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://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/09/28/icymi-hagerty-joinssunday-morning-futures-on-fox-news-channel-to-discuss-trump-gop-accomplishments/,"ICYMI—Hagerty JoinsSunday Morning Futures on Fox News Channel to Discuss Trump, GOP Accomplishments",2026-09-28,2026,2026-09,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"WASHINGTON—On Sunday, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations, Appropriations, and Banking committees, joined Sunday Morning Futures on Fox News Channel to discuss the radical policies of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), President Donald Trump’s agenda, and the accomplishments of the GOP. *Click the photo above or here to watch* Partial Transcript Hagerty on the DSA’s radical agenda: I think we need to listen to what the Democrats are saying. You think about [Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14)], [Abdul El-Sayed], [Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT)], even what Mamdani is doing with socialist, government-run grocery stores. We need to make it very clear that their answer [is] basically more government control. You think about the welfare state that they want to see… collapse the borders, more fentanyl into the country, more terrorism, more crime, defund the Pentagon. Every direction they want to turn weakens America. We need to be emphasizing exactly what [President Donald Trump] has done these past two years and where we’re headed… We are seeing economic strength coming through. We are seeing policies that are making a real difference because we have actually cut taxes. We are deregulating. The Biden administration would’ve added $4 trillion more worth of compliance costs. We are taking them away. My Freedom to Build Act could take up to $100,000 off the cost of a new home, again, cutting regulatory and permitting costs. So, we need to convey those messages; we need to convey a positive economic message. And the fact is that the world stands stronger with a strong America. The Republicans have the answers for this. We are putting forward policies to do it. The Democrats’ view is “let’s shut down the government.” That’s all they’ve delivered the past two years— the two longest government shutdowns in history. We even had a permitting reform package that we were trying to pass last week. They walked away from it. They do not want to see the economy do well; they want to control it. Hagerty on the GOP’s path to maintain the majority: [President Trump] is our best communicator. But you’re going to see the world respecting us again too. And I think the visit by [Chinese President Xi Jinping] underscores this. That would not have happened under [former President Joe Biden]… We are back in a position of strength. [Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent] did a great job of articulating how we’re dealing with Iran. We will deal with that. And again, the world needs a strong America. You and I both know this. We saw President Trump deliver this in his first term and we served in his administration. We just need to come back and make these points more and more clearly. Hagerty on diesel prices and affordability: I think [Republicans] can definitely strengthen [their messaging]. I think there has been a lot of focus on the cost of gas and diesel fuel. It’s understandable. As Secretary Bessent said, I think that gets resolved. But if you think about the Democrat’s solution to this, an absolute war on domestic energy—they want to outlaw diesel fuel, they don’t want to lower the cost of it. You think about the measures that [Republicans] can take, particularly on the deregulatory front. There is so much more we can do and that we will do. We need to convey this message clearly and again, contrast what the Democrats are standing for right now, which I think is a very sad story for America. And you don’t have to look very far back to what happened under Joe Biden to realize how chaotic it could possibly be again.",1,2026-09-29T11:07:12Z,2026-09-29T11:08:49Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/9/senate-passes-blackburn-kaine-resolution-designating-october-as-national-country-music-month,"Senate Passes Blackburn, Kaine Resolution Designating October as “National Country Music Month”",2026-09-25,2026,2026-09,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) released the following statements after their resolution designating October as “National Country Music Month” passed the Senate. This resolution honors the contributions of country music to the story and history of the U.S. and encourages the American people to observe “National Country Music Month” with appropriate ceremonies and activities. “Tennessee is the heart of country music, from its birthplace in Bristol to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville,” said Senator Blackburn. “This National Country Music Month, we honor the legendary Dolly Parton, whose iconic voice, songwriting, and showmanship inspired generations of performers and fans. Country music has always captured the spirit of our nation—our faith, our families, and our freedoms—and it is my honor to lead this resolution recognizing this incredible legacy.” “Music has always been a big part of my life, from listening to and playing songs with my family to jamming with friends,” said Senator Kaine. “Bristol is the birthplace of country music, so I’m glad to join Senator Blackburn in introducing this resolution to recognize October as National Country Music Month and celebrate this incredible genre and its contributions to our nation’s history and culture.”",1,2026-09-29T11:07:12Z,2026-09-29T11:08:49Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/9/senate-unanimously-passes-blackburn-s-bipartisan-bill-to-prevent-romance-scams,Senate Unanimously Passes Blackburn’s Bipartisan Bill to Prevent Romance Scams,2026-09-24,2026,2026-09,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Senate unanimously passed Senator Marsha Blackburn’s (R-Tenn.) Romance Scam Prevention Act, which would require dating apps and services to issue fraud ban notifications to users who have interacted with a person removed from the app, sending it to President Trump’s desk. In recent years, digital romance scams have become more common as scammers target recently widowed or divorced senior citizens. In 2023, Tennesseans over the age of 60 lost $43 million due to scams targeting the elderly, marking an 18% increase from the losses reported in 2022. Across the country, the Federal Trade Commission reported that romance scams resulted in victims losing $1.3 billion in 2022 alone. Senator John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) co-sponsored this legislation. Representative David Valadao (R-Calif.) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. BACKGROUND As Americans continue to go online to find meaningful relationships, scammers are following suit. These scams accelerated during the COVID pandemic when more senior citizens turned to dating sites for companionship while they were isolated from their loved ones. When an online dating service provider becomes aware of a user committing fraudulent activity, such as illegally obtaining money, the online dating service provider immediately deactivates the fraudulent user's account. However, individuals who meet online often take their conversations to other communication platforms, so even when a fraudulent account is removed, an individual might not know they are still communicating with someone who has been removed from the dating platform. The Romance Scam Prevention Act would fill this communication gap by requiring dating app platforms to send a fraud ban notification to anyone who has communicated with someone with a fraudulent account. Click here for bill text. Click here to read more about the red flag indicators of romance scams and how to avoid becoming a victim of a romance scam. RELATED",1,2026-09-29T11:07:12Z,2026-09-29T11:08:49Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/09/23/hagerty-calls-for-heightened-safety-standards-on-public-transit/,Hagerty Calls for Heightened Safety Standards on Public Transit,2026-09-23,2026,2026-09,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"Crime on public transit wastes taxpayer dollars and puts passengers in danger WASHINGTON—Today, Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) introduced the Safe Transit Act, a bill aimed at penalizing the oversight of crime and misconduct on public transit. Lax public transit safety measures waste hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars each year and pose a serious threat to transit users. Yet some of the nation’s most robust and frequently used transit systems — especially those in blue states — do not have adequate security protocols in place to keep their passengers safe. Every city that receives federal funding for transit should have to prove that it is protecting its passengers and combatting crime. The Safe Transit Act incentivizes public transit systems to adopt more robust crime prevention measures and creates a safety performance benchmark, ensuring each system is held to the same standard. Most importantly, the bill withholds federal funds from transit systems that fail to meet the proposed benchmarks and safety protocols. “Too many Democrat-led cities and states take taxpayer dollars while letting crime run rampant on public transit. This must end,” said Hagerty. “My legislation would direct federal funding to communities that actually protect passengers and promote public safety. It’s time to put Americans’ safety first.” “Under President Trump’s leadership, we’ve used every tool in our toolbox to make transit systems safer, cleaner, and more family-friendly. Our work has slashed fare evasion, increased law enforcement patrols, and reduced crime — including right here in our nation’s capital. But for the stubborn states, cities, and systems that refuse to meet basic safety standards, we need more flexibility to hold them accountable,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. “I want to thank Senator Hagerty for leading this critical legislation and ensuring hardworking-taxpayer dollars deliver transit systems that Americans can be proud of.” The Safe Transit Act would: Allow the Department to withhold 100 percent of federal funds to cities and local governments that fail to criminalize fare evasion, ban violent offenders from transit systems, or allow personal recognizance and cash-free release for transit crimes. Require transit agencies in urban areas to invest at least 3 percent of federal formula funding into safety and crime prevention initiatives, including lighting improvements, security cameras, emergency call boxes, and protective barriers for bus drivers. Authorize the Department to withhold up to 50 percent of federal transit funding from cities with crime rates significantly higher than the national transit average. Establish binding nationwide performance standards for physical turnstiles, gates, and fare collection infrastructure to stop fare jumpers. Require all new federally funded buses and rail vehicles to be equipped with inward- and outward-facing security cameras and event recorders. The full text of the bill can be found here.",1,2026-09-24T09:44:48Z,2026-09-24T09:45:52Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/09/18/hagerty-colleagues-lead-passage-of-resolution-honoring-the-life-and-legacy-of-dolly-parton/,"Hagerty, Colleagues Lead Passage of Resolution Honoring the Life and Legacy of Dolly Parton",2026-09-18,2026,2026-09,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"Parton was a lifelong Tennessean and an internationally beloved entertainer and philanthropist WASHINGTON—United States Senators Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) led passage of a resolution honoring the life and legacy of country music star Dolly Parton. Representative Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-01) introduced a companion resolution in the United States House of Representatives. Born in Locust Ridge, Tenn., Parton began her nearly 70-year musical career at age 10 and made her Grand Ole Opry debut at age 13. Over the next six decades, she wrote nearly 3,000 songs and sold more than 100 million records worldwide, including timeless classics such as “Jolene,” “I Will Always Love You,” and “9 to 5.” Parton cemented her status as one of the most successful female artists of all time. She received 32 prestigious entertainment awards and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Songwriters Hall of Fame, Country Music Hall of Fame, and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Beyond music, Parton dedicated much of her life to bettering her community, particularly in East Tennessee. In 1988, she founded the Dollywood Foundation, an organization committed to providing East Tennessee students with resources to further their education. Parton went on to establish the Imagination Library, a charitable program that has provided over 332 million free books to children across the globe. She also raised more than $12 million for those affected by deadly wildfires in the Great Smoky Mountains in 2016. In addition to her philanthropic work, Parton was a successful businesswoman. In 1986, she opened Dollywood, a popular theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., which has since become a major East Tennessee economic driver and international tourist destination. For her final business endeavor, Parton took inspiration from her years traveling on tour buses to establish Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop in Cornersville, Tenn., in June 2026. Parton passed away on Aug. 25 at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, Tenn., surrounded by family and loved ones following a brief battle with cancer. “Dolly is truly a Tennessee legend,” said Hagerty. “From her humble beginnings in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains to worldwide fame, Dolly exemplified the American Dream. Whether she was performing on stages across the globe, creating opportunities for families to make memories in Dollywood, or fostering a love of reading through her Imagination Library, Dolly lived a life dedicated to encouraging others to dream just as boldly as she did. She never forgot where she came from and left an indelible cultural and economic impact on our state. She will be very dearly missed, and I’m happy to help lead this effort in the Senate.” “Dolly Parton was a Tennessee treasure who lived out the Volunteer Spirit, loved our nation, and opened doors of opportunity for countless people,” said Blackburn. “While there are no words to fully express the sorrow all Tennesseans feel in her loss, I hope this resolution plays at least a small part in ensuring that her legacy is never forgotten, and I am honored to lead it in the Senate.” “Dolly Parton was a legend, an icon, and an inspiration. Las Vegans and visitors enjoyed her shows for close to half a century, and books from her Imagination Library line the bookshelves of countless Nevada children,” said Cortez Masto. “Today, we stand together to honor her contributions to American music, her lifetime of generosity and service, and her embrace of all people.” A copy of the resolution can be found here. ###",1,2026-09-19T09:11:33Z,2026-09-19T09:12:45Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/9/blackburn-colleagues-lead-passage-of-resolution-honoring-the-life-and-legacy-of-dolly-parton,"Blackburn, Colleagues Lead Passage of Resolution Honoring the Life and Legacy of Dolly Parton",2026-09-18,2026,2026-09,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) led passage of a resolution to honor the life and legacy of country music legend Dolly Parton, whose extraordinary contributions to music, philanthropy, literacy, education, health, conservation, and culture enriched the lives of countless Americans. Representative Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.) introduced a companion resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives. “Dolly Parton was a Tennessee treasure who lived out the Volunteer Spirit, loved our nation, and opened doors of opportunity for countless people,” said Senator Blackburn. “While there are no words to fully express the sorrow all Tennesseans feel in her loss, I hope this resolution plays at least a small part in ensuring that her legacy is never forgotten, and I am honored to lead it in the Senate.” “Dolly is truly a Tennessee legend,” said Senator Hagerty. “From her humble beginnings in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains to worldwide fame, Dolly exemplified the American Dream. Whether she was performing on stages across the globe, creating opportunities for families to make memories in Dollywood, or fostering a love of reading through her Imagination Library, Dolly lived a life dedicated to encouraging others to dream just as boldly as she did. She never forgot where she came from and left an indelible cultural and economic impact on our state. She will be very dearly missed.” “Dolly Parton was a legend, an icon, and an inspiration. Las Vegans and visitors enjoyed her shows for close to half a century, and books from her Imagination Library line the bookshelves of countless Nevada children,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “Today, we stand together to honor her contributions to American music, her lifetime of generosity and service, and her embrace of all people.” “I'm grateful to Senator Blackburn for leading this resolution in the Senate so that Dolly's story, a woman whose humble beginnings in a two-room cabin in Sevier County taught her to hold onto her faith, her family, and her home, gets the full recognition of Congress,” said Representative Harshbarger. “She spent her whole life giving back to the place that raised her, and now it's our turn to make sure she's remembered the way she deserves.” This legislation is also co-sponsored by U.S. Senators John Kennedy (R-La.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Martin Heinrich (D-Nev.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.). BACKGROUND Dolly Parton built an extraordinary career in Nashville as a gifted performer and songwriter, yet she never forgot her East Tennessee roots or her commitment to giving back. In 1986 she opened Dollywood in the Great Smoky Mountains, creating jobs and boosting the local economy. Soon after, she launched the Dollywood Foundation to combat high school dropout rates in Sevier County; it later grew into Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, delivering free books to millions of children across Tennessee, the United States, and the world. A true trailblazer, Dolly Parton transformed country music while her lifelong spirit of service and love for Tennessee have uplifted generations and left a lasting mark far beyond the stage.",1,2026-09-21T10:25:24Z,2026-09-21T10:26:54Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/9/president-trump-signs-blackburn-s-bipartisan-bill-to-protect-prison-staff-from-sexual-abuse-by-inmates,President Trump Signs Blackburn’s Bipartisan Bill to Protect Prison Staff from Sexual Abuse by Inmates,2026-09-17,2026,2026-09,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) released the following statement after President Donald Trump signed her bipartisan legislation, the Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act, into law. This legislation will help address the increasingly pervasive sexual assault and harassment of Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) employees by inmates. “No law enforcement officer should have to fear for their safety when they show up to work,” said Senator Blackburn. “I am pleased the Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act—which will help us end the appalling sexual abuse of prison staff by inmates—has been signed into law by President Trump.” This legislation is also co-sponsored by Senator Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.). Representative Laurel Lee (R-Fla.) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives. BACKGROUND According to a February 2023 report by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG), a staggering 40% of 7,000 surveyed BOP staff stated they had been sexually harassed or sexually assaulted by an inmate. At United States Penitentiary Thomson in Illinois, there were over 300 incidents of inmate-on-staff sexual harassment in a single year. USP Thomson houses only 875 inmates. The DOJ OIG report, combined with BOP staff testimonials on this troubling problem, strongly suggests that BOP’s reporting and corrective procedures for inmate-on-staff sexual assault and harassment are inadequate, creating an institutional culture that lacks accountability and endangers BOP employees. THE PRISON STAFF SAFETY ENHANCEMENT ACT The Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act will require: The BOP to fully implement the recommendations in the Inspector General’s 2023 report regarding mitigating inmate-on-staff sexual harassment and assault and to fully ascertain the scope of the problem; The DOJ OIG to conduct an analysis of punishments for sexual harassment and sexual assault in BOP facilities; and The U.S. Attorney General to promulgate a rule adopting national standards for prevention, reduction, and punishment of sexual assault and harassment of BOP staff by inmates. Click here for bill text. ENDORSEMENTS This legislation is endorsed by the American Correctional Association, the Fraternal Order of Police, and the National Council of Prison Locals 33. “The American Correctional Association (ACA) applauds the President for signing the bipartisan Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act into law. This important legislation will help protect Bureau of Prisons employees from sexual assault and harassment on the job and reflects the bipartisan cooperation our correctional officers deserve. We commend Senators Blackburn and Ossoff for championing this legislation and thank the lawmakers on both sides of the aisle who worked together to get it across the finish line. ACA looks forward to building on this momentum as we continue working with Congress to ensure safe working conditions for correctional officers nationwide,” said Robert Green, American Correctional Association Executive Director. “The National Fraternal Order of Police applauds the passage of S. 307, the ""Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act,” which was signed into law by President Trump. The new statute ensures that any act of sexual harassment or assault against Bureau of Prisons (BOP) staff will be swiftly punished. The FOP is grateful for the leadership of Senators Blackburn and Ossoff in their efforts to help improve the safety of Federal correctional officers,” said Patrick Yoes, President of the Fraternal Order of Police. RELATED Blackburn Bipartisan Bill to Prevent Sexual Abuse of Prison Staff Heads to President Trump’s Desk Blackburn, Ossoff Introduce Bill to Prevent Sexual Abuse of Prison Staff",1,2026-09-21T10:25:24Z,2026-09-21T10:26:54Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/9/blackburn-bill-to-support-music-tourism-heads-to-president-trump-s-desk,Blackburn Bill to Support Music Tourism Heads to President Trump’s Desk,2026-09-16,2026,2026-09,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) released the following statements after the U.S. House of Representatives passed their bipartisan legislation, American Music Tourism Act, to support music tourism in Tennessee and across the country: “The Volunteer State is home to so many iconic landmarks for tourists to experience – from Graceland in Memphis to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville to Dollywood in Pigeon Forge,” said Senator Blackburn. “Music tourism has such a positive impact on Tennessee’s economy, and we need to ensure that fans from all over the world continue to celebrate our state’s rich history of music for generations to come. The American Music Tourism Act will promote and support the fast-growing tourism industry, and I am pleased it is heading to President Trump’s desk.” “From Red Rocks to The Mish, Colorado is fortunate to have so many outstanding music venues that bring culture, tourism, and economic opportunity to our communities,” said Senator Hickenlooper. “The American Music Tourism Act will help bring even more visitors to venues in Colorado and across the country. We’re glad to see it pass the House and urge the President to sign it into law.” The American Music Tourism Act is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), and Ted Budd (R-N.C.). BACKGROUND Music tourism – both the act of visiting sites important to the history of American music culture and the act of traveling for concerts and music festivals – is a vital industry for American culture and an economic driver for our communities. Music tourism has emerged as a top travel trend, with the market forecasted to reach $11.3 billion in revenue by 2032. The United States, which boasts one of world’s largest music industries that generates over $43 billion in revenue each year, is one of the main beneficiaries of this international interest in music tourism. The Commerce Department’s Assistant Secretary for Travel and Tourism is uniquely positioned to identify and promote sites of musical significance. THE AMERICAN MUSIC TOURISM ACT The American Music Tourism Act would leverage the existing tourism framework within the Department of Commerce to highlight and promote music tourism in the United States. Specifically, this bill would require: The Assistant Secretary to implement a plan to support and increase music tourism for both domestic and international visitors; and A report to Congress on the successes and vulnerabilities of the Assistant Secretary’s goals to increase travel and tourism. Click here for bill text. RELATED Blackburn, Hickenlooper Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Increase Music Tourism In U.S.",1,2026-09-17T09:52:05Z,2026-09-17T09:53:00Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/09/14/hagerty-tn-delegation-urge-swift-approval-of-major-disaster-declaration-requests-after-severe-weather-impacts-west-tennessee/,"Hagerty, TN Delegation Urge Swift Approval of Major Disaster Declaration Requests After Severe Weather Impacts West Tennessee",2026-09-14,2026,2026-09,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"WASHINGTON—On Friday, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) joined the Tennessee delegation in sending a letter to President Donald Trump urging his swift approval of Governor Bill Lee’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration following severe storms that affected areas of West Tennessee. Co-signers of the letter include Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), along with Representatives Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-01), Tim Burchett (R-TN-02), Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN-03), Scott DesJarlais (R-TN-04), Matt Van Epps (R-TN-07), David Kustoff (R-TN-08), and Steve Cohen (D-TN-09). A copy of the letter can be found here and below. Dear Mr. President: We write to urge swift approval of Governor Bill Lee’s request for a major disaster declaration pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act due to severe weather occurring on August 22, 2026. On August 22, a severe thunderstorm moved through the Mid-South and into West Tennessee, producing widespread damaging straight-line winds. Severe weather, including prolific straight-line winds and hail, caused significant damage to the power grid, particularly in Shelby County. The National Weather Service reported that more than 130,000 customers were without power, in addition to extensive tree damage, downed power lines, and road closures. Peak wind speeds were estimated between 60 and 80 miles per hour, with the storm lasting approximately 45 minutes in Shelby County and 90 minutes across the entire affected area. Ongoing extreme heat following the storm also posed serious risks to vulnerable residents, including seniors, young children, people with disabilities, low-income households, and those without access to cooling. To respond to this disaster, Governor Lee is specifically requesting a Major Disaster Declaration for Individual Assistance and Public Assistance for Shelby County and Hazard Mitigation statewide. The State is also requesting direct Federal assistance for debris management support, including technical monitoring and mentoring to affected areas. On behalf of the State of Tennessee, we urge you to approve this request as soon as possible. Our offices can provide you with any additional information you need. Sincerely, ###",1,2026-09-15T09:50:21Z,2026-09-15T09:52:05Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/9/video-blackburn-honors-victims-of-9-11-on-25th-anniversary,VIDEO: Blackburn Honors Victims of 9/11 on 25th Anniversary,2026-09-11,2026,2026-09,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) released a video marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11th terror attacks and honoring the victims, their families, the first responders, and the service members who answered the call. “Let’s make certain we never forget and that we remember those families, those victims, the loss of life, and the attack on our country,” said Senator Blackburn. “And let’s be grateful for the men and women who stood up against that attack. Never forget.”",1,2026-09-12T09:02:30Z,2026-09-12T09:03:27Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/09/11/icymi-hagerty-joinsthe-scott-jennings-show-on-salem-news-channel-to-discuss-midterms-iran-memphis-blade-act/,"ICYMI—Hagerty JoinsThe Scott Jennings Show on Salem News Channel to Discuss Midterms, Iran, Memphis, BLADE Act",2026-09-11,2026,2026-09,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"DALLAS—On Thursday, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations, Appropriations, and Banking Committees, joined The Scott Jennings Show on Salem News Channel to discuss the upcoming midterm election, the latest in Iran, the Memphis Safe Task Force, and the BLADE Act. *Click the photo above or here to watch* Partial Transcript Hagerty on the RNC Convention: We have had a great delegation from Tennessee and frankly, great delegations from all over the country. There’s a lot of excitement, a lot of enthusiasm. People loved [President Donald Trump’s] speech last night—a lot of energy there. And frankly, a lot of people that weren’t here, but I’ve heard from across the country that are very pleased to see the energy turnaround. And frankly, to be drawing a contrast finally against Democratic candidates. I think people are tired of reading New York Times headlines running these generic polls, Republicans versus Democrats. And now that we actually see what a Democratic socialist stands for, there’s a huge contrast to be made. I think if you just step back and look at what the Democrats have accomplished this past 18, 20 months, they’ve delivered the two longest government shutdowns in history. What they seem to want to deliver is nothing but chaos, shutdowns, and acrimony. The American public hasn’t seen anything positive coming from the Democrats. Hagerty on Iran: The Iranian regime is holding on to see what happens on November the third. It certainly worked out well for them back in 2020. Back at that point in time, I was the U.S. ambassador to Japan. I got the Japanese and my colleagues around the world… to stop buying Iranian crude oil… We brought the Iranian economy to a difficult place. It’s even worse right now, but the Iranians held out to see what would happen in the election. Having [former President Joe Biden] in the Oval Office was a gift extraordinaire to the Iranian regime, because immediately the Biden [administration] stopped enforcing all sanctions. Money began to flow by May 2021. We had the 11-day war break out in Israel—you know what happened on October 7th of 2023. Terror breaks out through the entire region because Iran [was] in a position to fund it. We have shut that down now… they’re hanging on by a thread. Hagerty on the Memphis Safe Task Force: I don’t think you could see a finer contrast in America than the difference between Memphis, Tennessee, and Minneapolis, Minnesota. And the one difference there, the one singular difference is that in Memphis, we worked together. We cooperated; we coordinated. Hagerty on the creation of the Memphis Safe Task Force: When [FBI Director Kash Patel] called me in December 2024, he said, ‘Sir, the President is about to make his decision on the FBI director, and I would really appreciate your support.’ I said, ‘Kash, I’m happy to support you, but I’m going to need your support in Memphis, too.’ And Kash kept his word to me. We began working on this right after Kash came into office and put together, very quietly, a task force. [The task force] first entered the city working with local police and very quietly came in and took out 154 of the worst of the worst criminals. These are gang members. Through the summer, we took that number up to well over 500, and President Trump is watching our progress all along the way, and said, ‘Okay, we’re going to put the full menu in place.’ Meaning 16, 17 different crime enforcement agencies, including the [U.S. National Guard]… People in Memphis today would tell you, ‘Thank you, thank you, and thank you again, President Trump,’ for doing it. Crime has gone through the floor. Memphis is a great city—now it’s one of the safest cities in America. We’re going to continue working on this. My hat is off to [Memphis Mayor Paul Young], who has cooperated with us, to [Tennessee Governor Bill Lee], who has now taken what were eight state troopers up to 100 in the area. And President Trump has done a magnificent job. Hagerty on the cooperation of state and federal agencies: It shows what happens when you have cooperation between federal government, state government, local government—cooperation between Republicans and Democrats. It shows that it works in these other cities. We know Chicago has been resistant to this idea… where the Democrats will not cooperate. Violent crime continues to proliferate over Labor Day weekend in Chicago—scores of people were shot and murdered. They just won’t put their people first. They cannot get over the politics. It’s so sad that they’re willing to sacrifice their own citizens to stand on some ideological point that obviously doesn’t work. But again, Memphis stands as a shining example, and my hat is off to [Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller] at the White House, to the president, of course, to Kash Patel, to the [U.S. Department of Justice], and all of the agencies that are there on the ground. Hagerty on the BLADE Act: My experience in Asia goes back to 1988, when I worked for Boston Consulting Group. They sent me to the region for three years. What I have seen evolve is an industrial policy that the Chinese deploy where they steal our intellectual property. They don’t play by the same set of rules. They use our IP, come in, cut costs, and try to push American companies out of business. They’re doing the same thing in AI. Their distillation models are stealing from us, basically. They’re stealing intellectual property from us. They’re using those to come in and offer a cheap alternative to take over the AI marketplace. We cannot let that happen. We’ve got to lead in this arena. We need to do it responsibly. But the BLADE Act gives us the tools to put in place sanctions to come in and deal directly with those companies that are involved in this illegal distillation, and sanction them in a way that will stop it. ###",1,2026-09-12T09:02:30Z,2026-09-12T09:03:27Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/9/blackburn-duckworth-reintroduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-improve-life-saving-emergency-communication-technology,"Blackburn, Duckworth Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Life-Saving Emergency Communication Technology",2026-09-10,2026,2026-09,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"NASHVILLE, Tenn. – U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, reintroduced legislation to improve emergency communication technology and help save lives. The ITS Codification Act would codify the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS), which currently serves as the research and engineering laboratory at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and require ITS to develop emergency communication and tracking technologies to help locate trapped individuals in confined spaces where conventional radio communication is limited. “First responders in Tennessee need access to reliable technology that will help them locate trapped individuals in confined spaces where radio signals fail,” said Senator Blackburn. “Our bipartisan ITS Codification Act would drive the development of advanced communication technologies to help first responders save more lives when every second counts.”",1,2026-09-12T09:02:30Z,2026-09-12T09:03:27Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/09/09/icymi-hagerty-joins-varney-co-on-fox-business-to-discuss-tariffs-on-israel-affordability/,"ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Varney & Co. on Fox Business to Discuss Tariffs on Israel, Affordability",2026-09-09,2026,2026-09,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"WASHINGTON—Today, United States Senator Bill Hagerty, (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations, Appropriations, and Banking Committees, joined Varney & Co. on Fox Business to discuss the foreign trade restrictions on Israel and affordability ahead of the midterm election. *Click the photo above or here to watch* Partial Transcript Hagerty on foreign trade restrictions on Israel: I’m disappointed, but I’m not surprised. If you look at [the United Kingdom, Canada, France and others], they’re much more concerned about their own domestic politics—appeasing the left in their own countries—than they are about supporting Israel, who is locked arm in arm with the United States and its Arab neighbors trying to defeat a 47-year-old terrorist regime in Iran. Rather than do that, rather than step up to the larger macro issues, they are pandering and dealing with the [Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS)] crowd in their own countries. They should actually be focusing on more important issues in their own countries… Their military capability that they’ve let wane; they should be beefing that up. Their energy independence—that they’ve lost—instead of depending on Russia, they should be building and working with us. Here they are wasting their time, again, pandering to domestic politics. Hagerty on affordability: I’m in Dallas right now. I was with [Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA)] last night. He makes a very important case: One thing that doesn’t seem to be getting covered very much at all is the fact that job growth is on the rebound. We have exceptional job growth in the private sector. Wages are growing again. That was not the case under Joe Biden, where wages were growing at half the rate of inflation. Under Biden, we had inflation over 9%. We brought that down… I’ve got the Freedom to Build Act that targets the incredibly high cost of housing right now. The bureaucrat tax, as it’s called, the cost of permitting before you even build the house can be as high as $100,000 in some areas. Dealing with this bureaucratic overhead—the speaker mentioned no tax on tips, no tax on overtime—all of these policies are aimed at bringing affordability to the surface, and we’re going to be focused on it very much. Hagerty on former President Joe Biden’s failed economic policies: We were dealt a very bad hand coming out of [the Biden administration]. But I think what you’ll hear the next couple of days are the programs and the policies that are aimed at dealing with this. If you look to the other side, what have the Democrats’ options been? The only thing that they’ve delivered since [President Donald Trump] took office is two historically long government shutdowns. That has certainly not been good for the economy. In fact, it’s taken GDP growth off. That’s their solution. [The GOP’s] solution is actually to target the problems, deal with deregulation, increase energy independence. We’re producing at a higher level than we ever had before. And by the way, President Trump will resolve the situation in the Middle East and that will bring medium-to-long-term stability to the oil and energy markets, and we will see much greater prosperity from there. ###",1,2026-09-10T09:25:58Z,2026-09-10T09:27:09Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/09/04/hagerty-applauds-appointment-of-former-chief-of-staff-as-acting-army-secretary/,Hagerty Applauds Appointment of Former Chief of Staff as Acting Army Secretary,2026-09-04,2026,2026-09,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"WASHINGTON—On Thursday, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) commended President Donald Trump’s appointment of Hagerty’s former chief of staff, Adam Telle, as acting secretary of the Army. The president announced Telle’s appointment via a post on Truth Social. In the post, Trump noted that Telle was “a Great Patriot, who is respected by all.” Telle has a more than 20-year career in public service. He began his tenure in Washington in 2005, serving as a staff member to Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) upon his graduation from Mississippi State University, and later as legislative director and deputy chief of staff to Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS). Telle served as the chief staff member on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security before moving to the White House Office of Legislative Affairs to serve as Trump’s chief liaison to the Senate during the president’s first term. Among his many accomplishments as liaison, Telle played a pivotal role in implementing the Abraham Accords, as well as in establishing the U.S. Space Force, the newest armed service branch in nearly 70 years. In August 2021, Telle returned to Capitol Hill to serve on Hagerty’s staff, where he rose to chief of staff. After President Trump won the 2024 election, Telle was appointed to serve as Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works during the president’s second term in August 2025. During his time as Assistant Secretary, Telle transformed the Army Corps of Engineers’ Civil Works Program, focusing on major national infrastructure projects involving commercial navigation, flood and storm-damage reduction, water resources, environmental restoration and permitting. During his confirmation process, Telle earned the support of the Senate as he advanced through both the Senate Armed Services and the Environment and Public Works Committees and was confirmed by the entire body in a bipartisan 72-22 vote. “Adam has repeatedly proven himself as a tried and tested leader,” said Hagerty. “Through his service across multiple areas of government, he’s demonstrated that he can meet any moment and lead diligently, efficiently and—above all—effectively. This is a critical position for our nation’s defense, and I can’t imagine a better leader for the world’s greatest warriors. I have every confidence that Adam will be a catalyst for positive change as acting secretary of the Army and support the outstanding work Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has done thus far in reestablishing American military excellence.” ###",1,2026-09-05T08:49:07Z,2026-09-05T08:50:44Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/9/blackburn-warner-reintroduce-bill-to-increase-transparency-of-medicare-advantage-benefits-for-seniors,"Blackburn, Warner Reintroduce Bill to Increase Transparency of Medicare Advantage Benefits for Seniors",2026-09-04,2026,2026-09,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"NASHVILLE, Tenn. – U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.), members of the Senate Finance Committee, reintroduced the Medicare Advantage Supplemental Benefits Transparency Act, legislation that would require Medicare Advantage (MA) plans to publicly report the supplemental benefits they offer and the extent to which beneficiaries use them. “Transparency in Medicare Advantage plans is long overdue,” said Senator Blackburn. “The Medicare Advantage Supplemental Benefits Transparency Act would ensure beneficiaries receive the full value they’ve been promised by requiring plans to publicly report the supplemental benefits they offer and how often seniors actually use them.” “We need clear and accessible data in order to properly evaluate the effectiveness of the Medicare Advantage program,” said Senator Warner.“This legislation will make sure we can ensure the sustainability of Medicare and better evaluate plans, so seniors have the best coverage for their needs.” BACKGROUND In recent years, the use of Medicare Advantage has skyrocketed, with more than half of eligible beneficiaries nationwide choosing to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan. However, there is currently no statutory requirement to specifically report on supplemental benefits, making data on available benefits and their utilization unreliable. Senator Blackburn’s legislation would ensure this information is available to understand beneficiary use of supplemental benefits and their impact on the sustainability of the Medicare program. MEDICARE ADVANTAGE SUPPLEMENTAL BENEFITS TRANSPARENCY ACT Specifically, the legislation would require Medicare Advantage plans to report enrollee-level data on supplemental benefits to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), as well as report eligibility for benefits, the types of benefit categories offered, and data on utilization of and payments for such benefits. There is currently no statutory requirement to specifically report on supplemental benefits, making data on available benefits and their utilization unreliable. Click here for bill text.",1,2026-09-09T09:27:09Z,2026-09-09T09:29:04Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/8/blackburn-bipartisan-bill-to-prevent-sexual-abuse-of-prison-staff-heads-to-president-trump-s-desk,Blackburn Bipartisan Bill to Prevent Sexual Abuse of Prison Staff Heads to President Trump’s Desk,2026-08-31,2026,2026-08,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"NASHVILLE, Tenn. