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U.S. Congressional Tipoffs Involving Tennessee Newsletter for Sunday December 10, 2023 ( 33 items )  

'Every State is Now a Border State': House Homeland Security Committee Hears Testimony From Colleagues on Impacts of Border Crisis
WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 -- Rep. Mark Green, R-Tennessee, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, issued the following news release on Dec. 7, 2023: This week, the House Committee on Homeland Security, led by Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN), held a hearing to receive testimony from non-Committee members of Congress on legislation and oversight efforts that fall under the Committee's jurisdiction. Testimony was provided by Reps. Kevin Hern (R-OK), Stephanie Bice (R-OK), Andy Ogles (R-TN),  more

'Public Safety Crisis': New York First Responders, Official Testify to Strain on Emergency Management Resources Caused by Border Crisis
WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 -- Rep. Mark Green, R-Tennessee, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, issued the following news release: The House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology, led by Chairman Anthony D'Esposito (R-NY), held a hearing to examine the burdens placed on emergency management entities and first responders as a consequence of the historic border crisis. Witness testimony was provided by Bruce Blakeman, county executive for Nassau County, New   more

Bank CEOs Confirm to Hagerty That Basel Endgame Proposed Regulations Would Hurt American Economy, Small Businesses, and Home Borrowers
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 -- Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, today in a hearing elicited confirmation from top U.S. bank CEOs that, despite claims to the contrary by federal regulators, the Federal Reserve's Basel Endgame Proposal would have a significant negative impact on the American banking sector by both harming banks' ability to lend to small businesses and consumers and placin  more

Blackburn Fact Checks Durbin's Lies About Her Push To Subpoena Epstein's Flight Logs
WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 -- Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: CLAIM: Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) falsely claimed he was not aware of Senator Marsha Blackburn's (R-Tenn.) amendment to subpoena Jeffrey Epstein's flight logs during today's hearing with FBI Director Christopher Wray. FACT: Senator Blackburn pushed for her amendment in numerous judiciary hearings that Durbin presided over on November 9 and November 30. *** Original text here:   more

Blackburn Leads Legislation To Weaken Iran-China Ties, Condition Any Nuclear Deal
WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 -- Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) today led seven of her Republican colleagues in introducing the Iran China Accountability Act to weaken Iran's ties with Communist China. The legislation prohibits the consideration and use of any U.S. taxpayer dollars to advance a nuclear agreement with Iran until they terminate their ties with the CCP and terrorist groups like Hamas. "Iran would love nothing mo  more

Blackburn Requests Answers On Report That UNRWA Teacher Held Israeli Hostage
WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 -- Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) is demanding answers from the United Nations (UN) and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) following reports that an Israeli hostage was held in the attic of a teacher employed by UNRWA. An UNRWA Teacher Reportedly Held An Israeli Hostage In His Attic For Nearly 50 Days "I am writing to you regarding a recent disturbing rep  more

Blackburn Urges Biden Commerce Department To Return China Lab To Entity List
WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 -- Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn, along with Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), and J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), sent a letter to U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo raising concern over the removal of China's Institute of Forensic Science (the Institute) from the Commerce Department's entity list. The Senators argue this move will only embolden Communist China and request the U.S. immed  more

Blackburn, Tillis Lead Effort To Deter Malicious Foreign Influence In Postsecondary Education
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 -- Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) led their colleagues in introducing the Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions (DETERRENT) Act, legislation that brings much needed transparency, accountability, and clarity to foreign gift reporting requirements for American colleges and universities. "While our adversaries pick up t  more

Congressman Cohen Announces $1 Million Public Health Grant to Shelby County
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 -- Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tennessee, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON - Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today announced that Shelby County will receive a grant of $1,043,560 to strengthen its public health infrastructure from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology and Laboratory Services. Congressman Cohen made the following statement: "The pandemic showed us how important it is to be prepared and exposed where i  more

Congressman Cohen Announces Corridor ID Grant to Develop a Passenger Rail Corridor Linking Atlanta, Chattanooga, Nashville and Memphis
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 -- Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tennessee, issued the following news release: Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), a senior member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, today announced a $500,000 grant from the Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) Corridor Identification and Development program, or Corridor ID program, for the proposed passenger rail corridor linking Atlanta, Chattanooga, Nashville and Memphis. Created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Cor  more

Congressman Cohen Calls for Confiscation of Russian Assets to Rebuild Ukraine
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 -- Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tennessee, issued the following news release: Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), the House Ranking Member of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), also known as the Helsinki Commission, today talked about political prisoners held by Russia and questioned expert witnesses at a hearing on "Making Russia Pay: Sovereign Asset Confiscation for Ukrainian Victory." Recently, Ranking Member Cohen, CSCE Chairman Joe Wilson (SC-02), and Senat  more

