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
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
Click here 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. Senator Blackburn’s are here.
Considering President Trump’s nominee to serve as U.S. Secretary
of Labor
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, 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 –
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
Tennessean: Nashville Songwriter
Awards: Luke Combs, Josh Osborne among big
winners
WBIR-NBC Knoxville
Channel 10: Senator Alexander, Congressman Duncan to attend
dedication of Great Smoky Mountains Bridge
Associated Press: Tennessee unveils
$7.9B block grant proposal for Medicaid
Be bipartisan,
not nonpartisan.
#229 in Lamar Alexander’s Little Plaid
Book
