. The full text of the letter is below and available online here. Dear Mr. President: On behalf of the State of Tennessee, we are writing to support Governor Bill Haslam’s request to declare a major disaster pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief Act as a result of the severe wildfires and tornadoes that impacted our state beginning November 28, 2016. Governor Bill Haslam has submitted a request for Public Assistance and Individual Assistance for Sevier County, which was affected by wildfires and for Coffee, McMinn, Polk and Sequatchie counties which were affected by severe weather and tornadoes. We strongly urge you to approve Governor Haslam’s request, and we hope you will consider our State’s request as soon as possible. The severe wildfires that swept through Sevier County, Tennessee beginning November 28, required the evacuation of over 14,000 residents and visitors and led to 14 fatalities and 134 reported injuries. The wildfires damaged or destroyed over 2,200 homes, businesses and other structures. At its peak, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agen… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-list?ContentRecord_id=F0187852-2635-4524-AD4D-BC1C68BCA127 | Corker: Water Bill Strengthens Tennessee Infrastructure and Commerce | 2016-12-10 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Bob Corker | C001071 | www.corker.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement after Senate passage of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (S. 612), which will strengthen our nation’s commerce and improve communities across the country by authorizing projects that maintain and enhance water infrastructure. The legislation will now be sent to the president’s desk to be signed into law. “Waterways in Tennessee and across our country are major economic drivers, and this bipartisan legislation will ensure our water infrastructure is maintained appropriately so that companies can continue to move goods in a timely and safe manner,” said Corker. “I also am pleased this bill authorizes a flood risk reduction project at Mill Creek, which will better protect Nashville and Davidson County against future flooding.” ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://cohen.house.gov/taxonomy/story-type/enewsletters/ensuring-safety-our-children | Ensuring the Safety of Our Children | 2016-12-09 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | TN | Steve Cohen | C001068 | cohen.house.gov | legacy | Dear Friend, This week, I introduced a bill to create federal grants for seat belts on school buses, hailed the Senate’s passage of the 21st Century Cures Act, participated in a forum on potential changes to the Electoral College, renewed my call for the Memphis VA Medical Center to hire a permanent director, passed a bill to ensure swift search and rescue response during disasters, praised the House for passing a bill to protect consumers from online ticket scalpers, commended the Army Corps of Engineers for their decision to seek an alternative route for the Dakota Access Pipeline, and attended the White House Christmas Party. Keep reading to learn more about my week and follow me on Twitter and Facebook to see these updates as they happen. Ensuring the Safety of Our ChildrenTwo Minute Speech, Two New York Times Stories, Two Quotes, Too HonoredAbolishing the Electoral CollegeWorking to Hire a Permanent Director for the Memphis VA Medical CenterPassing the National Urban Search and Rescue Response System ActProtecting Consumers Online Ticket ScalpersFighting for a Cleaner EnvironmentAttending the White House Christmas Party Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) Grant ProgramWeekly Health Tip 2017 U.S. Capitol Historical Society Calendars Are Available Ensuring the Safety of Our Children In the wake of the tragic crash in Chattanooga, I introduced a bill on Wednesday that would create grants to purchase new school buses with lap/shoulder seat belts or equip existing ones with such belts, require background checks for school bus drivers and other measures to ensure the safety of our children riding on school buses. Read more about my bill here. Two Minute Speech, Two New York Times Stories, Two Quotes, Too Honored On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate passed the 21st Century Cures Act, which included our EUREKA Act to help encourage innovative solutions for fighting awful diseases such as Alzheimer’s. The bill will now go to President Obama’s desk for his signature. I was honored to be quoted in the New York Times t… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://roe.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398096 | Roe Statement on President-elect Trumps Labor Secretary Nomination | 2016-12-09 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Phil Roe | R000582 | roe.house.gov | legacy | JOHNSON CITY, TENN. Today, Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.) released the following statement on the announcement that President-elect Trump has chosen to nominate Andy Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants, as secretary of the Department of Labor: I'm glad President-elect Trump has chosen Andy Puzder, an accomplished Tennessee businessman, to lead the Department of Labor. Mr. Puzder knows firsthand how good-paying jobs are created, and is keenly aware of the issues facing today's workforce. For eight long years, the current administration has pursued regulation after regulation, leaving many small businesses fearful about whether they could stay afloat. I know Mr. Puzder from my time as the Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee chairman, and I am confident he'll be a successful Labor Secretary. I congratulate him on his nomination and thank President-elect Trump for sending such a strong statement about his commitment to our nation's workers with this nomination. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsarticles?ContentRecord_id=9E24C3B7-E83B-488B-A78B-A3D8DD74D5C6 | Chattanooga Times Free Press: Cooper: Cures Act a strong dose of hope | 2016-12-09 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Lamar Alexander | A000360 | www.alexander.senate.gov | legacy | In a day when approval of Congress barely exceeds 10 percent of poll respondents and few believe the body ever gets anything meaningful done, the 21st Century Cures Act is, if you will, a remedy of sorts. The $6.3 billion bipartisan legislation, shepherded through the Senate by Tennessee Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander, chairman of the body's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, overwhelmingly passed both houses of Congress and was expected to be signed by President Barack Obama. As with last year's Every Student Succeeds Act, the Tennessee senator worked with members of the Democratic Party to achieve a bill that, in his words, "will help virtually every American family." Before Republicans gained the Senate in 2014, passing such legislation was practically impossible because then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., would not allow such comprehensive bills that weren't strictly part of Obama's agenda to see the light of day. This freshly minted package will, among other things, help bring safe drugs and medical devices into the market more quickly and at less cost than before; provide more funding for cancer research, genetic, lifestyle and environmental variations of disease, and brain diseases such as Alzheimer's; provide funding to states for the opioid crisis; provide funding for the Food and Drug Administration; improve the electronic heath records system; and address the country's mental health crisis. The most controversial but perhaps the most immediately helpful portion of the bill is that which will speed approval of drugs and medical devices. Because of regulatory barriers, drugs currently may take 15 years to make it to market. For many individuals with Alzheimer's disease, cancers or cystic fibrosis, that will be too late. The drugs or medical devices may be being used in other countries with success but cannot make it to the U.S. market for many more years. Now, patients will be allowed to exercise a certain amount of risk in using the drugs or devices if their situation is… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsarticles?ContentRecord_id=A1135ECB-8113-4C5F-B9F7-624176E13E01 | Johnson City Press: Senate passed 21st Century Cures Act 94-5, includes $1 billion in opioid treatment funding | 2016-12-09 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Lamar Alexander | A000360 | www.alexander.senate.gov | legacy | On the heels of bipartisan House approval, the Senate handily approved the wide-sweeping 21st Century Cures Act, which includes $1 billion in state grants to treat opioid addiction, by a 95-4 vote Tuesday afternoon. Now the bill will move along to President Barack Obama’s desk, where it will likely be signed into law. Obama has been a vocal proponent of the act. In an Op-Ed column published in The Columbus Dispatch, Obama said, “(The 21st Century Cures Act) will build upon steps we have already taken to expand overdose-prevention strategies, improve opioid-prescription practices, and ensure more Americans seeking addiction treatment can get the help they so desperately need.” Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., spoke to his fellow senators about the bill’s importance prior to the vote. “It’s pretty rare that we have legislation that the president of the United States says this is an opportunity we just can’t miss. The vice president of the United States is telephoning senators before they go into their caucus meetings to urge them to support it. At the same time, the speaker of the House, a Republican, is saying this is part of my agenda for the future for our country and the majority leader is saying its the most important bill we’re acting on,” Alexander said on the Senate floor. “Now, it still wasn’t easy to pass because we’re dealing really with a lot of life and death issues.” Alexander, who is chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions, spearheaded the legislation in the upper chamber while Reps. Fred Upton, R-Mich., and Tim Murphy, R-Pa., advocated the bill in the House. “The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services is supportive of any measure that would increase funding to help combat the prescription drug epidemic,” according to a statement from the state agency. “It is too early to know for certain if Tennessee would receive any of the 21st Century Cures Act funding allocated for addressing the opioid crisis, but our department remai… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsarticles?ContentRecord_id=ABA3C296-C443-46DA-8D83-E24228BB60D1 | Politico: Alexander spearheaded Cures' EHR reform | 2016-12-09 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Lamar Alexander | A000360 | www.alexander.senate.gov | legacy | Aboard Air Force One headed for Tennessee on a frosty day two Januarys ago, President Barack Obama gave Sen. Lamar Alexander a preview of his Precision Medicine Initiative, the plan to get genomic and other data from a million Americans to use in developing targeted drug therapies. The Tennessean, who was about to take over the Senate HELP Committee, was a natural ally for Obama because of his own interest in biomedical innovation that grew out of years of discussions with academics from the sprawling biomedical campus of Vanderbilt University, which he has represented in the Senate since 2003. Their work to advance Precision Medicine quickly came across a hurdle the three-term senator was familiar with: health IT. Medical information couldn’t easily flow from researcher to researcher or from hospital to hospital. It was trapped within the electronic health infrastructure that the federal government had spent nearly $35 billion to build. Precision Medicine’s biggest problem wasn’t obtaining genomes; it was prying data out of EHRs. To realize the program’s potential, Washington policymakers needed to unlock the data and get the meaningful use incentive program “out of the ditch,” as Alexander said. Alexander’s HELP Committee would hold a half dozen hearings on EHRs in 2015. With help from top Democrat on the committee Sen. Patty Murray and others, HELP crafted legislation to spur health information sharing that became part of the 21st Century Cures bill, which passed the House with 392 votes and the Senate with 94 yeas Wednesday. Obama is expected to sign it soon. “I think we’ll look back and see that HELP assisted the industry in making the transition from meaningful use to value-based payment incentives for health IT adoption and use,” said David Kibbe, chief executive of DirectTrust. The Senate was able to build upon EHR policies put forth initially in the House, leaving the final product deeply imprinted with Senate fingerprints. HELP Committee hearings addressed clinical usability of the technology, do… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=A8194689-71B5-4163-9F9D-D03C0F4167BE | Alexander Announces Staff Changes | 2016-12-09 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Lamar Alexander | A000360 | www.alexander.