WASHINGTON, May 26 -- Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Alabama, issued the following news release: Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) praised Wednesday's planned launch of American astronauts on American rockets from American soil--the first such launch in a decade, and the first SpaceX launch of this kind in American history. Congressman Brooks said, "The Tennessee Valley is excited by tomorrow's launch. The Tennessee Valley is the birthplace of America's space program and Huntsville is proudly nicknamed the 'Ro  more

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee, May 28 -- Rep. Timothy Burchett, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, only digital submissions of student artwork are being accepted for the Tennessee Second District's Congressional Art Competition (CAC). This is the first year since the inception of the CAC that only electronic entries will be accepted in the Second District. The coronavirus pandemic caused the school year to be cut short for students across East Tenness  more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, May 29 -- Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tennessee, issued the following news release: Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) announced that Memphis Health Center Inc. will be receiving a grant of $1,252,973 and Christ Community Health Services will be receiving a grant of $1,480,859 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Congressman Cohen made the following statement: "These substantial supplemental grants to our Memphis community health centers is both welcome and critical  more

WASHINGTON, May 30 -- Rep. Stephen Cohen, D-Tennessee, issued the following statement in response to the death of African Americans in rural southeast Georgia, Louisville, and Minneapolis: "We can't keep adding to the list of names that includes the high-profile cases of Philando Castille, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Sandra Bland and countless others - including Darrius Stewart in 2015 and Steven Askew in 2013, both in Memphis -- without acknowledging that police encounters with African America  more

WASHINGTON, May 29 -- Rep. David Kustoff, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: Congressman David Kustoff (TN-08), voted for the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act. This bill extends the Paycheck Protection Program coverage period from 8 weeks to 24 weeks, gives small businesses more choice in how to use their funds, extends the loan maturity, and ensures small businesses will not be penalized by high unemployment benefits. "The Paycheck Protection Program has proved incredi  more

WASHINGTON, May 28 -- Rep. David Kustoff, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: Congressman David Kustoff (TN-08) joined Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) to unveil the SECURE CAMPUS Act. This legislation would prohibit Chinese nationals from receiving visas to the United States for graduate or post-graduate studies in STEM fields. "Student visas should be only for those who want to contribute to our research institutions and advance our national int  more

WASHINGTON, May 29 -- Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tennessee, ranking Republican member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, issued the following statement on May 28 after the House passed three veterans' bills: "I am proud to support the passage of these bills today to authorize a cost-of-living increase for veterans who receive VA disability benefits, approve the construction of seven VA major medical facilities, and correct an error in existing law that impedes senior leaders in the VA healthcare s  more

WASHINGTON, May 29 -- Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tennessee, issued the following statement after voting for the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act (H.R. 7010), which passed the House by a vote of 417-1: "As the country begins to reopen, the Paycheck Protection Program continues to provide vital relief to small businesses across the country and in Tennessee. I've heard from many small businesses that this program has been a lifeline for them to keep their workers employed, but it's also clear tha  more

WASHINGTON, May 28 -- Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tennessee, issued the following column: This week, the House of Representatives began to conduct normal legislative business for the first time since March. Prior to this week, the House had only met a handful of times over the past two months to vote on emergency coronavirus relief packages. I strongly supported these bipartisan packages like the CARES Act, which offered critical support to individuals and businesses during this public health crisis. Now   more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, May 22 -- Reps. Jim Cooper, D-Tennessee, and Adam Smith, D-Washington, issued the following joint statement in response to the Trump administration's plans to withdraw from the Open Skies Treaty: "The Administration's decision to withdraw the United States from the Open Skies Treaty is a slap in the face to our allies in Europe, leaves our deployed forces in the region at risk, and is in blatant violation of the law. "This decision weakens our national security interests  more

WASHINGTON, May 28 -- Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tennessee, ranking Republican member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, and Rep. Mike Bost, R-Illinois, ranking member of the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, issued the following statements on May 27 after the Subcommittee held its first virtual forum: "It is baffling and disappointing, to say the least, that today's forum was held virtually, despite the House being in session and voting this afternoon," said Ranking Memb  more

WASHINGTON, May 22 -- Reps. Adam Smith, D-Washington, and Jim Cooper, D-Tennessee, issued the following joint statement in response to reports that the Trump administration plans to withdraw from the Open Skies Treaty: "The Administration's decision to withdraw the United States from the Open Skies Treaty is a slap in the face to our allies in Europe, leaves our deployed forces in the region at risk, and is in blatant violation of the law. "This decision weakens our national security interests  more

WASHINGTON, May 25 -- Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, issued the following transcript of an interview with Sandra Smith on Fox News's Sunday Morning Futures: On Former Vice President Joe Biden's Comments About African American Voters "Joe Biden must have missed a lesson from his mother: think before you speak, because this shows what the Democrats think about African American voters. They take it for granted... It is the exact same thing they do when it comes to gender. They take women for  more

WASHINGTON, May 30 -- Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: Fear of catching an illness by visiting a doctor's offices should not be an obstacle for patients needing care. Telehealth has proved to be an immensely beneficial form of delivering treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' new rule to increase telehealth access for Medicare Advantage recipients in rural areas is a solid step toward expanding coverage for A  more

WASHINGTON, May 28 -- Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, issued the following news release: Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) unveiled the SECURE CAMPUS Act, legislation that would prohibit Chinese nationals from receiving visas to the United States for graduate or post-graduate studies in STEM fields. The bill would also place restrictions on participants in Chinese foreign talent-recruitment programs, such as the Thousand Talents Program. Congressman David K  more