Latest from Lamar, Notes from the Senate Desk

*Important news from
this week:*

-
The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan
solution that will permanently fund Historically Black Colleges and
Universities (HBCUs) and other minority-serving institutions and simplify the
FAFSA -- a complex student aid form filled out by 400,000 Tennesseans
every year.

-
iHeartRadio announced it will open a second
headquarters in Nashville next year, which will bring even more jobs to Music
City.

-
Johnson City celebrated its 150th anniversary -- what a
wonderful part of our state. I know the next 150 years will bring the area
even more success.



*Remembering the life of Bishop William
Graves*

This week, we celebrate the life of Memphis' own, Bishop William
Graves [link 1]. I believe he was one of our nation's most consequential
religious and civic leaders. With his quiet, strong leadership, he
made our lives better and made us proud to claim him as a native son.
Over the years, Bishop Graves became a treasured friend of my family. We
will miss him and offer his family our great respect for his life of
service.



*Simplifying the FAFSA for 20 million families and
permanently funding Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other
minority serving institutions*

This week, I released and the Senate
passed a bipartisan solution [link 2] that will make permanent $255
million in annual funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities
(HBCUs) and other minority serving institutions and simplify the Free
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for 20 million American
families. It's hard to think of a piece of legislation that will have
more of a lasting impact on minority students and their families than
this bill. First, it provides permanent funding for HBCUs and other
minority serving institutions attended by over 2 million minority
students. Second, it takes a big first step in simplifying the FAFSA by
eliminating the bureaucratic nightmare created by requiring students to give
the federal government the same information twice. Students give
permission to the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Education
to share tax return data, which eliminates up to 22 questions on the
FAFSA with one click. I look forward to working with the House of
Representatives to put it on President Trump's desk to be signed into
law.



*President Trump approved Governor Lee's Disaster relief request
for the state of Tennessee*

I sent a letter this week with Senator
Marsha Blackburn and Representative Mark Green to President Trump urging
him to support Governor Bill Lee's request for a major disaster
declaration. This request will provide public assistance for 10 Tennessee
counties in order to respond to the overwhelming damage caused by
severe storms and straight-line winds in October. I commend President Trump
for quickly approving Governor Bill Lee's request [link 3]. This
federal assistance will help Tennessee communities begin to rebuild and
recover. Full text of the letter is available here [link 4].



*Dr.
Stephen Hahn is well-prepared to lead the FDA at this critical
time*

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The Senate health committee I
chair this week approved the nomination of Dr. Stephen Hahn [link 5] to
serve as commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by
a bipartisan vote of 18-5. Dr. Hahn has extensive medical and research
experience and is a proven leader in large health systems -- all
around, he is exactly the type of nominee we want to lead an agency as
important as the FDA. Now it's time for him to be confirmed because there
is a lot the FDA needs to do -- approve new life-saving drugs and
devices, regulate tobacco and e-cigarettes, address the opioid crisis and
ensure pain patients can receive the medications they need, and
protect our nation's food supply. Dr. Hahn is well prepared to lead the FDA
at this critical time. His nomination will be voted on next week by
the full Senate.



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*I met with
Gerald Parish, Director of Recreation Education Services for the
Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. He even brought his
granddaughter to see Washington, D.C. for the first time.*



*Senate
confirms Dan Brouillette to serve as U.S. Secretary of Energy*

This
week, the U.S. Senate confirmed Dan Brouillette [link 6] to serve as
U.S. Secretary of Energy by a vote of 70-15. I voted last month in the
Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources to advance Mr.
Brouillette's nomination so it could be considered by the full Senate.

I
supported Mr. Brouillette's nomination to serve as deputy secretary in
2017, and I was happy to vote for him again to lead the energy
department. Mr. Brouillette has visited Oak Ridge National Laboratory and
understands the critical importance of the work being done in Oak Ridge.
I'm confident he will continue to build on the progress former Secretary
Rick Perry made by supporting energy research, our 17 national
laboratories and supercomputing, which helps give America a competitive edge
in creating jobs.



*Senator Johnny Isakson of Georgia set an
example for U.S. senators*

I spoke on the Senate floor this week in a
farewell speech to Sen. Johnny Isakson [link 7] of Georgia, who is
retiring from the Senate at the end of the year. I like to encourage my
constituents in Tennessee to look at Washington, D.C., as if it were a
split screen television. On the one side, you see what most people are
watching -- you see impeachment, tweets and Supreme Court controversies.
But on the other side, where very few probably watch, you see senators
like Johnny Isakson working to pass an opioid bill or senators
working to pay songwriters a fair amount for their work. That is where
Johnny Isakson has spent most of his 15 years.

Johnny learned a long time
ago that if all you want to do is take a position or make a speech,
then you don't need to go through all the trouble of joining the United
States Senate -- you can get a radio program. He has reminded us of
why we're here. He reminded us that, if you are a United States senator,
it's hard to get here, it's hard to stay here, and while you're here,
you might as well try to accomplish something good for the country.
He set an example for why we senators are here. That is Johnny
Isakson's legacy and that is something we should be grateful for. You can
watch my floor remarks here [link 8].



*The best-kept secret in
Washington is record funding for our national laboratories, supercomputing
and biomedical research*

On Friday, I met with members of the East
Tennessee Economic Council (ETEC) and told them that the best-kept secret
in Washington is record funding for our national laboratories,
supercomputing and biomedical research. In fact, Congress sent $4.6 billion
to Oak Ridge last year, and the Senate is on track to increase funding
for national laboratories by 42 percent, supercomputers by 64 percent
and biomedical research by 40 percent over the last 5 years. Americans
invented the Internet. And the personal computer. We invented nuclear
power. And the polio vaccine. Government sponsored research has
helped make America the greatest country in the world. And much of that is
happening right here in the Oak Ridge Corridor.

The Knoxville airport
now has a new sign that says: "Welcome to Knoxville: Gateway to the
Smokies and The Oak Ridge Corridor." And it's about time we celebrate
it. I have come to think of the Oak Ridge Corridor not as something
that requires renaming a highway, but as a concept -- a regional brand
that can include Maryville and Morristown, Kingston and Sevierville, and
any other East Tennessee community that wants to claim it.



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*One of my favorite things is when
Nashville songwriters come **visit my Washington, D.C**. office. This
week, Will Duvall played his song, "**The King of Country Music (The
Song)"* *for my staff.*



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

**USA Today: FAFSA: Ask any college student.
The federal student aid application is needlessly complex [link
9]**

*Nashville Medical News: In Bipartisan Vote, Senate Health Committee
Approves Dr. Stephen Hahn to Serve as FDA Commissioner [link
10]*

*Politico*: *Alexander, Murray strike deal to revive expired funding for
HBCUs* [link 11]

*The Chattanoogan*: *Senator Lamar Alexander: Johnny
Isakson Set An Example For Why We Senators Are Here* [link
12]

*Clarksville Online*: *Members of Tennessee Delegation Send Letter to
President Donald Trump Supporting Governor Bill Lee's Disaster Declaration*
[link 13]



Be yourself, speak from the heart, and not for too
long.

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




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