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander today announced the following staff changes: Liz Wolgemuth will be promoted to Senior Communications Director and Speechwriter, replacing Jim Jeffries, who is moving to Seattle. Margaret Atkinson will be promoted to Communications Director. Alexander said: “Washington, D.C.’s loss is Washington state’s gain. Jim Jeffries is one of the savviest and most reliable media advisers in the nation’s capital. He has surely earned my respect during our eight years together. While I will greatly miss him, I am delighted he has this excellent professional opportunity with Paul Allen.” Liz and Margaret will oversee all of Alexander’s press efforts, in Tennessee, as chairman of the HELP committee, as chairman of the Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and as a member of the Senate’s committees on energy and rules. JIM JEFFRIES Jim Jeffries is leaving one Washington and moving to another—in January, he will join Seattle-based Vulcan, Inc., as head of executive communications for Paul Allen. Jeffries joined the Alexander team in 2009 and served as communications director over Alexander’s personal office and the HELP Committee since 2013. Jim was Alexander’s principal communications advisor and media spokesman. Jim started in Congress in 2002 with then-Congressman Buck McKeon (R-Calif.), after which he served as speechwriter for then-House Republican Conference Chairwoman Deborah Pryce (R-Ohio). Immediately prior to joining Alexander’s team, Jim was a writer for Frank Luntz’s language-strategy firm. Jim is a graduate of Brigham Young University, and he and his wife, Rachel, have three sons. LIZ WOLGEMUTH Liz Wolgemuth, previously Alexander’s Senior Communications Advisor and Speechwriter at the HELP committee, will assume the role of Senior Communications Director overseeing Alexander’s press efforts. She previously served as Alexander’s committee press secretary and was a press secretary in his Senate office. She was a senior editor at U.S News … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-list?ContentRecord_id=7A006EC7-917F-49CC-8D41-26361D885533 | Corker Reiterates Strong Opposition to Arms Trade Treaty | 2016-12-09 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Bob Corker | C001071 | www.corker.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today reiterated his strong opposition to the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty after the Obama administration submitted the treaty to the Senate. Corker was among a bipartisan group of 53 senators who voted in favor of an amendment in 2013 to protect Americans’ Second Amendment rights and prevent the U.S. from entering into the treaty. “Since 2012, many senators, including myself, have expressed opposition to the small arms treaty, citing an array of concerns with Second Amendment rights,” said Corker. “Nothing has changed over the last four years to suggest the treaty is in our national interest, and it will remain dead in the water. I reiterate my strong opposition and will work with my colleagues to protect the rights of Americans.” In September 2013, Corker sent a letter to President Obama warning against any attempt by the administration to implement the treaty without the Senate’s advice and consent. The following month, he joined a separate letter to the president signed by 50 senators that expressed strong opposition to the administration’s decision to sign the treaty given a range of policy and constitutional concerns. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-list?ContentRecord_id=FE370880-923B-4F05-966C-AF1BD3A9C35E | Corker Votes Against Continuing Resolution Spending Bill | 2016-12-09 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Bob Corker | C001071 | www.corker.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, released the following statement after voting against a short-term spending bill known as a continuing resolution. “The inability to get our fiscal house in order is the greatest long-term threat our country faces, and I opposed this legislation because it will grow the federal deficit through the continued use of budget gimmicks,” said Corker. “Last year alone we added over $587 billion to the national debt, and massive annual deficits are projected for years to come unless we drastically change spending habits in Washington.” ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://cooper.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cooper-ogr-members-call-for-investigation-into-buried-pentagon-study | Cooper, OGR Members Call for Investigation into Buried Pentagon Study | 2016-12-08 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | TN | Jim Cooper | C000754 | cooper.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-05) and other members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform today called for an investigation related to an internal Pentagon study that identified $125 billion in potential savings, but never saw the light of day. The Washington Post this week described a “buried” study that – if implemented – would have made the Pentagon’s “enormous back-office bureaucracy more efficient”; the study’s proposals “would not have required layoffs of civil servants or reductions in military personnel.” Savings were set to be reinvested in combat power. “Congress needs to investigate why the Pentagon suppressed this report,” Rep. Cooper said. “It is outrageous that the Pentagon could be wasting so much money.” According to the Post, the $125 billion would be enough to “cover the operational costs for 50 Army brigades, or 3,000 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters for the Air Force, or 10 aircraft-carrier strike groups for the Navy.” The letter, sent to Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter, requests that Pentagon officials send documents and correspondence related to the study for further investigation. A copy of the letter can be viewed here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cohen-hails-house-passage-national-urban-search-and-rescue-response | Cohen Hails House Passage of National Urban Search and Rescue Response Systems Act | 2016-12-08 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | TN | Steve Cohen | C001068 | cohen.house.gov | legacy | [WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen, a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, hailed passage by the House of Representatives of the National Urban Search and Rescue Response System Act of 2016 (S.2971). The bill was previously approved by the Senate and will now head to the President’s desk. This bill would authorize the National Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) program and codify protections for USAR team members, such as workers’ compensation and liability protections. 28 USAR teams are strategically located across the United States and provide timely response when needed in the aftermath of a disaster. Congressman Cohen spoke in support of this bill on the House floor. You can watch his remarks here. “I am pleased both the House and Senate have now passed the National Urban Search and Rescue Response Systems Act,” said Congressman Cohen. “I first introduced a bill to codify the Urban Search and Rescue Response System in 2007. These specialized teams of police officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel and other first responders provide search and rescue services and swift rapid rescue, among other activities, after disaster strikes. The dedication of the Tennessee Task Force One, based in Memphis, and USARs around the country are truly commendable as they drop everything in their busy daily lives to come to the prompt assistance of others when needed. I urge my colleagues to provide the necessary funding to support USARs and their heroic, life-saving activities.” | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsarticles?ContentRecord_id=54D2E6B2-0560-491C-BE11-A5D0A102745B | Chattanooga Times Free Press: New health care law touted as 'most important bill of the year' | 2016-12-08 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Lamar Alexander | A000360 | www.alexander.senate.gov | legacy | U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., is touting the 21st Century Cures bill, which the Senate and House have now passed and President Barack Obama is expected to sign, as "the most important bill of the year." The sprawling 996-page legislation is the most significant health care law passed by Congress since Obamacare, and it won bipartisan backing, passing the U.S. House last week by a vote of 344-77 and winning Senate approval on Wednesday, 94-5. As chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Tennessee's senior U.S. senator has been a key architect of the bill. The $6.3 billion legislation includes $1 billion to fight opioid abuse and $1.8 billion for Vice President Joe Biden's "cancer moonshot" initiative; changes the way the federal Food and Drug Administration approves drugs and medical devices; and pushes hospitals and doctors to make it easy to share data on their patients electronically. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., praised the Senate's vote Wednesday and applauded Alexander. "Passage of this legislation is a testament to Sen. Alexander's leadership and will help countless Tennesseans who are directly impacted by cancer, Alzheimer's, mental illness and opioid abuse," Corker said. "By streamlining the FDA review process and advancing biomedical research, this bill will encourage innovation and provide quicker access to the lifesaving medications and treatments that so many families need." OPIOID ABUSE In an interview with the Times-Free Press, Alexander touted the money to fight opioid abuse as particularly important for the state. "In almost every Tennessee county, doctors and parents are heartbroken by the amount of opioid drug abuse and by its consequences," he said. The funding can help provide treatment for opioid abusers and train doctors and other health care professionals in the best way to treat addiction, said Dr. David Stern, dean of the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. UT recently established a Center for Addiction Science to research ways some peopl… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=19AD1081-717D-4718-9431-9A3BD5F707EC | Alexander Statement on Selection of Respected Tennessee Businessman Andy Puzder as Labor Secretary | 2016-12-08 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Lamar Alexander | A000360 | www.alexander.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, December 8 — Senate labor committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement on President-elect Trump’s selection of respected Tennessee businessman Andy Puzder to become the next United States Secretary of Labor: “Mr. Puzder is a respected Tennessee business leader who understands how excessive regulation can destroy jobs and make it harder for family incomes to rise. I look forward to working with him to create an environment to help create jobs for more Americans. His nomination will be promptly considered by the Senate’s labor committee.” Puzder is the chief executive of CKE Restaurants, a company that owns, operates, and franchises several restaurant chains and is in the process of moving its headquarters to Nashville. Puzder lives with his family in Franklin, Tennessee. ### For access to this release and the senator’s other statements, click here. To stay up-to-date on the senator’s latest actions, follow him on Twitter and YouTube. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=4FE9DF7F-9BC9-439A-B99C-B0C5344A10E3 | Alexander Meets with HHS Secretary Nominee Rep. Tom Price | 2016-12-08 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Lamar Alexander | A000360 | www.alexander.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C., December 8, 2016 – U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) released the following statement after meeting this afternoon with nominee for Health and Human Services Secretary Rep. Tom Price: “I spent an hour with Dr. Tom Price this afternoon and was greatly impressed with his understanding of the need to begin immediately to repeal Obamacare and reform the nation’s health care system but to do it in a thoughtful, careful way that gives Americans more choices of low-cost insurance. He especially understands the importance of dealing with the Obamacare emergency in the individual market during a period of transition so that Americans have as many choices as possible.” The Senate health committee, which Alexander chairs, will hold a hearing on Price’s nomination in January. # # # | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=D69BBBDD-6F59-484D-8743-42008F181A76 | Alexander: $611.2 Billion Defense Bill Means Troops Will Receive Better Pay, New Equipment, More Training and Support | 2016-12-08 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Lamar Alexander | A000360 | www.alexander.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, Dec. 8, 2016 - U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement after the Senate passed a bipartisan agreement for the Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that establishes the nation’s military spending priorities: “Governing is about setting priorities, and this bill shows our priority is the men and women who serve in our armed forces. The Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act authorizes $3.2 billion more for our national security than what President Obama requested, including higher pay raises for our troops, such as those who are serving at Ft. Campbell and the Naval Support Activity Mid-South in Millington. The legislation will also help improve health care for our servicemen and women and their families,” Alexander said. “This bill will also strengthen our national security by supporting important programs at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge to maintain our nuclear weapons arsenal.” The NDAA conference report bill authorizes $611.2 billion in funding for the Department of Defense and Department of Energy, which includes the following priorities: Authorizes $3.2 billion more than what President Obama proposed in February to increase the number of military troops. 