press: releases: 1,314 rows where state = "TN" and year = 2015 sorted by date descending

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1,314 rows where state = "TN" and year = 2015 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
http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-commends-mayor-wharton-city-memphis-completion-restoration-airways-boulevard	Cohen Commends Mayor Wharton, City of Memphis on Completion of Restoration of Airways Boulevard Bridge	2015-12-30	2015	2015-12	Democrat	House	TN	Steve Cohen	C001068	cohen.house.gov			legacy	[MEMPHIS, TN] Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) commended Mayor A C Wharton, Jr. and the City of Memphis today on the completion of the restoration of the Airways Boulevard Bridge over Noncannah Creek, bringing to a close the $5.5 million project that will grant Memphians safer and more expedient access to the Memphis International Airport, and that will keep the surrounding area active and accessible. The project to replace the Airways Boulevard Bridge was a collaborative effort between the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the City of Memphis, and the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA). The Airways Boulevard Bridge is an important fixture in our Memphis economy, said Congressman Cohen. The airport is the gateway to Memphis, and the Airways Boulevard Bridge is the pathway many travelers rely on to transport them safely to and from that gateway. I am pleased that the City of Memphis was able to secure such robust federal funding through FEMA in order to restore the bridge to safe, working order, and that the citizens of Memphis will be able to utilize the restored bridge having used only a small portion of city funds. The City of Memphis must continue to work to receive its fair portion of federal dollars. I was pleased on December 18th to have voted in favor of the Fiscal Year 2016 Omnibus federal spending bill, which included the $4 million increase I requested for funding to end the rape kit backlog, made permanent the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit, the education tax credit for college students and teachers, and included funding to federal agencies such as FEMA so that they can continue to provide much-needed federal dollars to cities like Memphis for vital restoration projects such as the Airways Boulevard Bridge. Completion of the bridge will help Memphians and visitors travel to and from the Memphis International Airport, and I am pleased that the City of Memphis was able to work with state and federal agencies to complete this important restoration project. The $5.5 millio…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-cleveland-chicago-police-shootings-are-more-evidence-we-need-independent	Cohen: Cleveland, Chicago Police Shootings Are More Evidence That We Need Independent Prosecutors	2015-12-29	2015	2015-12	Democrat	House	TN	Steve Cohen	C001068	cohen.house.gov			legacy	[WASHINGTON, DC] Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN), the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Constitution and Civil Justice, today said that recent police shootings in Cleveland and Chicago are further evidence that Congress needs to push states to require independent prosecutors by passing H.R. 2302, the Police Training and Independent Review Act a bill recently endorsed by the Chicago Tribune, following investigative coverage on ABC 7 Chicago (WLS-TV). People arent marching in the streets because they think the system is fair, said Congressman Cohen. We need reform. Asking local prosecutors to investigate the same local police with whom they work so closely is a conflict of interest. Even if they handle such investigations appropriately, there will continue to be a perception of bias. These kind of cases need independent prosecutors, and thats why we are seeing growing support for our bill. Earlier this year, Congressman Cohen along with Congressman Lacy Clay (D-MO)(whose district includes Ferguson, MO) introduced H.R. 2302, the Police Training and Independent Review Act. The bill would withhold full federal funding for law enforcement if independent prosecutors are not used for cases in which police use of deadly force results in death or injury. The bill would also withhold full federal funding if police are not trained on a variety of issues including mental health. The bill currently had 53 cosponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives. Earlier this year, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo began requiring the use of an independent prosecutor for police killings. See NY Times: Cuomo to Appoint Special Prosecutor for Killings by Police H.R. 2302 addresses a key recommendation included in President Obamas Taskforce on 21st Century Policings final report: (See Action Item 2.2.3in https://www.cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/TaskForce_FinalReport.pdf -- on p. 21 of the final report): 2.2.3 Action Item: The task force encourages policies that mandate the use of external and independent prosecutors in …	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://duncan.house.gov/wivks-gunner-honored-work-vets	WIVK's Gunner Honored for Work with Vets	2015-12-29	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	John Duncan	D000533	duncan.house.gov			legacy	Mr. Speaker: I wish today to honor a man that many in my District know by only one name. Ted Ousleyor simply Gunner as he is known to his many fansis one of the most popular people in my District and a longtime personality with WIVK radio in Knoxville, Tennessee. Each weekday from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Your Cowboy Pal Gunner entertains listeners with his unique brand of East Tennessee charm, humor, and grace. He loves his job, and you can tell when listening to his show. He once said that he was living his dream by being on the air with WIVK. In 2003 and 2004, Gunner was voted the Best DJ by Metro Pulse readers and was a finalist for the Marconi Air Personality of the Year. But Gunner is not just known for his entertainment. He is also a tireless champion of Veterans. Following the September 11th terror attacks in 2001, Gunner started a segment on his show called Voices from the Front, where he would connect families over the phone with their loved ones serving in the wars. It was hugely popular and emotional for him and his listeners. In 2004, he traveled to Iraq, and upon his return led an effort to bring to the United States for treatment an 8-year-old suffering from a severe form of Spina Bifida. In 2009, Gunner received the first annual Civilian Warrior Award for his work with the 844th Engineer Battalion. East Tennessee is one of the most patriotic places in this Country. Each year, Gunner helps lead the Veterans Day parade in Knoxville, which is attended by many thousands of people. In addition to his service to Veterans, Gunner finds the time to run two East Tennessee farms and serve on the Board of Directors of the East Tennessee Alzheimers Association. Mister Speaker, Ted Gunner Ousley embodies the Volunteer spirit of East Tennessee. His humility and dedication to those who serve will forever hold a place in our hearts, and I thank him for his dedication to this Country and wish him success as he continues to entertain us each day. I also call his work with Veterans to the attention of my…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=30280212-e586-4270-9ad8-4d426b98e83c	Alexander Highlights Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Accomplishments for 2015	2015-12-22	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Lamar Alexander	A000360	www.alexander.senate.gov			legacy	With Republicans in charge, 4 Senate HELP Committee bills signed into lawincluding legislation fixing No Child Left Behind and reversing the trend toward a National School Board WASHINGTON, December 22 Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today highlighted the committees accomplishments during his first year as Chairman, calling it one of the most productive committees in the entire Senate. Alexander continued: Its hard to get to the Senate, its even harder to stay here, and while youre here, you might as well amount to something. Republicans promised Americans that if they gave us a Senate majority, that they would see results. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee has kept that promise, producing some of the most significant legislation of any Senate committee this year. From reversing the trend toward a National School Board and fixing No Child Left Behind for 50 million children and 3.4 million teachers, to helping Americans lead healthier lives, we are committed to getting results for the American people. The full list of accomplishments is below: Public Laws Every Student Succeeds Act (S. 1177) A bill to fix No Child Left Behind ends the Common Core mandate, reverses the trend towards a National School Board and keeps in place important measures of academic progress of students, but restores to states, school districts, classroom teachers, and parents the responsibility for deciding what to do about improving student achievement. Protecting Our Infants Act of 2015 (S. 799) Helps improve the prevention and treatment of opioid use disorders among pregnant women and care for newborns exposed during pregnancy. Improving Regulatory Transparency for New Medical Therapies Act (S. 481) Streamlines Drug Enforcement Administration regulation of new drugs, so patients can access safe and effective drugs that contain controlled substances more quickly. Federal Perkins Loan Program Extension Act of 2015 (H.R. 3594) Extends the Perkins…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=77a46221-41b8-4239-90fe-e2a8eddbf6d1	Alexander: Most Americans Have Not Finally Made Their Minds Up, Election Will Move from Reality Show to Who Is Going to Deal with Putin Make a Sensible Decision about ISIS?	2015-12-20	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Lamar Alexander	A000360	www.alexander.senate.gov			legacy	NASHVILLE, Dec. 20U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander said this morning on C-SPAN's "Newsmakers"Sunday showthatmostvoters in New Hampshire and Iowahave not yet finally made their minds up. Alexander reminded viewers that his own experience twenty years ago showedthatearly presidential primaries can quickly reshape poll figures. Alexander told the shows cohosts, reporters Niels Lesniewski ofRoll Call and Alyson Klein ofEducation Week,that he was at 1 percent in national polls eight weeks before the New Hampshire 1996 primary but after a strong showing in the Iowa caucuses was leading in Sen. Bob Dole's New Hampshire polls the weekend before that state's primary. They hadn't [finally decided yet at this time] 20 years agoAnd I think [voters are] going to go from looking at a reality showwhich is what this has been this yearto saying,Who is going to deal with Putin? Who is going to help me get a better job? Who really can make a sensible decision about ISIS and the fear we have from attacks we have had in our own country? Alexander, who is chairman of the Senates educationcommittee, also said passage of legislation to fix the No Child Left Behind law was made possible by strong bipartisan cooperation. He praised his colleague, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), who helped him draft the bill as the Democratic leader on the committee. He said Murray knows what all senators should know: If all you want to do is make a speech, or announce your position, you can go get your own radio show and do that. But if you want to come to the Senate, you should try to get a result, he said. Alexander dismissed ideas that progress in Congress would be diminished by the 2016 presidential election. As far as the presidential year stuff, you know, they still pay our salaries next year, so I dont know of any reason we should take the year off, he said. To that end, Alexander gave two key initiatives he plans to work on on his committee (Health, Education, Labor and Pensions) during 2016: Innovation legislation a bill Alexander said w…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=0518c75f-ca09-4f02-befe-80c92ca5d234	Alexander, Murray Commend Senate Passage of Bill to Provide Teachers & School Leaders with Better Education Research and Information	2015-12-19	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Lamar Alexander	A000360	www.alexander.senate.gov			legacy	The Strengthening Education Through Research Act makes research easier to access and more relevant at state and local levels WASHINGTON, December 19 The chairman and ranking member of the Senate education committee commended Senate passage of legislation to improve the quality of education research and make research more relevant and usable for teachers, principals, school districts and states. This bill makes research on education more relevant, accessible and useful for the people who need it most teachers, principals and administrators, Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said. This bill also goes a long way to strengthen the National Assessment Governing Board, which oversees The Nations Report Card,the best tool for governors to see how students in their state are doing compared to every other stateensuring they are not fooling themselves on their states standards. Education research gives teachers, school leaders, local policymakers, and us here in Congress valuable information on what works in the classroom, Murray said. This bill is the result of strong bipartisan work to make sure we have high-quality research to help states and schools raise achievement levels, and I hope we will continue working together to ensure more students have access to a high quality education. More details on what the bill does: The Strengthening Education through Research Act reauthorizes the Education Sciences Reform Act (ESRA), which authorizes funding for the research activities of the U.S. Department of Education, including the Institute for Education Sciences, and will help to improve the quality of education research in the United States and make research more relevant and usable for teachers, principals, school districts and states. S. 227, the Strengthening Education through Research Act (SETRA) amends and reauthorizes the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 through fiscal year 2021. This legislation makes a number of positive changes to the Institute for Education Sciences, a semi-independent agency within t…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=667d046a-75d1-462f-afd6-72a0e1003f0f	Senate Passes Legislation to Help Prevent Suicide, Help Children Recover from Traumatic Events, Provide Mental Health Awareness for Teachers	2015-12-19	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Lamar Alexander	A000360	www.alexander.senate.gov			legacy	Senators Alexander and Murray urge House passage of bipartisan Mental Health Awareness and Improvement Act WASHINGTON, December 19 The chairman and ranking member of the Senate health committee urged House passage of their legislation to help state and local communities prevent suicide, help children recover from traumatic events, and help improve mental health awareness for teachers and others. Thebipartisan Mental Health Awareness and Improvement Act passed the Senate by voice vote. I urge the House to pass this legislation without delay so that we can offer crucial support to the nearly one in five American adults suffering from mental illness. said Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.). This legislation will help states like Tennessee give parents, doctors and teachers the tools they need recognize and treat mental illness earlier. A persons mental health is every bit as important as their physical health, and we need to make sure that families and communities, especially our young people, have the support they need to address mental health challenges, said Senator Murray. I was proud to work with Chairman Alexander on this bipartisan legislation to strengthen mental health awareness, prevention, and resources in Washington state and across the country, and I am pleased the Senate passed it today. While this legislation was an important step forward, we must do more to strengthen our nations mental health system, and I look forward to continued work with my colleagues to improve mental health care for the families and communities we serve. TheMental Health Awareness and Improvement Act will continue and improve programs that help states and local communities prevent suicide, help children recover from traumatic events, provide mental health awareness for teachers and others, and assess barriers to integrating behavioral health and primary care. Details on what the bill does: Supports suicide prevention and intervention programs. Helps train teachers and school personnel to recognize and understand men…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://blackburn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=397854	Blackburn Opposes Omnibus Bill	2015-12-18	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Marsha Blackburn	B001243	blackburn.house.gov			legacy	Blackburn Opposes Omnibus Bill f t # e Washington, December 18, 2015 \| Mike Reynard (202-225-1112) Congressman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) today released the following statement regarding the 2016 omnibus spending bill: While we did achieve some conservative wins in the bill, it is disappointing that we have no language which freezes the Syrian refugee program, the Presidents lawless amnesty, Planned Parenthood funding, Net Neutrality or contributions to the Green Climate Fund. The omnibus also breaks the budget caps from the 2011 Budget Control Act. I am very concerned about the security of this country and the American people. Recently, DHS Secretary Johnson admitted that ISIS could exploit our refugee program to conduct attacks here at home, something I and my colleagues have been saying for weeks. We must do everything in our power to eliminate terrorist threats which is why I will not give President Obama a blank check for his resettlement agenda. Due to these issues, I could not vote for the omnibus. I do thank Speaker Ryan for the manner in which he addressed the issues and worked to include the conservative policy riders, Blackburn said.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/congressman-cohen-commends-president-obama-commuting-95-sentences-individuals-serving	Congressman Cohen Commends President Obama for Commuting 95 Sentences of Individuals Serving Unjustly Long Sentences	2015-12-18	2015	2015-12	Democrat	House	TN	Steve Cohen	C001068	cohen.house.gov			legacy	[WASHINGTON, DC] Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, today commended President Obamas commutation of the sentences of 95 individuals serving lengthy federal prison sentences for non-violent crimes. Under current federal law, many of these prisoners would have already completed their sentences and been freed. Their continued incarceration costs taxpayers an estimated $30,000 per year, per prisoner. "These commutations for non-violent drug convictions are an encouraging development and a significant step by the President toward a more rational and just clemency system for Americans who are incarceratedsomething I have long encouraged, said Congressman Cohen.But there still remain thousands of Americans languishing in prisons serving sentences that have been repudiated by both Congress and the President. I hope the President continues his efforts to commute unjust sentences during his remaining time in office. For years, Congressman Cohen has repeatedly called on the President to make broader use of his pardon and commutation powers to address these injustices, including repeatedly urging then-Attorney General Holder to address the issue, in a letter sent to the President in June 2013, in an August 2013 speech on Capitol Hill and in an August 2013 column that appeared in The Nation, and a November 2014 column that appeared in The Hill. The Fair Sentencing Act, which was passed by Congress with Congressman Cohens co-sponsorship and signed into law by the President in 2010, marked a turning point in our nations approach to drug policy and was a crucial step toward eliminating the dramatic and unfair disparity between crack and powder cocaine mandatory minimum sentences. But, as the President has noted, it came too late for thousands of people who were sentenced before the law was passed who are still serving sentences imposed under outdated laws. The bipartisan Sentencing Reform Act of 2015, which passed the House Judiciary Committe…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/president-obama-signs-cohen%E2%80%99s-bipartisan-national-guard-reservist-debt-relief	President Obama Signs Cohens Bipartisan National Guard & Reservist Debt Relief Extension Act into Law	2015-12-18	2015	2015-12	Democrat	House	TN	Steve Cohen	C001068	cohen.house.gov			legacy	[WASHINGTON, DC] President Obama signed into law today Congressman Steve Cohens (TN-09) bipartisan National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Extension Act of 2015, H.R. 4246, to ensure that certain members of the National Guard and Reserves who fall on hard economic times after their military service will continue to obtain bankruptcy relief without having to fill out the substantial paperwork required by the so-called "means test" under chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code. The law extends the existing means test exception until 2019. The bill, now law, was cosponsored by Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), and Congressman Randy Forbes (R-VA) and was supported by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys. I am pleased Congress and the President moved so swiftly to pass my bill and get it sign it into law, said Congressman Cohen. This law is a way for our nation to recognize the tremendous sacrifice made by National Guard and Reserve members who have served on active duty or homeland defense since September 11 and may be suffering financial hardship. These veterans who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan disrupted their civilian lives to serve our country in war zones and homeland defense activities, and could face a risk of financial distress. It is only fair that we help them during the bankruptcy process. In 2005, President Bush signed the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act into law (Public Law 1098, 119 Stat. 23). Among the many changes it made was the establishment of a means test to determine a debtors ability to repay debts. Under this test, a Chapter 7 bankruptcy case is presumed to be an abuse of the bankruptcy process if it appears that the debtor has income in excess of certain thresholds. The National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Act of 2008, Public Law No. 110-438, created an exception to the means tests presumption of abuse for members of the National Guard and Reserve who, after Sept…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://cohen.house.gov/securing-money-end-rape-kits-backlog-and-passing-my-bill-servicemembers	Securing Money to End the Rape Kits Backlog and Passing My Bill For Servicemembers	2015-12-18	2015	2015-12	Democrat	House	TN	Steve Cohen	C001068	cohen.house.gov			legacy	Dear Friend, This week, I voted for the Fiscal Year 2016 Omnibus federal spending bill which included my extra $4 million for ending the rape kit backlog; voted to permanently extend the Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, education tax credit for college students and teachers, and sales tax deduction for Tennessee; Congress passed my bill to provide bankruptcy relief for National Guardsmen and Reservists into law; and commended President Obama for commuting more prison sentences for non-violent drug offenders. Keep reading to learn more or follow me onTwitterandFacebookto see these updates as they happen. Investing in Americas Future Helping Our Servicemen and Women Fighting for Justice Commending Presidential Commutations for Non-Violent Drug Offenders Meeting with Memphis Students Recognizing the Memphis Academy of Health Sciences Honor Roll Honoring Kirk Douglas Helping Memphians Get Covered 2016 U.S. Capitol Historical Society Calendars Are Available Investing in Americas Future This morning, the Housepassed a $1.1 trillion Omnibus federal spending bill for 2016 to invest in the future of America and help working families. The Omnibus includes, among other things,an extra $4 million I secured to help reduce the backlog of untested rape kits, a $2 billion increase for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including a 60% increase for Alzheimers research, funding for renewable energy and energy efficiency programs, and investments in Head Start and early childhood development. The House also voted yesterday to protect lower and middle class Americans from potentially painful tax increases, such as permanently extending the Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, a $2,500 per student tax credit for college students, and tax credits for teachers and small businesses. The bill also permanently extends the itemized deductions for state and local sale taxes in lieu of itemized deductions for state and local income taxes. This provision specifically benefits Tennessee since we do not have a st…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://duncan.house.gov/press-release/duncan-pans-trillion-dollar-spending-bill	Duncan Pans Trillion-Dollar Spending Bill	2015-12-18	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	John Duncan	D000533	duncan.house.gov			legacy	(WASHINGTON) U.S. Rep. John J. Duncan, Jr. (R-Tenn.) released the following statement Friday in response to his opposition to the $1.1 trillion omnibus bill that funds the government through September 2016: "This bill increases spending when we are already $19 trillion in debt; it increases immigration against the wishes of most of our citizens; and it increases federal ownership of land when government at all levels already owns far too much. "In addition, there are all sorts of sweetheart deals, such as allowing an Alabama company to buy Russian rocket engines and a new $390 million FBI headquarters when its present headquarters is just a few years old. "My staff and I combed through it and came up with this partial list of some of the bad provisions of this bill. This measure: Bails out the International Monetary Fund by increasing the U.S. quota. This means the IMF will have access to more U.S. taxpayer dollars to bailout irresponsible countries like Greece; Provides nearly $400 million to the United Nations for radical environmental projects; Contains a $390 million earmark put in by Nancy Pelosi to build a new federal building in Maryland; Allows the purchase of Russian engines for U.S. rockets, which Sen. John McCain called 'simply immoral to help subsidize Russia's intervention in Ukraine and line the pockets of Putin's gang of thugs who profit from the sale of Russian rocket engines'; Repeals Country of Origin Labeling for beef, pork, and chicken that tells Americans where these products were raised and processed; Provides $17.83 million for rehabilitation of a Congressional parking garage, $4.599 million more than asked; Provides $60 million to conserve sage grouse habitats in the West when we now know the sage grouse is not really endangered. That amount is up from $15 million, a fourfold increase; Freezes rather than eliminates the Obamacare Cadillac Tax, which is key to funding wasteful, bureaucratic Obamacare; Contains $865 million in extra Medicare payments to serve as a way to bailout Pu…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://fleischmann.house.gov/press-release/house-passes-end-year-legislation	House Passes End-Of-Year Legislation	2015-12-18	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Chuck Fleischmann	F000459	fleischmann.house.