url,title,date,year,month,party,chamber,state,member_name,bioguide_id,domain,scraper,source,date_source,text,has_text,collected_at,updated_at https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cohen-statement-john-lewis-cancer-diagnosis,Congressman Cohen Statement on John Lewis Cancer Diagnosis,2019-12-30,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today released the following statement on learning that Congressman and Civil Rights hero John Lewis has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer: John Lewis has been a heroic voice of conscience in an era of lessening values. He is America's saint. I was proud to join him on the House floor in protesting the Republican failure to advance reasonable gun safety bills and in standing with him in resistance to the illegitimate presidency we are enduring. Congressman Lewis is loved by all in Congress and is the voice of the beloved community. I know he will fight this cancer and come back as soon as practicable. He is in our prayers. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://kustoff.house.gov/media/press-releases/kustoff-announces-january-mobile-office-hours,Kustoff Announces January Mobile Office Hours,2019-12-30,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,David Kustoff,K000392,kustoff.house.gov,kustoff,https://kustoff.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Congressman David Kustoff (TN-08), announced mobile office hours for the month of January. Mobile office hours will be held Tuesday, January 7 and Thursday, January 9. ""Mobile office hours are a great way for you to connect with our office and let us know how we can continue to best represent West Tennessee,"" said Rep. Kustoff. ""If you are having trouble with a federal agency, our office will help you get the answers you need."" Tuesday, January 7, 2020 Lauderdale—9:00 – 11:00AM Lauderdale County Courthouse 100 Court Square Ripley, TN 38063 Tipton—1:00 – 3:00PM Covington City Hall 200 West Washington Ave. Covington, TN 38019 Lake—9:00 - 11:00AM Lake County Courthouse 116 S. Court St. Tiptonville, TN 38079 Obion—1:00 – 3:00PM Obion County Mayor's Office 316 S. Third Street Union City, TN 38261 Weakley—9:00 – 11:00AM Weakley County Agriculture Extension Office 135 South Poplar Street, Suite B Dresden, TN 38225 Henry—1:00 – 3:00PM Henry County Courthouse, Basement Conference Room 101 W. Washington Street Paris, TN 38242 Thursday, January 9, 2020 Fayette—9:00 – 11:00AM Fayette County Courthouse 1 Court Square Somerville, TN 38068 Crockett—9:00 – 11:00AM Alamo City Hall 74 E Park Street Alamo, TN 38001 Haywood—1:00 – 3:00PM Brownsville City Hall 111 N Washington Avenue Brownsville, TN 38012 Carroll— 9:00 – 11:00AM Huntingdon City Hall 19801 E Main Street Huntingdon, TN 38344 Gibson—1:00 – 3:00PM Milan City Hall-Board Room 1061 S. Main Street Milan, TN 38358 Please note, Congressman Kustoff will not be present at these mobile office hours.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:45:33Z https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cohen-commends-boeing-firing-muilenburg,Congressman Cohen Commends Boeing for Firing Muilenburg,2019-12-23,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a senior member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, today commended Boeing for its decision to fire its CEO Dennis Muilenburg for his mishandling of the company's response to two crashes of its 737 Max aircraft that killed 346 people. Congressman Cohen demanded that Muilenburg take some responsibility for the crashes and the response at a hearing in October, asking What does accountability mean? See that release here. Congressman Cohen made the following statement: I commend Boeing for finally taking the proper action. The serial missteps and failures under the leadership' of CEO Dennis Muilenburg must come to an end for the flying public's safety and for America's economy. I hope this action results in a new leader who can right the errant Boeing ship. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=3719E2A3-EBF3-433D-B7DE-AD317248CBDA,"Alexander: President Trump Signs Bill Providing Record Funding for National Laboratories, Supercomputing",2019-12-21,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Lamar Alexander,A000360,www.alexander.senate.gov,,,legacy,"This is an important bill for our country and for Tennessee, and I'm glad President Trump signed it into law today. Funding these priorities is not the cause of the runaway federal debt. These priorities are funded in the portion of the budget that only increases at about the rate of inflation. -- Senator Lamar Alexander WASHINGTON, December 21, 2019 President Trump today signed into law legislation that provides record funding for national laboratories, including the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and other important Tennessee priorities Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) included in the bill: $7 billion, an increase of $415 million above last year, which is a new record for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. This is the fifth consecutive year of record funding for our 17 national laboratories, including Oak Ridge National Laboratory. $1.82 billion for high performance computing (supercomputing). New record funding level for the Army Corps of Engineers, and provides up to $94.5 million to continue construction of Chickamauga Lock. $745 million to continue building the Uranium Processing Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex. $682 million for cleanup at the East Tennessee Technology Park, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the Y-12 National Security Complex. The best-kept secret in Washington is record-funding for the Office of Science, which funds our national laboratories and supercomputing,Alexander, who serves as chairman of the U.S. Senate Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee said.The legislation President Trump signed today provides record-level funding for the fifth-consecutive year for our 17 national laboratories. Our national laboratories are our secret weapons, which is why I've worked hard to help increase funding for the Office of Science by 38 percent over the last 5 years. The legislation also includes $230 million for the first year of a new advanced reactor demonstration program, which will build at least 2 advanced reactors over the next 5-7 years. This bill also includes funding to keep America number one in the world in supercomputing and build the next generation of supercomputers. Over the last five years, funding for supercomputing has increased by 59.8 percent. Oak Ridge is home to the fastest supercomputer in the world, and that's because of consistent federal funding and smart people like the people who live and work in Oak Ridge. The funding in this bill also modernizes our nuclear weapons facilities at Y-12 and accelerates cleanup of hazardous materials and facilities at the East Tennessee Technology Park, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex, which is building the largest federal construction project in Tennessee since World War II. Alexander continued,This legislation also includes $7.65 billion a new record funding level in a regular appropriations bill for the Army Corps of Engineers to maintain and rebuild our nation's waterways, including up to $94.5 million to fully fund construction at Chickamauga Lock for the sixth consecutive year. This is great news for East Tennessee since the new lock will help keep up to 150,000 trucks off I-75 and keep the cost of shipping goods low for manufacturers across the state. Finally, this bill includes up to $2.163 million for dredging the Memphis Harbor McKellar Lake. This is an important bill for our country and for Tennessee, and I'm glad President Trump signed it into law today. Funding these priorities is not the cause of the runaway federal debt. These priorities are funded in the portion of the budget that only increases at about the rate of inflation. Learn more about what's included in this legislation: The U.S Department of Energy's Office of Science, which supports basic science and energy research and is the nation's largest supporter of research in the physical sciences, is funded at $7 billion, an increase of $415 million above last year, and also a new record funding level. The Advanced Research Projects Agency Energy (ARPA-E) is funded at $425 million, record funding and an increase of $59 million above enacted. The bill provides $1.82 billion for high performance computing, including $980 million within the Office of Science and $840 million within the National Nuclear Security Administration. This amount includes $814 million from the Office of Science and NNSA to support the delivery of Exascale systems beginning in 2021 and continue U.S. leadership in this critical area. It includes $225 million for the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility, an increase of $25 million above last year. The bill includes $292 million for the Spallation Neutron Source and High Flux Isotope Reactor operations, an increase of $10 million above last year. The bill also includes $60 million for the Proton Power Upgrade and $37 million for the Second Target Station at the Spallation Neutron Source. The bill restores significant cuts made in the president's budget request by providing an additional $2.686 billion to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, bringing the Corps' budget up to $7.65 billion a record funding level in a regular appropriations bill. The bill continues to support advanced manufacturing, and includes $25 million for the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility to support the research and development of additive manufacturing processes, low-cost carbon fiber, and other advanced manufacturing technologies. The bill includes a total of $16.7 billion for the National Nuclear Security Administration, including $2 billion for the four life extension programs, which fix or replace components in weapons systems to make sure they're safe and reliable. The Uranium Processing Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex is funded at $745 million, which will continue to keep this project on time and on budget, with a completion year of 2025 at a cost no greater than $6.5 billion. The legislation sends a strong signal about our support for developing new technologies that will support the next generation of nuclear power plants. The bill includes $1.5 billion for Nuclear Energy, including $100 million for Small Modular Reactors and $285 million for Advanced Reactors. The bill also provides $47 million for research and development to support existing nuclear reactors and $35 million for the new Joint Modeling and Simulation Program. The bill advances efforts to clean up hazardous materials at Cold War-era sites. The bill provides $7.5 billion to support cleanup efforts, which is $986 million above the president's budget request. Included in this amount is $682 million for cleanup at the East Tennessee Technology Park, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the Y-12 National Security Complex. For the sixth consecutive year, the bill makes full use of the Inland Waterways Trust Fund revenues for water infrastructure projects, including up to $94.5 million to continue construction of Chickamauga Lock in Chattanooga. The legislation provides $2.163 million for dredging at Memphis Harbor McKellar Lake. The bill provides funding that exceeds the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) spending target established by the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014. This is the sixth consecutive year the bill has met or exceeded the HTMF spending targets. The bill also continues to fund the regional commissions, including $175 million for the Appalachian Regional Commission and $30 million for the Delta Regional Authority. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=BFAFAFD9-A382-4A47-A80E-26CFA8A15C3D,"Alexander: Beyond the Headlines, Congress is Reaching Results for Tennesseans",2019-12-21,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Lamar Alexander,A000360,www.alexander.senate.gov,,,legacy,"I often suggest Tennesseans look at Washington, D.C., as if it were a split-screen television. On one side, you hear about impeachment and tweets, but, on the other side, you have members of Congress working together to get results for Americans and for Tennesseans. And in 2019, we've done just that. Senator Lamar Alexander MARYVILLE, Tenn., December 21, 2019 U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said members of Congress have worked together to get results for Americans and for Tennesseans. I often suggest Tennesseans look at Washington, D.C., as if it were a split-screen television. On one side, you hear about impeachment and tweets, but, on the other side, you have members of Congress working together to get results for Americans. And in 2019, we've done just that. Congress passed legislation in December that provides permanent funding that is fully paid for for HBCUs and other minority serving institutions attended by over 2 million minority students, Alexander said. Second, after five years of bipartisan effort, it simplifies the Free Application for Federal Student Aid the FAFSA which removes a huge roadblock for the 20 million families, including 400,000 Tennessee families, who fill out the form every year to qualify for federal student aid. It's hard to think of a new law that will have more of a lasting impact on minority students and their families than this bill. Alexander continued, Significant progress was made as Congress passed five provisions from the Lower Health Care Costs Act I sponsored, including: three provisions to lower the cost of prescription drugs by encouraging competition; raising the tobacco purchasing age to 21; and better protecting Americans from diseases transmitted by mosquitoes, ticks and fleas. But the legislation fails to deal with surprise medical bills and fails to enact legislation that Senator Murray of Washington and I have introduced to fund the nation's 1,400 community health centers, including the 29 in Tennessee, for five years. I will continue to do everything I can to keep surprise medical bills at the top of the congressional priority list in 2020 until it's done. We also passed legislation that includes the fifth consecutive year of record-funding for our 17 national laboratories, including Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and keep the U.S. number one in supercomputing. The energy and water funding bill I wrote as chairman of the Senate Energy and Water Development Appropriations Committee modernizes our nuclear weapons facilities at Y-12 and accelerates cleanup of hazardous materials and facilities at the East Tennessee Technology Park, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex, which is building the largest federal construction project in Tennessee since World War II, Alexander said. The legislation also includes $7.65 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers to maintain and rebuild our nation's waterways, including up to $94.5 million to fully fund construction at Chickamauga Lock for the sixth consecutive year. Finally, our bill includes up to $2.163 million for dredging the Memphis Harbor McKellar Lake. We also passed legislation that authorizes pay raises for troops at Ft. Campbell, Arnold Air Force Base, and the Naval Support Activity Mid-South in Millington, and continues to make research and development of new technologies a priority so our military can deal with new and emerging threats. It also improves housing and increases employment opportunities for military spouses, Alexander concluded. I'm optimistic we will continue to build on the progress we made this year and get even more done in 2020. Alexander also worked to pass several lands bill in Congress that President Trump signed into law: Named a bridge on the Foothills Parkway after Blount Countian and former Maryville Daily Times editor, Dean Stone. Permanently reauthorized the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which will help ensure Tennessee's beautiful lands, water resources and recreation areas are protected and preserved for future generations. The Shiloh National Military Park Boundary Adjustment and Parker's Crossroads Battlefield Designation Act to designate battlefields at Davis Bridge and Fallen Timbers in Tennessee, and Russell House in Tennessee and Mississippi, as part of the Shiloh National Military Park. The James K. Polk Presidential Home Study Act to take the next step to protect and preserve President James K. Polk's home in Columbia, Tennessee. The Restore Our Parks Act, Alexander's legislation to cut in half the maintenance backlog at our 419 national parks, has been approved by both Senate and House committees. The bill must now be considered by the full Senate and House. Alexander has said getting this legislation passed and signed into law is one of his top priorities in 2020. Congress confirmed 5 Tennesseans who were President Trump's nominees A.B. Culvahouse to serve as the United States Ambassador to Australia Denny King to serve as U.S. Marshal for the Middle District of Tennessee John Ryder to serve on the Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors Bill Kilbride to serve on the Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors Cliff Corker to serve as a U.S. District Judge of the Eastern District of Tennessee Alexander's work in 2019 as chairman of the Senate HELP Committee Alexander serves as chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. This year, the committee passed 21 bills, including new laws that will ensure we are prepared for public health threats such as wildfires and hurricanes, and to help us better understand diseases including autism. In addition, the committee approved 46 of the president's nominees, 39 whom have been confirmed by the full Senate. And the committee held 13 hearings on topics that impact the lives of every American, including e-cigarettes and vaping; the importance of vaccines; and updating the Higher Education Act to ensure students are earning degrees worth their time and money. Learn more about the committee's work HERE. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=C2D67F0F-D793-488C-8523-0583C467471C,Alexander: President Trump Signs Bill that Gives Troops Biggest Pay Raise in 10 Years,2019-12-21,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Lamar Alexander,A000360,www.alexander.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Governing is about setting priorities, and this bill shows our priority is the men and women who serve in our armed forces. Senator Lamar Alexander WASHINGTON, D.C., December 21, 2019 U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement after President Trump signed into law the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA): Governing is about setting priorities, and this bill shows our priority is the men and women who serve in our armed forces. This defense bill authorizes the biggest pay raise for troops at Ft. Campbell, Arnold Air Force Base in Tullahoma and Naval Support Activity Mid-South in Millington in 10 years, and continues to make research and development of new technologies a priority so our military can deal with new and emerging threats. It alsoimproves housing andincreases employment opportunities for military spouses, Alexander said. This legislation also, for the first time, provides two months of paid family leave for all federal employees, which Ivanka Trump and the president worked to include in the bill. Alexander continued:This legislation will also strengthen our national security by supporting important programs at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge to help modernize and maintain our nuclear weapons arsenal. TheNational Defense Authorization Actauthorizes$738billionto fundtheU.S.Department of Defense andtheDepartment of Energy, which includes the following priorities: 3.1percent pay increase for members of the military $23.1 billionforU.S.Department of Energy national security programs, which supports critical work at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge. Strengthens our national security by authorizing funds for nuclear weapons modernization, replacement of our strategic missile submarines, and environmental cleanup. Provides$1.4billionabove the administration's request for science, technology and research programs, includingover $300million for hypersonics programs, including programs carried out by the University of Tennessee and at Arnold Air Force Base in Tullahoma. Supports U.S. military forces stationed in Europe to counter Russian aggression. Prohibits transferring detaineesat Guantanamo Bay to the United States. Supports development ofadvanced equipment to help ensure the men and women of the armed forces have the tools they need protect American interests abroad and work with our allies to defeat ISIL, al Qaeda, and other violent extremist organizations. Increases employment opportunities for military spouses by supporting the creation of interstate compacts and helping military spouses get re-certified or re-licensed in their occupation if they move to a different state. Reformsthe private military housing program so our service members and their families have access to safe and affordable housing and ensures proper oversight of government contractors. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=EE13EBD2-A89C-4EB5-A65E-5335B4571C84,Chairman Alexander: New Laws Approved by the HELP Committee Impact the Lives of Every American,2019-12-21,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Lamar Alexander,A000360,www.alexander.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Significant progress was made this year to help millions of students qualify for federal student aid, and Congress took the first step to help lower the cost of health care. There is still more to do, and I will continue to keep surprise medical bills at the top of the congressional priority list in 2020 until it's done. WASHINGTON, December 21, 2019 U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said that this year, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee has continued its record of getting results for the American people. 21 bills, including 5 new laws 51 of President Trump's nominees 13 hearings on issues that affect the lives of every American Chairman Alexander continued: This year, the Committee worked on legislation that provides permanent funding that is fully paid for for HBCUs and other Minority Serving Institutions attended by more than 2 million minority students. Second, after five years of bipartisan effort, it simplifies the Free Application for Federal Student Aid the FAFSA which removes a huge roadblock for the 20 million families, including 8 million minority students, who fill it out every year to qualify for federal student aid. It's hard to think of a new law that will have more of a lasting impact on minority students and their families than this bill. Significant progress was made this year as Congress passed five provisions from the Lower Health Care Costs Act including: three provisions to lower the cost of prescription drugs by encouraging competition; raising the tobacco purchasing age to 21; and better protecting Americans from diseases transmitted by mosquitoes, ticks and fleas. Congress has failed to deal with surprise medical bills and to enact legislation that Senator Murray and I have introduced to fund the nation's 1,400 community health centers for five years. I will continue to do everything I can to keep surprise medical bills at the top of the congressional priority list in 2020 until it's done. All in all, the Committee passed 21 bills, including new laws that will ensure we are better prepared for public health threats such as wildfires, hurricanes, or bioterror attacks, and to help us better understand diseases and disorders including autism. In addition, we approved 51 nominees, 40 whom have been confirmed by the full Senate. And we held 13 hearings on topics that impact the lives of every American, including e-cigarettes and vaping; the importance of vaccines; and updating the Higher Education Act to ensure students are earning degrees worth their time and money. Alexander concluded: This is a very diverse committee that is known for reaching bipartisan agreement on issues that are consequential to the American people, and I am glad that we have continued that record this year. The HELP Committee approved 5 bills that have been signed by President Trump into law: 1. Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2019 Sens. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.): It is crucial we are prepared to face a range of public health threats including outbreaks of infectious diseases like Ebola, Zika, or the flu; natural disasters, such as hurricanes and the wildfires that swept across East Tennessee in 2016; or deliberate attacks with dangerous agents, like anthrax or nuclear weapons. This law strengthens our preparedness and response capabilities so we can better protect Tennesseans and all Americans from 21st century threats. 2. Autism CARES Act of 2019 Sens. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.): This law reauthorizes research, training, and education programs to better understand autism spectrum disorder and its prevalence, and care for those who have autism spectrum disorder. 3. Emergency Medical Services for Children Reauthorization Act of 2019 Sens. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.): This law ensures that, from the ambulance to the emergency department, emergency health care providers are prepared to treat children, who typically require smaller equipment and different doses of medicine. 4. Poison Center Network Enhancement Act of 2019 Sens. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.): This bill strengthens the network of 55 poison control centers across the country, including by modernizing the centers' communications capabilities so that they can more effectively help prevent and respond to toxic exposures and poisonings. 5. Kay Hagan Tick Act Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Angus King (I-Maine), and Tina Smith (D-Minn.): This bill authorizes centers of excellence and grants to states to improve the prevention of and response to diseases transmitted by vectors like mosquitoes, ticks and fleas. The legislation also requires a national strategy to ensure federal agencies coordinate to combat these diseases. The Senate passed two additional bills that need to be considered by the House of Representatives before it can become law: 1. Over-the-Counter Monograph Safety, Innovation, and Reform Act of 2019 Sens. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.): This bill modernizes the way over-the-counter medications are regulated and brought to market. The reforms aim to protect public health and encourage the development of new products to better meet the needs of patients. 2. Promoting Physical Activity for Americans Act Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio): This bill requires the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to routinely update its recommendations on exercise. The Committee approved an additional 14 bills that are ready to be considered by the full Senate: 1. The Lower Health Care Costs Act Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.): a package of 54 proposals from 65 senators 29 Republican and 36 Democrat, including nearly every member of the Committee that reduces what Americans pay out of their own pockets for health care. 5 proposals in the Lower Health Care Costs Act became law as part of HR 1865. 2. Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.): This bill updates and reauthorizes programs that help ensure we have the trained nurses we need. 3. Scarlett's Sunshine on Sudden Unexpected Death Act Sens. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.): This bill provides grants to help states better understand the causes of sudden unexpected infant and child deaths in order to identify ways to prevent them in the future. 4. CAPTA Reauthorization Act of 2019 Sens. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) and Doug Jones (D-Ala.): This bill reauthorizes the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act The federal legislation that supports state programs and activities to prevent and respond to child abuse and protect the welfare of children. 5. The Adoption Opportunities Reauthorization Act of 2019 Sens. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) and Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.): This provision supports programs to facilitate adoptions for children who have a harder time being adopted. 6. The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act Reauthorization, led by Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.): This provision reauthorizes programs to prevent and address family violence, including the domestic violence hotline, research and awareness campaigns about domestic violence, and prevention activities, as well as funding for shelter and supportive services for victims of family violence. 7. Title VII Reauthorization Sens. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) and Jack Reed (D-R.I.): This package of legislation reauthorizes and updates programs to help ensure we have the health care workforce we need. 8. The Geriatrics Workforce Improvement Act Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.): This provision ensures we have enough health care workers to treat our aging population. 9. The Investment in Tomorrow's Pediatric Health Care Workforce Act Sens. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.): This provision incentivizes doctors to fill shortages in pediatric specialties, such as pediatric cardiologists or rheumatologists. 10. Child Care Protection Improvement Act of 2019 Sens. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.): This bill establishes a task force to assist states in implementing requirements for child care staff. 11. NIMHD Research Endowment Revitalization Act of 2019 Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Doug Jones (D-Ala.): This bill helps minority-serving academic institutions, such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities, foster research at their academic institutions by clarifying eligibility for the Research Endowment Program at the National Institutes of Health. 12. Lifespan Respite Care Reauthorization Act of 2019 Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.): This bill continues support for state programs that give a break to the 45 million Americans who provide care for a family member with special needs. 13. Healthy Start Reauthorization Act of 2019 Sens. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio): This bill helps reduce infant mortality rates and improves access to care to give babies the best opportunity at living long, healthy lives. 14. United States Public Health Service Modernization Act of 2019 Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Doug Jones (D-Ala.): This bill allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to create a ready reserve of public health professionals to ensure we are prepared to respond to a national or public health emergency. The HELP Committee approved 51 of President Trump's Nominees: 40 nominees were confirmed by the Senate: Department of Education: Robert L. King Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education Mark Schultz Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration Department of Labor: Eugene Scalia Secretary of Labor Dr. William Beach Commissioner of Labor Statistics Cheryl Stanton Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division John P. Pallasch Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training John Lowry III Assistant Secretary for Veterans' Employment and Training Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Janet Dhillon Member Charlotte Burrows - Member Sharon Gustafson General Counsel Food and Drug Administration Dr. Stephen Hahn Commissioner of Food and Drugs Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission Marco M. Rajkovich, Jr. Member William I. Althen Member Arthur R. Traynor III Member Legal Services Corporation Robert J. Grey, Jr Member John G. Malcolm Member Frank X. Neuner, Jr. Member John G. Levi Member Abigail L. Kuzma Member Gloria Valencia-Weber Member Julie Reiskin Member Matthew Keenan Member National Endowment for the Arts Mary Anne Carter Chairman National Council on the Humanities Kathe Hicks Albrecht Member Keegan F. Callanan Member David Armand DeKeyser Member Kim R. Holmes Member Phyllis Kaminsky Member Jean M. Yarbrough Member Noel Valis - Member William Schneider, Jr. Member Matthew Rose Member Adair Margo Member Joyce Malcom Member Claire Griffin Member Marjorie Fisher Furman- Member John Fonte Member William English Member Russell Berman Member Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation Gordon Hartogensis Director The Committee approved 11 additional nominations: Department of Labor: Scott Mugno Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health (withdrew in May 2019) Corporation for National and Community Service Victoria Ann Hughes Member Heather Reynolds Member Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service Richard Giacolone Director Institute of Museum and Library Services Crosby Kemper III Director National Council on the Arts Charles Banta Member Michelle Itczak Member Barbara Coleen Long Member Carleton Varney Member Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission Cynthia Attwood Member Amanda Wood Laihow - Member The HELP Committee held 13 hearings to address issues that matter to American families Hearings to help Americans live healthier lives: Access to Care: Health Centers and Providers in Underserved Communities: Alexander chaired a hearing on the community health centers that 27 million Americans including 400,000 Tennesseans go to for a wide range of health care services, including preventive care, help managing chronic conditions like asthma or high blood pressure, vaccines, and prenatal care. How Primary Care Affects Health Care Costs and Outcomes: Alexander chaired a hearing on how empowering primary care doctors can help reduce costs and improve outcomes by helping patients stay healthy and out of the emergency room. Managing Pain During the Opioid Crisis: A 2018 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that about 50 million Americans have chronic pain, and nearly 20 million of those Americans have high-impact chronic pain. In the midst of combating the opioid crisis, a battle against the most effective painkiller Alexander chaired a hearing to ensure that the federal government continues to keep in mind those people who are in chronic pain. Vaccines Save Lives: What is Driving Preventable Disease Outbreaks? In the midst of an outbreak of measles in communities with low vaccination rates, Alexander chaired a hearing on vaccines. He said, The science is sound: Vaccines save lives the lives of those who receive vaccines and the lives of those who are too young or vulnerable to be immunizedI want to stress the importance of vaccines. Implementing the 21st Century Cures Act: Making Electronic Health Information Available to Patients and Providers: Alexander chaired the first in a series of hearings on the implementation of the electronic health information provisions in the 21st Century Cures Act, which aimed to improve the exchange of electronic health information. At the first hearing, the Committee heard from doctors and other experts about if these draft rules would be helpful. Implementing the 21st Century Cures Act: Making Electronic Health Information Available to Patients and Providers, Part II: At a second hearing on the implementation of the electronic health information provisions in the 21st Century Cures Act, Alexander cautioned the administration from moving too far, too fast on implementing these new rules. Lower Health Care Costs Act: Alexander chaired a hearing to hear feedback on the Lower Health Care Costs Act, bipartisan legislation from he and Ranking Member Murray, that will reduce what the American people pay out of their own pockets for health care by ending surprise billing, creating more transparency, and increasing competition to bring down drug costs. Examining the Response to Lung Illnesses and Rising Youth Electronic Cigarette Use: Alexander chaired a hearing to hear from Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials on the investigation and public health response to the outbreak of lung injuries linked to the use of electronic cigarettes, vapor products, and other electronic nicotine delivery systems, and the response to the increase in youth use of these products. Series of hearings on reauthorizing the Higher Education Act, including simplifying how students apply for financial aid and repay their loans and reducing the jungle of red tape that wastes time and money Reauthorizing the Higher Education Act: Simplifying the FAFSA and Reducing the Burden of Verification: Alexander launched a series of hearings on reauthorizing the education act, starting with examining how to simplify applying for federal student aid and greatly reducing the burdensome verification process. The president of East Tennessee State University estimated that up to half of his students are selected for verification which delays their Pell grants each year. Reauthorizing the Higher Education Act: Addressing Campus Sexual Assault and Ensuring Student Safety and Rights: Alexander chaired a hearing to examine the process for responding to sexual assault on college campuses. Reauthorizing the Higher Education Act: Strengthening Accountability to Protect Students and Taxpayers: Alexander chaired the third hearing on reauthorizing the Higher Education Act, focused on exploring how to better hold colleges and universities accountable of ensuring their students are earning degrees worth their time and money. Confirmation hearings for President Trump's nominees Eugene Scalia to serve as United States Secretary of Labor Stephen M. Hahn, MD, to serve as Commissioner of Food and Drugs ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cohen.house.gov/taxonomy/story-type/enewsletters/impeaching-president-united-states,Impeaching the President of the United States,2019-12-20,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Dear Friend, This week, I voted to impeach the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump,for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. I also voted to pass a major spending bill with recordfunding forsome of Memphis' highest priorities; voted to pass the U.S.