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed her bipartisan legislation, the Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act, to help address the increasingly pervasive sexual assault and harassment of Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) employees by inmates: “No law enforcement officer should have to fear for their safety when they show up to work,” said Senator Blackburn. “I am pleased the Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act—which will help us end the appalling sexual abuse of prison staff by inmates—has passed the House and is heading to President Trump’s desk to be signed into law.” This legislation is also co-sponsored by Senator Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.). Representative Laurel Lee (R-Fla.) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives. BACKGROUND According to a February 2023 report by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG), a staggering 40% of 7,000 surveyed BOP staff stated they had been sexually harassed or sexually assaulted by an inmate. At United States Penitentiary Thomson in Illinois, there were over 300 incidents of inmate-on-staff sexual harassment in a single year. USP Thomson houses only 875 inmates. The DOJ OIG report, combined with BOP staff testimonials on this troubling problem, strongly suggests that BOP’s reporting and corrective procedures for inmate-on-staff sexual assault and harassment are inadequate, creating an institutional culture that lacks accountability and endangers BOP employees. THE PRISON STAFF SAFETY ENHANCEMENT ACT The Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act will require: The BOP to fully implement the recommendations in the Inspector General’s 2023 report regarding mitigating inmate-on-staff sexual harassment and assault and to fully ascertain the scope of the problem; The DOJ OIG to conduct an analysis of punishments for sexual harassment and sexual assault in BOP facilities; and The U.S. Attorney General to promulgate a rule adopting national standards for prevention, reduction, and punishment of sexual assault and harassment of BOP staff by inmates. Click here for bill text. ENDORSEMENTS This legislation is endorsed by the American Correctional Association,the Fraternal Order of Police, and the National Council of Prison Locals 33. RELATABLE Blackburn, Ossoff Introduce Bill to Prevent Sexual Abuse of Prison Staff",1,2026-09-02T09:19:58Z,2026-09-02T09:20:51Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/8/blackburn-duckworth-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-counter-communist-china-s-gray-zone-aggression-against-indo-pacific-partners,"Blackburn, Duckworth Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Counter Communist China’s ‘Gray-Zone’ Aggression Against Indo-Pacific Partners",2026-08-28,2026,2026-08,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"NASHVILLE, Tenn. – U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) introduced bipartisan legislation to improve our nation’s capabilities to counter the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) intimidation and coercion tactics in the Indo-Pacific, which actively threaten the safety of our partners in the region as well as our national security. Known as ‘gray-zone tactics,’ these actions are aimed at disrupting regional stability while stopping just short of armed conflict—a dangerous strategy that sets the stage for even harsher intervention by the PRC in the future. The Senators’ bipartisan Countering Gray Zone Aggression by the People’s Republic of China Act would direct the State Department to enhance cooperation with our Indo-Pacific partners and better address the growing threat of PRC aggression in the region.",1,2026-08-29T11:31:28Z,2026-08-29T11:32:37Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/8/blackburn-colleagues-introduce-bill-to-restore-state-authority-over-insurance,"Blackburn, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Restore State Authority Over Insurance",2026-08-27,2026,2026-08,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"NASHVILLE, Tenn. – U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Mike Lee (R-Utah), and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) recently reintroduced the Federal Insurance Office Abolishment Act. The legislation would abolish the Federal Insurance Office (FIO) within the U.S. Department of the Treasury, returning sole regulatory authority over the insurance industry to the states. “Insurance regulation has long been, and should remain, a responsibility of the states,” said Senator Blackburn. “The Federal Insurance Office Abolishment Act would eliminate unnecessary federal overreach, cut red tape, and return power to the states.” “The Federal Insurance Office is a redundant, ever-expanding, unaccountable entity that infringes upon states’ authority to regulate the insurance industry,” said Senator Cruz. “This legislation will rein in bureaucratic overreach by the federal government and empower state regulators to focus on what is best for consumers in their states.” “The Federal Insurance Office does not need to exist. It’s an Obama-era expansion of the federal bureaucracy created to intrude on states’ rights,” said Senator Lee. “Our bill will formally abolish this needless expense and return insurance regulation to the states, where it has always belonged.” BACKGROUND In 1945, Congress passed the McCarran-Ferguson Act, solidifying states’ regulatory authority over the insurance industry. Following the 2008 financial crisis, the Federal Insurance Office (FIO) was created by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which granted the FIO specific financial stability, monitoring, and international responsibilities. However, these responsibilities duplicate functions within an industry that has long been regulated at the state level and traditionally overseen by state insurance regulators. The Federal Insurance Office Abolishment Act would eliminate the FIO and restore primary regulatory authority over the insurance industry to the states. Click here for bill text",1,2026-08-28T17:11:49Z,2026-08-28T17:13:14Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/8/blackburn-blumenthal-statement-on-meta-s-landmark-17-billion-settlement-in-case-about-social-media-harms-to-kids,Blackburn & Blumenthal Statement on Meta’s Landmark $17 Billion Settlement in Case About Social Media Harms to Kids,2026-08-26,2026,2026-08,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"NASHVILLE, Tenn. – U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) released the following statement after Meta reached a landmark settlement with 47 states and agreed to pay up to $17.1 billion in penalties over claims it harmed children with social media addiction: “This massive settlement shows how terrified Meta and Mark Zuckerberg are of accountability in open court. We applaud the bipartisan coalition of state Attorneys General for forcing Meta to start paying a real price for the harm its products have caused an entire generation of young people. The product design changes imposed under this settlement are a first step toward giving kids and parents the tools they need to take back control of their online lives, but they can be strengthened. Meta notes that these terms are only required to stay in place for 10 years—we must ensure permanent change. We also need safeguards that apply across the board—to all social media companies—not just Instagram and Facebook. This settlement once again demands that Congress pass the Kids Online Safety Act into law before the end of the year.”",1,2026-08-27T16:10:01Z,2026-08-27T16:10:50Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/8/blackburn-colleagues-introduce-bill-to-end-federal-funding-for-harmful-gender-transition-research-on-minors,"Blackburn, Colleagues Introduce Bill to End Federal Funding for Harmful Gender Transition Research on Minors",2026-08-21,2026,2026-08,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"NASHVILLE, Tenn. – U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), James Lankford (R-Okla.), and several of their Senate colleagues recently introduced theProtecting Our Kids from Harmful Research Act to prohibit the use of federal funds for any research or publication promoting gender transitions for minors. The legislation would shield American children from permanent medical and psychological damage, in line with President Trump’s agenda to keep tax dollars from funding child mutilation. “Taxpayers should not be spending a penny on research done by those who want to push harmful gender transition surgeries and radical gender ideology on our kids,” said Senator Blackburn. “The Protecting Our Kids from Harmful Research Act would prohibit the use of federal funds for any research or study on gender transition surgeries for minors.” “Why is the federal bureaucracy in the child mutilation business?” said Senator Lee. “Americans don’t want to pay millions for these disturbing studies where hundreds of kids are experimented on with puberty-blocking drugs. President Trump rightly halted this attack on America’s kids. Our bill will codify his agenda to keep federal dollars out of gender transition research involving minors.” “God creates every child male or female in His perfect image,” said Senator Lankford. “For too long, taxpayers have been forced to fund sex-rejecting studies on kids. The result has been irreversible physical harm, mental health crises, and families torn apart. President Trump has led the effort to shut down these grants across the federal government, and Congress needs to make it permanent. This bill ensures that not one more taxpayer dollar funds research designed to harm children.” This legislation is also co-sponsored by Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.). It is endorsed by Students for Life Action and the American Principles Project. BACKGROUND Between 2019 and 2023, nearly 14,000 children were prescribed puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones, and more than 5,700 were subjected to surgical procedures like mastectomies or genital reassignment. In January 2025, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14187, directing our government to stand up for these victims and restrict funding, programs, and health coverage for these procedures. PROTECTING OUR KIDS FROM HARMFUL RESEARCH ACT Specifically, the Protecting Our Kids from Harmful Research Act would prohibit the use of federal funds for any research, observational study, or publication relating to gender transitions in individuals under the age of 18, which is conducted for the purpose of affirming a minor’s asserted identity or perception of his or her sex, if such is incongruent with the minor’s biological sex. Click here for bill text.",1,2026-08-22T05:24:59Z,2026-08-22T05:26:16Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/8/blackburn-blumenthal-press-tiktok-for-intentionally-withholding-safety-features-from-children,"Blackburn, Blumenthal Press TikTok for Intentionally Withholding Safety Features From Children",2026-08-20,2026,2026-08,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"NASHVILLE, Tenn. – U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) sent a letter to TikTok regarding a recent report that the social media company endangered children by knowingly withholding an algorithmic safety measure from millions of American users to determine whether the safeguard would reduce engagement on its platform. In the letter, Senator Blackburn and Senator Blumenthal requested a prompt response to a detailed list of questions, including whether TikTok conducted a risk assessment before the experiment, what the results of the experiment were, and how many U.S. users TikTok has placed in experiments that withheld safety features. Senator Blackburn and Senator Blumenthal’s Kids Online Safety Act would require social media platforms like TikTok to design their products with child safety in mind. New Report Reveals TikTok Conducted Harmful Experiment on 15 Million U.S. Users “According to reports, TikTok developed changes to its recommendation algorithm intended to prevent users from being repeatedly and intentionally exposed to potentially harmful content, including videos concerning sadness, loneliness, extreme dieting, and other sensitive subjects. In December 2021, TikTok publicly announced that it was testing ways to avoid recommending clusters of similar content that could be harmful when viewed repeatedly. TikTok did not disclose, however, its depraved decision to intentionally withhold these protections from approximately 10 percent of its U.S. users—a control group that reportedly represented approximately 15 million Americans at the time… TikTok appeared fixated on whether the safety measure would affect user engagement or the ‘stickiness’ of the platform —trying to put the price tag on safety. Even more troubling, this control group, presumably intentionally, included minors.”",1,2026-08-21T05:30:57Z,2026-08-21T05:32:22Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/08/13/icymi-hagerty-joins-fox-news-sunday-on-fox-news-channel-to-discuss-iran-senate-recess/,"ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Fox News Sunday on Fox News Channel to Discuss Iran, Senate Recess",2026-08-13,2026,2026-08,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington—On Sunday, United States Senator Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations, Appropriations, and Banking Committees, joined Fox News Sunday on Fox News Channel to discuss the latest in Iran and the Senate’s agenda following the August Recess. *Click the photo above or here to watch* Partial Transcript Hagerty on Iran: Diplomacy is being tested at every turn of the Iranian regime. They don’t seem to favor diplomacy unless they can use it to tap us along. [President Donald Trump] has seen right through this. We have maintained maximum military capabilities. In fact, he has enhanced our military capability. And what you see now is an act of desperation because President Trump had prepared to unleash unmitigated fury on Iran, just the past weekend, when they came to the table again and said, “No, we want to make a deal.” And let’s not forget that [Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent] and the team at Treasury have put incredible financial pressure on Iran. Their economy is in tatters right now. They are doing the same thing over and over again. I know people call that the definition of insanity; I think that’s diplomacy Iranian-style, coming back with more of the same demands, et cetera, et cetera. But what has happened is that they continue to degrade in their position; we continue to advance in terms of economic pressure, military pressure. Hagerty on a pending peace deal in Iran: There is going to have to be a deal. I think the American public is indicating it’s ready for a deal to be done, and that deal could be at the end of a military operation as opposed to diplomacy. It’s up to the Iranians, but I think we’re very close, particularly as I listen to Secretary Bessent… I think the [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)], the Iran deal that we saw in [former President Barack Obama’s administration], demonstrated that you can’t trust the Iranians. Everything that we agree to is going to have to be verifiable and enforceable. President Trump has already seen this movie before. Obama just handed over pallets of cash—billions of dollars—and instead of abiding by the agreement, [Iran] continued their nuclear program, surreptitiously, and they then began to foment terror. That will not happen again. I think President Trump has been incredibly clear about this, and what we’re trying to do is maintain a posture that we can allow the Iranian economy to rebuild, the 90 million Iranian people to prosper. Hagerty on other Middle Eastern countries joining the Abraham Accords: I think the entire region has responded to this… Iran has, on a 360-degree basis, made enemies of everybody in its neighborhood. Now, we’re all coming together. I expect to see more—Saudi Arabia, for example—and more nations in the region step up and enter the Abraham Accords. We are going to see economic prosperity break out like we’ve never seen before in that region, further isolating the Iranian regime. I think it’s just all part and parcel of a major transformation that needed to happen 47 years ago. And finally, President Trump has been able to step up and address it right now. Hagerty on Iran’s alliance with Russia and China: I think a lot of people are looking toward the [U.S.–China bilateral meeting in Washington, D.C.] in September, and I think there is much that will come from it. But I think President Trump has been increasingly clear with [Chinese President Xi Jinping] that [China] should not cooperate nor support in any way the Iranian regime… What we are going to continue to do is mount increasing pressure on the Iranian regime directly. And we are going to increase sanctions; that’s exactly what Secretary Bessent has done. And if you look at what we did in the Senate, [the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026 placed] more pressure on this “Axis of Evil” that was just described. We are going to continue with sanctions; we are going to continue with military pressure. I think that everybody in the world needs to wake up and see this. That’s all the more reason why this escalation with Iran must be successful. I think it’s going to be incredibly important, not only for the Iranian situation, but also for others in the neighborhood, if you will—Russia, Iran, North Korea, China—they all need to see this. Hagerty on Senate Democrats’ opposition to President Trump’s agenda: The only two things the [Senate Democrats] have accomplished since [President Trump] came into office, in the past year and a half, almost two years… are two historically long government shutdowns. In fact, that was on tap this week. That’s why we worked so hard to make certain that we got a continuing resolution [to] keep the government open beyond the election and into December. That was [Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY)]’s primary goal, to shut the government down to create more chaos. That seems to be the Democrat playbook… create chaos and mayhem, and in so doing, somehow get their friends in the media to blame that on the Republicans. Hagerty on the Senate’s schedule: I think the task is on us now. We got a lot accomplished in terms of legislation that put [U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche] in place, the Russia Sanctions Act that I mentioned just a moment ago, and again, extending the government—keeping it open. When we get back, though, we are going to have to do something on election integrity. We tried again this week to get that done. Democrats again, every single one of them, even on something as simple as driver’s license IDs, showing your ID to vote… they were against it full force. I think they’ve made it clear. They want the ability to have insecure elections because that somehow advantages them. The American public hates this; we have got to do something about it. I think we’re going to have to move into a different type of vehicle or reconciliation vehicle to make that happen. And that’s what we are going to have on top of the agenda when we get back.",1,2026-08-14T06:13:05Z,2026-08-14T06:14:08Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/08/06/hagerty-introduces-bill-to-end-housing-welfare-for-illegal-aliens/,Hagerty Introduces Bill to End Housing Welfare for Illegal Aliens,2026-08-06,2026,2026-08,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"Democrats have aided and abetted illegal aliens’ exploitation of federal housing benefits WASHINGTON—On Wednesday, Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, introduced the End Housing Welfare for Illegal Aliens Act, a bill aimed at barring ineligible non-citizens from abusing federal housing programs at the expense of American taxpayers. Illegal aliens have long exploited federal housing programs by taking advantage of gaps in existing law, such as the “mixed-status” loophole that allows for non-citizens to improperly receive benefits if they are roommates in the same household as citizens. Democrats have facilitated such abuse for political gain, because overrunning sanctuary cities with illegal aliens artificially boosts their party’s power and representation when congressional districts are reapportioned. These abuses crowd out vulnerable Americans—including the elderly and the disabled—waste taxpayer dollars, and endanger the integrity of the electoral process. The End Housing Welfare for Illegal Aliens Act would: Deny Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) grants to sanctuary cities End illegal alien eligibility for Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs designated for American seniors and persons with disabilities Require public housing authorities to affirmatively verify citizenship before providing services Codify HUD rulemaking to permanently close the “mixed-status” loophole, which allows illegals who are roommates with eligible individuals to reap the benefits of taxpayer-funded housing. Under the Trump Administration, HUD has estimated that approximately 24,000 illegal aliens, ineligibles, and fraudsters in 20,000 of these “mixed-status households” benefit from HUD assistance “For too long, Democrats have encouraged illegal aliens to raid taxpayer-funded housing programs while American families, seniors, and people with disabilities are left waiting in line,” said Hagerty. “My legislation, the End Housing Welfare for Illegal Aliens Act, advances the Trump Administration’s reform agenda by ending this disgraceful abuse, shutting down sanctuary city handouts, closing the outrageous ‘mixed-status’ loophole, and putting American citizens first.” Find the full text of the bill here. ###",1,2026-08-07T06:11:19Z,2026-08-07T06:12:42Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/8/blackburn-blumenthal-celebrate-commerce-committee-passage-of-bipartisan-kids-online-safety-act,Blackburn & Blumenthal Celebrate Commerce Committee Passage of Bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act,2026-08-05,2026,2026-08,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) released the following statement on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation’s passage of the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) by voice vote: “For years, heartbroken parents have demanded Congress take action to protect America’s children from Big Tech’s exploitation, and today is a major victory for the courageous families who refused to give up,” said Senators Blackburn and Blumenthal. “The Senate has repeatedly shown that there is broad, bipartisan support for a version of KOSA that creates a duty of care to protect kids from online predators, addictive algorithms, and harmful product design. We want to thank our large, diverse, and determined coalition for standing with us today, and we look forward to getting this bill to the President’s desk.” BACKGROUND Senators Blackburn and Blumenthal first introduced KOSA in February 2022, following reporting by the Wall Street Journal and after spearheading a series of five subcommittee hearings with social media companies and advocates on the repeated failures by tech giants to protect kids on their platforms. The Senate version of KOSA would require platforms to enable the strongest privacy settings by default, force platforms to prevent and mitigate specific dangers to minors, provide parents and educators new controls to help protect children, and require independent audits and research into social media companies.",1,2026-08-06T07:37:31Z,2026-08-06T07:38:34Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/08/05/hagerty-colleagues-introduce-the-blocking-large-scale-adversarial-distillation-efforts-blade-act/,"Hagerty, Colleagues Introduce the Blocking Large-Scale Adversarial Distillation Efforts (BLADE) Act",2026-08-05,2026,2026-08,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"The unauthorized use of American AI models by foreign adversaries is a threat to both economic and national security WASHINGTON—Today, Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), along with Senate Banking Chairman Tim Scott (R-SC), Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking Subcommittee on National Security and International Trade and Finance, and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), introduced the Blocking Large-Scale Adversarial Distillation Efforts (BLADE) Act of 2026, a bipartisan bill to deter malign foreign actors from stealing the proprietary capabilities of America’s frontier AI companies. Recent news reports have detailed the large-scale use of “model extraction attacks” by Chinese entities to distill the unique competitive advantages of America’s top AI models. Such foreign model extraction attacks—which typically circumvent technical controls, use fraudulent or unauthorized credentials, and violate terms of use in order to harvest proprietary capabilities from U.S. models without the owner’s permission—evade U.S. export controls and threaten U.S. economic security and national security. To deter unauthorized and illicit foreign model extraction attacks, the BLADE Act would direct the Executive Branch to identify and publicly expose foreign entities behind these malign activities, coordinate with industry to improve detection, and authorize the imposition of Commerce Department export controls and Treasury Department financial sanctions against these foreign entities. “As the United States must remain at the forefront of competitiveness in artificial intelligence, we cannot allow our adversaries to steal the intellectual property of America’s top AI companies and thereby threaten U.S. national security and economic security,” said Hagerty. “The BLADE Act will expose and punish foreign entities that conduct hostile distillation campaigns against our frontier AI companies. Our nation must counter malign actors who seek to subvert our nation’s leadership and innovation in artificial intelligence.” “The BLADE Act safeguards both our competitive edge against China and our national security at the same time. As we continue to set the global standard for innovation and unlock new opportunity through AI, it’s critical we have these tools to deter direct attacks on U.S. AI models and maintain as large a lead as possible over our competitors and adversaries,” said Kim. “From startups in South Carolina to companies across the country, American innovators are building the technologies that will shape the future, and the Chinese Communist Party and other foreign adversaries should not be allowed to steal that work. Industrial-scale distillation attacks are unacceptable, and the BLADE Act gives the Commerce Department the tools to expose and punish bad actors targeting American AI models, protect our national security, and keep America ahead in the global AI race. I’m proud to join Senators Hagerty and Kim in defending American ingenuity and holding our adversaries accountable,” said Scott. “As America’s AI technologies become more advanced, we face new threats from China and other foreign adversaries trying to reproduce them,” said Cortez Masto. “We cannot allow the Chinese Communist Party to steal our companies’ hard work and innovation. America can and will remain dominant in the race to develop cutting-edge AI technologies.” Find the full text of the bill here. ###",1,2026-08-06T07:37:31Z,2026-08-06T07:38:34Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/8/blackburn-leads-colleagues-in-introducing-bill-to-permanently-restore-biological-sex-standard-in-title-ix,Blackburn Leads Colleagues in Introducing Bill to Permanently Restore Biological Sex Standard in Title IX,2026-08-04,2026,2026-08,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Jim Justice(R-W.Va.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) introduced the Title IX Clarification Act, which would ensure Title IX anti-discrimination requirements tied to federal education funding are based on biological sex and not “sexual orientation or gender identity:” “The Biden administration weaponized Title IX to force women to compete with men in sports and allow men to invade women’s spaces,” said Senator Blackburn. “Thankfully, President Trump restored common sense in Title IX, and now Congress must codify these protections for women into law to prevent future abuse. The Title IX Clarification Act would ensure that common sense, not leftist ideology, governs federal education funding tied to Title IX requirements to protect young women.” “President Trump has taken decisive action through executive orders to protect young women on campuses across the country. Now, we must ensure these protections are codified into federal law,” said Senator Britt. “We saw the Biden-Harris Administration cave to the woke mob and allow Title IX to be abused in ways that permitted biological men to infringe on girls’ sports and spaces. We cannot let that happen again, and this legislation will restore regulatory clarity to ensure it does not.” “I’ve been blessed to spend many years coaching young ladies in West Virginia, and I can tell you this: they work their tails off and earn every opportunity they get. At the end of the day, they deserve a fair shot. That’s exactly what the Title IX Clarification Act is about. It puts common sense back into the law, protects the opportunities Title IX was meant to guarantee, and stands up for our girls and young women. Fighting for our female athletes is a fight I’ll take every single day,” said Senator Justice. “We cannot allow the radical left’s campaign to succeed in undermining Title IX protections. While far too many activists refuse to acknowledge the differences between biological men and women, I am proud to join Senator Blackburn and my colleagues in this common-sense effort to ensure women and girls continue to receive equal access to educational opportunities,” said Senator Budd. “Even after Idaho’s historic win to keep men out of women’s sports at the U.S. Supreme Court, the rights promised in Title IX remain under threat,” said Senator Risch. “The Title IX Clarification Act further guards these protections, clearly defining the biological differences between men and women, so that generations of young girls can continue participating in sports and other educational opportunities on a level playing field.” “The original intent of Title IX was to protect women’s educational and athletic opportunities,” said Senator Crapo. “In a recent decision on Idaho’s first-in-the-nation law to ensure these opportunities do not go to biological males, the Supreme Court of the United States correctly ruled Title IX allows states to apply a biology-based understanding of maintaining separate sports categories. The Title IX Clarification Act preserves the existing framework of the law while making clear its protections are based on the biological definition of sex.” “Title IX exists for a simple, obvious reason: women deserve their own spaces and proper protection under the law. That has been clear for all of human history, and we only need to clarify it now because of Democrats’ radical gender ideology,” said Senator Scott. “I’m grateful my daughters had Title IX protection; we shouldn’t make it meaningless to appease the radical left. I’m proud to join Senator Blackburn on this commonsense bill.” “We need to protect fairness and opportunity for women. For 50 years, Title IX has leveled the playing field. Democrats continuously undermine these protections in their attempts to redefine biology. The Title IX Clarification Act would clearly define an individual’s sex is based solely on biology. President Trump reaffirmed this commonsense reality by executive order and now Congress must codify these protections. Passing this bill would keep men out of women’s sports, restrooms, and locker rooms,”said Senator Ricketts. “The left is weaponizing their radical gender ideology to undermine Title IX, which goes against its entire purpose: to protect women and girls. It’s critical we codify President Trump’s Title IX protections and match biological reality rather than the left’s dangerous gender identity beliefs. I’m proud to work alongside Senator Blackburn to protect women’s sports and set the record straight,” said Senator Daines. “Boys are boys, and girls are girls - it’s common sense. Title IX was created to protect women and girls, and that’s exactly what this bill does by making clear that federal law is rooted in biological reality - not political ideology. We owe it to current and future generations to ensure opportunities under Title IX are protected,” said Senator Sheehy. House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) led introduction of companion legislation in the House of Representatives. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) also co-sponsored this legislation. BACKGROUND For more than 50 years, Title IX has protected equal educational opportunities by prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex. In recent years, however, woke ideology has sought to redefine the law beyond Congress’ original intent, creating uncertainty for schools and undermining protections for women and girls. At the beginning of his second term, President Trump revoked a Biden-era Executive Order that directed the U.S. Secretary of Education to interpret Title IX anti-discrimination language “on the basis of sex” to cover “discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.” TITLE IX CLARIFICATION ACT The Title IX Clarification Act would clarify that the term “sex” refers only to an individual's biologically determined status as male or female where Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance. Specifically, this legislation would: Restore Title IX's original meaning by affirming Congress’ original intent to protect women's educational opportunities; Address concerns raised by the Supreme Court during the January 2026 oral arguments regarding transgender participation in women's sports. During those arguments, Justice Neil Gorsuch noted that Congress has not clearly defined Title IX's requirements for states accepting federal funds and suggested that any departure from the historical understanding of ""sex"" as biological sex raises Spending Clause concerns unless Congress acts explicitly; and Establish clear statutory definitions of ""male"" and ""female"" within Title IX, eliminating ambiguity and preventing taxpayer dollars from being used to support ideological redefinitions of sex. Click here for bill text. ENDORSEMENTS This legislation is supported by the Family Research Council (FRC); Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF); American Principles Project (APP); Family Policy Alliance (FPA); Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC); and Heritage Action.",1,2026-08-05T07:37:37Z,2026-08-05T07:38:44Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/8/blackburn-statement-on-senate-judiciary-committee-advancing-todd-blanche-nomination-for-u-s-attorney-general,Blackburn Statement on Senate Judiciary Committee Advancing Todd Blanche Nomination for U.S. Attorney General,2026-08-04,2026,2026-08,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) released the following statement after voting in the Senate Judiciary Committee to advance President Trump’s nomination of Todd Blanche to serve as U.S. Attorney General: “As Acting Attorney General, Todd Blanche has already proven he will hold fraudsters accountable for stealing billions of taxpayer dollars, crack down on violent crime in cities like Memphis, and restore a one-tiered system of justice after four years of the Biden DOJ’s corruption under Merrick Garland,” said Senator Blackburn. “The American people sent President Trump back to the White House to return the DOJ to its core mission of enforcing the rule of law, and I am confident Todd Blanche will continue to deliver on that mandate once he is confirmed as Attorney General.” RELATED",1,2026-08-05T07:37:37Z,2026-08-05T07:38:44Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/08/04/icymi-hagerty-joinsmornings-with-maria-on-fox-business-to-discuss-save-america-act-clarity-act-and-arctic-frost-investigation/,"ICYMI—Hagerty JoinsMornings With Maria on Fox Business to Discuss SAVE America Act, Clarity Act and Arctic Frost Investigation",2026-08-04,2026,2026-08,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington—Today, United States Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations, Appropriations, and Banking Committees, joined Mornings With Maria on Fox Business to discuss the week ahead in the Senate, including the SAVE America Act, the Clarity Act and the Arctic Frost Investigation. *Click the photo above or here to watch* Partial Transcript Hagerty on the SAVE America Act: I just got back from Tennessee over the past weekend, and Americans want to see us pass this act. They want election integrity, and this is not a partisan issue. Every American—this is an 80% plus issue—they want to see it get done. I think we’re going to have to find a way to do it. I understand the reluctance of some of my colleagues because this budget reconciliation process opens up an unlimited amendment process where the [Senate Democrats] will have us voting against Santa Claus, against Christmas, against apple pie—you name it. [Senate Republicans] are going to have to lock our arms and stand strong, take the tough votes, and get our way through this. But I think it would be very, very challenging for us to go back to our constituents and tell them that we didn’t give it our very best to get this done. Hagerty on the Arctic Frost Investigation: I want to find out what happened. It’s unbelievable. I’ve been a Verizon customer for decades. What happened was Verizon decided to violate the Constitution. I’m a sitting United States Senator, but because I’m a Republican—I presume—they were more than willing to cooperate with [Former President Joe Biden] and [Special Counsel Jack Smith] in the midst of an unconstitutional search of our records. AT&T blocked it; they wouldn’t do it because they knew it was against the Constitution. Verizon decided to move right ahead with it. Their chief executive officer and their chief legal officer have dodged every question. Even the chief legal officer decided to skip her hearing on this topic. We need to put both of them under oath and ask them some tough questions… Verizon was looking at a $20 billion acquisition of [Frontier Communications]. That was in the pipeline. Did they feel like they had to engender some sort of favor with the [Biden administration Department of Justice (DOJ)] so they’d get that approved? … Corporate America has got to realize that they’re going to be held to account when they engage in this sort of partisan political activity at the expense of their customers. Hagerty on Verizon and the weaponization of the Biden Department of Justice (DOJ): It’s hard to say what [Special Counsel Jack Smith] was looking for, but he wanted a massive witch hunt. And it seemed that it only turned on whether you’re Republican or not. And it may only turn on whether you’re an ally or a friend of this current sitting president. Again, his enemy clearly was [President Donald Trump]. Those of us that were his allies were the ones that he felt like he had an open hunting license to go out and pursue anything and everything that he might to try to turn on us, to try to make our lives uncomfortable. And the fact that you had a company like Verizon colluding with Jack Smith, colluding with the Biden DOJ, and handing over Republicans’ records. Again, let’s find out why. Was it to curry favor? Was it to get a $20 billion acquisition through? Was it to get an appointment for the chief legal officer in the Biden administration? Hagerty on holding Verizon accountable: We don’t know the answers to these questions. That’s why we need to put them under oath. That’s why they need to stop obfuscating. I made a formal complaint to them. They have until Aug. 11 to answer these questions, let’s see if they do… They’ve done everything they can to dodge and obfuscate. So we’re going to keep pressing. And now that I’ve got [Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-IA,] and [Sen. Ron Johnson, R-WI,] on my side to press this, we have the full weight of the [Senate Judiciary Committee]. I think we have oversight powers now. We’ll bring them in; we’ll haul them in. Hagerty on the CLARITY Act: We’re going to have to pass the CLARITY Act. There’s no way that we can allow the United States to fall behind in the digital assets arena. Everything is moving digital around the world. The GENIUS Act was a major step forward to make certain that the digital dollar remains dominant in the world. But we need to follow it up with the remainder of the market. I think the problem is, will we be able to pass this with Democrats right now? Or are they going to let midterm politics get in the way? I think we should just put it to a vote on the floor of the United States Senate and find out where the Democrats stand.",1,2026-08-05T07:37:37Z,2026-08-05T07:38:44Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/08/03/icymi-hagerty-joins-kudlow-on-fox-business-to-discuss-spain-iran-and-community-reinvestment-act-reforms/,"ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Kudlow on Fox Business to Discuss Spain, Iran and Community Reinvestment Act Reforms",2026-08-03,2026,2026-08,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington—On Friday, United States Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations, Appropriations, and Banking Committees, joined Kudlow on Fox Business to discuss Spain’s immigration crisis, the latest in Iran and the Trump Administration’s proposed reform of the Community Reinvestment Act. *Click the photo above or here to watch* Partial Transcript Hagerty on Spain’s immigration crisis: I think it is precisely what the president is warning against, and it’s a preview of what could happen if the Democratic Socialists of America are able to get in charge. If you think about it, the Socialist Workers Party in Spain, a leftist, socialist organization, is taking control of that country. This is what you get… It’s an invitation to these people to overrun their country. I think all of Europe should be on alarm. Again, this is a preview of what could happen right here in America. We already saw [President Joe Biden] try it before. Thank God [President Donald Trump] came into office and has put a complete stop to this. It’s out of the news right now, but this could happen again. It’s a preview and it’s a wakeup call to all of us, and I think as we head into the midterm elections, to remember what the Democrat socialists can do—it’s happening right now in Europe. Hagerty on Iran: Much to Washington’s shock, President Trump has been very good about not telegraphing his every move. But I’ll say this, [Commander of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) Admiral Brad Cooper] had completed roughly 75 to 80% of the target package that initially was set to deal with Iran. He stepped back from that when we went into negotiations, into the ceasefire to deal with the straight before moves. I think the time has come. Go back, finish the package, finish the job. I think this is what the American public needs to see. As soon as this happens, I’ll tell you this. The polling data that [Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.] and the Democrats are thrilled about right now, because Americans don’t like to see this sort of unclear situation. Once we have clearly defined this and ended this, this whole bit in Iran, we’ve taken the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)] and put them where they belong… I think you’re going to see the president’s poll numbers; you’re going to see joy back in America again. Americans love a winner; Americans love to win. We can do that, and I think the time has come to deliver on it […] our Israeli partners, they have exquisite intelligence and capabilities on the ground there. You saw what they did with the supply chains when every one of Hezbollah’s leaders had their fingers and thumbs blown off. I think the Israeli Military possesses incredible covert capabilities… I think we should put every option on the table… Let’s execute the alternatives. Hagerty on the Trump Administration’s proposed reform of the Community Reinvestment Act: I’m glad to see the Trump Administration doing as they have been and going in and taking a very hard look at this regulatory regime. This is a tool that has been misused. I’m certain this was not the original intent, but this has basically been a tool used to shake down any bank or financial institution that wants to merge or expand into a given market, and they get shaken down by liberal regulators and those that want to control them to write checks to support efforts, particularly liberal efforts. That just shouldn’t be the case. That’s coming to an end, again, thanks to the Trump Administration, and thanks to strong leadership on the economic front led by [U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessett], and the new comptroller. I’m very pleased with where we are headed.",1,2026-08-04T07:35:49Z,2026-08-04T07:37:27Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/08/03/icymi-hagerty-joinsthe-sunday-briefing-on-fox-news-to-discuss-iran-blanche-confirmation-and-the-save-america-act/,"ICYMI—Hagerty