Congressman Cohen Demands the Release of Radio Free Europe Editor Alsu Kurmasheva
WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 -- Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tennessee, issued the following news release: Congressman Steve Cohen, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly's Special Representative for Political Prisoners, today condemned the extended detention of Radio Free Europe-Radio Liberty editor Alsu Kurmasheva and called for her immediate release. Kurmasheva is a dual Russian-American citizen employed by the radio network funded by the American government and was arre  more

Congressman Cohen Discusses Crime Fighting and Voting and Disability Rights with Chief of the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division
WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 -- Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tennessee, issued the following news release: Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), a senior member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government, today questioned Kristen Clarke, the Assistant Attorney General overseeing the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, at an oversight hearing. Clarke and U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz announced in July that the Civil Rights Division would investigate a pattern or practice of discriminat  more

Congressman Cohen Thanks First Lady Rosalynn Carter "for What You Gave America"
WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 -- Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tennessee, issued the following news release: Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) went to the House floor to pay tribute to the late First Lady Rosalynn Carter during a special hour of speeches devoted to praising her organized by the dean of the Georgia Congressional delegation, Sanford Bishop. Mrs. Carter passed on Sunday, November 19, in Plains, Georgia. In his remarks, Congressman Cohen said in part: "She was a marvelous woman, a marvelous human being,  more

Crapo, Risch, Hagerty Demanding Answers on Admin's Taxpayer-Funded Voter Mobilization Plans
WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 -- Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, issued the following news release: Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senators Mike Crapo, Jim Risch (both R-Idaho) and Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee) sent a letter to President Biden regarding his failure to appropriately respond to concerns about an executive order that requires federal agencies to engage in voter mobilizations and the potential use of taxpayer dollars for these efforts. The Senators are raising alarm over Executive Order 14019 given it potenti  more

Hagerty Leads Colleagues in Raising Concerns Over DOI Spokesperson's Anti-Police Rhetoric
WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 -- Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: Tyler Cherry's statements come to light as the USPP reports record-low staffing numbers WASHINGTON--United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, yesterday led his colleagues in sending a letter to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland raising concerns over the lack of action taken after the Department of the Interior (DOI)'s spokesperson, Tyler Cherry, posted several  more

Hagerty, Blackburn, Britt, Vance Urge Biden Admin to Return China Lab to Entity List
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 -- Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release on Dec. 4, 2023: United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), along with Senators Katie Britt (R-AL) and J.D. Vance (R-OH), in sending a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo raising concerns over the removal of China's Institute of Forensic Science (the Institute)from the Commerce Department's entity list. The Sen  more

Hagerty, Britt, Colleagues Urge Biden Admin to Enforce Steel Sanctions
WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 -- Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined Senator Katie Britt (R-AL), along with 29 other Senate Republican colleagues, in sending a letter to President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen urging the Treasury Department to enforce existing sanctions on Iranian steel. In the letter, the Senators express  more

Hagerty, Colleagues Joint Statement on the Maduro Regime's Harassment of Democratic Opposition
WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 -- Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: NASHVILLE, TN--United States Senators Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Marco Rubio (R-FL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), John Cornyn (R-TX), Peter Welch (D-VT), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Laphonza Butler (D-CA) today released the following joint, bipartisan statement condemning the Maduro regime fo  more

Hagerty, Rubio, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Preserve Sanctions Against Maduro Regime
NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Nov. 30 -- Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), along with Senators Rick Scott (R-FL) and Ted Cruz (R-TX), in introducing the Venezuela Defense of Human Rights and Civil Society Reauthorization Act of 2023, legislation to ensure current sanctions against Venezuela remain in place. On December 21, 2023, the U.S. gov  more

Hagerty, Rubio, Colleagues Warn of Communist China-Linked Batteries at U.S. Military Bases
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 -- Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release on Dec. 4, 2023: United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), along with eight other Senate Republican colleagues, in sending a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin demanding the U.S. Department of Defense immediately reverse the decision to install CATL batteries at Camp Lejeune. The letter also calls for a full asse  more

Homeland Republicans Hold Roundtable on Surging Anti-Semitism on College Campuses
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2 -- Rep. Mark Green, R-Tennessee, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, issued the following news release: This week, the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence, led by Subcommittee Chairman August Pfluger (R-TX), held a roundtable on the growing trend of anti-Semitism on U.S. college campuses in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks against Israel by Hamas terrorists. The roundtable consisted of Elan Carr, the  more

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Green Issues Commentary to Washington Times on Border Spending Package: 'Not Another Dime for DHS Until We Get Real Border Policy Changes'
WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 -- Rep. Mark Green, R-Tennessee, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, issued the following commentary to The Washington Times on Dec. 7, 2023: * * * House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN) published an op-ed in the Washington Times in which he emphasized the significant problems with the Biden administration's supplemental funding request for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The package includes billions of dollars in ne  more

