Latest from Lamar, Notes from the Senate Desk

*Important News from
this week: *

-
The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee this
week unanimously approved three pieces of legislation I supported that
will help Tennessee farmers, provide more funding to help fix roads in
our national parks, and build a new federal courthouse in Chattanooga.
I've included what these bills will do for Tennessee below. Take a
look!

-
Governor Bill Lee released a proposal to give the state
more flexibility in spending federal Medicaid dollars, and I will
encourage federal officials to consider it seriously.

-
The Centers for
Disease Control (CDC) announced Dr. John Dreyzehner, who previously
served as commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Health, will lead
the Center for Preparedness and Response. It is great to have a
Tennessean in a role that will help protect us from public health
threats.



*Thanking songwriters for their support in passing the Music
Modernization Act *

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I was honored to receive the White Hat
Award from the Nashville Songwriters Association International this
week. Just last Saturday at The Bluebird Cafe, I heard a new song by
Will Duvall, Ryan Larkins and J.R. McCoy. Its name is, "The King of
Country Music, is the Song." That made me think that the new law we passed
last year, the Music Modernization Act - legislation that ensures
songwriters are paid a fair market value for their work - really ought to
be called "The Songwriters' Law" because Nashville songwriters made it
happen. Songwriters from across our state trooped up to Washington,
D.C., and reminded Congress that it all starts with a song, that
somebody has to write the song, and that it is only right that the
songwriter gets paid a fair market value for their work. Our success was the
result of most parts of the music industry - songwriters, publishers,
digital music companies and broadcasters - working together on what they
agree on instead of fighting over what they disagree about. So I was
honored to receive this award this week, but I was more appreciative
of the opportunity to thank the songwriters who made it happen and
helped us pass the Music Modernization Act into law.



*Serving
9,024 days in office as either Tennessee's governor or U.S.
Senator*

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*Click here [link 2] or on the photo above
for video of Leader McConnell's remarks.*

This week, thanks to
Tennessee voters, I served my 9,024th day in office as either Tennessee's
governor or U.S. Senator, which is more combined years than any other
Tennessean in those offices. I am honored by the privilege given to me
by the people of Tennessee to serve our state. And I appreciated
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and my colleague Marsha Blackburn
sharing some kind words before my 9,024th day in office this week on
the Senate floor. If you would like to listen to Leader McConnell's
remarks, you can watch here [link 3]. Senator Blackburn's are here [link
4].



*Considering President Trump's nominee to serve as U.S.
Secretary of Labor *

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This week, I chaired a hearing in the
Senate labor committee to consider the nomination of Eugene Scalia,
President Trump's nominee to serve as U.S. Secretary of Labor. Wages are
growing at an annual rate of 3.2 percent. African American unemployment
fell to 5.5 percent in August - and to a record low of 4.4 percent for
African American women. And overall unemployment is at a 50 year low of
3.7 percent. Businesses and workers need a Secretary of Labor who
will steer the department with a steady hand, and I believe Mr. Scalia
has the skills to help continue to grow our economy and help workers
gain the skills they need to succeed in today's workplace.



*Read
below about the three funding bills approved this week by the U.S.
Senate Appropriations Committee on which I serve, and the impact they
will have on Tennessee:*

*Transportation funding bill takes important
step to address backlog of road maintenance in our National Parks
*

Nearly half of the $12 billion maintenance backlog in our national
parks is roads. In the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 80 percent
of the park's maintenance backlog is roads. A funding bill approved
unanimously this week by the Senate Appropriations Committee takes an
important step towards fixing some of those park roads by increasing
funding for important road construction projects in our national parks. It
is my hope that the Senate soon takes the next step and passes our
bipartisan legislation, the Restore Our Parks Act [link 5], which would
help restore and rebuild our national parks by cutting in half the
nearly $12 billion maintenance backlog. This legislation would do more to
restore national parks than anything that has happened in the last
half century.

This bill also provides critical funding for Tennessee
projects and priorities such as supporting housing needs and enhancing
aviation safety at Jackson, Millington and Smyrna airports.
Additionally, this bill includes funding for programs authorized in the SUPPORT
for Patients and Communities Act [link 6] - legislation I sponsored
and President Trump signed into law to help states and local
communities fight the opioid crisis.



*Agriculture funding bill
unanimously* *approved this week is a big win for Tennessee Farmers*

The
agriculture funding bill I voted for this week is big a win for Tennessee
farmers because it funds the Farm Service Agency, Rural Development
programs, and agricultural research at Tennessee's universities. The
bill also includes $64 million to help provide access to broadband
internet for rural communities, which will help enhance educational
opportunities and economic development in rural areas. This bill provides
$3.15 billion for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including
$8 million for several provisions that increase the FDA's
effectiveness in fighting the opioid crisis. Funding for FDA is important to
virtually every American - FDA is responsible for implementing 21st Century
Cures, working with Congress to bring safe and effective drugs and
medical devices to patients more quickly, and ensuring the food
Americans eat every day is safe.



*One step closer to funding new
Chattanooga federal courthouse *

I voted in the Senate Appropriations
Committee to approve $189 million in funding for the construction of a
new Federal Courthouse in Chattanooga. This bill, at my request,
provides $189 million to build a desperately needed new courthouse in the
largest and busiest Judicial District in Tennessee. Construction for
this new courthouse has been through a rigorous justification and
prioritization process, and is the only solution to address the significant
operation, space, and security deficiencies that exist at the current
Federal Courthouse in Chattanooga - Joel W. Solomon Federal Building
and U.S. Courthouse - which was constructed 86 years ago. The Judicial
Conference of the United States has designated Chattanooga as a
Courthouse Construction Priority, and I am glad that the need for this new
facility has been recognized.



*Below are some articles from
this week I thought you would enjoy:*

The Maryville Daily Times:
Alexander sets Tennessee record for holding top state offices [link
7]

Tennessean: Nashville Songwriter Awards: Luke Combs, Josh Osborne among
big winners [link 8]

WBIR-NBC Knoxville Channel 10: Senator
Alexander, Congressman Duncan to attend dedication of Great Smoky Mountains
Bridge [link 9]

Associated Press: Tennessee unveils $7.9B block
grant proposal for Medicaid [link 10]



Be bipartisan, not
nonpartisan.

*#229* *in Lamar Alexander's Little Plaid Book*




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