JoinsThe Sunday Briefing on Fox News to Discuss Iran, Blanche Confirmation and the SAVE America Act",2026-08-03,2026,2026-08,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington—On Sunday, United States Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations, Appropriations, and Banking Committees, joined The Sunday Briefing on Fox News to discuss the latest in Iran, Todd Blanche’s pending confirmation and the SAVE America Act. *Click the photo above or here to watch* Partial Transcript Hagerty on Iran: We continue to maintain the strategic advantage and Iran’s strategic capabilities continue to be degraded. If you think about it from a military standpoint, now we have other neighbors in the region joining us, dealing militarily with Iran. That [should be] quite concerning to the Iranian regime. The other aspect of this is the fact that the economic sanctions that [U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent] and his team at Treasury have been imposing are having a dramatic effect on the Iranian economy. The question is, how much more can they take? Their economy is shut off; their economy is shut down. The military componentry has been devastated, and now we have other players in the region joining the United States to deal with Iran in a way that they’ve never seen before. I’m certainly optimistic that President Trump is going to make certain that at the end the goal is accomplished, that is no nuclear capability for Iran. I’d like to see this done sooner than later, I think the rest of America would, too. Hagerty on the Middle East’s Maritime Defense Coalition against Iran: Iran would like to destabilize the entire region because they’d like to control the entire region. And the fact is that neighbors [in the Middle East] are stepping up and realizing that they have a role to play here. They’re going to be the most immediately impacted, and frankly, given Iran’s military attacks on everybody in the neighborhood, that’s become painfully clear. I welcome the fact that these nations are stepping up, that they’re joining us, and I think this is going to be a regional solution to a problem that has been very specific for 47 years. It’s time to bring it to an end, and I think we get there much more rapidly with allies like Saudi Arabia and others stepping into the fray and working arm-in-arm and side-by-side with us. And again, I think the sooner we can put this to conclusion the better everybody will be in the world. Hagerty on conflicting viewpoints regarding the conflict in Iran: The president takes advice from multiple sources. I’m honored by the fact that he reaches out to me from time to time, but he is constantly absorbing information. He is constantly trying to deal with the situation on the ground. And I think what you have [Vice President J.D. Vance] doing is indicating there are considerations here that are very real. The president needs to hear all of those considerations. The one person that the president cannot fire is the other person that stood elected alongside [him], and that’s Vice President Vance. I think Vice President Vance takes it seriously upon himself. He has told this to me, that he needs to sound out every concern that could possibly exist, and I think you see another example of it right here. At the end of the day though, I’ll come back to this: We hold the strategic advantage. President Trump has been incredibly clear. He will not allow the Iranian regime to have nuclear capacity. And I think President Trump’s patience is worn quite thin. So, with this current ceasefire, we’re at the verge of being ready to unveil and unleash a tremendous amount of power on Iran. They need to pay attention to this, and they need to pay attention to the fact that other neighbors in the region are standing shoulder-to-shoulder with [the United States] right now. I think this [conflict] is going to come to an end very soon. Hagerty on Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s confirmation and the Anti-Weaponization Fund: I know [Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R- has been working hard to get both [Senator Tom Tillis, R-N.C.,] and [Senator John Cornyn, R-Texas,] to a place of comfort. But I also say this: I wholeheartedly disagree with the notion that this is something that’s undeserved. The [Department of Justice (DOJ) during the Biden Administration] did attack many people. Several people on my staff were targeted and weaponized by the DOJ… The hurt and harm were very real… I’m not looking for any compensation, but I do think that justice needs to be served here. And to say that there is nothing here to look at the weaponization fund is just evidence that something very, very bad did happen under the Biden DOJ. There should be accountability, however that takes form. I don’t think that we need to just sweep this under the rug. I think there needs to be an acknowledgement. I’m willing to accept Todd Blanche’s word that this fund will not be put into motion. I think Todd Blanche is a very qualified nominee, I’m looking forward to getting him confirmed. Hagerty on the SAVE America Act: There are 50 [Senate Republicans] or more that are willing to push this through, but we need more Democrats to get to 60 votes if we’re going to pass [the SAVE America Act] as it stands. What we’re focused on right now is a reconciliation product. [Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.,] was working on this before his untimely departure, bless his heart. But we are, again, working on a product that I think we can use the reconciliation process, which only requires a [simple] majority vote, which we can deliver. We are navigating that process right now. This is not an easy situation when you have every Democrat in the Senate opposed to any type of election integrity. I think it’s quite embarrassing for the Democratic Party, and people should be asking why they’re doing this—What’s their underlying motive? But at the same time, I’m ready to stay here to get this done in whatever form it requires. We do have a vehicle that is under consideration right now that I think we can get significant elements of the SAVE America Act passed.",1,2026-08-04T07:35:49Z,2026-08-04T07:37:27Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/07/31/icymi-hagerty-joins-varney-co-on-fox-business-to-discuss-iran-midterm-elections/,"ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Varney & Co. on Fox Business to Discuss Iran, Midterm Elections",2026-07-31,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington—On Thursday, United States Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations, Appropriations, and Banking Committees, joined Varney & Co. on Fox Business to discuss the latest in Iran and the upcoming midterm elections. *Click the photo above or here to watch* Partial Transcript Hagerty on Iran: I think [Commander of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) Admiral Brad Cooper] has done an excellent job of conveying to [President Donald Trump] his options. And if you think about it, we stopped the execution of the target package that Admiral Cooper was executing when we stepped back to negotiate a ceasefire and deal with the Strait of Hormuz. At that point in time, Brad Cooper was probably 75 to 80% of the way through the initial target package. The timeline that he’s talking about, two-and-a-half, three weeks, is consistent with what it would take to complete that package. That’s a package that includes human targets. It’s going to be devastating to the Iranian regime. I think it’s time to step up and do it. I’m entirely in favor of it… [The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)] are the ones that are driving this. They live a different lifestyle than the rest of the military. They actually profit in times of war, and I think there’s going to be a reckoning with the Iranian people over the terrible leadership that has been provided by the IRGC, the terrible decisions that they’ve made. And they continue to make the wrong decision over and over again. It’s the definition of insanity. Hagerty on Senate Democrats’ legislative blockade ahead of midterms: [Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.,] put us through the longest government shutdown in history, shutting down the Department of Homeland Security at a time when we were in major conflict with the major state sponsor of terror in the world. Knowing that the Iranian regime has put people into this country, he was willing to shut down Homeland Security. He just instructed his party to vote against the National Defense Authorization Bill. It seems that if you step back and listen to what Chuck Schumer says on the floor, that his irresponsibility actually bleeds into almost cheerleading for the Iranian regime. It’s hard to believe—I can’t believe in my heart of hearts he believes that. But if you listen to what he says, it’s hard to argue. Hagerty on the rise of the radical left: As soon as people start listening to the platform of the Democratic Socialist Party…Zohran Mamdani in New York City, [Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.-14,], [Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-VT] . This Marxism, this socialism, this communism is not consistent with the American way. Certainly, that’s clear in Tennessee, and I don’t think they’ll get any traction at all. ###",1,2026-08-01T07:27:26Z,2026-08-01T07:28:22Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/7/blackburn-to-newsmax-senate-should-remain-until-save-america-act-passes,Blackburn to Newsmax: Senate Should Remain Until SAVE America Act Passes,2026-07-29,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) called on the Senate to remain in session until it passes the SAVE America Act during an appearance on Newsmax’s Wake Up America. Last week, Senator Blackburn led her colleagues in taking to the Senate floor to urge the Senate to pass the bill following President Trump’s address to the nation on election integrity. Watch the video Senator Blackburn released on her X account here. Click here to download Senator Blackburn’s interview on Newsmax. Click here to watch the video Senator Blackburn posted on X. Sen. Blackburn to Newsmax: Senate Should Remain Until SAVE America Act Passes Brian Freeman Newsmax Senate Republicans are prepared to remain in Washington as long as necessary to pass the SAVE America Act, backing President Donald Trump's call to delay the chamber's planned summer recess until election integrity legislation reaches his desk, Sen. Marsha Blackburn told Newsmax on Tuesday. The Tennessee Republican said on ?Newsmax's ""Wake Up America"" that the GOP is willing to work weekends, split the legislation into smaller pieces, or pursue any other legislative strategy necessary to enact the bill, which would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. ""Whatever it takes, if it is staying here, if it's breaking the bill in pieces, doing pieces one at a time, whatever we need to do to make certain that we pass the SAVE Act is what we need to do,"" Blackburn said. ""We're all in on getting the SAVE Act passed."" Her comments came after Trump urged Senate Republicans to remain in session until the legislation is approved, writing on Truth Social that Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., ""should not allow the United States Senate to leave town until it passes the SAVE America Act,"" while also renewing his call to eliminate the legislative filibuster if necessary. Although Thune has indicated there are not enough votes to abolish the filibuster, Blackburn dismissed suggestions that Republicans are wavering on the underlying legislation, arguing the conference remains united behind strengthening election security. ""No one has worked harder than President Trump to make certain that we exercise election integrity,"" she said. ""Those of us that comprise the steering committee, which is the conservatives in the Senate, have been saying for months, we will stay here weekends and until we can get this passed, because we know this is important."" Blackburn said she has already begun advancing portions of the legislation individually after leading Senate Republicans last week in an effort to move forward with a voter identification provision. She also highlighted legislation she has introduced that would encourage states to verify voter registration rolls against the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database, which contains information on individuals who are not U.S. citizens and are therefore ineligible to vote in federal elections. According to Blackburn, 26 states already compare their voter rolls against the federal database, while 24 do not. She said expanding that practice would strengthen election integrity nationwide. RELATED VIDEO: Blackburn Leads Colleagues in Urging Senate to Pass SAVE America Act Following President Trump’s Address to the Nation VIDEO: Blackburn Asks Democrat Lawmakers Why They Fear SAVE America Act",1,2026-07-30T07:32:48Z,2026-07-30T07:34:08Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/7/blackburn-leads-colleagues-in-introducing-legislation-to-keep-biological-men-out-of-the-daughters-of-the-american-revolution,Blackburn Leads Colleagues in Introducing Legislation to Keep Biological Men Out of the Daughters of the American Revolution,2026-07-28,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.),Mike Lee (R-Utah), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) introduced the Daughters of the American Revolution Membership Integrity Act, which would amend the Daughters of the American Revolution’s (DAR) federal charter by adding a membership eligibility requirement to bar biological men from becoming members. The DAR has made headlines for adding a “non-discrimination” clause that allows biological males to become members. “The Daughters of the American Revolution was founded by women for women, and its founders would be appalled that the organization is now allowing biological males to become members and undermine the legacy of real women who helped build our nation,” said Senator Blackburn. “The Daughters of the American Revolution Membership Integrity Act would amend the DAR’s federal charter to stop the organization from erasing biological reality and ensure it is reserved for the real daughters of the American Revolution.”",1,2026-07-29T07:41:48Z,2026-07-29T07:42:57Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/07/24/icymi-hagerty-joins-fox-friends-on-fox-news-to-discuss-iran-and-the-save-america-act/,ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Fox & Friends on Fox News to Discuss Iran and the SAVE America Act,2026-07-24,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"New York—Today, United States Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations, Appropriations, and Banking Committees, joined Fox & Friends on Fox News to discuss the latest developments in Iran and the SAVE America Act. *Click the photo above or here to watch* Partial Transcript Hagerty on Iran and the Abraham Accords: I applaud [President Donald Trump] for bringing major allies in the region together. Iran is getting further and further isolated by a deal like this. And joining the Abraham Accords has been a long-term goal for President Trump. The fact that he has gotten Jared Kushner involved, his wonderful team, John Raider—that team put together the Abraham Accords at a time when it was desperately needed. I think they should have gotten a Nobel Peace Prize for this. And by bringing more into the fold, particularly [Saudi Arabia], the largest economy [in the Middle East], I think this is a major step forward. We are talking about economy, we are talking about prosperity, and I think this sends a message for the entire region that we are ready to move forward […] We are not talking about enrichment programs at all. The [United Arab Emirates (UAE)], other partners of ours, are able to have a civil nuclear program. They report, they do not hide, they do not obfuscate. But I think this is something that we are going to work through the details on with Saudi Arabia. My sense is that President Trump’s overarching goal is to bring them into an economic relationship that begets prosperity. I think the sooner we get this wrapped up, the sooner it is taken care of, the more the American public will come on board. I think the issue we have right now is the fact that [the conflict is] dragging out. And I don’t fault those that are trying to negotiate trying to bring this together with terms that work because we are going to have to rebuild Iran. But at this point, I think the American public’s sentiment, at least as I read the data, [is that] they just want this over with. And if you think about the activity there in the Middle East, [Commander of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) Admiral Brad Cooper], was about 75 to 80% of the way through the target package they initially set. [CENTCOM] stopped when they went to a ceasefire. They stopped that when they went to negotiate. I think [Admiral Cooper] is back on track to complete that target package, and that will put the Iranian situation in a much better negotiating position. Hagerty on funding the Department of War (DOW): I think you have a lot of support for this. We have a reconciliation package working its way through. This is just an immediate fix [for funding the Department of War]. There is about $73 billion in that package to address the [Department of War], but we are talking about a $1.5 trillion package at a time when the military needs a significant rebuild. For four years, [the department was] distracted under [former President Joe Biden’s administration], focusing on social engineering, not on lethality. And what the team has found as they have come in is a lot of opportunity to make us stronger. We’ve demonstrated exquisite results… but we need to continue this momentum and make certain that we are ready to deal with all of the adversarial situations. Hagerty on Budget Reconciliation and the SAVE America Act: I think what we need to do is actually put something in front of everybody, because if it’s voter ID, this is an issue that over 95% of Republicans, and even on the Democrat side, over 70% of Democrats approve of. I don’t know why every American does not want to support this. The mail-in balloting issue gets more complicated for some states that are more remote. I understand that issue, but I think that we take it in pieces.",1,2026-07-25T07:13:44Z,2026-07-25T07:15:09Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/7/blackburn-sounds-the-alarm-on-communist-china-s-infiltration-of-american-judiciary,Blackburn Sounds the Alarm on Communist China’s Infiltration of American Judiciary,2026-07-23,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"“According to the national security organization State Armor, over the course of three decades, ‘ELI’s work has uniformly advanced Chinese strategic and national security interests while undermining American national security . . . and simultaneously pushing America toward dependence upon energy sources dominated by the PRC.’ In 2018, that very same group launched its Climate Judiciary Project ‘in coordination with the [Federal Judicial Center] . . . in response to demand from the judiciary for education about climate science.’ While the stated goal was to provide ‘neutral, objective information to the judiciary,’ it’s clear that ELI’s goal was to ‘make judges more receptive to climate litigation’ and, even more troubling, ‘target’ judges in states ‘where [climate] cases were being brought.’ The substance of CJP’s programming is equally as concerning. According to State Armor’s report, CJP’s materials instruct judges on how to ‘frame’ climate change matters and ‘influence colleagues who may be “opposed to action on climate change.”’ The CJP programming also includes material that has little to do with standard continuing legal education content, including lesson plans on ‘implicit bias’ and ‘Resistance to Change.’ Critically, according to the report, the majority of CJP’s materials were ‘created by scholars who have called for liability for oil and gas companies,’ including a scholar who has labeled the oil and gas industry as ‘diabolical.’” ELI Lesson Plans Steer Judges to Rule in Favor of Far-Left Climate Lobby, Threatening Judicial Independence",1,2026-07-24T07:30:11Z,2026-07-24T07:31:13Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/7/video-blackburn-blasts-democrats-war-on-ice-following-nyc-incendiary-device-attack,VIDEO: Blackburn Blasts Democrats’ War on ICE Following NYC Incendiary Device Attack,2026-07-22,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"‘On Monday, we saw yet another example of what has become disturbingly common.’ ‘Authorities believe the attack was motivated by the suspect’s hatred of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.’ ‘This attack did not come out of nowhere. It follows a months-long campaign by Democrats to demonize ICE.’ WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) delivered remarks on the Senate floor condemning the recent attack outside of a New York immigration court by a suspect who had anti-ICE material on him. In her remarks, Senator Blackburn called out her Democrat colleagues for demonizing federal law enforcement and praised Republicans for standing up for ICE and CBP by passing the Secure America Act. Click here to download Senator Blackburn’s remarks. REMARKS AS PREPARED “On Monday, we saw yet another example of what has become disturbingly common: an act of far-left terrorism. “Outside the Jacob K. Javits Federal Office Building, a man poured gasoline on the entrance, set it ablaze, and tossed fireworks into the raging flames. “Thankfully, law enforcement responded swiftly to apprehend the suspect, who was armed with two axes, a hammer, a machete, and three knives. But not before he injured four innocent people. “Authorities believe the attack was motivated by the suspect’s hatred of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The federal building he targeted is home to New York’s ICE field office and other Department of Homeland Security offices.” “Before the attack, he allegedly pushed a cart with a sign reading, ‘ICE Off Our Streets,’ and made anti-ICE statements. “This attack did not come out of nowhere. It follows a months-long campaign by Democrats to demonize ICE and our brave federal law enforcement officers for simply doing their jobs.” “They’ve likened them to ‘secret police,’ the Nazi Gestapo, the Soviet KGB, and ‘slave patrols.’ They’ve called them a ‘a clear and present threat,’ a ‘reign of terror,’ and ‘nondescript thugs.’ They’ve accused them of ‘mayhem and death,’ “terror and violence,’ and ‘scar[ing] the American public.’ “These are not statements from fringe figures. They’re from prominent governors, senators, and lawmakers. “The vilification of federal law enforcement is now central to Democrats’ identity and messaging. “They believe that by attacking our officers, they can get at President Trump. In reality, they are only putting a target on their backs.” “I have to admit that I was surprised when New York’s far-left socialist mayor, Zohran Mamdani, called Monday’s attack ‘deeply disturbing.’ “In many ways, he has led the attack on ICE. He’s called ICE a ‘cruel agency that does nothing to further the interests of public safety’ and ‘too rotten to reform.’ He claimed that they’re ‘terrorizing people’ and should be abolished. He even signed an order to block ICE officers from arresting criminal illegal aliens in schools, shelters, and hospitals. “While Democrats bow to their radical base, Republicans will continue to stand for the rule of law. Under President Trump’s leadership, we have focused on ensuring our federal law enforcement agencies have all the resources they need to do their jobs. “It’s why we passed the Secure America Act, a landmark law that will fund ICE and CBP through the end of President Trump’s second term. “That way, federal law enforcement officers can continue to track down the violent criminal illegal aliens that Joe Biden brought into our country. “It’s important to remember that every single Democrat voted against this law. Whenever they have the chance, they put illegal aliens over American citizens. They want to make illegal legal. They want to return to Biden’s open border. But as long as Republicans are in charge, that will never happen.” RELATED",1,2026-07-24T07:30:11Z,2026-07-24T07:31:13Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/7/blackburn-introduces-legislation-to-increase-domestic-production-of-critical-medical-supplies,Blackburn Introduces Legislation to Increase Domestic Production of Critical Medical Supplies,2026-07-21,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"“America's dependence on China and other foreign nations for critical medical supplies is a national security threat that puts the lives of Americans at risk,” said Senator Blackburn. “The ONSHORE Manufacturing Act would cut red tape with smart tax incentives to bring production home, protect our supply chains, and ensure we never face shortages that endanger patients during a crisis.” BACKGROUND The United States relies heavily on foreign countries, including China, for many of the medicines, medical devices, and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) used by American patients every day. This dependence creates vulnerabilities in the healthcare supply chain and leaves the United States exposed to disruptions caused by public health emergencies, natural disasters, geopolitical conflicts, and foreign export restrictions. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted these risks when shortages of medicines, personal protective equipment, and diagnostic materials disrupted patient care across the country. These challenges demonstrated the need for a stronger domestic manufacturing base for critical medical products. Reliance on foreign supply chains is not only a healthcare issue but also a national security concern. Strengthening domestic manufacturing capacity can help ensure the United States has reliable access to the medicines and medical products needed during emergencies while reducing dependence on foreign competitors. ONSHORE MANUFACTURING ACT The ONSHORE Manufacturing Act would expand domestic manufacturing capacity and improve supply chain resilience products through key provisions, including a: o 10.5% Domestic Manufacturing Production Credit that would help support long-term, U.S.-based production and employment; o 30% Advanced Manufacturing Equipment Credit that would encourage investments in advanced manufacturing equipment used to produce critical medicines, APIs, biologics, medical devices, and medical countermeasures in the U.S.; and o 30% Facility Modernization Credit that would support investment needed to upgrade and modernize manufacturing facilities to meet federal requirements while expanding domestic production capacity. The bill would also require annual reports from the Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Department of War, and Food and Drug Administration evaluating the impact of the legislation on domestic manufacturing capacity, Buy American procurement compliance, supply chain resilience, and drug and device shortages. Click here for bill text. ENDORSEMENTS",1,2026-07-22T07:34:13Z,2026-07-22T07:35:16Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/7/video-democrats-block-blackburn-resolution-condemning-judge-eleanor-ross-gross-misconduct,VIDEO: Democrats Block Blackburn Resolution Condemning Judge Eleanor Ross’ Gross Misconduct,2026-07-21,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"‘The American people deserve federal judges who uphold the highest standards of integrity… not those who turn their chambers into a venue for extramarital affairs.’ ‘There is no reason any member of this body should object to my resolution today.’ WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Democrats blocked U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn’s (R-Tenn.) effort to pass a resolution condemning Northern District of Georgia Judge Eleanor Ross’ sexual misconduct and subsequent lies to judicial investigators. Excerpts of Senator Blackburn’s remarks are below. Click here to download Senator Blackburn’s remarks. EXCERPTS OF REMARKS “I'm asking that the Senate speak with a unanimous voice in condemning one of the worst acts of judicial misconduct we have seen in years. Judge Eleanor Ross has been a district judge in the Northern District of Georgia for over a decade, and it's clear that she engaged in conduct that falls beneath the dignity of her high office in the federal judiciary.” “Over the course of two years, Judge Ross engaged in a sexual relationship with a high-ranking official of the Atlanta Police Department. This conduct occurred in her judicial chambers during normal business hours, within earshot of her law clerks.” “Not only did this misconduct create the possibility of an appearance of impropriety, an affair like this also exposed Judge Ross to the possibility of extortion and blackmail.” “In addition to this egregious behavior in her chambers, the special committee also found an equally disturbing act of judicial misconduct: making false statements material to the committee's investigation. Judge Ross told the 11th Circuit's chief judge that she, and I quote, ‘never engaged in sexual intercourse in her office nor anywhere else in the courthouse,’ end quote.” “Judge Ross' statements to Chief Judge Pryor were patently false. They were knowingly false. We also know that it took Judge Ross nearly two weeks to retract the false statements.” “The American people deserve federal judges who uphold the highest standards of integrity and professionalism on the bench, not those who turn their chambers into a venue for extramarital affairs.”",1,2026-07-22T07:34:13Z,2026-07-22T07:35:16Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/07/21/hagerty-leads-historic-senate-appropriations-subcommittee-hearing-to-review-the-supreme-courts-budget-request/,Hagerty Leads Historic Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing to Review the Supreme Court’s Budget Request,2026-07-21,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"The hearing takes place amid increased security threats against Supreme Court Justices WASHINGTON—On Tuesday, United States Senator Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government (FSGG), led the Subcommittee’s third and final hearing for Fiscal Year 2027. Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett—the first sitting justices to appear before the committee in 24 years—testified in support of the U.S. Supreme Court’s budget request. *Click the photo above or click here to watch* Remarks as prepared for delivery: “Good afternoon. The hearing will come to order. Before we begin, I would like to take a brief moment to remember our late colleague, Senator Lindsey Graham. He was a true American Statesman. What I remember most is that, while he was incredibly serious, he had unparalleled talent in bringing levity to any situation. I think Justice Kagan, it was during your confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, that one of his questions brought genuine laughter to the whole room. We will miss Senator Graham dearly. His family, friends, and staff members remain in my prayers. Turning to the matter at hand, this is the third and final hearing of the Fiscal Year 2027 cycle for the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee. First, I’d like to welcome our distinguished witnesses, Justice Kagan and Justice Barrett of the United States Supreme Court. It’s been fifteen years since Supreme Court Justices testified before the Senate, so I want to thank you both for being here today. The work of the Supreme Court is of paramount importance, and I look forward to hearing from you about the resources the Court needs to do that work. Unlike federal departments, the Supreme Court is not a creature of Congress, but of the Constitution itself, equal in dignity to the Congress and the President. And unlike the legislative and executive powers, the Founders crafted the judicial power to be independent from the political branches. That independent judicial authority—characterized, in Alexander Hamilton’s words, by “neither force nor will, but merely judgment”—is “the best expedient … to secure a steady, upright, and impartial administration of the laws.” It is crucial that we respect that independence, which is embedded in the separation of powers that forms the backbone of American government. The Judicial Branch is not wholly insulated from Congress, however. Congress’s power of the purse imparts not only the authority, but the responsibility, to fund every part of the government including the Supreme Court. It is therefore important for our branches to work together to ensure the Court has the resources it needs to perform its constitutional duties. With these facts in mind, I want to be clear that this hearing is about the Supreme Court’s fiscal, operational, and security needs, and will be conducted in light of the Court’s unique relationship to Congress. This hearing is not a forum for discussion about the merits of specific cases—past, present, or future—or about when Justices should recuse from cases. I encourage my colleagues to focus their questions accordingly. And as a reminder, each Senator will have 1 round of 8 minutes to ask their questions. I also expect that our guests today will maintain order in the hearing room so we can conclude our business with efficiency and civility. We will have no tolerance for interruptions today. Any demonstration or disorderly conduct will result in prompt removal. The Supreme Court’s budget request for Fiscal Year 2027 seeks $207 million in discretionary funding. This amount is a $13.9 million—or 7.2 percent—increase over the total amount of discretionary funding provided to the Supreme Court for Fiscal Year 2026. The requested increase is driven by an increasingly dangerous threat environment, and the recognition that more resources are needed to counteract this concerning reality. There is no denying that we are experiencing a disturbing level of violence against those who serve in the highest levels of government. President Trump has now survived three assassination attempts in the last two years. Yesterday was the second anniversary of the attempted assassination in Butler, Pennsylvania, where the assassin’s bullet drew blood. But for a millimeter, President Trump would have been killed. Tragically, one American was killed, and two more were critically injured. That’s hardly the only instance. Our colleague Rand Paul suffered a felonious assault. Someone tried to firebomb Governor Josh Shapiro’s home. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise narrowly survived an assassination attempt, as more congressmen stood in the line of fire. Of course, political violence is not solely directed to elected officials, as we recently saw with the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk. And—particularly relevant for today’s hearing—the Supreme Court has not escaped this dark trend of politically motivated violence. Following the 2022 leak of the Dobbs draft opinion, a man intent on preserving Roe tried to kill Justice Kavanaugh at his home, bringing with him a gun, a knife, pepper spray, zip ties, lock-picking tools, and duct tape. Separately, Justice Alito’s staff opened an envelope to find a white powdery substance inside—ultimately harmless but intended to terrorize Court personnel and obstruct Court operations. We also observed hundreds of demonstrators gathering outside the Justices’ homes, attempting to intimidate and influence them, in apparent violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1507 yet without a single arrest by Biden’s Department of Justice. Justice Barrett was the target of a “swatting” attack intended to create an environment for potential injury to her and others. These disturbing incidences force us to confront the reality that the physical security of each member of the Supreme Court is a matter of constitutional consequence. Though maintaining operational security might require obscuring some details, I am hopeful that the Justices’ testimony today will help us understand some of these threats. Accompanying the rise in physical threats is a rise in cyber threats. In January, a man pleaded guilty to hacking the Supreme Court’s electronic filing system at least 25 times. We have also observed a surge in cyber threats directed towards the lower courts. It is not hyperbole to say that attacks of this nature can be a matter of life and death. Sealed court documents can include information about confidential informants and classified national security information, not to mention social security numbers, sensitive medical records, and trade secrets essential to our economic dominance. The risk of insecure and unreliable electronic court records is not a risk we can accept. To defend against these threats and avoid the proliferation of attacks currently facing the lower courts, the Supreme Court’s budget seeks a modest program increase to enhance its cybersecurity personnel. Thank you for appearing before this Subcommittee, Justice Kagan and Justice Barrett. It is an honor to have you before us today and I look forward to your testimony.” ###",1,2026-07-22T07:34:13Z,2026-07-22T07:35:16Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/07/21/icymi-hagerty-joins-national-report-on-newsmax-to-discuss-iran-and-the-save-america-act/,ICYMI—Hagerty Joins National Report on Newsmax to Discuss Iran and the SAVE America Act,2026-07-21,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington—Today, United States Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations, Appropriations, and Banking Committees, joined National Report on Newsmax to discuss the latest in Iran and the SAVE America Act. *Click the photo above or here to watch* Partial Transcript Hagerty on Iran: [President Donald Trump] has been completely clear that he is not going to allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon or nuclear capacity, so I am not surprised at all that as we get new intelligence, the president is going to proceed against that. With respect to the broader effort, I think the Iranian regime needs to learn that President Trump will not tolerate the behavior that we have seen with Iran… I think President Trump is demonstrating that very clearly, and he is degrading them significantly. He is creating a new set of terms. The next time the negotiations begin, I think the Iranian regime is going to find a very different situation. If you look at the inflation in their own economy, it’s greater than 100%. Their economy is cratering. It is a very difficult situation right now, and President Trump is going to maintain maximum pressure […] Our efforts have been very much focused on depriving the Iranian government of any sort of effort—any sort of capability—to deliver nuclear weapons in that capacity. If you step back and ask yourself, ‘why did we enter this at the time that we did?’ It is because the Iranians were developing ballistic missile capability and drone capability that would have allowed them to essentially porcupine their country, and that meant they would have had all the time in the world to pursue their nuclear ambitions. President Trump saw this. We have exquisite technology to take out their weaponry, but that technology takes longer to develop—it is a math problem at the end of the day. President Trump saw that and he is crushing their capacity to defend any of these assets. They have no ability to control their airways—we do. It is up to us. The targeting package that [Central Command Commander Admiral Cooper] is pursuing will be discussed and pursued on a strategic basis […] [Iran] is very large—90 million people—the vast majority of them hate this regime. All options are on the table in terms of what we do with the public, in terms of what military targets that we strike, what nuclear targets we strike. I think that’s clearly an option that the Iranian people can take a very active role in dealing with this regime. [The Iranian Regime has] proven to be very unreliable… We have been losing American lives to this regime for decades. The time has come for this to come to an end. President Trump has been very clear, and if they strike us yet again, he is going to make certain that the Iranian regime pays for it tenfold—or more. I think that message is coming across and again, whatever effort is necessary to win, I think [President Trump] is going to pursue that and keep those options on the table. Hagerty on the SAVE America Act: After we saw President Trump reveal the information that we have garnered in terms of Chinese influence in our elections, adversarial influence in our elections, their ability to impact our elections, the need for election integrity and election security has never been higher. The Democrats refuse to acknowledge this because they flooded our border with illegal citizens. They made it clear that they want these people to be able to vote and they don’t want any sort of ability to check and make certain that people that are voting in our elections are citizens. It is even more than that, though. We have got to go beyond that and make certain that no one is capable—no country, no individual—is capable of tampering with any vote. And anytime an [illegal alien] votes, they are depriving an American citizen of their vote. So I think the American public is rising, they appreciate this. If you poll this, you have over 70% of Democrats in favor of what we are trying to do, certainly close to 100% of Republicans… And I’m optimistic that this time, [Congress is] going to find a vehicle to get [the SAVE America Act] through. ###",1,2026-07-22T07:34:13Z,2026-07-22T07:35:16Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/7/video-blackburn-leads-colleagues-in-urging-senate-to-pass-save-america-act-following-president-trump-s-address-to-the-nation,VIDEO: Blackburn Leads Colleagues in Urging Senate to Pass SAVE America Act Following President Trump’s Address to the Nation,2026-07-20,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) led her Republican colleagues, including Senators Mike Lee (R-Utah), John Husted (R-Ohio), and Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), in urging the Senate to pass the SAVE America Act following President Trump’s address to the nation last week on election integrity: Click here to download Senator Blackburn’s remarks. EXCERPTS OF REMARKS “Having voter ID is something the vast majority of Americans support whether they're Democrats or Republicans or Independents or Libertarians.” “It's incredible that we're on the floor having to make the case for this legislation.” “The legislation that is before us would really accomplish three major objections in securing our elections.” “It would require voters to present an ID to cast a ballot.” “Our legislation would require people to be a U.S. citizen in order to vote in our elections.” “It would require the states to remove non-citizens who have somehow ended up on their voter rolls.” “Every one of them, common sense. There is nothing objectionable about these measures.” “Many Republican states already enforce these safeguards.” “If every state was like Tennessee, there would be no need for the SAVE America Act. But for years, we have seen blue states practically invite fraud into their elections. 14 states, including California, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, do not require any form of ID to vote. Many more states accept ID that is non-photo.” “States that do this have found thousands of individuals.” “There is no other, no other developed nation that leaves their election so vulnerable to fraud and manipulation.” “To defend themselves, Democrats claim that voter fraud is very rare.” “President Trump's Thursday night address on election integrity showed just how much voter fraud we have.” “According to a DHS review of state voter rolls, there are approximately 278,000 non-citizens registered to vote in our elections. The last three presidential elections were decided by fewer… votes. The President noted that this figure is likely an undercount because Democrat states refuse to share their voter files with the administration.”",1,2026-07-21T07:32:02Z,2026-07-21T07:33:33Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/7/video-blackburn-leads-colleagues-in-urging-senate-to-pass-save-america-act-following-president-trump-s-address-to-the-nation/a96474c0-3908-4a45-94ad-ddf9626fd087,VIDEO: Blackburn Leads Colleagues in Urging Senate to Pass SAVE America Act Following President Trump’s Address to the Nation,2026-07-20,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"‘There is nothing objectionable about these measures.’ ‘If every state was like Tennessee, there would be no need for the SAVE America Act.’ ‘There is no other developed nation that leaves their election so vulnerable to fraud and manipulation.’ WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) led her Republican colleagues, including Senators Mike Lee (R-Utah), John Husted (R-Ohio), and Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), in urging the Senate to pass the SAVE America Act following President Trump’s address to the nation last week on election integrity: Click here to download Senator Blackburn’s remarks. EXCERPTS OF REMARKS “Having voter ID is something the vast majority of Americans support whether they're Democrats or Republicans or Independents or Libertarians.” “It's incredible that we're on the floor having to make the case for this legislation.” “The legislation that is before us would really accomplish three major objections in securing our elections.” “It would require voters to present an ID to cast a ballot.” “Our legislation would require people to be a U.S. citizen in order to vote in our elections.” “It would require the states to remove non-citizens who have somehow ended up on their voter rolls.” “Every one of them, common sense. There is nothing objectionable about these measures.” “Many Republican states already enforce these safeguards.” “If every state was like Tennessee, there would be no need for the SAVE America Act. But for years, we have seen blue states practically invite fraud into their elections. 