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green Blasts Possible DHS Decision to Close Adelanto Detention Facility: Mayorkas Refusal to Detain and Remove Illegal Aliens 'Clear Evidence of His Dereliction of Duty'
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1 -- Rep. Mark Green, R-Tennessee, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, issued the following statement: * * * House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN) released the following statement in the wake of reports that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), specifically Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), will reportedly close its detention facility in Adelanto, California, even amidst a historic number of illegal aliens surging   more

ICYMI - Hagerty Joins Balance of Power on BloombergTV to Discuss Basel III Endgame Proposal, FISA, Border Negotiations
WASHINGTON, Dec. 9 -- Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release on Dec. 7, 2023: United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Banking and Foreign Relations Committees and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, yesterday joined Balance of Power on BloombergTV to discuss yesterday's Banking committee hearing with Bank CEOs, the necessary reforms that must be made to section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), and Senate Republicans deman  more

Kustoff Resolution Condemning Antisemitism Passed House of Representatives
WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 -- Rep. David Kustoff, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release on Dec. 6, 2023: Today, Congressman David Kustoff (R-TN) and Congressman Max Miller's (R-OH) resolution to condemn and denounce antisemitism in the United States and around the world passed the United States House of Representatives with bipartisan support. Congressman Kustoff spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives about his resolution. Click here (https://x.com/RepDavidKustoff/status/173212728  more

On Senate Floor, Hagerty and Kaine Implore Mexican President Lopez Obrador to Reverse Harmful Actions Violating USMCA
WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 -- Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: President Lopez Obrador has repeatedly violated agreements and unlawfully harmed American companies, including Vulcan Materials, which has jeopardized our trading partnership with Mexico and North American commerce WASHINGTON--United States Senators Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and Tim Kaine (D-VA), members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today spoke on the Senate floor imploring Mexican President Andres  more

PASSED: Blackburn, Cortez Masto Resolution To Strengthen Economic Ties With Israel
WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 -- Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution by U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) that calls for the strengthening of economic ties between the U.S. and Israel. The resolution comes amid Israel's war against Hamas in response to the terrorist group's gruesome assault on Israel on October 7th, which has stunted Israel's economy.   more

Press Advisory: Congressman Cohen to Highlight Entrepreneur Initiative
WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 -- Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tennessee, issued the following news release: MEMPHIS - Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) will hold a press conference with officials from Vibrant Memphis Inc., doing business as Epicenter, to celebrate the $673,322 in federal community project spending he secured to help the enterprise's 901 Entrepreneurs initiative, on Friday, December 8. What: A press conference to call attention to federal spending spurring entrepreneurial initiatives at Epicenter and  more

Rep. Burchett Criticizes Postal Service Over Recent Knoxville Meeting
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1 -- Rep. Timothy Burchett, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: Congressman Tim Burchett (TN-02) sent a letter to U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy criticizing the United States Postal Service over their recent meeting regarding relocating distribution operations from Knoxville, Tenn. to Louisville, Ky. "This is going to have an impact on my constituents and the way the meeting was handled is unacceptable," said Rep. Burchett. "There was hope that the employees w  more

Rep. Burchett Introduces the No Tax Dollars for the Taliban Act
WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 -- Rep. Timothy Burchett, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release on Dec. 6, 2023: Today, U.S. Congressman Tim Burchett (TN-02) introduced the No Tax Dollars for the Taliban Act to stop countries that receive U.S. foreign aid from sending money to the Taliban. "There should be strict measures in place to stop any country that receives foreign aid from the United States from turning around and sending money to terrorists," said Rep. Burchett. "We know the Taliban has a  more

Reps. Harshbarger, Salinas Introduce Bill to Expand Mental Telehealth Services for Rural Patients
WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 -- Rep. Diana Harshbarger, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release on Dec. 5, 2023: Last week, Representatives Diana Harshbarger and Andrea Salinas (OR-6) introduced the Home-Based Telemental Health Care Act, bipartisan legislation that expands access to mental health and substance abuse services for rural patients, particularly for individuals in the farming, fishing, and forestry industries. The Home-Based Telemental Health Care Act would direct the Department of He  more

Senators Blackburn, Carper Celebrate Successful Passage of Senate Resolution to Recognize Jobs for America's Graduates
WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 -- Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Tom Carper's (D-Del.) resolution to recognize the work of Jobs for America's Graduates (JAG) successfully passed the United States Senate. "Since its creation in 1980, Jobs for America's Graduates has served over 1.6 million young people and regularly helped more than 90 percent of their yearly participants graduate from high school," said  more