16,000 more soldiers in the Army, 3,000 more Marines, and nearly 4,000 more Air Force personnel. A 2.1 percent pay increase for members of the military, which is higher than the president requested, and will help troops at Ft. Campbell and the Naval Support Activity Mid-South in Millington, and reauthorizes more than 30 bonuses and special payments for service men and women. $19.4 billion for Department of Energy national security programs, which support critical work at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge. Funding for our nation’s nuclear stockpile, a replacement strategic missile submarine, defense-related environmental cleanup at the Department of Energy. Eliminates excessive and unnecessary spending and reinvests those savings in our … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-list?ContentRecord_id=E6985DA0-A782-4A33-9C85-37887C2947F8 | Corker: Bill to Launch End Modern Slavery Initiative to Become Law | 2016-12-08 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Bob Corker | C001071 | www.corker.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today announced passage of his bold, bipartisan initiative to end modern slavery worldwide. The National Defense Authorization Act of 2017 (NDAA) overwhelmingly passed the Senate today and includes authorizing legislation for the End Modern Slavery Initiative. The initiative will help establish a powerful effort in concert with the private sector and foreign governments to eliminate modern slavery and human trafficking around the globe. NDAA will now be sent to the president’s desk to be signed into law. “More than two years ago, we created a bold vision to not only fight the horrific practice of modern slavery, but to put in place an effort to end it, and I am proud to announce that the legislation necessary to launch the End Modern Slavery Initiative will now become law,” said Corker. “By providing strong U.S. leadership and leveraging our limited foreign aid dollars, this initiative will work with foreign governments and philanthropic organizations to match the funding being provided by the U.S. and create a coordinated effort to implement best practices to stop this crime of opportunity from occurring,” added Corker. “We would not be here today without incredible support from countless individuals, organizations and faith-based institutions,” concluded Corker. “I cannot thank them enough for their support and look forward to working with all involved in the months ahead as we begin to put this initiative into action.” The End Modern Slavery Initiative: The legislation authorizes funding for a non-profit, grant-making foundation in the District of Columbia that will fund programs and projects outside the United States. These programs will: Contribute to the freeing and sustainable recovery of victims of modern slavery, prevent individuals from being enslaved, and enforce laws to punish individual and corporate perpetrators of modern slavery; Set clear, defined goals and outcomes that can be empirically … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://fleischmann.house.gov/press-release/release-tn-delegation-requests-medicare-enrollment-extension-victims-east-tn-wildfires | RELEASE: TN Delegation Requests Medicare Enrollment Extension for Victims of East TN Wildfires | 2016-12-07 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Chuck Fleischmann | F000459 | fleischmann.house.gov | legacy | Tennessee Delegation Requests Medicare Enrollment Extension for Victims of East Tennessee Wildfires WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today members of the Tennessee delegation sent a bipartisan, bicameral letter to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt to request CMS extend the open enrollment period for Medicare beneficiaries in Sevier County, Tennessee due to the recent wildfires. A copy of the signed letter can be found here. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cohen-hails-senate-passage-eureka-act-part-21st-century-cures-act | Cohen Hails Senate Passage of EUREKA Act as Part of 21st Century Cures Act | 2016-12-07 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | TN | Steve Cohen | C001068 | cohen.house.gov | legacy | [WASHINGTON, DC] – Today the Senate passed the 21st Century Cures Act, which included the Ensuring Useful Research Expenditures is Key for Alzheimer’s (EUREKA) Act, a bill introduced in the House by Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN) and Congressman John Duncan (R-TN) and introduced in the Senate by Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) and others. The EUREKA section of the 21st Century Cures Act would instruct the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support prize competitions to accelerate the discovery and development of treatments to alleviate, prevent, and cure certain diseases, like Alzheimer’s, for which there is relatively little private investment as compared to public investment. President Obama is expected to sign the 21st Century Cures Act into law. “I am pleased that the Senate passed the 21st Century Cures Act, which included our EUREKA Act to help encourage innovative solutions for fighting awful diseases such as Alzheimer’s,” said Congressman Cohen. “I have been encouraged by the strong bipartisan support for the 21st Century Cures Act, which, in addition to our EUREKA Act, includes increased funding for the NIH, Vice President Joe Biden’s Cancer Moonshot initiative, increased benefits for mental health patients and grants to help combat the opioid epidemic. I look forward to the President signing this bill into law.” Congressman Cohen spoke in support of the EUREKA Act and the 21st Century Cures Act on the House floor last week. You can watch the video here. You can read Congressman Cohen’s statement on the passage of the 21st Century Cures Act in the House of Representatives here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cohen-introduces-school-bus-seat-belt-bill | Cohen Introduces School Bus Seat Belt Bill | 2016-12-07 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | TN | Steve Cohen | C001068 | cohen.house.gov | legacy | [WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, today introduced the Bring Enhanced Liability in Transportation for Students (BELTS) Act to help protect children who ride on school buses. The bill would create federal grants to purchase new school buses with lap/shoulder seat belts or equip existing ones with such belts and creates federal grants to equip school buses with motion-activated detection systems. The bill would also direct the Secretary of Transportation to withhold 10% of a state’s apportionment of certain federal-aid highway funds if the state has not enacted a law that requires the employer to conduct background checks before hiring school bus drivers. Finally, the bill would direct the Secretary to withhold 10% of federal highway funding if the state has not enacted and is not enforcing a law that imposes specified first offense and second offense civil or criminal penalties for motorists found guilty of illegally passing a stopped school bus. “Last month’s horrific school bus crash that killed six children in Chattanooga, Tennessee was a wake-up call,” said Congressman Cohen. “When it comes to protecting our school children, safety must come first. To date, only six states require seat belts on school buses. When I was in the Tennessee State Senate, I sponsored a bill to require seat belts on school buses, yet it was opposed by the industry and never received a vote in committee. On average, there are 134 school-transportation-related fatalities per year. Seat belts, background checks for drivers and other measures could help reduce future disasters. I urge my colleagues to support this common sense legislation to protect our children riding on school buses.” | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cohen-s-statement-memphis-va-medical-center-rating | Cohens Statement on the Memphis VA Medical Center Rating | 2016-12-07 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | TN | Steve Cohen | C001068 | cohen.house.gov | legacy | [WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen today released the following statement on the announcement that the Memphis VA Medical Center received a 1-out-of-5-star performance rating from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: “When I first learned of the Memphis VA Medical Center’s poor rating in November, I wrote to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald and Under Secretary for Health Dr. David Shulkin expressing concerns about the hospital,” said Congressman Cohen. “Both the low rating and lack of a dedicated and permanent director are unacceptable and likely interrelated. I urged Dr. Shulkin to use recruitment rewards and incentives to get the very best director for the Memphis VA Medical Center. I personally spoke with then-Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki to get Dr. Jay Robinson transferred from Dublin, Georgia to Memphis in 2009 after I learned of his high regard from my colleague Congressman Jim Marshall of Georgia. Unfortunately, Dr. Robinson was recruited to be the CEO of Methodist South Hospital in Memphis, and we haven’t had sufficient leadership since. Quality care for our veterans and veteran hospitals begins with permanent and highly regarded leadership, and I will continue to work with the current and future Administrations to this end.” | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://desjarlais.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/tennessee-delegation-requests-medicare-enrollment-extension-for-victims | Tennessee Delegation Requests Medicare Enrollment Extension for Victims of East Tennessee Wildfires | 2016-12-07 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Scott DesJarlais | D000616 | desjarlais.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, members of the Tennessee delegation sent a bipartisan, bicameral letter to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt to request CMS extend the open enrollment period for Medicare beneficiaries in Sevier County, Tennessee due to the recent wildfires. A copy of the signed letter can be found here. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://desjarlais.house.gov/media-center?ID=8824652E-4B78-44FC-86AC-08E3957FDA81 | Tennessee Delegation Requests Medicare Enrollment Extension for Victims of East Tennessee Wildfires | 2016-12-07 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Scott DesJarlais | D000616 | desjarlais.house.gov | desjarlais | https://desjarlais.house.gov/media-center | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, members of the Tennessee delegation sent a bipartisan, bicameral letter to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt to request CMS extend the open enrollment period for Medicare beneficiaries in Sevier County, Tennessee due to the recent wildfires. A copy of the signed letter can be found here. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T21:09:43Z |
| https://fleischmann.house.gov/media/press-releases/release-tn-delegation-requests-medicare-enrollment-extension-victims-east-tn | RELEASE: TN Delegation Requests Medicare Enrollment Extension for Victims of East TN Wildfires | 2016-12-07 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Charles J. "Chuck" Fleischmann | F000459 | fleischmann.house.gov | fleischmann | https://fleischmann.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | Tennessee Delegation Requests Medicare Enrollment Extension for Victims of East Tennessee Wildfires WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today members of the Tennessee delegation sent a bipartisan, bicameral letter to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt to request CMS extend the open enrollment period for Medicare beneficiaries in Sevier County, Tennessee due to the recent wildfires. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T21:09:43Z |