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON Congressman Chuck Fleischmann released the following statement after passage of the government funding bill. Today we passed a bill that in addition to keeping our government open and functioning will properly fund our military, reign in the IRS and lift the ban on American oil exports. This bill is good for our economy and good for East Tennessee. The Chickamauga Lock will move forward and the vital national security work done in Oak Ridge will continue. As we move into a new year, with new House leadership, I am hopeful that we will continue to advance strong conservative principles. ###	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://roe.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=397961	Roe Opposes Omnibus Spending Bill	2015-12-18	2015	2015-12	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 voting against the omnibus spending package: "While I respect the work Speaker Ryan and Chairman Rogers did to try to negotiate the best deal possible with House and Senate Democrats, I strongly believe one of the most serious issues facing our country right now is the security of our homeland. Unfortunately, this bill did not go far enough to ensure the protection of Americans, and I was disappointed no language to strengthen background checks for the Syrian refugee program was included. This package included some things I strongly support like lifting the ban on crude oil exports, funding important Tennessee projects like the Chickamauga Lock and reducing funding for Obamacares Independent Payment Advisory Board, but this bill ultimately included too much wasteful discretionary spending that makes it more difficult to get our fiscal house in order.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://fleischmann.house.gov/media/press-releases/house-passes-end-year-legislation	House Passes End-Of-Year Legislation	2015-12-18	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Charles J. "Chuck" Fleischmann	F000459	fleischmann.house.gov	fleischmann	https://fleischmann.house.gov/media/press-releases	scraper	WASHINGTON− Congressman Chuck Fleischmann released the following statement after passage of the government funding bill. “Today we passed a bill that in addition to keeping our government open and functioning will properly fund our military, reign in the IRS and lift the ban on American oil exports. This bill is good for our economy and good for East Tennessee. The Chickamauga Lock will move forward and the vital national security work done in Oak Ridge will continue. As we move into a new year, with new House leadership, I am hopeful that we will continue to advance strong conservative principles.”	1	2026-03-30T01:40:41Z	2026-04-08T20:33:33Z
https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=15ba0573-c48e-42fa-b955-34863a051383	Alexander: Bill to Extend Perkins Loan Program for 2 Years Heads to Presidents Desk	2015-12-18	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Lamar Alexander	A000360	www.alexander.senate.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON, D.C.,Dec. 17 The chairman of the Senate education committee today made the following statement on his legislation to extend the Perkins Loan Program for two years, which now heads to the presidents desk for signature after passage today in the House: My goal in the Senate education committee is to find ways to simplify the complicated maze of federal grant and loan programs that are available to students, making it easier for them to apply for financial aid and afford college, Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said. The agreement headed to the presidents desk today will extend the Perkins Program for two yearswhilegiving Congress timeto reach consensus on the best way to achieve that important goal in the next Higher Education Act reauthorization. Alexanders legislation, the Federal Perkins Loan Program Extension Act of 2015, with original cosponsors Sens. Ayotte (R-N.H.), Tammy Baldwin (R-Wisc.), John Boozman (R-Miss.), Bob Casey (D-Penn.), Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.), passed the Senate unanimously yesterday. Prior to Senate passage, Alexander delivered remarks on the Senate floor, joined by Sens. Ayotte, Baldwin, Casey and Rob Portman (R-Ohio). Video of Alexanders remarks are available HERE. # # # For access to this release and the senators other statements, click here. To stay up-to-date on the senators 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=b030e8f4-40a2-4815-9448-c71cdfd7ce96	Alexander Votes to Fund Key National Priorities Within Bipartisan Budget Act Spending Limits	2015-12-18	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Lamar Alexander	A000360	www.alexander.senate.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON, Dec. 18, 2015 U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today voted for the fiscal year 2016 Omnibus Appropriations bill, saying it funds many important national priorities and complies with spending limits required by the Bipartisan Budget Act. For those concerned about the federal debt, which includes me, this is not the part of the budget driving the federal debt. This one-third of the budget is rising at about the rate of inflation. Its the other roughly two-thirdsmandatory entitlement spendingthats sky-rocketing out of control. Sen. Corker and I have proposed legislation that would reduce the growth of mandatory entitlement spending. This appropriations bill includes new funding for several national priorities in Tennessee: rebuilding the Chickamauga Lock; $430 million for the $6.5 billion Uranium Processing Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex; research and development at Oak Ridge National Laboratory; infrastructure at Ft. Campbell; construction of a new federal courthouse in Nashville which is the federal judiciarys No.1 national courthouse construction priority; as well as increased funding for dredging the Mississippi River in Memphis. For the first time in six years, the Republican Senate majority moved all 12 appropriations bills to the Senate floor all within the spending limits set by the Budget Control Act and the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 after careful consideration by the subcommittees and the full appropriations committee. Unfortunately, the Democratic leaders blocked bringing 10 of those bills to the Senate floor, which effectively left 70 other senators out of the deliberation process. This should never happen again, Alexander said. The 2016 Omnibus Appropriations bill includes all 12 appropriations bills, including the Senate Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill, which Alexander drafted. The bill includes funding for the following national spending priorities in Tennessee: Sufficient funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to continue constructi…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-list?ContentRecord_id=45df01f7-2c6e-47dd-b7af-018939f75f08	Corker Statement on Passage of Bill to Provide Permanent Tax Relief and Fund Government	2015-12-18	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Bob Corker	C001071	www.corker.senate.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement on passage of legislation to provide permanent tax relief to American families and businesses and also fund the government through fiscal year 2016. "Left to my own accord this bill would look much different, but it does put to bed a number of issues that have been left unaddressed for a number of years and provides permanent tax relief to American families and businesses, said Corker. ###	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://blackburn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=397853	Blackburn Praises Tax Extenders Bill that Includes Sales Tax Deduction for Tennesseans	2015-12-17	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Marsha Blackburn	B001243	blackburn.house.gov			legacy	Blackburn Praises Tax Extenders Bill that Includes Sales Tax Deduction for Tennesseans f t # e Washington, December 17, 2015 \| Mike Reynard (202-225-1112) Congressman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) today released the following statement on the tax extenders package the House is set to vote on this afternoon, the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015. Conservatives have achieved a number of goals in this bill and we have made several annual extenders permanent. No longer will we have to wait until the end of the year to find out if we are able to make deductions that we normally make. This package will add more certainty to our tax code and allow hardworking American families to plan ahead and grow their businesses. I was able to realize a long time goal of mine in this bill. I came to Congress with the goal of restoring the ability to deduct state and local sales taxes Tennesseans pay each year from our federal income tax filing. This was an important victory towards leveling the playing field for those of us living in states without an income tax. Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) originally assisted me in getting the sales tax deductibility restored in 2005. This deduction puts over $1 billion a year into the pockets of Tennessee families. Now, we are making that deductibility permanent, which means we no longer have to fight for it every year. There are other important provisions that have been made permanent as well. They include: a $250 deduction for teachers buying school supplies for their students, the Research and Development tax credit for growing businesses, and the Section 179 deduction for qualifying asset acquisitions. The goal of this tax extenders package was to increase certainty in our yearly tax code, lessen the tax burden on hardworking Americans and stimulate economic growth. I …	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://fleischmann.house.gov/press-release/house-provides-stability-american-businesses	House Provides Stability For American Businesses	2015-12-17	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Chuck Fleischmann	F000459	fleischmann.house.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON Today the House of Representatives passed the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act that will provide much needed relief and certainty to Americas small businesses. Congressman Fleischmann released the following statement after passage of the bill. With the passage of this bill we are providing some certainty to the tax code. Rather than waiting until the end of each year to pass extensions, the PATH Act provides permanent tax relief to hard working Americans. Individuals and businesses deserve a fairer, flatter, simpler tax code and this bill helps make that possible. ###	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://fleischmann.house.gov/media/press-releases/house-provides-stability-american-businesses	House Provides Stability For American Businesses	2015-12-17	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Charles J. "Chuck" Fleischmann	F000459	fleischmann.house.gov	fleischmann	https://fleischmann.house.gov/media/press-releases	scraper	WASHINGTON− Today the House of Representatives passed the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act that will provide much needed relief and certainty to America’s small businesses. Congressman Fleischmann released the following statement after passage of the bill. “With the passage of this bill we are providing some certainty to the tax code. Rather than waiting until the end of each year to pass extensions, the PATH Act provides permanent tax relief to hard working Americans. Individuals and businesses deserve a fairer, flatter, simpler tax code and this bill helps make that possible.”	1	2026-03-30T01:40:41Z	2026-04-08T20:33:33Z
https://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-list?ContentRecord_id=55f670e9-ee6b-4ff8-9a4a-937122146ed1	Corker Statement on FHFA 2016 Scorecard	2015-12-17	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Bob Corker	C001071	www.corker.senate.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, today released the following statement regarding the Federal Housing Finance Agencys (FHFA) 2016 Scorecard, which outlines the agencys priorities for government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. I applaud Director Watt and the FHFA for their sustained commitment to de-risk mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, said Corker. Specifically, I am pleased to see the FHFAs continued focus on broadening the credit risk transfer program, with an emphasis on building out front-end transactions. While the timeline for the development of the Common Securitization Platform has been slow, I also am pleased to see specific targets outlined in the scorecard. Under the direction of the FHFA, both GSEs continue to reduce their retained portfolios and transfer credit risk away from the taxpayers to the private sector. To date, the enterprises have transferred credit risk on loans with over $667 billion of unpaid principal balance. In a letter to Director Watt earlier this year, Corker raised concerns about the development of the Common Securitization Platform (CSP) and urged the agency to adopt changes to ensure the CSP is accessible to not only the GSEs, but also private sector participants at some point in the future. Congress still must act to protect taxpayers by reforming our nations housing finance system, which was made clear this week with inclusion in the omnibus of my Jumpstart provision with Senator Warner to prohibit for at least two years the misguided idea of recap and release, added Corker. In the meantime, I am pleased that the agency continues to move toward the system we envisioned with Corker-Warner and away from the current system that leaves the American people on the hook for a future bailout. Legislation first introduced by Corker and Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.) in June 2013, the Housing Finance Reform and Taxpayer Protection Act (S.1217), passed the Senate Banking Committee in May 2014 by…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-list?ContentRecord_id=e5d4fb02-2b4e-4ac7-9030-2916f2858367	Corker Says Failure to Impose Consequences for Irans Ballistic Missile Violations Sets Dangerous Precedent for Enforcement of Nuclear Deal	2015-12-17	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Bob Corker	C001071	www.corker.senate.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON At the first oversight hearing on expected implementation of the Iran nuclear agreement, U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, warned that the Obama administrations failure to impose consequences for Irans violation of an international ban on ballistic missile testing sets a dangerous precedent for enforcement of the nuclear deal. Todays hearing featured testimony from Obama administration officials with the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Energy who are responsible for implementation of the nuclear agreement. One area that we all agree on is the need to be tough on any destabilizing or illegal action by Iran. With that view in mind, I think the agreement is off to a really terrible start, said Corker. Failure to impose any consequences on Iran for its violations of U.N. Security Council Resolutions and other destabilizing actions sets a dangerous precedent before implementation of the nuclear agreement, when sanctions are lifted and the leverage shifts to Iran. The Obama administration and a report provided to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) have both confirmed Irans October 10 ballistic missile test violated UNSC Resolution 1929. In October, Senator Corker, along with committee members Senators Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), David Perdue (R-Ga.), and Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), wrote a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry seeking a determination on the ballistic missile test and how the U.S. would respond. The State Departments response asserted U.S. authority and precedent for imposing unilateral penalties for Irans missile-related activities. So far the administration has not taken such action despite reports of a second ballistic missile test in November. Today Senator Corker detailed a number of Irans hostile acts since the nuclear deal was reached including the conviction of captive Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, cyber-attacks aga…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-list?ContentRecord_id=ed378b97-8108-436e-a2ee-146951620b29	Corker Applauds Inclusion of Jumpstart GSE Reform Provision in Omnibus	2015-12-17	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Bob Corker	C001071	www.corker.senate.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, applauded inclusion of a Jumpstart GSE Reform Act provision in the fiscal year 2016 omnibus appropriations bill and encouraged his colleagues to prioritize housing finance reform in the new year. As we continue consideration of the omnibus, I rise today to applaud the inclusion of language I coauthored with Senator Mark Warner that will ensure the fate of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac entities Congress created will be determined by Congress and make crystal clear that this body does not support efforts to return to the failed model of private gains and public losses, said Corker. And as we wrap up our legislative business of 2015, I also am here to remind my colleagues that there is much work to be done in the new year to finally address the last unfinished business of the 2008 financial crisis. The provision, which would spur substantive and structural housing finance reform, would prohibit for at least two years the sale of Treasury-owned senior preferred shares in government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac without congressional approval. The appropriations bill also expresses the sense of Congress that it should pass and the President should sign into law legislation determining the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and that notwithstanding the expiration of subsection (b), the Secretary should not sell, transfer, relinquish, liquidate, divest, or otherwise dispose of any outstanding shares of senior preferred stock acquired pursuant to the Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement until such legislation is enacted. In 2008, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were taken into government conservatorship and given a $188 billion capital injection from taxpayers to stay afloat. As a result of the bailout, the U.S. Department of Treasury purchased senior preferred stock in the GSEs and was given sole discretion to sell or otherwise dispose of those sha…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://blackburn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=397852	Blackburn Achieves Permanent Tax Relief for Tennessee Families	2015-12-16	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Marsha Blackburn	B001243	blackburn.house.gov			legacy	Congressman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) issued the following statement praising the work of House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) for his leadership in including language in the extenders bill to make permanent the ability of Tennesseans to deduct their state and local sales tax from their federal income tax. Blackburn and Brady have been leading the fight in the House on the issue for over a decade. When I was in the Tennessee state Senate, I led the fight to make sure that Tennesseans wouldnt be additionally burdened by a state income tax; instead we pay state and local sales taxes. Coming to Congress in 2003, I made the commitment that I would work to restore that deduction. That goal was achieved in 2005. Immediately, I began working to make the deduction permanent and with passage of this extender bill, it is achieved. Chairman Kevin Brady has worked with me every step of the way and I am grateful for his leadership on this issue.Making these deductions permanent is vital to Tennessee families and small businesses as it will allow millions of dollars to be pumped back into our economy. Families and individuals should not be punished because they pay state and local sales taxes rather than an income tax. Taxpayers can deduct their state income tax; there is no reason that Americans in states without an income tax can't deduct sales tax. . Hardworking Tennesseans pay their fair share of taxes just like citizens in every other state. We know better than anyone how important it is to make permanent the state and local sales tax deduction. This is simply is simply an issue of fairness fairness for families that live and work in states that dont have a state income