Latest from Lamar, Notes from the Senate Desk
*Important news from
this week: *
-
The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee this
week approved the largest pay raise for military service members since
2010, including for those serving at Fort Campbell, Naval Support
Activity Mid-South in Millington and Arnold Air Force Base in
Tullahoma.
-
The Senate Appropriations Committee also unanimously approved my
bipartisan legislation that provides the fifth year of record funding
for our 17 national laboratories, including Oak Ridge National
Laboratory, and will keep us number one in the world in supercomputing.
-
Maryville College celebrated its 200th birthday this week. I think
the college is perfectly positioned by location, by tradition and by the
fact that it remembers who it is and keeps the character that it's
had for the last 200 years.
-
The Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) sent over $3 million in grants to Tennessee fire departments
and emergency services in 14 counties this week, including $549,260
to the Rhea County Volunteer Fire Department.
*Honoring those
we lost on 9/11*
This week, on September 11, we remembered the
attack on our nation and honored those who died 18 years ago. We must never
forget how that tragedy brought us together as one nation and how
countless courageous acts from that day forward have reminded us what it
means to be American. Our history is the struggle to live up to the
ideals that have united and defined us from the beginning - the
principles of the American character. If that is what students are taught
about September 11, they will strengthen our country for generations to
come. I am glad that the U.S. Senate passed, and President Trump signed
into law, legislation to permanently provide compensation to September
11 first responders and survivors suffering from related health
conditions.
*Providing the fifth straight year of record funding
for our 17 national laboratories and funding to keep the U.S. number 1
in supercomputing*
In March, I proposed a New Manhattan Project for
Clean Energy [link 1] - a five year project with Ten Grand Challenges
that will use American research and technology to put our country and
the world firmly on a path toward cleaner, cheaper energy. To provide
the tools to create these breakthroughs, the federal government should
double its funding for energy research and keep the United States
number one in the world in advanced computing. That is why setting a new
record funding [link 2] level for the Department of Energy's Office of
Science - which supports basic science and energy research at our 17
national laboratories, including at Oak Ridge National Laboratory -
has been one of my top priorities.
This week, the Senate
Appropriations Committee unanimously approved a bill that does just that - the
bill provides the fifth straight year of record funding for the Office of
Science, and includes funding to keep America number one in the world
in advanced computing and build the next generation of
supercomputers. This bill also provides funding that will modernize our nuclear
weapons facilities at Y-12 and accelerate cleanup of hazardous materials
and facilities at the East Tennessee Technology Park, the Oak Ridge
National Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex. This bill
also includes $7.75 billion - a new record funding level in a regular
appropriations bill - for the Army Corps of Engineers to maintain and
rebuild our nation's waterways, including up to $92 million to fully fund
construction at Chickamauga Lock for the sixth consecutive year. This
is great news for East Tennessee since the new lock will help keep up
to 150,000 trucks off I-75 and keep the cost of shipping goods low
for manufacturers across the state.
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I
enjoyed meeting with students from Westminster Academy in Memphis this
week. I'm glad they had the opportunity to visit our nation's capital
and learn how their government works.
*Senate committee
approving the largest pay raise for military service members since
2010
*
The Senate Appropriations Committee this week approved [link 3]
a bill that will provide the largest pay raise since 2010 for the men
and women who defend our freedoms - including those serving at Fort
Campbell, Naval Support Activity Mid-South in Millington, and Arnold Air
Force Base, in Tullahoma. The bill also provides record funding for
the research and development of advanced technologies, like
hypersonics, that will keep the U.S. military the strongest in the world.
Governing is about setting priorities, and this bill shows our priority is
the men and women who serve in our armed forces.
This bill also
includes more than $850 million to ensure the men and women serving in our
National Guard have the resources they need to keep our country safe
during catastrophes. Finally, the bill also includes a program to help
military spouses find good paying jobs.
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Some very exciting news from the state work period - Liz
and Brandon got engaged! Brandon, from Powell, works in our
Washington office as a Legislative Assistant, and they both attended the
University of Tennessee. Congratulations to them both.
*Below are some articles from this week I thought you would
enjoy:*
*The Washington Times: Op-Ed by Lamar Alexander: New Manhattan
Project for Clean Energy: 'American innovation is the answer' [link
4]*
*The Leaf Chronicle: 3.1% pay raise for soldiers -- largest
since 2010 -- on its way to Senate approval [link 5]*
*Williamson
Herald: Letter to the editor by Patsy Writesman: Alexander's plan to end
surprise medical billing is right way to go [link 6]*
*Chattanooga
Times Free Press: FEMA awards nearly $3.62 million in fire department
grants to Tennessee, with Rhea County coming out big winner [link
7]*
Pray for our leaders.
*#309 in Lamar Alexander's Little Plaid
Book*
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