| https://roe.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398093 | Tennessee Delegation Requests Medicare Enrollment Extension for Victims of East Tennessee Wildfires | 2016-12-07 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Phil Roe | R000582 | roe.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, members of the Tennessee delegation sent a bipartisan, bicameral letter to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt to request CMS extend the open enrollment period for Medicare beneficiaries in Sevier County, Tennessee due to the recent wildfires. A copy of the signed letter can be found here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=14AEDDF8-9851-4BDE-B1D0-C6560FFF2FFF | Alexander: Senate Sends Most Important Bill of the Year to the Presidents Desk | 2016-12-07 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Lamar Alexander | A000360 | www.alexander.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, December 7— Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said “the most important bill of the year is headed towards the President’s desk,” after the United States Senate passed the 21st Century Cures Act by a vote of 94 to 5: “For the second consecutive year, the Senate is sending the President another Christmas miracle for his signature. Last year, it was the Every Student Succeeds Act, and this time, it’s the 21st Century Cures Act—a bill that will help virtually every American family. With its vote today of 94 to 5, the Senate has sent an unmistakable message that the time is now to deliver on the promise of 21st Century Cures.” Senator Alexander continued: “This bipartisan legislation – which Majority Leader McConnell has called 'the most important legislation Congress will pass this year' – will help us take advantage of the breathtaking advances in biomedical research and bring those innovations to doctors’ offices and patients’ medicine cabinets around the country. This legislation will advance Vice President Biden’s moonshot to find cures for cancer, President Obama’s Precision Medicine Initiative, and the BRAIN Initiative – and it will help states in the fight against opioid abuse and the one in five adults in this country suffering from a mental illness. I look forward to the president’s signature.” This past weekend, President Obama voiced his strong support for this bill, in his weekly address to the nation saying: “Like all good legislation, [the bill] reflects compromise. This week, the House passed it overwhelmingly, and in bipartisan fashion. The Senate will vote in the next few days, and I hope they’ll do the same. I’ll sign it as soon as it reaches my desk, because like a lot of you, I’ve lost people I love to cancer. I hear every day from Americans whose loved ones are suffering from addiction and other debilitating diseases. And I believe we should seize every chance we have to find cures as soon as possible. When it’s your family, hope can’t come soon… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-list?ContentRecord_id=47568F8A-E7FA-49CC-9584-961A1919A0FD | Tennessee Delegation Requests Medicare Enrollment Extension for Victims of East Tennessee Wildfires | 2016-12-07 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Bob Corker | C001071 | www.corker.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON – Today, members of the Tennessee delegation sent a bipartisan, bicameral letter to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt to request CMS extend the open enrollment period for Medicare beneficiaries in Sevier County, Tennessee due to the recent wildfires. Full text of the letter is included below and available online here. Dear Acting Administrator Slavitt: We are writing today to urgently request that you extend the open enrollment period for Medicare beneficiaries affected by the Sevier County, TN disaster. At least 14 people died and at least 134 people were injured because of fires that destroyed or damaged more than 17,000 acres and about 1,700 structures. A fire in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was first reported on November 23. Then on November 28, hurricane force winds spread this fire uncontrollably within a matter of fifteen minutes, and 14,000 people were evacuated from Gatlinburg and the surrounding region overnight. It is the worst fire Tennessee has seen in the last 100 years. This entire area has been dramatically affected by this disaster. In addition to the physical damage, Tennesseans struggled with power outages and spotty cell phone service. Only in the past day or two have our constituents been allowed to return to their homes and businesses, and only within restricted hours. These fire victims are focused on finding missing family members, recovering from injuries, discovering the extent of damage to their homes and businesses, and just trying to survive and figure out how to live the next day. They do not currently have the ability or time to examine their Medicare options by tomorrow. Their entire lives have been turned upside down, and even more people may need to change their Medicare plans than before but have not had a chance to even consider their options. In closing, we wish to express our sincerest hope that you acknowledge the inability of our constituents to review their Medicare options in time to make needed change… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-list?ContentRecord_id=86D06D26-343A-45DF-967D-49508B4107EE | Corker Applauds Passage of 21st Century Cures Act | 2016-12-07 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Bob Corker | C001071 | www.corker.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement regarding Senate passage of the 21st Century Cures Act, which will advance medical research, implement mental health reforms, and provide state grants to fight opioid abuse. The legislation will now be sent to the president’s desk to be signed into law. “Passage of this legislation is a testament to Senator Alexander’s leadership and will help countless Tennesseans who are directly impacted by cancer, Alzheimer’s, mental illness and opioid abuse,” said Corker. “By streamlining the FDA review process and advancing biomedical research, this bill will encourage innovation and provide quicker access to the lifesaving medications and treatments that so many families need.” ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/ranking-member-cohen-participates-forum-electoral-college | Ranking Member Cohen Participates in Forum on Electoral College | 2016-12-06 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | TN | Steve Cohen | C001068 | cohen.house.gov | legacy | [WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, today participated in a forum hosted by members of the House Judiciary Committee with bipartisan experts and noted scholars to discuss proposed reforms to the current method of presidential selection, entitled “The Electoral College and the Future of American Democracy.” A video of Congressman Cohen’s remarks can be found here. A photo of the Congressman at the forum can be found here. “As Ranking Member of the subcommittee with jurisdiction over constitutional amendments, I was pleased to hear from experts and scholars on potential reforms to the electoral college,” said Congressman Cohen. “Last week, I introduced a constitutional amendment to abolish the electoral college and provide for the direct election of the President and Vice President. The electoral college is an anachronistic provision. When the Founders established the electoral college it was in an era of limited nationwide communication. It was premised on a theory that citizens would have a better chance of knowing about electors from their home states than about presidential candidates from out-of-state. But this is no longer true, and the notion that citizens should be prevented from directly electing the President is antithetical to our understanding of democracy.” Last week, Congressman Cohen introduced an amendment to the United States Constitution (H.J.Res. 104) that would eliminate the Electoral College and provide for the direct election of the President and Vice President of the United States. You can find more comments from Congressman Cohen on his amendment here. The text of the amendment can be found here. Panelists at the forum included: Professor Jamie Raskin, American University Law School (and U.S. Representative-Elect) Professor Akhil Reed Amar, Yale Law School Professor Jack N. Rakove, Stanford Law School Professor Alexander Keyssar, Harvard University State Representative Bob Thorpe (R-AZ… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://roe.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398091 | House Passes Roe Bill to Bring Accountability to the VA | 2016-12-06 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Phil Roe | R000582 | roe.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, the House unanimously approved the Ethical Patient Care for Veterans Act, legislation introduced by Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-TN) to require clinicians practicing at the VA to report directly to state licensing boards whenever they witness unacceptable behavior from other VA clinicians. This is the same process that doctors in the private sector follow. Currently, it takes at least 100 days for the VA to decide whether or not to refer a complaint of substandard health care practices reported to the VA to the state licensing board. Roe released the following statement on passage of the bill: This bill will bring much-needed accountability to the VA. As a physician, I find it unacceptable that clinicians practicing at the VA could be fired for providing substandard care to veterans and move into private practice before their state licensing board is made aware of the complaints lodged against them, if they're ever made aware at all. If we expect to change the culture at VA hospitals and clinics around the country, we must make reporting obligations at the VA consistent with existing professional ethical standards. My bill will ensure no bad actors at the VA slip through the cracks because of favoritism or corruption, and I encourage the Senate to take up this important legislation soon. BACKGROUND: Currently, whenever VA receives a report of substandard health care practices, it takes at least 100 days to decide whether to refer the matter to a state licensing board. Under VHA Handbook 1100.18, allegations are investigated in five distinct stages and receive review at the local medical facility level, the Veterans Integrated Service Network level, and at the central office. This bill will require VA clinicians to report any wrongdoing directly to their state licensing board, providing timely notice of these serious allegations. A copy of the Ethical Patient Care for Veterans Act can be found here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=0BD1B2F4-6F4C-44E0-BE1A-995C741ECB4E | Alexander: Bill Headed to Presidents Desk is Good News for People Fighting Complex Diseases in Rural Tennessee | 2016-12-06 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Lamar Alexander | A000360 | www.alexander.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, Dec. 6, 2016 – U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said a health care bill he cosponsored in the Senate that will help make the medical brain power of institutions like Vanderbilt University Medical Center available to doctors in rural parts of Tennessee and other rural areas of the country is ready for the president’s signature. "House passage of this legislation is good news for people fighting complex diseases in rural Tennessee and other parts of the country that are far away from specialists and large medical centers. This bill will help patients in remote areas who need specialized treatments get those treatments from their local doctors, because it instructs the Department of Health and Human Services to study technology that will help connect those doctors with specialists at institutions like Vanderbilt. Sens. Hatch and Schatz worked hard, in a bipartisan way, to get this bill passed, and I look forward to it being signed by the president.” The Senate unanimously passed the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) Act, which Alexander cosponsored, on Nov. 29. The bill was introduced by Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii). Sen. Alexander was one of 15 cosponsors on the bill. Today, the House of Representatives passed the legislation by voice vote. It is now heading to the president’s desk. ### For access to this release and the senator’s other statements, click here. To stay up-to-date on the senator’s latest actions, follow him on Twitter and YouTube. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=C7BF1535-F1F3-4FD4-83E4-87D48D115561 | Alexander Given Scenic Byway Trailblazer Award | 2016-12-06 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Lamar Alexander | A000360 | www.alexander.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, Dec. 6, 2016 – U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today was one of two recipients of the Scenic Byway Trailblazer Award from Scenic America, the National Scenic Byway Foundation and the Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership. Alexander was recognized at an event celebrating the 25th anniversary of the National Scenic Byways Program. “When I was governor of Tennessee in 1985, President Ronald Reagan asked me to chair the President's Commission on Americans Outdoors, and he challenged those of us on the commission to look ahead for a generation and tell the country how we can best protect our outdoor spaces. In our report we emphasized that most outdoors recreation occurs close to home, near towns or cities where 80 percent of us live. So, we recommended more land trusts, greenways, city parks and scenic byways,” Alexander said. “That led me to work with the Tennessee legislature to create 10,000 miles of state roads and scenic highways with no new billboards, because we knew tourists came to Tennessee for the scenery, not the billboards. The Great American Outdoors is blessed with natural beauty, and I look forward to maintaining our opportunities to enjoy it.” The National Scenic Byway Foundation supports the National Scenic Byways Program, which was created in 1991 by the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act to provide federal funding for maintenance and improvement projects on federally-designated National Scenic Byways. According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) there are currently 150 designated National Scenic Byways and American Roads in 46 states, including five that pass through Tennessee: Cherohala Skyway –Passes through North Carolina and Tellico Plains; East Tennessee Crossing – Between North Carolina and the town of Cumberland Gap Great River Road – Between from Minnesota and Louisiana, runs through West Tennessee; Natchez Trace Parkway –Between Nashville, through Alabama and Jackson, Mississippi Woodlands Trace – Between Garand Rivers, Kentucky a… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-list?ContentRecord_id=3194A21A-8D06-4FB9-87DA-67286F7BFF5B | Corker Statement on Committee Approval of Montenegros Bid for NATO Membership | 2016-12-06 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Bob Corker | C001071 | www.corker.