tax. Thats why Ive worked tirelessly with Chairman Brady over the last decade on this issue and look forward to pushing it over the finish line when we vote on the extenders bill later this week, Blackburn said. Earlier this year, Reps. Blackburn and Brady led the effort on House passage of H.R. 622, the State and Loca…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-and-maloney-secure-additional-4-million-help-eliminate-rape-kit-backlog-omnibus	Cohen and Maloney Secure Additional $4 million to Help Eliminate Rape Kit Backlog in Omnibus Spending Bill	2015-12-16	2015	2015-12	Democrat	House	TN	Steve Cohen	C001068	cohen.house.gov			legacy	[WASHINGTON, DC] Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN) and Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) today hailed the inclusion of an additional $4 million in the final Omnibus Fiscal Year 2016 spending bill for local law enforcement agencies working to reduce their backlogs of untested rape kits. The additional $4 million was added earlier this year via an amendment offered by Congressman Cohen and Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney. This years increase builds upon a $5 million increase Congressman Cohen secured last year, increasing the overall funding level to $45 million a 25% increase over the past 2 years. DNA analysis has been revolutionary in helping catch criminals and prevent further crimes from occurring. But when evidence is sitting on a shelf somewhere waiting to be tested, that means assailants are still at large and could be assaulting more victims, said Congressman Cohen. The backlog of untested rape kits across this country is shameful, and we need to commit the resources necessary to get them tested. This increased funding will help make that happen, and I am grateful that it has been included. Video of the Congressman speaking on the floor about the inclusion of the $4 million increase in the Omnibus spending bill is available here. The rape kit backlog must be eliminated and these additional federal funds will help, said Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY). I authored the Debbie Smith Act, and the SAFER Act which have helped process millions of kits, but still the backlog persists. Im proud to have worked with Rep. Steve Cohen to secure $4 million more to help local law enforcement agencies put more rapists behind bars. If enacted, the $45 million will fund a grant program specifically created to help law enforcement agencies across the country cut through their sexual assault kit backlogs. At its peak, the backlog reached 12,000 untested kits in Memphis alone with an estimated 400,000 sitting in evidence rooms nationwide. Earlier this year, Memphis received nearly $2 million from this grant program to r…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/houses-passes-cohen%E2%80%99s-bipartisan-national-guard-reservist-debt-relief-extension-act	Houses Passes Cohens Bipartisan National Guard & Reservist Debt Relief Extension Act	2015-12-16	2015	2015-12	Democrat	House	TN	Steve Cohen	C001068	cohen.house.gov			legacy	[WASHINGTON, DC] The House of Representatives today, by a vote of 419-1, passed Congressman Steve Cohens (TN-09) bipartisan National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Extension Act of 2015, H.R. 4246, to ensure that certain members of the National Guard and Reserves who fall on hard economic times after their military service will continue to obtain bankruptcy relief without having to fill out the substantial paperwork required by the so-called "means test" under chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code. The bill extends the existing means test exception until 2019. If Congress does not act, the exemption will expire later this month.This bill is cosponsored by Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), and Congressman Randy Forbes (R-VA) and is supported by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys. I am pleased the House moved so swiftly to pass my bill, said Congressman Cohen. This bill is a way for our nation to recognize the tremendous sacrifice made by National Guard and Reserve members who have served on active duty or homeland defense since September 11 and may be suffering financial hardship. These veterans who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan disrupted their civilian lives to serve our country in war zones and homeland defense activities, and could face a risk of financial distress. It is only fair that we help them during the bankruptcy process. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to follow the lead of the House and pass this extension before it expires. In 2005, President Bush signed the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act into law (Public Law 1098, 119 Stat. 23). Among the many changes it made was the establishment of a means test to determine a debtors ability to repay debts. Under this test, a Chapter 7 bankruptcy case is presumed to be an abuse of the bankruptcy process if it appears that the debtor has income in excess of certain thresholds. The National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Act of 20…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://cooper.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cooper-praises-funding-for-nashville-courthouse-in-omnibus-spending-bill	Cooper Praises Funding for Nashville Courthouse in Omnibus Spending Bill	2015-12-16	2015	2015-12	Democrat	House	TN	Jim Cooper	C000754	cooper.house.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-5) praised funding for a new federal courthouse in Nashville, culminating an effort that began when authorities deemed the existing courthouse inadequate more than two decades ago. Cooper applauded Sen. Lamar Alexander, a Tennessee member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, for his leadership. "Sen. Alexander was essential in our efforts, and I thank him for his leadership," Rep. Cooper said. "For safety reasons, Nashville has to have a new courthouse, and we've needed one for more than 20 years. This is a huge win for our city." Cooper also acknowledged the efforts of former Rep. Bob Clement, an early and tenacious advocate for the project. And Cooper thanked Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, a Tennessee member of the House Appropriations Committee. Congress included the funding in an omnibus spending bill. Votes are expected later this week. The existing Estes Kefauver Federal Courthouse was first judged inadequate in 1992, and Nashville tops the Judicial Conferences national list of priorities for courthouse construction. In 2002, the federal government purchased the downtown property on Church Street as the site of the new courthouse. About $25 million has been spent on the project, but additional studies and a recession have delayed construction. This year, for the first time, the project was a priority in President Obamas budget. Cooper was a founding member of the Congressional Courthouse Caucus, which was formed to address the urgent need for functional, secure courthouses that would be funded based on greatest need, rather than political influence.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://fleischmann.house.gov/press-release/chattanooga-shootings-victims-receive-purple-heart	Chattanooga Shootings Victims To Receive Purple Heart	2015-12-16	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Chuck Fleischmann	F000459	fleischmann.house.gov			legacy	WASHINGTONJust hours after the FBI Director designated the Chattanooga shootings as terrorism the Secretary of the Navy has announced that the victims of those attacks will receive the Purple Heart. Following the announcement Congressman Fleischmann made the following statement. Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Sullivan, Staff Sgt. David Wyatt, Sgt. Carson A. Holmquist, Lance Cpl. Squire D. "Skip" Wells, and Petty Officer 2nd Class Randall Smith were killed and Sgt. DeMonte Cheeley was injured five months ago today during an act of terrorism in our great city of Chattanooga. Today, they are receiving the Purple Heart in recognition of their bravery and service. These young men exemplify the best of our nation and their service will always be remembered. ###	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://fleischmann.house.gov/press-release/fbi-designates-chattanooga-shootings-terrorism	FBI Designates Chattanooga Shootings As Terrorism	2015-12-16	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Chuck Fleischmann	F000459	fleischmann.house.gov			legacy	WASHINGTONFBI Director, James Comey, announced today that the July 16th shootings at two military sites in Chattanooga were inspired by a foreign terrorist organization. Congressman Fleischmann and Homeland Security Committee Chairman, Michael McCaul (TX-10), released the following statements regarding the terrorism designation. It has been five months, to the day, since our community was struck by this horrendous attack and I am thankful the FBI has finally recognized it as terrorism, Fleischmann said. It is my sincere hope that with this designation the victims will finally be awarded the Purple Hearts they so justly deserve. The threat of terrorism is just as real today as it was on July 16th and we must continue to do all we can to remain vigilant and keep our nation safe. "The FBI's announcement confirms what many of us have long suspected: the Chattanooga shooter was an Islamist terrorist, and our city streets have become the front lines in this war. What happened in Chattanooga can unfortunately happen anytime, anyplace. We face an unprecedented homegrown terror threat, said Chairman McCaul. However, I'm glad to see the this week's omnibus spending bill includes needed increases in funding for the FBI and DHS to prioritize and ramp up their domestic counterterrorism efforts to protect Americans." ###	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://fleischmann.house.gov/media/press-releases/chattanooga-shootings-victims-receive-purple-heart	Chattanooga Shootings Victims To Receive Purple Heart	2015-12-16	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Charles J. "Chuck" Fleischmann	F000459	fleischmann.house.gov	fleischmann	https://fleischmann.house.gov/media/press-releases	scraper	WASHINGTON−Just hours after the FBI Director designated the Chattanooga shootings as terrorism the Secretary of the Navy has announced that the victims of those attacks will receive the Purple Heart. Following the announcement Congressman Fleischmann made the following statement. “Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Sullivan, Staff Sgt. David Wyatt, Sgt. Carson A. Holmquist, Lance Cpl. Squire D. "Skip" Wells, and Petty Officer 2nd Class Randall Smith were killed and Sgt. DeMonte Cheeley was injured five months ago today during an act of terrorism in our great city of Chattanooga. Today, they are receiving the Purple Heart in recognition of their bravery and service. These young men exemplify the best of our nation and their service will always be remembered.”	1	2026-03-30T01:40:41Z	2026-04-08T20:33:33Z
https://fleischmann.house.gov/media/press-releases/fbi-designates-chattanooga-shootings-terrorism	FBI Designates Chattanooga Shootings As Terrorism	2015-12-16	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Charles J. "Chuck" Fleischmann	F000459	fleischmann.house.gov	fleischmann	https://fleischmann.house.gov/media/press-releases	scraper	WASHINGTON−FBI Director, James Comey, announced today that the July 16th shootings at two military sites in Chattanooga were inspired by a foreign terrorist organization. Congressman Fleischmann and Homeland Security Committee Chairman, Michael McCaul (TX-10), released the following statements regarding the terrorism designation. “It has been five months, to the day, since our community was struck by this horrendous attack and I am thankful the FBI has finally recognized it as terrorism,” Fleischmann said. “It is my sincere hope that with this designation the victims will finally be awarded the Purple Hearts they so justly deserve. The threat of terrorism is just as real today as it was on July 16th and we must continue to do all we can to remain vigilant and keep our nation safe.” "The FBI's announcement confirms what many of us have long suspected: the Chattanooga shooter was an Islamist terrorist, and our city streets have become the front lines in this war. What happened in Chattanooga can unfortunately happen anytime, anyplace. We face an unprecedented homegrown terror threat,” said Chairman McCaul. “However, I'm glad to see the this week's omnibus spending bill includes needed increases in funding for the FBI and DHS to prioritize and ramp up their domestic counterterrorism efforts to protect Americans."	1	2026-03-30T01:40:41Z	2026-04-08T20:33:33Z
https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=3667566e-9334-4836-9721-3f1bb722cfba	Chickamauga Lock Construction Funded for Second Consecutive Year	2015-12-16	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Lamar Alexander	A000360	www.alexander.senate.gov			legacy	Alexander, Fleischmann say $29 million slated for new lock builds momentum to finish construction, and benefits all of Tennessee *** WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 16, 2015 Tennessees two federal appropriators,U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander and U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, today said that replacement of Chickamauga Lock should continue for the second consecutive year after Congress passes an omnibus funding bill for fiscal year 2016 that makes $29 million available to continue construction of the new Chickamauga Lock. U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, who leads the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, said money slated for the new lock in the Omnibus Appropriations bill should allow construction of the new lock to continue, which was restarted last year after years of delay. The bill provides sufficient funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to continue construction in fiscal year 2016 of Chickamauga Lock. Based on estimates for the first three Inland Waterways Trust Fund priorities, there should be $29 million available to continue construction on Chickamauga Lock, which is the fourth priority in the list of projects Congress agreed upon. This builds on the $3 million used to restart construction on Chickamauga Lock last year, Alexander said. This is the second year that the Energy and Water Appropriations bill has fully funded the plan for inland waterways priorities, which is important for Americas economy. When you consider the new money that is raised by the fees the large barge companies voluntarily agreed to pay that are matched with taxpayers dollars if we continue this over a period of time, then we will have the kind of locks and dams that a great economy like ours needs. U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, who serves on the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, said the bill builds on previous efforts. This years Energy and Water Appropriations bill marks another great step for our Inland Waterways Trust Fund projects and Chickamauga Lock. Thanks to work previously done…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=4b57d3c8-56a1-4bd6-a412-0719ba66a252	Alexander: Record Level of Funding for Basic Research at Department of Energy Benefits Major Programs at Oak Ridge National Laboratory	2015-12-16	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Lamar Alexander	A000360	www.alexander.senate.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON,Dec. 16, 2015 U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said today the 2015 Energy & Water Development Appropriations bill, which is included as part of the Omnibus Appropriations bill, prioritizes energy and infrastructure projects important to Tennessee and the nation. Alexander is chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy & Water Development and he worked with ranking member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) to draft the bill. Senator Feinstein and I worked hard to create a bipartisan bill that helps solve critical problems facing our country. The bill provides a record-level of funding for basic research at the Office of Science, and it increases funding for deepening our ports and improving our inland waterways. The bill also funds cleanup of hazardous materials at Cold War facilities and strengthens our national security, Alexander said. The bill includes the following vital energy and research priorities: The bill provides sufficient funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to continue construction of Chickamauga Lock in fiscal year 2016. Based on current estimates for the first three Inland Waterways Trust Fund priorities, there should be up to $29 million available to continue construction on Chickamauga Lock, which is the fourth priority in the list of projects Congress agreed upon. This builds on the $3 million used to restart construction on Chickamauga Lock last year. The U.S Department of Energys Office of Science, which supports basic energy research and is the nations largest supporter of research in the physical sciences, is funded at a record $5.35 billion-level. A total of $1.24 billion is provided for advanced computing, including both the Office of Science and the National Nuclear Security Administration. The Office of Sciences Advanced Scientific Computing Research Program, which supports the new Summit supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is funded at$621 million. Once again, the worlds fastest supercomputer will be at Oak Ridge National Labor…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=a965c76d-5a29-480b-8bab-6573ef1699bb	Alexander Statement on Chattanooga Shooting Victims Receiving Purple Hearts	2015-12-16	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Lamar Alexander	A000360	www.alexander.senate.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON, Dec. 16, 2015 Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today made the following statement on the announcement that the Department of the Navy will award Purple Hearts to the Chattanooga shooting victims: Five months ago today, a horrific act of terrorism shocked the Chattanooga community, taking the lives of Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Sullivan, Staff Sgt. David Wyatt, Sgt. Carson A. Holmquist, Lance Cpl. Squire D. Skip Wells, and Petty Officer 2nd Class Randall Smith and injuring Sgt. DeMonte Cheeley. They were young men dedicated to serving our country, and today, these heroes are being awarded the Purple Hearts they deserve for their bravery and courage. When I spoke at the July memorial service of those who died, I quoted a poet who said it best: They will never grow old, they will always be young and we know one thing with every bit of our thinking, theyre in the arms of God. ### For access to this release and the senators other statements, click here. To stay up-to-date on the senators 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=f83676b2-8ac6-43e2-8653-7b544c9a8e13	Alexander: Full Funding for Federal Courthouse Is Very Good News for Nashville	2015-12-16	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Lamar Alexander	A000360	www.alexander.senate.gov			legacy	Says 2016 funding bill includes money to build new courthouse *** The Senate appropriations bill, at my request, included$181.5 million to fully fund construction of the Nashville federal courthouse, and now the House of Representatives' appropriations bill agrees. This is a rare move because it funds the courthouse all at once instead of creating uncertainty and waste by spreading the project out over several years. The need for the courthouse is obvious: It is the No. 1 project on the federal judiciarys list, it has serious security concerns that need to be addressed and federal taxpayers have already spent $26.1 milliondollars to begin the project. WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 16, 2015 Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said it is very good news that the fiscal year 2016 Omnibus Appropriations bill expected to be approved by both Houses of Congress and signed into law by the president includes full funding for a new federal courthouse in Nashville. The Senate appropriations bill, at my request, included $181.5million to fully fund construction of the Nashville federal courthouse, and now the House of Representatives' appropriations bill agrees. This is a rare move because it funds the courthouse all at once instead of creating uncertainty and waste by spreading the project out over several years. The need for the courthouse is obvious: It is the No. 1 project on the federal judiciarys list, it has serious security concerns that need to be addressed and federal taxpayers have already spent $26.1 milliondollars to begin the project. Alexander continued, I want to thank Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) and Rep. Ander Crenshaw (R-Fla.), Chairmen of the Senate and House Financial Services and General Government appropriations subcommittees, for their efforts to include funding for the Nashville federal courthouse because it will increase safety for those working and visiting the courthouse. The Nashville federal courthouse has been on the Administrative Office of the Courts Five Year Plan for 18 years and ranks No. 1 …	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-list?ContentRecord_id=6cb665a1-be66-4701-bc46-896d50fc45ab	Corker Statement on Federal Reserve Interest Rates Decision	2015-12-16	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Bob Corker	C001071	www.corker.senate.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, released the following statement today about the Federal Reserves decision to raise interest rates. I am pleased with todays announcement that the Fed has begun to normalize interest rates, said Corker. It is my hope this decision, like every FOMC decision, was made based on the data. A truly independent central bank is critical to maintaining long-run price stability. ###	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-list?ContentRecord_id=784f8aab-a5d8-46d6-a430-b76d6f1880d5	Corker, Warner Applaud Inclusion of Jumpstart GSE Reform Provision in Omnibus	2015-12-16	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Bob Corker	C001071	www.corker.senate.