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 – 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 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.
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 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.
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.