-Mexico-Canada(USMCA)trade agreement;criticizedthe NCAA for James Wiseman's decision to quit a promising college basketball career and prepare for the NBA; congratulated sisters Jayda and Anaya Murray of Cordova for Winning the Congressional AppChallenge;wrote a letter opposing Tennessee's proposal to block-grantTennCare;announced more than $18 million in federal grants to a variety of Memphis institutions; offered U.S. Capitol Historical Society calendars for 2020; and provided guidance for dealing with stress during the holidays. Keep reading to learn more about my week and follow me onTwitter,FacebookandInstagramto see more updates as they happen. Impeaching the President of the United States Voting to Pass a Major Spending Bill Supporting Memphis Priorities Voting to Pass U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement(USMCA) Criticizing the NCAA for James Wiseman's Decision Congratulating the Murray Sisters of Cordova for Winning Congressional AppChallenge Writing in Opposition to Block-GrantingTennCare Announcing More than $13.3 Million in Head Start Grants Announcing $4 Million Grant to Foote Park at South City Announcing $872,000 in Research Grants to UTHSC and St. Jude Offering U.S. Capitol Historical Society 2020 Calendars Weekly Health Tip Quote of the Day Impeaching the President of the United States On Wednesday, I voted to impeach President Donald Trump for high crimes and misdemeanors.President Trumpabusedhispower and obstructedCongress. Abiding by my oath as a Member of Congress, it was my duty to impeach this lawlessPresident.Before the vote,I argued on the House floor that Donald Trump'sactions threatenedthe core of our democracy by trying to steal the election from the American people.See my release including those remarkshereand my release on passage of the articleshere. Voting to Pass Major Spending Bills Supporting Memphis Priorities On Tuesday, I votedfor one of twomajor spending bills funding the federal government through next September and avoiding another government shutdown.I was proud to vote forrecord highfunding forthe National Institutes of Health(NIH), Child Care Community Block Grants, Head Start,andTitle Ieducation programs.It also provides $25 millionto the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and NIHfor gun injury and mortality preventionresearch.The bill alsoraises the age for purchasing tobacco products to 21,a cause I have supported for a long time.See my release on ithere. Voting to Pass U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement On Thursday, I voted for, and the House passed, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA),which will modernizetrade arrangements between the three countries. Many of its provisionsare marked improvements over the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).The new agreement requires Mexico to change its labor laws, deals more fairly with prescription drug patents, and advances environmental protection of marine wildlife from pollution and overfishing.See my release about ithere. Criticizingthe NCAA for James Wiseman's Decision I blame the NCAA for the unfortunate situation that led our University of Memphis star James Wiseman towithdraw from the Universityand prepare for the NBA draft.I believe the NCAA should face tough questions aboutitsmethods of disproportionate punishment and wish James the best as he prepares for the NBA.Please see my release about this sad developmenthere. Congratulating the Murray Sisters of Cordova for Winning Congressional AppChallenge Earlier this week, Jayda and Anaya Murray of Cordova won the Congressional AppChallengefor the 9th Congressional District of Tennessee with their Safety U app. The app presents a series of unsafe situations an entering freshman might encounter at college and offers a range of options for dealing with them. I want to congratulate them for their innovation and engagement with computer science. See my release about themhere. Writing in Opposition to Block-GrantingTennCare To be on record for the official comment period, I submitted a letter totheCenters for Medicare and Medicaid Services opposing Tennessee's block grant proposal. I remain gravely concerned about what this could mean for Memphians andresidents of the Ninth District. Thousands in our community depend onTennCareto survive, and Governor Lee's priorities have been focused on rural counties rather than cities like Memphis. I have fought tirelessly to expand access to affordable health care, and I believe this block grant would do nothing but harm Memphians. See my letterhere. Announcing $13.3 Million in Head Start Grants On Thursday, I announced the Shelby County Board of Education and Porter-Leathwould be receiving a combined $13.3 million in Head Start grants. See my releasehere. Announcing $4 Million Grant to Foote Park at South City On Tuesday, I announced that Memphis will be receiving a $4 million Department of Housing and Urban Development grant for Foote Park at South City. See my release on ithere. Announcing $872,000 in Research Grants to UTHSC and St. Jude On Monday, the National Institutes of Health informed my office that the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital will be receiving research grantstotaling $872,000. See my releasehere. Offering 2020 U.S. Historical Society Calendars My office will have a limited number of 2020 U.S. Capitol Historical Society calendars available. If you would like to receive a calendar, pleasecompletethis formon my website. Due to the rules of the House, I am only able to mail calendars to residents of Tennessee's Ninth District. Please feel free to share this email with other residents of the Ninth District who may be interested in receiving one but who do not receive my e-Newsletter. Sign Up for Congress on Your Corner and this e-Newsletter I enjoy meeting regularly with constituents in the district and helping get answers for them to questions about dealing with federal agencies. If you are interested in attending one of my Congress on Your Corner events, you cansign up hereto receive a notification as soon as the next event is scheduled. For those who haven't participated in a telephone town hall, it's easy to sign up for them by usingthis form. If you would like to receive this weekly e-Newsletter, or share it with others, you can do that withthis form. Weekly Health Tip The holidaysdon't have to be stressful but can often be overwhelming. I want to wish everyone a beautiful holiday season and offer some tips on relieving stress from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)here. Quote of the Day This is my House floor speech during the debate on articles of impeachment on Wednesday: From our founding, the United States has been a special nation: a city upon a hill.' Our values are enshrined in our Constitution: liberty, equality, and opportunity. We are a self-governing people, where every person is equal before the law. In the United States, we don't have a king. We choose our leaders. We vote. Generations of Americans have fought --and some have died to secure these inalienable rights. The Constitution begins, We the people of the United States.' That's us. It's not we the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, or China,' or we the Democrats' or we the Republicans.' It's We the people of the United States' and all Americans -- and only Americans -- get to have a say in our elections. Donald Trump used the high power of the Presidency to pressure a foreign nation to besmirch his perceived primary political opponent. He corrupted our elections and compromised our national security so that he could keep power. Not power for the people power for himself. In 2016, Candidate Trump called for foreign interference when he said, Russia, if you are listening' In 2019, President Trump sought foreign interference when he needed a favor' from Ukraine to intervene in the 2020 election. President Trump attacked, and is a continuing threat, to our system of free and fair elections. Like all of you, I took an oath to support and to defend the Constitution. I urge my colleagues to abide by that oath and stand up to President Trump's abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. To my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, I appeal to your patriotism and implore you to defend free and fair elections and preserve the Constitution. God Save the United States of America. As always, I remain Most sincerely, Steve Cohen Member of Congress",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://markgreen.house.gov/press-releases?ID=1B314D58-BB9D-4054-B9CA-191BEB2440CE,Rep. Green Concludes First Year in Congress with Vote to Ratify Historic USMCA,2019-12-20,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Mark Green,G000590,markgreen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Facebook Icon Google Plus Icon Instagram Icon LinkedIn Icon Twitter Icon YouTube Icon Vimeo Icon Clients Icon Email icon Map Icon Print Icon Quote Icon icon_share Carousel Arrow - Left Carousel Arrow - Right Home Media Press Releases Print",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://burchett.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-burchett-usmca-win-free-and-fair-trade-stimulates-tennessee-economy,"Rep. Burchett: USMCA a win for free and fair trade, stimulates Tennessee economy",2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Tim Burchett,B001309,burchett.house.gov,burchett,https://burchett.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Tim Burchett (TN-02) voted in favor of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA.) The USMCA has been waiting for House approval for over a year and serves as a modernization of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The USMCA is expected to generate $68 billion in new economic activity, increase American exports to Mexico and Canada, and create 176,000 new jobs. The trade agreement will also establish more transparent labor standards as well as release American companies from burdensome environmental regulations. ""USMCA is a win for the employers and workers who have been ripped off by the original NAFTA for years,"" said Rep. Burchett. ""Tennessee exports over $12 billion worth of goods to our neighbors to the north and south, and I only expect that number grow once USMCA goes into effect. This is a great day for the free market principles that allow our economy to thrive, and I am thankful the Trump Administration was able to negotiate this new agreement.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:45:33Z https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cohen-announces-more-133-million-head-start-grants,Congressman Cohen Announces More Than $13.3 Million in Head Start Grants,2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced that two Head Start programs in Memphis will be receiving major grants from the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Head Start. The Shelby County Board of Education willreceive$12,163,727 and Porter-Leathwill receive $1,185,656 to further their work in early childhood development. Congressman Cohen made the following statement: I'm pleased that the Shelby County Board of Education and Porter-Leathwill be receiving this substantial support. These funds help underwrite programs for young children in our community to gain access to resources they need. Disadvantaged children need early help to prepare for an increasingly complex and competitive world. Providing young children access to that help benefits our community as a whole. Porter-Leathhas served the Memphis community for over 160 years, offering resources to at-risk children and their families. Partnering with the Tennessee Department of Children Services, Porter-Leathoffers residential, foster care, and adoption services alongside numerous other forms of assistance for families. The Early Head Start and Head Start programs are initiatives designed to promote developmental skills in children from birth to five years old, with home-based and center-based services catering to over 5,000 children and families in Shelby County each year. The Administration of Children and Families partners with local providers to address and respond to the needs of vulnerable families, while the Office of Head Start allocates grant funding to 1,700 nonprofit and for-profit agencies that offer Head Start services. Both organizations emphasize inclusive and holistic early development programs in order to better communities across the United States. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cohen-expresses-regret-james-wiseman-s-decision,Congressman Cohen Expresses Regret at James Wisemans Decision,2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today expressed deep disappointment at University of Memphis basketball star James Wiseman's decision to withdraw from the University of Memphis program to prepare for the NBA. He blamed the NCAA's completely unreasonable eligibility ruling, and the decision that the freshman would have to donate $11,500 and miss 12 games, for the unfortunate turn of events. Congressman Cohen made the following statement: The NCAA is responsible for upending what could have been a brilliant college career for this fine young man. All of Memphis will be saddened by James Wiseman's decision. Rather than continuing on in college, he chose to drop out of school. The NCAA essentially fed him to an agent. Rather than have a caring coach and guidance in his youth, he will be a teenage pro. If the NCAA had given him a reasonable suspension, he probably would have stayed. The NCAA has a lot to answer for here. You'd expect Jerry Maguire to say show me the money.' I didn't expect it from Mark Emmert. Mistakes have consequences. I wish James Wiseman all the best as he enters the NBA draft. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cohen-votes-us-mexico-canada-trade-agreement,Congressman Cohen Votes for U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement,2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today voted for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) that modernizes the trade arrangements between the three countries by updating and improving provisions of the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). USMCA was made significantly stronger than the text that the President originally presented thanks to months of tireless work by Speaker Pelosi, Chairman Neal and the USMCA Working Group. The agreement assures that more car and truck parts will be made in America and that much of thework willbe done by employees making more than $16 an hour. It requires Mexico to change its labor laws to make it easier for workers to unionize and includes enforceable labor standards for the first time.It deals more fairly with restrictive prescription drug patents.USMCA also advances environmental protection of marine wildlife from pollution and overfishing. The vote on passage was 385 to 41. Congressman Cohen made the following statement: I'm proud to be able to get to yes' on this important, bipartisan bill, which is good for FedEx, manufacturing and Memphis. USMCAis a major improvement over NAFTA, particularly in its laborand pharmaceuticalprovisions. We will need to monitor compliance, especially with its environmentalprovisions,which are an improvement from NAFTA but could be stronger. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://desjarlais.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-scott-desjarlais-supports-donald-trump-against-radical-impeachment,REP. SCOTT DESJARLAIS SUPPORTS DONALD TRUMP AGAINST RADICAL IMPEACHMENT,2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Scott DesJarlais,D000616,desjarlais.house.gov,,,legacy,"REP. SCOTT DESJARLAIS SUPPORTS DONALD TRUMP AGAINST RADICAL IMPEACHMENT WASHINGTON, D.C. Congressman Scott DesJarlais, M.D., represents Tennessee's Fourth District in Congress. He issued the following statement opposing House Democrats' vote to impeach the President today: Today was Democrats' fourth attempt to impeach the President, since Nancy Pelosi became House Speaker. The Radical Left may have succeeded in impeaching Donald Trump this time, on a purely partisan vote, but have failed to convince Americans this is anything other than a stunt to distract from their socialist agenda and weak presidential candidates the real abuse of power. Fortunately, the Founders understood the potential for legislative over-reach and placed checks and balances into our system. The Senate will end this waste of time, and we can move on to important business, such as passing the USMCA trade deal and improving an economy that is already very strong. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://desjarlais.house.gov/media-center?ID=E7C26D44-9661-4957-84F0-D6E96FCEA1A5,REP. SCOTT DESJARLAIS SUPPORTS DONALD TRUMP AGAINST RADICAL IMPEACHMENT,2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Scott DesJarlais,D000616,desjarlais.house.gov,desjarlais,https://desjarlais.house.gov/media-center,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Scott DesJarlais, M.D., represents Tennessee’s Fourth District in Congress. He issued the following statement opposing House Democrats’ vote to impeach the President today: “Today was Democrats’ fourth attempt to impeach the President, since Nancy Pelosi became House Speaker. The Radical Left may have succeeded in impeaching Donald Trump this time, on a purely partisan vote, but have failed to convince Americans this is anything other than a stunt to distract from their socialist agenda and weak presidential candidates – the real abuse of power. Fortunately, the Founders understood the potential for legislative over-reach and placed checks and balances into our system. The Senate will end this waste of time, and we can move on to important business, such as passing the USMCA trade deal and improving an economy that is already very strong.” ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:45:33Z https://johnrose.house.gov/media/press-releases/rose-votes-pro-american-jobs-usmca,Rose Votes for Pro-American Jobs USMCA,2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,John W. Rose,R000612,johnrose.house.gov,johnrose,https://johnrose.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative John Rose (TN-6) voted for implementing legislation that will pave the way for the United States Senate to ratify President Trump's pro-America trade agreement, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). ""It is a new day for all Americans and a great one for the farmers, small business owners, and every member of the workforce in Tennessee's Sixth District,"" Rep. Rose stated. ""As a small business owner and an eighth-generation farmer, I understand how critical this agreement is for the people I represent. Since I was elected, I have not stopped hearing from constituents who need the ratification of USMCA. Now – finally – the House has passed legislation to make ratification a reality."" President Trump first signed the agreement with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto on November 30, 2018. The vote for implementing legislation passed the House in a bipartisan manner, with a vote of 385-41, December 19, 2019. ""Today, the greatness of the American dream is at the forefront of our minds,"" Rep. Rose continued. ""USMCA represents the great potential that is still ahead for the American people, and we have President Trump to thank for his leadership in the negotiation of this modern, pro-American jobs trade agreement. I was proud to vote for the bill today and commend the bipartisan support it received in the House."" U.S. Representative John Rose represents Tennessee's Sixth Congressional District and resides in Cookeville with his wife, Chelsea, and their son, Guy. The Sixth District includes Cannon, Clay, Coffee, Cumberland, DeKalb, Fentress, Jackson, Macon, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Robertson, Smith, Sumner, Trousdale, White, and Wilson counties as well as portions of Cheatham and Van Buren counties.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:45:33Z https://kustoff.house.gov/media/press-releases/kustoff-applauds-house-passage-usmca,Kustoff Applauds House Passage of the USMCA,2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,David Kustoff,K000392,kustoff.house.gov,kustoff,https://kustoff.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Congressman David Kustoff (TN-08), issued the following statement following the House passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The USMCA will replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). ""The USMCA delivers a much-deserved win for American farmers, manufacturers, and businesses across our country. We are in one of the best economies of our lifetime and the USMCA will only help us achieve greater prosperity,"" said Rep. Kustoff. ""This trade deal modernizes our trade policies and will strengthen our agriculture and manufacturing markets. I would like to thank President Trump for fulfilling his promise on this trade deal, and I look forward to its swift passage in the Senate.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:45:33Z https://roe.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400689,Roe Statement on Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Health Care Ruling,2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Phil Roe,R000582,roe.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.- Today, Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.), released the following statement after yesterday's Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the individual mandate in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as unconstitutional: The individual mandate, which was enacted as the key mechanism in the Affordable Care Act to compel people to either purchase insurance or be taxed, has long seemed unconstitutional to me. When the Supreme Court originally upheld Obamacare in 2012, it was the first time the U.S. government forced citizens to purchase a product. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling last night affirmed my original understanding of why the mandate should be unconstitutional. This ruling confirms that Americans should not be forced to buy a product they can't afford or don't want. This ruling should be a wake-up call to Democrats that we need to come together to pass bipartisan, patient-centered health care reforms that will lower cost and encourage competition. Note:Read the rulinghere.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=F66376CF-2E21-4942-8A06-776B795FA6DF,Education Week: What the FAFSA Simplification Trump Signed Means for Students,2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Lamar Alexander,A000360,www.alexander.senate.gov,,,legacy,"A change to the FAFSA included in a new higher education bill will eliminate as many as 22 questions for students filling out the lengthy, 108-question student aid form. This FAFSA simplification was included in theFUTURE Act, a bipartisan bill President Donald Trump signed into law Thursday that also provides permanent funding for historically black colleges and universities and other minority serving institutions. Andnow that the bill has become law,Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., can take a break to ice his shoulder, which is surely sore from repeatedly holding up the Free Application for Student Aid as a symbol of the need for change. Alexander, the chairman of the Senate education committee, has been one of the most visible champions of FAFSA simplification. Butlawmakers in both parties, including Sen. Doug Jones, D-Ala., called for an update because they viewed the cumbersome process of completing the document as a barrier for students hoping to enroll inand completecollege. It's a relatively small,wonky change that will nonethelessmake a big difference, they've argued. What will change in the FAFSA?TheFUTURE Act (full name:Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education Act) eliminates the need for student aid applicants to provide the same information twice to two separate federal agencies. The billallowsthe U.S. Department of Education and the Internal Revenue Service to share information already included on a family's or individual's tax returns. Instead of filling in all of that data, applicants can just make one click on the online form topermit information sharing. It will also streamline the process millions of applicants use to verify that they don't file tax returns. Those changes could be a big deal for students themselves and for K-12 schools that are interested in helping them chart a post-college path. They will also reduce burdens for college and universities that help students complete the FAFSA annually to renew aid, Alexander said in a statement. ""Last week, the president of Lane College one of six HBCUs in Tennesseetold me that he has three staff members who spend a significant amount of time helping the 40 percent of Lane College students who are currently selected for verification each year,"" he said. ""This legislation would greatly reduce that burden on his students and their families and allow the staff to spend their time counseling students about academics or jobs, instead of helping them fill out a form."" U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos also praised the change. ""The FUTURE Act will have a lasting impact on students and their families,"" she said in a statement. And now, a walk down memory lane ... Of course, many applicants fill out the FAFSA online, oreven on their phones. But displayingthe lengthy paper form during public appearanceshas become one of Alexander's trademarks in recent years. Unfortunately, Politics K-12 doesn't have a big budget to buy the rights to popular songs. But we recommend you listen tosomething inspirationalwhile looking throughthe followingcollection ofphotosfeaturingAlexander and the FAFSA. A big moment:This photo fromSen. Alexander's Twitter account shows him holding up the FAFSAin the Oval Office today after President Trump signed the bill. He's joined by Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., the ranking member on the House education committee; Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C.; Trump's daughter and aide, Ivanka Trump; and DeVos.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=FE3805AF-4091-4F3D-A943-0E6E88433642,"Alexander: Bill Providing Record Funding For National Laboratories, Supercomputing Heads to President Trumps Desk",2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Lamar Alexander,A000360,www.alexander.senate.gov,,,legacy,"This is an important bill for our country and for Tennessee. Funding these priorities is not the cause of the runaway federal debt. These priorities are funded in the portion of the budget that only increases at about the rate of inflation. -- Senator Lamar Alexander WASHINGTON, December 19, 2019 U.S. Senate Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said the the best-kept secret in Washington is record-funding for the Office of Science, after the Senate passed, by a 71-23 vote, the fifth consecutive year of record funding for our national laboratories and supercomputing. The bill now heads to President Trump's desk to be signed into law. This bill includes Alexander's priorities: $7 billion, an increase of $415 million above last year, which is a new record for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. This is the fifth consecutive year of record funding for our 17 national laboratories, including Oak Ridge National Laboratory. $1.82 billion for high performance computing (supercomputing). New record funding level for the Army Corps of Engineers, and provides up to $94.5 million to continue construction of Chickamauga Lock. $745 million to continue building the Uranium Processing Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex. $682 million for cleanup at the East Tennessee Technology Park, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the Y-12 National Security Complex. The best-kept secret in Washington is record-funding for the Office of Science, which funds our national laboratories and supercomputing,Alexander, who serves as chairman of the U.S. Senate Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee, said.The legislation passed this week will provide record-level funding for the fifth-consecutive year for our 17 national laboratories. Our national laboratories are our secret weapons, which is why I've worked hard to help increase funding for the Office of Science by 38 percent over the last 5 years. The legislation also includes $230 million for the first year of a new advanced reactor demonstration program, which will build at least 2 advanced reactors over the next 5-7 years. This bill also includes funding to keep America number one in the world in supercomputing and build the next generation of supercomputers. Over the last five years, funding for supercomputing has increased by 59.8 percent. Oak Ridge is home to the fastest supercomputer in the world, and that's because of consistent federal funding and smart people like the people who live and work in Oak Ridge. The funding in this bill will also modernize our nuclear weapons facilities at Y-12 and accelerate cleanup of hazardous materials and facilities at the East Tennessee Technology Park, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex, which is building the largest federal construction project in Tennessee since World War II. Alexander continued,Our legislation also includes $7.65 billion a new record funding level in a regular appropriations bill for the Army Corps of Engineers to maintain and rebuild our nation's waterways, including up to $94.5 million to fully fund construction at Chickamauga Lock for the sixth consecutive year. This is great news for East Tennessee since the new lock will help keep up to 150,000 trucks off I-75 and keep the cost of shipping goods low for manufacturers across the state. Finally, our bill includes up to $2.163 million for dredging the Memphis Harbor McKellar Lake. This is an important bill for our country and for Tennessee. Funding these priorities is not the cause of the runaway federal debt. These priorities are funded in the portion of the budget that only increases at about the rate of inflation. I look forward to President Trump signing this legislation into law. Learn more about what's included in this legislation: The U.S Department of Energy's Office of Science, which supports basic science and energy research and is the nation's largest supporter of research in the physical sciences, is funded at $7 billion, an increase of $415 million above last year, and also a new record funding level. The Advanced Research Projects Agency Energy (ARPA-E) is funded at $425 million, record funding and an increase of $59 million above enacted. The bill provides $1.82 billion for high performance computing, including $980 million within the Office of Science and $840 million within the National Nuclear Security Administration. This amount includes $814 million from the Office of Science and NNSA to support the delivery of Exascale systems beginning in 2021 and continue U.S. leadership in this critical area. It includes $225 million for the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility, an increase of $25 million above last year. The bill includes $292 million for the Spallation Neutron Source and High Flux Isotope Reactor operations, an increase of $10 million above last year. The bill also includes $60 million for the Proton Power Upgrade and $37 million for the Second Target Station at the Spallation Neutron Source. The bill restores significant cuts made in the president's budget request by providing an additional $2.686 billion to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, bringing the Corps' budget up to $7.65 billion a record funding level in a regular appropriations bill. The bill continues to support advanced manufacturing, and includes $25 million for the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility to support the research and development of additive manufacturing processes, low-cost carbon fiber, and other advanced manufacturing technologies. The bill includes a total of $16.7 billion for the National Nuclear Security Administration, including $2 billion for the four life extension programs, which fix or replace components in weapons systems to make sure they're safe and reliable. The Uranium Processing Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex is funded at $745 million, which will continue to keep this project on time and on budget, with a completion year of 2025 at a cost no greater than $6.5 billion. The legislation sends a strong signal about our support for developing new technologies that will support the next generation of nuclear power plants. The bill includes $1.5 billion for Nuclear Energy, including $100 million for Small Modular Reactors and $285 million for Advanced Reactors. The bill also provides $47 million for research and development to support existing nuclear reactors and $35 million for the new Joint Modeling and Simulation Program. The bill advances efforts to clean up hazardous materials at Cold War-era sites. The bill provides $7.5 billion to support cleanup efforts, which is $986 million above the president's budget request. Included in this amount is $682 million for cleanup at the East Tennessee Technology Park, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the Y-12 National Security Complex. For the sixth consecutive year, the bill makes full use of the Inland Waterways Trust Fund revenues for water infrastructure projects, including up to $94.5 million to continue construction of Chickamauga Lock in Chattanooga. The legislation provides $2.163 million for dredging at Memphis Harbor McKellar Lake. The bill provides funding that exceeds the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) spending target established by the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014. This is the sixth consecutive year the bill has met or exceeded the HTMF spending targets. The bill also continues to fund the regional commissions, including $175 million for the Appalachian Regional Commission and $30 million for the Delta Regional Authority. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=FFBFE5DA-D230-47EA-8F05-F3A8968AE1DD,"Alexander: President Trump, Congress Give Christmas Present to Historically Black Colleges and 20 Million Students Who Fill Out FAFSA Each Year",2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Lamar Alexander,A000360,www.alexander.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C., December 19, 2019 U.S. Senate education committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said that President Trump and Congress have delivered a Christmas present for millions of students and families after President Trump signed bipartisan legislation into law that included an amendment by Alexander and Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) that simplifies the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form that 20 million families, including 8 million minority students, fill out every year to qualify for federal student aid. The legislation also permanently reauthorizes and provides $255 million in annual mandatory funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other Minority Serving Institutions and eliminates the bureaucratic verification nightmare for most students. Under the law, the IRS will securely send tax information to the Department of Education, eliminating the possibility of families making mistakes when completing the FAFSA. This legislation is a Christmas present for college students and their families, Alexander said. First, this legislation provides permanent funding, fully paid for, for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other Minority Serving Institutions attended by over 2 million minority students. Second, after five years of bipartisan effort, this simplification of the FAFSA removes the most important roadblock for the 400,000 Tennessee families who apply for federal grants and loans to attend college. Alexander continued: This bipartisan provision stops families from having to give their same tax information to the federal government twice first to the IRS, then again to the U.S. Department of Education. Students give permission to the IRS and the Department of Education to share tax return data, which eliminates up to 22 questions on the FAFSA with one click. It should eliminate most of the so-called verification' process, which is a bureaucratic nightmare that 5.5 million students go through annually to make sure the information they gave to the Department of Education is exactly the same as they gave to the IRS. Every president since Clinton has tried to take this step. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin deserve a lot of credit for finally reaching a result that will make it easier for families to apply for aid. Last week, the president of Lane College one of six HBCUs in Tennessee told me that he has three staff members who spend a significant amount of time helping the 40 percent of Lane College students who are currently selected for verification each year. This legislation would greatly reduce that burden on his students and their families and allow the staff to spend their time counseling students about academics or jobs, instead of helping them fill out a form. The U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives passed the FUTURE Act last Tuesday. The final legislation includes a bipartisan amendment sponsored by Alexander, Senate education committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Senators Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.), and reflects an agreement Alexander and Murray, working with Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.) and Education Committee Chairman Bobby Scott (D-Va.) and Ranking Member Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) reached. Background on the Legislation: Permanently reauthorizes and provides $255 million in annual mandatory funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other Minority Serving Institutions Is fully paid for by including the FAFSA Act which passed the Senate unanimously last year: Allows providing tax information only onceStudents do not have to give their tax information to the federal government twice. Eliminates up to 22 questionsStudents give permission to the Department of Education to request tax return data already given to the Internal Revenue Service, which reduces the 108 questions on the FAFSA by up to 22 questions. Eliminates verification nightmareFor most students, eliminates so-called verification which is a bureaucratic nightmare that 5.5 million students go through annually to make sure the information they gave to the U.S. Department of Education is exactly the same as they gave to the IRS. Eliminates $6 billion in mistakesAccording to the U.S. Department of Education, helps taxpayers by eliminating up to $6 billion each year in mistakes (both overpayments and underpayments) in Pell grants and student loans. Enables 7 million applicants who are currently unable to access their IRS data for their FAFSA to verify that they do not file taxes without requesting separate documentation from the IRS Streamlines income-driven repayment by eliminating burdensome annual paperwork for 7.7 million federal student loan borrowers on income-driven plans According to the Congressional Budget Office, the FAFSA Act saves taxpayers $2.8 billion over ten years which will be used to pay for the permanent funding for HBCUs and other Minority Serving Institutions. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://burchett.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-burchett-will-vote-against-impeachment-urges-congress-focus-key-issues,"Rep. Burchett will vote against impeachment, urges Congress to focus on key issues",2019-12-18,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Tim Burchett,B001309,burchett.house.gov,burchett,https://burchett.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON – Ahead of the House of Representatives vote on articles of impeachment against President Trump, Congressman Tim Burchett (TN-02) released the following statement: ""I will vote no on the articles of impeachment brought against President Trump. The way this impeachment played out was deeply troubling to me, based on hearsay claims from partisan witnesses that were made behind closed doors in the basement of the Capitol. This was an irresponsible political stunt that only deepened the divide in our country. Congress has wasted time, money, and resources that would have been better used on addressing serious issues facing Americans. I am disappointed Congress was taken down this path and I will do everything in my power to make sure Congress gets back on track.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:45:33Z https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cohen-commends-jayda-and-ayanna-murray-winning-congressional,Congressman Cohen Commends Jayda and Anaya Murray for Winning Congressional App Competition,2019-12-18,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today commended Jayda and Ayanna Murray of Cordova for winning the Congressional App Competition for the 9th Congressional District of Tennessee with their Safety U app. The app presents a series of unsafe situations an entering freshman might encounter at college and offers a range of options for dealing with them. Officially launched by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2015, the nationwide Congressional App Competition allows students to compete against their peers by creating an application (or app) for desktop/PC, web, tablet, mobile device or other devices using any programming language. It is designed to promote innovation and engagement in computer science. Congressman Cohen made the following statement: This app was selected not only for its impressive code but also because it has an important educational and social mission. This app is an imaginative and practical way to introduce incoming freshmen to potentially threatening situations and helps steer them toward the correct, and safest, responses. It is aptly named Safety U' because its use will prepare new college students for campus life. I congratulate the Murray sisters on this achievement. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cohen-delivers-remarks-during-house-impeachment-debate,Congressman Cohen Delivers Remarks during House Impeachment Debate,2019-12-18,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), the Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, today spoke on the House floor during the historic debate on two articles of impeachment against President Donald J. Trump. The House is expected to vote on the articles that the President abused his powers and obstructed Congress later today. See Congressman Cohen's remarks here. Read the speech: From our founding, the United States has been a special nation: a city upon a hill.' Our values are enshrined in our Constitution: liberty, equality, and opportunity. We are a self-governing people, where every person is equal before the law. In the United States, we don't have a king. We choose our leaders. We vote. Generations of Americans have fought - and some have died to secure these inalienable rights. The Constitution begins, We the people of the United States.' That's us. It's not we the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, or China,' or we the Democrats' or we the Republicans.' It's We the people of the United States' and all Americans -- and only Americans -- get to have a say in our elections. Donald Trump used the high power of the Presidency to pressure a foreign nation to besmirch his perceived primary political opponent. He corrupted our elections and compromised our national security so that he could keep power. Not power for the people power for himself. In 2016, Candidate Trump called for foreign interference when he said, Russia, if you are listening' In 2019, President Trump sought foreign interference when he needed a favor' from Ukraine to intervene in the 2020 election. President Trump attacked, and is a continuing threat, to our system of free and fair elections. Like all of you, I took an oath to support and to defend the Constitution. I urge my colleagues to abide by that oath and stand up to President Trump's abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. To my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, I appeal to your patriotism and implore you to defend free and fair elections and preserve the Constitution. God Save the United States of America. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cohen-votes-impeach-president-trump,Congressman Cohen Votes to Impeach President Trump,2019-12-18,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), the Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, today voted for, and the House passed, two articles of impeachment against President Donald J. Trump. The President has now been impeached for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress and will be tried on those charges in the Senate. Before the historic vote, Congressman Cohen participated in a floor debate on the articles. See his remarks here. Read Congressman Cohen's speech here: From our founding, the United States has been a special nation: a city upon a hill.' Our values are enshrined in our Constitution: liberty, equality, and opportunity. We are a self-governing people, where every person is equal before the law. In the United States, we don't have a king. We choose our leaders. We vote. Generations of Americans have fought - and some have died to secure these inalienable rights. The Constitution begins, We the people of the United States.' That's us. It's not we the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, or China,' or we the Democrats' or we the Republicans.' It's We the people of the United States' and all Americans -- and only Americans -- get to have a say in our elections. Donald Trump used the high power of the Presidency to pressure a foreign nation to besmirch his perceived primary political opponent. He corrupted our elections and compromised our national security so that he could keep power. Not power for the people power for himself. In 2016, Candidate Trump called for foreign interference when he said, Russia, if you are listening' In 2019, President Trump sought foreign interference when he needed a favor' from Ukraine to intervene in the 2020 election. President Trump attacked, and is a continuing threat, to our system of free and fair elections. Like all of you, I took an oath to support and to defend the Constitution. I urge my colleagues to abide by that oath and stand up to President Trump's abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. To my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, I appeal to your patriotism and implore you to defend free and fair elections and preserve the Constitution. God Save the United States of America. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cooper.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cooper-congratulates-congressional-app-challenge-winner-tuneer-ghosh,Cooper Congratulates Congressional App Challenge Winner Tuneer Ghosh,2019-12-18,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,TN,Jim Cooper,C000754,cooper.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Representative Jim Cooper (TN-05), announced that Tuneer Ghosh, a local high school junior, is the 2019 Congressional App Challenge winner for Tennessee's 5th Congressional District. The Congressional App Challenge is a national initiative launched in 2013 to encourage interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) by middle and high school students. A student at Montgomery Bell Academy, Tuneer's Advanced Placement Calculus course inspired him to create an app called Math Whiz, which helps people to sharpen their basic arithmetic skills. As users practice math problems on Math Whiz, the app provides in-depth analysis that measures the speed of user arithmetic skills. Tuneer identified a problem and used his passion for STEM to solve it. His app will help kids everywhere become stronger, more confident math students, Rep. Cooper said. Though this year's app challenge has closed, middle and high school students across the district are encouraged to apply once the 2020 application period opens. To learn more about the Congressional App Challenge, please visit the official website for the initiative here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cooper.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cooper-to-vote-in-favor-of-impeachment,Cooper to Vote in Favor of Impeachment,2019-12-18,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,TN,Jim Cooper,C000754,cooper.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Congressman Jim Cooper (TN-05) issued the following statement on his decision to vote to charge President Trump with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress: The Tennesseeand the U.S.model for proper behavior during impeachment is the late Tennessee Senator Howard Baker, a lifelong Republican who had the courage to take down Richard Nixon, a president of his own party, once he learned the truth. Baker, aided by Tennessee lawyer Fred Thompson (who later became a Republican U.S. Senator in his own right), thoroughly investigated Nixon and then, when they found evidence of wrongdoing, favored impeachment. Nixon, of course, then quickly resigned the presidency before being impeached. Baker's famous question was, What did the President know, and when did he know it? Baker was not punished by the Republican Party for his bravery. He later, for example, served as President Ronald Reagan's Chief of Staff. Republicans today are so afraid of Trump's supporters that they are not publicly curious, although they often conclude, privately, that he's guilty. Democrats are relying on overwhelmingly credible witness testimony to try to get the facts. Congress has not yet obtained the equivalent of the White House tapes that sank Nixon. The most important White House witnesses like John Bolton, Mick Mulvaney, and Don McGahn have been blocked from testimony by Trump himself, the first president in U.S. history to completely defy investigations by Congress, even by the Republican Senate. But the evidence against Trump is overwhelming. John Bolton apparently called Trump's Ukrainian policy a drug deal and the President's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, a hand grenade. Trump's former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, is already in prison, as is the President's campaign manager, Paul Manafort. The President's former top national security advisor, Michael Flynn, is on his way to prison. Is it possible that so many of the President's top advisors were criminals but he knew nothing of their wrongdoing? The President's former chief of staff, Admiral John Kelly, warned him that he was headed for impeachment. If this whole mess were about foreign aid then perhaps Americans could get over it. But it is really about Trump helping Russia, America's enemy, by denying anti-tank weapons to our Ukrainian allies as they tried to beat back Russian occupation. These are life and death issues; already 13,000 Ukrainians have died in the struggle. It is about Trump asking three foreign powers, Ukraine, Russia, and China, to interfere in our U.S. elections. It is about Trump disrespecting all of our U.S. intelligence agencies. It is about Trump, after the 2016 campaign interrupted his efforts to build Trump Tower Moscow, cozying up to Russia's dictator, Vladimir Putin, and to other vicious, murderous dictators around the world. Should we overlook such wrongdoing? Howard Baker did not overlook a much more modest offense, the third-rate burglary at the Watergate. Tennessee is directly harmed by the Russian influence that President Trump has been condoning. The TEN_GOP twitter page with 150,000 followers was a Russian operation designed to confuse Tennessee voters, and was retweeted multiple times by the President's son. Tennessee soldiers are harmed when the President abruptly, after a phone call with his favorite Turkish dictator, pulled our troops from the Syrian border, endangering our Kurdish allies and giving Russia a green light to expand their murderous influence in the area. The President's repeated criticism of NATO, the most successful military alliance in the world, has only emboldened Russia as it has discouraged our strongest and most loyal allies. We, in the United States, are increasingly threatened by Russia and China. Our lives and liberty are threatened by the rulers of those countries. Yet our President has been enabling and encouraging them. Such behavior is impeachable. No one can speak for Senator Baker, but I feel confident that he would be voting for impeachment today if he were in the House of Representatives. That's the way that I am voting: Yes, for impeachment. We have enough proof of high crimes and misdemeanors to send the President's wrongdoing to the Senate for trial. That's what the Constitution demands of us.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://fleischmann.house.gov/media/press-releases/fleischmann-supports-president-trump-amid-democratic-impeachment-sham,Fleischmann Supports President Trump Amid Democratic Impeachment Sham,2019-12-18,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,"Charles J. ""Chuck"" Fleischmann",F000459,fleischmann.house.gov,fleischmann,https://fleischmann.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Chuck Fleischmann (TN-03) released the following statement in vehement opposition to Democrats' partisan impeachment plan, H. Res. 755 Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors: ""I can't say that I expected anything less from the hyper-partisan Democrats, but I am very disappointed that they have let their deep-seated animosity towards our President become the hallmark of the Democratic party. They are not a party for the people, they are a party for the politics. Make no mistake, the President did not commit any of the myriad of accusations that they have attempted to accuse him of – from quid pro quo to bribery and obstruction. Democrats have done immense damage to our republic with their vote to baselessly impeach President Trump and I have no doubt history will not reflect kindly on their actions.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:45:33Z https://johnrose.house.gov/media/press-releases/rose-votes-support-president-trump,Rose Votes in Support of President Trump,2019-12-18,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,John W. Rose,R000612,johnrose.house.gov,johnrose,https://johnrose.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative John Rose (TN-6) reaffirmed his support of President Donald J. Trump and voted against both articles of impeachment. ""I stand with the vast majority of the people of Tennessee's Sixth District in strongly supporting President Trump,"" said Rep. Rose. ""Today demonstrated what we knew all along: there is not bipartisan support for impeachment. In fact, the only bipartisanship we saw today was in votes cast against articles of impeachment."" The House of Representatives voted on two articles of impeachment against President Trump. The first vote considered charges of an ""Abuse of Power,"" and it passed 230-197-1. The second vote was held on an ""Obstruction of Congress,"" which passed 229-198-1. As he had previously committed, Rep. Rose voted ""no"" on both. No Republican voted in favor of either article of impeachment. ""This impeachment process has been an embarrassment to our country, an insult to our Constitution, and a distraction from the real work Congress should be accomplishing for the American people,"" Rep. Rose stated. ""I trust Senate Republicans will handle this matter judiciously and expeditiously, acting in good faith on behalf of the American people. I hope the House will return to the people's business and pass meaningful policy, like ratifying the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), before recessing for the holidays."" U.S. Representative John Rose represents Tennessee's Sixth Congressional District and resides in Cookeville with his wife, Chelsea, and their son, Guy. The Sixth District includes Cannon, Clay, Coffee, Cumberland, DeKalb, Fentress, Jackson, Macon, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Robertson, Smith, Sumner, Trousdale, White, and Wilson counties as well as portions of Cheatham and Van Buren counties.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:45:33Z https://kustoff.house.gov/media/press-releases/kustoff-votes-against-partisan-articles-impeachment,Kustoff Votes Against Partisan Articles of Impeachment,2019-12-18,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,David Kustoff,K000392,kustoff.house.gov,kustoff,https://kustoff.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, Congressman David Kustoff (TN-08) issued the following statement following the U.S. House of Representatives vote to impeach President Donald Trump. The Articles of Impeachment will now head to the Senate where a trial will begin. ""Throughout this impeachment process, House Democrats turned the solemn act of impeachment into a series of partisan hearings, searching for a crime that changed every day. Yet, the bottom line is that there was no bribery, no extortion, no quid pro quo, and no high crimes and misdemeanors,"" said Rep. David Kustoff. ""As these Articles of Impeachment head to the Senate, I trust the President will receive the fair trial that he deserves.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:45:33Z https://markgreen.house.gov/press-releases?ID=2CAAA5AC-C69D-4B58-B01B-2BFEE4D943BB,Rep. Green Statement on the Baseless Impeachment of President Donald Trump,2019-12-18,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Mark Green,G000590,markgreen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Facebook Icon Google Plus Icon Instagram Icon LinkedIn Icon Twitter Icon YouTube Icon Vimeo Icon Clients Icon Email icon Map Icon Print Icon Quote Icon icon_share Carousel Arrow - Left Carousel Arrow - Right Home Media Press Releases Print",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://roe.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400687,Roe Opposes Impeachment Sham,2019-12-18,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Phil Roe,R000582,roe.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON D.C. Today, Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.) released the following statement after voting against the baseless articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump: Today, is a sad day in American history. Since Donald Trump was elected in 2016, Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats have been on a crusade to stop him by any means necessary. They voted to impeach a duly-elected president based on political disagreements with no evidence any crime was ever committed. I voted against this sham impeachment. For two years we were told then-candidate Donald Trump colluded with the Russians to interfere in our elections. After two years and millions of dollars spent on the Mueller investigation, there was no collusion. Now, Democrats are claiming the President withheld money to the Ukrainians in a quid pro quo or bribery or abuse of power whichever crime polls best to gather information on a potential political rival. The facts are clear. There was no quid pro quo, or crime, or abuse of power. House Democrats are setting a dangerous precedent that it is acceptable to impeach a duly-elected president over policy disagreements. Impeachment is a very serious matter, and Democrats rushed to impeach President Trump in the hope he will not be re-elected. House Democrats unilaterally decided to invalidate the vote of 63 million Americans. On this day, they have failed the American people and the basic foundations of our democracy. Note:Watch Congressman Roe speak on the House floor against the articles of impeachmenthere.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=C8CA1857-5404-4564-A269-FBD675B3B92D,Alexander Statement on Texas v. Azar Court Case Decision,2019-12-18,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Lamar Alexander,A000360,www.alexander.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON,December 18, 2019 United States Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate health committee, today released the following statement on the Texas v. Azar court case: Congress eliminated the individual mandate penalty, and the court has finished the job by ruling the individualmandate itself is unconstitutional. As for the rest of Obamacare, Iam not aware of a single senator who said they were voting to repeal Obamacare when they voted to eliminate the individual mandate penalty. I thought the Justice Department's argument in the case was far-fetched. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://burchett.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-burchett-votes-against-another-irresponsible-government-spending-deal,Rep. Burchett votes against another irresponsible government spending deal,2019-12-17,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Tim Burchett,B001309,burchett.house.gov,burchett,https://burchett.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON – The House of Representatives approved legislation that would fund the government through September 2020 this afternoon. Details of this spending deal, also known as a minibus, were not revealed to Members of Congress until yesterday afternoon. This gave Members of Congress little time to review the thousands of pages detailing how taxpayer dollars were being spent. Congressman Tim Burchett (TN-02) voted against the spending agreement, citing the irresponsible nature of this government funding measure and the continued lack of a federal budget. ""As my first year in Congress comes to an end, I am disappointed we did not pass a single budget or long-term spending deal,"" said Rep. Burchett. ""At least we got better this time and got the government funded until next September instead of just a few weeks. American taxpayers are not Congress's piggy bank. And it almost feels like we can't -- or do not want to – limit ourselves when it comes to spending the taxpayers' hard-earned dollars. Next year needs to be different, and I plan to fight for more fiscally responsible government spending in 2020.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:45:33Z https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cohen-announces-4-million-hud-grant-foote-park-south-city,Congressman Cohen Announces $4 Million HUD Grant to Foote Park at South City,2019-12-17,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON -- Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced that Memphis will be receiving a Choice Neighborhoods SupplementalGrant of $4 million from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Congressman Cohen made the following statement: I was proud to be a part of the dedication ceremonies at Foote Park in September and am pleased to announce this supplemental grant to expand on the major improvements to a historic Memphis neighborhood. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cohen-votes-record-level-spending-health-and-education,Congressman Cohen Votes for Record Level Spending on Health and Education Programs,2019-12-17,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today voted for one of two comprehensive spending measures funding federal government programs through the end of fiscal year in September 2020. Both measures passed the House, averting another government shutdown. The measure the Congressman supported provides a record high level of spending on the National Institutes of Health, Child Care and Community DevelopmentBlockGrants, Head Start, Title 1 Education,and Food for Peace. The bill includes $25 million, split between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health, for firearms injury and mortality prevention, the first time this vital research has been funded in 20 years. It expands access to affordable housing, lowers prescription drug prices by increasing competition, protects the Affordable Care Act and raises the age for buying tobacco products to 21.The bill also provides an additional $36.2 million to Tennessee for highway and transit spending. The spending measure theCongressmandid not support contained massive amounts of Department of Defense spending and $1.375 billion for President Trump's unwanted border wall. Congressman Cohen made the following statement: These spending bills are a major investment in the true needs of the American people but the amount of defense spending, and funding for Trump's border wall, caused me to vote against the second measure. Recent revelations about Pentagon lies about progress in Afghanistan, and the rampant corruption our spending there has caused, was reason enough to vote against the measure.Ialso declinedto acquiesce in an unnecessary and wasteful border wall. Reversing the gun-lobby ban on federal research into gun violence will save lives.And mending our social safety net programs and bolstering medical research programs will strengthen American society. All of these provisions have now passed the House. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://fleischmann.house.gov/media/press-releases/fleischmann-votes-fund-government,Fleischmann Votes to Fund the Government,2019-12-17,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,"Charles J. ""Chuck"" Fleischmann",F000459,fleischmann.house.gov,fleischmann,https://fleischmann.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Chuck Fleischmann (TN-03), Ranking Member on the House Appropriations Homeland Security subcommittee, issued the following statement after the House passed two appropriations packages, H.R. 1158 and H.R. 1865. In total, these packages reflect all twelve FY2020 appropriations bills and will fund the government through September 2020. ""Funding our government is one of the most basic – yet critically important – roles that Congress plays. After months of negotiations with my colleagues from across the aisle and the chamber, both spending packages put forward encompass major wins for our country and avert the threat of a harmful government shutdown. ""Thanks to the leadership of President Trump, border apprehension numbers have dropped, but we must remain vigilant and dedicated to securing our border and combatting the threats faced by our agents on the ground. With $1.375 billion in new border wall funding and the omission of partisan language to tie the President's hands, this bill allows us to continue to build the wall. Additionally, enforcement resources – such as ICE detention beds, new Customs and Border Protection officers, and the Homeland Security Investigations agency – have been robustly funded. These components mirror the President's request for comprehensive border security. This spending bill also includes funding for the Coast Guard, the needs of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and our TSA agents who are working overtime this holiday season. ""East Tennesseans should also know that the legislation I supported today provides for the vital missions undertaken in East Tennessee at Oak Ridge National Lab and Y-12, as well as the effort to cleanup legacy waste in the community. The Army Corps of Engineers also receives necessary resources to support the Chickamauga Lock project. The needs of our rural communities are reflected through funding for rural broadband, development initiatives, and tools to fight the opioid epidemic. ""It is no easy task to come to an agreement on all twelve spending bills in this time of historic polarization, but I am proud that we were able to do so. With the passage of this legislation in the House today, followed by swift action by the Senate in the coming days, and with the signature of President Trump, our nation will have fiscal certainty and stability to close out this year. I thank my colleagues on the committee for their tireless work and the completion of this FY20 spending package, one that reflects our current needs and will provide for the advancement of our national priorities.