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON U.S. Senators Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.), members of the Senate Banking Committee, today applauded inclusion of a Jumpstart GSE Reform Act provision in the fiscal year 2016 omnibus appropriations bill. The provision, which would spur substantive and structural housing finance reform, would prohibit for at least two years the sale of Treasury-owned senior preferred shares in government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac without congressional approval. The appropriations bill also expresses the sense of Congress that it should pass and the President should sign into law legislation determining the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and that notwithstanding the expiration of subsection (b), the Secretary should not sell, transfer, relinquish, liquidate, divest, or otherwise dispose of any outstanding shares of senior preferred stock acquired pursuant to the Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement until such legislation is enacted. Passage of this provision makes it clear that Congress who created mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the first place should ensure we do not return to the failed model of private gains and public losses that once forced taxpayers to write a $188 billion bailout check, said Corker. Recapitalizing and releasing these behemoth entities as they now exist is not in our nations interest. Today, we are putting to bed that misguided idea, but there is more work to be done. Fortunately, a lot of the heavy lifting has taken place, and it is time for Congress to finally finish its job. Protecting taxpayers and ensuring we have a dynamic housing finance system that works for Americans will remain near the top of my to-do list, and I look forward to working with my colleagues toward that end. The inclusion of our Jumpstart GSE provision demonstrates the unmistakable intent of Congress that the Secretary of Treasury shall not re-IPO or otherwise divest the taxpayers' investment in Fannie and Freddie without full debate and clear di…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-list?ContentRecord_id=b93b2b47-c334-4fa6-967a-4261a96643a9	Corker Applauds Funding for End Modern Slavery Initiative in Omnibus Appropriations Bill	2015-12-16	2015	2015-12	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 applauded funding for his bold, bipartisan initiative to end modern slavery that was included in the fiscal year 2016 omnibus appropriations bill. The End Modern Slavery Initiative will create a powerful effort in concert with the private sector and foreign governments to help eliminate modern slavery around the globe. With this important funding for The End Modern Slavery Initiative, we can begin a vigorous effort to end slavery worldwide, which currently affects more than 27 million people, especially women and children, said Corker. Ive seen firsthand the terrible conditions and impacts of slavery, and I am proud that we are another step closer to establishing what will be a transformational initiative that will change the lives of many around the world. This effort would not be possible if not for the numerous organizations and faith-based institutions that have helped raise awareness about the devastating conditions of slavery and human trafficking that exists in more than 167 countries, including our very own, added Corker. The omnibus appropriations bill includes language providing $25 million for this effort to end modern slavery. The text of the bill was released late Tuesday and will be voted on by the Senate and House of Representatives later this week. On February 26, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee unanimously passed The End Modern Slavery Initiative Act of 2015, which will charter a 501(c)(3) non-profit grant-making foundation based in Washington, D.C. The End Modern Slavery Initiative Foundation will fund programs outside the United States that: 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 out clear, defined goals and outcomes that can be empirically measured; and Achieve a measurable 50 percent reduction of modern …	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-list?ContentRecord_id=ee272344-1c03-46ef-be5f-be390a7cbd0e	Corker Statement on Navy Decision to Award Purple Hearts to Chattanooga Terror Attack Victims	2015-12-16	2015	2015-12	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 applauded the announcement by Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus that the Department of the Navy will award the Purple Heart to the four Marines and one Sailor killed and the Marine injured during the July 16 terrorist attack in Chattanooga, Tenn. The decision followed an announcement by the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that the killer was inspired by a foreign terror organization. The men we lost - and those who were wounded - on July 16 in the deadly terror attack in Chattanooga exemplify the very best that America has to offer, and I am pleased to learn they will be awarded the Purple Heart, said Corker. Our commander-in-chief has classified the heartbreaking events that took place that day as an act of terror, and I have been pressing the FBI to provide answers to both the families of the fallen and our community. I appreciate the efforts of all involved as they work tirelessly to piece together this puzzle so we can better protect ourselves in the future. The threat of terrorism is not just something we see across our shores anymore; its here in our homeland; it hit my hometown; and we must continue to show resolve in the fight against this evil. ###	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/congressman-cohen-introduces-bipartisan-national-guard-reservist-debt-relief-extension	Congressman Cohen Introduces Bipartisan National Guard & Reservist Debt Relief Extension Act	2015-12-15	2015	2015-12	Democrat	House	TN	Steve Cohen	C001068	cohen.house.gov			legacy	[WASHINGTON, DC] Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) and Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) today introduced the bipartisan National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Extension Act of 2015 to ensure that certain members of the National Guard and Reserves who fall on hard economic times after their military service will continue to obtain bankruptcy relief without having to fill out the substantial paperwork required by the so-called "means test" under chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code. This bill extends the existing means test exception, which will expire at the end of the year if Congress fails to act, until December 2019. This bill is a way for our nation to recognize the tremendous sacrifice made by National Guard and Reserve members who have served on active duty or homeland defense since September 11 and may be suffering financial hardship, said Congressman Cohen. These veterans who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan disrupted their civilian lives to serve our country in war zones and homeland defense activities, and could face a risk of financial distress. It is only fair that we help them during the bankruptcy process. I urge my colleagues to move swiftly in passing this extension before it expires at the end of the year. In 2005, President Bush signed the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act into law (Public Law 1098, 119 Stat. 23). Among the many changes it made was the establishment of a means test to determine a debtors ability to repay debts. Under this test, a Chapter 7 bankruptcy case is presumed to be an abuse of the bankruptcy process if it appears that the debtor has income in excess of certain thresholds. The National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Act of 2008, Public Law No. 110-438, created an exception to the means tests presumption of abuse for members of the National Guard and Reserve who, after September 11, 2001, served on active duty or in a homeland defense activity for at least 90 days. The exception is also available for 540 day…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-list?ContentRecord_id=674b7b10-3cc0-4422-8061-5d2a973b8aaf	Corker Urges U.N. Security Council to Hold Iran Accountable for Ballistic Missile Violation	2015-12-15	2015	2015-12	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, called for the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to hold Iran accountable for an illicit ballistic missile test after a panel of experts assessment confirmed the October launch violated UNSC Resolution 1929. He also expressed disappointment over the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEAs) Board of Governors decision today that ends an inquiry into possible military dimensions (PMD) of Irans nuclear program. Now that it is absolutely verified that Iran has violated U.N. Security Council Resolution 1929, it is incumbent upon the U.N. Security Council to enforce it, said Corker. The failure to impose consequences on Iran for its violation sets a dangerous precedent before implementation of the nuclear agreement when sanctions are lifted and the leverage shifts to Iran. With inaction over the missile tests and an IAEA process that was not conducted with integrity, the nuclear deal is getting off to a terrible start, added Corker. We know Iran concealed its nuclear weapons development and yet the investigation into possible military dimensions is now closed despite their deception. As the Senate Foreign Relations Committee continues its vigorous oversight of the nuclear deal this week, we will press the administration on the implications of these events and enforcement of the agreement. Following Irans October 10 ballistic missile test, Senator Corker, along with committee members Senators Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), David Perdue (R-Ga.), and Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), wrote a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry seeking a determination on whether the test violated UNSCR 1929 and how the U.S. would respond. The State Departments letter in response asserted U.S. authority and precedent for imposing unilateral penalties for Irans missile-related activities. So far the administration has not taken such action despite acknowledging …	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/congressman-cohen%E2%80%99s-statement-department-justice-review-darrius-stewart-shooting	Congressman Cohens Statement on Department of Justice Review of the Darrius Stewart Shooting	2015-12-14	2015	2015-12	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 released the following statement after the Department of Justice announced that it, in tandem with its Civil Rights Division, the U.S. Attorneys Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, would conduct a comprehensive review of the Darrius Stewart shooting. I am pleased that the Department of Justice and FBI are conducting a comprehensive review of the Darrius Stewart shooting, said Congressman Cohen. In July, I asked the Department of Justice to open an independent investigation to determine whether any federal civil rights violations had occurred and have continued to urge them to do so. This case should have the full, fair and public review it deserves. Congressman Cohen initially asked the Department of Justice to investigate the Darrius Stewart case in July. A copy of Congressman Cohens July letter to the Department of Justice can be foundhere. A copy of the Department of Justices October 16, 2015 response can be foundhere. Congressman Cohen renewed his call for a federal investigation on November 2, 2015. A copy of Congressman Cohens November 3 letter to Attorney General Lynch can be found here.In November, Congressman Cohen asked U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch to open a federal investigation during a House Judiciary Hearing. The full video of Congressman Cohens questions to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch can be found here.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/weeklycolumns?ContentRecord_id=c56281be-b290-4d08-bd99-06c1b9042442	Weekly Column by Lamar Alexander: Law ends Common Core mandate, strengthens local control	2015-12-14	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Lamar Alexander	A000360	www.alexander.senate.gov			legacy	Last year, campaigning for reelection, I said to Tennessee voters, Give us a Republican majority in the United States Senate and well repeal the federal Common Core mandate and reverse the trend toward a national school board. This past week, the United States Congress did just that and President Obama signed it. TheWall Street Journalcalled our legislation fixing the 2001 No Child Left Behind law the largest devolution of federal control to states in a quarter of a century. (For why theJournalcould say this, go towww.alexander.senate.gov.) Twice partisan Democrat proposals had failed to fix whatNewsweekcalled the law everyone wants fixed. This year, as the Senate education committees new chairman, I made it our first priority. Our proposal was bipartisan. It could not have been enacted without the support of Democrat senators and the signature of a Democrat president. First, the new law explicitly prohibits Washington from mandating or even incentivizing Common Core or any other specific academic standards. Second, it prohibits Washington from deciding which schools and teachers are succeeding or failing. Third, it eliminates the waivers from No Child Left Behind rules that allowed the U.S. Department of Education to act, in effect, as a national school board for 80,000 schools in 42 states including Tennessee.Governors were having to go to Washington and play Mother, May I? in order for a state to put in a plan to evaluate teachers, for example. Fourth, the new law strengthens the charter schools program, giving parents more choices and teachers more freedom. There was not only a consensus that the law needed fixing, but also about how to fix it: keep the important measurements of student achievement, disaggregate and report the results of those tests, but restore to states, school districtsand teachers the decisions about what to do about the results. I believe our new law will result in fewer but better tests. The huge bipartisan vote 85-12in the Senate and 359-64 in the House makes clear tha…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://cohen.house.gov/addressing-police-practice-using-young-confidential-drug-informants	Addressing the Police Practice of Using Young Confidential Drug Informants	2015-12-11	2015	2015-12	Democrat	House	TN	Steve Cohen	C001068	cohen.house.gov			legacy	Dear Friend, This week, I spoke out against the police practice of coercing young Americans into becoming confidential informants, and continued to work towards passage of my bill to require states to use independent prosecutors when civilians die at the hands of law enforcement. Congress and President Obama commemorated the 150th Anniversary of the Ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment, President Obama signed into law the bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act, and the House passed a short-term budget bill, with more work to be done next week on a long-term agreement. Read on to learn more. Confidential Informants Short-Term Continuing Resolution Continuing My Call for Independent Prosecutors in Police Deadly Force Cases Celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the Ratification of the 13th Amendment Every Student Succeeds Act Becomes Law Helping Memphians Get Covered 2016 U.S. Capitol Historical Society Calendars Confidential Informants This week, I spoke on the House floor to invite my colleagues to work with me on legislation to stop the disturbing practice of local enforcement putting young people at risk as confidential informants for minor, non-violent marijuana related offenses. This dangerous trend was recently featured on 60 Minutes. According to the report, informants are not advised of their right to counsel, are told they are not allowed to tell anyone about their work as confidential informants and in some cases end up getting killed. Cornered, frightened and under supreme duress, these young people are told they need to wear a wire and enter dangerous situations with no training and often inadequate protection or face criminal charges which could negatively impact them for life. Two young people, Rachel Hoffman and Andrew Sadek, have been murdered in this line of coerced service. This is wrong, it needs to end, and I am working on legislation to address this. Short-Term Continuing Resolution Today, the House voted to pass a short-term Continuing Resolution in order to prevent a government shut…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/op-eds?ContentRecord_id=df1baa76-5422-4a21-83f2-3d2e90a44411	Lamar Alexander: Law ends Common Core mandate, strengthens local control	2015-12-11	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Lamar Alexander	A000360	www.alexander.senate.gov			legacy	First, the new law explicitly prohibits Washington from mandating or even incentivizing Common Core or any other specific academic standards. Second, it prohibits Washington from deciding which schools and teachers are succeeding or failing. Third, it eliminates the waivers from No Child Left Behind rules that allowed the U.S. Department of Education to act, in effect, as a national school board for 80,000 schools in 42 states including Tennessee. Governors were having to go to Washington and play Mother, May I? in order for a state to put in a plan to evaluate teachers, for example. Fourth, the new law strengthens the charter schools program, giving parents more choices and teachers more freedom. There was not only a consensus that the law needed fixing, but also about how to fix it: keep the important measurements of student achievement, disaggregate and report the results of those tests, but restore to states, school districts, and teachers the decisions about what to do about the results. I believe our new law will result in fewer but better tests. The huge bipartisan vote 85-12in the Senate and 359-64 in the House makes clear that, in the future, thepath to higher standards, better teaching, and real accountability will be through states and communities and classrooms, not Washington, D.C. The fact is, Tennessee already was doing pretty well without Washingtons supervision. During the 1980s, we became the first state to pay teachers more for teaching well. In the 1990s, Tennessee pioneered relating student achievement to teacher performance. Later on, Governors PhilBredesen and Bill Haslam pushed our academic standards higher and improved teacher evaluation. As a result, since 2011, Tennessee has been the fastest improving state in reading and math, as measured by the Nations Report Card. Restoring responsibility to states and classroom teachers, I believe, will inaugurate a new era of innovation and excellence in student achievement. Enacting this law was not easy. Everyone is an expert on…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://blackburn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=397851	Blackburn, Smith, Barletta, and DesJarlais Lead Effort to Keep Terrorists Out of America	2015-12-10	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Marsha Blackburn	B001243	blackburn.house.gov			legacy	U.S. Representatives Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Lamar Smith (R-TX), Lou Barletta (R-PA), and Scott DesJarlais (R-TN) today introduced legislation that would temporarily halt the refugee resettlement program by cutting off funding for any resettlement activity.Under the bill, no funding would be made available for refugee resettlement operations until the following four conditions are met: Congress passes a joint resolution approving the Presidents refugee resettlement plan CBO provides a report to Congress scoring the long term cost of refugee resettlement operations DHS submits a report to Congress identifying terrorist and criminal activity of refugees admitted into the U.S. since 2001 The President submits a report to Congress of the prior years cost of admitting refugees and proposes offsetting spending cuts to pay for resettlement Rep. Blackburn: President Obamas plan to admit thousands of additional Syrian refugees into this country at a time of heightened jihadist threats and the San Bernardino massacre is beyond reckless. It endangers our national security and costs hard working taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, which is why an omnibus funding bill should not include a blank check for refugee resettlement. We must confront the danger of radical Islamic extremism. Our legislation will allow Congress to check the Presidents irresponsible resettlement agenda. Rep. Smith: Recent attacks justify a temporary halt in our current refugee resettlement program. We have asked this administration for reports on the number of refugees admitted in recent years, the associated costs, and the number who have engaged in acts of terrorism or committed crimes. Americans deserve answers to these questions, yet the administration has failed to provide them. Our bill is simple: no more refugee admittance until we can strengthen the system and better ensure the safety of Americans. For this administration to force foreign refugees on American communities at this time ignores the very real security threats we …	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=54a584be-4a57-4af9-856b-19f40e39eb45	President Signs Bill to Reform K-12 Education	2015-12-10	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Lamar Alexander	A000360	www.alexander.senate.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN) and Ranking Member Robert C. Bobby Scott (D-VA), along with Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA), released the following statements after President Obama signed into law the Every Student Succeeds Act (S. 1177), a bipartisan, bicameral bill to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act: Today we begin a new approach to K-12 education that will help every child in every school receive an excellent education, said Chairman Kline. Classrooms will no longer be micromanaged by the U.S. Department of Education. Instead, parents, teachers, and state and local education leaders will regain control of their schools, and children will have a better shot at receiving a great education. This important achievement was possible because both sides agreed the status quo had to go and we had to find common ground. With numerous challenges facing the country, its time to build on this success. We have more work to do and more opportunities to deliver real results for the American people. "The Every Student Succeeds Act affirms that every student has the right to an equal education as stated in Brown v. Board of Education, and honors the civil rights legacy of the original ESEA, said Ranking Member Bobby Scott. Today, the President signed into law an embodiment of what we can achieve here in Washington a workable compromise that does not force either side to desert its core beliefs. I commend my colleagues and our staffs for their diligence, and I have no doubt that this bipartisan legislation will make a positive difference in the lives of our nations students and live up to all of our ideals. Today we are unleashing a new era of innovation and excellence in student achievementone that recognizes that the path to higher standards, better teaching and real accountability is classroom by classroom, community by community, and state by stateand not th…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=bbc92bca-e6fb-4128-8f16-f84ccc1e82f2	Alexander Statement on Department of Interiors Draft Proposal on Tennessees Petition for Lands Unsuitable for Mining	2015-12-10	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Lamar Alexander	A000360	www.alexander.senate.