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement regarding committee approval of a resolution of advice and consent supporting Montenegro’s membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Representatives of the 28-member states signed the accession protocol for Montenegro to join the alliance on May 19, 2016. The U.S. Constitution requires a two-thirds vote of the Senate for the U.S. to approve new members of the treaty organization. “We welcome Montenegro as NATO’s newest member,” said Corker. “Given the many challenges facing the alliance, it is important that every state step up and meet the two percent of GDP target for spending on defense.” ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-list?ContentRecord_id=94C6BF8F-EF8B-43EF-9085-D0A47D9BC19D | Corker Praises Committee Passage of Religious Freedom Bill | 2016-12-06 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Bob Corker | C001071 | www.corker.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today praised committee passage of H.R.1150, the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act. The committee-approved legislation seeks to advance religious freedom through enhanced diplomatic and foreign assistance efforts, including improved training for foreign service officers and greater flexibility for responding to cases of religious persecution. “This bill will help ensure that defending religious freedom remains at the core of our engagement in even the most repressive parts of the world and that we have the most effective policies in place to be successful,” said Corker. “I am proud of the unanimous support this legislation received in our committee and will push for timely consideration on the Senate floor.” ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cohen-praises-decision-seek-alternative-route-dakota-access-pipeline | Cohen Praises Decision to Seek an Alternative Route for Dakota Access Pipeline | 2016-12-05 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | TN | Steve Cohen | C001068 | cohen.house.gov | legacy | [WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today released the following statement on the Army Corps of Engineers’ decision to not issue a permit for the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline under Lake Oahe in North Dakota. The Army Corps of Engineers announced that it plans to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for alternative routes. The Standing Rock Sioux tribe and its supporters have raised concerns that routing the pipeline under the lake could contaminate the water supply for the Native American reservation. “I am pleased the Army Corps of Engineers decided against issuing a permit for the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline through the Standing Rock Sioux reservation,” said Congressman Cohen. “I was proud to join my colleagues in urging the President to cease construction of the pipeline and protect the civil rights and civil liberties of the water protectors, veterans and supporters who have spent months protesting the pipeline. I will continue to monitor the situation as the Army Corps of Engineers releases their Environmental Impact Statements on alternate routes, and I urge the incoming administration to uphold the decision to seek an alternative route for the pipeline.” Congressman Cohen cosigned a letter to President Obama in September urging the Army Corps of Engineers to block the construction of the pipeline. You can read that letter here. Congressman Cohen also cosigned a letter to President Obama in November urging the President to send Department of Justice observers to protect the civil rights and liberties of the protesters and withdraw the National Guard to reduce tensions in the area. You can read that letter here. Congressman Cohen cosigned a letter to Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter earlier this month to request the return of military equipment obtained by local and state law enforcement agencies in North Dakota through the Department of Defense after evidence of the excessive use of force by law enforcement against the Water Protectors. You can read that … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://desjarlais.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/thousands-of-acres-newly-protected-on-the-south-cumberland-plateau | Thousands of acres newly protected on the South Cumberland Plateau | 2016-12-05 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Scott DesJarlais | D000616 | desjarlais.house.gov | legacy | Rep. DesJarlais was recognized along with Senator Corker and Senator Alexander for their continued support of the Land & Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). This private-public partnership demonstrates how we can work together to find solutions that protect the environment and natural resources, while supporting local economies and jobs. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=BB1CC386-9621-4FCA-8D0E-33D3DA785D05 | Alexander: Over 320 Organizations Representing Patients, Doctors, and Researchers Urge Senate to Pass 21st Century Cures | 2016-12-05 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Lamar Alexander | A000360 | www.alexander.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, December 5 – Ahead of today's Senate vote to move forward on the 21st Century Cures Act, Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) announced more than 320 organizations – from leading research hospitals to organizations representing patients with rare diseases – are urging Congress to pass the legislation. On Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed the legislation by a vote of 392 to 26, readying the game-changing medical innovation package that includes new research funding, mental health reforms, and state grants to fight opioid abuse for Senate action this week. “Patients, doctors and scientists are supporting 21st Century Cures and encouraging Congress to finish its work on this bipartisan legislation that will impact the health of virtually every American,” said Alexander. “This transformational bill will lead to lifesaving medical breakthroughs and advance President Obama’s Precision Medicine Initiative and Vice President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot. It passed overwhelmingly in the House and now it’s time for the Senate to deliver on the promise of 21st Century Cures for patients.” Groups representing patients, doctors, and scientists across the country are voicing their support for 21st Century Cures: Mayo Clinic: “Efforts to advance biomedical innovation and accelerate the development and delivery of cures are of great importance to Mayo Clinic and our patients. We are pleased to see the inclusion of dedicated funding streams for the Food and Drug Administration and National Institutes of Health—including funds for research efforts such as the President’s Precision Medicine initiative, the Vice President’s Cancer Moonshot, and the BRAIN initiative to speed diagnosis and treatment of conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease… Mayo Clinic is grateful for your leadership, wholeheartedly supports this comprehensive legislation and looks forward to this innovative effort being signed into law, and we pledge to be a committed partner in its implementation.” Friends of … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=BE9E1DE1-D107-4254-A51D-470F57F8A850 | Alexander: Senate on Track to Pass Most Important Bill of the Year | 2016-12-05 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Lamar Alexander | A000360 | www.alexander.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, December 5 — Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said the United States Senate is on track to pass what Majority Leader McConnell has called “the most important legislation Congress will pass this year,” after senators invoked cloture on the 21st Century Cures Act, setting up a vote for final Senate passage of the bill: “For the second year in a row, the Senate is poised to send the President another Christmas miracle for his signature—one that will help virtually every American family. This time, it’s the 21st Century Cures Act, which the House of Representatives passed last week by an overwhelming vote of 392-26. Tonight, the Senate has voted to move forward on this bill, sending an unmistakable message that the time is now to deliver on the promise of 21st Century Cures,” Alexander said. “I am looking forward to another successful vote in the Senate tomorrow, so we can send this legislation to the White House where the president has his pen ready to sign it.” Senator Alexander continued: “This bipartisan legislation – which Majority Leader McConnell has called 'the most important legislation Congress will pass this year' – will help us take advantage of the breathtaking advances in biomedical research and bring those innovations to doctors’ offices and patients’ medicine cabinets around the country. This legislation will advance Vice President Biden’s moonshot to find cures for cancer, President Obama’s Precision Medicine Initiative, and the BRAIN Initiative – and it will help states in the fight against opioid abuse and the one in five adults in this country suffering from a mental illness. It’s time for the Senate to deliver on the promise of 21st Century Cures for patients.” This past weekend, President Obama voiced his strong support for this bill, in his weekly address to the nation saying: “Like all good legislation, [the bill] reflects compromise. This week, the House passed it overwhelmingly, and in bipartisan fashion. The Senate will vote in the next few d… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=CA825C93-6A03-4B62-B82F-3F2DDB67CBD2 | Alexander: Senate Passes Bill to Help Doctors Treat Complex Diseases in Rural Tennessee | 2016-12-05 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Lamar Alexander | A000360 | www.alexander.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, Nov. 29, 2016 – U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) released the following statement today after the Senate passed the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) Act, which Alexander cosponsored: "This bill will help provide a way for people who live in rural Tennessee and other rural and underserved areas who are suffering from complex illnesses to get the specialized care they need more quickly and more conveniently – even when there are no medical specialists near where they live. The legislation will instruct the Department of Health and Human Services to study technology that would help connect doctors in rural areas to specialists at institutions such as Vanderbilt University, so the doctors can better serve people in their communities. I commend Sens. Hatch and Schatz for their bipartisan work on this bill.” The Senate unanimously passed the ECHO Act, which was introduced by Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii). Sen. Alexander was one of 15 cosponsors on the bill. ### For access to this release and the senator’s other statements, click here. To stay up-to-date on the senator’s latest actions, follow him on Twitter and YouTube. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://cohen.house.gov/taxonomy/story-type/enewsletters/building-healthier-america | Building a Healthier America | 2016-12-02 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | TN | Steve Cohen | C001068 | cohen.house.gov | legacy | Dear Friend, This week, the House of Representatives passed a bill I sponsored, the EUREKA Act, as part of the 21st Century Cures Act, I introduced an amendment to the Constitution to abolish the Electoral College, urged the President to issue more commutations for marijuana-related convictions, represented Tennessee at the Steve Cropper donation ceremony at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, joined Judiciary Committee Democrats in pressing for hearings on conflicts-of-interest and ethics provisions that might apply to the President, and spoke in support of a bill to name a Nashville federal courthouse after my friend Fred Thompson. Keep reading to learn more about my week and follow me on Twitter and Facebook to see these updates as they happen. Building a Healthier AmericaAbolishing the Electoral CollegeUrging the President to Issue More CommutationsRepresenting Tennessee at the Steve Cropper Ceremony at the Smithsonian Pressing for Hearings on Presidential Conflicts-of-InterestThinking of Those in GatlinburgRemembering Senator Fred ThompsonBringing Jobs to MemphisHonoring World AIDS Day Helping Memphians Get Covered Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) Grant ProgramWeekly Health Tip 2017 U.S. Capitol Historical Society Calendars Are Available Building a Healthier America On Wednesday, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the 21st Century Cures Act to modernize our healthcare system. Included in the bill was a bill I sponsored in the House, the EUREKA Act, which would create prize competitions to accelerate the discovery and development of treatments for certain diseases, like Alzheimer’s, for which there is relatively little private investment as compared to that which is invested publicly. Also included in the 21st Century Cures Act was Vice President Joe Biden’s Cancer Moonshot initiative, as well as increased benefits for mental health patients, grants to help combat the opioid epidemic and increased funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Read more about t… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://desjarlais.