14 states, including California, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, do not require any form of ID to vote. Many more states accept ID that is non-photo.” “States that do this have found thousands of individuals.” “There is no other, no other developed nation that leaves their election so vulnerable to fraud and manipulation.” “To defend themselves, Democrats claim that voter fraud is very rare.” “President Trump's Thursday night address on election integrity showed just how much voter fraud we have.” “According to a DHS review of state voter rolls, there are approximately 278,000 non-citizens registered to vote in our elections. The last three presidential elections were decided by fewer… votes. The President noted that this figure is likely an undercount because Democrat states refuse to share their voter files with the administration.”",1,2026-07-22T07:34:13Z,2026-07-22T07:35:16Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/7/blackburn-leads-colleagues-in-introducing-bill-to-stop-multi-million-dollar-birth-tourism-industry-following-scotus-ruling-on-birthright-citizenship,Blackburn Leads Colleagues in Introducing Bill to Stop Multi-Million Dollar Birth Tourism Industry Following SCOTUS Ruling on Birthright Citizenship,2026-07-17,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"NASHVILLE, Tenn. – U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) introduced a new and improved version of the Ban Birth Tourism Actto eliminate loopholes that foreign nationals exploit to become U.S. citizens following the Supreme Court’s disappointing decision in Trump v. Barbara: “Following the Supreme Court’s decision in Trump v. Barbara, Congress must step up to the plate to protect the integrity of American citizenship,” said Senator Blackburn. “I’m grateful to my Republican colleagues for joining me in reintroducing the Ban Birth Tourism Act to make it crystal clear that any alien seeking to come to our country to engage in birth tourism is both inadmissible and deportable under the Immigration & Nationality Act.” “Birthright citizenship has been exploited for far too long. The Fourteenth Amendment was never intended to reward birth tourism. Congress must close this loophole, and I am proud to join Senator Blackburn in introducing legislation to end this abuse and protect the integrity of American citizenship,” said Senator Budd. “It is a profound blessing to be an American citizen and to inherit the 250-year legacy of freedom and opportunity that has made the United States the greatest country in the world, but U.S. citizenship is not a commodity,” said Senator Cornyn. “By cracking down on birth tourism, a practice often abused and exploited by our adversaries, this legislation ensures our nation’s immigration laws are upheld and American citizenship cannot be bought.” “The Left has spent decades turning our citizenship laws into a giant loophole for anyone willing to hop on a plane, and it's American taxpayers who foot the bill for their reckless open-borders agenda,"" said Senator Lummis. ""Birth tourism has become a multimillion-dollar industry catering to wealthy foreign nationals who exploit our laws to buy their children an American passport and a right to vote in American elections. This bill slams that ridiculous loophole shut for good."" “Allowing foreign tourists to give birth in our country specifically with the purpose of securing U.S. citizenship for their children threatens not only the integrity of our immigration system, but also our national security. American citizenship is an honor and a privilege – we cannot let birth tourism operations and bad actors exploit it,” said Senator Sheehy. “The Ban Birth Tourism Act would close a loophole that foreign schemers have used for years to undermine American citizenship, while maintaining protections for legitimate travelers seeking medical care. I’m proud to support this common-sense legislation and look forward to seeing it advance through the Senate.” “Birth tourism is happening, it’s wrong, and it needs to be stopped,” said Senator Banks. “For too long, foreign nationals have abused our immigration system and taken advantage of the American people. It’s time to take back our sovereignty, and I’m proud to join Sen. Blackburn in this fight.”",1,2026-07-21T07:32:02Z,2026-07-21T07:33:33Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/7/video-blackburn-scorches-durbin-for-grandstanding-on-epstein-files-after-he-previously-blocked-subpoena-requests,VIDEO: Blackburn Scorches Durbin for Grandstanding on Epstein Files After He Previously Blocked Subpoena Requests,2026-07-15,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"“When Ranking Member Durbin was Chairman in the last Congress, I tried repeatedly to subpoena the Epstein files so that we could get those banking records and those flight logs.” “Repeatedly, that was blocked.” “So, the Democrats at that point didn’t want to know what was in the Epstein files until they lost the majority, and then they were hell bent to get that.” WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today during U.S. Attorney General Nominee Todd Blanche’s confirmation hearing, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) slammed Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) for pretending to care about the Epstein files after he previously blocked Senator Blackburn’s requests to subpoena the Epstein flight logs as Chairman of the Committee. Senator Blackburn spoke with Acting Attorney General Blanche about the tremendous success of the Memphis Safe Task Force and the need to pass her Federal Carjacking Enforcement Act, her Ban Birth Tourism Act, and her Fraud Accountability Act to support his work on these issues at the U.S. Department of Justice. Click here to download Senator Blackburn’s remarks. RELATED Blackburn Schools Durbin After He Lies About Blocking Her Requests for Epstein Flight Logs",1,2026-07-16T07:21:44Z,2026-07-16T07:23:13Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/07/14/icymi-hagerty-joinsmornings-with-maria-on-fox-business-to-discuss-clarity-the-save-act-reconciliation-3-0-and-lindsey-grahams-legacy/,"ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Mornings with Maria on Fox Business to Discuss CLARITY, the SAVE Act, Reconciliation 3.0 and Lindsey Graham’s Legacy",2026-07-14,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington—Today, United States Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations, Appropriations, and Banking Committees, joined Mornings with Maria on Fox Business to honor the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC, and to discuss the CLARITY Act, the SAVE America Act and Reconciliation 3.0. *Click the photo above or here to watch* Partial Transcript Hagerty on Lindsey Graham’s passing: There is a pall over all of D.C. Frankly, over much of the world. Lindsey was very well traveled as a legislator and very well liked. We will all dearly miss him. He played a critical role in the Senate. He always brought levity to everything that he did… I remember him walking into an important meeting with members of the House of Representatives, and Lindsey announced, “I am from the United States Senate, and I’m here to help.” It just broke the room, it broke the ice. And he had a way of piercing even the most tense situation with a little bit of levity. He always also was very clear in his goals. You might not always agree with his goals, but Lindsey always had a plan to get them accomplished. And I think he is resting better—God bless him—knowing that he accomplished so much, particularly with the situation in Ukraine right now. His breakthrough efforts that just occurred with Russian sanctions, I think will make a big difference in terms of bringing peace to that area that he’s worked so hard at […] Lindsey was chair of the [Senate Budget Committee] and we’ve made great progress on the Reconciliation 3.0 package. We need that to get critical aspects of legislation done. We are at a point in the political environment right now where it is difficult to get any cooperation from the Democrats and getting the SAVE America Act passed, which is so important to us, many elements of that can be done through Reconciliation 3.0. There are a number of other impacts to the economy, to the housing market: indexing capital gains on housing, the budget for the Defense Department, and a number of other matters that we do need to address. Lindsey was riding front and center on that in the budget committee. It is going to take a lot of dedication. I think we should dedicate our efforts in memory of him to get that done as well […] Having [Sen. Graham] on the [Senate Judiciary Committee] was certainly an advantage for Republicans. [Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche] will be a great [United States Attorney General]. He is already doing a very good job, but I think having Lindsey there would have been a plus. We will certainly figure out how to address the gap that Lindsey’s departure leaves, but again, I say we will miss his voice in so many areas—Judiciary, of course, as you point out, being one of those critical points. Hagerty on the SAVE America Act: I think we should try every aspect available to us. I’m one of the co-sponsors of this bill and am very keen to see it passed. What Lindsey Graham was working on in the Reconciliation 3.0 package does not require Democrat votes. I think that was one of the paths that offered the most promise, and I think we need to continue our efforts full bore to make sure we get it done, and this is the time to do it. I agree that this is the legislative period before August to work hard to get it done. We have got a lot on the agenda. We need to get the National Defense Authorization Act passed; Lindsey was a strong voice there as well. We have made great progress there. I think we’re very close to being ready to do that… I put great effort forward last year to get the Genius Act passed, and what the Genius Act did for stable coins in bringing America to the absolute lead on an international basis can be done as well with the CLARITY Act for the remainder of the digital assets industry, we need to get that passed also. So, there are a lot of pressures on us right now and a lot of work ahead. Hagerty on Reconciliation 3.0: I think we’re going to have to be able to both walk and chew gum at the same time. We’re going to be working on multiple components of this, and it will be up to [Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-SD,] to decide which is ready and which is most, most passable on any given day. But we’re going to have to be proceeding side by side with these incredibly important pieces of legislation that is in the Senate Banking Committee. A lot of good work has gone into that, I think we are very close there. The SAVE America Act being “budgetized,” if you will, in the Senate Budget Committee, a lot of work has happened there. The House is working very hard right now to send something our way. And again, the National Defense Authorization Bill has got a lot of elements in it that, um, that will be critical to our national security. I think Leader Thune will be looking at which [bills] are prime and ready to go. But we are going to be voting and pushing this forward at a very rapid pace… Nobody will be able to fill [Sen. Graham’s] place, there is no question about that. But there are procedures in place to roll in a new chair of the budget committee. There are procedures in place for the governor of South Carolina to replace Lindsey, and all of that will be taking up a good part of this week, I am certain. Hagerty on the CLARITY Act: [The CLARITY Act] certainly has the momentum, and I think the interest to get it done. I will just say this: it has been transformative to see what the GENIUS Act has done to the stablecoin arena. We have the opportunity to maintain that lead for America on a global basis if we can get CLARITY done. And the right time to do it is right now. The elements are there in front of us. I would hate to see us kick the can down the road any further, but we have a lot ahead of us on the agenda. I certainly hope we can get this done soon. ###",1,2026-07-15T07:12:08Z,2026-07-15T07:13:45Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/07/13/icymi-hagerty-joins-kudlow-on-fox-business-to-discuss-iran-housing-and-reconciliation-3-0/,"ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Kudlow on Fox Business to Discuss Iran, Housing and Reconciliation 3.0",2026-07-13,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington—On Friday, United States Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations, Appropriations, and Banking Committees, joined Kudlow on Fox Business to discuss Iran, housing and Reconciliation 3.0. *Click the photo above or here to watch* Partial Transcript Hagerty on Iran: [Commander of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) Admiral Brad Cooper], is in charge of the [Strait of Hormuz]. It’s the United States of America that is driving the behavior [in Iran]. And what we have is increasing propaganda coming from the Iranian regime. They’re great at propaganda, they’re great at negotiations, but in terms of delivery—not so much. And their economy is in the tank. You see what we’ve done now: the ceasefire is over, [U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent] stepping back in, removing Iran’s temporary license to ship—that’s gone. Sanctions are being reimposed, economic pressure [is] back on, President Trump has hit [Iran] very hard. I think they’re realizing that the old playbook— the one they used with [President Barack Obama], the one they used with [President Joe Biden]—will not work with this administration […] I think that the memorandum of understanding is on life support, at best. [The United States has] reimposed sanctions. We are back at a point of negotiating from a position of strength, letting the Iranians know how it is going to be. We tried to allow them to behave like a normal country; it seems to be beyond them to do that. So, we are moving to plan B. […] We had completed about 75-80% of [target packages] before we went into the ceasefire. There is still a considerable amount of targeting that remains. Those targets are sensitive targets… The pace at which Brad Cooper undertakes this is the pace at which the President directs him to do so, I think is certainly something that was within the realm of the White House to make that decision, but we are moving back in that direction again. Hagerty on housing and affordability: Why should the consumer, why should the everyday man and woman in America pay for the inflation that Joe Biden created? That is exactly where we are. [Indexing capital gains on housing] will unleash housing stock. It will unleash supply. It is a supply-and-demand problem right now that has made housing unaffordable… Another piece I would like to highlight has to do with the regulatory front. And that would be adopting my piece of legislation that deals with taking away the $100,000 that has been the quantification of the regulatory cost on the average home in America, permitting, et cetera, that takes place. $100,000 added to the cost of a home here in America—that is something we need to address first and foremost. My Freedom to Build Act would do just that. It would build on top of what we’ve already done with the [ROAD to Housing Act], and I think just another area to move us in the right direction to lower costs for Americans. Hagerty on Reconciliation 3.0: This is something that we’ve proven that we can do. We can address the SAVE America concerns. I want to see the SAVE America Act passed. I’m a co-sponsor; I’ve voted for it every time. I’m willing to move in every direction we can—but we know we can make [budget] reconciliation work. And I think my colleagues in the House of Representatives are working away right now… I am very pleased to see us moving in that direction […] We have a short period of time here before we get into the zone of the fall election. I think the opportunity is right before us. The House is working away. I’m looking forward to getting Reconciliation 3.0 underway, and I appreciate the house taking the lead and moving it forward […] [Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsay Graham, R-SC,] and his team, actually, and the Budget Committee have been working on Reconciliation 3.0, and I think they’ve been in close contact with the House of Representatives… I think there are a number of ways to deal with it, but frankly, if [the SAVE America Act] comes over in a reconciliation bill, this is something that we have been able to pass. We’ve been very successful at it. I’d like to see it move in that direction, and I think we absolutely can do it.",1,2026-07-14T07:08:55Z,2026-07-14T07:10:52Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/7/photo-blackburn-joins-secretary-bessent-tennessee-elected-officials-for-unveiling-of-donald-j-trump-bridge-on-i-40-in-east-tennessee,"PHOTO: Blackburn Joins Secretary Bessent, Tennessee Elected Officials for Unveiling of Donald J. Trump Bridge on I-40 in East Tennessee",2026-07-09,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"“Hundreds of thousands of people use our corridor each and every day, and the Donald J. Trump Bridge will help ensure our infrastructure meets the needs of East Tennesseans and keeps Americans moving,” said Senator Blackburn. “Following the devastating damage caused by Hurricane Helene less than two years ago, this project is a testament to the incredible progress East Tennessee communities have made to rebuild stronger than ever. I am grateful to President Trump, Secretary Bessent, and the Tennessee Department of Transportation for strengthening this crucial artery of our nation’s transportation system.” Click here to download this photo.",1,2026-07-10T08:20:04Z,2026-07-10T08:21:18Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/7/blackburn-smith-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-prevent-veteran-suicide-by-victims-of-military-sexual-trauma,"Blackburn, Smith Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Prevent Veteran Suicide by Victims of Military Sexual Trauma",2026-07-08,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) introduced the Improving Personal Risk Assessments to Prevent Suicide Act to help save veterans’ lives by requiring a federal study to examine the relationship between service members and veterans’ experiences of military sexual trauma (MST) and suicide risk: “It is absolutely unacceptable that veterans are 50% more likely to die by suicide than the civilian population, and we must do everything in our power to protect and care for those who have risked their lives for this country,” said Senator Blackburn. “The Improving Personal Risk Assessments to Prevent Suicide Act is an important step in saving service members’ lives and supporting them as they heal from unimaginable trauma.” “It is our solemn duty to provide the highest quality care for those who serve our country,” said Senator Smith. “That includes making sure servicemembers who endured military sexual trauma have access to the best clinical care and suicide prevention tools available as they work to heal. I’m proud to introduce this bill to incorporate what we know about the relationship between experiencing military sexual trauma and the risk of suicide into clinical practice, improving the care that helps save lives.” BACKGROUND MST refers to the sexual assault or threatening sexual harassment service members may experience during service. Many service members choose not to report MST until after their service because they fear retaliation or threats from their superiors. Veterans are around 50% more likely to die by suicide than civilians, and the link between service members who experienced MST and higher risk of suicide is well-established, making this bill essential to overall veteran suicide prevention efforts. The Improving Personal Risk Assessments to Prevent Suicide Act would require the U.S. Department of War and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to publish a study on the links between MST, intimate partner violence, and the risk of suicide. The bill would also require the Departments to incorporate those findings into clinical assessments for identifying and treating patients at risk of suicide – the first time military sexual trauma has been included in those official clinical tools. This would improve clinical risk assessment for patients and help the Department of War, VA, and clinicians recognize MST-related risk factors before someone attempts or dies by suicide. Click here for bill text.",1,2026-07-10T08:20:04Z,2026-07-10T08:21:18Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/7/blackburn-celebrates-250-years-of-america,Blackburn Celebrates 250 Years of America,2026-07-04,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"“As we mark the 250th celebration of our nation’s independence, it’s important to remember that we’ve gotten here as a country because we believe in faith, family, freedom, hope, and opportunity,” said Senator Blackburn. “These values have carried us through challenges that seemed insurmountable, and they are the only thing that will ensure our nation endures another 250 years. This is a time for Americans across the country to unite behind these shared values and celebrate the blessing of freedom. From the Blackburn family to yours, happy Independence Day.” Click here to download Senator Blackburn’s Fourth of July video.",1,2026-07-07T08:20:12Z,2026-07-07T08:22:09Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/7/blackburn-schmitt-colleagues-launch-anti-fraud-task-force,"Blackburn, Schmitt, Colleagues Launch Anti-Fraud Task Force",2026-07-02,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"This week, U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), and seven of their Republican colleagues announced the launch of a new Senate Anti-Fraud Task Force that will examine fraud, waste, and abuse across federal programs; identify vulnerabilities in existing systems; and strengthen government accountability to ensure the proper stewardship of taxpayer dollars: “Over the past year, the Trump administration has done phenomenal work to uncover widespread fraud schemes where criminals have stolen billions of dollars with zero consequences,” said Senator Blackburn. “It is outrageous how long Democrats have looked the other way while fraudsters steal from hardworking American taxpayers. It’s time for oversight and accountability to protect the integrity of federal programs.”",1,2026-07-03T08:00:00Z,2026-07-03T08:01:30Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/06/30/icymi-hagerty-joins-varney-co-on-fox-business-to-discuss-iran-democrats-economic-agenda/,"ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Varney & Co. on Fox Business to Discuss Iran, Democrats’ Economic Agenda",2026-06-30,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington—On Monday, United States Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations, Appropriations, and Banking Committees, joined Varney & Co. on Fox Business to Discuss Iran and Democrats’ socialist price control agenda. *Click the photo above or here to watch* Partial Transcript Hagerty on Iran: I do think we are close to the end [of the conflict]. If you think about the target package that [Central Command Commander Admiral Brad Cooper] was executing before we stepped back and had the ceasefire, we were 75-80% of the way through with that target package… But these are final steps as the regime tries to hold on. You have this debate going on internal to the Iranian regime between—and I can’t believe I’m saying this—the moderate terrorists versus the more hardline terrorists. They are both fighting for control over the steering wheel—if you remember the Thelma and Louisescene where they are about to drive over the cliff. [Iran needs] to come to reality here. [President Donald Trump] has met them with resolve at every turn; America is going to respond at every turn with 10 times the force… Again, they were the ones that reached out to ask for these meetings in [Doha, Qatar,] this week. I think the Iranian regime needs to get the message loud and clear: President Trump is only going to base any type of relief on performance. Hagerty on Sen. Chris Murphy’s, D-Conn., $25 minimum wage proposal: I think it may be a winning issue within Democrat primaries, where the Democrat socialists are taking over the party—that clearly seems to be where Chris Murphy is going. [Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt.,] was at $17, now Chris Murphy is coming in at $25. Who is going to bid $30, $50 an hour? This is all about price control; control of the economy. [Democrats] act as though they have had experience in business—clearly, they do not. What [raising the minimum wage to $25] does is lead to unemployment for young people… You look at what happened in California—more unemployment, more automation, and higher poverty. You look at what happened in Connecticut when they actually tried this—more people on the Medicaid rolls after [the state government] actually implemented more price controls on wages. This is not the way the American economy needs to be focused right now. We need to be focused on international competitiveness. You think about what [Democrats] did in the Biden administration—adding $4-8 trillion of incremental compliance cost to the American economy, the war they waged on energy here in America—all of these actions that they have taken to make life less affordable. We are working to deal with it right now, but rather than help us address it—rather than work with us—they want to come up with these socialist ideas. Again, I think it is all politics for people here. They may be considering presidential runs, but they are [detached] from reality.",1,2026-07-01T06:34:07Z,2026-07-01T06:35:35Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/6/blackburn-blumenthal-statement-on-house-passage-of-the-kids-act,Blackburn & Blumenthal Statement on House Passage of the KIDS Act,2026-06-29,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), authors of the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act, released the following statement today after the House of Representatives approved stripped down legislation that weakens Senate-passed strong protections for kids online: “Instead of passing a federal standard that will protect America’s children from Big Tech’s greed, the House of Representatives just passed legislation that is a pale imitation of Big Tech accountability. The House’s decision to strip out the Duty of Care will only maintain the status quo in which Big Tech uses our kids as profit centers and leaves parents to pick up the pieces. We will not back down from the fight to pass the stronger, more widely supported version of the Kids Online Safety Act, and we will not greenlight hollow reforms that allow Big Tech’s predatory business model to remain intact.”",1,2026-07-01T06:34:07Z,2026-07-01T06:35:35Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/06/24/hagerty-calls-on-bank-regulators-to-reform-confidential-supervisory-information-practices/,Hagerty Calls on Bank Regulators to Reform Confidential Supervisory Information Practices,2026-06-24,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"Long-overdue reforms will improve transparency and accountability in bank supervision. WASHINGTON— On Tuesday, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, sent a letter to Vice Chairman for Supervision of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors Michelle Bowman, Comptroller of Currency Jonathan Gould, Chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Travis Hill, and Acting Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Russell Vought encouraging them to reform the rules governing the handling of confidential supervisory information (CSI). In recent years, overly restrictive rules governing the sharing of CSI have been exploited to stonewall congressional oversight, impose hostile supervisory agendas on disfavored industries, and prevent banks from voluntarily disclosing information to third parties in the ordinary course of business. Reviewing and reforming these rules and practices will strengthen accountability and transparency in bank supervision. A copy of the letter can be found here and below: Dear Vice Chairman Bowman, Comptroller Gould, Chairman Hill, and Acting Director Vought: Under your leadership, the Administration and financial regulators have taken significant and long-overdue steps to improve the accountability and transparency of bank supervision. To further these efforts, I urge you to review and reform the rules and practices governing the disclosure of confidential supervisory information (CSI). Confidentiality is a useful part of the supervisory process. Examiners often review proprietary business information and sensitive risk-management materials that should not be casually disclosed. An appropriate level of confidentiality facilitates candid engagement between regulators and the institutions they oversee. However, the application of CSI rules by banking agencies and the CFPB has been far too expansive in recent years. These rules have deterred banks from sharing information with parties that have legitimate, and often essential, reasons to access it. For example, existing rules and agency practices limit banks from sharing information with other parties, including outside counsel, auditors, consultants, third-party service providers, and potential counterparties in a merger, acquisition, or similar transaction. Under the status quo, banks are also restrained from sharing CSI with the Secretary of the Treasury.[1] This prevents supervised institutions from sharing details of their concerns with the Department, an unnecessary constraint that makes it more difficult to advance regulatory and supervisory policies. In addition to these overly burdensome and impractical restrictions, the expansive application of CSI rules has been abused in recent years to facilitate major policies without any semblance of accountability or congressional oversight. In the worst cases, the veil of confidentiality has been exploited to disfavor lawful industries and to impose partisan policy preferences without statutory authorization. For example, under former FDIC Chairman Marty Gruenberg, the agency told banks to “pause” or “refrain from providing” digital asset banking services.[2] According to current Chairman Travis Hill, Gruenberg’s supervisory letters effectively signaled that the agency was “closed for business if institutions are interested in anything related to blockchain or distributed ledger technology.”[3] Because the letters were labeled as CSI, recipient banks were effectively barred from making them public, limiting their opportunities to seek legal recourse and alert Congress and the public to the agency’s actions. Many institutions suspended or abandoned crypto- and blockchain-related activities.[4] The practical effect was that, without any statutory authorization, a federal regulator exploited CSI rules as a channel to suppress lawful activity in an emerging industry. In other instances, appeals to CSI have been exploited to stonewall congressional oversight. In 2022, a Federal Reserve Bank president cited CSI as a reason for denying Senator Pat Toomey, the Ranking Member of the Senate Banking Committee, information about the revocation of an institution’s master account.[5] The Reserve Bank president’s claim was a reversal of her prior acknowledgment that the information was not CSI, according to Ranking Member Toomey’s staff.[6] If information can be deemed confidential whenever disclosure would be inconvenient, the CSI rules become a tool for avoiding accountability. This is unacceptable and underscores why reform is necessary. Because supervision is conducted outside the notice-and-comment process and without formal public guidance, a baseline level of transparency is necessary to ensure that supervisors abide by the law. Confidentiality must not be exploited to block the legitimate interests of Congress and relevant third parties in understanding how supervisory authority is exercised. Accordingly, I urge you to review and reform the rules and practices governing the disclosure of CSI. Specifically, I encourage you to: Authorize the voluntary disclosure of CSI on a confidential basis to the Secretary of the Treasury and to members of Congress, at the discretion of the supervised institution. Examine the merits of permitting voluntary disclosure of CSI, subject to a confidentiality agreement, to relevant third parties with a legitimate need for the information, such as outside legal counsel, auditors, consultants, third-party service providers, potential counterparties to a merger, acquisition, or similar transaction, and other supervised institutions or associations of such institutions. I appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to working with you to improve the culture of bank supervision so that it is more transparent and accountable. ###",1,2026-06-25T06:30:03Z,2026-06-25T06:31:21Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/6/blackburn-introduces-legislation-to-limit-chinese-communist-party-influence-on-american-technology,Blackburn Introduces Legislation to Limit Chinese Communist Party Influence on American Technology,2026-06-23,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) released the following statement after introducing the Export Control Enforcement and Enhancement Act, which would help ensure sensitive American technologies are not sold to foreign adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party by expediting changes to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s “Entity List.” This trade restriction list identifies foreign individuals, companies, and organizations that could pose a threat to U.S. national security. “American technologies must be protected from those who threaten our interests,” said Senator Marsha Blackburn. “The Export Control Enforcement and Enhancement Act would ensure the Entity List is a fast, decisive, and enforceable tool for denying U.S. adversaries access to our technology.” U.S. Representative Ann Wagner (R-Mo.) introduced companion legislation in the House. BACKGROUND The End-User Review Committee (ERC) is an interagency U.S. government body that identifies foreign entities for export control lists to protect national security and foreign policy interests. This committee is chaired by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Any ERC member, including the U.S. Departments of State, War, and Energy, can recommend and propose additions to the Entity List to the U.S. Department of Commerce, but there is currently no statutory timeline that requires prompt action on these proposals. Timely approval of these additions helps prevent Chinese companies and others from accessing sensitive American technologies. EXPORT CONTROL ENFORCEMENT AND ENHANCEMENT ACT The Export Control Enforcement and Enhancement Act would make the Entity List a fast, decisive, and enforceable tool for denying adversaries access to American technology by expediting the Entry List process with a mandatory 30-day vote. Under this legislation, the ERC would be required to vote on proposed Entity List changes within 30 days unless the ERC unanimously decides to suspend the vote. This legislation would ensure every member of ERC has an equal voice on which entities pose national security threats. Click here for bill text.",1,2026-06-24T06:25:30Z,2026-06-24T06:26:49Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/6/blackburn-coons-bipartisan-bill-to-protect-individuals-and-creators-from-deepfakes-passes-senate-judiciary-committee,"Blackburn, Coons Bipartisan Bill to Protect Individuals and Creators from Deepfakes Passes Senate Judiciary Committee",2026-06-18,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statements after their bipartisan Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe (NO FAKES) Act advanced unanimously out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. This legislation would protect the voice and visual likenesses of individuals and creators from the proliferation of digital replicas created without their consent. “AI should empower innovation – not give scammers and online predators a free pass to exploit someone’s voice and visual likeness without permission,” said Senator Blackburn. “From artists and songwriters to students and everyday Americans, people deserve meaningful protections against deceptive deepfakes and digital impersonation. The NO FAKES Act would establish clear guardrails that protect the creative community in Tennessee and nationwide, and I am pleased that this important legislation is one step closer to becoming law.” “Everyone deserves the right to own and protect their voice and likeness from AI deepfakes, no matter if you’re Taylor Swift or an 8th grader in Wilmington,” said Senator Coons. “AI can be used as a tool to foster creativity, but that can’t come at the expense of the unauthorized exploitation of anyone’s voice or likeness. I am grateful for the bipartisan partnership of Senators Blackburn, Klobuchar, and Tillis that has pushed this bill forward out of committee by a unanimous vote. I hope the full Senate passes it soon so we can give Americans the security they deserve."" Additionally, Senators Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ashley Moody (R-Fla.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), and James Lankford (R-Okla.) are original co-sponsors of this legislation. Companion legislation was introduced in the House by U.S. Representatives Maria Salazar (R-Fla.) and Madeleine Dean (D-Penn.). NO FAKES ACT The NO FAKES Act would address the use of non-consensual digital replications in audiovisual works or sound recordings by: Holding individuals or companies liable if they distribute an unauthorized digital replica of an individual’s voice or visual likeness; Holding platforms liable for hosting an unauthorized digital replica if the platform has knowledge of the fact that the replica was not authorized by the individual depicted; Excluding certain digital replicas from coverage based on recognized First Amendment protections; and Preempting future state laws regulating digital replicas. Senators Blackburn and Coons introduced a revised version of the NO FAKES Act last month. This version: Adds a counter-notice procedure to better protect Americans’ free speech rights; Provides an exemption for libraries, archives, and research institutions to ensure that the study of digital replicas is not inhibited; and Makes technical fixes to ensure that the bill works as designed for streaming music platforms. Click here to read the bill text. Click here to read the section-by-section. ENDORSEMENTS This legislation is endorsed by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), SAG-AFTRA, Motion Picture Association, YouTube, Recording Academy, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, Sony Music, IBM, TikTok, OpenAI, Disney, The Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA), WME, Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Human Artistry Campaign,Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), Department for Professional Employees at AFL-CIO (DPE), AFL-CIO, National Association of Broadcasters, Vermillio, Hive, National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers(ASCAP), Authors Guild, CreativeFuture, American Bar Association, National Association of Voice Actors (NAVA), Music Artists Coalition (MAC), Television Academy, Enough is Enough, Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), Songwriters of North America, Getty Images, American Medical Association (AMA), American Federation of Musicians, and Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI). Read statements from these supporting organizations here. RELATED",1,2026-06-19T06:50:32Z,2026-06-19T06:53:40Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/06/17/hagerty-opposes-biden-era-weaponization-of-the-doj-against-conservatives-on-senate-floor/,Hagerty Opposes Biden-Era Weaponization of the DOJ against Conservatives on Senate Floor,2026-06-17,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"Senate Democrats attempted to codify language against the Trump Administration’s Anti-Weaponization Fund into law WASHINGTON—On Tuesday, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) spoke on the Senate floor to speak out against the Biden administration’s weaponization of the Department of Justice (DOJ) against conservatives and expose the hypocrisy of Senate Democrats. *Click the photo above or click here to watch* Remarks as prepared for delivery: “[President Donald Trump] made clear that he would not seek any compensation from the Anti-Weaponization Fund. I have made it clear that I won’t seek any compensation from the Anti-Weaponization Fund. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, under oath, said ‘We are not moving forward with a fund. Period.’ Why is that not enough for my colleagues from across the aisle? Because they have a deeper and much darker motive. They want to erase the Biden Justice Department’s unprecedented weaponization by abolishing every means of holding it accountable. I am not going to stand for it. Has there ever been a more systematic effort to surveil and oppress the political operation of a sitting president’s opponents than under [former President] Joe Biden? We all know the answer. In fact, my esteemed colleague from Iowa, [Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck] Grassley, has called it worse than Watergate. The Biden DOJ’s Arctic Frost operation involved a taxpayer-funded army of lawyers obtaining financial information on over 400 individuals in groups that supported President Trump in the 2020 election. Yet, serious internal concerns and objections were raised within the DOJ that this was not a proper basis for a search. President Trump’s home at Mar-a-Lago was raided in a made-for-TV operation. This witch hunt has extended to the halls of the United States Senate. By now, everyone is familiar with how the Biden DOJ subpoenaed the records of eight Republican senators—myself included—specifically because of conversations that we had in anticipation of an upcoming vote. That is a serious affront to congressional privileges, and it was a clear violation of the [United States] Constitution’s Speech or Debate Clause. Did the Constitution matter to the Biden DOJ, or to their allies at Verizon? It seems not. The Biden DOJ and Verizon violated the constitutional rights of numerous Republican senators. Several of my staff were among those who had the temerity to serve in the Trump administration. Without thinking they were involved in any wrongdoing, members of my staff were subpoenaed, forced to hire counsel, and they were subjected to depositions. The cost can be ruinous, and as my staff was tortured, I saw firsthand how the process was the punishment. If you can ruin someone’s financial future, there is no need to prove them guilty. If you can set an example that working in a Republican administration will get you put on a ‘Do Not Hire List’ by left-leaning law firms or make you the target of taxpayer funded investigations by a Democrat-controlled and weaponized DOJ, then you achieve another chilling objective: suppression. Democrats in the last administration were not satisfied with targeting Republican officials and staffers. They went even further. To take just one example, the DOJ under President Biden brought its enormous power to bear on the groups that it hates the most in my home state: pro-life demonstrators. When violent crime had skyrocketed in American cities across the nation, the Biden DOJ devoted precious resources to criminally prosecute peaceful pro-life demonstrators in my home state, Nashville, Tennessee. They were letting go of criminal illegal aliens­—who would strike again—just so they could prosecute those whose politics they disagreed with. What a disgrace. My colleagues across the aisle are simply trying to cover up and sweep under the rug the fact that the Department of Justice under President Biden became a tool to destroy his political opponents. This is far from the first political controversy involving the DOJs settlement authority. I will not recount all the instances in which the Biden and Obama administration used DOJ settlement funds to funnel billions of dollars to their pet projects. My Democrat colleagues saw no problem with that. Indeed, not a single Senate Democrat ever co-sponsored the Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act in the 114th, 115th, 117th, nor the 118th Congress. Yet, now, when any victim of the Biden DOJ’s weaponization might receive some recompense, they have found religion. Today’s bill differs in a significant way from Republicans’ previous efforts to constrain the DOJ’s settlement authority. This proposal by [Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer] is not an even-handed proposal that would constrain presidents of both parties moving forward; it would solely invalidate a single settlement agreement involving specific parties. This treads dangerously close to the Constitution’s prohibitions against ex post facto laws and retroactive legislation, and I have serious concerns that it violates the Fifth Amendment’s Due Process Clause.” ###",1,2026-06-18T06:41:00Z,2026-06-18T06:43:25Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/06/17/icymi-hagerty-joinsmornings-with-maria-on-fox-business-to-discuss-the-proposed-peace-deal-with-iran/,ICYMI—Hagerty JoinsMornings With Maria on FOX Business to Discuss the Proposed Peace Deal with Iran,2026-06-17,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington—Today, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations, Appropriations, and Banking Committees, joined Mornings With Maria on FOX Business to discuss the president’s interim memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iran, the CLARITY Act and Reconciliation 3.0. *Click the photo above or here to watch* Partial Transcript Hagerty on the U.S.