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 2015 U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today made the following statement after the Department of Interior Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement released its draft proposal and draft Environmental Impact Statement on Tennessees petition for lands unsuitable for mining: In 2010, Gov. Bredesen asked the department to protect 500 miles of ridgetops in Anderson, Campbell, Scott and Morgan counties as unsuitable for mining. I asked the department to carefully consider the petition because we have seen how protecting the rivers, streams, mountains, forests, wildlife refuges and wilderness areas has been important, not only for our enjoyment of the Great American Outdoors, but it has attracted millions of tourists and thousands of jobs to Tennessee. This draft proposal would not affect other mining within these counties or other parts of Tennessee. ###	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://blackburn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=397849	Blackburn Leads Effort to Protect Access to Medical Equipment	2015-12-09	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Marsha Blackburn	B001243	blackburn.house.gov			legacy	Congressman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) is leading the effort on Protecting Access through Competitive-pricing Transition (PACT) Act, legislation that will protect both seniors and individuals with disabilities from a burdensome program that complicates their ability to receive quality medical equipment in a timely manner as well as the small, local businesses that supply medical devices. In business, competitive bidding is used to keep costs down and to guarantee a supply of a goods. Unfortunately, the competitive bidding program at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) was not implemented as it should have been. CMS encouraged low ball bids by companies and then those companies have been unable to keep up with the demand for their products. What CMS calls competitive bidding limits access to medical services needed by seniors and individuals with disabilities. People in rural areas, long distances from the companies who have bid in this process, are particular susceptible to limited access to needed equipment. Weve seen in areas of the country where Medicare has already implemented competitive bidding that the program is inefficient and puts those who need access to medical equipment at risk. While the program aims to award contracts to suppliers who bid the cheapest price, it disregards the ability of the contractor to actually supply the equipment. It makes no sense to put our seniors at risk by implementing a program nation-wide that has already been a proven failure, Blackburn said. The PACT Act will implement a market-pricing program (MPP), a state-of-the-art auction system that is designed to save as much money as the competitive bidding program, but unlike the competitive bidding program, will establish market-based prices and ensure a financially stable program, while improving patient access to quality items and services. Additionally, this legislation will guarantee access to needed medical equipment and level the playing field for our small business owners who provid…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=5cdd8408-c1f1-461e-b98b-c9dbc4614b50	Alexander, Murray: Senate Passes Bill to Fix No Child Left Behind, 85-12	2015-12-09	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Lamar Alexander	A000360	www.alexander.senate.gov			legacy	Overwhelming bipartisan support in Senate and House sendslegislationto presidents desk * * * WASHINGTON, D.C.,Dec. 9 Following Senate passage todayby 85-12, the Every Student Succeeds Act to fix NoChild Left Behind, sponsored bySenate education committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.), heads to the presidents desk. The House of Representatives approved the bill last week, 359-64. Alexander said:The huge bipartisan vote in both the Senate and the House reverses the trend toward a national school board and makes clear that, in the future, the path to higher standards, better teaching and real accountability will be through states, communities and classrooms and not Washington, D.C. Restoring responsibilityto states and teachers will, I believe, inaugurateanew era of innovation and excellence in student achievement. The real winners in this remarkable consensus will be50 million children in 100,000 public schools. Murray said: I am thrilled that through our bipartisan work, Congress has finally come together to fix No Child Left Behind in a way that works for students, parents, teachers, and communities in my home state of Washington and across the country. This legislation includes strong federal guardrails to ensure all students have access to a quality education, reduces reliance on high-stakes testing, makes strong investments to improve and expand access to preschool for our youngest learners, and so much more. Im looking forward to President Obama signing our bipartisan bill into law to help more students get the chance to learn, grow, and thrive in the classroom and beyond. A summary of the Every Student Succeeds Act is below: Repeals adequate yearly progress and replaces it with a statewide accountability system The conference report replaces the one-size-fits-all adequate yearly progress federal accountability system under current law with a comprehensive State-designed system that improves State capacity to identify and support struggling schools. Sta…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=b4c47121-2afd-454c-9aff-414b91989aa3	Alexander Hails Senate Passage of Legislation to Reverse Trend Toward a National School Board	2015-12-09	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Lamar Alexander	A000360	www.alexander.senate.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON, D.C.,Dec. 9 Following Senate passage todayby 85-12, legislation sponsored by Senate education committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) heads to the presidents desk to fix No Child Left Behind and reverse the trend toward a national school board, end the federal Common Core mandate, and bring about the largest devolution of federal control to states in a quarter-century. In a speech yesterday on the Every Student Succeeds Act, sponsored by Alexander and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Alexander said the legislation will inaugurate a new era of innovation and excellence in student achievement by restoring responsibility to states and classroom teachers. Alexander continued, We have the opportunity to vote in favor of what the Wall Street Journal has called the largest devolution of federal control to states in a quarter-century. Governors, teachers, superintendents, parents, Republicans, Democrats, and students all want to see this law fixed. There is a consensus about that. And, fortunately, there is a consensus about HOW to fix it. And that consensus is this: Continue the laws important measures of academic progress of studentsdisaggregate and report the results of those measurementsbut restore to states, school districts, classroom teachers and parents the responsibility for deciding what to do about those tests and about improving student achievement. This consensus will end the waivers through which the U.S. Department of Education has become, in effect, a national school board for more than 80,000 schools in 42 states, Alexander said. It will end the federal Common Core mandate. It moves decisions about whether schools and teachers and students are succeeding or failing out of Washington, D.C., and back to states and communities and classroom teachers where those decisions belong. Noting that No Child Left Behind expired eight years ago, Alexander said, We have an opportunity today to provide much needed stability and certainty to federal education policy to some important p…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-list?ContentRecord_id=c67d1593-a247-49ea-9105-3bb59aa0c36d	Corker Applauds Passage of Bipartisan Reform Legislation to Fix No Child Left Behind	2015-12-09	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Bob Corker	C001071	www.corker.senate.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) released the following statement today regarding passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act, a bipartisan education reform bill authored by Senators Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) to reauthorize and fix flaws in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, commonly known as No Child Left Behind. The legislation now will be sent to the president to be signed into law. With this bill now headed to the presidents desk, Congress has made clear that decisions regarding student achievement should be made at the state and local level, not in Washington, said Corker. Under Governor Haslams leadership, Tennessee has seen great success in recent years due to the hard work of our students, educators and parents, and I am pleased this legislation will limit the power and influence of federal bureaucrats and will provide states greater flexibility to work with local school districts to determine what is best for our students. I applaud Senator Alexander for his work on this important legislation and urge the president to sign it into law. ###	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=13ea3f71-4f74-4fbb-9d94-e4960021957c	Alexander: More Than 1,000 Tennesseans Die Each Year From Opioid AbuseNation Must Act to Combat this Growing Epidemic	2015-12-08	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Lamar Alexander	A000360	www.alexander.senate.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON, D.C.,Dec. 8 The chairman of the Senate health committee today said that with millions of Americans abusing opioidswhich include prescription opioid painkillers, like hydrocodone and morphine, as well as the illegal drug heroinand more than 1,000 Tennesseans a year dying from opioid abuse, partners at the federal, state and local level must all act together to fight this growing epidemic. Todays hearing comes as the number of U.S. opioid-related deaths climbsdeaths from prescription opioid painkillers more than tripling since 2000 and heroin use taking more than 8,200 lives in 2013 alone. Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said, The human costs of this epidemic are too high, and I hear about the challenges of dealing with this epidemic at home in Tennessee, particularly in East Tennessee where I am from. ...[b]ut, the truth is, this problem affects all states and is frontline issue for communities all over. He continued, This is a complex problem that calls for action by all who have a role in preventing opioid abuse and responding to this problem, whether it is doctors, the health department, law enforcement, or families. I am open to suggestions about ways to ensure that the federal government is helping address the problem, not hindering it. Alexander referred to a roundtable he held in Knoxville on opioid abuse in September with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Tom Frieden, where Frieden called deaths due to opioid overdose a problem gripping our country. At that roundtable, Frieden announced Tennessee would receive $3.4 million over four years from the agency to help the state continue its work fighting prescription opioid painkiller abuse and overdose. Alexander pointed out that according to a 2011 survey, more than 69,000 Tennesseans were estimated to be addicted to prescription opioid painkillersand more than 1,000 Tennesseans die each year as a result of drug overdose, many related to abuse of prescription opioid painkillers Ive mentioned a lot of statistics t…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/speechesfloorstatements?ContentRecord_id=596f3c4e-c181-4f85-9121-5045c5c9ca78	Alexander Encourages All Senators To Vote In Support of Cloture on Bill to Fix No Child Left Behind	2015-12-08	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Lamar Alexander	A000360	www.alexander.senate.gov			legacy	This is a day of rare opportunity in the United States Senate. We have an opportunity today to vote toreverse the trend of the last several years toward a national school board. We have an opportunity to make clear that, in the future, the path to higher standards, better teaching and real accountability will be through states, communities and classrooms and not through Washington, D.C. We have the opportunity to vote in favor of what the Wall Street Journal has called the largest devolution of federal control to states in a quarter-century. We have an opportunity to inaugurate a new era of innovation and excellence in student achievement by restoring responsibility to states and classroom teachers. Tennessee was the first state to pay teachers more for teaching well. Minnesota educators created the first charter schools. The real advances in higher standards and accountability and appropriate testing have come from classroom teachers and governors, not from Washington, D.C., and I believe and thats where those advances will come from in the future. We have an opportunity today to provide much needed stability and certainty to federal education policy for some important people who are counting on us: 50 million children and 3.4 million teachersin 100,000 public schools. Newsweek magazine recently reminded us what we already knew very well: No Child Left Behind is the law everybody wants fixed. Governors, teachers, superintendents, parents, Republicans, Democrats, and students all want to see this law fixed. There is a consensus about that. And, fortunately, there is a consensus about HOW to fix it. And that consensus is this: Continue the laws important measures of academic progress of studentsdisaggregate and report the results of those measurementsbut restore to states, school districts, classroom teachers and parents the responsibility for deciding what to do about those tests and about improving student achievement. In our Senate hearings we heard more about over-testing than any other subject. …	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://cooper.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cooper-congratulates-travis-mcdonough-on-federal-judgeship	Cooper Congratulates Travis McDonough on Federal Judgeship	2015-12-07	2015	2015-12	Democrat	House	TN	Jim Cooper	C000754	cooper.house.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-05) today issued the following statement after the Senate confirmed Travis McDonough as a U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee: Travis McDonough represents the best of East Tennessee. He will make an excellent federal judge, Rep. Cooper said. I am glad the Senate has confirmed him. His talents are needed on the bench right now. An East Tennessee native, McDonough graduated from Vanderbilt University Law School and served in leadership roles at the Miller & Martin law firm in Chattanooga, before leaving to serve as chief of staff for Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke. Appointed by President Obama, McDonough will succeed Judge Curtis Collier.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=48fb4333-970f-4eac-adbd-5509a26ee9e1	Alexander on Senate Confirmation of McDonough as U.S. District Judge for Eastern District of Tennessee	2015-12-07	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Lamar Alexander	A000360	www.alexander.senate.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON, D.C.,Dec. 7 U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) released the following statement after voting to confirm Travis McDonough as a U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee: Tennessee will be well-served by Travis McDonough. Travis is a man of good character and good temperament, and I am glad the Senate confirmed his nomination. In July, Alexander, along with Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) introduced McDonough to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee when it met to consider his nomination. Today, the Senate confirmed McDonough to be a U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee by a vote of 89 to 0. ### For access to this release and the senators other statements, click here. To stay up-to-date on the senators 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=f906879b-a47d-4023-8b40-43510a01d706	Alexander Statement on President Obama's Oval Office Address	2015-12-07	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Lamar Alexander	A000360	www.alexander.senate.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 6 Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) made the following statement on President Obama's Oval Office Address: "Unfortunately, ISIS appears to be growing stronger and bolder in no small part due to this administration's lack of resolve in the face of evil people who will stop at nothing to win. President Obamashould propose a more effective strategy to defeat ISIS, and he should work with Congress to make sure our military and counterterrorism agencies have the resources they need to identify the types of extremists who carried out thetragic shootings in Chattanooga and San Bernardino."	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-list?ContentRecord_id=52e9605f-6ea0-43a9-aeaf-b858d11d00d7	Corker Condemns Lack of U.S. Response to Illicit Iranian Ballistic Missile Tests	2015-12-06	2015	2015-12	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 condemned the lack of a U.S. response to repeated Iranian ballistic missile tests that violate existing U.N. Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR). U.S. officials yesterday confirmed in media reports that Iran conducted an illicit ballistic missile test on November 21, which represents the second such launch since the Iran nuclear agreement was reached in July. Iran violates U.N. Security Council resolutions because it knows neither this administration nor the U.N. Security Council is likely to take any action, said Corker. Instead, the administration remains paralyzed and responds to Iran's violations with empty words of condemnation and concern. These continued violations without consequences also validate concern that all leverage will shift to Iran once sanctions are removed. If we cannot respond to a clear violation of a U.N. Security Council resolution, I have no faith that the U.N. and the Obama administration will implement any form of snapback in response to Iranian violations of the nuclear agreement. The administration has the authority to penalize foreign individuals who engage in proliferation-related activities like ballistic missile launches, added Corker. They have used that authority in the past, and should do so again. Following Irans October 11 ballistic missile test, Senator Corker, along with committee members Senators Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), David Perdue (R-Ga.), and Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), wrote a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry seeking a determination on whether the test violated UNSCR 1929 and how the U.S. would respond. The State Departments letter in response asserted U.S. authority and precedent for imposing unilateral penalties for Irans missile-related activities. So far the administration has not taken such action despite acknowledging Irans violation of the UNSC resolution. Senators…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://cohen.house.gov/improving-our-transportation-and-infrastructure	Improving our Transportation and Infrastructure	2015-12-04	2015	2015-12	Democrat	House	TN	Steve Cohen	C001068	cohen.house.gov			legacy	Dear Friend, This week, I voted for the first long-term federal highway funding bill in 10 years, voted to end the failed No Child Left Behind policy and reform our education system, renewed my call for independent prosecutors in cases where police use deadly force results in death or injury, and hosted a telephone town hall to answer questions and address the concerns of my constituents. Keep reading to learn more or follow me on TwitterandFacebookto see these updates as they happen. Improving our Transportation and Infrastructure Reforming Our Education System Renewing My Call for Independent Prosecutors in Police Deadly Force Cases Hosting My Telephone Town Hall Increasing Government Transparency Helping Memphians Get Covered Bringing Congress to your Corner 2016 U.S. Capitol Historical Society Calendars Are Available Improving our Transportation and Infrastructure On Thursday, the House passed the bipartisan federal highway funding bill.This historic bill, signed into law by President Obama today, is the first long-term highway bill passed in 10 years. This legislation is a vital investment in our country. It funds highways and railroads that are important for Memphiss standing as a premier distribution center. Memphis has five Class I railroads and three interstate highways that run through the city. I was particularly pleased that my amendment to provide local transit systems, such as Memphis Area Transit Authoritys MATAplus Service, increased flexibility to enhance and improve paratransit services was included in the final bill. In addition, my bill to allow passengers to transport their pets on Amtrak trains was also incorporated, as was a provision to encourage development along public transportation corridors which benefits the environment. On a local level, the bill includes increased funding for buses that will help improve MATA services in Memphis and incentives for states to collect data to combat racial profiling at traffic stops. Furthermore, it continues the highly-successful provision tha…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=2b3a0984-add3-4a90-8384-b176af701b82	Alexander, Murray: Full Senate to Begin Debate on Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Fix No Child Left Behind	2015-12-04	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Lamar Alexander	A000360	www.alexander.senate.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON, D.C.,Dec. 3 Senate education committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.), following Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells announcement that the Senate would take up the bipartisan, bicameral agreement to fix No Child Left Behind next week, said they look forward to a successful vote in the Senate, following passage in the House of Representatives yesterday by a vote of 359-64. The legislation before the Senate next week fixes No Child Left Behind by reversing the trend toward a national school board and restoring to states, communities and teachers the responsibility for improving student achievement, Alexander said. It passed the House of Representatives yesterday by a vote of 359-64 and received huge bipartisan support in the Senate earlier this year. I expect the same result next week so we can finally send a bill to the presidents desk to fix this broken law for our 50 million children and 3.4 million teachers in 100,000 public schools. Moving forward on these last steps to finally fix No Child Left Behind is great news for students, parents, teachers, and communities in Washington state and across the country, Murray said. I look forward to the Senate voting to reduce reliance on high-stakes testing, invest in improving and expanding access to early learning programs, ensure all students have access to a quality education, and so much more. I will continue working hard to finish our bipartisan work in the Senate next week and send the bill the Presidents desk so that this legislation can get to work for my home state and our nation. A summary of the Every Student Succeeds Act is below: Repeals adequate yearly progress and replaces it with a statewide accountability system The conference report replaces the one-size-fits-all adequate yearly progress federal accountability system under current law with a comprehensive State-designed system that improves State capacity to identify and support struggling schools. States would submit a plan outlinin…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=767237c4-feb1-4f99-b8e0-3227e46c555c	Alexander Calls On President to Sign Legislation to Fix Damage Caused By Obamacare	2015-12-04	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Lamar Alexander	A000360	www.alexander.senate.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON, December 3 The chairman of the Senate health committee today called on President Obama to sign legislation to fix damage caused by Obamacare and work with Republicans step by step to create a system where millions more Americans will have access to their choice of health plans that fit their needs and fit their budgets after the Senate voted to pass legislation to repeal Obamacare. Six years ago, Republicans warned the president about the disastrous consequences of Obamacare for millions of Americans, Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said. Unfortunately for these Americans, Republicans were right when we said that Obamacare would burden state Medicaid budgets, increase premiums and taxes, and hurt jobs. We need to start over and go step by step toward the goal of reducing health care costs. Alexander continued: I renew our invitation to the president, and if he doesnt accept our invitation, I extend it to our next president: Forget about party, forget about this side or that side, and side with the American people whose premiums went up, who lost plans they liked, whose Medicare has been raided, whose state budgets have been destroyed, and whose jobs have been lost. Work with Republicans in Congress to fix the damage Obamacare has done to health care in America. Work with us to replace Obamacare with real reforms that lower costs so more Americans can afford to buy insurance. Some of the proposals in the legislation include: Repealing Medicaid expansion and Obamacares new entitlement spending after a two year transition period Repealing the individual mandate and the employer mandate Repealing most of Obamacares 21 tax increases including the health benefits tax, the medical device tax, and the prescription drug tax Putting the savings from repealing Obamacare back into the Medicare Trust Fund which was raided by Obamacare The full text of Senator Alexanders floor speech from Tuesday afternoon as the Senate began debate on the legislation: Let me take you back five and a half years ago t…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://blackburn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=397847	Blackburn, Sessions, Shelby, Smith: HHS Violating Law By Refusing To Submit Refugee Report	2015-12-03	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Marsha Blackburn	B001243	blackburn.house.gov			legacy	Our nation is presented with serious economic and security threats emanating from our refugee resettlement programs. Congress cannot, and must not, issue a blank check to [the office of Refugee Resettlement], especially at a time when the Administration is actively in defiance of federal law. Congressmen Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Lamar Smith (R-TX) and U.S. Sens. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) and Richard Shelby (R-AL) released the following letter that was sent yesterday to the Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell: Dear Secretary Burwell: It has come to our attention that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has failed to submit an annual report to Congress regarding the activities of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), in violation of federal law. Section 413(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended, requires the Secretary of HHS to submit an annual report to Congress no later than the January 31 following the end of each fiscal year[.] The FY2014 report which was due no later than January 31 of this year is still outstanding, and must be produced immediately. In its FY2016 Justification of Estimates for Appropriations Committees, HHS requested over $1.6 billion for ORR. This request illustrates the exponential growth in ORRs budget in recent years. Indeed, as recently as FY2012, ORR received $768,334,000 in funding or less than half of what it currently seeks. Our nation is presented with serious economic and security threats emanating from our refugee resettlement programs. Congress cannot, and must not, issue a blank check to ORR, especially at a time when the Administration is actively in defiance of federal law. We look forward to the immediate submission of ORRs FY2014 Annual Report to Congress. Very truly yours. Senator Jeff Sessions Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn Senator Richard Shelby Congressman Lamar Smith [NOTE: To view the signed letter as a PDF, please click here.]	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://blackburn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=397848	Blackburn, Sessions: HHS Refusal To Submit Refugee Report One More Reason To Strip Blank Check From Omnibus	2015-12-03	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Marsha Blackburn	B001243	blackburn.house.gov			legacy	With millions of Americans barely scraping by, ORR wants a blank check by December 11th of this year to resettle foreign nationals in the United States, and yet refuses to even comply with federal law requiring an annual report on the program. This casual comfort with which this Administration disregards the taxpayer, and defies their elected representatives, chisels at the foundation of republican government. This is exactly why we must not issue a blank resettlement check but instead put the people's Congress back in charge. Congressman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) issued the following statement today after sending a letter yesterday to the Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell concerning her Departments failure to submit a legally-required annual report on refugee resettlement in the United States: Failure to provide Congress with required information on the resettlement of foreign nationals within the United States violates both the law and the public trust. These are grave matters. Already, at least a dozen individuals admitted to the United States as refugees have been implicated in terrorism in 2015 alone. Additionally, refugees are provided instant, lifetime access to welfare and entitlements. For the cost of resettling 1 refugee in the United States we could assist 12 refugees in their home region. ORR's operating model is to request funds to place refugees in the United States while not accounting for one cent of the cost associated with long-term welfare, healthcare, housing and entitlement benefits. Refugees also draw from Medicare and Social Security, accelerating these programs insolvency and, again, ORR does not count or estimate these costs. These actions are draining the treasury. In addition to resettling admitted refugees, ORR is involved with the relocation of illegal aliens within the interior of the United States as well. With millions of Americans barely scraping by, ORR wants a blank check by December 11th of this year to …	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/congressman-cohen-hails-passage-bipartisan-bicameral-federal-highway-funding-bill	Congressman Cohen Hails Passage of Bipartisan, Bicameral Federal Highway Funding Bill	2015-12-03	2015	2015-12	Democrat	House	TN	Steve Cohen	C001068	cohen.house.gov			legacy	[WASHINGTON, DC] Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a member of the House-Senate Conference Committee for the federal highway funding bill and a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, today hailed the House passage of H.R. 22, the Fixing Americas Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act), a bipartisan, long-term surface transportation bill. The FAST Act provides $305 billion in guaranteed funding for Americas transportation and infrastructure programs over five years. It also reauthorizes the Export-Import Bank for four years. I am pleased the House and Senate have finally agreed to a bipartisan, long-term surface transportation bill, said Congressman Cohen. This historic bill is the first long-term highway bill passed in 10 years, and it funds highways and railroads that are important for Memphiss standing as an American distribution center. Memphis has five Class I railroads and three interstate highways that run through the city. I am most pleased that my amendment to provide local transit systems, such as Memphis Area Transit Authoritys MATAplus Service, increased flexibility to enhance and improve paratransit services was included in the final bill. A bill I sponsored with Congressman Denham to allow passengers to transport their pets on Amtrak trains was also incorporated, as was a provision I championed to encourage development along public transportation corridors which benefits the environment. The FAST Act provides an estimated $41 million increase in highway funding and an estimated $2.9 million in transit funding for Tennessee next year. On a local level, the bill includes increased funding for buses and bus facilities that will help improve MATA services in Memphis and incentives for states to collect data to combat racial profiling at traffic stops, added Congressman Cohen. Furthermore, it continues the highly-successful Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program that ensures women and minority-owned businesses are able to fairly compete for U.S. Department of Transportation cont…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://duncan.house.gov/press-release/duncan-blasts-ut-%E2%80%9Choliday-party%E2%80%9D-rules-calling-secret-santa-ban	Duncan Blasts UT Holiday Party Rules Calling for Secret Santa Ban	2015-12-03	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	John Duncan	D000533	duncan.house.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON In an interview with Fox News Thursday, U.S. Rep. John J. Duncan, Jr. (R-Tenn.) blasted the University of Tennessees Office of Diversity and Inclusion for issuing rules on holiday parties, calling the memo ridiculous. The guidance warns students and faculty to ensure your holiday party is not a Christmas party in disguise, and to not play games with religious and cultural themes such as Secret Santa. It warned that parties should have no emphasis on religion or culture. I am saddened and very disappointed that the school from where I graduated would do this. People all over the Country are sick and tired of all this political correctness. It is going to an extreme that the overwhelming majority of my constituents and the American people are opposed, Duncan said. The people on the far left who claim to be tolerant seem to be tolerant of everything except traditional Christianity, Duncan continued. They dont object to Jewish, Muslim, Hindu or any other religions traditions. But they go unhinged on anything that hints of traditional Christianity. They try to take down Crosses and Christian emblems. It is a shame and very sad. And it is extremism. Justice William Douglas was one of the most liberal and left wing Supreme Court Justices to ever serve, Duncan continued. In a famous case in 1952, Zorach v. Carson, he wrote an opinion for the court that said, we find no constitutional requirement which makes it necessary for government to be hostile to religion and to throw its weight against efforts to widen the effective scope of religious influence. He was correct, and this is still the law of the land today. The people I represent are disgusted by this action, and people at the University should be taken to task for it, Duncan said. The University of Tennessee receives most of its operating budget from federal student loans and State government appropriations. In September, the same office backed-off of a call to switch to gender neutral pronouns such as xe and xym after an international public outcry. Du…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://roe.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=397955	Long-Term Highway Bill Passes House With Roes Support	2015-12-03	2015	2015-12	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 voting in support of the conference report for H.R. 22, the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act: "This bipartisan, bicameral, five-year highway funding bill brings certainty in transportation planning to state and local governments, while eliminating bureaucracy to allow states to invest funds where they need it most. This bill will provide much-needed certainty and resources to start the long process of repairing and replacing the failing infrastructure around this country. It provides federal, state and local governments with the ability to strategically plan their projects and spend wisely, which will save taxpayer resources. Weve got to fund roads and bridges around the country, but weve also got to work smarter and do more with less. Ive said time and time again that I strongly believe we need a long-term highway funding bill, and I thank Chairmen Shuster and Thune, as well as the House and Senate conferees, for making this a priority.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://desjarlais.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/desjarlais-statement-on-voting-against-the-every-student-succeeds-act	DesJarlais Statement on Voting Against the Every Student Succeeds Act	2015-12-03	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Scott DesJarlais	D000616	desjarlais.house.gov			legacy	Congressman Scott DesJarlais, M.D. (TN-04) released the following statement after voting against S. 1177, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA): Unfortunately, this legislation fails to sufficiently curtail excessive government overreach in our nations school system. Rather than returning control of education back to the state and local level, this bill continues with the misguided policy of allowing Washington bureaucrats to make decisions affecting childrens education that should be left to parents and teachers. Tennessee educators know best when it comes to creating curriculums that will ensure our children are receiving a quality education. Therefore, we should be empowering those individuals that understand the unique needs of students in their communities.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://desjarlais.house.gov/media-center?ID=FA06919A-832B-4E77-BDB0-D76C07F7B9F8	DesJarlais Statement on Voting Against the Every Student Succeeds Act	2015-12-03	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Scott DesJarlais	D000616	desjarlais.house.gov	desjarlais	https://desjarlais.house.gov/media-center	scraper	Congressman Scott DesJarlais, M.D. (TN-04) released the following statement after voting against S. 1177, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA): “Unfortunately, this legislation fails to sufficiently curtail excessive government overreach in our nation’s school system. Rather than returning control of education back to the state and local level, this bill continues with the misguided policy of allowing Washington bureaucrats to make decisions affecting children’s education that should be left to parents and teachers. Tennessee educators know best when it comes to creating curriculums that will ensure our children are receiving a quality education. Therefore, we should be empowering those individuals that understand the unique needs of students in their communities.”	1	2026-03-30T01:40:41Z	2026-04-08T20:33:33Z
https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=115c80c7-f1aa-407d-8391-0c459aa74111	Alexander: Five-Year Highway Bill Provides Stability and Certainty, and Will Help Grow Jobs in Tennessee	2015-12-03	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Lamar Alexander	A000360	www.alexander.senate.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON, Dec. 3, 2015 U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said today final passage of a five-year plan to reauthorize federal highway programs, which he voted for, is good for Tennessee and will lead to more good-paying jobs in our state and across the nation. This bill is good for Tennessee, because we have seen over the last 30 years how good roads have helped to spread auto suppliers and good jobs across the state. This is the longest federal highway bill in 17 years, which provides stability and certainty and is a more efficient use of taxpayer dollars, Alexander said. My preference for funding transportation bills is for highway users to pay for improvements to the highways, which is the course I hope Congress will take on future bills. The Fixing Americas Surface Transportation Act, also known as the FAST Act, reauthorizes funding for federal transportation programs for five years which allows states to plan for more construction projects. The bill, which is fully paid for, provides federal funding for roads, bridges, and transit programs that are critically important to Tennessees economy. The bill also gives state transportation agencies more flexibility and streamlines the process to approve projects, which means projects can get done faster and cheaper. The bill also creates a new National Highway Freight Program to maintain heavily trafficked corridors, including several in Tennessee. The Senate passed the bill today by a vote of 83-16. The House also passed the bill by a vote of 359-65 today. # # # For access to this release and the senators other statements, click here. To stay up-to-date on the senators 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=eef2ff3e-b723-4bdb-b17f-3e4c8033b7ff	Alexander Commends House Passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act	2015-12-03	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Lamar Alexander	A000360	www.alexander.senate.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON, December2 Senate education committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement on House passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act legislation to fix No Child Left Behind by a vote of 359 to 64: The real winners in todays House vote are 50 million children and 3.4 million teachers in 100,000 public schools. This legislation fixes No Child Left Behind by reversing the trend toward a national school board and restoring to states, communities and teachers the responsibility for improving student achievement. The legislation received huge bipartisan support in the United States Senate earlier this year, and I expect that to happen again next week. # # # For access to this release and the senators other statements, click here. To stay up-to-date on the senators 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=630f3681-f2b6-4c5d-81f3-158a42f09a33	Corker Outlines Iran Nuclear Deal Oversight Plan	2015-12-03	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Bob Corker	C001071	www.corker.senate.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON U.S. Senators Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.), the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today in a letter to President Barack Obama presented their plans for ongoing oversight of the Iran nuclear deal, or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), that was reached in July with members of the P5+1 and Iran. As the JCPOA with Iran moves toward Implementation Day, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will initiate a rigorous program to ensure effective Congressional monitoring and oversight of this agreement as well as its regional and nonproliferation implications, the senators wrote in their letter to the president. We hope that your Administration will remain committed to engaging Congress going forward. In anticipation of this program, we request that you make available Administration witnesses to testify in public hearings and provide classified briefings, they added. The proposed schedule includes an initial series of hearings with administration officials beginning in December that will be timed with the release of the International Atomic Energy Agencys report on possible military dimensions of Irans nuclear program, the first semi-annual report from the administration pursuant to existing law under the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015, and Implementation Day when Iran has complied with the terms of the JCPOA. The senators also requested regular interagency briefings consistent with reporting requirements of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015. The act, which was coauthored by Corker and Cardin, requires the administration to certify every 90 days that Iran is in compliance with the nuclear agreement. A failure to provide the certification or a material breach by Iran would make available expedited procedures for consideration of legislation in Congress to reimpose sanctions. An additional semi-annual report from the administration also will provide detailed information regarding Irans nuclear-related and other destabiliz…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-list?ContentRecord_id=c2b27720-b16f-4f36-a7ce-527dc36da29f	Corker Votes to Dismantle President Obama's Health Care Law	2015-12-03	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Bob Corker	C001071	www.corker.senate.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) today voted for the Restoring Americans Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015 (H.R. 3762), legislation that would dismantle the presidents health care law and build a bridge to a better health care system for hardworking families across the country. The presidents health care law was sold to Tennesseans as a way to bring down health care costs and provide certainty to individuals and companies across the nation, yet it has done just the opposite, said Corker. Year after year, we have seen double digit increases in the cost of plans, small businesses grappling with unreasonable mandates, and health insurance providers threatening to leave the marketplace or shutting down completely due to upside down profit expectations. The simple fact is that this law has not delivered the results that were promised. Americans want an open health care marketplace that provides far greater choice and affordable plans that meet their actual needs so companies can openly and effectively compete for their business. ###	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-list?ContentRecord_id=eb49d63c-07ad-4681-8afe-9566db33199b	Corker Votes Against Highway Bill	2015-12-03	2015	2015-12	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 voting against the conference report on the Senate and Houseof Representativeshighway bills. I am extremely disappointed that both Republicans and Democrats have passed this gimmick-laden piece of legislation that weakens our nation and in no way pays for our countrys important infrastructure in real time, said Corker. Yet again, Congress has pulled a fast one on the American people by painting a rosy picture so that they can feel good now but in realityWashington isthrowing future generations under the bus by failing to put in place a long-term funding mechanism for the Highway Trust Fund. According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), if the legislation is enacted, the Highway Trust Fund will run a nearly $100 billion shortfall between 2021 and 2025. This legislation does not solve the real problem. It simply kicks the can down the road, added Corker.Both parties should be embarrassed that they have allowed the Highway Trust Fund to become one of the largest budgeting failures in the federal government.In coming years, Congress still will be faced with the challenge of putting in place a long-term funding mechanism for these important programs. ###	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://duncan.house.gov/duncan-supports-education-reform-bill	Duncan Supports Education Reform Bill	2015-12-02	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	John Duncan	D000533	duncan.house.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON-- Rep. John J. Duncan, Jr. delivered the following remarks on the floor of the House Wednesday in support of a major education reform bill: Mr. Speaker: In 2001, I was one of just 45 members of the House who voted against the No Child Left Behind federal education law. Just 10 of those 45 remain in the House today: Republican Congressmen Sam Johnson, Walter Jones, Joe Pitts, Dana Rohrabacher, Jim Sensenbrenner, Pete Sessions, and myself and Democrats John Conyers, Bobby Scott, and Maxine Waters. This turned out to be one of the most popular votes I ever cast, especially with teachers. I have spoken well over a thousand times in schools through the years, and I voted against the bill in 2001 because I felt the teachers, principals, and parents in East Tennessee had enough common sense and intelligence to run their own schools and classrooms and didnt need Washington bureaucrats telling them what to do. The No Child Left Behind law was a great overreaction to failed schools in some of our Nations biggest cities, and it needs to be replaced. Today, I rise in support of the Every Student Succeeds Act, so we can leave behind the No Child Left Behind law. The Wall Street Journal on Monday published an editorial calling this new bill a bipartisan compromise that would be the largest devolution of federal control in a quarter-century. The Paper pointed out that its far better than the status quo which would continue if nothing passes and described the bill as a rare opportunity for real reform. This bill should please many conservatives because it does away with the Common Core mandate. This legislation is an example of great work by my own Senator, constituent, and friend Sen. Lamar Alexander. This bill is just one of many reasons why Sen. Alexander is one of the most respected members of the Other Body, and I commend him for his efforts to improve our Nations schools.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://roe.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=397953	Roe Votes to Replace No Child Left Behind, Stop Common Core	2015-12-02	2015	2015-12	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 voting in support of the conference report for S. 1177, the Every Student Succeeds Act: "I've served on the House Education and Workforce Committee since coming to Congress in 2009, and have visited with hundreds of educators in and around the First Congressional District. I've also had the opportunity to speak with students and their families and a there's a common theme in our conversations: stop Common Core, get Washington bureaucrats out of our schools and let teachers and parents decide what's best for our kids. I'm proud to say that the Every Student Succeeds Act will do those important things, all while preserving conservative principles in education reform. I thank Chairmen Kline and Alexander and Ranking Members Scott and Murray for the opportunity to serve as a conferee on this important bill and for their leadership to make the education system work better for students, families and educators. More information on the bill can be found on the House Education and Workforce Committee's website: http://edworkforce.house.gov/k12education/.