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/21st-century-cures-act-takes-important-steps-forward | 21st Century Cures Act takes important steps forward | 2016-12-02 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Scott DesJarlais | D000616 | desjarlais.house.gov | legacy | Representative DesJarlais made the following statement on not voting for the Cures Act, “I disagreed with the way the original version was funded from mandatory instead of discretionary dollars. The bill transformed from a good bill to into another runaway government program.” | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=127B112C-AD57-4B04-BB25-B245EFB58DA2 | Alexander on Selection of Rep. Virginia Foxx as Chairman of the House Education and Workforce Committee | 2016-12-02 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Lamar Alexander | A000360 | www.alexander.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, December 2 — Senate education committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement on the selection of Representative Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) by her caucus to become the next Chairman of the House Education and Workforce Committee. “I look forward to working with Representative Foxx, who is a diligent, hard-worker on ensuring that the law fixing No Child Left Behind is implemented the way that Congress wrote it. We will also turn our attention to higher education and helping make it easier and simpler for more students to attend college.” ### For access to this release and the senator’s other statements, click here. To stay up-to-date on the senator’s latest actions, follow him on Twitter and YouTube. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=96E855C5-F681-433A-8F23-B6416EF1DB57 | Alexander: Phil Roe Is an Outstanding Choice to Lead the Veterans Affairs Committee | 2016-12-02 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Lamar Alexander | A000360 | www.alexander.senate.gov | legacy | MARYVILLE, TENN., Dec. 2, 2016 – U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement after Representative Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) was elected by the Republican Steering Committee to serve as chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee for the 115th Congress: “Phil is an outstanding choice to lead the Veterans’ Affairs committee. As a veteran and doctor, no one understands better how to ensure that our veterans have access to excellent care.” ### For access to this release and the senator’s other statements, click here. To stay up-to-date on the senator’s latest actions, follow him on Twitter and YouTube. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=FBA07763-863A-4409-81FB-B40ACD527401 | Alexander on Selection of Rep. Greg Walden as Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee | 2016-12-02 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Lamar Alexander | A000360 | www.alexander.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, December 2 — Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement on the selection of Representative Greg Walden (R-Ore.) by his caucus to become the next Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee: “I look forward to working with Representative Walden on repealing and replacing Obamacare with patient-centered, market-based reforms, and supporting biomedical innovation to get safe, cutting-edge treatments and cures into doctors’ offices and patients’ medicine cabinets more quickly, by reauthorizing FDA user fee agreements.” ### For access to this release and the senator’s other statements, click here. To stay up-to-date on the senator’s latest actions, follow him on Twitter and YouTube. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://cooper.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cooper-announces-presidential-inauguration-ticket-distribution-plans-0 | Cooper Announces Presidential Inauguration Ticket Distribution Plans | 2016-12-01 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | TN | Jim Cooper | C000754 | cooper.house.gov | legacy | UPDATE: The sign-up period has ended. To be added to a wait list, click here. If there are remaining tickets available, you will be notified by January 6.WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-05) today announced plans to distribute tickets to the 2017 presidential inauguration to interested residents of Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District. Inauguration Day is Jan. 20. All tickets are “standing” only. Guests will be standing outdoors for many hours – possibly in the rain or snow – on what is typically a cold January morning. Tickets will be distributed over the next few weeks, following an electronic lottery process. All requests must be submitted online at cooper.house.gov/inaugurationtickets, and no requests will be accepted over the phone. Requests will be accepted for residents of Cheatham, Davidson and Dickson counties. There is a limit of two (2) tickets per household. Tickets are not transferable. Cooper’s office outlined the following steps that interested residents should follow: Submit your request online at cooper.house.gov/inaugurationtickets anytime between Monday, Dec. 5 at 9:00 a.m. CST and Friday, Dec. 9 at 5:00 p.m. CST. (A dedicated form will be available on Cooper’s website starting Monday morning.) On Monday, Dec. 12, Cooper’s office will hold a lottery drawing, and winners will be notified via email. Only those who win tickets will receive an email. The deadline to confirm acceptance – again, via email response to Cooper’s office – is Friday, Dec. 16 at 5:00 p.m. CST. No phone confirmations will be accepted. For any tickets that are not electronically claimed by the Dec. 16 deadline, a second lottery drawing will be held on Monday, Dec. 19. New winners will be informed later that day. They will need to confirm by email within 24 hours. Tickets must be picked up in person with photo ID at 1536 Longworth House Office Building in Washington, DC, on Thursday, Jan. 19 from 1:00 p.m. EST until 6:00 p.m. EST. Travelers should consider this timeframe. Tickets not picked up by 6:00 EST… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/ranking-member-cohen-introduces-amendment-us-constitution-eliminate | Ranking Member Cohen Introduces Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to Eliminate the Electoral College | 2016-12-01 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | TN | Steve Cohen | C001068 | cohen.house.gov | legacy | [WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, today introduced an amendment to the United States Constitution that would eliminate the Electoral College and provide for the direct election of the President and Vice President of the United States. “For the second time in recent memory, and for the fifth time in our history, we have a President-elect, who lost the popular vote,” said Congressman Cohen. “The Electoral College is an antiquated system that was established to prevent citizens from directly electing our nation’s President, yet that notion is antithetical to our understanding of democracy. In our country, ‘We the People’ are supposed to determine who represents us in elective office.” Congressman Cohen continued, “When the Founders established the electoral college, it was in an era of limited nationwide communication. It was premised on a theory that citizens would have a better chance of knowing about electors from their home states than about presidential candidates from out-of-state. The development of mass media and the internet, however, has made information about presidential candidates easily accessible to U.S. citizens across the country and around the world. Today, citizens have a far better chance of knowing about out-of-state presidential candidates than knowing about presidential electors from their home states. Most people don’t even know who their electors are. Congressman Cohen concluded, “Since our nation first adopted our Constitution, we have amended it repeatedly to expand the opportunity for citizens to directly elect our leaders. We have Constitutional amendments that guarantee the right of all citizens to vote regardless of race, gender and age for citizens who are 18 years of age and older, as well as an amendment to empower citizens to directly elect U.S. Senators. We need to also empower citizens to directly elect the President and the Vice President of the United States. It is tim… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://duncan.house.gov/press-release/eureka-21st-century-cures | EUREKA 21st Century Cures | 2016-12-01 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | John Duncan | D000533 | duncan.house.gov | legacy | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Don Walker November 30, 2016 202-225-5435 WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Congressman John J. Duncan, Jr. voted in favor of the 21st Century Cures Act, which passed the House by 392 to 26. After the vote, Congressman Duncan stated, “I am very pleased by today’s passage of the 21st Century Cures Act, which includes the Eureka Prize Competitions.” The 21st Century Cures Act directs the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to use its authority to establish Eureka prize competitions for advances in biomedical science and improved outcomes in treatments for some of our most serious illnesses. “Congressman Cohen and I championed this Competition Program in our bipartisan EUREKA Act, H.R. 5073. I am eager to see what breakthrough treatments and drugs will come from the Eureka Competitions to combat Alzheimer’s, dementia, and other challenging diseases affecting my constituents and millions across the Nation,” said Duncan. The 21st Century Cures Act also addresses a number of other needs in East Tennessee. For example, the Medicare provisions in this legislation do not privatize Medicare or reduce patient benefits but should help hospitals in the District, including Blount Memorial, Claiborne County, and Jellico Community Hospitals. In addition, the Cures Act protects Medicare patients’ access to oxygen and critical equipment by granting much needed relief to durable medical equipment providers in the District who have been providing their services at a loss, due to the unreasonable cuts in Medicare reimbursements imposed on these small businesses. The Cures Act also gives similar relief to those in the District who provide wheelchairs and other complex rehab technology equipment that is essential to many constituents. About these Medicare provisions, Congressman Duncan said, “Having supported and voted for related legislation, I look forwar… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://roe.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398090 | Roe Elected as Chairman of House Veterans Affairs Committee | 2016-12-01 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Phil Roe | R000582 | roe.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-TN) was elected by the Republican Steering Committee to serve as chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee for the 115th Congress, succeeding Jeff Miller (R-FL), who is retiring at the end of the 114th Congress. Roe released the following statement: I am extremely honored and humbled to be given this opportunity. During my time in Congress, veterans' issues have been a top priority for me, and this is not a responsibility I will take lightly. With scandal after scandal, it has become clear there's no federal agency more in need of reform than the VA. I am excited by the opportunity to advance Republican solutions aimed at improving veterans' care. There's a lot of work to be done from considering the Commission on Care recommendations and reauthorizing the Choice program to ensuring veterans have timely access to the benefits they've earned and I'm ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House and Senate, as well as the Trump administration, to get things done for our nation's heroes. I also want to thank Chairman Miller for his leadership and tireless work on behalf of veterans the last six years. Roe was sworn in to Congress in 2009, and has been active on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee since that time. Roe earned his Medical Degree from the University of Tennessee in 1970, and served as a captain in the 2nd Infantry Division 2nd Medical Battalion of the U.S. Army Medical Corps from 1973-74. During that time, he was stationed for 9 months near the DMZ in Korea; served at a 121 evacuation hospital near Seoul for 3 months; and completed his service at Fort Eustis, VA. He is a recipient of the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Defense Service Medal and the Army Commendation Medal. An OB-GYN, Roe spent time training at a VA hospital in Memphis and worked in consultation with the VA to see veterans in his private practice. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=50DE62C1-E707-4C90-AF34-F8D9D67EE080 | Alexander: Senate Votes to Extend Sanctions on Iran | 2016-12-01 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Lamar Alexander | A000360 | www.alexander.