-Iran MOU: I just want to be clear: we are talking about a memorandum of understanding. This is not a treaty that is ready for congressional approval at this point. But I’m certain we are all waiting to see the exact details on Friday. I have spoken with the White House about what’s in the [MOU]. I’m confident that there certainly are going to be zero taxpayer dollars that are going to go to the Iranians, and frankly, even the Iranians’ own money is not going to be made free and available to them until they perform specific, verifiable steps to move toward denuclearization… President Obama and the JCPOA basically bribed and paid off the Iranian regime to foment terrorism. That is exactly what they did with the money. President Trump is making the Iranian regime pay for the fact that they’ve been conducting terrorism. This is a fundamentally different deal, and they are in a fundamentally different place. Their nuclear program is at the bottom of a mountain. Their navy is at the bottom of the sea. Their air cover is gone. They are in a very different and much weaker place, and the Strait of Hormuz is going to be open. In fact, it already started, and I think it is going to be open toll-free very soon… Whatever we do in terms of allowing investment into Iran has got to be verifiable and clear… The investment community is not going to go into Iran until it becomes an investible nation. That is going to require rule of law. That is going to require clarity and certainty that does not exist today. That is market pressure that would be exerted on Iran before there is any type of economic development that would be undertaken. I think there is interest in the region to see Iran move into an economy that’s much more market based. But this regime is going to have to perform. And I think everything that I’m hearing—and what we’ll see on Friday, our details of this MOU—will demonstrate performance targets and, as those targets are met, more opportunities will be made available to Iran. Hagerty on the CLARITY Act: [The CLARITY Act] is creating the type of certainty that is necessary to bring the entire digital asset framework into full-blown opportunity here in America. The GENIUS Act that I authored brought America into the digital payments arena. We now are in a position where America will continue to lead as the reserve currency of the world because we now have a reserve digital dollar that is backed dollar-for-dollar by short-term U.S. Treasury securities. As we move more broadly into the arena. Digital assets have a much more varied use. We have dealt with it to a large extent… It is important to get it done; it is critical to maintain America’s innovation edge… This is something that will be more a matter of focus after the 4th of July recess period, but I certainly hope to see it done before the end of July. Hagerty on Recon 3.0: [Senate Democrats] have been entirely reckless… They were willing to shut down [the Department of Homeland Security]. Thank God the FBI was able to break up the activity around the [Ultimate Fighting Championship] event on Sunday, or we would have had another horrendous event because of the recklessness of the Democrats and their unwillingness to fund Homeland Security at a time when we were having major operations in the Middle East. And the Biden administration allowed over 700 Iranian nationals that they identified and released into the country… We have major homeland threats that we need to be addressing. The Democrats have demonstrated they have no interest in producing anything other than chaos… The only procedural tool we have available to us that we can do without Democrat support—because we are not going to get it—is another reconciliation bill. If we want to deal with the defense needs, that I’m sure are very real—even taking components of the SAVE America Act and budgeting those in a way that we can put that into the reconciliation bill—a number of items that we need to get done, the Democrats will not support. I am all in favor of proceeding along these lines. ###",1,2026-06-18T06:41:00Z,2026-06-18T06:43:25Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/06/16/icymi-hagerty-joins-americas-newsroom-on-fox-news-to-discuss-the-proposed-peace-deal-with-iran/,ICYMI—Hagerty Joins America’s Newsroom on Fox News to Discuss the Proposed Peace Deal with Iran,2026-06-16,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington—Today, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations, Appropriations, and Banking Committees, joined America’s Newsroom on Fox News to discuss the president’s interim memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iran. *Click the photo above or here to watch* Partial Transcript Hagerty on the U.S.-Iran MOU: I spoke with the White House last night. We are moving in the right direction. I think the president has articulated this clearly. We will all know the text—we’ll all know the content—on Friday. I think there’s been a massive amount of misreporting. It has been amazing to me how breathlessly many members of the U.S. media are willing to run with Iranian talking points and fake news to put it out there… The discussion I had with folks at the White House last night—certainly, we’re moving in the right direction. I just make a very clear differentiation here that seems to be missed very often by the media. This [MOU] isn’t at all like the JCPOA. President Obama actually paid for the Iranians’ terrorism—he funded it. President Trump has put the Iranian nuclear program at the bottom of a mountain. He has put their navy at the bottom of the sea. He has terminated their ability to maintain control of their airspace. It is a fundamentally different situation that we see ourselves in… [Iran] will have to take very specific steps to release any financial aid. So, when President Trump says he thinks the Iranians will move in the right direction, every incentive is in place for them to do that. And if they don’t, they are going to find their economy devastated even further, and the consequences will be even greater… I feel very positive about where we are going, and my hat is off to President Trump because instead of funding terrorism—the way Iran was funded by Obama—he is actually stopping terrorism in the Middle East. Hagerty on the price of oil and Democrats’ disapproval of military action in Iran: The notion that [military action] did not need to happen is absolutely false. If you look at the pace with which Iran was building up its ballistic missile capability and its drone capability, they were going to be at the point where they could eventually overwhelm the rest of the world [with a shield of immunity] and then they would have all day long to pursue their nuclear program. President Trump saw this—the math was clear, and it was time to act. We absolutely needed to act because, otherwise, Iran would have been in a position to hold the rest of the world hostage…We’ve already seen what they’ve done here in the past months. This absolutely needed to be done. The world will be a safer place once this [MOU] is in position.",1,2026-06-17T06:49:24Z,2026-06-17T06:50:53Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/6/technology/blackburn-investigates-kik-for-child-exploitation-and-sexual-abuse,Blackburn Investigates Kik for Child Exploitation and Sexual Abuse,2026-06-12,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) sent a letter to MediaLab CEO Michael Heyward regarding a recent report by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation warning that one of its platforms, Kik, remains incredibly dangerous for children. In the letter, Senator Blackburn requested a prompt response to a detailed list of questions, including what measures Kik employs to verify users are at least 18 years old, what safeguards prevent adults from engaging in inappropriate conversations with minors, and how many accounts have been terminated for child sexual abuse material violations. Senator Blackburn’s Kids Online Safety Act would require social media platforms like Kik to design their products with child safety in mind. New Report Reveals Kik Is Still a Paradise for Predators “Kik has followed a similar playbook as other social media companies: promise safety by design while simultaneously turning a blind eye to—or even allowing—the exploitation and abuse of minors. This conduct is disgusting and must immediately come to a stop. After Kik was first exposed for years of rampant child abuse and sexual exploitation on the platform, your platform purported to implement several of NCOSE’s recommendations to improve safety on the app. According to Bark, a parental controls company, however, Kik has been either the first or second most reported app for children’s exposure to severe sexual content for the past five years. In NCOSE’s report, researchers registered a profile under the username ‘Im12BeNice,’ indicating the user was 12 years old. According to the report, the account was almost immediately inundated with unsolicited sexual messages, requests for sexual conversations, and nude images from adult users. The strangers’ messages were unconscionable and sexually explicit. The account also received multiple nude photos. Rather than preventing predatory contact with a user who openly presented as a child, Kik’s systems allegedly allowed adults to discover, contact, and send explicit content to the account within minutes.” Kik’s Policies Are Designed to Allow Predatory Behavior",1,2026-06-13T06:32:19Z,2026-06-13T06:34:27Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/06/10/hagerty-introduces-joint-resolutions-of-disapproval-against-d-c-council-anti-law-enforcement-legislation/,Hagerty Introduces Joint Resolutions of Disapproval Against D.C. Council Anti-Law Enforcement Legislation,2026-06-10,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"The D.C. Council recently enacted two pieces of temporary legislation that would require Metropolitan PD (MPD) to collect and release body-camera footage and personal information of federal officers. WASHINGTON—Today,United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), along with Senators Ted Budd (R-NC), Mike Lee (R-UT), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and Rick Scott (R-FL), introduced two joint resolutions of disapproval, S.J. Res. 194 and S.J. Res. 195, against the D.C. City Council’s efforts to target law enforcement officers. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ-09) introduced companion resolutions in the House of Representatives. President Trump is committed to making the District of Columbia safe again for federal employees and visitors through the D.C. Task Force. Rather than welcoming federal assistance, the D.C. City Council has instead produced two pieces of legislation targeting federal officers: theBody-Worn Camera Transparency for Use of Force Act Temporary Amendment Act and theFull Accountability in Arrest Reporting Temporary Amendment Act. The acts require the collection and publication of body-camera footage, along with the personal information of officers. Together, these acts mandate the disclosure of information, resulting in the doxxing of federal officers enforcing the law in the District, and feeding inflammatory material to agitators to create unrest. The council’s hostility towards federal law enforcement must be strongly condemned. Congress has a responsibility to nullify D.C.’s attempts to interfere with federal law enforcement policy and undermine President Trump’s historic efforts to make D.C. safe. “The D.C. Council has no business pressuring federal policymakers—or federal law enforcement—to appease their radical base. The council has shamefully enacted proposals that would invite doxxing of the very same federal law enforcement officers that have made our capital city safe by requiring the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department to collect and release footage and personal information of federal law enforcement officers after a serious use of force,” said Hagerty. “I am calling on my colleagues in the Senate to join me in condemning the council’s dangerous policies, particularly during a time when ICE officers are experiencing an 8,000% increase in death threats and a 1,300% increase in assaults.” “Federal law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities, enforce our laws, and defend the American people. They should not have to worry that doing their jobs will result in their names, identities, and personal information being exposed to criminals, violent extremists, or those seeking retaliation. The D.C. Council’s actions would place a target on the backs of the men and women who serve in federal law enforcement. Transparency and accountability are important, but they must never come at the expense of officer safety or the integrity of ongoing investigations,” said Gosar. “Congress has a responsibility to protect federal officers from reckless policies that invite harassment, intimidation, and violence. Those who enforce our laws deserve our gratitude and support—not political efforts to expose them and their families to unnecessary danger.” “It is extremely concerning that the D.C. Council has chosen to overtly undermine federal law by doxing officers for doing their job to uphold law and order. This interference by local government seriously undermines the safety and security of our federal officers. I am proud to join Senator Hagerty in disapproving of these misguided policies,” said Budd. “For years, the D.C. Council allowed crime and decay to plague our nation’s capital. Now that President Trump has saved lives and cleaned up Washington by deploying federal law enforcement, the far-left Council seeks to doxx and hinder the courageous men and women doing the job D.C. refuses to do. We should not tolerate it,” said Lee. “Instead of helping our law enforcement officers make our nation’s capital safer, D.C. officials are targeting our brave women and men in blue. This is unacceptable,”said Ricketts. “I’m glad to join this effort to reject D.C.’s anti-police agenda. Law enforcement deserves our support as they work to ensure law and order in Washington.” ###",1,2026-06-11T06:38:38Z,2026-06-11T06:41:07Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/6/blackburn-statement-on-senate-passage-of-secure-america-act,Blackburn Statement on Senate Passage of Secure America Act,2026-06-05,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"NASHVILLE, Tenn. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) released the following statement after the Senate passed the Secure America Act to supercharge the immigration enforcement missions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) through the end of President Trump’s second term: “By shutting down DHS for 76 days, the Democrats jeopardized our homeland security at a time when America faces countless national security threats all because they want to abolish ICE and defund law enforcement,” said Senator Blackburn. “By voting to pass the Secure America Act, Senate Republicans slammed the door on Democrats’ radical-left demands and ensured the brave men and women who are risking their lives to enforce our immigration laws have everything they need to get the job done.” BACKGROUND The Secure America Act provides funding to: Hire, pay, train, and equip ICE agents and employees and to fund other necessary mission support and operations and maintenance costs for its immigration enforcement functions, including 287(g) agreements; Hire, pay, train, and equip CBP personnel and to fund other mission support and operations and maintenance costs for CBP’s immigration enforcement functions; and Carry out immigration enforcement and law enforcement efforts at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through Fiscal Year 2029. RELATED VIDEO: Blackburn Flames Democrats for Trying to Abolish ICE Blackburn, Graham Introduce Legislation to Strengthen Immigration Enforcement by Incentivizing States to Work with ICE",1,2026-06-06T06:16:30Z,2026-06-06T06:17:47Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/06/05/hagerty-calls-for-border-patrol-ice-funding-and-border-security-amid-shutdown/,"Hagerty Calls for Border Patrol, ICE Funding and Border Security Amid Shutdown",2026-06-05,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"Senate Democrats refused to give ICE, Border Patrol funding for 110 days WASHINGTON— Yesterday, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) spoke on the Senate floor imploring his Senate colleagues to secure funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Boder Patrol (CBP) during budget reconciliation, which had been shut down since January. *Click the photo above or click here to watch* Remarks as prepared for delivery: “We have gone 110 days with border patrol and ICE being defunded by the Democrats. The question I ask is: what do they want? They want to see more deaths. In 2025 alone, in my home state, 41 Tennesseans died at the hands of illegal immigrants… I took a call from a father whose son didn’t wake up on Thanksgiving morning because he got Fentanyl into his system. I do not ever want to take a call like that again. And [Senate Democrats] want more national security risks. Under the Biden administration, 1,500 Iranians were apprehended at the southern border. 700 of them were admitted into the United States. We don’t know where they are. 24,000 Chinese nationals in one year were encountered at the southern border under Joe Biden. … [Senate Democrats] want to distract us from the fact that every Democrat is about vote to defund ICE, to defund law enforcement, and to keep our border unsecure. Therefore, Mr. President, the pending amendment contains matter not within the jurisdiction of the Judiciary Committee, and thus is extraneous. Therefore, I raise a point of order under Section three 13 B one C of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.”",1,2026-06-06T06:16:30Z,2026-06-06T06:17:47Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/6/video-blackburn-flames-democrats-for-trying-to-abolish-ice,VIDEO: Blackburn Flames Democrats for Trying to Abolish ICE,2026-06-03,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) delivered remarks on the Senate floor, where she excoriated the Democrats for their long record of trying to abolish ICE and defund law enforcement. Click here to download her remarks and see below for excerpts. Click here to download Senator Blackburn’s remarks. EXCERPTS OF REMARKS Democrats Do Not Believe in Enforcing the Laws on the Books “A core responsibility of any representative government is enforcing the rule of law.” “Republicans believe in upholding this basic responsibility, but it’s become painfully clear – and I think it should be regrettable – that our colleagues across the aisle do not see this as a basic responsibility.” “Every single federal immigration law that we have on the books… was passed by Congress, and that law was signed into law by a sitting U.S. President.” ‘These laws actually reflect the will of the American people, and these immigration laws are just as legitimate as any other law that is on the books.” “Our Democrat colleagues… see these laws as optional.” Democrats Want to Abolish ICE “For 76 days, the Democrats kept the Department of Homeland Security shut down.” “What do the Democrats think they are doing? Why at a time when there are so many threats, why would they jeopardize our national security?” “The Democrats have a goal. They’ve been committed to this for years, and they haven’t been able to pull it off.” “Their goal is to defund law enforcement and to abolish ICE.” “I’ve got a chart that shows some of the statements that have come from people on the left.” “This is what they are trying to do.” “This isn’t a fringe position in today’s Democrat party.” “It has become a mainstay of their political agenda.” “Can you even imagine the chaos that would ensue if we wiped this agency, which is responsible for protecting Americans from cross-border crime and illegal immigration… off the map?” “There would be more crime, more sex trafficking, drug trafficking, more human trafficking, more terrorism, and more lives lost.” Consequences of Anti-ICE Rhetoric Has Been on Full Display in New Jersey “Since President Trump returned to office, we’ve seen the consequences of this rhetoric on full display. You can look at what is unfolding right now in New Jersey.” “For days, far-left rioters have assaulted law enforcement outside Delaney Hall, which is an immigration detention facility near Newark.” “One rioter screamed at an ICE agent… ‘Your children, your wife—all dead. I have your face…You’re dead.’” “Imagine if that were being shouted at you as you did your job.” “Imagine if somebody was screaming at you that they were going to kill your kids, they were going to kill your wife, and they were going to kill you. They had your face. They knew who you were. This is what these agents are facing.” “Death threats to ICE agents, they’re up 8,000%.” “Instead of condemning the violence, you’ve got the state’s, New Jersey’s Governor, Democrat, has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the rioters.” “She is blaming the ICE officers who are abiding by the rule of law. She is not blaming the paid political protestors who are not peacefully protesting.” “This is how radical Democrats have become.” “While the Democrats try to abolish ICE, Republicans are doing everything possible to uphold the rule of law.”",1,2026-06-05T06:35:23Z,2026-06-05T06:36:42Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/06/03/icymi-hagerty-joins-squawk-box-on-cnbc-to-discuss-proxy-advisors-and-acting-dni-nominee-bill-pulte/,ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Squawk Box on CNBC to Discuss Proxy Advisors and Acting DNI Nominee Bill Pulte,2026-06-03,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington—On Wednesday, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations, Appropriations, and Banking Committees, joined Squawk Box on CNBC to discuss Proxy Advisors and Acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Nominee Bill Pulte. *Click the photo above or here to watch* Partial Transcript Hagerty on Proxy Advisors: “[Proxy advisory firms] are the companies that tell shareholders how to vote exactly on management’s proposals… What we find, though, is that the proxy advisors are actually owned overseas—Canada, Switzerland, but not American companies. They’re using, misusing and abusing their power to achieve political objectives. […] It’s a total shakedown. It’s corrupt. These are social investing activists that are getting involved in funding proxy advisory services to try to create an outcome that they could never achieve legislatively. […] I met with the Business Roundtable recently and went through what we’re dealing with in this situation. This is an opportunity for activists to come in through a side door and try to create influence. I think we need to take a very hard look at it and make certain that that power isn’t being abused. This is something that I will look into much more deeply. Hagerty on Acting DNI Nominee Bill Pulte: “Bill is a very high-energy person. As we say in the South, he knows how to ‘get ‘er done.’ He gets things accomplished. He has earned the trust of the President of the United States, and I think that’s critically important—particularly in an environment where intelligence agencies have been weaponized. […] Before I came into the Senate, I was the United States Ambassador to Japan. We have an enormous military capability in Japan. In fact, the largest deployment of US military overseas—anywhere in the world—is in Japan. We also have a very large intelligence operation there. I’m a business person. I had a very large intel operation that I was responsible for… I would have all of the intelligence agencies that reported to me meet in a skiff and explain what they were working on that week, why I wanted them to be aligned. I didn’t want them spying on one another. I wanted them to work with each other and coordinate. That hadn’t happened before, and that’s because a business person has a different perspective. I think that’s the type of approach that would be welcome here in Washington. ###",1,2026-06-04T06:38:12Z,2026-06-04T06:39:44Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/6/blackburn-graham-introduce-legislation-to-incentivize-every-state-to-submit-voter-rolls-to-dhs,"Blackburn, Graham Introduce Legislation to Incentivize Every State to Submit Voter Rolls to DHS",2026-06-02,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"“It goes without saying that U.S. elections MUST be reserved for U.S. citizens, and Tennessee is ranked #1 in election integrity because we cleaned up our voter rolls and require voter ID,” said Senator Blackburn. “More than 80% of Americans want government officials at every level of government to eliminate all voter fraud, and they are fed up with Congress not taking action. I will not rest until we pass election integrity measures in any way possible, which is why I am introducing the Election Security Partnership Act to ensure every state is using the SAVE program and following Tennessee’s lead to restore faith in America’s elections.” “Free, fair and secure elections are the bedrock of our republic. However, Democrat-led states across the country have failed to enact common-sense election integrity measures to combat fraud and cheating,” said Senator Graham. “After millions of illegal aliens invaded our country during the Biden years, Americans want to know that only U.S. citizens are voting in our elections. I’m pleased to join Senator Blackburn in introducing this legislation to strengthen the integrity of and confidence in our elections.” BACKGROUND The SAVE Program at DHS is an online intergovernmental service designed to help federal, state, and local government agencies determine citizenship and immigration status of individuals within their jurisdiction to help them ensure illegal aliens are removed from these lists. According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, only 26 states already have, or are in the process of establishing, a memorandum of agreement for voter verification with SAVE. The Election Security Partnership Act would provide increased grant funding to states that submit their voter registration lists to DHS for the purpose of identifying ineligible voter registrations and non-citizens. This legislation would also improve election administration, election technology, and election security. Click here for bill text. RELATED VIDEO: Blackburn Asks Democrat Lawmakers Why They Fear SAVE America Act Congress Must Pass the SAVE America Act to Secure Our Elections",1,2026-06-03T06:40:39Z,2026-06-03T06:42:22Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/06/01/icymi-hagerty-joins-fox-news-sunday-on-fox-news-to-discuss-us-iran-talks-reconciliation-2-0-and-dhs-funding/,"ICYMI—Hagerty Joins FOX News Sunday on Fox News to Discuss US-Iran Talks, Reconciliation 2.0 and DHS Funding",2026-06-01,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington—On Sunday, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations, Appropriations, and Banking Committees, joined FOX News Sunday on Fox News to discuss the latest in Iran, Reconciliation 2.0 and funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). *Click the photo above or here to watch* Partial Transcript Hagerty on President Donald Trump’s negotiations with Iran: “[The Trump Administration has] all the time in the world, because they have absolutely devastated the Iranian Navy, the Iranian Air Force [and] have complete control over the skies. They’ve devastated their defense industrial base. The nuclear program is at the bottom of a mountain… There is a tremendous amount of pressure on the regime right now… That’s why it’s taken so long to negotiate anything. But President Trump has been clear he wants this decision to be made by the Iranian people… I’m looking at this with a sense of optimism, knowing that President Trump is a great deal maker […] Whatever the deal may be, it’s going to be a performance-oriented deal with real checkpoints. This isn’t going to be like the [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)] where the Obama administration used billions of dollars, tens of millions of dollars of pallets of cash to bribe the Iranians. What this will be is clear performance. [Iran] is going to have to perform to get any sort of relief, and President Trump will make that very clear.” Hagerty on DHS Funding: “[The Senate is] coming back to deal with the most fundamental problem that we’ve got: that the Democrats shut down the Department of Homeland Security. They don’t want any sort of border enforcement. They don’t want law enforcement in America—and we have to get that funded. We need to remember the fundamentals. [Republicans] are going to fund [Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP)] beyond President Trump’s term so that they stop becoming a political football, and are allowed to do their job to make our nation more safe. With respect to the other items, I think we’re going to be able to navigate that.” Hagerty on Budget Reconciliation 2.0: “There are discussions underway right now between [the Senate Republican Conference] and the White House to get to something that’s going to work. I’m looking forward to seeing the details this coming week. We’re going to get right back onto this reconciliation package. Again, we would not be here were it not for the obstructionism of the Democrat Party. Chuck Schumer and the Democrats seem to want to create chaos at every turn, and it’s our obligation to try to fix that.” ###",1,2026-06-02T06:40:38Z,2026-06-02T06:42:17Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/06/01/icymi-hagerty-joins-varney-co-on-fox-business-to-discuss-us-iran-negotiations-political-violence-and-midterms/,"ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Varney & Co. on Fox Business to Discuss US-Iran Negotiations, Political Violence and Midterms",2026-06-01,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington—On Sunday, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations, Appropriations, and Banking Committees, joined Varney & Co. on Fox Business to discuss US-Iran negotiations, political violence and the upcoming midterm elections. *Click the photo above or here to watch* Partial Transcript Hagerty on President Donald Trump’s negotiations with Iran: “I’m certain that whatever deal President Trump puts in place will require performance… President Trump’s been a business person his entire life—a very successful one, I might add… He understands performance is a necessity to get any sort of compensation or recompense. I feel certain that whatever the Iranians do, it’s going to have to be verified. They’re going to have to demonstrate performance before they make any sort of concessions or yields. That’s the type of deal I would expect to see, and I’m looking forward to the details.” Hagerty on political violence, technology and national security: “We have had a president with multiple death threats. In fact, the [Iranian regime] had a fatwah on him. An assassin [entered] the [White House Correspondents Dinner] here recently in Washington D.C. with multiple weapons, in an attempt to assassinate the president, and the cabinet… We’ve deployed sophisticated technologies in places like Iran and Venezuela with incredible results in terms of decapitating regimes, so I think it is a security environment that we ought to be cognizant of. The security situation has changed dramatically, the technology has changed dramatically, and to ignore that would be a folly. The executive branch, particularly this president, is in a much better position to evaluate the security needs of the White House than the judicial branch.” Hagerty on the midterm elections: “[The polls] don’t matter until [voters have] had a chance to put competitors into position and actually define them. When [Americans] see the leadership of the Democrat Party in the face of those like [New York City Mayor] Zohran Mamdani, I think the public will begin to wake up and realize they are not happy with the current situation. If you listen to the mainstream media… you wouldn’t find out about the fact the stock market is at an all-time high… Tax returns are north of $3,400 this year, highest on record… The media is quite different from reality. And as we get closer to [the general election], more definition comes into place with respect to the actual candidates, and the policies they maintain. You’re going to see the Republicans back in the position to say, ‘look, we’re delivering for the American people.’ The only position that the Democrats seem to have is anti-Trump chaos, socialism, democratic socialism—and that’s not the direction America wants to go.” ###",1,2026-06-02T06:40:38Z,2026-06-02T06:42:17Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/5/photo-blackburn-keynotes-tennessee-valley-corridor-national-summit-in-chattanooga,PHOTO: Blackburn Keynotes Tennessee Valley Corridor National Summit in Chattanooga,2026-05-29,2026,2026-05,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"Blackburn Discusses Opportunities Ahead with Emerging Tech “With the time I have, I’d like to look at the opportunities we have ahead of us with emerging technologies; discuss how Congress is supporting these developments; and outline why Tennessee is better prepared than any other state to secure America’s tech dominance.” “We know that America’s 21st century leadership rests on our ability to develop and lead in emerging technologies, especially AI, quantum, and advanced nuclear. We also know that the development of each one of these technologies rests on the others.” “Quantum will provide the rails that AI will ride on—while handling complex computations needed for advanced reactors. AI is accelerating the development of quantum computers while aiding the construction and operation of reactors. And nuclear energy will provide the reliable, base-load power needed to scale up AI and quantum infrastructure.” “With these technologies, there are trillions of dollars in potential economic growth on the table. But more importantly, U.S. leadership in AI, quantum, and advanced nuclear is essential to our long-term national security.” Blackburn Discusses Congressional Action to Advance AI, Quantum, and Nuclear “In March, I unveiled the discussion draft for the TRUMP AMERICA AI Act—comprehensive legislation that would create one federal rulebook for AI. This bill answers President Trump’s call for national AI standards while ensuring that America wins the global race for AI supremacy.” “I recently introduced legislation, alongside several of my Senate colleagues, to reauthorize and expand the National Quantum Initiative Act (NQIA). First signed into law by President Trump in 2018, the NQIA supported research and development, improved coordination between industry and government, and promoted international standards for quantum.” “Along with the NQIA, I have led several bipartisan bills to promote U.S. quantum development, including legislation to bolster quantum research at the Department of War; support our nation’s quantum innovation hubs, including in Tennessee; create a Manufacturing USA Institute to spur quantum manufacturing; and establish a public-private partnership to develop near-term, commercial applications for the technology.” “Finally, on nuclear. I am so pleased that President Trump and his administration are taking strong action to eliminate red tape and support the nuclear energy industry. With his executive orders to speed up approvals for new reactors and strengthen fuel supply chains, he is helping usher in a 21st-century nuclear renaissance.” “To support this effort, I was pleased to secure a tax benefit in the Working Families Tax Cuts, or One Big Beautiful Bill, for certain advanced nuclear facility projects—support that will directly benefit the TVA’s Clinch River Site.” Blackburn Makes the Case for Why Tennessee Must Lead the Nation in Emerging Tech “With all the assets Tennessee has, we are better positioned than any other state to lead in these emerging technologies and address our nation’s most pressing national security issues.” “As I mentioned earlier, the development of AI, quantum, and nuclear energy depend on each other. And in Tennessee, we are fortunate to be leading in all three technologies.” “Scientists at Oak Ridge National Lab are conducting cutting-edge AI research, achieving quantum breakthroughs with Frontier, and advancing nuclear research, including at the Y-12 National Security Complex.” “Oak Ridge’s work has drawn tremendous investment into our state. More than 220 nuclear companies call Tennessee home, including 150 in the Oak Ridge area alone.” “UT Knoxville is also working hand-in-hand with Oak Ridge to advance nuclear research and educate the future leaders of this vital industry. And for nearby McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base, I was honored to lead the Tennessee congressional delegation in urging the Air Force to select the 134th Air Refueling Wing to host the KC-46.” “EPB has deployed America’s first industry-led commercially available quantum network—lowering the barrier for innovators to use this technology. At the same time, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is leading the nation in quantum research and education with its Quantum Center.” “Vanderbilt is leading on quantum and AI research. In December, it partnered with the EPB to launch the Institute for Quantum Innovation. And in 2024, it launched the College of Connected Computing to focus on computational thinking, AI, and data science.” “Last week, Middle Tennessee State University and Middle Tennessee Electric announced a new partnership to advance quantum science research.” “Through the Pathfinder Program, Fort Campbell has partnered with Vanderbilt to solve complex problems facing our service members.” “In Tullahoma, Arnold Air Force Base leads the nation in hypersonic testing, which will continue to prove vital as we develop the Golden Dome.” “The University of Memphis is working with the U.S. Navy to spearhead new innovations in drone technology.” “When it comes to national security, we need the brightest minds working together. That’s why this summit is so great. And that’s why I am so optimistic about the future of our state and our nation.”",1,2026-06-05T06:35:23Z,2026-06-05T06:36:42Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/5/jobs and economy/blackburn-lankford-and-hassan-team-up-to-end-government-shutdowns-and-hold-congress-accountable,"Blackburn, Lankford, and Hassan Team Up to End Government Shutdowns and Hold Congress Accountable",2026-05-28,2026,2026-05,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"NASHVILLE, Tenn. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) joined Senators James Lankford (R-Okla.) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) in introducing the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act, which would take government shutdowns off the table and force Congress to stay in town until their work is done: “Congress shouldn’t be able to hold federal workers and the federal government hostage by forcing government shutdowns to score political points,” said Senator Blackburn. “This legislation would end government-wide shutdowns to protect American taxpayers and prevent disruptions to critical services.” “Americans are tired of worthless government shutdown drama and Congress using federal workers and government services as pawns in political standoffs,” said Senator Lankford. “The Prevent Government Shutdowns Act ends government shutdowns forever with a simple idea: if Congress doesn't do its job, Congress doesn't get to go home. We shift the pressure off the American people and onto the people they elected. We came within three votes of passing this before, and it is time to finish the job. “Government shutdowns are costly, avoidable, and make people in New Hampshire and across the country pay the price for the failures of Congress,” said Senator Hassan. “This commonsense, bipartisan bill incentivizes Congress to fund the government on time and ensures that there is a plan in place to protect families and our economy if Congress cannot come to an agreement.” Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa.), Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), John Kennedy (R-La.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) also co-sponsored this legislation. Companion legislation has been introduced in the House by Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) and Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.). PREVENT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWNS ACT The Prevent Government Shutdowns Act would require that if appropriations work is not done on time, all Members of Congress must stay in Washington, D.C., and work until the spending bills are completed. This would prevent a government-wide shutdown, continue critical services and operations for Americans, and hold federal workers harmless while Congress completes appropriations. Upon a lapse in government funding, the bill would implement an automatic continuing resolution (CR) on rolling 14-day periods, based on the most current spending levels enacted in the previous fiscal year. This would prevent a shutdown and continue critical services and operations by restricting taxpayer-funded allowances for official business for the following: White House Office of Management and Budget staff and leadership Members of the House and Senate Committee and personal staff of the House and Senate No official funds may be used for CODEL or STAFFDEL travel No use of campaign funds by congressional offices to supplement official duties or travel expenses No motions to recess or adjourn in the House or Senate for a period of more than 23 hours Click here for bill text. ENDORSEMENTS The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), Americans for Prosperity (AFP), International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), Partnership for Public Service (PPS), Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), and the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) support the legislation.",1,2026-05-29T06:31:28Z,2026-05-29T06:32:48Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/05/26/icymi-hagerty-joins-the-sunday-briefing-on-fox-news-to-discuss-us-iran-talks-reconciliation-2-0-and-the-anti-weaponization-fund/,"ICYMI—Hagerty Joins The Sunday Briefing on Fox News to Discuss US-Iran Talks, Reconciliation 2.0, and the Anti-Weaponization Fund",2026-05-26,2026,2026-05,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington—On Sunday, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations, Appropriations, and Banking Committees, joined The Sunday Briefing on Fox News to discuss US-Iran Talks, Reconciliation 2.0, and the Anti-Weaponization Fund. *Click the photo above or here to watch* Partial Transcript Hagerty on President Donald Trump’s negotiations with Iran: “I’m very pleased to see that we continue in the path President Trump has very clearly articulated that he’s not going to allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. We’ve seen their behavior; we know what could happen. Contrast this to what happened under Biden and Obama with the JCPOA. They clearly put them on a path to obtain a nuclear weapon. President Trump has—instead of using fake diplomacy and bribery as Obama’s administration did—actually used military force to put the Iranian regime in a position where they have to negotiate very seriously […] It’s been made very clear to Iran that there will be no final agreement until it’s clear that Iran has no path to enrich and that they will have no path to have a nuclear weapon. This is the exact opposite of what Obama and Biden did. …President Trump is going to come up with a deal that is the opposite of what the JCPOA addressed… I think the terms will be strict. I think they’ll be very enforceable. President Trump has used military force to annihilate the economic, technological, and military capacity of the Iranian regime. They’re in a fundamentally different place. …President Trump has been the one to deliver it, the only president that’s stepped up to do it.” Hagerty on the Weaponization of Justice: “I’m very much in favor of addressing the weaponization of government, particularly of the [Department of Justice], that the Biden administration utilized. They leaked President Trump’s tax returns, they invaded his home at Mar-a-Lago, and put everything on television. It’s unbelievable what they did in terms of violating his rights, weaponizing government and judicial services. They’ve done it to me. With Arctic Frost, [the DOJ] came after senators’ phone records, illegally violating the constitution. The funds are not for President Trump or his family. They are not for me. What they’re for are people who have suffered monetary consequences… There needs to be accountability throughout the DOJ and I’m glad to see [Acting Attorney General] Todd Blanche addressing this… the media is missing the point here that the justice system was weaponized against American citizens… There are citizens that have suffered from this severely. Hagerty on the Anti-Weaponization Fund: I have plenty of insight in terms of the reason for this type of action. This sort of recompense for an unbelievable violation of American sovereignty… [using] our own government to go after our citizens, that’s exactly what has happened with the Biden administration’s DOJ, that’s what this is. Up and down the system, there needs to be broad accountability. Those members of the DOJ that did this need to be brought to heel and brought to task. And again, I think this is obviously intended to try to address the financial harm that occurred to some Americans who were used and victimized by this weaponization. ###",1,2026-05-27T06:38:34Z,2026-05-27T06:40:17Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/5/blackburn-klobuchar-bill-to-strengthen-investigation-of-child-exploitation-passes-senate,"Blackburn, Klobuchar Bill to Strengthen Investigation of Child Exploitation Passes Senate",2026-05-22,2026,2026-05,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) released the following statements after their Safe Cloud Storage Act passed the Senate. This legislation would provide limited liability protections to law enforcement-approved vendors to securely store and transfer child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to assist in investigations of child sexual exploitation. This legislation is also co-sponsored by Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Ashley Moody (R-Fla.