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:45:33Z https://kustoff.house.gov/media/press-releases/kustoff-secures-funding-eliminate-asian-carp,Kustoff Secures Funding to Eliminate Asian Carp,2019-12-17,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,David Kustoff,K000392,kustoff.house.gov,kustoff,https://kustoff.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, Congressman David Kustoff (TN-08) secured $25 million in critical funding, included in the 2020 Fiscal Year Appropriations Package, to aid in the fight against Asian carp. ""Asian carp is the single greatest threat to Tennessee's lake and river systems. If ignored Asian carp will destroy our recreation, sporting, and tourism industries. Throughout this year, I fought to ensure Congress recognized this threat, and today, I am pleased to see this funding pass through the House and give West Tennessee the much-needed support to help eradicate this invasive species. I would also like to thank Senator Alexander for his hard work to ensure this important Asian carp funding was included in the package,"" said Rep. David Kustoff.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:45:33Z https://kustoff.house.gov/media/press-releases/kustoff-secures-wins-west-tennessee,Kustoff Secures Wins for West Tennessee,2019-12-17,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,David Kustoff,K000392,kustoff.house.gov,kustoff,https://kustoff.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, Congressman David Kustoff (TN-08) voted for H.R. 1158 and H.R. 1856. These two bills make up the 2020 Fiscal Year Appropriations Package and will fund our government until September 30, 2020. Included in this funding bill is $738 billion in tools for our military to defend our nation, a 3.1 percent pay raise for our service men and women-the largest pay raise in a decade, $25 million towards the elimination of Asian Carp, $1.375 billion in new border wall funding, $518 million to combat the opioid abuse, and an additional $642 million for rural broadband. This appropriations bill was negotiated by both the Senate and House and passed by a bipartisan vote. ""This legislation prioritizes our national security by providing new funding to continue to rebuild our military after years of neglect, and it puts our troops and their families first by giving them the largest pay raise in a decade. Additionally, it provides significant funding to ensure President Trump can continue to build the border wall,"" said Rep. David Kustoff. ""This bill also contains many West Tennessee priorities that I've fought for such as $25 million to eradicate Asian Carp, increased development of rural broadband, and continued funding to combat the devastating opioid epidemic. I would like to thank Senator Alexander for working with me to ensure these important programs were included in this package and I was proud to vote Yes on these bills.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:45:33Z https://markgreen.house.gov/press-releases?ID=0A648B95-4433-4612-886F-463F32CEE0AB,Rep. Green Votes YES to Pay Raise for Troops and NO to Liberal Pet Projects in Wasteful Spending Bills,2019-12-17,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Mark Green,G000590,markgreen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Facebook Icon Google Plus Icon Instagram Icon LinkedIn Icon Twitter Icon YouTube Icon Vimeo Icon Clients Icon Email icon Map Icon Print Icon Quote Icon icon_share Carousel Arrow - Left Carousel Arrow - Right Home Media Press Releases Print",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://roe.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400686,Roe Votes for Final Fiscal Year 2020 Appropriations Bills,2019-12-17,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Phil Roe,R000582,roe.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON D.C. Today, Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.) voted in favor of two appropriations bills to fund the federal government through the end of Fiscal Year 2020 (FY 20) before Friday's deadline. Congressman Roe released the following statement: I will never apologize for voting to support our men and women serving our country in the uniform, and was proud to vote for the defense bill. This important bill ensures President Trump can continue his efforts to rebuild our military after many years of neglect. It also follows the final FY20 NDAA passed last week by giving our troops a 3.1 percent pay raise the largest in a decade. Importantly, this defense bill also includes new, unrestricted funding that can be used to build a wall on our southern border. Regarding the second funding bill, ever since the Affordable Care Act was passed, I have worked to reverse its impact on our health care system. While this legislation was by no means perfect, it included the permanent repeal of three provisions that shift the cost burden to patients and discourage medical innovation. It is a huge victory that a bipartisan majority has once again concluded pieces of the Affordable Care Act should be repealed. Another priority of mine has been improving retirement security for millions of Americans, which is why I was thrilled the SECURE Act finally will be signed into law. This important legislation will make it easier for employers to offer their employees retirement plans, and increase the chances that more Americans can make it to their golden years with the resources they need. While I am concerned about the overall spending levels in this bill, and voted against the legislation authorizing these spending levels, I believe these additional priorities will be helpful to East Tennessee. Specifically, this legislation provides $5.7 billion for substance abuse prevention and treatment, when last year Tennessee saw its highest opioid related deaths to date. I am also pleased among the priorities that were funded, mental health and suicide prevention, the Appalachian Regional Commission, and the VA MISSION Act which I authored were among the programs that will receive strong support. Note:H.R. 1865andH.R. 1158funded numerous conservative priorities, including the VA MISSION Act, of which Congressman Roe was the author. Congressman Roe has also been a strong advocate for repealing the Cadillac Tax and supported the Middle Class Health Benefits Tax Repeal Act of 2019, that passed the House July 19, 2019. Additionally, included in the SECURE Act is the consolidated Form 5500 bill introduced by Reps. Linda Snchez and Phil Roe on February 7, 2019. This bipartisan legislation will make it easier and less costly for small businesses to provide retirement plans for their workers by alleviating duplicative reporting requirements for plan administrators. The Congressman was also a proud supporter of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act Conference Report that passed the House on December 11, 2019.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=BF1F4A0F-863F-4D09-92D7-C80ED21D178C,Kaiser Health News: Surprising Swings In Momentum For Legislation On Surprise Medical Bills,2019-12-17,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Lamar Alexander,A000360,www.alexander.senate.gov,,,legacy,"After months of hearings and negotiations, millions of dollars in attack ads, full-court press lobbying efforts and countless rounds of negotiations, Congress appeared to be moving toward a solution to the nation's surprise medical bill problem. Sort of. Surprise bills, the often-exorbitant medical bills that come when a patient doesn't realize they've been seen by a provider outside their insurance network, have in recent months been viewed as public enemy No. 1 on Capitol Hill. Two committees, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee, have been working on plans and announced a compromise Dec. 8. Later that week, the House Ways and Means Committee followed suit by announcing its solution, thoughdetails are few. It's been a heavy lift for lawmakers in both parties who are trying to balance the competing needs of powerful stakeholders, factions within their ranks and consumers stuck with high bills. With an election year fast approaching andpolls consistentlyshowing health care costs are a high priority for voters, the push for action has intensified. Time Is Not Of The Essence Despite the rushed way some committee members announced theagreementDec. 8 issuing a press release on a Sunday before any official bill text was released it's now unlikely that Congress will consider the package before it wraps up work for the year. HELP Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) signaled as much Monday in a press release in which he promised to do everything he could to keep the surprise medical bill issue at the top of the congressional to-do list for 2020 until it's solved. The only people who don't want this fixed are the people who benefit from these excessive fees, he said. Still, the recent signs of progress are significant, even if final passage happens early next year, said Loren Adler, the associate director of USC-Brookings Schaeffer Initiative for Health Policy, a research group. Even if Congress punts it to February or March, there's a decent shot of getting it done, Adler said. It would be pretty darn embarrassing if Congress doesn't pass it after talking about it this long and it being such an egregious problem. Compromise Bill The HELP/Energy and Commerce legislative outline shows movement toward compromise on several fronts, from omitting the controversial all-payer claims database ? a federal repository for health-pricing information ? to adding more public health provisions. It includes Senate protections against surprise bills from air ambulances, while adopting most of the House's approach to hospital bills, down to preserving the House's title for that section. A sign of a compromise is that nobody particularly loves it, Adler said. Over the past few months, the biggest debate around remedies for surprise bills has centered on how to determine payment for out-of-network doctors and hospitals. One group wanted an arbitration process while the other sought a benchmark system. It seems neither side got exactly what they were seeking. Under benchmarking, the government would set a compensation rate for providers when they see out-of-network patients. The most popular proposition was one that paid a median in-network rate, when doctors are paid in the middle of the range of what others in the area are paid by insurance companies for the same service. The other idea was independent dispute resolution, or arbitration. The provider and insurer bring their best offer to a third party, who chooses between the two. Generally, employers and consumer advocates favor benchmarking. Hospitals and doctors' groups, especially those backed by private equity firms, pushed for arbitration. The compromise approach tracks closely with legislation advanced by the House Energy and Commerce Committee: a median in-network benchmark with an arbitration safety valve where either side can bring a bill to arbitration if it's more than $750. Previous versions allowed arbitration only for charges over $1,250. I think what we've seen come out recently is probably what a reasonable bettor would have predicted, said Benedic Ippolito, a research fellow in economic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute. This proposal is seen as more favorable than earlier HELP Committee drafts to providers because it allows them to go to arbitration for more bills, but to these stakeholders, it's not enough. Without an arbitration mechanism that applies to a legitimate number of claims, the concerns raised by the provider community will persist, read a statement from Envision Healthcare, a physician staffing firm. A large number of surprise bills are generated by physicians employed by such staffing companies, which are often backed by private equity firms. The business model allows these doctors ? often specialists including emergency medicine and radiology, among others ? to set their own rates because they don't work for the hospital. The American College of Surgeons,Federation of American Hospitals, Association of American Medical Colleges and Greater New York Hospital Association have also pushed back. To be fair, plenty of groups have come out in support of the compromise. A message from the Energy and Commerce Committee noted27 patient and consumer advocate groupsthat signed a letter of support. James Gelfand, a senior vice president at the ERISA Industry Committee, which represents large employers, said the compromise isn't what his constituents would have written to solve surprise medical billing, but he thinks it's still important to pass, and parties who keep demanding changes are just trying to stall. We hate arbitration, and we believe the changes made to please team arbitration' will raise costs tens of billions of dollars, Gelfand said. But we support the bill. We want to get it across the finish line. The blueprint offered by the Ways and Means Committee is considered friendly to providers because it lays out a system similar to arbitration and favors a go-slow approach. A press release from panel Republicans indicated that stakeholders need to stay at the table and debate these ideas into the new year. To some, it felt like a delay tactic. We know that pushing legislative action into 2020 pushes the work into a difficult presidential election year and makes it harder for Congress to act. This would dramatically increase the odds that Congress will fail to enact meaningful legislation to ban surprise medical bills and fail our nation's families, Frederick Isasi, executive director of the advocacy group Families USA, said in a written statement. Money And Momentum Political muscle could also factor into the measure's momentum. Money from private equity has been flowing into the debate, from millions of dollars spent oncommercials and online ads, to campaign donations. According to OpenSecrets data, Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.), the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee and one of the voices calling for more time on surprise billing, received $29,000 this year from BlackstoneGroup, the private equity firm that owns TeamHealth, a physician-staffing firm. This was the first year ever that Blackstone was in Neal's top five donors. Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas), that panel's ranking member, received$45,000 from Welsh, Carson, Anderson and Stowe, the private equity firm that owns several staffing companies, including US Acute Care Solutions, U.S. Anesthesia Partners and US Radiology Specialists. U.S. Anesthesia Partners was one of Brady's top contributors last year as well,giving $56,250 in the 2017-18 cycle. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) has been one of the strongest proponents of an arbitration safety valve on the HELP Committee. He received$68,900 from Blackstone and $66,300from Welsh, Carson, Anderson and Stowe. NeitherAlexandernorSen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the ranking member of HELP, reported similar donations from private equity firms. The same was true forRep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), the chairman of Energy and Commerce, andRep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), the ranking member of that committee. Looking to the future, many questions still need to be answered about how these proposals will shape up. Whether this is a good or bad solution to surprise medical billing will depend on how the arbitration system evolves over time, Ippolito said.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=BE018F93-E876-4E12-9A5C-32180BCF8068,"Alexander: U.S. Senate Passes Defense Bill that Gives Troops Pay Raises, Better Housing, More Equipment and Training",2019-12-17,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Lamar Alexander,A000360,www.alexander.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Governing is about setting priorities, and this bill shows our priority is the men and women who serve in our armed forces. Senator Lamar Alexander WASHINGTON, D.C., December 17, 2019 U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement after the Senate passed the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Conference Report: Governing is about setting priorities, and this bill shows our priority is the men and women who serve in our armed forces. This defense bill authorizes pay raises for troops at Ft. Campbell and the Naval Support Activity Mid-South in Millington, and continues to make research and development of new technologies a priority so our military can deal with new and emerging threats. It alsoimproves housing andincreases employment opportunities for military spouses,Alexander said.This legislation also, for the first time, provides two months of paid family leave for all federal employees, which Ivanka Trump and the president worked to include in the bill. Alexander continued:This legislation will also strengthen our national security by supporting important programs at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge to help modernize and maintain our nuclear weapons arsenal. TheNational Defense Authorization Actauthorizes$738billionto fundtheU.S.Department of Defense andtheDepartment of Energy, which includes the following priorities: 3.1percent pay increase for members of the military $23.1 billionforU.S.Department of Energy national security programs, which supports critical work at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge. Strengthens our national security by authorizing funds for nuclear weapons modernization, replacement of our strategic missile submarines, and environmental cleanup. Provides$1.4billionabove the administration's request for science, technology and research programs, includingover $300million for hypersonics programs, including programs carried out by the University of Tennessee and at Arnold Air Force Base in Tullahoma. Supports U.S. military forces stationed in Europe to counter Russian aggression. Prohibits transferring detaineesat Guantanamo Bay to the United States. Supports development ofadvanced equipment to help ensure the men and women of the armed forces have the tools they need protect American interests abroad and work with our allies to defeat ISIL, al Qaeda, and other violent extremist organizations. Increases employment opportunities for military spouses by supporting the creation of interstate compacts and helping military spouses get re-certified or re-licensed in their occupation if they move to a different state. Reformsthe private military housing program so our service members and their families have access to safe and affordable housing and ensures proper oversight of government contractors. The Senate passed this bill with a bipartisan, 86-8 vote. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cohen-announces-872804-research-grants-st-jude-and-uthsc,"Congressman Cohen Announces $872,804 in Research Grants to St. Jude and UTHSC",2019-12-16,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced that St. Jude Children's Research Center and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center(UTHSC)willeachbe receivingaNational Institutes of Health (NIH) grant to continue their critical research. St. Jude will receive $376,950 for its work on chromatin modifiers from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. UTHSC will receive $495,854 foritswork on metabolism and diabetes from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Congressman Cohen made the following statement: These are significant grants underwriting important research. I'm pleased to announce these investments in two of Memphis' highly respected medical research facilities.Thesegrants support good jobsandlead to new treatments and therapies. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://fleischmann.house.gov/media/press-releases/fleischmanns-eastern-band-cherokee-historic-lands-bill-passes-house,Fleischmann's Eastern Band of Cherokee Historic Lands Bill Passes House,2019-12-16,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,"Charles J. ""Chuck"" Fleischmann",F000459,fleischmann.house.gov,fleischmann,https://fleischmann.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Chuck Fleischmann (TN-03) issued the following statement upon his bill H.R. 453, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Historic Lands Reacquisition Act, being passed out of the United States House of Representatives. ""For the second year in a row, the House agreed in a widespread bipartisan fashion to maintain a commitment to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians by placing specified lands and easements in Monroe Country, Tennessee, into a trust for the use and benefit of the tribe,"" said Congressman Fleischmann. ""The Cherokee Nation has a rich history in the Third District and I am grateful to be engaged in the process to safeguard the story of the Eastern Band in the Cherokee towns of Tanasi and Chota. I strongly believe this preservation of lands will allow succeeding generations to comprehend and acknowledge the impact that the Cherokee Nation has had on East Tennessee. I vigorously urge members of the Senate to understand the importance of Cherokee tribal land preservation and support H.R. 453 so that it may be brought to President Trump's desk in an expedited manner."" ""This bill reunites the Eastern Band of Cherokee with our homelands in East Tennessee. We look forward to a renewed and prosperous relationship with Tennessee,"" saidEastern Band of Cherokee Indians Principal Chief Richard G. Sneed. In detail, H.R. 453, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Historic Lands Reacquisition Act, will: Impact 76 acres of specified lands along the Little Tennessee River and Tellico Reservoir in Monroe County; Include lands from the Tanasi Memorial, Chota Memorial, Sequoyah Museum and land to administer support for these cultural programs and properties; Place these lands into trust for the benefit of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Historic Lands Reacquisition Act was introduced as H.R. 146 in the 115th Congress. The legislation was reintroduced in the 116th Congress on January 10, 2019, and referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources the same day. On February 5, 2019, the bill was approved by the subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States. Click here to watch Congressman Fleischmann speak in support of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Historic Lands Reacquisition Act.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:45:33Z https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=1EAFB72B-E4F5-4341-9002-E5D7785D5B20,"Alexander: Congress on Track to Provide Record-Level Funding For National Laboratories, Supercomputing",2019-12-16,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Lamar Alexander,A000360,www.alexander.senate.gov,,,legacy,"This is an important bill for our country and for Tennessee. Funding these priorities is not the cause of the runaway federal debt. These priorities are funded in the portion of the budget that only increases at about the rate of inflation. -- Senator Lamar Alexander WASHINGTON, December 16, 2019 United States Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said the Senate will vote this week on legislation that includes the fifth consecutive year of record-funding for our17national laboratories and keeps the U.S. number one in supercomputing. The bill includes several of Alexander's priorities: $7 billion, an increase of $415 million above last year, which is a new record for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. This is the fifth consecutive year of record funding for our 17 national laboratories, including Oak Ridge National Laboratory. $1.82 billion for high performance computing (supercomputing). New record funding level for the Army Corps of Engineers, and provides up to $94.5 million to continue construction of Chickamauga Lock. $745 million to continue building the Uranium Processing Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex. $682 million for cleanup at the East Tennessee Technology Park, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the Y-12 National Security Complex. The best-kept secret in Washington is record-funding for the Office of Science, which funds our national laboratories and supercomputing,Alexander, who serves as chairman of the U.S. Senate Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee said.The legislation the Senate will vote on this week will provide record-level funding for the fifth-consecutive year for our 17 national laboratories. Our national laboratories are our secret weapons, which is why I've worked hard to help increase funding for the Office of Science by 38 percent over the last 5 years. The legislation also includes $230 million for the first year of a new advanced reactor demonstration program, which will build at least 2 advanced reactors over the next 5-7 years. This bill also includes funding to keep America number one in the world in supercomputing and build the next generation of supercomputers. Over the last five years, funding for supercomputing has increased by 59.8 percent. Oak Ridge is home to the fastest supercomputer in the world, and that's because of consistent federal funding and smart people like the people who live and work in Oak Ridge. The funding in this bill will also modernize our nuclear weapons facilities at Y-12 and accelerate cleanup of hazardous materials and facilities at the East Tennessee Technology Park, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex, which is building the largest federal construction project in Tennessee since World War II. Alexander continued,Our legislation also includes $7.65 billion a new record funding level in a regular appropriations bill for the Army Corps of Engineers to maintain and rebuild our nation's waterways, including up to $94.5 million to fully fund construction at Chickamauga Lock for the sixth consecutive year. This is great news for East Tennessee since the new lock will help keep up to 150,000 trucks off I-75 and keep the cost of shipping goods low for manufacturers across the state. Finally, our bill includes up to $2.163 million for dredging the Memphis Harbor McKellar Lake. This is an important bill for our country and for Tennessee. Funding these priorities is not the cause of the runaway federal debt. These priorities are funded in the portion of the budget that only increases at about the rate of inflation. Learn more about what's included in this legislation: The U.S Department of Energy's Office of Science, which supports basic science and energy research and is the nation's largest supporter of research in the physical sciences, is funded at $7 billion, an increase of $415 million above last year, and also a new record funding level. The Advanced Research Projects Agency Energy (ARPA-E) is funded at $425 million, record funding and an increase of $59 million above enacted. The bill provides $1.82 billion for high performance computing, including $980 million within the Office of Science and $840 million within the National Nuclear Security Administration. This amount includes $814 million from the Office of Science and NNSA to support the delivery of Exascale systems beginning in 2021 and continue U.S. leadership in this critical area. It includes $225 million for the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility, an increase of $25 million above last year. The bill includes $292 million for the Spallation Neutron Source and High Flux Isotope Reactor operations, an increase of $10 million above last year. The bill also includes $60 million for the Proton Power Upgrade and $37 million for the Second Target Station at the Spallation Neutron Source. The bill restores significant cuts made in the president's budget request by providing an additional $2.686 billion to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, bringing the Corps' budget up to $7.65 billion a record funding level in a regular appropriations bill. The bill continues to support advanced manufacturing, and includes $25 million for the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility to support the research and development of additive manufacturing processes, low-cost carbon fiber, and other advanced manufacturing technologies. The bill includes a total of $16.7 billion for the National Nuclear Security Administration, including $2 billion for the four life extension programs, which fix or replace components in weapons systems to make sure they're safe and reliable. The Uranium Processing Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex is funded at $745 million, which will continue to keep this project on time and on budget, with a completion year of 2025 at a cost no greater than $6.5 billion. The legislation sends a strong signal about our support for developing new technologies that will support the next generation of nuclear power plants. The bill includes $1.5 billion for Nuclear Energy, including $100 million for Small Modular Reactors and $285 million for Advanced Reactors. The bill also provides $47 million for research and development to support existing nuclear reactors and $35 million for the new Joint Modeling and Simulation Program. The bill advances efforts to clean up hazardous materials at Cold War-era sites. The bill provides $7.5 billion to support cleanup efforts, which is $986 million above the president's budget request. Included in this amount is $682 million for cleanup at the East Tennessee Technology Park, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the Y-12 National Security Complex. For the sixth consecutive year, the bill makes full use of the Inland Waterways Trust Fund revenues for water infrastructure projects, including up to $94.5 million to continue construction of Chickamauga Lock in Chattanooga. The legislation provides $2.163 million for dredging at Memphis Harbor McKellar Lake. The bill provides funding that exceeds the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) spending target established by the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014. This is the sixth consecutive year the bill has met or exceeded the HTMF spending targets. The bill also continues to fund the regional commissions, including $175 million for the Appalachian Regional Commission and $30 million for the Delta Regional Authority. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=4E2692DA-5D89-4379-BD29-EC80614E89C6,Alexander: Congress to Vote This Week on Several Important Provisions of the Lower Health Care Costs Act,2019-12-16,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Lamar Alexander,A000360,www.alexander.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, December 16, 2019 Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said Congress will vote this week on several important provisions of the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. The government funding legislation that Congress will consider this week takes several important steps to address Americans' number one financial concern: what they pay out of their own pockets for health care,Alexander said.The legislation includes five provisions from the bipartisan Lower Health Care Costs Act including: three provisions to lower the cost of prescription drugs by encouraging competition; raising the tobacco purchasing age to 21; and better protecting Americans from diseases transmitted by mosquitoes, ticks and fleas. Congress should pass these provisions this week, but there is more we need to do. I will continue working with my colleagues in the New Year to end surprise medical billing, deliver long-term funding for the nation's 1,400 community health centers, lower the cost of prescription drugs, and bring more transparency to the health care market. Alexander is the primary sponsor of the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019 which includes provisions to end surprise medical bills, lower drug prices, increase transparency, improve public health, and improve electronic health records offered by 80 senators, 46 Democrats and 34 Republicans. Provisions of the Lower Health Care Costs Act included in the government funding legislation: CREATES Actincrease generic drug competition and lower the cost of drugs Insulintwo provisions to increase biological drug competition and lower drug costs, including in the insulin market Tobacco-21raise purchasing age of tobacco to 21 Kay Hagan Tick Actbetter protect Americans from diseases transmitted by ticks, mosquitoes and fleas Provisions of the Lower Health Care Costs Act that Congress should continue working on in the New Year: Ending the practice of surprise medical billing Five years of funding for community health centers and other public health programs Lowering the cost of prescription drugs Increasing transparency in the health care market ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=77B19727-ED88-41B8-9BF2-452D04FF3DDD,Alexander: I Will Continue to do Everything I Can to Keep Surprise Medical Bills at the Top of Congress To-Do List Until its Done,2019-12-16,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Lamar Alexander,A000360,www.alexander.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, December 16, 2019 Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said he intends to do everything he can to keep surprise medical billing at the top of Congress' to-do list in 2020 until it's done. Protecting patients from surprise billing is something almost everyone wants fixed. One out of five patients who goes to an emergency room eventually receives an unexpected bill for as much as $300 or $3,000 or $30,000 because the doctor who treated them was not part of the same insurance network as the hospital. The Senate Health Committee has approved a solution by a vote of 20-3. The House Energy and Commerce Committee has approved a solution unanimously. We've reached an agreement with the House Energy and Commerce Committee that the President strongly supports. The only people who don't want this fixed are the people who benefit from these excessive fees, including the private equity groups which control three of the largest companies that handle billing and staffing for emergency rooms. Chairman Alexander continued, Significant progress will be made this week on lowering health care costs, as the government funding legislation that Congress will consider includes five provisions from the Lower Health Care Costs Act including: three provisions to lower the cost of prescription drugs by encouraging competition; raising the tobacco purchasing age to 21; and better protecting Americans from diseases transmitted by mosquitoes, ticks and fleas. But the legislation fails to deal with surprise medical bills and fails to enact legislation that Senator Murray and I have introduced to fund the nation's 1,400 community health centers for five years. I will continue to do everything I can to keep surprise medical bills at the top of the congressional priority list until it's done. Provisions of the Lower Health Care Costs Act included in the government funding legislation: CREATES Actincrease generic drug competition and lower the cost of drugs Insulintwo provisions to increase biological drug competition and lower drug costs, including in the insulin market Tobacco-21raise purchasing age of tobacco to 21 Kay Hagan Tick Actbetter protect Americans from diseases transmitted by ticks, mosquitoes and fleas Provisions of the Lower Health Care Costs Act that Congress should continue working on in the New Year: Ending the practice of surprise medical billing Five years of funding for community health centers and other public health programs Lowering the cost of prescription drugs Increasing transparency in the health care market All in all, the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019, which passed the Senate health committee 20-3 in June, includes provisions offered by 80 different senators46 Democrats and 34 Republicans. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=9EB0102E-90FD-4A6A-9925-C748D5A482B2,Chattanooga Times Free Press: Alexander touts elimination of 'bureaucratic nightmare' provision on student federal college aid applications,2019-12-15,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Lamar Alexander,A000360,www.alexander.senate.gov,,,legacy,"A yearslong effort by U.S. Senate Education Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander to simplify an application form for current and prospective college students seeking federal aid cleared Congress last week. The bill, called the FUTURE Act, also permanently reauthorizes and provides $255 million in annual mandatory funding for historically black colleges and universities and other minority serving institutions. Tennessee is home to seven HBCU institutions, including Fisk University, Meharry Medical College and Lane College. Alexander, a Tennessee Republican and former U.S. education secretary, called the deletion of up to 22 questions on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form a ""big first step in simplifying the FAFSA,"" a move that should help end what he said is a ""bureaucratic nightmare"" for millions of students. His provision was approved as an amendment. ""It's hard to think of a piece of legislation that would have more of a lasting impact on minority students and their families than this bill,"" Alexander said in a news release. For starters, the overall legislation ""provides permanent funding that is fully paid for for HBCUs and other Minority Serving Institutions attended by over 2 million minority students,"" Alexander noted. ""Second, after five years of bipartisan effort, it greatly simplifies the Free Application for Federal Student Aid the FAFSA that 20 million families, including 8 million minority students, fill out every year to qualify for federal student aid,"" Alexander added. The bill ends requirements that families provide the same tax information, first to the IRS, then again to the U.S. Department of Education. Students will now be able to give permission to the IRS and the Department of Education to share tax return data. That eliminates up to 22 questions on the FAFSA with one click, according to Alexander. And, he added, it should eliminate most of what he called ""the so-called 'verification' process, which is a bureaucratic nightmare that 5.5 million students go through annually to make sure the information they gave to the Department of Education is exactly the same as they gave to the IRS."" It also benefits taxpayers by eliminating up to $6 billion each year ""in mistakes both in overpayments and underpayments in Pell grants and student loans,"" Alexander said. $738 billion NDAA bill: Funding for military leave, Space Force The Democratic-controlled U.S. House last week approved a $738 billion defense policy bill compromise worked out with the Senate. It provides the first paid family leave for more than 2 million federal workers for the first time as well as for the creation of a Space Force, a priority championed by President Donald Trump. It's expected to be acted on this week by the Republican-led Senate. The National Defense Authorization Act ""provides our men and women in uniform with a 3.1% pay increase the first since 2010,"" said U.S. Senate Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., a Senate Armed Services Committee member. ""It eliminates the 'Widow's Tax' over three years, resulting in full annuity to be paid out on and after January 1, 2023,"" Blackburn said. ""The legislation also provides much-needed oversight of the Privatized Military Housing Program, including creation of a Resident Bill of Rights."" The bill was caught up for months in wrangling over provisions related to Trump's border wall funding. In the end, it does not bar the president from using military funds for it. But Democrats did successfully insert a policy granting all federal workers 12 weeks of paid parental leave. The Space Force, meanwhile, will be a new branch of the military housed in the Department of the Air Force in a setup similar to the Marine Corps' relationship to the Department of Navy. Its purpose is to shield U.S. space assets from Russian and Chinese threat. ""We need to establish a Space Force because we need to keep world-wide GPS safe, world-wide ATMs safe, and, most importantly, to keep you safe,"" U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, a Nashville Democrat who serves as chairman of the House Armed Services' Subcommittee on Strategic Defense, which includes missiles and space operations. ""This is not a Trump idea,"" Cooper said at a press roundtable last week. ""He tried to hijack it long after the House Armed Services Committee voted 60-1, on a totally bipartisan and nearly unanimous basis, to establish a Space Corps. Trump's belated support for a Space Force does not make this a Republican idea."" Cooper said it's been a yearslong, bipartisan focus ""since the first Pentagon space command in 1985, an initiative that was sadly terminated in 2002 when America got distracted by the War on Terror. The service was first proposed by the House in 2017 as Space Corps. Another Tennessee representative on the Armed Services Committee, Republican Mark Green, of Clarksville, is touting, among the defense bill's other provisions, the inclusion of his ""Spiritual Defense Readiness"" provision. He said the provision directs the Department of Defense to assess the availability of chaplains, houses of worship, and spiritual resources for military service members who identify as religiously affiliated. ""Those who profess a faith but are not able to practice it while serving are five times more likely to commit suicide,"" said Green, a physician and combat veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://burchett.house.gov/media/press-releases/statement-rep-burchett-passing-sue-atchley,Statement from Rep. Burchett on the passing of Sue Atchley,2019-12-13,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Tim Burchett,B001309,burchett.house.gov,burchett,https://burchett.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"KNOXVILLE, TENN. -- Congressman Tim Burchett (TN-02) released the following statement regarding the passing of former State Senator Sue Atchley: ""While I was sad to hear the news of Sue's passing, I'm comforted knowing she'll get to spend this Christmas in Heaven reunited with Ben. The Atchleys were dear friends and mentors who served our state and our community selflessly. Their entire family is in my prayers.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:45:33Z https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cohen-votes-advance-articles-impeachment,Congressman Cohen Votes to Advance Articles of Impeachment,2019-12-13,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee and the Chairman of its Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, voted in the committee this morning to move two articles of impeachment against President Trump to the House floor. During a two-day markup Wednesday and Thursday, the committee considered a variety of amendments before sending articles charging the President with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress for the full House to take up next week. During Thursday's debate, Congressman Cohen said: The proof is there. This is the most abusive act we can imagine trying to influence our elections with foreign interference. That takes power away from the American people. And that would end our country as we know it: a democracy, a shining city on the hill, a beacon of hope to people around the world who followed our revolution by changing their governments to give people the power, not kings. See Congressman Cohen's entire remarks here. On Wednesday night, Congressman Cohen delivered a Judiciary Committee speech about the effrontery President Trump's actions have been to the memory of those whofought for free and fair electionsand extended civil rights.See that speech here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cohen.house.gov/taxonomy/story-type/enewsletters/voting-advance-articles-impeachment-house-floor,Voting to Advance Articles of Impeachment to the House Floor,2019-12-13,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Dear Friend, This week, I voted to advance two articles of impeachment against President Donald J. Trump at thiscrossroadsin our nation's history. I also voted to lower prescription drug costs for millions of Americans; demanded that Boeing be held accountable for not correcting known safety defects in its 737 MAX aircraft; introduced the Safety is Not for Sale Act; highlighted the accomplishments of the House in passing legislation addressing real national needs; questioned experts on the evidence for impeaching the President; called attention to the fact that SUNDAY, December 15,is the deadline for signing up for Affordable Care Act health insurance; pointed out available resources for childcare assistance; offered free 2020 Capitol Historical Society calendars; and offered a health tip about handwashing. Keep reading to learn more about my week and follow me onTwitter,FacebookandInstagramto see more updates as they happen. Voting to Advance Articles of Impeachment to the House Floor Voting to Pass the Lower Drug Costs Now Act Demanding that Boeing be held Accountable for Not Correcting Known 737 MAX Flaws Introducing Safety is Not for Sale Act Highlighting Accomplishments of the For the People Agenda Questioning Legal Counsel and Supporting Introduction of Articles of Impeachment Announcing $1.9 Million Grant for Continued Rape Kit Testing Calling Attention to Open Enrollment for Affordable Care Act Health Coverage Welcoming New American Citizens to Memphis Pointing Out Federal Resources Available for Childcare Assistance Offering 2020 U.S. Historical Society Calendars Weekly Health Tip Quote of the Week Voting to Advance Articles of Impeachment to the House Floor Congressman Cohen spoke at Wednesday's session on the markup of articles of impeachment On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, the House Judiciary Committee, on which I serve as a senior member and Chairman of the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Subcommittee, considered two articles of impeachment against President Trump abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. In my opening statement, I discussed the foundation of our democracy, free and fair elections. Throughout our history, heroes have fought to ensure thatAmericanscan choose our leaders,and that every vote counts.See those remarkshere. On Friday morning, I voted to advance both articles to the House floor. See my release on that votehere. Voting to Pass the Lower Drug Costs Now Act On Thursday, I was proud to vote and see the House pass theElijah E. CummingsLower Drug Costs Now Act, legislationwhichwillallowthe Health and Human Services Secretary to negotiate the price of drugs, including insulin,andlowercostsfortens of millions of peopleon Medicare and private insurance. The bill also reverses price hikes above the rate of inflation and caps the drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries at $2,000. With the savings achieved, the bill will reinvest billions of dollars in the searchfor new breakthrough treatments and cures at the National Institutes of Health. See my release about the billhere. Demanding that Boeing be held Accountable for Not Correcting Known737 MAX Flaws On Wednesday, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) appeared before the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on which I serve as a senior member. I asked him about his agency's inadequate response to two fatal crashes involving Boeing 737 MAX aircraft and told him someone at Boeing needs the be held accountable. See my release and my questions to theAdministratorhere. Introducing Safety is Not for Sale Act Before Wednesday's Transportation and Infrastructure hearing got under way, I introduced the Safety is Not for Sale Act, legislation that would require air carriers to ensure all non-required safety-enhancing equipment is offered to all carriers without additional charge. See my release about the billhere. Highlighting Accomplishments of the For the People Agenda I am hearing misleading commentary from the right-wing echo chamber to the effect that the House is not doing anything as it pursues an impeachment inquiry into President Trump's conduct. Nothing could be further from the truth. The House has passed nearly 400 bills this year. But more than 300 of those -- including 275 bipartisan bills -- are stuck in the Senate where Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refuses to call them up for a vote. This includes the Paycheck Fairness Act, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act and bills to protect people with pre-existing conditions, to raise the minimum wageand to lower prescription drug costs. As we are so often reminded these days: the truth matters. Questioning Legal Counsel and Supporting Introduction of Articles of Impeachment On Monday, I questioned counsel forthe House Judiciary Committee andHouse Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on the evidence collected during theimpeachment inquiry intoPresident Trump. See my release and my questioning of the witnesseshere. On Tuesday, I supportedJudiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler'sintroduction oftwo articles of impeachment. See my release on that decisionhere. Announcing $1.9 Million Grant for Continued Rape Kit Testing This week, I was pleased to announce that the City of Memphis received a $1,899,781 grant to continue rape kit testing from the Bureau of Justice Assistance's Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI). This will help Memphis and our local law enforcement track down assailants, help victims get justice and protect individuals from becoming victims of recidivists. Since 2014, I have worked successfully to substantially increase federal funding for rape kit testing,passingamendments to appropriations bills. A recent story in The Daily Memphian indicated Memphis has completed testing of 98 percent of previously untested kits. Calling Attention to Open Enrollment for Affordable Care Act Health Coverage Open Enrollment for 2020 Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance coverage began on November 1 and ends December 15 this Sunday. The Trump Administration reduced the open enrollment period by six weeks after taking office and is keeping that limited window of opportunity again this year. You can visitwww.Healthcare.gov/lower-coststo see if you qualify for tax credits that will be applied as discounts on your monthly insurance premium. Welcoming New American Citizens to Memphis On Thursday, sixty new American citizens were sworn induringa naturalization ceremony in U.S. District Judge Mark Norris' courtroom in the downtown Memphis federal building. One of my district staff members represented me at the ceremony at which former residents of Indonesia, Congo, Senegal, Somalia, El Salvador, Columbia and 24 other countries raised their right hands and swore allegiance to our country. I agree with what Judge Norris told those assembled for the event: every American should attend one of these inspiring ceremonies. I welcome the new citizens to Memphis. Pointing Out Federal Resources Available for Child Care Assistance As your Congressman, one of my top priorities is to ensure that Memphians who work tirelessly to provide a strong foundation for their children have the support they need to be successful. It is important to know that the state of Tennessee has resources available for child care assistance. Eligible parents and guardians may receive support for child care services through Tennessee's Smart Steps Child Care Payment Assistance Program. Visithereto see if you are eligible. Offering 2020 U.S. Historical Society Calendars My office will have a limited number of 2020 U.S. Capitol Historical Society calendars available. If you would like to receive a calendar, pleasecompletethis formon my website. Due to the rules of the House, I am only able to mail calendars to residents of Tennessee's Ninth District. Please feel free to share this email with other residents of the Ninth District who may be interested in receiving one but who do not receive my e-Newsletter. Sign Up for Congress on Your Corner and this e-Newsletter I enjoy meeting regularly with constituents in the district and helping get answers for them to questions about dealing with federal agencies. If you are interested in attending one of my Congress on Your Corner events, you cansign up hereto receive a notification as soon as the next event is scheduled. For those who haven't participated in a telephone town hall, it's easy to sign up for them by usingthis form. If you would like to receive this weekly e-Newsletter, or share it with others, you can do that withthis form. Weekly Health Tip Handwashing is the easiest way to reduce and prevent the spread of disease. It's simple and, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention informs us, good hand hygiene is good for everyone except the germs. See that guidancehere. Quotesof the Week The evidence of the president's misconduct is overwhelming and uncontested. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff at Tuesday's announcement that the House would consider two articles of impeachment against President Trump. When President Trump, for his own personal political gain, asked for a favor from a foreign leader, he did exactly what our Founders feared most -- he invited the influence of a foreign power into our elections. This is one of the primary reasons the Founders placed impeachment in our Constitution.... President Trump's subversive and illegal actions in seeking foreign interference are an effrontery to our Constitution and to free and fair elections. They are an affront to our Founders. They are an affront to the suffragists who fought for women's voting rights. They are an affront to the memory of Medgar Evers, a civil rights leader assassinated in Jackson, Mississippi. They are an affront to the memories of Andrew Goodman, James Chaney, and Michael Schwerner, civil rights workers murdered in Philadelphia, Mississippiduring the Freedom Summer of 1964 while registering African Americans to vote. They are an affront to the memory of Viola Liuzzo, a mother of five, who was murdered by the Ku Klux Klan while she was in Alabama to participate in the Selma-to-Montgomery March. And they are an affront to the memory of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. who championed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. And they are an affront to every service member who has fought to defend our nation and our system of self-government, based upon free and fair elections. President Trump's attempt to subvert our election was an attack on America... ""Those who want to turn a blind eye to President Trump corrupting our Democracy will try to get us to look away. We should not look away. I will not look away. I will remember our Founders' great plan for our great nation and I will remember the rule of law. Above all, I will adhere to my oath of office. -- from my Opening Statement at the Judiciary Committee markup of two articles of impeachment. As always, I remain Most sincerely, Steve Cohen Member of Congress",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://roe.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400685,Roe Welcomes Dr. Van Dahlen with PREVENTS Task Force to East Tennessee,2019-12-13,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Phil Roe,R000582,roe.house.gov,,,legacy,"JOHNSON CITY, TENN. Today, Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.), the Ranking Member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen of the President's PREVENTS Task Force released the following statements after meeting with local organizations, focusing on suicide prevention, in the congressman's home district in East Tennessee: It was my pleasure to welcome Dr. Van Dahlen to East Tennessee today and to introduce her to the many individuals and organizations here who are stepping up to serve and support their neighbors in need. I am so proud of our community and know the important, life-saving work happening here can serve as an example to others across the country who are struggling to prevent suicide and address deep-seated issues in their backyards,said Roe.Visiting with Dr. Van Dahlen and these local organizations today and hearing about the work the Trump Administration is doing through the PREVENTS Task Force also reaffirmed for me that ending the national suicide crisis for veterans and for all Americans requires a community-wide approach. This approach needs to leverage the best of the public and private sector to connect individuals who are struggling with the care and help they need. That is the goal of the bipartisan IMPROVE Act and I remain hopeful we will see this bill on the President's desk shortly. I would like to thank Congressman Roe for the invitation to join him and community leaders to learn about the critical work that is being done in East Tennessee to prevent suicide. The coordination and collaboration we are seeing here is key because no organization or agency can do this work alone but together we can prevent suicide,said Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, PREVENTS Executive Director. Here in Tennessee and around the country, we are seeing our Veterans, our service members and their families stepping up to lead the way as we tackle this national tragedy. We thank them for their service and their leadership as we change the culture around mental health in general and suicide.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cohen-votes-lower-prescription-drug-prices,Congressman Cohen Votes to Lower Prescription Drug Prices,2019-12-12,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today voted for, and the House passedH.R. 3, theElijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act,a comprehensive bill that preventsAmericans from having to pay more for their medicines than what Big Pharma charges for the same drugs in other countries. The vote on passage was 230 to 192. Congressman Cohen made the following statement: The House is keeping its for the people' promise to America, today voting on a comprehensive plan to lower prescription drug prices and reform an industry knownfor unexplainable price hikeson life-saving medicationswhile industry CEOs make billionsof dollars.This bill literally puts money back in the pockets of consumers, and is a major step in the right direction. The Lower Drug Costs Now Act: Gives Medicare the power to negotiate directly with the drug companies, and creates powerful new tools to force drug companies to the table to agree to real price reductions, while ensuring seniors never lose access to the prescriptions they need. Makes the lower drug prices negotiated by Medicare available to Americans with private insurance, not just Medicare beneficiaries. Stops drug companies ripping off Americans while charging other countries less for the same drugs, limiting the maximum price for any negotiated drug to be in line with the average price in countries like ours, where drug companies charge less for the same drugs and admit they still make a profit. Creates a new, $2,000 out-of-pocket limit on prescription drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries, and reverses years of unfair price hikes above inflation across thousands of drugs in Medicare. Reinvests the hundreds of billions of dollars in savings in the most transformational improvement to Medicare since its creation delivering vision, dental and hearing benefits and turbocharging the search for new cures. Additionally, H.R. 3's expansion of Medicare coverage for dental, vision and hearing services represents a significant out-of-pocket savings for seniors. 99percentof Medicare beneficiaries in TN-09 (105,000 people) are estimated to gain dental benefits; 81percentof Medicare beneficiaries in TN-09 (86,000 people) are estimated to obtain vision benefits; 87percentof Medicare beneficiaries in TN-09 (92,500 people) are estimated to secure hearing benefits. Congressman Cohen is a member of the Congressional Medicare for All Caucus and isco-leadingthe Diabetes PreventionSemipostalAct (H.R. 4914), which would raise revenue and direct it to research on diabetes, a diseasethatin Memphis is above the national average. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://desjarlais.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-armed-services-committee-member-rep-scott-desjarlais-cheers,HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE MEMBER REP. SCOTT DESJARLAIS CHEERS BIPARTISAN DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION,2019-12-12,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Scott DesJarlais,D000616,desjarlais.house.gov,,,legacy,"HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE MEMBER REP. SCOTT DESJARLAIS CHEERS BIPARTISAN DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Congressman Scott DesJarlais, M.D., a member of the House Armed Services Committee, cheered passage of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), after a long period of negotiations among the House and Senate, Democrats and Republicans, to reverse harmful military cuts under the Obama Administration. We have achieved a defense bill that includes a big pay raise for our troops, the Space Force we need to out-class Russia and China, and allowances for a border wall. We prevented bad ideas like open borders, de-nuclearization and Guantanamo closure from making their way into legislation. said Rep. DesJarlais (TN-04), a member of the Subcommittees on Strategic Forces, as well as Emerging Threats and Capabilities. In committee hearings, the Congressman has supported U.S. deployment of low-yield nuclear weapons, without which Russia could threaten the U.S. and allies. As Chairman of the Range and Testing Center Caucus, he supports hypersonic weapons development, taking place at Arnold Air Force Base near his district. Because of his work, the NDAA that passed the House of Representatives today includes deployment and hypersonic provisions. The President has pledged to sign it into law. Rep. DesJarlais also touted a 3.1 percent pay raise for troops, funding to repair military bases, after natural disasters, and reforms to Department of Defense acquisitions to save taxpayer money. Providing for the national defense is the most important responsibility of Congress. I'm proud I could help Tennesseans serving in our Armed Forces to better protect our country from serious threats around the world. Rebuilding the military fulfills another promise President Trump made to the American people. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://desjarlais.house.gov/media-center?ID=7F0E8BBB-3737-4BE1-ADE4-C315D1D6528E,HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE MEMBER REP. SCOTT DESJARLAIS CHEERS BIPARTISAN DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION,2019-12-12,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Scott DesJarlais,D000616,desjarlais.house.gov,desjarlais,https://desjarlais.house.gov/media-center,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Scott DesJarlais, M.D., a member of the House Armed Services Committee, cheered passage of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), after a long period of negotiations among the House and Senate, Democrats and Republicans, to reverse harmful military cuts under the Obama Administration. “We have achieved a defense bill that includes a big pay raise for our troops, the Space Force we need to out-class Russia and China, and allowances for a border wall. We prevented bad ideas like open borders, de-nuclearization and Guantanamo closure from making their way into legislation.” said Rep. DesJarlais (TN-04), a member of the Subcommittees on Strategic Forces, as well as Emerging Threats and Capabilities. In committee hearings, the Congressman has supported U.S. deployment of low-yield nuclear weapons, without which Russia could threaten the U.S. and allies. As Chairman of the Range and Testing Center Caucus, he supports hypersonic weapons development, taking place at Arnold Air Force Base near his district. Because of his work, the NDAA that passed the House of Representatives today includes deployment and hypersonic provisions. The President has pledged to sign it into law. Rep. DesJarlais also touted a 3.1 percent pay raise for troops, funding to repair military bases, after natural disasters, and reforms to Department of Defense acquisitions to save taxpayer money. “Providing for the national defense is the most important responsibility of Congress. I’m proud I could help Tennesseans serving in our Armed Forces to better protect our country from serious threats around the world. “Rebuilding the military fulfills another promise President Trump made to the American people.” ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:45:33Z https://johnrose.house.gov/media/press-releases/rose-votes-ndaa-passage,Rose Votes for NDAA Passage,2019-12-12,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,John W. Rose,R000612,johnrose.house.gov,johnrose,https://johnrose.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – ""Funding our nation's military is the most fundamental responsibility of Congress,"" said U.S. Representative John Rose (TN-6) as he voted for passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020. For 58 straight years, Congress has executed its Constitutional duties and passed a National Defense Authorization Act, which authorizes critical funding and programs for our nation's military. President Trump has indicated he will sign this important legislation. ""I am proud to see bipartisan support for this year's NDAA, which is the first step in the process of getting our troops the critical funding they need,"" Rep. Rose continued. The NDAA for Fiscal Year 2020 authorizes $738 billion in defense funding that restores military readiness, provides for our servicemembers, and prepares our country for the threats yet to come. Among its provisions, the NDAA: Authorizes a 3.1 percent pay raise for our servicemen and women; Establishes the United States Space Force as the sixth branch of our nation's military; Does not prohibit funding for the border wall or add any restrictions to counterdrug programs blocking smugglers and protecting against cartels along our southern border; Holds fellow NATO countries accountable for defense spending commitments; and Overhauls the Privatized Military Housing Initiatives to address gaps in oversight and accountability. Notably, this NDAA includes language from H.R. 4367, the ""Fight Illicit Finance through Technical Assistance Act of 2019,"" which was introduced by Rep. Rose in September. Rep. Rose stated, ""I am proud to see the text of my legislation included. My bill would direct the U.S. Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to support the increased use of the IMF's budget to support anti-money laundering programs and combat the financing of terrorism. I am confident that including this language in Section 7125 of the NDAA will help create a stronger framework through which to secure our nation."" This year's NDAA passed the House by a 377-48 vote, and it now heads to the Senate. U.S. Representative John Rose represents Tennessee's Sixth Congressional District and resides in Cookeville with his wife, Chelsea, and their son, Guy. The Sixth District includes Cannon, Clay, Coffee, Cumberland, DeKalb, Fentress, Jackson, Macon, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Robertson, Smith, Sumner, Trousdale, White, and Wilson counties as well as portions of Cheatham and Van Buren counties.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:45:33Z https://markgreen.house.gov/press-releases?ID=6D3DA914-697C-4B54-99F2-EE5888117A2E,Rep. Green Votes NO on Democrats' Partisan Prescription Drug Legislation,2019-12-12,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Mark Green,G000590,markgreen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Facebook Icon Google Plus Icon Instagram Icon LinkedIn Icon Twitter Icon YouTube Icon Vimeo Icon Clients Icon Email icon Map Icon Print Icon Quote Icon icon_share Carousel Arrow - Left Carousel Arrow - Right Home Media Press Releases Print",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://roe.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400683,Roe Supports Policies That Result In More Cures Not Less,2019-12-12,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Phil Roe,R000582,roe.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.