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 1, 2016 – U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement after the Senate passed legislation that extends American sanctions on companies or entities that do business with Iran for 10 years: “Iran remains a threat to our national security, to Middle East stability, and to Israel, one of our strongest allies, which is why I voted to preserve these important sanctions.” The Iran Sanctions Extension Act extends the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 through Dec. 31, 2026. The law authorizes the use of economic sanctions to deny Iran resources that could be used to support terrorism or developing weapons of mass destruction. The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved the legislation on Nov. 15 by a vote of 419 to 1. Today, the Senate approved the legislation by a vote of 99 to 0, and now the bill will be sent to the president so it can become law. ### For access to this release and the senator’s other statements, click here. To stay up-to-date on the senator’s latest actions, follow him on Twitter and YouTube. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=97D931C1-4EF1-4D54-87F9-ED7C014F54BE | Alexander: Leader McConnell Announces Senate on Monday Will Take Up Most Important Legislation of the Year | 2016-12-01 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Lamar Alexander | A000360 | www.alexander.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 1 – Following Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) announcement that the Senate will begin its consideration of 21st Century Cures on Monday, Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said he looks forward to getting a result for American patients on this bipartisan legislation that Leader McConnell has called “the most important legislation Congress will pass this year.” The $6.3 billion game-changing 21st Century Cures package—which includes new research funding, mental health reforms, and state grants to fight opioid abuse—passed the House of Representatives yesterday by an overwhelming vote of 392-26. “The House of Representatives, with its vote last night of 392-26, has sent an unmistakable message that the time is now to deliver on the promise of 21st Century Cures,” Alexander said. “I look forward to a successful vote in the Senate next week, so we can send this legislation to the White House where the president has his pen ready to sign it.” “This legislation will help us seize on the breathtaking advances in biomedical research and bring those innovations to doctors’ offices and patients’ medicine cabinets around the country. It will advance Vice President Biden’s moonshot to find cures for cancer, President Obama’s Precision Medicine Initiative, and Alzheimer’s research. Finally, it will help states in the fight against opioid abuse and help the one in five adults in this country suffering from a mental illness get the treatment they need. I look forward to getting a result on this game-changing legislation on behalf of American patients.” The 21st Century Cures agreement will: Help bring safe drugs and devices to market more quickly and at less cost by making needed reforms to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including: expedited review for breakthrough devices, increased patient involvement in the drug approval process, a streamlined review process for combination products that are both a drug and device, and freedom from red tape for … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-list?ContentRecord_id=3B9ED6AE-88B8-4833-9369-3D621B1A44BE | Corker Delivers Floor Remarks on Recent East Tennessee Tragedies | 2016-12-01 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Bob Corker | C001071 | www.corker.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding the recent tragedies in East Tennessee: “Mr. President, I rise today to express my deepest sympathies and offer steadfast support to the countless Tennesseans who have experienced tragedy in the recent days. It’s been a rough few weeks in our great state. “Last week, my hometown of Chattanooga lost six young children in a tragic school bus crash. And today, countless East Tennesseans face a long road ahead after severe storms and tornadoes ripped through Southeast Tennessee, leaving tremendous damage and taking the lives of two individuals in Polk County. “Tomorrow morning, I will be in another area of our state that is dealing with unimaginable tragedy. As you have likely seen by now, the damage caused by wildfires in Sevier County – a place where my wife was raised – is heartbreaking. While officials continue to assess the full extent of the damage, we know that many have suffered tremendous loss. “As of this morning, officials confirmed that they are still addressing the remnants of smoldering wildfires. More than 400 firefighters are supporting the effort. The exact number of structures affected remains unknown, but local officials are estimating that 700 impacted structures and more than 17,000 acres have burned. More than 200 individuals remain in shelters. And just moments ago, we learned that 10 fatalities have been confirmed. “Sevier County is a special place surrounded by some of the country’s most beautiful God-given amenities. Millions of people from around the world visit each year and have built memories in this treasured community. But as the mayor of Gatlinburg noted earlier today, it’s not the attractions or the restaurants that make this place special, it’s the people who live there. So many wonderful families call Sevier County home. Tough, proud people whose roots in the area span generations. “Those who know this area, these people, are not at all surprised by the community… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-list?ContentRecord_id=ABB14B96-D9CD-4E46-90DD-B78B0002EB24 | Corker Statement on Extension of Iran Sanctions Act | 2016-12-01 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TN | Bob Corker | C001071 | www.corker.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today praised renewal of the Iran Sanctions Act (ISA), which ensures President-elect Donald J. Trump has the ability to reimpose the sanctions the Obama administration lifted to implement the Iran nuclear deal. The Senate extended ISA, which otherwise would expire at year’s end, by a vote of 99 to 0. “Extending the Iran Sanctions Act gives us the ability to reimpose the sanctions the Obama administration lifted to implement the Iran nuclear deal and ensures President-elect Trump and his administration have the tools necessary to push back against the regime’s hostile actions,” said Corker. “I am pleased by the overwhelming support this bill received in both the House and Senate and look forward to continuing our work to hold Tehran accountable.” | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://black.house.gov/press-release/rep-black-urges-prayer-tennessee-following-tornadoes-wildfires | Rep. Black Urges Prayer for Tennessee Following Tornadoes, Wildfires | 2016-11-30 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Republican | House | TN | Diane Black | B001273 | black.house.gov | legacy | To watch Rep. Black’s remarks on the House floor, click HERE or the image above Washington, D.C. – Congressman Diane Black (R-TN-06) spoke on the House floor today to call attention to the recent tornadoes and wildfires that have impacted Tennessee. To watch a video of her remarks, click here. A transcript is provided below: Mister Speaker, Tennesseans have experienced the worst of mother nature this week – from tornadoes in my own district to the historic wildfires that ravaged the Gatlinburg community. These fires forced a mass evacuation, destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses, and tragically caused three known fatalities so far. Today, I rise to call for prayer for our neighbors in the beautiful Smoky Mountain region of our state, to remember those precious lives lost, and to recognize our heroic first responders who have worked diligently to contain the damage. As the work continues, we pray that healing rain would fall - literally - across eastern Tennessee this week, that businesses would be able to quickly reopen, and that visitors would once again flock to this treasured region of our state to experience all that Gatlinburg has to offer. I yield back. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://fleischmann.house.gov/press-release/statement-fleischmann-storms | STATEMENT: Fleischmann on Storms | 2016-11-30 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Republican | House | TN | Chuck Fleischmann | F000459 | fleischmann.house.gov | legacy | The following statement can be attributed to Congressman Chuck Fleischmann (TN-03): “I am extremely saddened by the devastation left by last night’s severe storms in Polk and McMinn counties,” said Fleischmann. “My thoughts and prayers are with the people of these wonderful counties, especially the families who lost loved ones, those injured and the first responders who are currently on the ground. Please know I am monitoring this situation closely and am in constant contact with local officials.” ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cohen-and-duncan-sponsored-eureka-act-passes-house-part-21st-century | Cohen and Duncan-Sponsored EUREKA Act Passes House as Part of 21st Century Cures Act | 2016-11-30 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Democrat | House | TN | Steve Cohen | C001068 | cohen.house.gov | legacy | [WASHINGTON, DC] – Today the House of Representatives passed the 21st Century Cures Act by a vote of 392 to 26, which included the Ensuring Useful Research Expenditures is Key for Alzheimer’s (EUREKA) Act (H.R. 5073), a bill introduced in the House by Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN) and Congressman John Duncan (R-TN) and introduced in the Senate by Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) and others. The EUREKA section of the 21st Century Cures Act would instruct the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support prize competitions to accelerate the discovery and development of treatments to alleviate, prevent, and cure certain diseases, like Alzheimer’s, for which there is relatively little private investment as compared to that which is invested publicly. The 21st Century Cures Act awaits action in the U.S. Senate. The legislation has the support of President Obama. Congressman Cohen spoke in support of the EUREKA Act and the 21st Century Cures Act on the House floor. You can watch the video here. “I am pleased that the House included our EUREKA Act in the 21st Century Cures bill,” said Congressman Cohen. “The EUREKA Act builds upon efforts to seek innovative solutions from the public and bring the best ideas and talent together to fight dreadful, awful, awful diseases such as Alzheimer’s. For many of these diseases there is no effective treatment, no means of prevention, and no method for slowing progression. I was also pleased to see that Vice President Joe Biden’s Cancer Moonshot initiative was included in the final bill, as well as increased benefits for mental health patients and grants to help combat the opioid epidemic. I hope that we can build on the success of the 21st Century Cures Act by increasing funding for the NIH and continuing to encourage both private and public research to effectively fight Alzheimer’s and other tragic diseases that plague too many people across our country and around the world.” “I am eager to see what breakthrough treatments and drugs will come from the Eureka Competiti… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://fleischmann.house.gov/media/press-releases/statement-fleischmann-storms | STATEMENT: Fleischmann on Storms | 2016-11-30 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Republican | House | TN | Charles J. "Chuck" Fleischmann | F000459 | fleischmann.house.gov | fleischmann | https://fleischmann.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | The following statement can be attributed to Congressman Chuck Fleischmann (TN-03): “I am extremely saddened by the devastation left by last night’s severe storms in Polk and McMinn counties,” said Fleischmann. “My thoughts and prayers are with the people of these wonderful counties, especially the families who lost loved ones, those injured and the first responders who are currently on the ground. Please know I am monitoring this situation closely and am in constant contact with local officials.” | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T21:07:19Z |