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/congressman-cohen-cites-chicago-police-shooting-house-floor	Congressman Cohen Cites Chicago Police Shooting on House Floor	2015-12-01	2015	2015-12	Democrat	House	TN	Steve Cohen	C001068	cohen.house.gov			legacy	[WASHINGTON, DC] Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, today cited the shooting of Laquan McDonald by Chicago police on the House floor while renewing his call for a federal law to encourage states to use independent prosecutors in cases involving police use of deadly force: the Police Training and Independent Review Act (H.R. 2302). A video of Congressman Cohens full remarks can be found here. In the wake of the shocking video from Chicago showing the brutal shooting of Laquan McDonald by a Chicago police officer, I rise today to encourage my colleagues to pass H.R. 2302 -- The Police Training and Independent Review Act, said Congressman Cohen. Congressman Lacy Clay and I introduced this bill earlier this year to stop local prosecutors from being tasked with investigating and prosecuting the same local police with whom they work so closely. This is an inherent conflict of interest and what happened in Chicago is just the latest evidence that it needs to end. Congressman Cohenintroduced the Police Training and Independent Review Actearlier this year with Congressman Lacy Clay (MO-01, which includes Ferguson, Missouri) to encourage states to require independent investigation and, if necessary, prosecution of law enforcement officers accused of offenses involving their use of deadly force in the course of carrying out their official duties, when such force results in death or injury. To date, it has 37 cosponsors in the House, including Congressional Black Caucus Chairman G.K. Butterfield and Chicago area U.S. Representatives Bobby Rush, Danny Davis and Luis Gutierrez. The bill is also supported by the NAACP. If enacted, H.R. 2302 would condition receipt of full federal Byrne-JAG funding on states adopting laws requiring the independent investigation, and if necessary prosecution, of law enforcement officers accused of offenses involving their use of deadly force in the course of carrying out their official duties when such f…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/congressman-cohen-hosts-more-12000-constituents-during-teletown-hall-meeting-evening	Congressman Cohen Hosts More Than 12,000 Constituents during TeleTown Hall Meeting this Evening	2015-12-01	2015	2015-12	Democrat	House	TN	Steve Cohen	C001068	cohen.house.gov			legacy	[WASHINGTON, DC] Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) this evening hosted a telephone town hall to answer his constituents questions about the issues facing Tennessees Ninth Congressional District and the nation. During the telephone town hall meeting, the Congressman discussed a wide variety of issues including enrolling in the Healthcare Marketplace; improving our roads, bridges, and mass transit; fighting for increased funding for the National Institutes of Health to fight deadly diseases; helping reduce our rape kit backlog; and assisting with navigating federal agencies. These town hall meetings offer Memphians and all citizens of the Ninth District yet another way to speak directly with me and share whats important to them, said Congressman Cohen. I appreciated having this opportunity to listen to the Ninth Districts perspective on the issues from veterans to prison reform as well as other issues facing our community. I also enjoyed discussing my work and legislation with more than 12,000 Memphians. Hearing the perspective, opinions and ideas of my constituents helps me best represent the Ninth District in Congress. The Telephone Town Hall meeting began at 6:30PM CT and lasted roughly one hour. Since being elected to the House of Representatives in 2006, Congressman Cohen has hosted dozens of town hall meetings in his Congressional district and via telephone from Washington, D.C.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=0f55994f-7d27-4592-8b0d-2dd4eec1e57f	Alexander: Republican Predictions Were Right: Obamacare Was an Historic Mistake	2015-12-01	2015	2015-12	Republican	House	TN	Lamar Alexander	A000360	www.alexander.senate.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON, December 1 Five and a half years after the White House health care summit at Blair House, Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today spoke on the Senate floor to discuss what Republicans warned the president would happen if Obamacare became law and to outline what this historic mistake of a law looks like for millions of Americans today. Alexander was asked by both then-Minority Leader Boehner and then-Minority Leader McConnell to lead in speaking on behalf of Republicans at the summit in 2010. Alexander said, I warned the president that day about the unfortunate consequences of Obamacare for millions of Americans. I told the president that Obamacare would send an unfunded Medicaid mandate to states. I said, It will cut Medicare by about half a trillion dollars and spend most of that on new programs ... It means there will be about a half trillion dollars of new taxes in it.It means that for millions of Americans, premiums will go up, because when people pay those new taxes, premiums will go up, and they will also go up because of the government mandates. I said directly to the President that instead of this partisan planpassed without the support of a single Republican in the Senatethat we Republicans were prepared to work with him to reform health care. I said to the president, We need to start over and go step by step toward the goal of reducing health care costs. Speaking today on the Senate floor as the Senate begins debate on Obamacare repeal legislation, Alexander said that the president and congressional Democrats did not take my advice that day at Blair House and hardly any of the advice of my Republican colleagues, for that matter about what the disastrous outcomes of Obamacare would be. He continued, Unfortunately, Republicans were right when we said that Obamacare would force spikes in state Medicaid spending, increase premiums and taxes, and hurt jobs. After outlining the disastrous impact Obamacare has had on state budgets, for business, and for millions of …	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-bill-increase-government-transparency-passes-house	Cohen Bill to Increase Government Transparency Passes House	2015-11-30	2015	2015-11	Democrat	House	TN	Steve Cohen	C001068	cohen.house.gov			legacy	[Washington, D.C.] The House of Representatives today passed by voice vote the Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act (H.R. 3279), legislation introduced by Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Congressman Doug Collins (R-GA), and Congressman Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) to increase transparency and give the public access to information about federal payments awarded under theEqual Access to Justice Act(EAJA). Transparency will enable ordinary citizens such as veterans, seniors, small business owners, and advocates for clean air and clean water to fight unfair or illegal government action without fear of court costs, said Congressman Cohen. I am glad our bipartisan Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act passed the House and I hope the Senate will follow suit. Congress enacted EAJA in 1980 to allow Americans to recover attorneys fees and costs associated with lawsuits against the federal government. In 1995, however, an important reporting requirement was removed. The Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act reinstates the laws tracking and reporting requirements of payments awarded by the federal government. Specifically, it requires every federal agency to begin tracking EAJA payments again, and tasks the Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS) with compiling that data. Representatives Cohen, Collins, and Lummis were joined by Representatives Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Collin Peterson (D-MN) and Kurt Shrader (D-OR) in introducing the Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act earlier this year. Background on the Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act In 1980 Congress passed the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) as a means to help individuals, retirees, veterans, and small businesses recover attorneys fees and costs associated with suing or defending against the federal government. Congress intended EAJA to remove a barrier to justice for those with limited access to the resources it takes to sue or defend against the federal government. The EAJA established two methods by which individuals or groups could re…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://roe.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=397950	Roe Spends Thanksgiving in Afghanistan	2015-11-30	2015	2015-11	Republican	House	TN	Phil Roe	R000582	roe.house.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON, D.C. Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-TN) spent the Thanksgiving holiday visiting with soldiers in Afghanistan. Roe was part of a bipartisan delegation that included the following members: Reps. Beto ORourke (D-TX), Mark Takano (D-CA), Mike Coffman (R-CO), Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH) and Dr. Ralph Abraham (R-LA). While the Congressman was abroad, he was briefed on the status of the U.S. mission and met with President Ghani. Roe released the following statement on the visit: "It was an honor to spend Thanksgiving with our troops in Afghanistan, and to hear about the progress were making in the country. I am extremely grateful to our soldiers for their service and for welcoming us with so much pride and hospitality. These brave men and women put themselves in harms way every day, and I couldnt be prouder of their caliber. I also appreciate President Ghani taking the time to meet with us and for hosting us at the presidential palace.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=e97f9c74-f00f-4c0f-a13f-5b5deac8d5d7	Alexander Statement on NGA Endorsement of Every Student Succeeds Act	2015-11-30	2015	2015-11	Republican	House	TN	Lamar Alexander	A000360	www.alexander.senate.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON, November 30 U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate education committee, released the following statement on the National Governors Associations full endorsement of the Every Student Succeeds Act: The National Governors Association's full endorsement of our bipartisan legislation to fix No Child Left Behindthe group's first such endorsement of any federal legislation in nearly 20 yearsis of huge significance. It is one more sign that there is a consensus that everyone wants this law fixedgovernors, teachers, parents, Republicans and Democrats. It also confirms that there is a consensus about how to fix it: by continuing the laws important measures of academic progress of students but restoring to states, school districts, classroom teachers, and parents the responsibility for deciding what to do about improving student achievement. ### For access to this release and the senators other statements, click here. To stay up-to-date on the senators latest actions, follow him on Twitter and YouTube.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://cohen.house.gov/have-safe-and-happy-thanksgiving	Have a Safe and Happy Thanksgiving!	2015-11-25	2015	2015-11	Democrat	House	TN	Steve Cohen	C001068	cohen.house.gov			legacy	Dear Friend, Thanksgiving is a time for us to gather with our families and loved ones and pause to count our blessings. As we enjoy our Thanksgiving meals, we should remember those who are not as fortunate and those who remain in need. We should also all remember those who cannot be with their families because they are protecting our country overseas, as well as those veterans who have done so in the past.I hope everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving! Go Tigers! Go Grizz! Follow me on TwitterandFacebookto see updates in Congress as they happen. Join My Telephone Town Hall on Monday, November 30th Helping Memphians Get Covered Bringing Congress to your Corner 2016 U.S. Capitol Historical Society Calendars Are Available Join My Telephone Town Hall on Monday, November 30th On Monday evening, November 30th, at 6:30PM CT I will host a telephone town hall to answer your questions and discuss a variety of topics you feel are important to Tennessees 9th District. If you would like to participate in this telephone town hall on Monday, November 30th, please fill out the formhere with your home phone number unfortunately, we are unable to call cell phones. Helping Memphians Get Covered TheHealthCare.govinsurance marketplace has opened for 2016 plan shopping and comparisons. While the current shopping period runs until January 31, 2016, December 15, 2015 is the deadline to enroll in coverage that will take effect on January 1, 2016. You can visithttps://bit.ly/hcSavingsto see if you qualify for tax credits that will be applied as discounts on your monthly insurance premium. If you already have insurance coverage through the HealthCare.govmarketplace, your plan will be automatically renewed for 2016, but you should still visit HealthCare.govto update your information, ensure you receive the full tax credit to which you are entitled, and review new options as cheaper insurance plans that better fit your needs may now be available. If you are on Medicare or your employer offers qualified health insurance in which …	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://cooper.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cooper-behind-drive-to-fund-nashville-courthouse-0	Cooper Behind Drive to Fund Nashville Courthouse	2015-11-24	2015	2015-11	Democrat	House	TN	Jim Cooper	C000754	cooper.house.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-05) headed a congressional effort this month to fund a new federal courthouse in Nashville. Led by Cooper, the Congressional Courthouse Caucus and much of Tennessees congressional delegation sent separate letters to the top Members of the House Appropriations Committee, which determines how money is allocated to federal projects. We are all very sensitive to the funding challenges you face in tight budgetary times, but conditions have been deteriorating in federal courthouses for decades, Cooper wrote. Nowhere is this more apparent than Nashville, where weve reached a critical situation. For the first time, Nashvilles need for a courthouse was included in President Obamas FY 2016 budget; it also was listed in the Senates FY 2016 appropriations bill. The existing Estes Kefauver Federal Courthouse was first deemed inadequate in 1992, and Nashville tops the Judicial Conferences national list of priorities for courthouse construction. In 2002, the federal government selected the downtown property on Church Street as the site of the new building and purchased the parcels making up the site from 2002-2005. Since then, further studies and the lack of funding have delayed construction on any new federal courthouse. Cooper was a founding member of the Congressional Courthouse Caucus, which was formed to address the urgent need for functional, secure courthouses around the country. Cooper has written to President Obama and Members of the House Appropriations Committee several times asking them to prioritize courthouse funding.Cooper has also met with the General Services Administration regarding the public safety hazard that sits atop the site designated for Nashvilles new courthouse, urging its immediate demolition. The letters are attached here and here.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://blackburn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=397845	Blackburn Working to Block Regulatory Overreach of the FCC	2015-11-20	2015	2015-11	Republican	House	TN	Marsha Blackburn	B001243	blackburn.house.gov			legacy	Actions taken by the FCC over the last several months have raised issues of transparency, accountability, and regulatory humility. From Net Neutrality to the Commissions potential entry as an online privacy regulator, Congress continues to be discouraged by Commission policies, which are seen as picking winners and losers and hurting consumers. Specifically, I continue to be troubled by the FCCs decision to pre-empt state laws in Tennessee and North Carolina that restrict municipal entry into broadband markets a position even the DOJ found it could not support. Such decisions have financial consequences for state taxpayers and should be left to their elected representatives. On November 17th the House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Communications and Technology held an oversight hearing on the FCC. Full video of the hearing is here. Additionally, Im leading an amicus brief, signed by 23 of my colleagues, asking the D.C. Court of Appeals to strike the net neutrality regulations down. The court will hold oral arguments on December 4th and we look forward to a decision expected in the first months of 2016. Rate regulation is a tremendous concern as are increased fees, the loss of liberty, and the pre-empting of free speech. These concerns deserve a thorough examination. For more information, click here.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://cohen.house.gov/fighting-justice	Fighting for Justice	2015-11-20	2015	2015-11	Democrat	House	TN	Steve Cohen	C001068	cohen.house.gov			legacy	Dear Friend, This week, I spoke with U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch about the Darrius Stewart case and our nations misguided drug laws at a House Judiciary Hearing, fought to keep my paratransit amendment in the highway bill during the House-Senate Conference Committee, spoke out against the Republican bill to effectively end the U.S. refugee programs for Syrians and Iraqis, and introduced a bill to protect our veterans and service members from the for-profit college industrys predatory marketing campaigns. Keep reading to learn more or follow me on TwitterandFacebookto see these updates as they happen. Fighting for Justice Serving on the Highway Bill Conference Committee Keeping America Safe Reforming our Nations Drug Laws Fighting for NIH Funding Protecting our Veterans Honoring Willie Nelson Join My Telephone Town Hall on Monday, November 30th Helping Memphians Get Covered Bringing Congress to your Corner 2016 U.S. Capitol Historical Society Calendars Are Available Fighting for Justice At a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday, I again asked U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch to open a federal investigation into the shooting death of Darrius Stewart to see if any civil rights laws were violated. Ive written to her about this before, but I appreciated the opportunity to ask her about it in person this week. I also asked her if she would work to reschedule marijuana from a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act, a category that is otherwise reserved for only the most dangerous and highly-addictive drugs like heroin and LSD, and prioritize federal enforcement efforts based on which drugs pose the highest risk to public safety. Finally, I asked her about the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) which is used to discriminate against those in the LGBT community. You can watch my questions for Attorney General Lynch here. Serving on the Highway Bill Conference Committee On Wednesday, I participated in the House-Senate Conference Committee for the federal highway funding b…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/cohen-jones-durbin-congress-should-end-loophole-encourages-profit-colleges-target	Cohen, Jones, Durbin: Congress Should End Loophole that Encourages For-Profit Colleges to Target Veterans & Servicemembers	2015-11-20	2015	2015-11	Democrat	House	TN	Steve Cohen	C001068	cohen.house.gov			legacy	[WASHINGTON, D.C.] Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN), Congressman Walter B. Jones (R-NC) yesterday introduced bipartisan legislation that would help put an end to the for-profit college industrys predatory marketing campaigns and aggressive recruiting of veterans, servicemembers and their families.TheProtecting Our Students and Taxpayers (POST) Act, which U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Jack Reed (D-RI) have also introduced in the Senate, would eliminate the loophole that allows these proprietary companies to receive more than 90% of their revenue from the federal government. For-profit colleges can receive overwhelming majorities of their revenue up to 90%from federal sources such as student loans,said Congressman Cohen.Too often, these schools fail in their duty to adequately prepare graduates for jobs that will allow them to repay those loans, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill. Even worse, a loophole in current law allows unscrupulous colleges to receive even more federal funds by enrolling veterans and servicemembers. This loophole encourages bad behavior that weighs down our nations heroes with mountains of debt and few career prospects while lining the pockets of wealthy for-profit investors with taxpayer money. Simply put, this is unacceptable. We are entrusted with spending our monies efficiently and wisely, but too many for-profit colleges do not meet that test. I am glad to be working with Senator Durbin and Congressman Jones to close this loophole, encourage for-profit colleges to provide better educations, and protect American taxpayers. We need to make sure that colleges arent exploiting veterans and taking advantage of American taxpayers, which is why Im pleased to join Congressman Cohen in introducing the POST Act, said Congressman Jones. By law, for-profit college companies are allowed to receive no more than 90% of their revenue from federal financial aid programs. This high threshold allows far too much federal money to funnel to an industr…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsarticles?ContentRecord_id=43695746-0d48-48c5-b011-ba150aa7477f	Weekly Column by Lamar Alexander: The Winners This Week Are 50 Million Children and Three Million Teachers In 100,000	2015-11-20	2015	2015-11	Republican	House	TN	Lamar Alexander	A000360	www.alexander.senate.gov			legacy	The winners this week are 50 million children and 3.4 million teachers in 100,000 public schools. Thats because the House and Senate conference committee were able to agree to a framework that would restore to states, communities, and teachers the responsibility for improving student achievement. Earlier this year, the Senate passed the Every Child Achieves Act of 2015 by an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 81-17. The House also passed a bill fundamentally based upon that same consensus. Our job in the conference was to reconcile these two bills, and the framework we passed Thursday was the result. We are turning the agreement into legislation that I believe Congress will pass and the president will sign in December. Newsweek magazine recently reminded us what we already knew very well: No Child Left Behind is a law that everybody wants fixed. Governors, teachers, superintendents, parents, Republicans, Democrats, and students all want to see this law fixed. There is a consensus about that. And, fortunately, there is a consensus about how to do it. And that consensus is this Continue the laws important measurements of academic progress of students but restore to states, school districts, classroom teachers and parents the responsibility for deciding what to do about improving student achievement. That s why (the senate bill)had the support of the nations governors, the Chief State School Officers, the school superintendents, the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers. The framework we agreed to Thursday would end the waivers through which the U.S. Department of Education has become, in effect, a national school board for more than 80,000 schools in 42 states. It would end the federal Common Core mandate. It would move decisions about whether schools and teachers are succeeding or failing out of Washington, D.C., and back to states and communities and teachers where those decisions belong because the real way to higher standards, better teachers and real accountability is thr…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=0773781b-7cee-4ecc-acb9-1a94199cc054	House-Senate Conference Committee Approves Framework to Fix No Child Left Behind	2015-11-20	2015	2015-11	Republican	House	TN	Lamar Alexander	A000360	www.alexander.senate.