- Today, Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) released the following statement after voting against H.R. 3, the so-called Lower Drug Costs Now Act: I have lost loved ones to cancer while waiting for a cure and I don't want to lose another one. That is why I could not support H.R. 3. There is no question the cost of prescription drugs is too high, but this misguided bill would effectively give government bureaucrats the power to set drug prices. This will stifle innovation and some estimates say this bill could prevent 100 new treatments and cures from being developed. The United States leads the way in creating new cures that saves lives globally, and discouraging innovation would be catastrophic. That is why I support H.R. 19, the Lower Costs More Cures Act. This bipartisan legislation will help lower the cost of prescription drugs without restricting innovation by improving price transparency, preventing drug manufacturers from stalling development of generics, and giving the FDA the authority to approve multiple generics to stir competition.I will not apologize for rejecting a policy that would result in fewer cures, and I will continue working with my colleagues to fight for bipartisan legislation that encourages innovation to save lives. Note: Watch Congressman Roe's floor remarks on H.R. 3here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=F096C122-11D2-4B99-AD92-D2117838A392,"Roll Call: Amid impeachment saga, a kitchen sink of legislative dealing",2019-12-12,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Lamar Alexander,A000360,www.alexander.senate.gov,,,legacy,"The holiday rush on Capitol Hill is in full swing, and the bipartisan legislative lethargy is showing signs of easing even as the House debates articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump. Senate and House negotiators are still trying to reach an agreement on a bundle of spending bills, but there has been a relative abundance of other bipartisan deal-making and even actual legislation passing in the Senate. Sen.Lamar Alexander, who is chairman of both the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the Energy-Water Subcommittee, has been in the mix on much of the recent bargaining. I think that members of Congress, like the American people, are maybe coming to the conclusion that there's more to life than judges and impeachment, even though judges and impeachment are very important, the Tennessee Republican told CQ Roll Call. I suspect that feeling will grow if we go to an impeachment trial in January. I think when we come out of that I expect there to be a strong appetite for bipartisan legislation that's important to the country. Senate Majority LeaderMitch McConnellhas prioritized confirming the president's lifetime appointments to the federal judiciary over almost all other Senate business, except for must-pass measures. Using the walk and chew gum metaphor, Alexander highlighted, among other matters, recently passed legislationtostreamline the process for FDA approval of new ingredients sold in drugs without a prescription, or updating the labels for over-the-counter products. He also praised the recent passage of a bipartisan deal that would provide $255 million annually for historically black colleges and universities and advance one of his top priorities: a streamlined federal student aid form. Over in the House, as the Judiciary Committee prepared to consider impeachment articles against the president, the chamber on Wednesday adopted the conference report to accompany the fiscal 2020 defense authorization, smoothing the way for Senate passage and the president to sign it into law. In a time of significant discord, this NDAA represents a responsible compromise that strengthens our national defense capabilities. This conference agreement enhances military readiness, makes needed reforms, and provides our Armed Forces with the equipment and training needed to deter our adversaries and respond to global threats, Rhode Island Sen.Jack Reed, the ranking Democrat on the chamber's Armed Services panel, said in a statement this week. Aside from stalled stand-alone measures, there were some signs of hope that the dam would burst open for a big spending package that could be a vehicle forother crucial legislation. Senate Finance ChairmanCharles E. Grassleyof Iowa was still looking to move a package of extensions of expired and expiring tax and health policy measures, perhaps riding on a kitchen sink of a consolidated appropriations measure for fiscal 2020. Everything I tell you will depend entirely upon whether we're going to have an end-of-the-year omnibus bill as opposed to acontinuing resolution. I would hope to get tax extenders and health extenders on that, at the very least, Grassley said Wednesday. But as of 12:15 today, it's not certain that we're going to have an omnibus. Appropriations ChairmanRichard C. Shelbyof Alabama was relatively upbeat Wednesday about the prospects of getting to a final deal, even as impeachmentarticles move across the House floor. I see some leaks in the dam every now and then, Shelby said. We need to break it. It's crucial right now because of the time, you know, the calendar. A lot of it has nothing to do with appropriations. You know, it's just extraneous, but sometimes we have to get rid of it, Shelby told reporters. Likewise, Alexander hoped that the House would move ahead with resolving fiscal 2020 spending before a Trump impeachment vote. The current continuing resolution funding the government expires on Dec. 20. I think there's growing cautious optimism that the House and the Senate and the president will complete the appropriations bills at the end of the week and give the House the chance to vote on Monday or Tuesday, Alexander said. That comports with what top Democrats see as well. House Appropriations ChairwomanNita M. Loweysaid Wednesday evening that negotiators could reach agreement on full-year funding bills by the end of Thursday. I think if all goes well, we could have a deal by the end of the day tomorrow, Lowey said after reviewing a midday offer that Republicans sent over. I think their offer was real and we're discussing it and we can find some agreement, Lowey said. It's not Christmas yet, but it is December 11. I think there's hope that we are going to finish up, Sen.Thomas R. Carpersaid, highlighting the working relationship of the leaders of the Appropriations Committee in the Senate. The Delaware Democrat also referred to the upcoming House floor vote on the updated trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, known as USMCA. It turns outNancy Pelosi, our speaker, and Ambassador [Robert] Lighthizer work well together, like each other and have been able to get everybody in line, I think, on the trade deal, Carper said. McConnell announced Tuesday that the measure is not going to be moving in the Senate before the Christmas break. When McConnell says it's going to be next year, it's going to be next year regardless of whatChuck Grassleythinks, said Grassley, whose panel has jurisdiction over trade policy. The trade pact, which would replace NAFTA, appears likely to be among the final votes on the House floor of the year, after adoption of articles of impeachment. Republican Sen.John Cornyn, a Finance Committee member and former whip, said he has long expected such a vote order. I've always predicted that Speaker Pelosi would want to show something that her members in swing districts could run on, and avoid the criticism that they focused solely on impeachment to the detriment of passing any meaningful legislation, so I think that's why we have the sop of the USMCA, Cornyn said. Democratic Sen.Tim Kaineof Virginia cautioned against reading too much into the flurry of activity. This stuff could have been before now, but it's just getting to be the tendency that you wait until the end of the year because then you try and use the leverage of the other thing to get what you want here, Kaine said. I wouldn't use it as evidence that there's a new cooperative attitude.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=7F632177-F811-43F8-8DF9-87DF3342B927,"Alexander: Dr. Hahns Experience as a Practicing Oncologist, a Successful Leader of MD Anderson and Work at NIH, Make Him the Right Leader for the FDA",2019-12-12,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Lamar Alexander,A000360,www.alexander.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Dr. Hahn can now get to work approving new life-saving drugs and devices, regulating tobacco and e-cigarettes, addressing the opioid crisis, ensuring pain patients can receive the medications they need and protecting our nation's food supply. Senator Lamar Alexander WASHINGTON, December 12, 2019Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) saidthat Dr. Stephen Hahn's experience as a practicing oncologist, a successful leader of the MD Anderson Cancer Center and work at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) make him the right leaderfor the FDA at this critical time. Dr. Hahn was confirmed by the Senate today by a bipartisan vote of 72-18 to serve as commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Dr. Hahn has extensive medical and research experience and is a proven leader in large health systemsall around, he is exactly the type of nominee we want to lead an agency as important as the FDA,Alexander said.The Senate health committee I chair received sixteen letters of support for Dr. Hahn representing more than 80 organizations on behalf of doctors, patients, researchers, and from his colleagues. Dr. Hahn has also received support from five previous FDA commissioners, who served under Presidents Trump, Obama and Bush. Dr. Hahn can now get to work approving new life-saving drugs and devices, regulating tobacco and e-cigarettes, addressing the opioid crisis, ensuring pain patients can receive the medications they need and protecting our nation's food supply. Alexander is chairman of the Senate health committee which has jurisdiction over confirmation of the FDA commissioner. Alexander chaired Dr. Hahn's confirmation hearing on November 20, and the committee approved his nomination on December 3 by abipartisanvote of 18-5. Alexander today voted in favor of Dr. Hahn's nomination. Dr. Hahn has previously served as the chief medical executive at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He is board certified in both medical oncology and radiation oncology, specializing over the course of his career on prostate, bladder, kidney, testicular, and lung cancers and sarcoma. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=8CA7D295-3401-46E8-BBAE-6E2D1C5A1C89,Alexander: Health Committee Approves Legislation to Help States Prevent Child Abuse and Ensure Safety and Welfare of Children,2019-12-12,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Lamar Alexander,A000360,www.alexander.senate.gov,,,legacy,"This is a very diverse committee that is known for reaching agreement on issues that are consequential to the American people. I am glad that we have continued that record this year. So far the Committee has passed 13 bills, three of which have become law I anticipate there will be more before the year is over. We approved 46 nominees, 39 whom have been confirmed by the full Senate. And we held 13 hearings on topics that impact the lives of every American, including e-cigarettes and vaping; the importance of vaccines; and updating the Higher Education Act to ensure students are earning degrees worth their time and money. WASHINGTON, December 12, 2019 The Senate health committee today approved legislation that helps states prevent child abuse and ensure the safety and welfare of children and families. I often suggest Tennesseans look at Washington, D.C., as if it were a split-screen television, Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said. This week, on one side, you had hearings on impeachment and the Department of Justice's Inspector General report. On the other side, today, the Senate health committee approved legislation to help states ensure the safety and welfare of children and legislation to fill shortages in the pediatric and geriatric health care workforce. Alexander also today commended the committee's record of achieving results at the final markup of the year: This is a very diverse committee that is known for reaching agreement on issues that are consequential to the American people,Alexander said.I am glad that we have continued that record this year. This year the Committee has passed 13 bills, three of which have become law so far I anticipate there will be more before the year is over. We approved 46 nominees, 39 whom have been confirmed by the full Senate. And we held 13 hearings on topics that impact the lives of every American, including e-cigarettes and vaping; the importance of vaccines; and updating the Higher Education Act to ensure students are earning degrees worth their time and money. The Committee passed the following bills today: CAPTA Reauthorization Act of 2019 (S.2971) Senators Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) and Doug Jones (D-Ala.):This package of legislation reauthorizes the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act the federal legislation that gives states funding to prevent and respond to child abuse and also includes: oThe Adoption Opportunities Reauthorization Act of 2019 (S.2969), from Senators Jones and Isaksonthat supports programs to facilitate adoptions for children that have a harder time being adopted; and oThe Family Violence Prevention and Services Act,led bySenators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Bob Casey (D-Pa.),Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.)which reauthorizes programs to prevent and address family violence, including the domestic violence hotline, research and awareness campaigns about domestic violence, and prevention activities, as well as funding for shelter and supportive services for victims of family violence. Title VII Reauthorization (S.2997):This package of legislation aims to ensure we have the health care workforce we need and includes: oThe Geriatrics Workforce Improvement Act (S. 299),fromSenatorsSusan Collins (R-Maine) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.),to ensure we have enough health care workers to treat our aging population; and oThe Investment in Tomorrow's Pediatric Health Care Workforce Act (S. 2433),fromSenators Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.),to incentivize doctors to fill shortages in pediatric specialties, such as pediatric cardiologists or rheumatologists. Child Care Protection Improvement Act of 2019 (S. 2683) Senators Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.):This bill will establish a task force to assist states in implementing requirements for child care staff. NIMHD Research Endowment Revitalization Act of 2019 (S.2927) Senators Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Doug Jones (D-Ala.):This bill will help minority-serving academic institutions, such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities, foster research at their academic institutions by clarifying eligibility for the research endowments program at the National Institutes of Health. The Committee also approvedCrosby Kemper III, to serve as Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/blackburn-deliberate-malicious-actions-documented-ig-report-epitome-swamp,"Blackburn: Deliberate, Malicious Actions Documented in IG Report the Epitome of ‘The Swamp’",2019-12-12,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. At today's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) posed questions to Inspector General Michael Horowitz on his report highlighting FBI misconduct and alleged abuses of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Act. Perception by the American people of reading your reportis that this was intentional. It was deliberate, that it malicious, premeditated and well thought out As such, it is the epitome of The Swamp'. It is murky and muddy. To watch the Senator's questions, click below or here. You can read the IG report here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/blackburn-deliberate-malicious-actions-documented-ig-reportthe-epitome-swamp,"Blackburn: Deliberate, Malicious Actions Documented in IG Reportthe Epitome of ‘The Swamp’",2019-12-12,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. At today's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) posed questions to Inspector General Michael Horowitz on his report highlighting FBI misconduct and alleged abuses of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Act. Perception by the American people of reading your reportis that this was intentional. It was deliberate, that it malicious, premeditated and well thought out As such, it is the epitome of The Swamp'. It is murky and muddy. To watch the Senator's questions, click below or here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://burchett.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-burchett-ndaa-keeps-america-safe-prioritizes-veterans-and-their-families,"Rep. Burchett: NDAA keeps America safe, prioritizes veterans and their families",2019-12-11,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Tim Burchett,B001309,burchett.house.gov,burchett,https://burchett.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON – This evening, the House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (NDAA). Congressman Tim Burchett (TN-02) voted in favor of the bill. Included in the defense budget is funding to defend America's borders and citizens, a pay increase for military personnel, and full benefits owed to recently widowed military spouses. Rep. Burchett believes this builds America's military strength and keeps Americans safe, as well as provides improved benefits to those serving in our armed forces. ""Our men and women in uniform must be prepared to respond to any situation when defending our nation, and the NDAA makes sure they continue to have access to the best equipment and technology when doing so,"" said Rep. Burchett. ""I'm also proud that this legislation gives our troops and their families the benefits they deserve, including the largest pay increase in a decade."" Additionally, legislation co-authored by Rep. Burchett was attached to the final text of the NDAA. The Patriotic Employer Protection Act ensures small business owners are encouraged to hire military reservists by loosening eligibility requirements for two financial assistance programs offered by the Small Business Administration. The two programs are designed to help small businesses in the absence of an employee called to military reserve service. ""It takes courage to put your livelihood and career on hold to serve your country,"" said Rep. Burchett. ""Small businesses shouldn't struggle as a result of an employee answering the call of duty, nor should they be discouraged from hiring a military reservist."" You can read more about the Patriotic Employer Protection Act here. The NDAA is an annual piece of legislation that funds and sets policies for the Department of Defense. This year's defense budget legislation was negotiated in bipartisan fashion between the House and Senate and received widespread support when voted on by the House. The NDAA now heads to the Senate for a vote.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:45:33Z https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cohen-demands-boeing-be-held-accountable-not-correcting,Congressman Cohen Demands Boeing be held Accountable for not Correcting Known 737 MAX Flaws,2019-12-11,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, today questioned Federal Aviation Administration(FAA)Administrator Stephen M. Dickson after evidence emerged that Boeing was aware of a safety design flawregarding the angle of attack (AOA) disagree alertsin its 737 MAX aircraft but waited three years to address it. The two 737 MAX aircraft involved in the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes lacked safety features that could have helped the pilots and aviation mechanics recognize false readings from sensors connected to the aircraft's new flight control system. Following the Lion Air crash, the Indonesian civil aviation authority's final report found that the inoperative AOA disagree alert on the airplane contributed to the crew being denied valid information about abnormal conditions.It was revealedthatBoeing knew in August 2017 that the safety feature only worked on planes for which airlines had paid for it as an optional safety feature. Addressing Dickson, Congressman Cohen said: Southwest Airlines, which operates out of my hometown of Memphis, said in a statement that it had only learned that the system was optional after the Lion Air tragedy. We learned at our previous hearing in October that Boeing initially decided to wait to fix the defect for three years after discovering the flaw. Boeing also confirmed that it kept producing planes with this known defect and did not inform the FAA or its customers about it until after the Lion Air crash in October 2018. This is completely unacceptable. Somebody needs to be truly held accountable. Someone needs to be held accountable at Boeing. SeeCongressman Cohen'squestionsto Administrator Dicksonhere. Today,Congressman Cohenalsointroduced the Safety is Not for SaleActto remedy the problemand ensure that additional fees are not charged for safety enhancing equipment on airplanes.See hisrelease about the billhere. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cohen-s-remarks-historic-hearing-articles-impeachment,Congressman Cohens Remarks at Historic Hearing on Articles of Impeachment against President Donald J. Trump,2019-12-11,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee and Chairman of its Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, this evening delivered remarks at the markup of two articles of impeachment against President Donald J. Trump. The articles charge the President with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. See Congressman Cohen's remarks here. Our Constitution embodies our values and laws and it vests the power of our government in the authority of the people, expressed through free and fair elections. When President Trump, for his own personal political gain, asked for a favor from a foreign leader, he did exactly what our Founders feared most -- he invited the influence of a foreign power into our elections. This is one of the primary reasons the Founders placed impeachment in our Constitution. Last week, Professor Karlan summed up this wrongdoing well when she stated that when President Trump invited -- indeed, demanded -- foreign involvement in our upcoming election, he struck at the very heart of what makes this country the republic' to which we pledge allegiance. That demand constituted an abuse of power.' She continued . . . drawing a foreign government into our election process is an especially serious abuse of power because it undermines democracy itself.' It's as if our Founders could see into 2019 and, when they did, they saw Donald Trump corrupting our Democracy by saying to President Zelensky of Ukraine I'd like you to do us a favor, though. . .' President Trump's subversive and illegal actions in seeking foreign interference are an effrontery to our Constitution and to free and fair elections. They are an affront to our Founders. They are an affront to the suffragists who fought for women's voting rights. They are an affront to the memory of Medgar Evers, a civil rights leader assassinated in Jackson, Mississippi. They are an affront to the memories of Andrew Goodman, James Chaney, and Michael Schwerner, civil rights workers murdered in Philadelphia, Mississippiduring the Freedom Summer of 1964 while registering African Americans to vote. They are an affront to the memory of Viola Liuzzo, a mother of five, who was murdered by the Ku Klux Klan, while she was in Alabama to participate in the Selma-to-Montgomery March. And they are an affront to the memory of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. who championed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. And they are an affront to every service member who has fought to defend our nation and our system of self-government, based upon free and fair elections. President Trump's attempt to subvert our election was an attack on America. The President got caught when the whistleblower exposed the President's scheme. Then the President sought to cover up that scheme. He stonewalled Congress as we pursued our investigation. He instructed his staff, cabinet, and other federal officials to do the same. Previous Presidents facing impeachment -- even President Nixon -- cooperated with Congress. But President Trump has thumbed his nose at our Constitutional power. Congress is a co-equal branch of government and was foremost in the Founders' minds. They placed Congress first, in Article 1 of the Constitution. President Trump's obstruction of Congress is an affront to Peter Rodino, who chaired this Committee in the summer of 1974 when Congress investigated Nixon's betrayal of his oath of office. It is also an affront to the memory of Representative Barbara Jordan who, as a member of this Committee, said she would not be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction, of the constitution.' And it is an affront to the memory of Congressman Elijah Cummings who knew we were better than this. And it is an affront to the many patriots who loved their country enough to defy the President's tyrannical attempt to prohibit their testimony, including Ambassador Yovanovitch, Ambassador Taylor, Lieutenant Colonel Vindman, and Dr. Fiona Hill. And, further, it is an affront to the memory of Caldwell Butler, a principled Republican member of the Judiciary Committee in 1974. He did not support impeachment before the hearings, but the evidence convinced him. He announced that he would vote for impeachment by saying, For years we Republicans have campaigned against corruption and misconduct, but Watergate is our shame.' His sense of right and wrong was inviolate. When his Mother warned him that his future would go down the drain' he responded, Dear Mother, You are probably right. However, I feel that my loyalty to the Republican Party does not relieve me of the obligation that I have.' His Mother was wrong. Representative Butler served for another decade. And President Trump's obstruction of Congress is an affront to the citizens of my district, all members of Congress, and all Americans who support free and fair elections. We, the People's House, have a duty to uphold our oath of office and be the check on a President who abuses his power, betrays his oath, and corrupts our elections. Those who want to turn a blind eye to President Trump corrupting our Democracy will try to get us to look away. We should not look away. I will not look away. I will remember our Founders' great plan for our great nation and I will remember the rule of law. Above all, I will adhere to my oath of office. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/wake-boeing-737-max-crashes-congressman-cohen-introduces-safety-not-sale,"In the Wake of Boeing 737 MAX Crashes, Congressman Cohen introduces Safety is Not for Sale Act",2019-12-11,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a senior member of the Aviation Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, today introduced the Safety isNot for Sale Act, legislation that would require air carriers to adopt additional safety features and ensure all non-required safety enhancing equipment is offered or provided to all carriers without an additional charge. The two 737 MAX aircraft involved in the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes lackedsafetyfeatures that could have helped the pilots and aviation mechanics recognize false readings from sensors connected to the aircraft's new flight control system.Following the Lion Air crash, the Indonesian civil aviation authority's final report found that the inoperative angle of attack (AOA) disagree alert on the airplane contributed to the crew being denied valid information about abnormal conditions. In August 2017, Boeing learned that theAOAdisagree alerts were only functional on the planes where customers also purchased an optional AOA indicator. However, only 20 percent of Boeing's 737 MAX customers purchased these optional AOA indicators. As confirmed by Boeing at the latest Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing on the Boeing 737 MAXin October, Boeing also confirmed that it kept producing planes with this known defect and did not inform the FAA or its customers about it until after the Lion Air crash in October 2018. Congressman Cohen made the following statement: Aviation safety should not be treated as a luxury bought or sold for an extra fee. Safety features should be standard equipment on all airline fleets.The Safety is Not for Sale Act makes it clear that safetyis not optional. See a copy of the bill here. Today, the full House Transportation and Infrastructure Committeewill holda hearing on the Boeing 737 MAX and the FAA's oversight of the aircraft's certification with witnesses including FAA Administrator Stephen Dickson. The bill is supported by many aviation safety advocates, including the Air Line Pilots Association, Int'l, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO,andthe National Consumers League. The Air Line Pilots Association, Int'l applauds the introduction of the Safety Is Not for Sale Act, a bill that would make additional safety information available to airline pilots in the cockpit and provide airlines with more safety data about the equipment they operate, while also making onboard safety enhancements easier to acquire, said Capt. JoeDePete, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int'l. To protect the passengers, crews, and cargo we fly, the U.S. airline industry must constantly enhance the equipment, processes, training, and procedures that havemade commercial air transportation the safest mode of transportation in history. When grieving the loss of a loved one following an aircraft accident, no one ever talks about the great ticket price they paid. Safety is presumed not for sale, said Sara Nelson, International President of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO. Our lives and our jobs depend on the core principle that safety is priceless, just like every soul on the plane. State of the art safety technology should be standard equipment on all aircraft, said Sally Greenberg, Executive Director, National Consumers League. If this bill were law, it could have saved hundreds of lives and prevented the recent tragic loss of life. This bill is also supported by the Association of Professional Flight Attendants. Massachusetts Senator Edward Markeyand California Senator Dianne Feinsteinfirst introduced the Safety is Not for Sale Act in the Senate in April. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cooper.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-jim-cooper-statement-on-space-force,Rep. Jim Cooper Statement on Space Force,2019-12-11,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,TN,Jim Cooper,C000754,cooper.house.gov,,,legacy,"I am honored to be here today with my friend and equal partner in this multi-year effort, Mike Rogers of Alabama. This is an excellent example of how friendship across the aisle, and the state line, can get good things done. We need to establish a Space Force because we need to keep world-wide GPS safe, world-wide ATMs safe, and, most importantly, to keep YOU safe. This is not a Trump idea. He tried to hijack it long after the House Armed Services Committee voted 60-1, on a totally bipartisan and nearly unanimous basis, to establish a Space Corps. Trump's belated support for a Space Force does not make this a Republican idea. Focus on space has been bipartisan since the first Pentagon space command in 1985, an initiative that was sadly terminated in 2002 when America got distracted by the War on Terror. Our adversaries and potential adversaries were not distracted. Since 2002, they have relentlessly pursued anti-US strategies against our literally defenseless satellites. Sadly, they have made space a war-fighting domain. On behalf of the free world, we must respond. What's the difference between a Space Corps and a Space Force? One word. The language in this year's NDAA is primarily the old Space Corps language which passed HASC this year unanimously. The vision that Mike Rogers and I had in 2017 was to separate space from the traditional Air Force because the Air Force was neglecting its space mission and not performing as well as the NRO. We wanted a new independent service under the Air Force, just as the Marine Corps is under the Department of Navy. Our vision was not to spend much money on the Space Corps, but to put Air Force space money under new management. The only additional authorization in this bill for a Space Force in 2020 is $72 million, or less than 0.0001 of Pentagon spending. To be sure, this is just the beginning of a long effort to birth a new military service, America's sixth, but it is long overdue and we all must ensure a safe delivery. We look forward to your questions.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://kustoff.house.gov/media/press-releases/kustoff-votes-strengthen-our-military,Kustoff Votes to Strengthen our Military,2019-12-11,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,David Kustoff,K000392,kustoff.house.gov,kustoff,https://kustoff.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, Congressman David Kustoff (TN-08) issued the following statement following the vote for Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This legislation will authorize $738 billion in funding for the Department of Defense. ""The federal government's number one priority is to ensure the safety and security of the American people. I am proud to support this vital funding that will provide the necessary resources to continue to rebuild our military's readiness, develop new technologies, and confront our adversaries,"" said Rep. David Kustoff. ""Most importantly, this legislation gives our servicemen and women a deserved 3.1 percent pay raise, which is the largest in a decade. I look forward to President Trump signing this legislation into law and giving our troops the tools they need to fulfill important missions and properly defend our nation."" Background on FY 2020 NDAA:",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:45:33Z https://markgreen.house.gov/press-releases?ID=8AFFEC0E-3132-4355-90E6-5B124BE6E636,Rep. Green's Spiritual Readiness Amendment Passes the House,2019-12-11,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Mark Green,G000590,markgreen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Facebook Icon Google Plus Icon Instagram Icon LinkedIn Icon Twitter Icon YouTube Icon Vimeo Icon Clients Icon Email icon Map Icon Print Icon Quote Icon icon_share Carousel Arrow - Left Carousel Arrow - Right Home Media Press Releases Print",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://roe.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400682,Roe Supports 2020 National Defense Authorization Act,2019-12-11,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Phil Roe,R000582,roe.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.- Today, Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) released the following statement after voting for the Fiscal Year 2020National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)Conference Report: I am proud to support the 2020 NDAA Conference Report. This legislation builds upon our efforts to rebuild and strengthen our military at home and overseas with an overall defense budget of $738 billion. Included in this bill is the largest and a well deserved pay raise in a decade for our servicemembers at 3.1 percent. I've also long been troubled by the suicide crisis affecting our servicemembers, and encouraged by the work of innovative organizations like Guard Your Buddy in Tennessee, which seems to be making real progress in helping National Guard and reserve servicemembers who are in crisis. I'm very pleased this bill includes language that will encourage the Guard to undertake a pilot program aimed at assisting members of the National Guard with additional suicide prevention efforts. Additionally, the removal of so-called widow's tax,' which prevented nearly 60,000 widows and widowers since the 1970's, from receiving their full survivor benefits from the Department of Defense because they were being offset by survivor benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs, is welcome news and long overdue. In short, the passage of the 2020 NDAA is a win for our servicemembers and their families across the nation, and I hope to see this bill delivered to the President's desk without delay.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=77F044A2-A400-4DF3-B7C0-F0CEE458D5C6,Alexander: Vanderbilts Dr. Josh Denny to Lead NIH Precision Medicine Initiative,2019-12-11,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Lamar Alexander,A000360,www.alexander.