| https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=048784F4-8A80-4B79-B408-B37D08E3BD03 | Alexander: House Passes Most Important Legislation of the Year by an Overwhelming Margin, 392 to 26 | 2016-11-30 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Republican | House | TN | Lamar Alexander | A000360 | www.alexander.senate.gov | legacy | $6.3 billion game-changing 21st Century Cures package, including new research funding, mental health reforms, and state grants to fight opioid abuse now ready for Senate floor “The real winners today are American families whose lives stand to be improved by the Cures legislation passed overwhelmingly today by the House and that we should pass by a wide margin in the Senate. This bipartisan legislation – which Majority Leader McConnell has called “the most important legislation Congress will pass this year” – will help us take advantage of the breathtaking advances in biomedical research and bring those innovations to doctors’ offices and patients’ medicine cabinets around the country. ... It’s time for the Senate to deliver on the promise of 21st Century Cures for patients.” WASHINGTON, November 30 — Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed the 21st Century Cures Act, by an overwhelming vote of 392 to 26: “The real winners today are American families whose lives stand to be improved by the Cures legislation passed overwhelmingly today by the House and that we should pass by a wide margin in the Senate. This bipartisan legislation – which Majority Leader McConnell has called “the most important legislation Congress will pass this year” – will help us take advantage of the breathtaking advances in biomedical research and bring those innovations to doctors’ offices and patients’ medicine cabinets around the country. This legislation will advance Vice-President Biden’s moonshot to find cures for cancer, President Obama’s Precision Medicine Initiative, and Alzheimer’s research – and it will help states in the fight against opioid abuse and the one in five adults in this country suffering from a mental illness. It’s time for the Senate to deliver on the promise of 21st Century Cures for patients.” Last week, House and Senate health committee leaders released the 21st Century Cures Act. The Senate will take up this leg… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=1197CAF5-A269-471D-887B-5FA3C77D1A90 | Alexander Today Discussed Sevier County Fires, Response on The Weather Channel | 2016-11-30 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Republican | House | TN | Lamar Alexander | A000360 | www.alexander.senate.gov | legacy | Click here to watch video WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 30, 2016 – U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today joined The Weather Channel’s America’s Morning Headquarters where he talked about the wildfires in Sevier County and praised the community for its response efforts. “This is a small resort town in the foot of the Smoky Mountains. Many people know about Gatlinburg. They have their honeymoons there, and they visit there. The fire came out of the mountains, out of the Great Smoky Mountains, with winds as high as 80 or 90 miles an hour and just swept through town,” Alexander said. “But the response has been almost as incredible as the fire. There are more than 100 fire trucks from all over Tennessee. There are volunteers, guardsmen, troopers, people bringing water and people bringing money. So, it’s a strong little town and the mayors, Mayor Waters and Mayor Werner, are keeping their chins up, and people are looking forward to recovery.” Alexander continued, “The federal government can do two things. First thing it can do is help the community put out the fire. The National Park Service, the State of Tennessee and Governor Haslam of Tennessee were on the spot almost immediately. The governor has several agencies there. The Red Cross is there. So the federal government can help local governments put out the fire, clean up and then work with the State to begin to help people recover.” When asked about the impact of the wildfires on tourism, Alexander replied, “Of course this is a concern, but both mayors would want me to say, the town will be back fast. Dollywood is nearby…the Great Smoky Mountains get about 10 million visitors a year - they’ll be back.” ### For access to this release and the senator’s other statements, click here. To stay up-to-date on the senator’s latest actions, follow him on Twitter and YouTube. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://blackburn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398128 | Tennessee Members of Congress Applaud Passage of H.R. 6135 | 2016-11-29 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Republican | House | TN | Marsha Blackburn | B001243 | blackburn.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON- U.S. Representatives Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Diane Black (R-TN), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Stephen Fincher (R-TN), Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN), Phil Roe (R-TN) and U.S. Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Bob Corker (R-TN) Applaud Passage of H.R. 6135 – To designate the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 719 Church Street in Nashville, Tennessee, as the “Fred D. Thompson Federal Building and United States Courthouse” Congressman Blackburn said: “From the start of his career in Sen. Howard Baker’s office, Fred Thompson was dedicated to first principles and conservative values. Thompson went to school in Lawrence County and his contributions were appreciated and respected by all Tennesseans. Passing legislation to name the federal courthouse in Nashville after him is a great way to show our respect for his commitment to the people of Tennessee. Senator Alexander filed the companion legislation in the Senate and my colleagues and I look forward to its passage there.” Congressman Black said: “Fred Thompson was a statesman who led with conviction, and he was a visionary who helped turn our state into the conservative success story that it is today. Tennessee shines brighter because of Fred Thompson’s service. This courthouse will serve as a worthy tribute to his enduring legacy.” Congressman Cohen said: “It is an honor to be a cosponsor of this bipartisan bill to honor my friend Fred Thompson. Fred served the United States Senate and the state of Tennessee with distinction for 8 years. He was a proud graduate of the University of Memphis and the only U of M grad to ever serve in the Senate. I was present when the National Conference of State Legislatures awarded him the Restoring the Balance Award for his dedication to federalism. For Fred, it was not a political or campaign issue, it was his philosophy. Despite our different political parties, Fred was always encouraging to me and I valued our friendship. He led an eclectic life from his time as an outs… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cohen-praises-cargill-inc-and-calysta-inc-selecting-cargill-s-memphis | Cohen Praises Cargill, Inc. and Calysta, Inc. for Selecting Cargills Memphis Site to Produce Calysta FeedKind Protein | 2016-11-29 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Democrat | House | TN | Steve Cohen | C001068 | cohen.house.gov | legacy | [WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today praised Cargill, Incorporated and Calysta, Inc. for selecting Cargill’s 69-acre property on President’s Island in Memphis to house the world’s largest fermentation facility to produce Calysta’s FeedKind® protein, a family of sustainable, traceable nutritional ingredients for fish, livestock, and pets. The new facility is expected to come online in late 2018 and bring 160 new permanent jobs to Memphis. “I am pleased Cargill and Calysta have selected Memphis to house their new fermentation facility,” said Congressman Cohen. “I was happy to have helped bring this facility to Memphis. I am always willing to lend a hand to create more and better jobs in Memphis and the 9th District.” Click here to read more about Cargill, Calysta, and the new facility in Memphis. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cohen-urges-president-obama-expedite-clemency-review-process | Cohen Urges President Obama to Expedite Clemency Review Process | 2016-11-29 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Democrat | House | TN | Steve Cohen | C001068 | cohen.house.gov | legacy | [WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, sent a letter to President Obama urging him to do everything in his power to expedite the clemency review process so he can commute as many unjust sentences as possible before President-elect Donald Trump, who is unlikely to utilize this power, takes office. Dozens of criminal justice reform advocates and groups also sent a letter to President Obama urging him to expedite the clemency review process before he leaves office. You can read Congressman Cohen’s letter here. You can read the criminal justice reform advocates’ letter here. “I would urge you to summon the maximum manpower at your disposal to vet commutations and pardons so that as many sentencing wrongs as possible may be corrected as thousands of incarcerated Americans who are serving unjust sentences may receive justice,” wrote Congressman Cohen in his letter to President Obama. Congressman Cohen also recently urged President Obama to focus his review of commutation requests on those sentences specifically related to non-violent marijuana convictions. Read here. “President Obama should be commuting the prison sentences of those serving time for non-violent marijuana-related convictions,” said Congressman Cohen. “Medical marijuana is now legal in 28 states as well as the District of Columbia, and more than 63 million Americans live in states that have now approved recreational marijuana. The President should increase clemency review staff and work overtime to free as many of these individuals as possible before he leaves office. Every day that someone continues to serve an unjust sentence is a day justice is denied. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. so rightly noted, ‘Justice too long delayed is justice denied.’ ” Congressman Cohen also recently sent a letter to President Obama urging him to take action on rescheduling marijuana during his remaining time in office. You can read his letter here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://roe.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398087 | Roe Statement on Sevier County Fires | 2016-11-29 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Republican | House | TN | Phil Roe | R000582 | roe.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-TN) released the following on the wildfires in Sevier County: My thoughts and prayers continue to be with Sevier Countians. I thank the firefighters and first responders who worked throughout the night to evacuate residents to safety and are doing everything they can to stop these fires from spreading. This is a horrible tragedy, and I have been in touch with local officials. I am available to assist constituents and local officials in any way I can. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://roe.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398088 | Roe Statement on Dr. Tom Price Being Named HHS Secretary | 2016-11-29 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Republican | House | TN | Phil Roe | R000582 | roe.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-TN) released the following statement after President-elect Trump's transition team announced Rep. Tom Price, M.D. (R-GA) would serve as HHS Secretary in the Trump administration: President-elect Trump couldn't have picked a better, more qualified HHS Secretary than Tom Price. Tom is a dear friend, and I know he'll address the challenges ahead by taking a patient-centered approach. I'm thrilled he'll be leading the administration's efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, and I look forward to continuing to work with Dr. Price to put patients back in charge of their health care decisions. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=1787A8FD-FB5B-4E56-B895-D84DE42C78FE | Alexander Statement on Sevier County Wildfires | 2016-11-29 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Republican | House | TN | Lamar Alexander | A000360 | www.alexander.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 29, 2016 – U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today made the following statement on the wildfires in Sevier County: "This is heartbreaking news for the people of Sevier County and all who love the Smokies. My staff and I are working with Gov. Haslam and local officials to make certain that there is maximum federal support to help fight the fires and deal with the consequences of the fires." ### For access to this release and the senator’s other statements, click here. To stay up-to-date on the senator’s latest actions, follow him on Twitter and YouTube. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=B08351FA-8971-4B93-968A-813D3C4BB202 | Alexander on Selection of Rep. Tom Price as Secretary of Health and Human Services | 2016-11-29 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Republican | House | TN | Lamar Alexander | A000360 | www.alexander.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, November 29 — Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement on President-elect Trump’s selection of Representative Tom Price (R-Ga.) to become the next United States Secretary of Health and Human Services: “Dr. Price has a thorough understanding of health care policy and the damage that Obamacare has caused – he can see the view from the doctor's office as well as from the lawmaker's office. I look forward to working with him to find a responsible way to replace and then repeal Obamacare so we can move most health care decisions out of Washington, D.C., and back to states and patients.” # # # For access to this release and the senator’s other statements, click here. To stay up-to-date on the senator’s latest actions, follow him on Twitter and YouTube. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=B827226B-3D03-4E08-B303-44AA127253E4 | Alexander on Selection of Elaine Chao as Secretary of Transportation | 2016-11-29 | 2016 | 2016-11 | Republican | House | TN | Lamar Alexander | A000360 | www.alexander.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 29, 2016 – U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement on President-elect Trump’s selection of Elaine Chao to become the next United States Secretary of Transportation: “Elaine Chao is an excellent choice to lead the Department of Transportation. This will be an important job -- President-elect Trump has said he wants to make infrastructure a priority, and Congress is ready to work with the administration to make major infrastructure improvements to our nation’s roads and bridges.” ### For access to this release and the senator’s other statements, click here. To stay up-to-date on the senator’s latest actions, follow him on Twitter and YouTube. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |
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