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, the House-Senate conference committee reached agreement on a proposal to improve K-12 education and replace No Child Left Behind. The agreement represents a compromise between the House-passed Student Success Act (H.R. 5) and the Senate-passed Every Child Achieves Act of 2015 (S. 1177). No Child Left Behind has been failing students, parents, teachers, and state and local education leaders for far too long, and today we took an important step in replacing this flawed law, said Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN). But there is still work to be done. We now have to turn this framework into a final bill for our House and Senate colleagues to review. I am confident that once they do, they will see it as an opportunity to replace a failed approach to education with a new approach that will reduce the federal role, restore local control, and empower parents. We will continue to work with all of our colleagues in the House as we move this important process forward. The winners today are 50 million children and 3 million teachers in 100,000 public schools, said Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN). Our action would restore to states, communities, and teachers the responsibility for improving student achievement. This is a bipartisan step forward to fix the No Child Left Behind law that everyone wants fixed. The United States Senate and House of Representatives should complete our work in December so that the president can sign it into law before the end of the year. With today's vote by the conference committee to reauthorize the ESEA, we have moved closer to advancing the principles of Brown v. Board of Education, which said that the opportunity for a public education 'is a right which must be made available to all on equal terms,' said Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA). This agreement ensures that when achievement gaps are found, meaningful action will be taken to intervene a…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=c4741867-8049-408c-b2ac-0755a0270b55	Alexander: It Is a Good Time for Oak Ridge	2015-11-20	2015	2015-11	Republican	House	TN	Lamar Alexander	A000360	www.alexander.senate.gov			legacy	Oak Ridge, Tenn.,Nov. 20U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said that its a good time to be in Oak Ridge, calling the areas scientific brainpower, energy research,and technological capabilitiessome of the best in the world. Earlier this year, I suggested naming the four-lane highway from the Knoxville airport to Oak Ridge the Oak Ridge Corridor, Alexander said. Advanced manufacturing and supercomputing at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, construction of the Uranium Processing Facilitywhich is one of the largest construction projects in the countryand cleanup work inOak Ridgeshows the promise of bringing new jobs for East Tennesseans. Alexander continued, Oak Ridge has a played a key role in scientific research for many decades, and will continue to play a key role in our nations future. Lastweeks formal announcement of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park highlighted the vital role the Manhattan Project played in our historyandthe continuingimpact the projects legacyhas on our nations future. From that effort arosesomeof the countrys great national laboratoriesour secret weapons as we look to the future of keeping our country competitive in the world. Now more than ever before, the Oak Ridge-Knoxville area is showing great promise for a bright future, Alexander told reporters today at an event at the Oak Ridge municipal building with Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch and Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank. Imworking, in conjunction with the House, on the Energy and Water Appropriations bill which is expected to include a record level of federal funding for Oak Ridge this year. Mayor Gooch said, This is an exciting time for Oak Ridge where great things happen everyday. Last week, our city was introduced to the nation as the newest site in our national park system. This week our senior United States senator is visiting us as he promotes his bipartisan legislation which would greatly enhance the DOE missions in Oak Ridge and which would add momentum to rebranding Pellissippi Parkway as the Oak Ridge…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/weeklycolumns?ContentRecord_id=aafa4d1e-8275-4d29-a835-8806b6f2afdb	Weekly Column by Lamar Alexander: The Winners This Week Are 50 Million Children and Three Million Teachers In 100,000	2015-11-20	2015	2015-11	Republican	House	TN	Lamar Alexander	A000360	www.alexander.senate.gov			legacy	The winners this week are 50 million children and 3.4 million teachers in 100,000 public schools. Thats because the House and Senate conference committee were able to agree to a framework that would restore to states, communities, and teachers the responsibility for improving student achievement. Earlier this year, the Senate passed the Every Child Achieves Act of 2015 by an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 81-17. The House also passed a bill fundamentally based upon that same consensus. Our job in the conference was to reconcile these two bills, and the framework we passed Thursday was the result. We are turning the agreement into legislation that I believe Congress will pass and the president will sign in December. Newsweek magazine recently reminded us what we already knew very well: No Child Left Behind is a law that everybody wants fixed. Governors, teachers, superintendents, parents, Republicans, Democrats, and students all want to see this law fixed. There is a consensus about that. And, fortunately, there is a consensus about how to do it. And that consensus is this Continue the laws important measurements of academic progress of students but restore to states, school districts, classroom teachers and parents the responsibility for deciding what to do about improving student achievement. That s why (the senate bill)had the support of the nations governors, the Chief State School Officers, the school superintendents, the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers. The framework we agreed to Thursday would end the waivers through which the U.S. Department of Education has become, in effect, a national school board for more than 80,000 schools in 42 states. It would end the federal Common Core mandate. It would move decisions about whether schools and teachers are succeeding or failing out of Washington, D.C., and back to states and communities and teachers where those decisions belong because the real way to higher standards, better teachers and real accountability is thr…	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-list?ContentRecord_id=84704e0d-4619-4bf6-9efa-bfba3c55471b	Corker in Paris Says U.S. Leadership Critical in Fight Against ISIS	2015-11-20	2015	2015-11	Republican	House	TN	Bob Corker	C001071	www.corker.senate.gov			legacy	PARIS, France In an interview today on CNN, U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the U.S. must make a decision to lead in the fight against ISIS and warned that if the Obama administration continues its strategy of containment in Syria, the world will continue to see unrest and terrorist activities. As long as our strategy in Syria is containment, more and more and more of [these terrorist activities are] going to occur, said Corker. I think people are waking up to that I think everyone understands that collectively weve got to do something far more robust. Corker continued: I think the first decision that has to be made is: Are we, as the United States, going to take part, are we going to lead a coalition to actually end [ISISs] existence? Or are we going to just deal with the containment [strategy] that we have been doing? It is really an executive decision first. And then once that decision is made, it is collecting from our great military leaders the best way to go about doing that. We as a nation really havent made the decision yet, in my opinion, that we want to destroy them. It has been a decision to contain. Asked if U.S. leadership is critical, Corker added: Absolutely With something like this, the only way for it to be successful is with U.S. leadership. On his way to the Middle East, Senator Corker stopped in Paris on Friday to discuss the response to the recent terrorist attacks and U.S. cooperation with France in the fight against ISIS. He will receive a briefing at the U.S. embassy, meet with FBI and French officials, and lay a wreath at one of the sites of the attacks, the Le Carillon restaurant, to commemorate the victims. In the Middle East, he will meet with U.S. and foreign officials about regional security and stability issues, especially terrorism. ###	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/video?ContentRecord_id=e3426233-9fa5-407f-b985-121188124e6a	Corker in Paris Says U.S. Leadership Critical in Fight Against ISIS	2015-11-20	2015	2015-11	Republican	House	TN	Bob Corker	C001071	www.corker.senate.gov			legacy	PARIS, France In an interview today on CNN, U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the U.S. must make a decision to lead in the fight against ISIS and warned that if the Obama administration continues its strategy of containment in Syria, the world will continue to see unrest and terrorist activities. As long as our strategy in Syria is containment, more and more and more of [these terrorist activities are] going to occur, said Corker. I think people are waking up to that I think everyone understands that collectively weve got to do something far more robust. Corker continued: I think the first decision that has to be made is: Are we, as the United States, going to take part, are we going to lead a coalition to actually end [ISISs] existence? Or are we going to just deal with the containment [strategy] that we have been doing? It is really an executive decision first. And then once that decision is made, it is collecting from our great military leaders the best way to go about doing that. We as a nation really havent made the decision yet, in my opinion, that we want to destroy them. It has been a decision to contain. Asked if U.S. leadership is critical, Corker added: Absolutely With something like this, the only way for it to be successful is with U.S. leadership. On his way to the Middle East, Senator Corker stopped in Paris on Friday to discuss the response to the recent terrorist attacks and U.S. cooperation with France in the fight against ISIS. He will receive a briefing at the U.S. embassy, meet with FBI and French officials, and lay a wreath at one of the sites of the attacks, the Le Carillon restaurant, to commemorate the victims. In the Middle East, he will meet with U.S. and foreign officials about regional security and stability issues, especially terrorism.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://blackburn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=397844	Blackburn Votes to Strengthen National Security	2015-11-19	2015	2015-11	Republican	House	TN	Marsha Blackburn	B001243	blackburn.house.gov			legacy	Congressman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) today released the following statement after House passage of H.R. 4038, the American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act. This legislation would require the FBI, Homeland Security Department and director of national intelligence to certify to Congress that any refugee seeking entry to the United States from Syria or Iraq is not a threat to the security of the United States. This is a solid first step in strengthening our national security and protecting Americans from terrorists that pose as refugees. When we return after Thanksgiving, we will begin work on another package of legislation because more work must be done to ensure the safety of our country. "We know that Islamic State terrorists can just as easily pose as illegal aliens crossing our southern border as they can refugees fleeing a war torn country overseas. Congressional action to protect American citizens from Islamic State terrorists must acknowledge vulnerabilities in our overseas vetting process as well as our domestic security vulnerabilities. Thats why Im working with my colleagues to temporarily suspend Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) resettlement funding for all refugees, as well as individuals not in a legitimate lawful status. If Congress funds ORR without such restrictions, Congress will be providing the President the funds to carry out his refugee resettlement efforts in full both from countries overseas as well as through the resettlement of illegal aliens at the Southern border, Blackburn said. To learn more about legislation Congressman Blackburn is working on to address the issue for inclusion in an omnibus spending bill, click here.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://cohen.house.gov/press-release/congressman-cohen-statement-allowing-syrian-refugees-united-states	Congressman Cohen Statement on Allowing Syrian Refugees into the United States	2015-11-19	2015	2015-11	Democrat	House	TN	Steve Cohen	C001068	cohen.house.gov			legacy	[WASHINGTON, D.C.] Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today released the following statement regarding allowing Syrian refugees into the United States. As a Member of Congress, my first responsibility is to protect the American people and do everything it takes to keep our country safe, said Congressman Cohen. We must ensure that not only refugees from Syria and Iraq, but also refugees from every country are subject to a rigorous screening process that ensures no terrorist or criminals are allowed access to the United States. We can do this while also maintaining our core humanitarian values. The House bill passed today is instead nothing more than a political attack on President Obama and does nothing to make us safer from terrorist or criminal threats. The House should work in a bipartisan fashion to appropriately address loop holes in our current visa programs, including the visa waiver program, which would be more likely to threaten our national security, as well as stop individuals on the terrorism watch list from buying guns and explosives. Congressman Cohen cosponsored a Democratic alternative bill that would have required checks and certifications for all refuges instead of just from Iraq and Syria. It would also ensure no person is admitted to the U.S. until his or her identity has been established and vetted against all security databases, such as the FBI, the Department of Defense, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Department of Homeland Security, and the State Department. The bill was defeated on a procedural vote 180-244.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://cooper.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cooper-supports-american-safe-act	Cooper Supports American SAFE Act	2015-11-19	2015	2015-11	Democrat	House	TN	Jim Cooper	C000754	cooper.house.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-05) issued the following statement on H.R. 4038, the American SAFE Act: America has always welcomed refugees and should continue to do so. Todays vote wont change that tradition, Rep. Cooper said. This bill merely reinforces existing law that refugees not pose a threat to the U.S. Earlier in the week, Rep. Cooper condemned remarks made by several Tennessee state legislators. Those Republican lawmakers said Tennessee should activate the National Guard to remove refugees already in the state and use any means necessary to prevent others from entering. Panicky remarks from our state legislature do not make America safer. The Tennessee National Guard should not be used to round up recent immigrants, Rep. Cooper said. Such loose talk is not only ineffective but embarrassing. The FBI and local law enforcement have done an excellent job of policing any threats. Forty-six Democrats joined Cooper in voting for the American SAFE Act: Aguilar - CA Ashford - NE Bera - CA Bishop - GA Brownley - CA Bustos - IL Carney - DE Connolly - VA Cooper - TN Costa - CA Courtney - CT Cuellar - TX Delaney - MD Doggett - TX Gabbard - HI Garamendi - CA Graham - FL Gene Green - TX Hahn - CA Himes - CT Israel - NY Kaptur - OH Keating - MA Kind - WI Kuster - NH Langevin - RI Lipinski - IL Loebsack - IA Lynch - MA Sean Patrick Maloney - NY Murphy - FL Nolan - MN Norcross - NJ Peters - CA Peterson - MN Polis - CO Rice - NY Ruiz - CA Ryan - OH Schrader - OR Scott - GA Sewell - AL Sinema - AZ Slaughter - NY Veasey - TX Vela - TX Walz - MN	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://fleischmann.house.gov/press-release/congressman-fleischmann-votes-suspend-syrian-refugee-admission	Congressman Fleischmann Votes To Suspend Syrian Refugee Admission	2015-11-19	2015	2015-11	Republican	House	TN	Chuck Fleischmann	F000459	fleischmann.house.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON Today, the House of Representatives passed the SAFE Act to suspend the admission of Syrian and Iraqi refugees into the United States until security officials can certify the integrity of the background check process. Following the passage of the SAFE Act Congressman Fleischmann released the following statement. The United States has a long and proud tradition of welcoming refugees; however we simply cant accept them at the risk of our safety. Senior law enforcement and intelligence officials have made clear that they are not confident in our vetting system and as such we must press pause on the process. The safety of American citizens will always be my top priority and until we have full confidence in our vetting process we cannot afford to admit Syrian and Iraqi refugees. The SAFE Act places a moratorium on the admission of Syrian and Iraqi refugees until the following conditions are met: The FBI Director certifies the background investigation of each refugee The Secretary of Homeland Security, along with the FBI Director and the Director of National Intelligence, certifies to Congress that each refugee is not a security threat to the U.S. ###	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://roe.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=397947	Roe Supports Bill to Pause Refugee Program	2015-11-19	2015	2015-11	Republican	House	TN	Phil Roe	R000582	roe.house.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-TN) voted in support of H.R. 4038, the American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act. Roe released the following statement after the bill passed the House with bipartisan support: This bill is just a targeted first step to keep Americans safe. While many Syrians and Iraqis fleeing their country are doing so out of fear and desperation, our highest, most important duty is to protect our citizens and to do everything in our power to prevent another attack on our homeland. I've long been concerned that ISIS could use our refugee program to get into the United States, and after the horrific attacks in Paris we cannot afford to take that risk. I strongly believe we should immediately pause resettling refugees until, at the very least, we have improved the vetting of each refugee." The SAFE Act pauses the admission of refugees from Iraq and Syria, and requires the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to ensure that refugee background checks are thorough enough to determine a refugee is not a threat to the United States. If the FBI cannot certify the background check, the refugee will not be admitted to the U.S. Additionally, this bill requires the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the Director of National Intelligence to unanimously certify a refugee is not a threat. The SAFE Act also requires the DHS to submit a monthly report to Congress on the number of refugees certified and not certified, and also requires the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security to conduct risk-based review of all refugee certifications. Rep. Roe is also a cosponsor of H.R. 3314, the Resettlement Accountability National Security Act. The bill prohibits the administration from allowing refugees into the United States until Congress passes a joint resolution allowing the federal government to resume admitting refugees.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://fleischmann.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-fleischmann-votes-suspend-syrian-refugee-admission	Congressman Fleischmann Votes To Suspend Syrian Refugee Admission	2015-11-19	2015	2015-11	Republican	House	TN	Charles J. "Chuck" Fleischmann	F000459	fleischmann.house.gov	fleischmann	https://fleischmann.house.gov/media/press-releases	scraper	WASHINGTON− Today, the House of Representatives passed the SAFE Act to suspend the admission of Syrian and Iraqi refugees into the United States until security officials can certify the integrity of the background check process. Following the passage of the SAFE Act Congressman Fleischmann released the following statement. “The United States has a long and proud tradition of welcoming refugees; however we simply can’t accept them at the risk of our safety. Senior law enforcement and intelligence officials have made clear that they are not confident in our vetting system and as such we must press pause on the process. The safety of American citizens will always be my top priority and until we have full confidence in our vetting process we cannot afford to admit Syrian and Iraqi refugees.” The SAFE Act places a moratorium on the admission of Syrian and Iraqi refugees until the following conditions are met: · The FBI Director certifies the background investigation of each refugee · The Secretary of Homeland Security, along with the FBI Director and the Director of National Intelligence, certifies to Congress that each refugee is not a security threat to the U.S.	1	2026-03-30T01:40:41Z	2026-04-08T20:30:58Z
https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=8e6fb5d0-6894-4f09-bf0f-faf8605da6f0	Alexander Supports Dept. of Energy Nominees Responsible for Work at Oak Ridge National Laboratory & Oak Ridge Environmental Cleanup	2015-11-19	2015	2015-11	Republican	House	TN	Lamar Alexander	A000360	www.alexander.senate.gov			legacy	WASHINGTON, Nov. 19, 2015 U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statements on his support for three U.S. Dept. of Energy nominees who will have oversight of federal facilities and programs in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources approved the nominations of Victoria Wassmer as Under Secretary of the Dept. of Energy, Dr. Cherry Murray as Director of the Office of Science at the Dept. of Energy and John Kotek as Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy at the Dept. of Energy: On Victoria Wassmer: Victoria Wassmer has an extensive background that should serve her well, and I appreciate her commitment to making cleanup of the East Tennessee Technology Park in Oak Ridge a priority. On Dr. Cherry Murray: Dr. Cherry Murray understands the importance of funding research that leads to technology breakthroughs. She is well-qualified to be Director of the Office of Science, and I appreciate her commitment to strengthening this nations investment in supercomputing specifically and the Office of Science generally. On John Kotek: John Kotek has had a strong background in nuclear energy, and I appreciate his commitment to ensuring that the nuclear facilities at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory are properly maintained and operated. Alexander continued, I am impressed by the nominees experience, and I am glad the committee voted to approve their nominations so that they can now be considered by the full Senate. Alexander is the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committees Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development. ### For access to this release and the senators other statements, click here. To stay up-to-date on the senators latest actions, follow him on Twitter and YouTube.	1	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z	2026-03-30T12:14:52Z

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