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). Companion legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives by U.S. Representative Laurel Lee (R-Fla.). BACKGROUND In 2024, Senator Blackburn’s REPORT Act was signed into law, which—among other things—provided limited liability protections for National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)-contracted vendors to store and transfer CSAM for investigative purposes. These civil and criminal liability protections were incredibly important for NCMEC as it reviews horrific evidence of child pornography during investigations of reports of exploitation received from online platforms. Other third-party law enforcement vendors similarly need the ability to store and handle this investigative material without facing criminal or civil liability. SAFE CLOUD STORAGE ACT The Safe Cloud Storage Act would build upon Senator Blackburn’s REPORT Act by ensuring that law enforcement-approved vendors who assist in investigations of child exploitation are permitted to securely store this evidence that is critical to holding these criminals accountable. Specifically, this bipartisan bill would permit law enforcement-approved vendors to provide secure, cloud-based storage of CSAM evidence without facing a civil claim or criminal charge—giving law enforcement the flexibility they need as they work to investigate and target these horrific criminals. As with the REPORT Act, this legislation would require vendors to adhere to strict cybersecurity standards to ensure that this material is securely stored. Importantly, these law enforcement-approved vendors would not be shielded from civil or criminal claims under this bill’s limited liability protections if they engage in intentional misconduct, negligent conduct, or if they act with malice. ENDORSEMENTS",1,2026-05-23T06:08:46Z,2026-05-23T06:10:20Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/5/blackburn-joins-budd-colleagues-in-introducing-legislation-to-prevent-thousands-of-illegal-aliens-from-escaping-mandatory-detention,"Blackburn Joins Budd, Colleagues in Introducing Legislation to Prevent Thousands of Illegal Aliens from Escaping Mandatory Detention",2026-05-21,2026,2026-05,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"NASHVILLE, Tenn. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) joined Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and three of their Republican colleagues in introducing the Detention Authority Clarification Act, which would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to make unambiguous Congress’ intent that illegal aliens be subject to detention without bond pending removal from the United States. This is in response to split decisions by federal courts across the country about what should already be clear in section 235 of the INA—all who have entered the United States illegally are subject to mandatory detention. “Illegal aliens who gained entry under Biden’s open border continue to endanger Americans’ lives and must be removed as swiftly as possible,” said Senator Blackburn. “The Detention Authority Clarification Act would ensure that these individuals must be detained without bond until they are promptly deported and are not allowed to evade the consequences of their crimes.” “We are a nation of laws, and those who break these laws by coming to our country illegally must be held accountable for their actions. President Trump has worked hard to reaffirm the integrity of our nation’s immigration system, yet hundreds of federal district court judges are allowing illegal aliens to avoid mandatory detention based on a supposed loophole. The Detention Authority Clarification Act would eliminate any doubt by reaffirming mandatory detention for those who have violated U.S. law by entering the country illegally,” said Senator Budd. This legislation is also co-sponsored by Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). BACKGROUND The INA, as amended, requires the detention of illegal aliens. Previous administrations allowed these illegal aliens to be released on bond. However, the Trump administration now detains these illegal aliens in compliance with the statute and with Congress’ intent. Thousands of detained, illegal aliens have filed lawsuits in federal courts challenging the Trump administration’s interpretation of the INA, and hundreds of federal district judges have granted their request for release. Split panels of circuit court judges on the federal courts of appeals have sided with and against the Trump administration, and one such panel of judges deadlocked entirely on this question. Specifically, section 235 of the INA, as amended by the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA), provides that an alien who enters the U.S., including those who enter illegally, is deemed an “applicant for admission” and is to be subject to detention until the alien is lawfully admitted to the U.S. or removed from the U.S. in the case of an illegal alien. DETENTION AUTHORITY CLARIFICATION ACT Specifically, the Detention Authority Clarification Act would: Clarify the intent of section 235 of the INA to eliminate alleged ambiguity by stating that all who have entered the United States illegally are subject to mandatory detention; and Require mandatory detention for illegal aliens in section 236 of the INA to harmonize the language of sections 235 and 236. The Detention Authority Clarification Act is supported by the Immigration Accountability Project (IAP). Click here for bill text.",1,2026-05-30T06:11:53Z,2026-05-30T06:13:24Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/5/technology/blackburn-coons-salazar-dean-colleagues-introduce-revised-version-of-no-fakes-act,"Blackburn, Coons, Salazar, Dean, Colleagues Introduce Revised Version of NO FAKES Act",2026-05-20,2026,2026-05,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), along with U.S. Representatives Maria Salazar (R-Fla.) and Madeleine Dean (D-Penn.), introduced a revised version of their bipartisan Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe (NO FAKES) Act to protect the voice and visual likenesses of individuals and creators from the proliferation of digital replicas created without their consent. Click here to read the updated bill text. “AI should empower innovation – not give scammers and online predators a free pass to exploit someone’s voice and visual likeness without permission,” said Senator Blackburn. “From artists and songwriters to students and everyday Americans, people deserve meaningful protections against deceptive deepfakes and digital impersonation. The NO FAKES Act would establish clear guardrails that protect the creative community in Tennessee and nationwide, and we are grateful to have more support than ever before for this bipartisan and bicameral legislation.” “Whether they’re Tom Hanks or an 8th grader in Wilmington, no one should worry about someone stealing their voice or likeness,” said Senator Coons. “We’re reintroducing a stronger NO FAKES Act after working with stakeholders from across the country to make the protections in our bill more robust without compromising Americans’ free speech rights. I am proud that NO FAKES is the most advanced piece of AI legislation before Congress right now with the broadest network of supporters. Americans can’t afford to wait any longer for Congress to pass this bill and send it to the president’s desk.” “While AI presents extraordinary opportunities for technological advancement, it also poses some new problems, including the unauthorized replication of the voice and visual likeness of individuals, such as artists,” said Senator Tillis. “We must protect against such misuse, and I’m proud to co-introduce this bipartisan legislation to create safeguards from AI, which will result in greater protections for individuals and that which defines them.” “Americans from all walks of life are increasingly seeing AI being used to create deepfakes in ads, images, music, and videos without their consent,” said Senator Klobuchar. “We need our laws to be as sophisticated as this quickly advancing technology. Our bipartisan NO FAKES Act will establish rules of the road to protect people from having their voice and likeness replicated through AI without their permission.” “In this new era of AI, bad actors are quickly and easily profiting from the creativity of others. Our laws must catch up,” said Representative Salazar. “The NO FAKES Act is simple and sacred: you own your identity—not Big Tech, not scammers, not algorithms. Deepfakes are digital lies that ruin real lives, and it’s time to fight back.” BACKGROUND “The use of AI is only growing, and Congress must catch up with common sense, common ground regulations,” said Representative Dean. “By granting every person a clear, federal right to control digital replicas of their own voice and likeness, the NO FAKES Act will empower victims of deep fakes; defend against sexually explicit deepfakes; and safeguard human creativity and artistic expression. We must support technological innovation while preserving the privacy, safety, and dignity of all Americans.” • With the rapid advance of generative artificial intelligence (AI), artists and creators have already begun to see their voices and likenesses used without their consent in videos and songs created as nearly indistinguishable replicas. • In one high-profile example, AI-generated replicas of the voices of pop stars Drake and The Weeknd were used to produce a viral song titled “Heart on My Sleeve,” generating hundreds of thousands of listens on YouTube, Spotify, and other streaming platforms before it was flagged as a fake and removed from the platforms. • The harmful effects of unauthorized AI-generated content go far beyond celebrities. For example, in Maryland, a Baltimore high school athletic director was arrested and charged after using AI to create a deepfake voice recording of the school’s principal that included racist and derogatory comments about students and staff – statements the principal never actually made. NO FAKES ACT The NO FAKES Act would address the use of non-consensual digital replications in audiovisual works or sound recordings by: • Holding individuals or companies liable if they distribute an unauthorized digital replica of an individual’s voice or visual likeness; • Holding platforms liable for hosting an unauthorized digital replica if the platform has knowledge of the fact that the replica was not authorized by the individual depicted; • Excluding certain digital replicas from coverage based on recognized First Amendment protections; and • Preempting future state laws regulating digital replicas. The revised version of the NO FAKES Act: • Adds a counter-notice procedure to better protect Americans’ free speech rights; • Provides an exemption for libraries, archives, and research institutions to ensure that the study of digital replicas is not inhibited; and • Makes technical fixes to ensure that the bill works as designed for streaming music platforms. Click here to read the updated bill text. Click here to read the section-by-section. ENDORSEMENTS The latest version of this legislation is endorsed by Recording Industry Association of America(RIAA), SAG-AFTRA, Motion Picture Association, YouTube, Recording Academy, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, Sony Music, IBM, TikTok, OpenAI, Disney, The Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA), WME, Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Human Artistry Campaign,Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), Department for Professional Employees at AFL-CIO (DPE), AFL-CIO, National Association of Broadcasters, Vermillio, Hive, National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers(ASCAP), Authors Guild, CreativeFuture, American Bar Association, National Association of Voice Actors (NAVA), Music Artists Coalition (MAC), Television Academy, Enough is Enough, Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE),Songwriters of North America, Getty Images, American Medical Association (AMA), and American Federation of Musicians: “RIAA proudly endorses the NO FAKES Act of 2026, a widely supported consensus bill developed through a bipartisan, bicameral process and championed by American AI developers, the creative community, child safety groups, conservative groups, labor unions, and free speech advocates. Polling confirms that 92% of Americans are concerned about the impact of AI deepfakes on our neighbors and culture and reveals near total support for a Federal law that protects voice and likeness. NO FAKES provides those important protections while securing freedom of expression, reducing litigation and achieving the full promise of American AI technology. We applaud the efforts of Senators Coons and Blackburn alongside Representatives Salazar and Dean, along with their bipartisan colleagues, on crafting this legislation that has also been recommended by the White House’s National AI Framework. This is an example of communities coming together to solve an important issue, and we are closer than ever to NO FAKES becoming the law of the land this year,” said Mitch Glazier, Chairman & CEO of RIAA. “We’re incredibly grateful to Senator Coons and Senator Blackburn for leading the reintroduction of the NO FAKES Act. As AI technology continues to disrupt our ecosystem, this bill is a powerful and necessary step toward protecting human creativity, identity and truth itself. I’m comforted to know that this legislation is designed to safeguard artists and individuals for generations to come,” said SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin. “The Motion Picture Association continues to back the NO FAKES Act and thanks Senators Coons and Blackburn for their unwavering commitment to ensuring this bill becomes law,” said Charles H. Rivkin, Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association. “NO FAKES importantly establishes federal protections against abusive and deceptive uses of digital replicas while respecting creators’ constitutional rights and freedoms.” “This reintroduction marks real progress — a stronger bill that reflects what the creator community needs. YouTube has long believed that protecting people's likeness is foundational to responsible AI, and we’re proud to stand behind this legislation. We’re encouraged by the broad and growing support for the NO FAKES Act, and urge this Congress to pass it,” said Leslie Miller, VP Government Affairs and Public Policy at YouTube. “The Grammy organization applauds the reintroduction of the NO FAKES Act. This carefully crafted legislation strikes the right balance in protecting artists from the spread of harmful deepfakes online, while also acknowledging advancements in AI technology are a part of our future. Last month’s GRAMMYS On The Hill Advocacy Day allowed Members of Congress to hear first-hand from artist advocates about the impact of AI on the music community and the urgent need to protect human creators. The real-world stories shared by our artist advocates came at a crucial time as momentum continues to build in Congress in support of advancing the NO FAKES Act. We thank Senators Coons and Blackburn for their unwavering commitment to protecting creators’ rights,” said Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy. “Universal Music Group applauds the reintroduction of the NO FAKES Act – landmark, bipartisan, bicameral legislation to address ‘deepfakes’ and other threats to individuals’ rights to control their own voice and visual likeness. At once, this legislation secures First Amendment protections and takes a critical step to ensure all Americans can protect and control their own persona. We are grateful to the bill’s sponsors for their thoughtful leadership on this important issue,” said Universal Music Group. “I applaud Senators Blackburn and Coons and Representatives Salazar and Dean for their commitment and leadership in addressing the urgent need to establish guardrails to prevent unauthorized, AI-generated deep fakes. As a bridge between the tech and creative industries, the NO FAKES Act enables a new wave of technological breakthroughs while protecting human expression and artistry. We look forward to working with Members of the US Senate and House to pass the Bill this year,” said Robert Kyncl, CEO of Warner Music Group. “Sony Music is proud to support the No FAKES Act to promote the ethical use of AI and give artists more control over their identity and creative expression. Thank you to Senators Coons and Blackburn and Reps. Salazar and Dean, along with the other cosponsors, for continuing to champion this bipartisan legislation. There is growing support for enacting meaningful protections against the unauthorized use of an artist’s voice and image, and we look forward to working with Congress towards passage of this legislation allowing AI innovation and creativity to flourish,” said Sony Music. “AI is now widely used across sectors, and as advancements continue, it’s vital to protect creators and individuals from potential deepfake risks,” said Mike Harney, Vice President of Government & Regulatory Affairs at IBM. “IBM supports the NO FAKES Act, which safeguards individuals from unauthorized AI replication of their images, voices, or likenesses. We thank Senators Coons, Blackburn, Klobuchar, and Tillis for their leadership on this important bipartisan legislation.” “As a community of more than 200 million creators, artists, businesses, entertainers, and everyday Americans, TikTok is proud to support the bipartisan NO FAKES Act. This important legislation reaffirms our commitment to responsible AI use and the belief that a person's voice and likeness are uniquely their own and deserve protection. NO FAKES provides a clear, federal standard to safeguard human creativity and prevent unauthorized AI misuse, and we thank Senators Coons, Blackburn, Klobuchar and Tillis for their leadership on this legislation,” said TikTok. “The reintroduced version of the NO FAKES Act is a positive step forward to reaching the shared goal of the music streaming industry and bill’s sponsors of providing meaningful protections against the proliferation of unauthorized digital replicas. The recent version includes improvements to the bill as introduced which help provide certainty and clarity for music streaming services. While there are still outstanding issues to be resolved, we look forward to continuing to work with Senators Coons and Blackburn to address these critical issues. We are encouraged by the progress made and look forward to a successful markup and ongoing dialogue as the bill advances through the legislative process,” said Graham Davies, President & CEO of Digital Media Association (DIMA). “We believe artists should control if and how their voices are used and we support a federal standard protecting that. While there is still work to do, we appreciate Senators Blackburn and Coons’ work to improve the NO FAKES Act on the whole, which puts meaningful guardrails in place for the AI era,” said Spotify. “We’re all in on our support for the NO FAKES Act and appreciate the bipartisan leadership of Senators Coons, Blackburn, Klobuchar, and Tillis. As AI tools get more powerful, protections against the misuse of voice and likeness are critical. We’re encouraged to see this bill gaining momentum and look forward to helping get it passed,” said Chris Lehane, Chief Global Affairs Officer at OpenAI. “Disney continues to support the NO FAKES Act to provide protection against misuse of an individual’s image and voice while preserving critical speech safeguards for legitimate storytelling. We commend the work done by the bill’s sponsors to build support among key stakeholders and look forward to favorable consideration by the Judiciary Committee,” said Disney. “The Independent Film & Television Alliance® supports the NO FAKES Act and thanks lead sponsors Senators Coons, and Blackburn, and Representatives Salazar and Dean for their ongoing efforts to pass this bill,” said Jackie Brenneman, President and CEO of IFTA. “This important legislation establishes a federal standardized solution to prevent the unauthorized exploitation of an individual's voice, image and likeness, upholds critical First Amendment safeguards to protect free speech, and includes a key preemption clause.” “The NO FAKES Act offers smart solutions to an urgent challenge, and WME is proud to advocate for these policies on behalf of our clients. As AI tools grow more sophisticated by the day, it is increasingly important to protect artists and all individuals from the unauthorized use of their voice, likeness, and digital identity. We applaud the strong bipartisan leadership and industry-wide momentum advancing this issue and urge the Senate Judiciary Committee to continue moving the bill forward,” said Christian Muirhead, Co-Chairman of WME. “CAA commends Senators Coons and Blackburn, along with Representatives Salazar and Dean, for their leadership in advancing the NO FAKES Act. This bipartisan effort marks a crucial step toward protecting artists from the unauthorized and exploitative use of their likeness, voice, and creative work in an era of rapidly evolving AI technology. The thoughtful balance this legislation strikes between safeguarding individual rights and encouraging innovation is a model for how we can responsibly address the challenges posed by new digital tools. With strong support from the White House’s National AI Framework, we are optimistic that this bill will soon establish essential protections that empower creators and uphold artistic integrity,” said Bryan Lourd, CEO and Co-Chairman of CAA. “The Human Artistry Campaign stands for fully prioritizing human creativity as AI evolves, expanding imagination, not replacing it, and opening possibilities rather than closing doors,” said Dr. Moiya McTier, Senior Advisor at Human Artistry Campaign. “Preserving everyone’s fundamental right to their own voices and images is a critical and immediate need. The NO FAKES Act protects that right, while also supporting free speech rights and promoting responsible, ethical AI development. Senators Blackburn and Coons, Representatives Salazar and Dean have shepherded bipartisan agreement among their colleagues for this landmark legislation. Every American deserves a right to their own identity. As highly realistic AI voice clones and harmful deepfakes become more pervasive, this bill stands ready for passage and the time to act is now.” “The NO FAKES Act is important legislation that helps put necessary guardrails around the creator’s voice, image and likeness when it comes to unauthorized productions generated by artificial intelligence. The bill emulates the ELVIS ACT adopted in Tennessee and makes the tools available throughout the country. The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) strongly encourages its adoption,” said Bart Herbison, Executive Director of NSAI. “DPE proudly supports the updated NO FAKES Act, which will help build broader consensus around the need for federal protections against the unauthorized use of digital replicas. I thank the bill's Senate and House cosponsors for their leadership on this important issue. Now is the time for the Judiciary Committee to mark up this commonsense, bipartisan legislation. Middle-class professionals who rely on their voices and likenesses to earn a living must be able to hold accountable those who misuse them,” said Jennifer Dorning, President of the Department for Professional Employees at AFL-CIO (DPE). “AFL-CIO-affiliated unions represent artists across different media whose voice and likeness are their livelihood. The NO FAKES Act of 2026 would provide these workers with recourse against the digital misappropriation of their labor and ultimately deter this damaging practice, holding liable those who produce unauthorized digital likenesses, as well as platforms that knowingly host such digital replicas,”said Jody Calemine, Director of Advocacy at AFL-CIO. “We appreciate Senators Coons' and Blackburn’s leadership on this balanced, thoughtful approach to address this problem.” “NAB applauds Senators Blackburn and Coons for reintroducing the NO FAKES Act, which takes an important step toward protecting trusted broadcast journalists, local radio hosts and other on-air personalities from the unauthorized use of their voice, image or likeness. Broadcasters play a vital role in keeping communities informed, and the spread of deceptive deepfakes undermines both individual rights and public trust. This bipartisan bill offers meaningful safeguards while respecting First Amendment protections, and we look forward to working with Congress to advance it,” said Curtis LeGeyt, President & CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters. “The NO FAKES Act is a critical step toward establishing a clear, federal framework that protects every American’s voice, face, and identity from unauthorized AI replication,” said Dan Neely, Co-Founder and CEO of Vermillio. “Likeness is not just a celebrity issue – it is a fundamental right tied to personal dignity. In an era where deepfakes are increasingly indistinguishable from reality, we need balanced guardrails that both prevent the unauthorized distribution of digital replicas and preserve free expression. This legislation delivers that foundation while putting people, not platforms, in control.” “The rapid growth of AI-generated media makes it imperative to pair innovation with clear, practical safeguards. The updated NO FAKES Act reflects meaningful progress by aligning with how platforms actually operate, strengthening protections against unauthorized digital replicas, and preserving space for free expression and legitimate use. We’re thrilled to see growing consensus across creators, platforms, and policymakers, and we’re proud to support this next phase of the bill as a balanced step toward protecting both public trust and creative integrity in the age of AI,” said Kevin Guo, CEO of Hive. “Senators Blackburn and Coons have been consistent champions for creators as songwriters and artists confront the challenges of AI. Human artists absolutely should control their own likeness. While more needs to be done, including protections against unlicensed training, the No Fakes Act is an essential part of getting AI policy right,” said David Israelite, President and CEO of NMPA. “In the context of digital replicas or AI policy more generally, ASCAP’s music creator members need Congress to put human beings first and enshrine transparency, consent, compensation, credit, and global consistency into law. We commend Sens. Coons, Blackburn, Klobuchar and Tillis for making progress to enact legislation that recognizes the value of human creativity to AI development,” said Elizabeth Matthews, CEO of ASCAP. “The Authors Guild thanks Senators Chris Coons, Marsha Blackburn, Thom Tillis, and Amy Klobuchar for introducing the NO FAKES Act,” said Mary Rasenberger, CEO of Authors Guild. “It marks a significant step in protecting creators’ rights to their own persona. By prohibiting the unauthorized use of AI-generated replicas in audiovisual and sound recordings and establishing clear legal guidelines and liability for misuse, this bill helps safeguard creators from unauthorized and unpaid uses of their images and voices.” “CreativeFuture supports the NO FAKES Act, a thoughtful framework of AI guardrails that protects both individuals and members of our creative community. The bill establishes protections against the misuse of an individual’s likeness and voice while also ensuring creatives can continue to exercise their First Amendment rights in storytelling. We commend the bill’s sponsors on their work to build consensus among stakeholders, and we look forward to working with them as the bill moves forward to enactment this year,” said Ruth Vitale, CEO of CreativeFuture. “The American Bar Association commends Senators Coons and Blackburn for their continued bipartisan leadership toward developing a broad consensus around the NO FAKES Act. This is important, balanced legislation to guarantee the rights of artists, creators, and everyday people against the dangers of AI abuses, while balancing important First Amendment and state rights,” said Michelle Behnke, President of American Bar Association. “The National Association of Voice Actors (NAVA) proudly reaffirms its support for the NO FAKES Act and the updated legislative text. This bill represents the most meaningful federal effort to date to ensure that every American has clear, enforceable rights over their voice, image, name, and likeness in the age of artificial intelligence. For voice actors, this issue is deeply personal. Our voices are not just creative expressions; they are our livelihoods and a core part of who we are. Voice data is inherently biometric, and with rapidly advancing technology, it is increasingly easy to replicate, manipulate, and exploit without consent, compensation, or accountability. NAVA commends the bill’s bipartisan sponsors for their leadership and strongly supports swift passage of this critical legislation,” said NAVA. “The Music Artists Coalition has championed Clarity, Consent, and Compensation as the foundation for how AI should interact with music creators. This updated NO FAKES Act delivers on all three. Artists need these protections now - let's not delay in protecting the people who create the music that soundtracks our lives,” said Ron Gubitz, Executive Director at MAC. “Representing nearly 30,000 members across all disciplines of the television industry, the Television Academy supports the NO FAKES Act and applauds Senators Coons and Blackburn for continuing to work with stakeholders to improve this important bill. Television is built on the talent, creativity, and hard work of real people – from writers, producers, and performers to camera operators and cinematographers who bring stories to life. As artificial intelligence and digital replication technologies evolve, it is essential to put in place meaningful protections that prevent the unauthorized and exploitative use of performers’ voices, likenesses, and creative expressions. The Television Academy supports the NO FAKES Act to establish clear federal protections that uphold the rights of television professionals and the creative foundation of the television industry,” said Maury McIntyre, President & CEO of Television Academy. “Children should never have to face AI-generated sexually explicit deepfakes made of them. The NO FAKES Act will help protect them from this happening by prohibiting the use of their image or voice in AI-generated content. These unique harms are becoming more prevalent and must be confronted. Again. the tireless Senator Blackburn is leading critical cutting edge legislation to prevent the online exploitation of children,” said Donna Rice Hughes, President & CEO of Enough Is Enough and Host of Internet Safety with Donna Rice Hughes. “Sexual violence takes away survivors’ autonomy. By giving them the right to control their own image, the NO FAKES Act gives it back,” said Stefan Turkheimer, Vice President of Public Policy at RAINN. “Survivors should be able to hold tech platforms accountable when they’re used to share non-consensual intimate images, and the NO FAKES Act would be a crucial step in allowing them that path to justice.” “Right now, anyone’s image can be manipulated into sexually explicit imagery and distributed online for the world to see – without consent or recourse. No one should have to face this abusive scenario. It’s time for Congress to pass the NO FAKES Act that will establish a federally enforceable intellectual property right for one’s own voice, image, and likeness. Victims will be able to use civil law to seek redress for the harm they have suffered. The NO FAKES Act complements the TAKE IT DOWN Act, signed into law in 2025,” said Haley McNamara, Executive Director and Chief Strategy Officer at NCOSE. “The Songwriters of North America (SONA) proudly supports the NO FAKES Act, a critical step toward protecting creators in today’s digital landscape. The strong industry collaboration and bipartisan leadership behind this legislation demonstrate that commonsense regulation and innovation can coexist. The NO FAKES Act delivers essential protections, ensuring creators’ voices, likenesses, and work are respected and safeguarded. SONA looks forward to the advancement of the Manager’s Amendment in the Senate Judiciary Committee and remains committed to advocating for the rights of the creative community,” said Dina LaPolt, Co-Founder and Board Member of Songwriters of North America. “Millions of entrepreneurial American creators, including photographers, filmmakers, artists and illustrators, rely on licensing their work to make a living. The No Fakes Act protects and strengthens the business of American creativity in the AI era. We commend Senators Blackburn and Coons for their leadership on this legislation and urge the Senate to pass it,” said Getty Images. “The American Medical Association strongly supports the bipartisan NO FAKES Act and thanks Senators Coons and Blackburn and Representatives Salazar and Dean for sponsoring this important legislation,” said John Whyte, MD, MPH, CEO of AMA. “Bad actors are using deepfake technology to spread convincing medical misinformation at scale, promote dangerous or unproven treatments, prey on patients, and undermine physician credibility. Congress must enact the NO FAKES Act this session. Without clear federal protections and accountability, these deceptive practices will continue eroding trust in healthcare and jeopardizing patient safety.” “The American Federation of Musicians thanks Senators Blackburn and Coons and Representatives Salazar and Dean for recognizing that human creativity is the foundation of recorded music. The NO FAKES Act is an essential first step. We look forward to its enactment along with other measures to fully protect the rights of all creators — featured artists and session musicians alike,” said Tino Gagliardi, President of American Federation of Musicians. RELATED",1,2026-05-21T06:28:16Z,2026-05-21T06:29:43Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/5/video-blackburn-leads-hearing-on-protecting-sports-integrity-in-america,VIDEO: Blackburn Leads Hearing on Protecting Sports Integrity in America,2026-05-20,2026,2026-05,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Technology, and Data Privacy, led a hearing examining the rapid expansion of sports betting in the United States, the industry’s growing impact on the integrity of games, and the need to protect vulnerable young people from gambling addiction. Click here to watch the full hearing. “From Saturdays in Neyland Stadium to nights at Bridgestone Arena watching the Predators, Tennesseans—and Americans broadly—love sports. Sports bring together families, they unite people, and they teach young Americans about teamwork, discipline, sacrifice, and fair play.” “American sports are not just this nation’s past time—they are a global symbol of competition watched by hundreds of millions of people around the world.” “When Americans watch their favorite sports team, they don’t want to worry about the game being rigged. They don’t want to worry that their favorite player missed a free-throw to make an extra buck on the side.” “Unfortunately, though, there have recently been high profile examples of match-fixing in the NBA and MLB, challenging Americans’ trust in the integrity of sport.” “This has all been inflamed by the rapid explosion of legal sports betting across the United States. What was once limited to a handful of locations is now available in almost every corner of the country—often right on a cellphone.” “The introduction of sports event contracts on prediction markets has exposed more people to sportsbetting. While prediction markets represent financial innovation across sectors, there are real concerns that they function much like traditional sports betting without the enforcement of state regulators and attorneys general.” “While sports betting is often a source of entertainment for responsible adults, it is not without its risks. Like I mentioned, we have seen scandals involving professional athletes, referees, and suspicious bettingactivity. College athletes are reporting harassment and threats from angry bettors. And Americans—including young people—are being inundated with advertisements on social media.” “Our young men are in crisis—with over a third of boys between the ages of 11 and 17 admitting to gambling in the last year. Sixty percent of those who have seen gambling content online said they had it surfaced through social media algorithms. This isn’t safe, and it needs to stop.”",1,2026-05-21T06:28:16Z,2026-05-21T06:29:43Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/05/20/icymi-hagerty-joins-mornings-with-maria-on-fox-business-to-discuss-china-reconciliation-iran-proxy-advisors-and-new-federal-reserve-chairman/,"ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Mornings With Maria on Fox Business to Discuss China, Reconciliation, Iran, Proxy Advisors and new Federal Reserve Chairman",2026-05-20,2026,2026-05,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"Washington—On Tuesday, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations, Appropriations, and Banking Committees joined Mornings With Maria on Fox Business to discuss U.S.-China talks, budget reconciliation, Iran, proxy advisors and new Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh *Click the photo above or here to watch* Partial Transcript Hagerty on President Donald Trump’s visit to China: “The president clearly understands the strategic value of Taiwan, and I’m certain that the conversations with [General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party] Xi Jinping focused on the aggressive behavior of China in the Strait. I think that President Trump has been very clear that Taiwan is a strategic asset that’s critical not only to our economy, but to the world economy, and it would be devastating to our economy—but to China’s economy much more significantly—were something to happen in Taiwan. Everybody is handling this very carefully; the negotiations are proceeding. I was very pleased with the president’s meeting in China with President Xi. We demonstrated massive strength in terms of our innovative capacity. The CEOs that traveled with the president there with the best of American business, and allies like Japan, Australia, the Philippines are significantly stepping up their military strength and capabilities. I think we have had a significant show of strength in the region.” Hagerty on trade deals with China: [Trade deals] would do a great deal to adjust the trade imbalance that we’ve long had—and long endured—with China… I think what President Trump is doing is normalizing the trade relations with China where he can. Roughly 90% of the goods that we trade with China are not dual-use goods. I think the president is going to be very clear-eyed about dual-use products, and make certain that America maintains its competitive advantage when it comes to these key technologies, whether that be in AI or technology that could be deployed on a dual basis to military uses.” Hagerty on the conflict in Iran: “We’re at a point where the Iranians have to agree to something that is going to work for us, or suffer the consequences. President Trump is making that very clear. He has been incredibly patient listening to allies in the Middle East region—I’m certain that they want to see a deal done, because it’s been so devastating to all of them—but President Trump’s patience must be wearing thin at this point. We certainly have the military capacity to deliver exactly what President Trump is suggesting. Brad Cooper, our head of [U.S. Central Command], still has a significant target package left to go. It will take a couple of weeks to execute that, but at that point in time, it will be an entirely different show. I think the Iranian regime needs to wake up, understand that, and make a clear decision. They will not have nuclear weapons, nor will they have that capacity. They have to stop the terror in the region and stop their hostile behavior. It’s clear to me that the decision time has come. Let’s hope they make the right one.” Hagerty on proxy advisors: “[ISS and Glass Lewis] are a duopoly of companies that advise passive investors… how to vote on the shares of stock that they represent in America’s companies. And we found these proxy advisors engaging in political activity … to prohibit the free movement of American corporations. It’s absolutely unconscionable—it’s a racket and it’s a duopoly. [Proxy advisors] are misusing their monopoly status. It’s time for it to come to an end, and I intend to pursue it legislatively with any Republican or Democrat that is willing to work with me […] I was serving on the board of directors of a New York stock exchange traded company before I came into public office, and we got a recommend against one of the positions on our proxy statement…then we get a call the next week to the CEO’s office saying, ‘we have a consulting arm that can help you get right with us.’… They shouldn’t be involved in politics; they need to be held to account… We need to step and get clarity and transparency in terms of what they’re doing and get them out.” Hagerty on budget reconciliation and DHS funding: [The ballroom funding] is a negotiation that’s ongoing with the parliamentarian. Senate leadership are reconsidering how they’re going to present that. But, that discussion is not over. […] The important thing here is that we need to fund [Immigration and Customs Enforcement]. We need to fund the Department of Homeland Security, and this $72 billion package is going to do what the Democrats have refused to do in the face of massive increase in death threats and assaults against ICE officers. The Democrats have been willing to stand back and let this happen, and defund the police here in America—that’s not going to stand. Republicans will not allow it; the president is not going to allow it. We will get this done in a matter of days. Hagerty on Federal Reserve interest rates: Here, we’re talking about a market that’s dealing with a specific event. There is significant backwardation in the market right now, which means that the market is expecting prices on West Texas crude oil to be significantly lower in six-nine months, that certainly feels transitory to me. I think that we’ll be capable of looking past that. I look forward to getting [Chairman of the Federal Reserve] Kevin [Warsh] in the position. He certainly has the capacity and the maturity to look at this wholeheartedly, and get the right answer for America. ###",1,2026-05-21T06:28:16Z,2026-05-21T06:29:43Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/5/video-blackburn-lays-bare-zuckerberg-s-litany-of-lies-to-the-american-people,VIDEO: Blackburn Lays Bare Zuckerberg’s ‘Litany of Lies’ to the American People,2026-05-14,2026,2026-05,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"‘Meta's record when it comes to protecting children online is indefensible.’ ‘I doubt we have somebody from Meta in the room today who wants to defend Meta on the lies.’ WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law, led a hearing examining why landmark social media verdicts demand federal action to protect kids online, where she highlighted Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s long record of lies and deceit. Excerpts of Senator Blackburn’s remarks during the hearing are below, and you can watch the full hearing here. Click here to download Senator Blackburn’s opening statement. EXCERPTS OF HEARING REMARKS Landmark Social Media Verdicts Prove Meta’s Record on Protecting Kids Is Indefensible “For too long, families who sought justice were turned away at the courthouse doors as Big Tech CEOs hid behind the shield of Section 230.” “The tide is beginning to turn, and these recent verdicts signal a shift.” “Meta has done everything in its power to keep Mr. Zuckerberg from the witness stand, and after his testimony in this case, we know why.” “Meta's record when it comes to protecting children online is indefensible.” “These court cases alone are not enough, because while courts can punish past harms, it is up to Congress to prevent future harm to our children. That's why Congress must pass my Kids Online Safety Act.” Zuckerberg Lied About Link Between Social Media Use and Worse Mental Health Outcomes “When [Zuckerberg] was before this Committee in 2024, he said, ‘The existing body of scientific work has not shown a cause or a link between using social media and young people having worse mental health outcomes.’” “The truth on this is that Meta had a document called, ‘Known negative effects of Facebook and/or social media in general, on teens.’ Meta’s document even noted some of those negative effects, including increased sleep disruption, anxiety, body image pressure, and depression.” “Despite what [Zuckerberg] said under oath, he knew this, and he was aware of what their virtual products were doing to children, but they did it anyway.” “He thought he was going to go in there, and he was going to win. People called out this litany of lies that Mark Zuckerberg has been telling the American people.” Zuckerberg Lied About Prevalence of Users Under Age 13 on Instagram “I want to go to another one… Zuckerberg said, ‘We don't allow people under age 13 on our service.’” “I doubt we have somebody from Meta in the room today who wants to defend Meta on the lies.” “Compare that with their document that shows they had four million children under the age of 13 on Instagram alone in 2015… That is 30% of all 10- to 12-year-olds in this country in 2015, and we know it is even more than that now.” “Mr. Zuckerberg's testimony was a blatant lie.” Zuckerberg Lied About Addictive Nature of Meta’s Products “When [Zuckerberg] was before us for a congressional hearing, and we were talking about addictive products… his comment was, ‘We certainly do not want our products to be addictive. I don't think the company should be optimizing to just encourage people to spend as much time as possible on them.’” “He knew he was lying.” “[In 2015], his own email that he sent out on company goals lists, ‘Time spent increases by 12%.’” “In 2026, they still had goals for teen time spent.” RELATED",1,2026-05-15T06:17:41Z,2026-05-15T06:18:51Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/5/kosa/blackburn-blumenthal-announce-openai-endorsement-of-kids-online-safety-act-ahead-of-senate-hearing-on-landmark-social-media-verdicts,"Blackburn, Blumenthal Announce OpenAI Endorsement of Kids Online Safety Act Ahead of Senate Hearing on Landmark Social Media Verdicts",2026-05-13,2026,2026-05,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Richard Blumenthal(D-Conn.) released the following statements announcing a new endorsement from OpenAI for their Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). Later today, Senator Blackburn, who serves as the Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law, will lead a hearing examining why landmark social media verdicts demand federal action to protect kids online. Yesterday, Senators Blackburn and Blumenthal joined a rally at the U.S. Capitol with parents who are urging Congress to pass KOSA. During the rally, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) promised he would advance the legislation out of committee and help get it signed into law by the end of the year. 86% of Americans want Big Tech companies to be held accountable for their role in the social media addiction crisis. “Every Big Tech company should be willing to work with Congress to ensure America’s children are safe on its platforms, and we welcome OpenAI’s support for the Kids Online Safety Act,” said Senator Blackburn. “Lip service won’t save lives – Congress must take action to establish guardrails in the virtual space. I look forward to chairing a hearing on why the verdicts in California and New Mexico should spur Congress to hold Big Tech accountable for exploiting children to turn a profit.” “A few weeks ago, juries in New Mexico and California legally recognized that American families have known: social media companies are hurting children,” said Senator Blumenthal. “Today, OpenAI’s endorsement adds to the overwhelming recognition even by Big Tech itself that it’s time to pass the Kids Online Safety Act. Increasingly the only people opposed to this bill are Mark Zuckerberg and his lobbyists. It’s time for anyone left in his camp to choose the right side of history and join us.”",1,2026-05-14T06:11:37Z,2026-05-14T06:12:56Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/5/police/video-blackburn-recognizes-three-tennesseans-who-will-be-honored-at-national-law-enforcement-officers-memorial-in-d-c,VIDEO: Blackburn Recognizes Three Tennesseans Who Will Be Honored at National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in D.C.,2026-05-13,2026,2026-05,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, during National Police Week, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) delivered remarks on the Senate floor recognizing three Tennesseans who will be honored at the 38th Annual Candlelight Vigil at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., later this evening: Click here to download Senator Blackburn’s remarks. EXCERPTS OF REMARKS AS PREPARED Blackburn Honors Hugh Carlen of Putnam County, James Hood of Jonesborough, and Justin Bradford Mowery of Blount County “This Police Week, we are reflecting on the brave men and women in Tennessee and across the country who serve their communities with courage, integrity, and honor.” “Few places better capture the magnitude of their sacrifices than the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial here in our nation’s capital.” “Engraved on that memorial are the names of every fallen officer in our country going back to the year 1850. It has 24,775 names.” “This week, 363 heroes are being added—including three from Tennessee: Hugh Carlen of Putnam County, whose watch ended February 24th, 1912; James Hood of Jonesborough, who fell in the line of duty August 26th, 1928; And Deputy Sheriff Justin Bradford Mowery of Blount County, who we tragically lost on December 28th.” “This week’s candlelight vigil will provide a powerful moment to reflect on their sacrifices—and those made by the thousands of other officers on the Roll Call of Heroes.” “There’s a reason why our officers are called the thin blue line. They are the only force separating us from chaos, disorder, and anarchy.” “They take pride in their responsibility. But to do their jobs, they need the support of their communities, their states, and their country.” Blackburn Highlights Legislation She Has Led to Back the Blue “For too long, they have lacked that support from Democrat leadership. Instead of funding the police, Democrats have worked to defund them.” “But under President Trump, the federal government is backing the blue across the country.” “In the Senate, Republicans are working to support the administration’s efforts.” “My Restoring Law and Order Act would increase funding for law enforcement and help keep violent criminals behind bars.” “My Protecting Federal Law Enforcement Officers from Doxxing Act would make it illegal to dox federal law enforcement officials and put them in harm’s way.” “My Safer Prisons Act would double the maximum term of imprisonment for assaulting a Federal Bureau of Prisons correctional officer.” “Democrats can oppose the rule of law. They can side with criminals over law enforcement. They can champion the same radical policies that unleashed chaos at the border and across country under the Biden administration.” “But they can’t stop Republicans from providing the resources our law enforcement needs to protect our communities. We will always back the blue.” RELATED Blackburn, Hagerty, Cruz, Justice Introduce the “Restoring Law and Order Act” to Empower Law Enforcement Blackburn Introduces Legislation to Protect Federal Law Enforcement Officers from Doxxing",1,2026-05-14T06:11:37Z,2026-05-14T06:12:56Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/05/13/hagerty-applauds-patel-serralta-for-continued-commitment-to-memphis-safe-task-force/,"Hagerty Applauds Patel, Serralta for Continued Commitment to Memphis Safe Task Force",2026-05-13,2026,2026-05,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"The Memphis Safe Task Force is a multi-agency law enforcement initiative that partners federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to combat violent crime in Memphis. WASHINGTON—On Tuesday, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, addressed FBI Director Kash Patel and Director of the United States Marshals Service (USMS) Gadyaces S. Serralta during a hearing for the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies, thanking them for their transformative work and their establishment of a permanent office in Memphis, TN. *Click the photo above or click here to watch* “Memphis boasts a rich cultural history, wonderful people and community leaders that are dedicated to their city. It’s a hub for major logistics and medical device manufacturing,” Hagerty said. “It’s also home to advanced technologies like xAI, but it’s been troubled by serious violent crime.” The Memphis Safe Task Force has targeted violent crimes stemming from street gangs and drug traffickers, building upon the work of an existing FBI task force. Director Serralta testified that, as of April 2026, the operation has yielded 8,701 total arrests by federal officers and an additional 1,426 illegal firearm seizures. Patel noted the joint effort of federal, state and local law enforcement officers has greatly contributed to the safety of Memphis, and the FBI is committed to the long-term success of the mission. “Thanks to you and the leadership in Tennessee, we opened our new office in Memphis to permanently assure the citizens of Tennessee that we’re not going anywhere,” Patel said. Hagerty commended the success achieved by the task force, calling it “a true example of where cooperation can make a difference here in America. And you have transformed a city for us.” ###",1,2026-05-14T06:11:37Z,2026-05-14T06:12:56Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/5/photo-blackburn-joins-parents-urging-congress-to-pass-kids-online-safety-act-at-mother-s-day-rally,PHOTO: Blackburn Joins Parents Urging Congress to Pass Kids Online Safety Act at Mother’s Day Rally,2026-05-12,2026,2026-05,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"“The landmark social media verdicts in California and New Mexico have reminded our nation of one thing: Courts can punish past harms, but it is up to Congress to prevent future ones,” said Senator Blackburn. “Americans are not interested in toothless reforms, which is why we need to get the Senate version of KOSA to the President’s desk. It’s time for Congress to choose the American people over Big Tech’s bottom line.” Click here to download photos of Senator Blackburn at the rally. Click here to watch her remarks.",1,2026-05-13T06:12:22Z,2026-05-13T06:13:52Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/5/blackburn-colleagues-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-speed-up-va-construction-projects,"Blackburn, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Speed Up VA Construction Projects",2026-05-07,2026,2026-05,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"NASHVILLE, Tenn. – U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) introduced the Faster VA Construction Act to direct the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to adopt commercial building codes and standards where possible, consistent with law: “The VA’s construction process needs to be faster and more efficient,” said Senator Blackburn. “The Faster VA Construction Act would stretch taxpayer dollars by cutting unnecessary red tape, speeding up construction projects, and delivering better facilities for our veterans faster.” “Hoosier veterans deserve timely care, not red tape,” said Senator Banks. “This bill speeds up VA construction and makes sure taxpayer dollars are put to their best use.” “We should not let red tape get in the way of ensuring our veterans have access to care and services,” said Senator Hirono. “As veterans’ needs continue to grow in Hawaii and across the country, we should do all we can to ensure VA’s infrastructure can meet this demand. By allowing VA projects to follow commercial construction codes and standards, the Faster VA Construction Act takes steps to streamline the construction process, reduce costs, and help increase the number of projects VA can get built each year.” BACKGROUND VA estimates it would cost between $98 and $109 billion to fully implement its strategic capital investment plan, including deferred maintenance and new construction, and this figure has been steadily increasing for many years. VA’s infrastructure needs have long significantly exceeded its infrastructure resources, and stretching each construction dollar as far as possible is critical. The Government Accountability Office (GAO), Office of Inspector General (OIG), and VA officials have repeatedly cited the Department’s unique construction codes and standards as major, and sometimes unnecessary, cost drivers. VA has long maintained its own facility design standards that are significantly different from commercial codes and standards and often vary from project to project. In contrast, GAO, OIG, and VA officials have touted the two CHIP IN Act projects in Omaha, Nebraska, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, for being completed more quickly and at lower cost compared to VA-managed projects because the law permitted their private developers to rely on commercial codes and standards to a limited extent. FASTER VA CONSTRUCTION ACT Specifically, the Faster VA Construction Act would: Direct VA to use commercial codes and standards in its construction and leasing projects instead of, or in addition to, unique federal codes and standards where they do not conflict with statutory or regulatory requirements; Direct VA to use commercial codes and standards in three construction or leasing projects, as a pilot, for each of the next five years; and Require VA to report on its use of these authorities. Click here for bill text.",1,2026-05-08T05:46:43Z,2026-05-08T05:48:09Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/5/photo-blackburn-joins-turning-point-usa-rally-at-ut-knoxville-and-takes-questions-from-students,PHOTO: Blackburn Joins Turning Point USA Rally at UT Knoxville and Takes Questions from Students,2026-05-06,2026,2026-05,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"NASHVILLE, Tenn. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) released the following statement after speaking at a Turning Point USA “Pick Up the Mic” event at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where she answered questions from students and attendees on faith, family, culture, protecting life, election integrity, and other public policy issues: “Charlie Kirk’s legacy was alive and well last night in Knoxville, Tennessee, and it was so encouraging to hear from young people who care deeply about their faith, their conservative values, and the future of this country,” said Senator Blackburn. “At a time when political violence and division is at an all-time high, I am grateful to Turning Point for giving students across the country opportunities to peacefully gather, speak their minds, ask questions, and exercise the freedoms we hold dear in this country.”",1,2026-05-07T13:38:59Z,2026-05-07T13:40:28Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/05/04/icymi-hagerty-joins-fox-friends-on-fox-news-to-discuss-irans-economic-crisis-us-china-talks/,"ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Fox & Friends on Fox News to Discuss Iran’s Economic Crisis, US-China Talks",2026-05-04,2026,2026-05,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"NEW YORK—On Friday, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Banking and Foreign Relations Committees and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, joined Fox & Friends on Fox News to discuss Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s clash with Senate Democrats, the latest on the conflicts in Iran and Ukraine, and President Trump’s upcoming visit to China. *Click the photo above or here to watch* Partial Transcript Hagerty on Hegseth’s committee dispute with Senate Democrats: “It’s as if you’re listening to someone from the Ayatollah [Mojtaba Khamenei]’s own cabinet speak when you hear the Democrat side make these accusations. It’s as if they’re trying to talk the economy into the tank, and they’re trying to talk the American public into thinking this is some sort of vast defeat when that is absolutely not the case.” Hagerty on further military intervention in Iran: “The options are considerable, and if you think about the authority that we have right now in the region—the carrier strike groups that are there—we are fully armed and ready to go. Time is on our side in this one. The Iranians had an opportunity with the ceasefire. They’ve been in complete catastrophe, evidently, from their political navigation. But we’re ready to see this come to an end. President [Donald] Trump has been very clear: There will not be a nuclear weapon, and a nuclear-armed Iran. We’re not going to allow them to continue this. And we’re not going to allow them to continue to hold the entire world’s economy hostage either.” Hagerty on Russian involvement in Iran and the war in Ukraine: “Any sort of assistance with targeting [U.S. military bases] is an action that should never be tolerated. I think [Trump] is telling [Russia] that Iran is going to be over soon, and Russia better get in line as well. It really is amazing to see the agility of the Ukrainian army and, frankly, the toughness of the Ukrainian army.” Hagerty on the president’s upcoming visit to China: “I think the tables have turned significantly in the president’s favor. The Venezuelan oil that the Chinese were buying was deeply discounted on the market; it’s under our control right now. I certainly think that the timeline is such that we could have the Iranian situation under control at that point, too. America will be speaking from a position of strength this time, very different from when President Trump had to go in the wake of the Biden failures and basically plead with the Chinese to ease off on the critical mineral sanctions and choke point.” Hagerty on China threatening Panamanian ships: “I think the Chinese are trying to reset the leverage as well. They also denied Meta a merger; they have blocked that because they don’t want us to succeed in AI. This is a competition on global scale, and the Chinese are again trying to position [themselves] for this very meeting between [Chinese President] Xi [Jinping] and President Trump. We’ll have a much better hand when we walk into that meeting this time. We need to stop every ship, and that’s the goal. Ships are not moving out of the Strait of Hormuz with oil in them going to China.”",1,2026-05-05T05:58:12Z,2026-05-05T05:59:44Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/5/technology/blackburn-klobuchar-sound-the-alarm-on-meta-removing-ads-for-social-media-addiction-litigation-from-its-platforms,"Blackburn, Klobuchar Sound the Alarm on Meta Removing Ads for Social Media Addiction Litigation from Its Platforms",2026-05-01,2026,2026-05,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"“In the wake of landmark verdicts handed down last month that found Meta liable for negligence in its platform’s design, it was reported that Meta began removing advertisements from attorneys seeking clients who allege that they were harmed by your platform while they were minors. It is unfortunate that rather than addressing the dangerous design of its platforms, Meta is instead attempting to dodge additional accountability for its failure to protect children online. Specifically, over a dozen advertisements that ran on Facebook and Instagram were deactivated, including one ad that read ‘Anxiety. Depression. Withdrawal. Self-harm. These aren’t just teenage phases—they’re symptoms linked to social media addiction in children. Platforms knew this and kept targeting kids anyway.’ Meta’s own internal research has confirmed exactly what the ad conveyed—that Meta’s social media platforms cause increased anxiety, depression, and self-harm. And these ads did not violate Meta’s Advertising Standards. Their removal is nothing more than an attempt to preserve a harmful business model at all costs—one that actively profits off the addiction of this nation’s youth—and reduce financial exposure for the harm Meta has caused to minors across the country.” Any Assertion Meta Removed These Ads to Protect Users Is a Lie",1,2026-05-02T05:53:08Z,2026-05-02T05:54:44Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/4/crime/blackburn-luj-n-bipartisan-bill-to-crack-down-on-carjacking-passes-senate-judiciary-committee,"Blackburn, Luján Bipartisan Bill to Crack Down on Carjacking Passes Senate Judiciary Committee",2026-04-30,2026,2026-04,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"“The Albuquerque area continues to rank among the top cities for carjackings. This is unacceptable and puts people’s lives and livelihoods at risk,” said Senator Luján. “It is a positive step that legislation to give prosecutors the tools they need to hold carjackers accountable and keep our communities safe has passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. I’m committed to advancing this legislation and ensuring law enforcement has the resources they need to protect our communities.” This legislation is also co-sponsored by Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Josh Hawley(R-Mo.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), and Ashley Moody (R-Fla.). Companion legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives by Representative Barry Moore (R-Ala.). FEDERAL CARJACKING ENFORCEMENT ACT In 2024, Tennessee was ranked among the top ten states for motor vehicle thefts, and Tennessee saw a nearly 200% increase in auto theft crime by juveniles in 2023. The current federal carjacking statute requires prosecutors to prove defendants had an “intent to cause death or bodily harm,” which has made it harder to bring federal carjacking prosecutions and accounts for the decrease in federal carjacking prosecutions in certain parts of the country. The Federal Carjacking Enforcement Act would fix this drafting error by requiring prosecutors only have to prove the knowing taking of a motor vehicle. In cases in which death results following a carjacking, the bill would maintain the higher “intent to cause death or bodily harm” requirement. Click here for bill text. The Federal Carjacking Enforcement Act is endorsed by the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA), the Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA), the National Association of Police Organizations, Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference, National Association of Assistant U.S. Attorneys, Fraternal Order of Police, and the National Insurance Crime Bureau: “NDAA is proud to announce its support of the Federal Carjacking Enforcement Act. Carjacking is a violent crime that endangers lives, destabilizes communities, and threatens public safety. This legislation sends a clear message that such acts of violence will not be tolerated, while improving the current legal framework to protect victims and communities,” said Nelson Bunn, Executive Director of NDAA. “The Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA) appreciates Senator Blackburn’s leadership in advancing this important legislation, which will empower law enforcement to more effectively combat carjackings, ensuring offenders are held accountable, and justice is served. We stand ready to support all efforts to move the bill forward,” said Megan Noland, Executive Director of MCSA. “According to the Council on Criminal Justice, carjacking rates in 10 major U.S. cities increased 93% from 2019 to 2023. This substantial surge in carjackings poses a serious risk to public safety and we must ensure the perpetrators of this violent crime face justice. We stand with Senator Blackburn in support of this important change to the federal carjacking statute and thank her for her dedication to protecting public safety,” said Bill Johnson, Executive Director of the National Association of Police Organizations. “Tennessee District Attorneys appreciate Senator Blackburn’s commitment to public safety, support for prosecutors and law enforcement, and her meaningful legislative leadership and efforts to reduce violent crime. We are happy to partner with her to endorse and fully support this legislation that will protect Tennesseans,” said Stephen D. Crump, Executive Director of the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference. “The National Association of Assistant United States Attorneys (NAAUSA) strongly supports the Federal Carjacking Enforcement Act. By replacing an unnecessarily burdensome intent standard with a ‘knowingly’ requirement, this legislation removes a significant barrier that has limited federal prosecutors’ ability to hold violent offenders accountable. This commonsense reform aligns federal law with how carjacking is prosecuted in many states, while preserving heightened penalties in the most serious cases,” said the Board of Directors of the National Association of the Assistant U.S. Attorneys. “The National Fraternal Order of Police strongly supports the “Federal Carjacking Enforcement Act.” This important piece of legislation makes a change to the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 so that prosecutors can more easily pursue carjacking cases. The FOP is grateful to the leadership of Senators Blackburn, Luján, Cornyn, and Cortez Masto, who understand the need to address the increasing threat of this type of vehicular crime,” said Patrick Yoes, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police. RELATED Blackburn Introduces Bills to Combat Juvenile Crime and Crack Down on Carjacking",1,2026-05-01T06:06:26Z,2026-05-01T06:08:22Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/4/crime/immigration/blackburn-graham-introduce-legislation-to-strengthen-immigration-enforcement-by-incentivizing-states-to-work-with-ice,"Blackburn, Graham Introduce Legislation to Strengthen Immigration Enforcement by Incentivizing States to Work with ICE",2026-04-28,2026,2026-04,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Linsdey Graham (R-S.C.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Budget, introduced the 287(g) Expansion Act to incentivize states and localities to enter into 287(g) agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE’s 287(g) program enhances the safety and security of our nation’s communities by allowing ICE to partner with state and local law enforcement agencies to identify and remove criminal aliens. The Tennessee legislature recently passed a bill requiring county sheriffs to enter agreements under the 287(g) program. “State and local law enforcement should be doing everything in their power to partner with the federal government to enforce the rule of law in our communities following the Biden Border Crisis,” said Senator Blackburn. “The 287(g) Expansion Act would strengthen immigration enforcement nationwide by offering states that agree to work with ICE more grant funding through the Byrne Memorial JAG Program, which is the primary federal grant funding stream for state and local law enforcement.” “No more excuses! When it comes to combating illegal immigration, local law enforcement has the legal authority and, if they choose, the means to go after criminal illegals in their communities. Our bill expands that opportunity. The 287(g) program is a longstanding partnership between federal and local law enforcement to combat illegal immigration. After four years of Biden’s open borders, it’s crucial that we expand this program to remove more dangerous illegal aliens,” said Senator Graham. “While sanctuary states and cities obstruct ICE, this legislation rewards law enforcement agencies who work with the federal government to keep our communities safe. By expanding the 287(g) program, we are moving forward – not backward – with rational immigration policies.” BACKGROUND The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 added Section 287(g) to the Immigration and Nationality Act to authorize ICE to delegate state and local law enforcement officers the authority to perform specified immigration officer functions under ICE’s direction and oversight. The program contains four models: jail enforcement, task force, tribal task force, and warrant service officer programs, extending access of federal immigration enforcement resources and training to state and local agencies. As of April 2026, 39 states and 49 Tennessee counties have at least one agency participating in one or more of the 287(g) programs, but the prevalence of sanctuary cities and jurisdictions—including 17 states and the District of Columbia—undermine the success of the 287(g) program. 287(g) EXPANSION ACT The 287(g) Expansion Act would permit states or counties to apply for an increase in Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program funding once they have signed a 287(g) memorandum of understanding or agreement. Under this legislation, the U.S. Attorney General would be required to increase the amount of Byrne JAG grant funding by up to 10% of the average total amount of funding provided to that state or locality under the three most recent awards. Click here for bill text. RELATED Blackburn Introduces Bills to Empower Local Law Enforcement to Help Deport Criminal Illegal Aliens & Reinstate “Remain in Mexico” Policy",1,2026-04-29T06:03:53Z,2026-04-29T06:05:09Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/04/27/icymi-hagerty-joins-kudlow-on-fox-business-to-discuss-warsh-confirmation-latest-on-iran/,"ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Kudlow on Fox Business to Discuss Warsh Confirmation, Latest on Iran",2026-04-27,2026,2026-04,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"WASHINGTON—On Friday, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Banking and Foreign Relations Committees joined Kudlow on Fox Business to discuss Kevin Warsh’s Confirmation Process to be Fed Chairman and the Trump administration’s talks with Iran. Partial Transcript Hagerty on the probe into Fed Chairman Jay Powell being dropped: “I think this is great news today that US Attorney [Jeanine] Pirro has decided to drop the probe. Michael Horowitz, who’s the Fed IG [Inspector General], has stepped up. Horowitz has a strong reputation. I think that’s a very good sign. And I think that Senator [Thom] Tillis asked for this to be dropped. It has been dropped. I spoke with him, and I spoke with Senator [Tim] Scott about this. I’m optimistic that we’re on the path now to schedule Kevin Warsh’s confirmation vote and to get him out of the Senate Banking Committee and get him onto the floor where I fully expect him to be confirmed as the next Fed chairman.” Hagerty on Kevin Warsh’s confirmation timeline: “I’m not aware of other conditions. And as I said, I’m optimistic. I think we all want to see this move forward. We’re getting very close to the point in time that current chair, Jay Powell, is going to finish the end of his term. We need to have Kevin Warsh in this position. Kevin is prepared and ready to go. He’s absolutely the right man for the job right now, and I think we’ve got everything in place to move this forward. So hopefully this is the last step. The Horowitz investigation will be launched. That will happen within the Fed. That’ll allow for accountability that I think everybody would like to see. At the same time, we’d also like to see this confirmation move forward. I expect that every Republican will support Kevin Warsh. I think there should be a large number of Democrats in the Senate Banking Committee that will support him. He did a textbook performance in his hearing. Kevin did an excellent job, and I think it’d be hard pressed to not find a number of Democrats that don’t want to support him as well for this important position.” Hagerty on getting Kevin Warsh onto the Senate Floor: “The committee vote can be noticed in three days. So it could be noticed as [soon] as this coming Monday. And we could have the hearing [and] the vote on Friday in the committee before we leave and be ready to vote him back on the floor. There will be another 30-hour window once Senator Thune puts the nomination on the floor of the Senate to vote on it. That clock will start ticking. But I think we’ve got time right now to do it. So I hope we can move post-haste, get it scheduled, and get Kevin voted out of the banking committee and onto the floor of the Senate.” Hagerty on negotiations with Iran: “Their [Iran’s] oil storage capacity is coming to an end as that’s exhausted. They moved out of a very old super tanker today. That shows that last ditch sign of desperation. They’re trying to find someplace to store this oil. They’ve reached out. Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are flying over to Pakistan now. They’re great negotiators and very close to the president. I think it’s very clear that they speak for the president. And I think the Iranians are figuring this out. They need to figure out an answer here. They need to take the off ramp. Because if they don’t, they’re going to drive straight off the cliff.” Hagerty on the Trump administration’s pressure on Iran: “In the previous Trump administration, maximum pressure was working. And I think it would’ve worked had John Kerry not pleaded with the Iranians to wait to see what would happen with the election. Now we’re right back in the same boat because the Biden [administration] came in and immediately released sanctions enforcement, took the Houthis off the watch list. And what do you see? Terrorism emanating from the Middle East again and the Iranians marching toward a nuclear weapon. It took President Trump to step up and stop this and indeed he has and he will.” ###",1,2026-04-28T06:05:12Z,2026-04-28T06:07:17Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/4/video-memphis-mom-dalisia-ballinger-joins-unmuted-with-marsha-to-discuss-memphis-safe-task-force,VIDEO: Memphis Mom Dalisia Ballinger Joins ‘Unmuted with Marsha’ to Discuss Memphis Safe Task Force,2026-04-24,2026,2026-04,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) released a new episode of ‘Unmuted with Marsha’ with Memphis mother and independent journalist, Dalisia Ballinger, who has been an outspoken advocate for the Memphis Safe Task Force following a drive-by shooting that left a bullet lodged inside the walls of her home. Watch the episode here. Click here to download this episode of ‘Unmuted with Marsha.’ Clickhere to download a photo of Senator Blackburn and Dalisia at the roundtable President Trump hosted in Memphis. “I'm sure that bullet hole is a reminder to you of not only how precious life is, but also the importance of safe communities and the attention that Memphis has gotten,” said Senator Blackburn. “We have so many calls every single day from Memphians who are saying, ‘Thank you. Thank you for helping to fight crime and getting this under control.’ Everybody wants a safe community. Everybody wants their children to be able to play outside.”",1,2026-04-25T05:38:36Z,2026-04-25T05:40:21Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/04/24/icymi-hagerty-joins-balance-of-power-on-bloomberg-to-discuss-iran-negotiations-federal-reserve-leadership-reconciliation/,"ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Balance of Power on Bloomberg to Discuss Iran Negotiations, Federal Reserve Leadership, Reconciliation",2026-04-24,2026,2026-04,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"WASHINGTON—Yesterday, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Senate Banking Committee and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, joined Balance of Power on Bloomberg to discuss Iran, energy markets, Kevin Warsh’s nomination to lead the Federal Reserve, and reconciliation. Partial Transcript Hagerty on President Trump’s negotiating position with Iran: “He’s got all the cards, and what he is doing is negotiating. I think that’s what seems to shock people here in Washington sometimes, the fact that President Trump isn’t telegraphing every move. I know that frustrates many, but at the same time, I think it puts them [the United States] in the best possible negotiating position.” Hagerty on Iran’s leadership: “I think the Iranian regime needs to figure this out. It reminds me of the old Thelma and Louise scene where they’re heading off the cliff. That’s the Iranian leadership, and you’ve got the moderate terrorist arguing with the super-aggressive terrorist over control of the wheel. Meanwhile, they’re about to drive the thing over the cliff. They should take the off-ramp.” Hagerty on dealing with the Iranian regime: “I think anybody who shouts ‘Death to America’, ‘Death to Israel’ should be considered [a terrorist]. And as we know, Iran’s been the largest state sponsor of terror in the world. Not the 90 million Iranians that we’re talking about, I think they’ve been subject to this sort of leadership.” Hagerty on military options and the Strait of Hormuz: “I think that’s going to be up to the president and to the generals on the ground, but no options are off the table. And as we see what’s happening, and we’ve heard reports that they’re putting mines back in the Strait of Hormuz, the president’s not going to tolerate that. And I think that that message needs to be made loud and clear.” Hagerty on oil markets and pressure on Iran: “Oil still hasn’t gotten where it was after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Not that I’m hoping that it’ll go higher, certainly not. But I think the markets are looking at this. There are a number of mitigating factors that are taking place. We’re moving more [oil] certainly out of the United States of America right now. Pipelines are being opened. I think that it’s a different story today than it might’ve been even four years ago. The real key, though, is long-term, medium to long-term. We need to solve this problem. The Strait of Hormuz has been a sword over the entire world economy that the Iranians have held for years and years. I’m talking decades. This has always been a concern. This has always been the threat that they’ve had, and they’re making every attempt they can to exercise it. But I’ll make this point very clearly, their options there—meaning the Iranian regime’s options—are becoming more limited every day.” Hagerty on Iran’s weakening position: “Their munitions have been largely destroyed. Their [naval] capabilities are basically at the bottom of the sea. And if you talk about timing, their capacity to store oil is being consumed right now. Once that capacity is full, because they can’t sell this oil, they can’t move it out because of the blockade. Once that is full, and we’re talking a matter of days, that’s going to be a huge problem on the Iranian economy because they’re going to have to start shutting down the production facilities then. That’s, I think, the breaking point. And the cards are much more on President Trump’s side of the table right now than they’re on the Iranian regime.” Hagerty on Iran’s past attacks and Prime Minister Abe: “They do have the capacity to [terrorize]. That’s what they’ve been in business doing. When I was U.S. Ambassador to Japan, one of my jobs was to ask the Japanese to stop buying Iranian crude oil. That was part of the maximum pressure campaign. It was not an easy set of conversations, but Prime Minister Abe ultimately agreed to do that. He went to Iran to deliver that message and tell Iran personally. The disrespect shown to the Japanese by the Iranian regime was unbelievable. They sent two of these speedboats that we’re talking about to go out and attach limpet mines—they’re magnetic mines—on the sides of the cargo ships, and they blew them up. That’s who we’re dealing with. So, very difficult to deal with these people.” Hagerty on why action was needed now: “President Trump has stepped up, and he said he’s going to deal with it. I think most everybody knows this, but there is a math problem here that we’re trying to solve. And that math problem is quite simple. The pace at which the Iranian regime was building ballistic missiles was ramping up dramatically. And we have an exquisite set of capabilities to take those out. You’ve seen Patriot missiles go and take them out. But they can make ballistic missiles more rapidly than we can make Patriot missiles. And at some point, they might have overwhelmed our capacity to take them out. They were at 2,500 ballistic missiles. You start working that math, you can see why President Trump moved our military capabilities into the region while he tried diplomatic efforts. I think Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner did an amazing job, but they also read the room. The Iranians weren’t serious about a diplomatic solution at that point in time. But the timing is relevant to the capacity of our military to be able to address Iran. And we were reaching that capacity now. The 2,500 [missiles in Iran’s arsenal are] down to a fraction of what it was. And we’re in a much better position to deal with the threat. And, I think the world has seen what the Iranians would do if they were able to obtain nuclear capabilities, if they could have gotten a ballistic missile set beyond our ability to deal with it. They’d have had all the time they wanted to develop their nuclear capabilities. President Trump clearly understood that. Our military understands that. That’s why it had to be dealt with. Now.” Hagerty on Kevin Warsh and the Federal Reserve: “There are a number of discussions going on right now, and I’m not going to get ahead of those discussions, but I spoke with both Senator Tillis and Senator Scott last night. Senator Scott is the chair of the [Banking] Committee. And I’ve certainly had a number of conversations with Kevin Warsh. I think he’s absolutely the right person for the job to lead the Fed, and he should be ready to go. I think he is ready to go. We’ve had the hearing. Everybody’s heard the statements that Senator Tillis has made, but we’ve got a lot of Democrats on the Banking Committee as well. They could move to get him out of committee just as easily. And most of these Democrats have already supported Kevin when he was up for Fed Governor before. I don’t think it’s just Thom Tillis and his issue, but we’ve got all of the Democrats in the Senate Banking Committee that have the opportunity to step up and help us move a Fed chair into place. If they’re not going to do that, then we’re back to the same place we are with the shutdown of the government back last fall. What we’re having to deal with right now is Homeland Security. I hate to think that they’re going to shut down or block the next Fed Chairman, who is as eminently qualified as Kevin.” Hagerty on reconciliation and Homeland Security: “Senator Thune is a straight shooter. I think that he’s certainly going to tell you the way it is, but there’s going to be a lot of momentum here. There’s a great desire by the White House, certainly on the Senate side, and I think our friends in the House realize that sometimes the Senate has a different set of rules. It’s not as easy for us to pass [legislation] as it may be in the House. So there’ll be continued negotiations going on, but I’m optimistic we’ll get the right answer here. We need the Department of Homeland Security open.” Hagerty on security risks and the border: “We were just talking about the situation in Iran. The notion that there could be sleeper cells here is very real. If you think about it, in the last administration between 2021 and 2024, there were 1500 Iranians who were encountered at our southern border. Half of those were released into the United States. So, the odds of there being some type of sleeper mechanism here is greater than zero. We need Homeland Security back open to deal with this. This is the worst possible time to be shutting down the Department of Homeland Security. And I think our colleagues in the House recognize that too.” Hagerty on FISA: “There are going to be more discussions next week. Again, I don’t want to get ahead of those discussions because they’re delicate. It’s important that we get it right, but I’m optimistic that we get to a resolution here soon.” ###",1,2026-04-25T05:38:36Z,2026-04-25T05:40:21Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/04/24/icymi-hagerty-joins-mornings-with-maria-on-fox-business-to-discuss-budget-reconciliation-kevin-warsh-ai-competition-with-china/,"ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Mornings with Maria on Fox Business to Discuss Budget Reconciliation, Kevin Warsh, AI Competition with China",2026-04-24,2026,2026-04,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"WASHINGTON—Today, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Banking and Foreign Relations Committees and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, joined Mornings with Maria on Fox Business to discuss budget reconciliation, Kevin Warsh, AI competition with China. Partial Transcript Hagerty on reconciliation and DHS funding: “The third reconciliation process that Speaker [Mike] Johnson talked about, we’ve also been discussing in the Senate as well. That is probably the most prime opportunity. And I think [Senator] Lindsey Graham, our budget chairman, is working at pace for that right now. We also have the National Defense Authorization bill coming up. Both of those will be opportunities to address this. We’re going through this process right now to fund the Department of Homeland Security, that the Democrats have shut down now. They’ve shut down this department. The department charged with protecting us, the Counter-Terrorism department at a time when we are dealing with the world’s largest state sponsor of terror. It’s incredibly irresponsible that the Democrats have put us in this position. They basically are against law enforcement. Chuck Schumer says he doesn’t respect them, I’m sure, but our law enforcement is absolutely critical at a time when the Biden administration encountered 1500 Iranians, that’s the polite word. They use 1500 Iranians from 2021 to 