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, December 11, 2019 United States Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement after Dr. Francis Collins, the director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), announced Vanderbilt's Dr. JoshDennywill serve as the new chief executive officer fortheAll of UsResearch Program, the centerpiece of the Precision Medicine Initiative: Dr. JoshDennyis an experienced team leader and has precisely the skills needed to finishthe important job ofcollecting health information from 1 million people and using that information in a way that saves lives. This is one of the most important initiatives supported by the 2016 law,the 21stCentury Cures Act, and is one of the largest initiativesundertaken in NIH history. Dr. Collins is to be commended for assembling such a strong leadership team for thiseffort. Dr. JoshDennyis currently a professor of biomedical information and medicine at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Dr.Dennyhas been involved with the Precision Medicine Initiative since its inception. The 21stCentury Cures Act,which Alexander sponsored and President Obama signed into law in 2016,authorized andincluded $1.4 billion for thePrecision Medicine Initiativeto help drive treatments and cures tailored to an individual's genes and expedite cures for rare diseases. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=BA15A331-D8D3-4A58-84F4-0E9F7D2FE6C0,Senate Passes Bill with Alexander-Murray Amendment to Permanently Fund Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Simplify Federal Student Aid Application Form,2019-12-11,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Lamar Alexander,A000360,www.alexander.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, December 10, 2019 The United States Senate today passed bipartisan legislation that included an amendment from Senate Education Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) that permanently reauthorizes $255 million in annual funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutions and simplifies the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form that 20 million families, including 8 million minority students, fill out every year to qualify for federal student aid. First, this legislation provides permanent funding, fully paid for, for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other Minority Serving Institutions attended by over 2 million minority students,Alexander said.Second, after five years of bipartisan effort, this simplification of the FAFSA removes a huge roadblock for the millions of Americans who apply for federal grants and loans to attend college. Alexander continued:This bipartisan provision stops families from having to give their same tax information to the federal government twice first to the IRS, then again to the U.S. Department of Education. Students give permission to the IRS and the Department of Education to share tax return data, which eliminates up to 22 questions on the FAFSA with one click. It should eliminate most of the so-called verification' process, which is a bureaucratic nightmare that 5.5 million students go through annually to make sure the information they gave to the Department of Education is exactly the same as they gave to the IRS. Yesterday, the president of Lane Collegeone of six HBCUs in Tennesseetold me that he has three staff members dedicated to helping the 40 percent of Lane College students who are currently selected for verification each year. This legislation would greatly reduce that burden on his students and their families and allow the staff to spend their time counseling students about academics or jobs, instead of helping them fill out a form. Alexander concluded:The final step to simplify the FAFSA is to pass additional legislation that will reduce the 108 questions on the FAFSA to a total of between 18 and 30 questions and make Pell grants predictable so students can know how much grant aid they will receive to attend college. The FUTURE Actwhich passed the Senate unanimously last Thursdayincludes an updated bipartisan amendment sponsored by Alexander, Murray and Sens. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.). Earlier today, the House passed an update containing an agreement Alexander and Murray, working with Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.) and Education Chairman Bobby Scott (D-Va.) and Ranking Member Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) reached. The bill now heads to the President's desk to be signed into law. Background on theLegislation: Permanently reauthorizes and provides $255 million in annual mandatory funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other Minority Serving Institutions Is fully paid for by including the FAFSA Act which passed the Senate unanimously last year: Allows providing tax information only onceStudents do not have to give their tax information to the federal government twice. Eliminates up to 22 questionsStudents give permission to the Department of Education to request tax return data already given to the Internal Revenue Service, which reduces the 108 questions on the FAFSA by up to 22 questions. Eliminates verification nightmareFor most students, eliminates so-called verification which is a bureaucratic nightmare that 5.5 million students go through annually to make sure the information they gave to the U.S. Department of Education is exactly the same as they gave to the IRS. Eliminates $6 billion in mistakesAccording to the U.S. Department of Education, helps taxpayers by eliminating up to $6 billion each year in mistakes (both overpayments and underpayments) in Pell grants and student loans. Enables 7 million applicants who are currently unable to access their IRS data for their FAFSA to verify that they do not file taxes without requesting separate documentation from the IRS Streamlines income-driven repayment by eliminating burdensome annual paperwork for 7.7 million federal student loan borrowers on income-driven plans According to the Congressional Budget Office, the FAFSA Act saves taxpayers $2.8 billion over ten years which will be used to pay for the permanent funding for HBCUs and other Minority Serving Institutions. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/blackburn-applauds-completion-ndaa-conference-report,Blackburn Applauds Completion of NDAA Conference Report,2019-12-11,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a conferee for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, today applauded the completion of the defense spending conference report. Senator Blackburn advocated for several provisions critical to groups in Tennessee that are included in the NDAA. This NDAA funds our key priorities of implementing the National Defense Strategy, rebuilding the military, and taking care of our troops and their families. Tennessee is proud to be home to multiple military bases, Senator Blackburn said. The sacrifice our members of the military make in service to our country can never be repaid. It is essential that we provide our men and women in uniform with the support they need to protect the United States and support their families. This bill seeks to meet that goal. The FY 2020 NDAA provides our men and women in uniform with a 3.1% pay increase the first since 2010. It eliminates the Widow's Tax over three years, resulting in full annuity to be paid out on and after January 1, 2023. The legislation also provides much-needed oversight of the Privatized Military Housing Program, including creation of a Resident Bill of Rights. Senator Blackburn's work in the FY 2020 NDAA: Implements military spouse professional licensure reciprocity to make it easier for spouses to continue working when moved across state lines for their service. This provision comes as a result of discussions with members of the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell as they seek to facilitate a seamless adjustment for their family members. Invests in the well-being of the servicemember, including through establishment of a network of support for DoD families of incoming servicemembers. Includes STEM courses in JROTC training to educate young men and women in science- and technology-related skills. Requires DOD to track how much time members of the National Guard are deployed, as extended periods away can cause undue stress on their civilian jobs. This comes as a result of discussions I had with members of the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment in Poland and Ukraine, including several guardsmen and women from Knoxville and the surrounding area who described this as being one of the biggest hurdles in their service. Requires healthcare providers to ask questions about environmental exposures during post-deployment health assessments. Many servicemembers who have deployed to austere environments out of Tennessee have been exposed to open-air burn pits and other environmental hazards. This provision will also give healthcare providers with access to the burn pits registry and a plan will be implemented to phase out burn pits entirely. Provides full funding for procurement, research, testing, and development of mission-essential aircraft, including CH-47 Chinook helicopters and MQ-9 Reaper Unmanned Aerial Systems. Increases infrastructure and operations budget for our national nuclear security enterprise, which includes the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Y-12 National Security Complex in Tennessee. This bill will properly fund facilities that have been neglected since after the Cold War. Invests in the future of our military through the implementation of the Space Force. Supports the partnership between the U.S. military and its strong and unwavering partnership with the Kurds in Syria. Maintains the enduring and critical partnership the U.S. enjoys with Israel, including through full funding of missile defense articles, cooperation on countering unmanned aerial systems, and extension of anti-tunnel cooperation activities.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cohen-supports-introduction-articles-impeachment,Congressman Cohen Supports Introduction of Articles of Impeachment,2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee,todaysupported the introduction oftwo articles of impeachment against President Donald J. Trump. The articles, to be debated later this week in the Judiciary Committee, charge the President with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Congressman Cohen made the following statement: When I was sworn in as a Member of Congress, I accepted thesolemn duty of defending the Constitution. Inupholding my oath, I am compelled to support President Trump's impeachment.Trump has repeatedly placed hispersonal politicalinterests above thenationalinterests he swore to preserve, protect and defend.The President asked the president of Ukraine to get involved in next year's American elections for Trump's benefit,robbing Americans of a fair election independent of foreign influence.He then tried to cover it up by repeatedly defying Congressional oversight. Throughout our history, bravemen and womenfought -- and died -- for the right to vote.This impeachment is aboutpatriotism and duty, not politics. We are abiding by our oath to protect the Constitution and the future of our democracy. Congressman Cohen, the Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, originally introduced five articles of impeachment against President Trump in November of 2017. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cooper.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cooper-responds-to-articles-of-impeachment-against-president-trump,Cooper Responds to Articles of Impeachment Against President Trump,2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,TN,Jim Cooper,C000754,cooper.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Congressman Jim Cooper (TN-05) issued the following statement in response to the two Articles of Impeachment brought forth against President Trump, I will vote for the Articles of Impeachment against President Trump.Once again, the President has intentionally harmed America, this time by disregarding the law and interfering with U.S. aid to fight our enemy - Russia - against tanks that are invading Ukraine, already causing 13,000 casualties. When caught, the President obstructed justice by ordering others to hide the truth. Several of the President's top advisors have already been convicted of other criminal activity and his own former chief of staff, Gen. John Kelly, warned the President that he would likely be impeached if he did not change his ways. While Congress has carried out its constitutional duty to find the truth, the President has repeatedly obstructed its efforts. The Senate should now hold a trial on these charges. I just hope there are enough senators like Tennessee's own Howard Baker who simply and bravely asked during the Watergate scandal, What did the President know, and when did he know it?'",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://fleischmann.house.gov/media/press-releases/fleischmann-announces-2019-congressional-app-challenge-winners,Fleischmann Announces 2019 Congressional App Challenge Winners,2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,"Charles J. ""Chuck"" Fleischmann",F000459,fleischmann.house.gov,fleischmann,https://fleischmann.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"CHATTANOOGA, TN — Congressman Chuck Fleischmann (TN-03) released the following statement announcing the winning app from the Third District in the nationwide Congressional App Challenge: ""Congratulations to Colby Bowers and Emily Swanson, the team from Sequoyah High School, who created the ""School App,"" the winning entry from the Third District in this year's Congressional App Challenge. Like many of their peers, Colby and Emily understand the demands of school events, club meetings, sporting events, and preparing for success in college that can often be overwhelming for students in East Tennessee and across the nation. Thanks to Colby and Emily's creativity and ingenuity, students now have an app to stay up to date, informed, and organized in an easily accessible and user-friendly manner. All 34 applications received this year were phenomenal, and I thank the creators of every app for their participation and encourage all middle and high school students to showcase their talents by participating in the Congressional App Challenge next year.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:45:33Z https://fleischmann.house.gov/media/press-releases/fleischmann-rebukes-articles-impeachment,Fleischmann Rebukes Articles of Impeachment,2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,"Charles J. ""Chuck"" Fleischmann",F000459,fleischmann.house.gov,fleischmann,https://fleischmann.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Chuck Fleischmann (TN-03) released the following statement in strong opposition to Democrats' announcement of articles of impeachment against President Trump: ""No one is surprised that House Democrats have announced another step in their pre-ordained decision to take down the President at any cost with their articles of impeachment. After all, the American people know this has been the Democrats' goal since President Trump was elected. For Democrats to assert that the President abused his power, when in actuality they are abusing the power of their majority by wasting taxpayer dollars and time with this witch-hunt, is an ironic twist in this political theater. Additionally, the true obstruction of Congress is the work that this Democratic-led House has failed to accomplish – like funding the government and securing our border. Should these articles of impeachment come to a vote on the House floor, I will vote no.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:45:33Z https://johnrose.house.gov/media/press-releases/rose-condemns-house-democrats-articles-impeachment,Rose Condemns House Democrats’ Articles of Impeachment,2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,John W. Rose,R000612,johnrose.house.gov,johnrose,https://johnrose.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative John Rose (TN-6) condemned today's introduction of Articles of Impeachment against President Donald J. Trump. ""What we have seen today is not surprising. For three years, House Democrats have planned to impeach President Trump,"" Rep. Rose said. ""These Articles of Impeachment reflect a true disdain for President Trump and an irreverence for the impeachment process."" Today, House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler (NY-10) introduced two Articles of Impeachment against the president, the first being ""Abuse of Power,"" and the second is ""Obstruction of Congress."" ""House Democrats have spent the entire year preparing for impeachment instead of ratifying the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), authorizing funding for our military through the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), or passing adequate funding to secure our southern border,"" Rep. Rose continued. ""If the full House considers these Articles of Impeachment,"" Rep Rose stated, ""I will be voting ‘no.'"" U.S. Representative John Rose represents Tennessee's Sixth Congressional District and resides in Cookeville with his wife, Chelsea, and their son, Guy. The Sixth District includes Cannon, Clay, Coffee, Cumberland, DeKalb, Fentress, Jackson, Macon, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Robertson, Smith, Sumner, Trousdale, White, and Wilson counties as well as portions of Cheatham and Van Buren counties.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:45:33Z https://johnrose.house.gov/media/press-releases/rose-supports-usmca-deal,Rose Supports USMCA Deal,2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,John W. Rose,R000612,johnrose.house.gov,johnrose,https://johnrose.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative John Rose (TN-6) reiterated his support for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) after President Trump reached a deal with U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to bring the trade agreement forward for ratification. ""Countless farmers, small business owners, and job creators in Middle Tennessee have called, written, and met with me to express their strong support for USMCA,"" said Rep. Rose. ""I stand ready to cast my vote in support of its ratification and this step forward for all those pursuing the American dream in our Tennessee communities."" After more than a year of waiting, Speaker Pelosi announced today that she will allow a vote for ratification of the USMCA. It was 375 days ago that President Trump first signed the agreement with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto on November 30, 2018. Since then, Rep. John Rose welcomed Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Purdue to Middle Tennessee to visit Tennessee workers impacted by the agreement. The USMCA received bipartisan support last November and is expected to be ratified with overwhelming bipartisan support when the vote is held. ""As a farmer and small business owner myself, I know how important President Trump's modernized trade agreement is for our workforce in the 21st Century,"" Rep. Rose stated. ""Tennesseans are tired of partisan gridlock. Moving forward on USMCA is exactly what Congress should be doing. I will continue advocating for the swift passage of this strong, bipartisan deal that will benefit the people I represent in Middle Tennessee."" U.S. Representative John Rose represents Tennessee's Sixth Congressional District and resides in Cookeville with his wife, Chelsea, and their son, Guy. The Sixth District includes Cannon, Clay, Coffee, Cumberland, DeKalb, Fentress, Jackson, Macon, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Robertson, Smith, Sumner, Trousdale, White, and Wilson counties as well as portions of Cheatham and Van Buren counties.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:45:33Z https://kustoff.house.gov/media/press-releases/kustoff-s-statement-following-articles-impeachment,Kustoff’s Statement Following Articles of Impeachment,2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,David Kustoff,K000392,kustoff.house.gov,kustoff,https://kustoff.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Congressman David Kustoff (TN-08), issued the following statement following Speaker Pelosi's announcement that she will introduce two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump. ""Today's impeachment announcement is no surprise. Since day one, Democrats have been planning to impeach President Trump. Democrats have presented no case for impeachment. There was no bribery, no quid pro quo, and no abuse of power,"" said Rep. Kustoff. ""It is unfortunate that Democrats continue to be motivated by politics instead of serving the American people. I am confident the American people see through this partisan effort.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:45:33Z https://kustoff.house.gov/media/press-releases/kustoff-says-usmca-major-victory-our-country,Kustoff Says USMCA is a Major Victory for Our Country,2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,David Kustoff,K000392,kustoff.house.gov,kustoff,https://kustoff.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Congressman David Kustoff (TN-08), issued the following statement following Speaker Pelosi's announcement on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). ""Today's announcement is a major win for our country. We are in the greatest economy of our lifetime with record unemployment and increased bonuses and wages, and this trade agreement only ensures we can continue on this path,"" said Rep. Kustoff. ""Through better and more modern trade policies, the USMCA will increase Tennessee's exports, create more jobs, raise wages, and allow Tennesseans to achieve overall greater economic prosperity. I would like to thank President Trump for keeping his promises by delivering real results for our American families, manufacturers, and agriculture community."" ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T23:45:33Z https://roe.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400679,Roe Statement on USMCA Agreement,2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Phil Roe,R000582,roe.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.- Today, Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) released the following statement after Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced a deal to bring the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to the House floor for a vote:East Tennesseans have seen how President Trump's America-first, free-market policies are leading to job opportunities and economic prosperity. Today's announcement is a win for Tennesseans and more good news for hardworking Americans. Since he was elected, President Trump has worked tirelessly, along with U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, to negotiate a fairer trade deal for the United States with our two largest trading partners, Mexico and Canada. After months of needless delay, the House will finally have the opportunity to pass this landmark agreement. This deal will benefit American manufacturers and farmers, and serve as a framework for modernizing our trade deals for our needs in the 21stCentury. I look forward to voting yes on the USMCA for East Tennesseans.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://roe.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400680,Roe Statement on House Democrats Articles of Impeachment Against President Trump,2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Phil Roe,R000582,roe.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) released the following statement after House Democrats released articles of impeachment against President Trump: Today I read the articles of impeachment released by House Democrats and my opinion has not changed: President Trump has committed no impeachable offense. Chairmen Schiff and Nadler paraded witnesses through two Congressional committees and failed to uncover any proof or evidence that President Trump committed a crime. Democrats are basing their impeachment efforts on a phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky, the unredacted transcript of which has been publicly released, which shows no pressure or quid pro quo. Democrats have held numerous closed-door hearings, denied Republicans the right to call additional witnesses, and prevented the president's counsel from cross-examining witnesses as has been the case in our nation's previous impeachment proceedings. This impeachment is a sham and nothing more than political theater. I look forward to voting against these baseless articles of impeachment.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=08440AE8-1675-47D1-9A9B-D291F4F3BB1E,Overwhelming Support for Bipartisan Legislation to Permanently Fund HBCUs and Simplify the FAFSA,2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Lamar Alexander,A000360,www.alexander.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, December 10, 2019Last week,theUnited StatesSenate passed bipartisanlegislation fromSenate EducationCommittee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Senators Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) that will make permanent $255 million in annual fundingforHistorically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions,simplify the Free ApplicationforFederal Student Aid(FAFSA)for20 million American families, and streamline income-driven repaymentfornearly 8 million borrowers. SupportforHBCU Funding: United Negro College Fund:We have yet another reason to be thankful this season. This permanent funding solution, which would stave off unnecessary cutsforour institutions, will allow HBCUs to continue fostering innovation and inspiring future leaders in the STEM disciplinesand that helps our nation. Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities:This bill helps to cut much of the red tape that needlessly stands in the way of students receiving the financial aid they need to access and afford a college education and to successfully repay their loans. We're particularly appreciative of the certainty the bill would provide to HBCUs, HSIs, and other MSIs on critical funding they rely uponfora range of efforts, including strengthening STEM education, enhancing research capacity, investing in academic services and student success, and providing support to students at risk of dropping out. This bipartisan bill is a big winforstudents. American Association of State Colleges and Universities:The expiration of this funding authority at the end of the last fiscal year has been a source of great concernforthe entire higher education communityI am therefore delighted to thank youfordevising a pragmatic and bipartisan solution that not only extends, but also provides a permanent mandatory funding mechanismforthis critical program authorized in Title III, Part F of the Higher Education Act. The campus programs supported by your legislation contribute greatly to the strength of our economy, fuel innovation, and promote the diversification of our future workforce. SupportforFAFSA Simplification: National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators:Allowing the IRS to share applicant data directly with ED will simplify the financial aid application, verification, and student loan repayment processesformillions of students and borrowers. The FUTURE Act provides a two-for-one deal by guaranteeing critically important permanent, annual fundingforMinority-Serving Institutions that serve large numbers of low-income, first-generation college students. These are the sort of reasonable, bipartisan solutions students and families need from Washington, D.C., and we applaud these senatorsfortheir commitment to removing barriers to postsecondary education. The financial aid community urges House leadership to take swift action on this bill. National College Access Network:This bill eliminates up to 22 income-related questions on the FAFSA and streamlines student loan repayment by allowingfordirect data sharing between the Departments of Treasury and Education. Using verified income information from the IRS will also address the burdensome, audit-like process of FAFSA verification that requires students to confirm their submitted information. While negotiations on a full reauthorization of the Higher Education Act continue, we encourage swift action on these commonsense solutions with bipartisan support. American Council on Education:The amendment would make significant improvements to the federal student aid system, by simplifying and streamlining the processesforapplyingforstudent aid and repaying student loans. The changes proposed in the amendment will make the process of payingforcollege significantly easierforstudents and their families, and strengthen the accuracy and effectiveness of the administration of these programs. Finally, the bill includes additional fundingforthe Federal Pell Grant program, which is the cornerstone of federal student aid. These grants enable millions of low-income students to access and afford college, and we appreciate the inclusion of additional supportforthis valuable program. National Council of Higher Education Resources:The amended version of the FUTURE Act would accomplish two of the most pressing needs facing postsecondary education without eliminating Account Maintenance Fees or AMF paid to guaranty agencies, as envisioned under the original House bill. State and nonprofit guaranty agencies are required under the Higher Education Act to provide important services to students, borrowers, families, and the federal government in order to increase access to and success in postsecondary education. The administrative funds that these agencies receive from the federal government is critical to helping first?generation and low?income college students. President Donald Trump: Ivanka Trump: Education Secretary Betsy DeVos: Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.): Sen. Michael Bennett (D-Colo.): ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=353CEDAA-C81F-4101-980B-A3D5C6566D89,Alexander: Senate Passes Most Important New Law For Over-the-Counter Drugs in 40 Years,2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Lamar Alexander,A000360,www.alexander.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C., December 10, 2019 Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said the Senate today passed the most important new law affecting the safety, innovation, and affordability of over-the-counter drugs since the 1970's. In 2015, as the Senate health committee was working on the 21st Century Cures Act, I asked Janet Woodcock, the Director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at the Food and Drug Administration, if there was any change she needed but hadn't been able to get done,Alexander said.She replied that the over-the-counter monograph the rules that govern how all drugs sold at pharmacies other than prescription drugs are approved hadn't been updated since the 1970's and that she hadn't been able to persuade Congress to do it. Senator Isakson and Senator Casey's Over-the-Counter Monograph Safety, Innovation, and Reform Act will nowmodernize those rules. It is a great testament to Senator Isakson's legislative skill and determination, and I thank him and Senator Casey for their work to get this update across the finish line. The Senate health committee passed the Over-the-Counter Monograph Safety, Innovation, and Reform Act by voice vote on October 31, 2019. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=3A516D40-97FB-4BBC-AD7E-BE36553E4AE0,Alexander Statement on Fourth Anniversary of Fixing No Child Left Behind,2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Lamar Alexander,A000360,www.alexander.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, December 10, 2019 U.S. Senate Education Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) made the following statement on the fourthanniversary of the Every Student Succeeds Act becoming law: Four years ago, President Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act, calling it a Christmas Miracle.' Today, states are taking advantage of what the Wall Street Journal called the largest devolution of federal control to the states in a quarter-century.' UnderESSA, every state plan for spending federal dollars has now been approved by the U.S. Department of Education. More than half of states have already improved those plans with amendments based on feedback from superintendents, principals, teachers, parents and students. Less time is being focused just on test scores. States have begun to identify their lowest performing schools and provide extra support during this school year. Elementary and secondary education involves 50 million students, more than 3 million teachers, and 100,000 public schools. On this fourth anniversary, we should remember that the best decisions about increasing student achievement and fixing the lowest performing schools are usually made state by state, community by community. On December 10, 2015, President Obama signed into law the Every Student Succeeds Act, the bill to fix No Child Left Behind, and called it a Christmas miracle. The bipartisan bill that Alexander sponsored passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 359-64 before being passed by the U.S. Senate 85-12. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=5A5DF26A-C674-450A-B06B-61460DAA6259,House Passes Alexander-Murray Bill to Simplify Federal Student Aid Application Form,2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Lamar Alexander,A000360,www.alexander.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, December 10, 2019 The U.S. House of Representatives today passed bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senate Education Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) that simplifies the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form that 20millionAmericanfamilies, including 8 million minority students, fill out every year to qualify for federal student aid. The legislation also permanently reauthorizes and provides $255 million in annual mandatory funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other Minority Serving Institutions and eliminates the bureaucratic verification nightmare for most students. First, this legislation provides permanent funding, fully paid for, for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other Minority Serving Institutions attended by over 2 million minority students,Alexander said.Second, after five years of bipartisan effort, it takes a first step to simplify the Free Application for Federal Student Aid that 20 million families, including 8 million minority students, fill out every year to qualify for federal student aid. Alexander continued:This bipartisan provision stops families from having to give their same tax information to the federal government twice first to the IRS, then again to the U.S. Department of Education. Students give permission to the IRS and the Department of Education to share tax return data, which eliminates up to 22 questions on the FAFSA with one click. It should eliminate most of the so-called verification' process, which is a bureaucratic nightmare that 5.5 million students go through annually to make sure the information they gave to the Department of Education is exactly the same as they gave to the IRS. Yesterday, the president of Lane College one of six HBCUs in Tennessee told me that he has three staff members dedicated to helping the 40 percent of Lane College students who are currently selected for verification each year. This legislation would greatly reduce that burden on his students and their families and allow the staff to spend their time counseling students about academics or jobs, instead of helping them fill out a form. Alexander concluded:Last week, the Senate modified and passed the FUTURE Actlegislation that began in the House. Today, the House has improved and passed the Senate-passed bill. I fully support it and see no reason the Senate can't pass it and send it to the president to deliver a Christmas present for 8 million minority students. The FUTURE Act which passed the Senate unanimously last Thursday includes an updated bipartisan amendment sponsored by Alexander, Senate education committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Senators Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.). The legislation passed by the House today reflects an agreement Alexander and Murray, working with Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.) and Education Committee Chairman Bobby Scott (D-Va.) and Ranking Member Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) reached. Background on theLegislation: Permanently reauthorizes and provides $255 million in annual mandatory funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other Minority Serving Institutions Is fully paid for by including the FAFSA Act which passed the Senate unanimously last year: Allows providing tax information only onceStudents do not have to give their tax information to the federal government twice. Eliminates up to 22 questionsStudents give permission to the Department of Education to request tax return data already given to the Internal Revenue Service, which reduces the 108 questions on the FAFSA by up to 22 questions. Eliminates verification nightmareFor most students, eliminates so-called verification which is a bureaucratic nightmare that 5.5 million students go through annually to make sure the information they gave to the U.S. Department of Education is exactly the same as they gave to the IRS. Eliminates $6 billion in mistakesAccording to the U.S. Department of Education, helps taxpayers by eliminating up to $6 billion each year in mistakes (both overpayments and underpayments) in Pell grants and student loans. Enables 7 million applicants who are currently unable to access their IRS data for their FAFSA to verify that they do not file taxes without requesting separate documentation from the IRS Streamlines income-driven repayment by eliminating burdensome annual paperwork for 7.7 million federal student loan borrowers on income-driven plans According to the Congressional Budget Office, the FAFSA Act saves taxpayers $2.8 billion over ten years which will be used to pay for the permanent funding for HBCUs and other Minority Serving Institutions. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=D59F56F1-0108-4C04-BDC9-110DC3B8CBD0,"Alexander: New Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada Good News for Tennessee Auto Workers, Farmers",2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Lamar Alexander,A000360,www.alexander.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, December 10, 2019 U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement on the announced United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA): Updating NAFTA makes sense, and the agreement announced today will continue to raise family incomes and create even more good-paying jobs, which is good news for Tennessee auto workers and farmers,Alexander said.I believe the president's stated goal of zero tariffs, zero non-tariff barriers, and zero subsidies' is exactly the right goal for Tennessee's auto industry, manufacturers and farmers, and a welcome movement away from piling tariffs on top of tariffs that threaten to destroy jobs and lower family incomes. Tariffs are taxes, plain and simple. Tennessee's automotive industry is so important to me because in 1978, when I was running for governor, Tennessee hardly had any auto jobs. Now, 136,000 Tennesseans one third of our state's manufacturing jobs work in the automotive industry at plants and suppliers in 88 of our 95 counties. One of the reasons Tennessee has been able to have so much success building cars and SUVs is because the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was fundamentally a zero tarifftrade agreement. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/blackburn-cortez-masto-introduce-end-child-exploitation-act,"Blackburn, Cortez Masto Introduce END Child Exploitation Act",2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Bill extends evidence preservation time in online child exploitation cases WASHINGTON, D.C. This afternoon, Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee's Tech Task Force, and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) introduced the Eliminate Network Distribution of Child Exploitation Act to lengthen evidence preservation time in online child exploitation cases and to assist law enforcement in prosecuting these crimes. Technology platforms like Facebook and Tumblr will be required to preserve evidence for 180 daysdouble the current period of 90 daysfor reports of online child exploitation submitted to the CyberTipline, the nation's core program for facilitating the reporting of online child sexual abuse content. Crimes that once occurred solely in the physical space are now dominating the virtual world. Technology companies that are a hub for youth social interactions should recognize the need to assist law enforcement in their information gathering efforts, said Senator Blackburn. The END Child Exploitation Act brings anti-trafficking efforts into the 21st century so that perpetrators may be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I've spent my career, both as Attorney General of Nevada and as a United States Senator, working to protect vulnerable children from exploitation and trafficking, said Senator Cortez Masto. That's why I'm proud to join Senator Blackburn in introducing this legislation, which will preserve crucial evidence in cases of online child exploitation for longer, giving law enforcement more time to go after criminals. We need to make sure that we're doing everything we can to prosecute predators and keep them from threatening our children. Doubling the evidence retention period gives law enforcement more time investigate and prosecute these heinous crimes against children and keep online communities safe. Faced with a growing number of reports and limited resources, law enforcement authorities often run up against the clock when seeking evidence from tech platforms, and too often, evidence is lost when the preservation period expires. The bill amends 18 U.S.C. 2258A, which governs reporting requirements for online child exploitation submitted to the CyberTipline. Reps. Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio), Lucy Kay McBath (D-Ga.), Guy Reschenthaler (R-Penn.) and Annie Kuster (D-N.H.) are leading companion legislation in the House of Representatives.We are pleased to support Senator Blackburn and Senator Cortez Masto's legislation to help enable more efficient and effective review of CyberTipline reports by extending the amount of time an electronic service provider is required to preserve material relating to a CyberTipline report from 90 days to 180 days, said John Clark, President and CEO of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. I commend them for the introduction of this bill and for their dedication to the safety of our nation's children. There are certain crimes that strike at the core of who we are as a society and the online sexual exploitation of children is one of them, said Patrick Yoes, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police. This legislation will preserve potential evidence for longer periods of time, increasing the chance of law enforcement to identify and stop these vile criminals. BACKGROUND In 2018, tech companies reported over 45 million photos and videos of children being sexually abused. That number is more than double that of 2017. The number surpassed 1 million for the first time in 2014. In the last 5 years, that number has increased 45 times. The victims of these crimes, law enforcement, and tech companies share strong interests in stopping the proliferation of these images online. This legislation arms law enforcement with more tools, protects victims from further abuse, and makes platforms more secure for the public.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cohen-questions-legal-counsel-impeachment-hearing,Congressman Cohen Questions Legal Counsel in Impeachment Hearing,2019-12-09,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee,today questioned thecounsel for theHouse Judiciary Committeeand the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligenceon theevidence collected during the investigation into President Trump's abuse of power. See Congressman Cohen's exchange with the witness Daniel Goldman here. Congressman Cohen also made the following statement: ""The facts are undisputed and the President and his enablers have no defense. Today's testimonyrevealed how President Trump abused his office by leveraging American power to pressure a foreign country to intervene in our elections for the President's personal political benefit.He put hisown interests ahead of the country's, and theremustbe consequences. That's the issue we need to get to in this committee: to understand the difference between doing something for the national good, for the international good, for the common good and for your own good. That's the difference. Other witnesses at today's hearing were staff attorneys Steve Castor and Barry Berke. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://markgreen.house.gov/press-releases?ID=5CA3230C-9B20-4C6F-908A-28E5FF9A99DF,President Trump Grants Emergency Funding to Tennessees 7th District,2019-12-09,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Mark Green,G000590,markgreen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Facebook Icon Google Plus Icon Instagram Icon LinkedIn Icon Twitter Icon YouTube Icon Vimeo Icon Clients Icon Email icon Map Icon Print Icon Quote Icon icon_share Carousel Arrow - Left Carousel Arrow - Right Home Media Press Releases Print",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://markgreen.house.gov/press-releases?ID=666ABA29-3342-4D4D-A754-51BF1D078635,Rep. Mark Green Named Legislator of the Year for Work Empowering Veterans,2019-12-09,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Mark Green,G000590,markgreen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Facebook Icon Google Plus Icon Instagram Icon LinkedIn Icon Twitter Icon YouTube Icon Vimeo Icon Clients Icon Email icon Map Icon Print Icon Quote Icon icon_share Carousel Arrow - Left Carousel Arrow - Right Home Media Press Releases Print",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=7B429F95-5D90-4FC6-9D98-3B608EF15C6F,Bipartisan House and Senate Committee Leaders Announce Agreement on Legislation to Lower Health Care Costs,2019-12-09,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Lamar Alexander,A000360,www.alexander.senate.gov,,,legacy,"MEMPHIS, Tenn., December 9, 2019 Senate Health Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) along with Ranking Member Greg Walden (R-Ore.) yesterday announced they have reached a bipartisan, bicameral agreement on legislation to lower what Americans pay out of pocket for their health care. I do not think it is possible to write a bill that has broader agreement than this among Senate and House Democrats and Republicans on Americans' number one financial concern: what they pay out of their own pockets for health care,Alexander said.The legislation includes proposals from 80 senators, 46 Democrats and 34 Republicans. It would end surprise billing of patients by creating a new system of dispute resolution that includes arbitration, provide nearly $20 billion for five years of funding for the nation's 1,400 community health centers, and lower the cost of prescription drugs and other medical services by requiring transparency and competition. Congress should pass the bill promptly and give the American people a very good Christmas present. It is long past time that Congress protect patients and families from the devastating financial toll of surprise medical bills, and this agreement puts an end to this egregious billing practice,Pallone said.It also makes a historic five-year investment in our public health programs, lowers prescription drug prices, improves maternal health outcomes and takes a first step towards addressing the youth tobacco epidemic. This agreement will make health care and prescription drugs more affordable for the American people. I'm hopeful that this bipartisan, bicameral agreement can be voted on quickly so that it can be signed into law before the end of the year. Americans who follow the rules and pay their premiums shouldn't get stuck with a $50,000 bill because a hospital contracted a NICU to an out-of-network provider, or a $109,000 bill after being rushed to a nearby hospital for a heart attack,Walden said.To put it plainly: Americans are sick and tired of being ripped off by surprise medical bills, and they want Congress to act. This announcement brings us one step closer to answering that call for action with bipartisan legislation to prohibit surprise medical bills and take the patient out of the middle. Thank you to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and Capitol for working so diligently to come to this agreement. Now, we need to continue to work together to quickly send this legislation to President Trump's desk. It's time to protect Americans from surprise medical bills, and I am confident that we are going to do just that. The Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019 will reduce what Americans pay out of their own pockets for health care. It would end surprise billing of patients and include a new system for independent dispute resolution often called arbitration. The legislation also increases prescription drug competition and creates price transparency, funds critical public health programs, including Community Health Centers for five years, and increases the purchasing age of tobacco to 21. The leaders commended Senators Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.)and Representatives Raul Ruiz (D-Ca.) and Larry Bucshon (R-Ind.) for their leadership and dedicated work in developing the solution that ends the harmful practice of surprise medical billing. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/blackburn-durbin-burmese-state-counsellorwe-urge-you-fully-cooperate-icj,"Blackburn, Durbin to Burmese State Counsellor:We Urge You to Fully Cooperate with the ICJ",2019-12-09,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) led a bipartisan group of Senators to express their concerns that Burmese State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi will publicly excuse the actions of the Burmese military, or Tatmadaw, at a meeting before the International Court of Justice at The Hague, Netherlands. The military likely conducted genocidal acts against the Rohingya in 2017, according to Marzukri Darusman, the chairperson of the United Nations Human Rights Council's Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar. When Aung San Suu Kyi was elected, she gave the Burmese people hope, Senator Blackburn said. Sadly, the past four years have not brought the peace that was promised. Today, Senator Durbin and I join our colleagues in urging the State Counsellor not to defend in international fora the Tatmadaw for its crimes, and to instead stand for an inclusive and democratic Burma. It is clear that the Burmese military perpetrated heinous and genocidal crimes against the Rohingya and other ethnic minorities in Burma. If Aung San Suu Kyi chooses to defend such actions before The Hague, it would be an unprecedented public excuse for cruelty and violence. We are urging Aung San Suu Kyi to instead fully cooperate with the ICJ, a move that would advance accountability and support the human rights of all people in Burma, Senator Durbin said. Senators Blackburn and Durbin are joined by Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Bob Casey (D-Penn.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore). Evidence of crimes committed by the Burmese military is overwhelming, the Senators write. Representing the Burmese military's interest before The Hague and defending the mass atrocities committed against the Rohingya and other ethnic minorities would undermine what remaining credibility you have before the international community, including in the U.S. Congress. A defense of the Burmese military at this high-profile international forum is also an affront to the inclusive, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and democratic Burma that you claim to champion. The letter is available below and here. Aung San Suu Kyi State Counsellor Naypyidaw Burma Dear State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi: We write to you today as a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators who believe strongly in a democratic, inclusive, and prosperous Burma. We championed and welcomed your release in November 2010, and the Burmese general elections in 2015. It was a historic milestone in your countries' partial transition to a full-fledged democracy. We understand that such transitions are rarely easy and that you face internal challenges, particularly from the military. But complexity cannot be an excuse. Your handling of the brutal 2017 so-called clearance operations which killed thousands and caused more than 740,000 Rohingya to flee for their lives to Bangladesh is inexcusable. Accordingly, we are disappointed to hear that you will be leading a team to The Hague, Netherlands, before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to speak regarding the case submitted by The Gambia that relates to Burma's obligation under the 1948 Genocide Convention. We are concerned that you will publicly excuse the actions of the Burmese military which likely conducted genocidal acts against the Rohingya in 2017, per Marzukri Darusman, the chairperson of the United Nations Human Rights Council established Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar (IIFFMM). While it is ultimately up to a court of law to determine criminal accountability, evidence of crimes committed by the Burmese military is overwhelming. The IIFFMM reported that genocidal acts, crimes against humanity, and war crimes had been conducted at the hands of the Burmese military. It also found that torture and ill-treatment of suspected insurgents and sexual and gender-based violence by the Burmese military remains a prominent feature of the conflicts in Shan and Kachin States. We are also concerned about the estimated 600,000 Rohingya who remain in Burma, whose living conditions have worsened despite claims by your government to the contrary They continue to face persecution and are at risk of genocide. The IIFFMM reports make clear that your government incurs state responsibility under the prohibition against genocide and crimes against humanity, which will be important for the ICJ to consider. Besides the IIFFMM reports, numerous human rights organizations and reputable individuals and institutions have come to the same conclusion. Representing the Burmese military's interest before The Hague and defending the mass atrocities committed against the Rohingya and other ethnic minorities would undermine what remaining credibility you have before the international community, including in the U.S. Congress. A defense of the Burmese military at this high-profile international forum is also an affront to the inclusive, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and democratic Burma that you claim to champion. At a time when Buddhist nationalism is on the rise in Burma, shielding the military's criminal acts sends a signal that you stand alongside human rights violators. While we agree with the need to defend the national interest and sovereignty of Burma, such interest also lies in supporting the rights of all of the people in Burma including ethnic minorities in Rakhine, Chin, Kayin, Kachin and Shan States. We urge you to fully cooperate with the ICJ. This should include moving forward with any provisional actions that might be recommended or discussed at the ICJ. Your government must also provide complete and unfettered access throughout the country to the United Nations Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar so that they may investigate all allegations of crimes under international law and other human rights violations and abuses. We stand ready to support your country if you choose to take this crucial moment on the international stage to defend the human rights of the Rohingya and other ethnic minorities in Burma. However, a failure to do so means we will continue to use instruments of U.S. diplomatic power to bring the Burmese military to account for the injustices committed. A democratic and rights-respecting, inclusive Burma is the only successful path forward.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=A8EA30DD-2C42-4D7B-A4CE-412908EEB34A,Bipartisan House and Senate Committee Leaders Announce Agreement on Legislation to Lower Health Care Costs,2019-12-08,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Lamar Alexander,A000360,www.alexander.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, December 8, 2019 Senate Health Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) along with Ranking Member Greg Walden (R-Ore.) today announced they have reached a bipartisan, bicameral agreement on legislation to lower what Americans pay out of pocket for their health care. I do not think it is possible to write a bill that has broader agreement than this among Senate and House Democrats and Republicans on Americans' number one financial concern: what they pay out of their own pockets for health care, Alexander said. The legislation includes proposals from 80 senators, 46 Democrats and 34 Republicans. It would end surprise billing of patients by creating a new system of dispute resolution that includes arbitration, provide nearly $20 billion for five years of funding for the nation's 1,400 community health centers, and lower the cost of prescription drugs and other medical services by requiring transparency and competition. Congress should pass the bill promptly and give the American people a very good Christmas present. It is long past time that Congress protect patients and families from the devastating financial toll of surprise medical bills, and this agreement puts an end to this egregious billing practice, Pallone said. It also makes a historic five-year investment in our public health programs, lowers prescription drug prices, improves maternal health outcomes and takes a first step towards addressing the youth tobacco epidemic. This agreement will make health care and prescription drugs more affordable for the American people. I'm hopeful that this bipartisan, bicameral agreement can be voted on quickly so that it can be signed into law before the end of the year. Americans who follow the rules and pay their premiums shouldn't get stuck with a $50,000 bill because a hospital contracted a NICU to an out-of-network provider, or a $109,000 bill after being rushed to a nearby hospital for a heart attack, Walden said. To put it plainly: Americans are sick and tired of being ripped off by surprise medical bills, and they want Congress to act. This announcement brings us one step closer to answering that call for action with bipartisan legislation to prohibit surprise medical bills and take the patient out of the middle. Thank you to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and Capitol for working so diligently to come to this agreement. Now, we need to continue to work together to quickly send this legislation to President Trump's desk. It's time to protect Americans from surprise medical bills, and I am confident that we are going to do just that. The Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019 will reduce what Americans pay out of their own pockets for health care. It would end surprise billing of patients and include a new system for independent dispute resolution often called arbitration. The legislation also increases prescription drug competition and creates price transparency, funds critical public health programs, including Community Health Centers for five years, and increases the purchasing age of tobacco to 21. The leaders commended Senators Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.)and Representatives Raul Ruiz (D-Ca.) and Larry Bucshon (R-Ind.) for their leadership and dedicated work in developing the solution that ends the harmful practice of surprise medical billing. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/information?ContentRecord_id=05D7CE6F-74C3-44C0-89BB-680471019B73,No Surprises Act,2019-12-07,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,TN,Lamar Alexander,A000360,www.alexander.senate.gov,,,legacy,"One in five visits to the emergency room result in the patient receiving a surprise medical bill. Surprise medical bills happen when a patient sees a doctor that they did not choose: either because of emergency care at an out-of-network hospital, or because an out-of-network doctor, not chosen by the patient, treats them. The No Surprises Act will ensure that patients do not receive a surprise bill. Patients would only be required to pay the in-network amount whether they receive out-of-network emergency care or non-emergency care at in-network facilities and are treated by out-of-network providers without their knowledge. The Solution Commercial, Median, In-network Price by service, by geographical region For surprise bills, insurance companies would pay medical and air ambulance providers the local median contracted commercial amount that the doctors and hospitals negotiated with insurers and agreed upon as of January 31, 2019, and inflated annually by the Consumer Price Index All Urban Consumers (CPI-U)in that geographic area. Baseball-Style Arbitration Similar to New York, for commercial, median, in-network payments that exceed $750, providers, hospitals, and plans will have the option to enter into binding, baseball-style arbitration. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates this approach will save taxpayers $22 billion over ten years. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cohen-votes-passage-voting-rights-advancement-act,Congressman Cohen Votes for Passage of Voting Rights Advancement Act,2019-12-06,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today voted for, and the House passed, the Voting Rights Advancement Act, which restores protections of voting rights gutted by a 2013 Supreme Court decision. As Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, Congressman Cohen conductedseveral hearings on this bill, including one atthe University of Memphis School of Law in September. Congressman Cohen spoke in favor of the measure before it passed this morning. See that speech here. The vote on passage was 228 to 187. After the vote, Congressman Cohen made the following statement: The right to vote is the most fundamental right of citizenship in our democracy. Yet for most of our Nation's history, too many of our citizens, and particularly African Americans, were denied this right, especially in the Deep South. The Supreme Court was wrong to undermine the Voting Rights Act in Shelby County v. Holder in 2013 and Republicans have been wrong in not joining us in reauthorizing the Voting Rights Act. Congress has now responded to ensure that every American has the right to cast a meaningful ballot. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://cohen.house.gov/taxonomy/story-type/enewsletters/questioning-witnesses-historic-impeachment-hearing,Questioning Witnesses at a Historic Impeachment Hearing,2019-12-06,2019,2019-12,Democrat,House,TN,Steve Cohen,C001068,cohen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Dear Friend, This week, I questioned witnesses at a historic Judiciary Committee hearing analyzing the Constitutional grounds for the impeachment of President Trump. I also testified before the Rules Committee to advance theVoting Rights Advancement Act, and voted for the measure on the House floor; voted to curb unwanted robocalls; called attention to open enrollment for Affordable Care Act health insurance; pointed to federal resources available for childcare assistance;condemned a new Trump Administration rule on food stamps;announced federal research grants to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC); offered U.S. Capitol Historical calendars for 2020; and offered a health tip. Keep reading to learn more about my week and follow me onTwitter,FacebookandInstagramto see more updates as they happen. Questioning Experts at Historic Judiciary Committee Hearing on the Impeachment of President Trump Managing Rules Committee Debate and Voting to Pass Voting Rights Advancement Act Voting to Curb Annoying Robocalls Calling Attention to Open Enrollment for Affordable Care Act Health Coverage Highlighting Accomplishments of the For the People Agenda Pointing Out Federal Resources Available for Childcare Assistance Condemning and Countering U.S.D.A.'s new SNAP Rule Announcing Research Grants to St. Jude and UTHSC Offering 2020 U.S. Historical Society Calendars Weekly Health Tip Quote of the Week Questioning Experts at Historic Judiciary Committee Hearing on the Impeachment of President Trump On Wednesday, the Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the Constitutional grounds for the impeachment of a president,and I questioned legal scholars who testified that President Trump has committed impeachable acts. This is the fourth time in American history that the U.S. House of Representatives has considered the impeachment of a president. See my release and my questioning of the witnesseshere. See my interview after the hearing with Chris Cuomo of CNNhere. Testifying in Support andVoting to Pass Voting Rights Advancement Act OnWednesday night, I represented theJudiciary Committeeandtestified in favorofbringing theVoting Rights Advancement Act tothe House floor. Earlier today, I voted for and the House passed the bill, which restores protections of voting rights gutted by a 2013 Supreme Court decision -- a major legislative priority. You may recall that, as Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, I conductedseveral hearings on this bill,including one atthe University of Memphis School of Law in September. See my release on the bill's passage, and a floor speech I made in support of it,here. Voting to Curb Annoying Robocalls On Wednesday, I voted for and the House overwhelmingly passed the bipartisan Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) Act. The bill, which has broad support in the Senate and is likely to be signed into law by the end of the year, requires phone companies to block robocalls without charging customers any extra money and requiresthatcarriers ensure calls are coming from real numbers. It wouldalsogive government regulators more time to find scam callers and penalize them more aggressively. Calling Attention to Open Enrollment for Affordable Care Act Health Coverage Open Enrollment for 2020 Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance coverage began on November 1 and ends December 15, which is closer than you might think. The Trump Administration reduced the open enrollment period by six weeks after taking office and is keeping that limited window of opportunity again this year. You can visitwww.Healthcare.gov/lower-coststo see if you qualify for tax credits that will be applied as discounts on your monthly insurance premium. Highlighting Accomplishments of the For the People Agenda I am hearing misleading commentary from the right-wing echo chamber to theeffect that the House is not doing anything as it pursues an impeachment inquiry into President Trump's conduct. Nothing could be further from the truth.The House has passed nearly 400 bills this year. Over 300 of those -- including 275 bipartisan bills -- are stuck in the Senate where Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refuses to call them up for a vote. This includes the Paycheck Fairness Act, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act and bills to protect people with pre-existing conditions and to lower prescription drug costs.As we are so often reminded these days: the truth matters. Pointing Out Federal Resources Available for Childcare Assistance As your Congressman, one of my top priorities is to ensure that Memphians who work tirelessly to provide a strong foundation for their children have the support they need to be successful.It is important to know that the state of Tennessee has resources available for child care assistance. Eligible parents and guardians may receive support for child care services through Tennessee's Smart Steps Child Care Payment Assistance Program. Visithereto see if you are eligible. Condemningand CounteringU.S.D.A.'s new SNAP Rule This week, the Trump Administration announced it isimplementing a new rule onwork requirementsthat is expected to prevent an estimated 700,000 people from receivingSupplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.This is a cruel and heartless move, which is whyI joined my colleagues this weektointroducethe Protect SNAP Act. This bill would prevent this rule from taking effect. Announcing Research Grants to St. Jude and UTHSC This week, I announced that St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) received significant research grants from the National Institutes of Health. See my releases on the grantshereandhere. Offering 2020 U.S. Historical Society Calendars My office will have a limited number of 2020 U.S. Capitol Historical Society calendars available. If you would like to receive a calendar, please completethis formon my website. Due to the rules of the House, I am only able to mail calendars to residents of Tennessee's Ninth District. Please feel free to share this email with other residents of the Ninth District who may be interested in receiving one but who do not receive my e-Newsletter. Sign Up for Congress on Your Corner and this e-Newsletter I enjoy meeting regularly with constituents in the district and helping get answers for them to questions about dealing with federal agencies. If you are interested in attending one of my Congress on Your Corner events, you cansign up hereto receive a notification as soon as the next event is scheduled. For those who haven't participated in a telephone town hall, it's easy to sign up for them by usingthis form. If you would like to receive this weekly e-Newsletter, or share it with others, you can do that withthis form. Weekly Health Tip Last week, I got the shingles vaccine shot. Shingles is an often-painful disease consisting of blisters and a burning sensation that becomes more common with age. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it can be prevented with the vaccine. See the CDC's guidancehere. Quote of the Week The president has engaged in abuse of power undermining our national security and jeopardizing the integrity of our elections. His actions are in defiance of the vision of our Founders and the oath of office that he takes to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. Sadly, but with confidence and humility, with allegiance to our Founders and our heart full of love for America, today I'm asking our chairmen to proceed with articles of impeachment. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's statement Thursday. I'll be watching the AAC Championship Game on television Saturdayandwish everyone at the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium -- and all loyal Tigers fans -- a second win in as many weeks over the Cincinnati Bearcats, and the championship!Go Tigers! As always, I remain Most sincerely, Steve Cohen Member of Congress",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z