2024; they released half of them into the country. We need to be very responsible at this point in time and the recklessness of the Democrats has brought us to this point. It’s their shut down, their willingness to expose us to terrorism that is really hard to believe. We’re going to address it very quickly.” Hagerty on President Trump’s leadership on Iran: “President Trump has done an outstanding job using executive orders to bring our country back to the most competitive place it possibly could be. The reconciliation package that we passed last year, the Working Families Tax Cut Act, some call it The Big Beautiful Bill, that put in place more incentives for capital investment than we have seen in our careers. So, we’ve got great economic momentum right now. President Trump is dealing with the world’s largest sponsor of terror. I think that’s going to happen post-haste. Time, as he said, is on our side here. The Iranians are running out of options immediately. They’re running out of storage capacity for their oil. If they have to cap their wells, if they have to stop production it is going to create massive damage. Again, time is running out. They need to take the off ramp.” Hagerty on the 2026 midterms: “If we do wind up in a situation [losing the Republican congressional majority], and it’s going to be close, and I think the races for the House and the Senate are going to be very intense. The Democrats have decided that resistance, that favoring crime over law enforcement seems to be their play. I don’t think the American public are going to buy that. I think the economy is going to be moving in the right direction. I’m optimistic that we won’t have a problem in the midterms but we’re going to fight hard. The Democrats have indicated that they’re going to resist at every turn. They’re going to try to bring the government to a grinding halt. They’ve already demonstrated that with the shutdown last fall and with what they’re doing with Homeland Security. I do not think we’ll lose the Senate. We’ll be able to maintain the fight, but they’ll make it certainly a lot more difficult for the American public.” Hagerty on the Virginia redistricting amendment: “Democrats have demonstrated that they can’t win the hearts and minds of the American public so instead they’re going to try to change the rules. And this is exactly the playbook that they’ve deployed in the past. If you think about some of the states where Democrats can win, there’s states where there’s no voter ID where they’ve got very loose rules. That’s what the Democrats seem to want everywhere. They’re trying to change the rules now for the allocation of Congressional seats and districts. Every single Democrat voted to continue counting illegals in the process of allocating congressional districts and electoral votes. [Illegal Aliens] flooded the border, [Democrats] brought all these millions of illegals into the country. They go to these sanctuary cities, and now they want to count them. They’ve all voted to do just that, to count them in the allocation of seats and districts. The Democrat’s playbook is, is to change the rules, to break the rules, to certainly go well against the intent of the founding fathers.” Hagerty on Kevin Warsh’s committee hearing: “I’d say Kevin Warsh delivered a textbook performance. He’s absolutely the man for the job at this moment. I think everybody saw that in full display when he appeared before the banking committee. Every person sitting on that banking committee, whether they be Republican or Democrat, can vote to move Kevin Warsh forward. Every Democrat there, many of them already voted for Kevin Warsh when he was up for Fed Governor. They [Democrats] have the opportunity to support this. I’ve spoken with Senator Tillis, and I’ve spoken with Senator Scott just as recently as yesterday about moving this forward. I think there are a number of options to get this moving, but we need to see Kevin [as Fed Chair] by mid-May. I certainly hope that we’ll be in that position very soon to put Kevin into that role. He’ll do a great job, and we’re ready for him.” Hagerty on Warsh’s confirmation process: “[Kevin Warsh’s Nomination to be Fed Chair] It could be imminent. Conversations are underway. I don’t want to get ahead of those conversations because they’re fragile, delicate. But again, on our side, I think every Republican realizes Kevin Warsh is the most competent person, a terrific candidate that President Trump has selected, and he’s ready for the position and well prepared, ready to go at a time when we need the sort of certainty that he can help deliver to get the Fed back into its lane. So, there’s no question about his competence, his qualifications, and I’m very optimistic that we’re going to have a vote soon.” Hagerty on the CLAIRTY Act: “I feel like we’re at the one-yard line on this one. It’s up to Chairman Tim Scott to decide the timing of when we do the markup [to the CLARITY Act]. But I think we’re very close to being ready to do that. In my view, it could happen in a matter of weeks. I’ve been optimistic that we were ready in the past and other things come up. For example, the situation in Iran, the Democrat’s decision to shut down the government, to shut down Homeland Security. But we’re moving at pace, and I think we’re very close to being ready to move on the CLARITY Act.” Hagerty on The AI Race with China: “It is quite alarming [that China is attempting to steal innovation and intellectual property from the United States] but it’s not surprising. Michael Kratsios [Science Advisor to the President of the United States] is extremely competent and a good friend and he is putting his finger on the button here. This is the most important, most incredible advancing technology that we’ve seen in decades. Right now, the Chinese, again, are trying to steal intellectual property, and this is a playbook they have been executing for decades. I’ve had my intellectual property stolen when I was in the private sector by the Chinese. So, this is something we’ve got to be on guard for. We have to be prepared for it. Most importantly, we must stay ahead of it, meaning the United States needs to continue to lead in AI. And I understand the concerns and I’ve watched very carefully what the Florida Attorney General is doing right now to deal with some of these concerns that are quite alarming. But at the same time, I think what we need are the appropriate guardrails to maintain American liberty but also maintain American dominance, the development of AI that happens right here in this country. We need to lead here.” Hagerty on Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s leadership: “I applaud Secretary Bessent for bringing the banks together. These AI tools can be utilized to find any type of vulnerability. They can do it much more rapidly, much more effectively than humans can do it. And the fact that we’re getting ahead of it, staying ahead of it, and acting on any of these vulnerabilities I think means the tools can be used for very productive and constructive means. Particularly, when we have adversaries like China that would try to exploit those vulnerabilities.” ###",1,2026-04-25T05:38:36Z,2026-04-25T05:40:21Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/4/ai/blackburn-welch-hold-roundtable-with-over-20-artists-who-support-no-fakes-act-and-train-act-to-protect-creators-from-ai-harms,"Blackburn, Welch Hold Roundtable with Over 20 Artists Who Support NO FAKES Act and TRAIN Act to Protect Creators from AI Harms",2026-04-22,2026,2026-04,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"“The arts help us find a way to come together at a time where there’s just so much conflict and division. The voices, words, heart, and soul that live in the music artists create is astonishing—that’s deeply human, and can’t be replicated by AI,” said Senator Welch. “The TRAIN Act is an incredibly important, bipartisan bill to stand up to AI and give power back to creators. I'm glad to champion this bill alongside Senator Blackburn to protect and stand up for the contribution that each and every artist makes that is so essential to the well-being, emotional health, and soul of everyone in this country.” NO FAKES ACT With the rapid advance of generative AI, artists and creators have already begun to see their voices and likenesses used without their consent in videos and songs created as nearly indistinguishable replicas. The NO FAKES Act would address the use of non-consensual digital replications in audiovisual works or sound recordings by: Holding individuals or companies liable if they distribute an unauthorized digital replica of an individual’s voice or visual likeness; Holding platforms liable for hosting an unauthorized digital replica if the platform has knowledge of the fact that the replica was not authorized by the individual depicted; Excluding certain digital replicas from coverage based on recognized First Amendment protections; and Preempting future state laws regulating digital replicas. Click here to read the bill text. TRAIN ACT Currently, there is no reliable way for copyright owners to determine if AI companies used their works without permission to train AI models. Copyright owners—particularly small creators—are struggling to navigate novel legal issues posed by AI copying their work. There are very few AI companies that share how their models were trained and nothing in current law requires them to disclose training materials to creators. The TRAIN Act would promote transparency about when and how copyrighted works are used to train generative AI models by enabling copyright holders to obtain this information through an administrative subpoena. Modeled on the process used for matters of internet piracy, the bill would provide access to the courts for copyright holders with a good faith belief that their copyrighted material was used. Only training material with their copyrighted works need be made available. The bill would also ensure that subpoenas are granted only upon a copyright owner’s sworn declaration that they have a good faith belief their work was used to train the model, and that their purpose is to protect their rights. Failure to comply with a subpoena creates a rebuttable presumption that the model developer made copies of the copyrighted work. Click here to read the bill text. RELATED Blackburn, Coons, Salazar, Dean, Colleagues Introduce “NO FAKES Act” to Protect Individuals and Creators from Digital Replicas",1,2026-04-25T05:38:36Z,2026-04-25T05:40:21Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/4/ai/what-they-are-saying-blackburn-announces-growing-momentum-for-trump-america-ai-act,WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: Blackburn Announces Growing Momentum for TRUMP AMERICA AI Act,2026-04-22,2026,2026-04,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"“We applaud Senator Blackburn’s leadership in putting forward a comprehensive AI framework. This legislation offers a model that supports AI innovation, while ensuring that the concerns of the American people are heard and the rights of content creators are protected and respected,”said Danielle Coffey, President and CEO of the News/Media Alliance. “As a parent who has lost a child to online harms, I am extremely grateful to Senator Blackburn for her TRUMP AMERICA AI Act. By combining the Kids Online Safety Act - the gold standard for protecting children from social media addiction and other harms - with critical safeguards to protect young people from AI, this legislation would be a game changer for America's families. ParentsSOS applauds Senator Blackburn for her leadership and commitment to ensuring no more families experience the tragedies our families have,” said Maurine Molak, Co-Founder of ParentsSOS and mother of David, forever 16. “RIAA is deeply grateful to Senator Marsha Blackburn for putting forward a national rulebook in her America-first AI discussion draft. This legislation offers a thoughtful and comprehensive framework to advance American AI innovation while ensuring that the creators indispensable to our culture are protected from having their work used in unlicensed training, as courts have made clear is required. It safeguards all Americans against nonconsensual deepfakes and voice clones. As the Act rightly recognizes, human creativity and AI innovation can both flourish, but only if AI special interests stop stealing creative works and enabling AI-driven online abuse,” said RIAA.",1,2026-04-23T05:48:52Z,2026-04-23T05:50:10Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/04/22/icymi-hagerty-joins-squawk-box-on-cnbc-to-discuss-kevin-warshs-nomination-federal-reserve-leadership/,"ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Squawk Box on CNBC to Discuss Kevin Warsh’s Nomination, Federal Reserve Leadership",2026-04-22,2026,2026-04,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"WASHINGTON— Today, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, joined Squawk Box on CNBC to discuss Kevin Warsh’s nomination to lead the Federal Reserve, the confirmation process, and the need to restore focus at the Fed. Partial Transcript Hagerty on Kevin Warsh’s confirmation hearing: “I think Kevin Warsh did an outstanding job. It was a textbook performance. He answered everything. He had actually some very disrespectful questions from the ranking member. And he never let it get under his skin. Steady, disciplined, exactly what you want in a Fed chairman. I think he performed very well.” Hagerty on bipartisan support for Warsh: “There may be other off-ramps that are under discussion [to move out of committee], but one thing that’s very obvious, Kevin Warsh has been confirmed in the past on a bipartisan basis. Members of this committee have voted for Kevin Warsh for the Fed Governor before this chairman position. I hope that they’ll see the necessity of getting somebody as competent as Kevin into the position, and we can move forward with Democrat votes as well. That shouldn’t be off the table, but given the partisan behavior of Chuck Schumer and the leadership, you think about shutting down the government in the fall for such an extended record-breaking period of time, what they’ve done to the Department of Homeland Security. I think it’s a reasonable question whether he’ll be seated, but I certainly hope that everybody will come to their senses and realize that Kevin is the man for the moment. He’s the person to bring the Fed back into its lane and get our economy moving in the right direction.” Hagerty on bipartisan paths through committee: “Of course, it’s possible. The ranking member doesn’t indicate any, don’t hold your breath. I wouldn’t hold my breath. But it’s certainly possible. I passed the GENIUS Act out of the same committee with completely bipartisan support. Senator [Elizabeth] Warren was against it, but she held five Democrats with her. Five Democrats came over and voted with me and all the Republicans to pass the stablecoin legislation, the GENIUS Act, just last year. It is certainly possible to get a bipartisan result here.” Hagerty on Jay Powell’s future at the Fed: “It’s not typical. And if I were in Jay’s shoes, certainly I’m not, but if I were, it would be a good time to go ahead and depart. As was said earlier, it’s probably not going to be a very pleasant environment to stick around again. I think we need to get a new chairman into position. Kevin is ready to do it. He’s the man for the moment. As I said yesterday, my view is let’s get it on. Let’s move forward.” Hagerty on whether Powell could stay on the Board: “He should be allowed. I think it would be Jay Powell’s choice to do that. Again, historically, that’s not been the case. This is typical in most [of] corporate America, when a CEO and chair retires, they generally give the new person, the new leader, the runway to move forward. And I think that would be the appropriate thing to do. But again, it’ll be up to Chairman Powell.” ###",1,2026-04-23T05:48:52Z,2026-04-23T05:50:10Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/4/women/blackburn-leads-colleagues-in-introducing-legislation-to-close-loopholes-allowing-taxpayer-funded-abortion,Blackburn Leads Colleagues in Introducing Legislation to Close Loopholes Allowing Taxpayer-Funded Abortion,2026-04-16,2026,2026-04,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Bill Cassidy (R-La.), and 17 of their Senate colleagues introduced the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act to ban federal Title X family-planning grants from going to any entity (like Planned Parenthood) that performs abortions or funds abortion providers: “Taxpayers should not have to spend a penny on abortions,” said Senator Blackburn. “The Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act would protect life and stop federal funds from going to entities that perform abortions by closing loopholes in federal law.” “Louisiana families want their tax dollars to support families, not abortion businesses that kill unborn babies and hurt mothers,” said Dr. Cassidy. “I’m proud to co-lead this bill to end a policy that subsidizes Planned Parenthood on the taxpayers’ dime.” BACKGROUND The Title X Family Planning Program is intended to assist low-income women with family planning services. Unfortunately, this program has a history of subsidizing massive organizations that engage in abortion activities such as Planned Parenthood. Since 1976, federal law has prohibited use of federal funds for abortions. Section 1008 of the Public Health Service Act explicitly states that Title X funds “shall not be used in programs where abortion is a method of family planning,” but Clinton-era rules require all grantees to refer patients for abortions and allow abortion facilities to be co-located within Title X clinics. As a result, Planned Parenthood clinics that receive federal family planning funds can share the same facility, staff, and waiting room as abortion clinics, and often refer women for on-site abortions. This legislation is co-sponsored by Senators James Lankford (R-Okla.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Josh Hawley(R-Mo.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), and Kevin Cramer (N.D.). TITLE X ABORTION PROVIDER PROHIBITION ACT The Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act would: Amend the Public Health Service Act to prohibit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from providing federal family-planning grants to entities that perform abortions, or provide funds to entities that perform abortions; Strip the abortion giant Planned Parenthood and other Title X clinics of taxpayer funding that ought to go to comprehensive healthcare alternatives instead; Require that HHS provide an annual report to Congress that includes: information on grantees who perform abortions under the exceptions; and a list of entities to which grant funds are made available. Click here for bill text. ENDORSEMENTS This legislation is supported by Susan B Anthony Pro-Life America, Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee, March for Life Action, National Right to Life Committee, Americans United for Life, and the Students for Life Action. “Abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood should not receive a single dime of taxpayer dollars, especially when those funds are meant to provide family planning services to women in need. Abortion is the exact opposite of that mission. Title X funds should be reserved for entities that truly help American families, rather than those that prey upon vulnerable women and their unborn babies. We are grateful to Sen. Blackburn for introducing legislation that would prohibit this evil, predatory industry from receiving federal grants they do not deserve,” said Penny Nance, President and CEO of Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee. “Taxpayer dollars should never be used to subsidize the abortion industry. Senator Blackburn’s Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act restores a clear and commonsense boundary by ensuring that family planning funds are directed to providers that offer genuine, life-affirming care. For too long, abortion providers have received federal support while continuing to profit from abortion. National Right to Life is proud to support Senator Blackburn’s leadership on this important measure,” said Carol Tobias, President, National Right to Life. “March for Life Action applauds Senator Blackburn’s Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act. Abortion providers like Planned Parenthood should not receive a single cent of taxpayer funding, whether through the Title X program or otherwise,” said the March for Life Action. “Title X has long served as a slush fund for the Big Abortion industry, led by Planned Parenthood. In 2024 alone, abortion businesses ended the lives of an estimated 1.1 million unborn babies. Thank you, Senator Blackburn, for championing this important legislation to permanently stop Title X dollars from going to these bad actors and protect American taxpayers from being forced to fund the abortion industry,” said the Hon. Marilyn Musgrave, VP of Government Affairs, Susan B. Anthony Pro- Life America.",1,2026-04-18T05:35:53Z,2026-04-18T05:37:16Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/4/crime/blackburn-cotton-introduce-bill-to-double-penalty-for-assault-of-federal-correctional-officers,"Blackburn, Cotton Introduce Bill to Double Penalty for Assault of Federal Correctional Officers",2026-04-15,2026,2026-04,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"“Federal prisons have become increasingly unsafe for the brave men and women who serve as federal corrections officers. Incidents of inmates assaulting BOP officers have been on the rise and often result in PTSD for the affected officers as they continue to do their jobs,” said Senator Blackburn. “The Safer Prisons Act would deter these acts of violence by doubling the criminal penalties for assaulting a BOP correctional officer.” “Assaulting a federal corrections officer is completely unacceptable,” said Senator Cotton. “Our bill would double the criminal penalties for these criminals that attack our officers.” BACKGROUND The Safer Prisons Act is intended to address a startling increase in violence targeting correctional officers in federal prisons. These incidents endanger correctional officers and foster an intolerable and violent environment within the walls of the prison facilities in which they occur, placing inmates at an increased risk of harm as well. Click here for bill text.",1,2026-04-16T05:48:36Z,2026-04-16T05:50:08Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/4/economy/video-blackburn-highlights-success-of-working-families-tax-cuts-on-tax-day,VIDEO: Blackburn Highlights Success of Working Families Tax Cuts on Tax Day,2026-04-15,2026,2026-04,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) delivered remarks on the Senate floor celebrating the success of the Working Families Tax Cuts signed into law by President Trump and calling out Democrats for voting against tax relief for Americans: Click here to download Senator Blackburn’s remarks. EXCERPTS OF REMARKS “Today is Tax Day. It's not a day that conservatives usually celebrate, but this year, it is a little bit different, and that is thanks to the Working Families Tax Cut, Big, Beautiful Bill, that are allowing individuals to keep a lot more of their hard-earned money.” “Today is a day we should be mindful of the imperative that we should be good stewards of the taxpayer dollar.” “During the Biden administration… every time you turned around, taxes were going up. Inflation was going up because taxes were going up, and government spending was going up.” “Things have changed… Citizens are seeing more money stay in their pocketbook without having to send it to DC.” “Almost half of the filers are claiming new tax breaks that were created in the Working Families Tax Cut.” “I do want to highlight some of these provisions that our Democratic colleagues chose to vote against.” “They voted against allowing you to have a $6,000 bonus deduction… 30 million seniors have already used that.” “There are millions of workers who are seeing lower taxes on tips and overtime… Every single Democrat in this chamber – every single one – voted against that.” “Now we also know that children that are born can do Trump Accounts. They're eligible for that $1,000 seed account… Every Democrat voted against their having that nest egg.” “They also voted against the enhanced Child Tax Credit, which benefits more than 40 million American families.” “[Democrats] think they should have the right of first refusal on your money. They think they know better what to do with your money than you do. They say, ‘Send more of it to DC, and we'll put it where we want it.’” “As you fill out your tax form, remember the Democrats said you don't deserve it, they do. They want your money. They don't want you to keep your money.”",1,2026-04-16T05:48:36Z,2026-04-16T05:50:08Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/04/15/icymi-hagerty-joins-varney-co-on-fox-business-to-discuss-iran-negotiations-market-reaction-dhs-funding/,"ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Varney & Co. on Fox Business to Discuss Iran Negotiations, Market Reaction, DHS Funding",2026-04-15,2026,2026-04,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"WASHINGTON—Yesterday, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, joined Varney & Co. on Fox Business to discuss Iran negotiations, the market’s response to Middle East developments, and efforts to fund the Department of Homeland Security. Partial Transcript Hagerty on negotiating with Iran: “We’ve never been able to believe a word they’ve said. This has been going on for decades, and they’ve consistently lied. They’ve consistently misrepresented their position. And I think you just have to step back and take a look at the cards that they hold. Their military has been decimated. Their weapon stockpile has been decimated. If you think about their economy right now, it’s certainly moving in the wrong direction. The cards are all in President Trump’s hand, JD [Vance], Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner– all very capable people. They’ve laid out the red lines for the Iranian regime. The Iranian regime now needs to respond to this. They’re going to continue to try to tap us along. They’re going to find out this is not the Obama administration. This is not John Kerry that they’re dealing with. This administration is not going to cave. The red lines are real. They will not have nuclear capability, and we’re going to make certain that that’s the case. I think the Iranians just need to wake up. Just ask Maduro what happens if you don’t take this president seriously?” Hagerty on market reaction and U.S. leverage: “I think it’s because they see this administration, the Trump administration, standing strong, standing firm. And again, the cards are all in our favor. This blockade is going to have dramatic results on the Iranian economy. I think the Iranians need to wake up and see where this is headed. There’s only one way out of this, and that’s for them to accede to the demands.” Hagerty on DHS funding and reconciliation: “Having a deal with the Democrats has proven to be fruitless. They’ve been willing to subject the men and women at Homeland Security to massive pain. Two of the longest government shutdowns in history have been directed at those workers. It’s just a shame that Chuck Schumer and the Democrats are willing to hold them, their families, and their livelihoods as hostages for sheer politics. What we’re going to do is focus on a reconciliation package that is going to get these departments funded, fully funded for the duration of Trump’s administration. The Democrats have made it clear they want to defund the police. They don’t want any immigration enforcement in the United States. They want these illegal immigrants to basically walk free and receive benefits. That is not going to happen, and Republicans are going to come together in this reconciliation package and make certain that it doesn’t. We’re going to be working at pace on this. Our staff have been working through this two-week period that we’ve been on recess. We will be getting to it this week, and I hope to get it done very, very soon.” ###",1,2026-04-16T05:48:36Z,2026-04-16T05:50:08Z https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/4/military/blackburn-van-epps-introduce-legislation-to-ensure-national-guard-members-receive-federal-benefits,"Blackburn, Van Epps Introduce Legislation to Ensure National Guard Members Receive Federal Benefits",2026-04-14,2026,2026-04,Republican,Senate,TN,Marsha Blackburn,B001243,www.blackburn.senate.gov,blackburn,https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and U.S. RepresentativeMatt Van Epps (R-Tenn.) introduced the Guard Equal Benefits for Federal Missions Act to ensure that National Guard members patrolling U.S. cities receive active-duty benefits for their service. Last month, President Trump announced National Guardsmen serving on the Memphis Safe Task Force and in other cities would receive deployment pay and benefits equal to those of active-duty troops. “The Memphis Safe Task Force has successfully driven crime down by 43%, and thanks to President Trump and Secretary Hegseth, Tennessee National Guardsmen are now receiving the federal benefits they have earned while restoring law and order,” said Senator Blackburn. “The Guard Equal Benefits for Federal Missions Act would ensure National Guard members get the benefits they’ve earned when they are called up to support federally directed public safety missions, regardless of how the operation is designated.” “As an active member of the National Guard, I appreciate the impact of the Tennessee National Guard’s work to make Memphis safe again. I applaud President Trump's directive extending national emergency-level benefits to Guardsmen serving in the Memphis Safe Task Force, and I am proud to co-lead the Guard Equal Benefits for Federal Missions Act with Senator Marsha Blackburn to codify that policy permanently into law. This legislation ensures that National Guard personnel serving full-time in support of federal agencies such as ICE, DEA, and ATF receive the benefits their service deserves,” said Representative Van Epps. BACKGROUND The Memphis Safe Task Force was established on September 29, 2025, to combat violent crime in the city of Memphis. This task force is being coordinated by local, state, and federal law enforcement as well as the Tennessee National Guard. Since its launch, the Task Force has driven down overall crime by 43 percent compared to a year ago. Last month, President Trump and Secretary Hegseth took action to ensure National Guard members serving on the Task Force receive the same benefits as active-duty troops. Prior to this, Tennessee National Guard members supporting “Restoring Law and Order in Memphis” were ineligible for benefits typically associated with extended, involuntary service because the mission was not designated as a national emergency. While the Trump administration’s action resolves the issue for this mission, gaps remain in statute that could affect future operations. GUARD EQUAL BENEFITS FOR FEDERAL MISSIONS ACT The Guard Equal Benefits for Federal Missions Act would ensure that any future deployment of National Guard members under 32 U.S.C. § 502(f) in support of federally directed public safety operations is treated as qualifying service for federal benefits, regardless of whether the mission is formally designated as a national emergency. This bill would provide that full-time National Guard duty performed under 32 U.S.C. § 502(f) shall be treated as service in response to a national emergency if such duty is: Authorized by the President or the Secretary of War; Performed in direct support of federally directed public safety operations, including those conducted in coordination with federal agencies; and Carried out for the purpose of addressing significant criminal activity, drug trafficking, organized crime, or other threats to public safety as determined by the Secretary of War. RELATED Blackburn Joins President Trump in Memphis to Tout Success of Memphis Safe Task Force PHOTO: Blackburn Joins Attorney General Bondi for Memphis Safe Task Force Briefing, Serves Dinner to Task Force Members President Trump Is Making Memphis Safe Again Click here for bill text.",1,2026-04-15T05:46:42Z,2026-04-15T05:48:27Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/04/14/hagerty-introduces-freedom-to-build-act-to-make-housing-affordable-again/,Hagerty Introduces “Freedom to Build Act” to Make Housing Affordable Again,2026-04-14,2026,2026-04,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"Legislation would incentivize deregulation, expand housing supply, and make new homes more affordable WASHINGTON— United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, has introduced the Freedom to Build Act to incentivize deregulation, expand housing supply, and make new homes more affordable. The 2026 Economic Report of the President finds that a “bureaucrat tax” in the form of government regulations adds more than $100,000 to the cost of a home and constrains new construction. To address this, the Freedom to Build Actdirects the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to create a “Freedom to Build” certification. To qualify, localities adopt policies that unleash construction innovation, fast-track approval processes, defend property rights and family freedom, and demonstrate a consistent record of expanding housing supply. Certified localities receive priority consideration for existing HUD housing grants. The legislation creates no new agencies or programs and authorizes no new spending. It simply aligns existing federal incentives to reward communities that reduce regulatory barriers to building new homes. “For many Americans, the dream of owning a home is increasingly out of reach, and excessive regulations have made new homes too costly for many American families,” said Senator Hagerty. “My Freedom to Build Act streamlines costly and often redundant regulations to reduce the cost of a new home in our country.” The legislation is endorsed by: National Association of Home Builders Leading Builders of America National Multifamily Housing Council The Real Estate Roundtable Mortgage Bankers Association “Senator Hagerty’s Freedom to Build Act provides important incentives for communities to voluntarily take steps to improve the home building process at the local level,” said Bill Owens, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders. “Regulatory barriers like restrictive zoning, cumbersome permitting processes, and cost-increasing mandates stifle housing production. By making jurisdictions more competitive to receive federal grants if they take measures to ease barriers to new home construction, this bill will help improve housing affordability.” Ken Gear, CEO, Leading Builders of America: “The Freedom to Build Act will unlock innovation in building technology, remove costly mandates that inflate home prices, streamline permitting and approval processes and allow builders to increase construction of homes that middle class families can afford. The Freedom to Build designation will allow local jurisdictions to voluntarily demonstrate that they welcome new affordable housing supply. It encourages them to proactively remove barriers and partner with homebuilders to address one of the most critical issues affecting their constituents. Importantly, it’s results oriented and measures success by the number of new homes constructed. The designation will also allow federal and state policy makers visibility into how committed municipalities are to providing more housing supply. Federal infrastructure, community development and housing funds should be prioritized to communities that do their part to reduce barriers to housing construction. This bill provides the right incentives to address housing affordability and get new homes built.” Sharon Wilson Géno, President, National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC): “America’s affordability challenges won’t be solved without building much more badly needed housing, and that means removing the barriers that stand in the way. These are the type of housing solutions that we should focus on—policies that expand housing options for Americans. By cutting red tape and creating more predictable, efficient construction and development processes, we can reduce housing costs and clear the way to deliver more housing sooner in communities across the country.” “The Real Estate Roundtable supports the Freedom to Build Act,” said Jeffrey D. DeBoer, president and chief executive officer of The Real Estate Roundtable. “This legislation would be a meaningful step toward expanding housing supply and improving affordability for working families. The Freedom to Build Act would align federal incentives with local decision-making to help unlock private capital, enhance housing supply, and support long-term economic growth. The Real Estate Roundtable has long supported policies that promote housing affordability – for renters and homeowners – and strengthen the connection between housing, jobs, and transportation.” “The Mortgage Bankers Association commends Senator Hagerty for introducing legislation designed to help remove regulatory barriers in order to increase housing supply,” said Bill Killmer, senior vice president of legislative and political affairs at the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). “The Freedom to Build Act encourages localities through the provision of grants to adopt reforms intended to unleash construction innovation, speed approval processes, and limit government mandates as appropriate for the building of more housing (both single- and multifamily). MBA will continue to advocate on behalf of policies that appropriately increase supply, promote a healthier real estate market, and provide consumers with sustainable housing opportunities.” Full text of the legislation can be found here. ###",1,2026-04-15T05:46:42Z,2026-04-15T05:48:27Z https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/04/13/icymi-hagerty-joins-mornings-with-maria-on-fox-business-to-discuss-iran-reconciliation-ai/,"ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Mornings with Maria on Fox Business to Discuss Iran, Reconciliation, AI",2026-04-13,2026,2026-04,Republican,Senate,TN,Bill Hagerty,H000601,www.hagerty.senate.gov,hagerty,https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/,scraper,"WASHINGTON—Today, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, joined Mornings with Maria on Fox Business to discuss Iran, reconciliation, Federal Reserve leadership, and artificial intelligence. Partial Transcript Hagerty on Iran and other revisionist nations: “It’s at least good to see other nations step in and try to offer a hand here. Russia is going to be impacted. The whole world is going to be impacted once the Iranian regime is taken down. This unholy axis that you’ve seen: Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran. It’s time for it to break, and I think the Iranians are creating an embarrassing situation for all of them.” Hagerty on President Trump’s negotiating strategy with Iran: “What the Iranians are seeing is a very different negotiating style. You remember the last time they sat down and talked about the nuclear arsenal and nuclear ambitions with the US president– that was under Obama. Their negotiator, the Iranian negotiator, walked out of the room, and John Kerry chased him out of the room. They bent. They broke. The Obama administration broke and gave them everything they wanted in terms of being able to pursue their nuclear ambitions. President Trump has made it clear that he will not do that. The Iranians tried that old play again. It didn’t work this weekend. J.D. Vance stood strong. I think the Iranians are seeing it’s a different play now, and President Trump is doubling back on them and shutting them down, blockading the Iranians, and cutting off all revenue. At this point, I think they’re realizing this is a very different game, and I’ll be anxious to see how J.D.’s latest and final offer is received by the Iranians.” Hagerty on maximum pressure and Iran’s economy: “It [the maximum pressure campaign] worked last time. We were almost there in the first Trump administration. My job was to get the Japanese government to stop buying Iranian crude oil when I was US Ambassador to Japan. That happened all over the world. And again, John Kerry inserted himself and suggested to the Iranians that they should wait and see what would happen in the 2020 election. Again, Biden comes in, opens up all the spigots, money starts flowing to Iran, and they’re back in the terrorism business. President Trump is not going to allow this. The Iranians need to get the message. And I think after this weekend, Vice President Vance, [United States Special Envoy to the Middle East] Steve Witkoff, and [United States Special Envoy for Peace Missions] Jared Kushner have delivered that message loud and clear.” Hagerty on global support and the Strait of Hormuz: “These nations need to step up. They’re much more impacted. Japan, South Korea, China, and other parts of the world are far more impacted by what happens in the Strait [of Hormuz] than we are. President Trump is trying to deliver good for the entire world. I think the world needs to step up and support this effort. Iran has always threatened to shut the Strait of Hormuz. This has been their playbook for decades. They’re trying to exercise it now. It’s not going to work.” Hagerty on reconciliation and DHS funding: “The reconciliation process is already underway. Senator Barrasso and Senator Graham met with the president just recently. Our teams have been working on putting a reconciliation bill into motion when we get to Washington later this evening, and tomorrow will be full on it. And the reconciliation process, as you know, is one that requires no Democrat votes. The Democrats have put us in this situation. They’re not cooperating at any level, maximum resistance. They’ve shut down the Department of Homeland Security, and they’ve indicated that they’re not going to do anything to cooperate with President Trump or the Republicans. So we’re gonna move forward on this endeavor. The reconciliation process has to be tied to the budget. That’s precisely the type of thing that we can use, again, to open the department also to deal with defense and several other items that I hope we’ll be able to address.” Hagerty on timeline for DHS funding: “President Trump has found a way to deliver revenues there to keep the department open. But I certainly haven’t seen any indication that the Democrats are going to cooperate yet. Perhaps they’ll change their tune this week. The American public certainly is tired of these sort of antics, but I think we need to continue to move along the direction of a reconciliation bill to do it as quickly as we possibly can. Again, President Trump has set the deadline for the first of June. I’m certainly hopeful that we can do it sooner than that.” Hagerty on Kevin Warsh confirmation: “I certainly don’t know how my colleagues are going to vote. Kevin Warsh has already been a decade ago voted unanimously by the Senate. He has been confirmed before. I think he’s been meeting with senators on both sides of the aisle. I think he will do very well in the voting process with respect to the machinations in the Senate Banking Committee and going through the confirmation process. I believe I’m the only senator who’s actually gone through this confirmation process myself when I was up for US Ambassador to Japan. It’s a complicated process, lots of paperwork. It may get moved a few days here or there, but I’m with Kevin [Warsh]. We need to go ahead and have the hearing, be ready to go. Jay Powell’s term ends on the fifteenth of May. We need to be ready.” Hagerty on the Federal Reserve and economic focus: “I think Kevin [Warsh] is the man for the moment right now. The markets are ready for Kevin. He’s focused on productivity, on making investment a top priority, on private credit here in America, and on credit formation. And again, getting the Fed back to its core business. The basic mission drift that took place over the past years, where they were focused on climate change and DEI activities at the regional banks, and even inclusion or inclusiveness was included in the maximum employment mandate. I think we’ll get back to basics. The Fed will be the engine that it needs to be to support our economic growth.” Hagerty on AI and financial system risks: “I think what we’ve seen is that Secretary Bessent is on it. He’s on target, and he’s making certain, as this new technology evolves, that we’re utilizing it in the most effective way possible if a vulnerability is identified. And again, AI can be utilized to identify vulnerabilities and [mitigate] them as much as it can be used to attack vulnerabilities. I’m very pleased to see that he was on it, that he brought in banking leaders to address it, and they’re staying ahead of it. The last thing I want to see is regulation that would shut down the innovation that AI promises. We need to win in this game. The United States needs to lead in this innovation. And there are often voices in Washington that suggest we should shut it down, that we should stop it. But in that case, who then takes the lead? China. Others. We need to be careful. And I think Secretary Bessent has demonstrated that sort of care.” Hagerty on AI guardrails: “I think having rules of the road in place–guardrails–certainly does make sense. I just don’t want to see them so tight and so overly prescriptive that it kills the industry. We saw this with the stablecoin legislation that I passed, the GENIUS Act. We put in place guardrails, and now that technology is thriving, but it can’t be overly restrictive.” ###",1,2026-04-14T05:46:13Z,2026-04-14T05:48:07Z